TRISAGION OR, THE THREE HOLY OFFICES OF IESVS CHRIST, THE son OF GOD, PRIESTLY, prophetical, and regal; how they ought of all his Church to be received. With a Declaration of the violence and injuries offered unto the same, by the spiritual and Romish Babylon; as well in her public Missals, breviaries, Portuses, R●saries, Liturgies, Psalters, Primers, Manuels of prayers and Suffrages, as in their best and most approved private Writings. revealing many blasphemous Mysteries unknown to the Vulgar. By RICHARD FOWNS, Doctor of divinity, and chaplain domestical to the late illustrious Prince HENRY. LONDON, Printed by HVMFREY LOWNES for MATHEW LOWNES: and are to bee sold at his Shop in Pauls Church yard, at the sign of the Bishops head. 1618. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES; PRINCE OF GREAT britain, duke of cornwall, earl of Chester, son and heir apparent to the most Excellent and Illustrious Monarch, james, by Gods great mercy, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland. IESVS Christ, the supreme King of Kings, and of all Lords transcendent Lord and sovereign Ruler, crown your Highnesse with all blessings from the heauens above, and from the earth beneath; that after a long and glorious life in this world, you may for ever and ever put on the stolen of immortal felicity in the world to come. The honour and dignity of Potentates and great Gouernours( most gracious Prince) consisteth neither in the largeness of their Empire, the riches of their Treasure, the abundance of revenue, the multitude of Subiects, the prosperity of Armies, the strength of Cities, Castles, Palaces or Guards: but in this is every Prince renowned, if they which delight in Thrones and sceptres, embrace wisdom, that heavenly and divine wisdom, which was the light unto the feet, Psal. 119. and the lantern unto the paths of david; even true Religion, the sincere service of God. The sweet and Evangelicall Prophet Esay therefore declareth, that to uphold Religion, and to defend the gospel, is the principal end for which all Gouernours and Magistrates were ordained. Kings( saith he) shall bee thy nursing Fathers, Esay 49.23. and queens shall be thy nursing Mothers. And this indeed is the chiefest reason why unto Kings, Princes, and great Rulers commonly the travails and labours of the pen, undertaken in defence of Religion, are commended; not, that by their power men do expect to be defended from slanderous and poisoned tongues( which Kings and Princes themselves cannot avoid) but that unto them which sit at the stern of government, the knowledge of controversies in Religion should bee brought, to the end, that false worship being extirped, true Religion may be upheld, and the right fear of God established vpon the earth. having finished therefore this poor Orphan labour of mine, begun not without the knowledge and approbation of that thrice-noble Prince, Henry, your Hignesse late dearest and most worthy brother; I thought it my duty to present it unto your Grace, both in respect of that excellent knowledge of heavenly things, to which, even in this your tender age you haue attained: as also for that under his hopeful aspect, it first took life and began to grow. Surely, I cannot tell to whom rather the knowledge of this cause should appertain, then to your most excellent Highnesse: whom God( I hope) hath ordained, after a long period of the glorious and happy reign of your august and gracious father, to sway the sceptre of the british Kingdom, which therefore the hellish brood of Locusts, Iesuites, and Seminaries do so much labour to bring back again unto the Romish servitude; not, that either they care for our salvation, or that they dislike the doctrine of our Church, but for that this fertile island hath yielded such large revenue, and copious prouent unto the unsatiable vultures of that Court. And it is worthy observation, that as neither Religion, nor zeal of the truth hath set these brands on fire to the devastation& combustion of christendom; so no lenity nor mercy prevaileth to appease their gull: for otherwise, how could they break out into such treasons and slanders against the most sacred person of our Tres-noble King? then whom, the sun never saw a Prince more merciful, nor more clement; in so much that I should presume to haue said, that his pity and compassion had been more then the safety of his State could well endure: saving that my Lord the King is even an angel of God discerning both good and bad. 2. S●m. 14 17. I speak not this to exasperate your Highnesse more then is convenient: neither do I with Eckius declaim how lawful it is to put heretics to death, Eck trac. de Comburend. Haret. nor urge the Sentence of divine Command by which Idolaters must die. God forbid, that where the Master is a lamb, the Minister should be a lion: josh. 9.23. Numb. 5.2. onely, I wish that Gibeonites should not be Lords; nor Lepers live as they which are clean in the Land. And I must be humbly bold to say unto your Highnesse after the maner as Amphilochius that worthy Bishop once spake unto Theodosius the Emperour; A Prince may iusty fear how God will prosper him in his succession, Zozom. lib. 7. c. ●. if he suffer them which are open enemies to the kingdom and office of his Son Christ Iesus, to flourish without control in his Dominions. With us( God be blessed) it is not so: for his most excellent majesty hath provided Christian and wholesome laws to suppress this heresy and superstition; and as well by his peerless Labours and exquisite Writings, as by godly Edicts& Proclamations, advanceth pure Religion unto the uttermost. Zenoph. de dictis& factis Socr. But as it is in the roof of an house, if the tiles from the uppermost crest depend in due and fit subordination, all tempest and injury of weather fals to the ground, and is shaken off; But when they lie athwart and cross unto the head, every little shower will break in and annoy the edisice: So, if inferior Magistrates, who live in the places where Popish infection is, do not duly execute the regal Religious laws ordained for this purpose, but rather help to shuffle delinquents out of the power of the Law, and blind the eyes of the State; What policy of a Prince can serve turn, or what authority prevail, Cum bonus, Diocl. Flav. Vopisium. cautus, optimus, venditur Jmperator. I know, it ill befits Phormio to red a lecture of chivalry to Hanniball, or me to discourse of policy in the ears of your excellent Highnesse; whose understanding and knowledge in matters of religion, both by your supernatural endowment and grace, as by the successful labours of your worthy Chiron, Mr Thomas Murrey, even in your childhood was above the power of your age. Yet, give me leave,( most illustrious Prince) since the desolation and destruction of the great Whore must be wrought by Kings and Princes, Apoc. 17.16, who shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire; to invite your Highnesse also unto the banquet, and to declare unto your Princely Celsitude what God requireth at your hands, and the hands of all Kings and Princes, even to stand on the watch-tower in the day time, and to set yourself in the watch every night, Esay 21.8 to put yourself into the number of those fanners that shall fan Babylon, ●ct. 7.2 and empty her land, that is, shall examine her errors, and make desolate her kingdom, and in the day of her trouble bee against her on every side. Surely, david and Salomon are no more praised in the Scripture, for preparing the substance, and building of the house of God in jerusalem, 2 Chron. 22.2.3.4 3 Chron. 31.2 then was josaphat for taking away the high places and groves out of judah; Joash for repairing the temple; Hezekia and Josiah for reviving the worship of God almost utterly decayed in the land. 2 Chron. 35 These are glorious examples for your Highnesse imitation, shining stars of direction in your course, bright mirrors by which you may compose your actions; assuring your royal breast, that if you seek the glory of GOD, promoting of truth, aduancement of religion with an upright and perfect heart, no poison, no gun-powder, no knife of barbarous jesuits, nor conspiring Seminaries shall hurt you. he shall cover you under his wings, and you shall be safe under his feathers, his truth shall be your shield and buckler. psal. 9●. Psal. 2 You shall not fear the pestilence that walketh in the darkness, nor the plague that destroyeth at noon day: but you shall flourish like a engraff, and grow up like a Cedar in Lebanon, the loving kindness of the Lord shall endure for ever and ever vpon you, and his righteousness vpon your childrens children. Which the Lord of his mercy, through his dear son Iesus Christ, grant unto your most excellent Highnesse, O Lemuel, O Jonathan, O breath of our nostrils! seavern Stoke in Worcester-s●ire. novemb. 6. 1618. Your Highnesses humbly devoted, RICHARD FOWNS. TO THE BELOVED JSRAEL, WHICH SITTETH BY the waters of Babylon in spiritual captivity, hungering and thirsting after the righteousness of GOD: that is to say, to all simplo seduced Papists, who haue not drunk so deep of the Cup of the great Whore, but that they willingly harken to the will of the true shepherd; Grace, peace and truth, from God the Father, through IESVS CHRIST our Lord, by the renewing of the Spirit of God. GReat is the difference( well-beloved in Christ Iesus) betwixt want of knowledge, and wilful error; ignorance of simplicity, and ignorance of perverse disposition. For although a small error in the beginning may grow great in the end, Arist. l. de coelo& Mund. as Aristotle; Yea all deep-rooted errors are hardly by words extirped, as Petrarch witnesseth: Petraro de vit. so●t. lib. 1. cap. 2. yet as to bee deceived in opinion is infirmity of nature; So with an high hand even against the face of truth to defend falsehood, is Serpentine and satanical maliciousness. Wherefore avoiding to sing unto these deaf Adders which haue stopped their ears, charm the charmer never so wisely; I address my speech unto you, poorer in spirit, younger in malice, who although you sit in darkness, yet hate not the light; though you know not truth, yet love not lies. All means I am sure to detain you in error are by your pretended spiritual Fathers of Rome daily practised; force, torture, persecution, forbidding of you to red the labours of all them in whose forehead the Character of the Beast is not. A practise so much the more abominable, because the proofs and arguments which are produced by the professors of the reformed religion against the use of Rome, are chiefly taken out of the word of God, the Scriptures of our salvation; which to deny unto the world, what is it but to take the sun out of the firmament? and to forbid men to red, What is it but with Nahas to pull out the right eyes of Israel, even the clear eye of true faith, that they may be lead by blind guides headlong into all perdition? Dum enim grauia scripture dicta non perquire●●ur vt mandantur, paulatim a s●●entia decidet mens, vt aliquando nec leuia intellectu cap●antur. Greg. supper Cant. Gregory well observeth; while the weighty sentences of Scripture are not sought for as it is commanded, by little and little the mind falleth from knowledge, so that many times the easy things are not understood. You see then the purpose for which the perusing of Scriptures is interdicted unto you, that being spoiled of her armor, the soul may bee made captive unto the will and pleasure of Idol and brutish shepherds, whose onely study is so to bear rule over you, that you may hear by their ears, Eck de M●ss Lat. non Germ●nice dicend. and see by their eyes; as Eckius for defence of his mass in the latin tongue shameth not to affirm, that All the hearers thereof must trust in the faith of the Church. Cyp. in tract. 3. de Simp prael. From this supine negligence and slumber in the cause of Religion let Cyprian awake us; who saith, the divell is changed into an angel of light, and subornes his sisters, as the Ministers of righteousness, who put the night for the day, destruction for salvation, desperation under the pretext of hope, perfidiousness for faith, Antichrist for Christ; and while they feign things probable, they overthrow the truth with their subtlety. This is brought to pass( dear brethren) because the Spring of truth is not sought unto, neither haue men recourse unto the head, neither is the doctrine of the heavenly Master observed. Act. 17.11. Let the B●reans teach us also who preached the Scriptures daily concerning the truth of the things which Paul had preached. Finally, harken I beseech you to the high Priest and Bishop of your souls Iesus Christ, who exhorteth not his Apostles, and the Rulers of the Church onely, to awake from sleep, and to flee the darkness; But, What I say unto you, I say unto all men, Watch. Mark. 13.37. When ambitious Manasses, brother to the good Priest Iadus, Iadus high priest of jerusalem, Manasses of Samaria. by the means of Shanabalat the Horonite had built a Temple on Mount Gerizim in Samaria, wherein the holy Law of Moses was daily profaned, so that who in jerusalem had eaten unclean meats, or defiled the Sa●bath, fled unto this Temple as a sanctuary, wherein Idolatry, strange worship, and all profaneness was to be found: Yet such was their impudence, that they feared not to contend with the Temple which Salomon built at jerusalem, for antiquity, dignity, and place. Here was now Mountain against Mountain, Temple against Temple, Altar against Altar, Law against Law, Priest against Priest, while the Iewes avouched the Temple of jerusalem to be built according to the prescription of Moses; schism between the Iewes and Samar●tanes, which should be ●he true Temple. and the samaritans earnestly strove that on their Mount of Gerizim, Moses intended that the house of God should stand Into such violence burst out, at last, the flamme of this contention, that it came unto the ears of King Ptolomeu● Philometer: and unto his iudgement on both sides was the cause referred: Before whom they bound themselves with a solemn oath, swearing by God and the King, that they would bring their proofs out of the Law of God. Which when they had on either part done, the Iewes for their Temple brought better testimonies then the samaritans could, and had the victory. The same kind of trial betwixt the Christian Church, Co●trouersies tried by the scriptures. and the Romish Church, we still desire; that by the authority of the pure word of God it may be decided, where the true Temple is: with them, or vs. jung. 9. When the Gibeonites saw themselves unable to stand against Israel, they sent Messengers to Iosua in old and ouerworne garments, rent and torn shoes, having sour drink in their bottles, dried and moulded bread in their bags, pretending that they came from far,& dwelled a great way off from Israel. To which, while the people gave ouer-light credence, counseling not as they were wont at the mouth of the Lord; they made with them an unadvised league, and swore a peace to be repented. With the like fraud, under false pretence, and borrowed rags of antiquity and succession, do the Romish Masters, at this day, insinuate themselves into the hearts and favour of such who give no ear unto the Word and Oracles of God. And not so onely: but as jezabel to avoid the just punishment due unto her whorish and Idolatricall beastliness, entertained jehu with a painted face, 2. Reg. 9.30. and tired her head; So they also colour their impiety, hid from your eyes their blasphemies, and cast painted glosses over their gross superstition; that they may blind your iudgement, and abuse your zeal with masks and shadows. I haue therefore, according unto the measure of grace given me, in these my labours, vnscarfed the papal policy, and laid open the mystery of Babylon, showing you her filthy parts, the very dregs of her cup: that seeing there lieth much Adders poison under her tongue, which you perceive not; much gaule, much bitterness, which by the lying gloss of false hypocrisy is hidden from your eyes, you may at the last find whither they haue lead you; and to what place, all this while, blind fold ye haue traveled, and that your feet stand not in the gates of Sion, nor yet in the Prophets house at Dothan; 2. Reg. 6. but that you are in the mids of Samaria, the implacable enemy of the true jerusalem. Which, that it may be the better brought to pass, I will pray also with the Prophet, 2. Reg. 6.20. Lord open the eyes of these men, that they may see. Your Missals, the solemn forms of public service, I haue undertaken to examine, proving out of them the Limitations of Bellarmine, and such other Sophisters( by which they go about to maintain the grosseness of errors) to be mere mockeries not observed in the Liturgies of the Romish Church. I haue also studied to show unto you the abominable falsehood, superstition, and Idolatry, in the breviaries, and Masse-bookes contained; that when you see how the open religious service of God, is profaned and falsified, you may judge what faith or sincerity they keep in their private writings; and say with that great physician, Si aqua praesocat, quid insuper sorbebimus; If we be strangled with the purest water what then shall we drink? One thing let me especially commend to your considerations. Whereas it is a common opinion that your Missals& Legends, of late time set forth, are more reformed then the old and obsolete; It is far otherwise: for there is no blasphemy so great, nor superstition so absurd, to be found in the one, which is not as palpably deprehended in the other. For as of Masse-bookes the roman breviary, set forth by the authority of the council of Trent, and ratified by pus Quintus, is held the tersest and most reformed: So the Legend published by Aloysius Lypomanus, is accounted the flower of Legends: But to speak the truth, these above the rest, by many degrees, surmount in all spiritual wickedness, in all falsehood and blasphemy. I haue not onely therfore used the testimony of the later Legends and Missals, but of the former also; for that in many things the roman breviary not onely taketh hands with the most barbarous Legends of Lombardy and England, but it seeemeth for the most part, either taken out of the Missals of Sarisbury and Hereford, or at the least to imitate them in their Rites and Ceremonies. Neither can any man justly blame me in this proceeding; seeing the use of Sarum is neither disannulled, nor exauctorated, but that it may be still sung, and used by the Priests in their celebration: as it may appear by the Bull of pus Quintus, dated in the year one thousand five hundred and seventy the day before the Ides of july, and in the first year of his popedom: in which, though all other Missals be recalled, Nisi ab ipsa prima institutione a seed Apostolita approbata vel consuitudine quaevil ipsam stituto supper du●entes annos Missarum celebrand●rum in er●dum Ecclesijs assidue obs●ruata sit: à quibus vt Praesatam celebrands co●stitutionem vel consu● tudinem nequaquam auferimus. yet such are permitted unto any Church, as haue been used above the space of two hundred yea●es. Now the Ex Baleo. cont. 13. cap. 14. missal of Sarisbury was first devised by Osmundus Neustrius earl of Dorset, a great soldier, and captain, under William the conqueror, chancellor also of England, and second Bishop of Sarisbury, after the translations of the same episcopal Sea from Shi●borne to Sa●um. But this warlike Bishop Ex fl●rint. W●gorne. Ex come. laudatissum& doctisiti●s praesul●. F●●●. Godwi●t Ep●. Landineu. de praesulious A●gl. died the twenty fourth year of his prelacy, 3. nonas Decembris, anno Domini 1099: and being Sainted, unto him the third day of December is consecrate. Wherefore seeing the custom of Sarisbury cannot bee less then of five hundred and eighty yeares continuance, t● remaineth as yet in force, and may by the testimony of the Pope himself be still celebrated. As for my sincerity and faithfulness in producing testimonies, and witnesses in the cause I handle; as unto the conscience of every man that surueyeth these Labours, and compareth my Quotations with the original, I doubt not, but to approve myself: So I call that great and glorious God, whose unworthy Minister I am, to witness, that I haue not willingly, witting, or maliciously falsified, wrested, perverted, or misconstrued any places by me alleged; knowing that one day I shall stand before the great tribunal, where the secrets of all hearts shall be opened, and I myself shall give account of all that I haue said or written. I thank God I fear the Lord, and tremble at his judgements; before my eyes are all the rabble of false accusers, Doeg the Edomite, Haman the Agagite, the wicked Iewes that slandered Christ, whose shameful seed is a pillar of Salt to all posterity. I remember also the three accusers of Narcissus, to whom the several vengeance, fire, languishing, and blindness sorted, as every one imprecated to himself, if he accused falsely. Wherefore let there be no prejudice, I beseech you, either of the cause itself, or of my person but as you are zealous of your own salvation, so peruse the high and heinous crimes, blasphemy, idolatry, superstition, falsehood, antichristianism, which I object against the public form of your worship, and the daily practise of your policy. Wherein, if you find me truly and duly to charge them, Go forth out of Babylon, flee from the Chaldeans, flee I say out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity. Now this the Lord God grant unto you that we may be all gathered into the Sheep fold of the great and true shepherd, who hath given his life for you, and hath shed his blood to wash you, and present you faultless without spot unto God. To him, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, bee all Praise, Power, Might, and majesty ascribed, in the Congregation of all Saints, world without end, Amen. seavern Stoke in Worcester-shire, novemb. 6. 1618. Yours in Christ Iesus, RICHARD FOWNS. TO THE CHRISTIAN AND GODLY READER, GRACE, AND truth, AND PEACE, BE MVLTIPLIED from God the Father, and IESVS CHRIST his son, by the powerful operation of the holy Spirit. TWo Cities the Spirit of God by the pen of all the Prophets setteth out unto us: jerusalem the vision of peace, or the perfect peace; and Babylon the confusion of this peace. Wherefore jerusalem and Babylon are the arguments of all the Prophets from Esay to Malachy, while some describe the honour, the excellence, the prosperity, the unity of jerusalem; others the cruelty, the covetousness, the contention, the idolatry of Babylon; together with the longing desire of Israel to bee delivered out of the Hell of their captivity. All this is but a very figure, and mystical type of two greater Cities, striving under the name of the Church, like the twins in Rebeccaes womb. Gen. 25 22. Wherefore the New Testament containeth the building up of the spiritual jerusalem, the true Church of God, seated vpon the faithful rock of all stability, Iesus Christ; and sheweth the malignity, and the conspiracy of the Antichristian Synagogue, the mystical Babylon, against the poor flock, the Turtle, the spouse of Christ, together with the captivity of the holy city for a time: and withall teacheth the Zion of God to strive and labour to bee delivered from this more then servile slavery. The captivity of the terrestrial jerusalem was corporal, carnal, and worldly. In which their bodies and goods were carried away, according to the disposition of the conqueror: Their political estate was overthrown: their country wasted, and given up into the hands of strangers. The captivity of the mystical jerusalem, the militant Church of Christ, is chiefly spiritual, while the Princes of Babylon reign not onely in their Palaces, but in the souls of men, deforming the religion, changing the worship, altering the laws, profaning the covenant, poisoning the faith, blinding the knowledge, terrifying the consciences, and lading them with traditions, ceremonies, and constitutions, heavier then any day of Egypt, more burdenous then any iron, any fetters of Babylon. For this cause, the reign of Antichrist, and his Lordship over the Church of Christ, the Spirit of God calleth great Babylon, Apoc. 17 5. the mother of whoredoms, and abominations of the earth. Some perhaps will marvell, Ob. how wee can give unto any Sect the Title and Appellation of Babylon, which doth profess itself Christian; and hath for sundry yeares born the name of the catholic Church. Sol. To these I answer, that the second Babylon doth in this differ from the first, that the first was a stranger, an open enemy, a professed adversary to Israel; but the second Babylon is a lurking, a secret enemy, who is covered with the clothing of the sheep, challengeth to haue the horns of the lamb, will seem to bee the onely Temple, and the onely Church of Christ, under colour whereof she perturbeth, perverteth, overthroweth, destroyeth all things. But it is true, as the Chaldean Babylon is the head of all those which maligned, vexed, hated, and persecuted the natural Israel: so Rome is the head of them which depopulate, waste, and destroy the Church. Wherefore Ambrose( if he were author of that exposition vpon the Apocalypse which goeth under his name) saith, The great Whore sometime signifieth Rome. Babylon apud ●onostrum Ro. urbis figu●a est. tart. l. 3. adu. martion. And Tertullian saith, that Babylon in Saint John is a figure of the city of Rome. Rhem. in 1. Pet. 5. annot 4. Peter writeth from ●aby●on, that is Rome. And the Romanists themselves say, that by the Church at Babylon, peter the Apostle did understand the Church at Rome:& to this opinion, Euseb. l 2. c. 14. hist. vt cita●● Rh●m. ib. Eusebius, Ieronian Cata de terti illuss. vt affirmant R●em. St. jerome, Oecumen●●● vt ipsi citant Rh●●● 〈◇〉 Oecumenius do subscribe. This the Disciples of the Romish Church say is to bee understood onely of ethnic Rome under the government of Heathen Emperours. But to this their evasion the spirit of God itself hath framed a sufficient reply in the revelation, where the mystery of the Woman sitting on the Beast is described. Wee find that this Beast was twofould; the first, and the second; Heathen Rome the professed enemy: and the Pseudochristian Rome a secret adversary, who hath the horns of the lamb, and under the name of Christ, and of the Church, doth all mischief both to Christ and to the Church. And surely of this second Beast the Scripture witnesseth, that he shall prevail, and deceive them that dwell on the earth, working signs, and making all captive to the first Beast, and to receive his mark. So that Heathenish Rome, which before was wounded, is now healed and magnified by the second Beast; which indeed is not diuers from the first in person, but in respect: not in substance, but in quality of time and government. Now, as the children of Israel from the first Babylon were by the mercy of God after long affliction delivered( God mollifying the hearts of Kings and Princes to set them free, and to permit them to re-edify the decayed walls of jerusalem) and Babylon itself also brought to extreme ruin and destruction: so the spiritual Babylon is comn into remembrance also before God, and the Lord hath turned the hearts of them who formerly gave their kingdom to the Beast; so that now they hate the Whore and make her desolate, and by the mercy of God in sundry kingdoms and Nations religion is purged from superstition, the gospel truly preached, Sacraments sincerely administered, our soul is escaped, as a bide out of the hand of the Fowler, and there is sprung up light for the righteous, and joyful gladness among such as are true-hearted. This notwithstanding, as among the Israelites there were ever many found that would rather turn back unto Egypt, and be content to dwell in the house of their captivity, then in the good land which flowed with milk and Honey: So in the Church of Christ there are found also owls that delight in darkness; to whom the light, the liberty, the grace of the gospel is burdensome: which had rather be fed with Egypts flesh-pots, with leeks and Cucumbers, then all the Manna that comes from heaven; and the captivity of Babylon is far sweeter unto them, then the freedom of jerusalem. To recall these from their mire and their vomit, to which they are running again, much labour by many learned men hath been bestowed; and of late time, from the Confession of schoolmen, Iesuites, and other Popish writers in their books and Commentaries, testimonies haue been taken, as it were out of their own bowels, to convince Popery. Some also haue gone about to mitigate the opinions on both sides, and to draw them as near together as they could. But alas, who can make peace betwixt light and darkness, day and night, truth and falsehood, God and Belial, Christ and Antichrist? Such contraries brook no pacification. Seeing therefore for these late yeares, in this kingdom, and especially in my country of Worcester-shire diuers daily fall from the truth, bewitched with the Cup of the glorious Strumpet, who sitteth vpon the Beast, and who are daily lead captive into Babylon, by the Emissaries of that chair of pestilence( Seminaries and jesuits every where lurking amongst us) I thought it my duty also amongst the rest, to stand in the gap for the house of Israel, and to cast my poor mite into the treasury, if so be by my simplo labours any weak might bee strengthened, and any doubtful resolved. Now because the abominable desolation is a subtle mystery, and the Purple Strumpet hath much more gaule and venom in her Cup, then shee openly sheweth to the world( to speak plainly) for that they overcast their false doctrine, with faire glosses, to the intent they may conceal the dregs thereof from the eyes of men, and by all means cover and hid the depth of their impiety, lest the common sort should spy the same, and every dog bark at it; I haue endeavoured in this Treatise to strip the Harlot out of the rags of her excuse, and to show her naked unto the world; that beholding her filthiness, and her botches, the godly reader may hasten out of Babylon, seeing it is become the habitation of divels, the hold of all fowle spirits, a Cage of every unclean and hateful bide, that all her Restrictions, Limitations, distinctions, cautions, are but the guilt of her hypocrisy cast over to deceive. But so great is the lubricitie and subtlety of this Mother of whoredom and of Witchcraft, that it seems as easy to fit a garment unto the moon, onely immutable in her mutability: or( as the proverb is) to hold an Eeele by the tail, as to force them to stand unto any kind of testimony in matter of Religion. For if you urge them with Fathers, they receive the Fathers so far as they agree with the Romish Church: If you allege councils, they except against them, as not assembled by the Romish authority: if with schoolmen you press them, what is more common then, Hic Magister non tenetur? Yea, if they bee charged with the authority of the Pope himself, they say, he taught not Papally out of the chair, but spake after his private opinion. I haue therefore( not omitting their private writings) produced the most part of my proofs out of the missals and breviaries, the forms of their public worship. Which, though she haue an Harlots forehead, yet any reasonable man will think, the Babylonish Strumpet cannot for shane deny. The private authors alleged are old and new, obselete and flourishing; which I of purpose haue done, that I might show, that their new writers, and of best esteem, are nothing less superstitious, and less erroneous then the Vetus Comoedia, the barbarous age of doting monkery. To their new and reformed missals and Legends I haue also adjoined the more ancient, even for the same purpose. For in them all it will appear, that, as the Cnidian Mason making a watch-tower in Egypt for the conduction of travelers by the Sea in the night, being commanded to set the name of the King, at whose charge it was built, in the wall, did so indeed, but he set it up deceitfully, in plaster and parget onely; underneath the which curiously in free-stone he graved his own name, Sostratus Dexiphanis Cuidius Dijs salutaribu● ob nauigantes, Politianu● in Suctoniu●s. Sostratus Dexiphanis the Cnidian to the saving Gods; that when the mortar was fallen off and decayed, all the praise might redound unto himself, as though he had been the founder of that worthy work: So the Romanists deceitfully and colourably call their mass the service of God, and pretend his worship in the superficial appearance thereof; but in dead and in verity all the honour is given to men, unto Saints, unto Images, and senseless blocks; and this is the onely purpose of their Legends and missals. It may perhaps be thought in me, an ignorant man, and of very mean gifts, an audacious and presumptuous part, to deal in a matter of this high nature, and weighty argument. But to this I reply, that I haue red of Cities thrown down in spain by Connies, in Thessalia by Moles, in France by frogs, in Africa by Locusts; and there is no instrument so exile and contemptible, by which that great power cannot work, who calleth light out of darkness, and in the mouth of Babes and sucklings hath ordained praise. Hereto I must also add, that these my weak labours were in a manner extorted and wrested from me by diuers of them, who in these parts are blinded with Popish error and superstition. For while I bended myself chiefly to this purpose in my ministery, to beat down the walls of the spiritual jericho, which I saw go up so fast, and to bee favoured by many of great authority with us, they there vpon took occasion to slander my doctrine, and to report of me, that I denied Iesus Christ to be crucified, and that I preached, how men ought not to come unto God through Iesus Christ; and sundry other slanders both towards my labours, and myself. Wherefore I thought it meet, by this my travail, to make profession of my faith publicly, and also to lay open unto them that shall vouchsafe to peruse these ensuing observations, the blasphemy and Antichristian opposition, wherewith the Man of Rome impugneth Iesus Christ, the glorious son of the living God. To conclude, if by these my simplo travels GOD may bee glorified, the truth defended, fals-hood discovered, hypocrisy unmasked, the ignorant informed, the wavering and doubtful confirmed, Litatum est, I haue my desire; if not, I haue done my endeavour, and discharged my own soul, referring the success unto him, who is onely able to give strength and power to the weak things of the world to overthrow the mighty, and to perfect his own power, in our weakness: To whom, the Father of all that is called Father both in heaven and in earth, the blessed and eternal son, with the sweet and sanctifying Spirit, three persons and one glorious God, be all power, might, majesty and dominion, vpon the knees of all hearts ascribed for ever and ever, Amen, Amen. seavern Stoke in Worcester-shire. novemb. 6. 1618. Your affectionate in the Lord Christ, RICHARD FOWNS. THE CHAPTERS OF the first book. Chap. 1. TRISAGION, or the three offices of Iesus Christ, the son of God, Priestly, prophetical,& regal, how they ought of all his Church to be received. Chap. 2 Of the Priesthood of Christ, and that it is unto all others uncommunicable. Chap. 3 Of the prophetical office of Christ, and how it is uncommunicable. Chap. 4 Of the Kingly office of Christ, that it is also uncommunicable. Chap. 5 Of the names, appellations and titles in the holy Scriptures ascribed to our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. Chap. 6 Canons and rules of faith, concer●ing the Person of our great high Priest, Iesus Christ, taken out of the Scriptures and Fathers. Chap. 7 Of the works and benefits of Christs Priesthood, and of a double kind of denying and overthrowing them. Chap. 8 Of Redemption, the first work of the holy Priesthood of Christ, and the definition thereof. Chap. 9 Of the sundry considerations of sin. Chap. 10 Of the sundry kinds of redemption from sin. Chap. 11 That none could redeem us but Christ, neither immediately nor mediately. Chap. 12 That Christ hath the most proper right to redeem vs. Chap. 13 That Christ hath fully and absolutely redeemed us from sin, and from the punishment due thereto. Chap. 14 That Redemption and salvation are words of one signification. Chap. 15 That the Romish Church maketh many Redeemers and many saviours. Chap. 16 Of the Limitations which they prescribe unto themselves, when they say, Saints are saviours and Redeemers. Chap. 17 That in the Romish Church Saints are made Redeemers according to the proper understanding of the word, because the phrases of Scripture, wherein salvation and Redemption are given properly to God, bee ascribed to Saints, contrary to the first Limitation. Chap. 18 The Romish church maketh Saints saviours& Redeemers from all sins, great& small, and from the general captivity thereof; therefore the distinction of Bellarmine touching the delivery from great and small debts is but frivolous. Chap. 19 That the Romish church maketh Christ unsufficient to salvation, contrary to the second Limitation of Bellarmine. Chap. 20 That in the Romish church Saints are made Redeemers of themselves. Chap. 21 That the Roman Church maketh the works and merites of Saints not onely profitable, but absolutely necessary also to salvation. Chap. 22 That according to the doctrine of the church of Rome Christ is not the first& original cause of salvation, but the Virgin Mother. Chap. 23 That Christ is excluded, and Saints made onely saviours in the Romish church. Chap. 24 That the Romish church maketh the Virgin Mary the salvation of women, as Christ is the salvation of men. Chap. 25 That the Romish Church maketh the Virgin merciful to Christ, God& man,& Christ beholding to the Virgin: which importeth her to be the author and first cause of our salvation, contrary to the third Limitation. Chap. 26 That the Romish Church maketh the Virgin more merciful then Christ, and so they take from the son of God the chiefest property of his Priesthood. Chap. 27 That the church of Rome maketh the merits of Saints as efficacious and powerful as the merits of Christ. Chap. 28 That sometime in the Romish church Christ redeemeth through Saints, and sometimes Saints redeem through Christ, and sometimes the merites of Christ and Saints are joined together to redeem. Chap. 29 That the church of Rome attributeth unto the Saints the two proprieties of Christ, power and Right to save. Antichristus. Chap. 30 OF the second work of the glorious Priesthood of Christ, which is Mediation. Chap. 31 Of the two extremes, God, and man, and whence the great difference between them proceedeth. Chap. 32 The things which are requisite to be in a mediator that shall join God and man, the two extream●s together, are found in CHRIST only, and no other. Chap. 33 The second point necessary in a mediator, is to remove the obstacles& impediments which hinder this coniunction. Chap. 34 The manner how Christ our mediator doth join us unto God. Chap. 35 That a mediator must be one onely. Chap. 36 Whether Christ bee our mediator in both natures. Chap. 37 That Saints are made mediators in the Romish church. Chap. 38 That Saints haue the two attributes of a proper mediator ascribed unto them, which is, to participate of the two extremes, and to remove the obstacles of coniunction. Chap. 39 Of the Limitations which the church of Rome prescribes unto itself in making Saints mediators. Chap. 40 That Saints are mediators of Redemption, contrary to the first Limitation. Chap. 41 That Saints do mediate perfectly and properly in the Romish church, contrary to the second Limitation. Chap. 42 That Saints in the Romish church are made immediate mediators unto GOD, and that by them they ask grace in this life, and glory in the life to come, contrary to the third Limitation. Chap. 43 Of the vanity of the fourth Limitation, wherein they pretend that Christ is a mediator onely by giuing,& not by praying, but Saints contrariwise are mediators onely by praying for men. Chap. 44 Of the last Limitation, which they prescribe unto themselves in the worship of Saints, that Christ is such a mediator, as prayeth for all, and none pray for him; but that Saints are not so; and of five kindes of Saints Mediation. Chap. 45 Of the first kind of Mediation of Saints, which is unto Christ. Chap. 46 Of the second kind of Mediation of Saints being joined with Christ. Chap. 47 Of the third kind of Mediation of Saints in the Romish church, which is without Christ. Chap. 48 That the Saints are mediators for Christ. Chap. 49 That Saints are mediators unto Saints; the fift and last kind of Mediation. Antichristus. Chap. 50 OF the third work of the glorious Priesthood of Christ, which is advocation. Chap. 51 That there can be but one advocate, which is Christ. Chap. 52 The reasons which the Romish church hath for the advocation of Saints. Chap. 53 Of the first argument taken from mans reason, which is our want and imperfection. Chap. 54 Of the first part of the first reason, want of righteousness and of worthiness. Chap. 55 Answer unto the second part of the first carnal reason, which is our want and defect in knowledge of contemplation. Chap. 56 The third part of the first reason, our great want of love, which is the strength of prayer, insomuch that unperfect man doth feel himself to bee more stirred up in devotion towards Saints, then towards God. Chap. 57 Of the second argument, by which they would prove; that Saints must bee prayed unto as our advocates, because they must be honoured. Chap. 58 Answer to the arguments of Eckius and Bellarmine, taken out of Scripture, to prove the invocation of Saints. Chap. 59 Concerning the arguments for the invocation of Saints, taken from the fathers of the church. Chap. 60 That the Romish worship of Saints is an imitation of the old Heathens. Antichristus. Chap. 61 OF justification, the fourth effect of Christs great Pri●sthood. Chap. 62 What the state of the question of Iustificati●n is. Chap. 63 Wherein the Scripture will not haue us to place our righteousness. Chap. 64 Whether a regenerate man doth m●rit. Chap. 65 Wherein the Scripture of God hath placed our righteousness, and what it is that sinful man may oppose against Gods wrath and just displeasure. Chap. 66 The Popish Tenet and opinion concerning justification, containing their errors, their defence, and the answer thereto. Chap. 67 Of the Limitations, with which the Romish church doth place justification in their own works. Chap. 68 Of the first Limitation, and that the Romish church placeth justification in the works of unregenerate man, and taketh away the honour from Christ, of being our first justification. Chap. 69 That the Romish church placeth ●●●rit of eternal life in open and known sins, contrary to the first Limitation. Chap. 70 That the Romish church maketh the passion and merits of Christ unsufficient to salvation, contrary to the second Limitation. Chap. 71 That the Romish church placeth merit of eternal life in the smallest and most trifling works they do, in which there is little or no charity expressed, contrary to the third Limitation. Chap. 72 That with the Romanists good works are meritorious which bee not done in charity, contrary also to the third Limitation. Chap. 73 Of the frivolous distinction betwixt the two propositions, PER and PROPTER, BY and FOW;& of that false pretence, that they make Iesus Christ the meritori●us c●u●e of ●ur justification, though they grant not his merits and sufferings to bee the f●rmall cause thereof. Antichristus. Chap. 74 OF the sundry significations of the word Sanctification. Chap. 75 That Sanctification of life is necessary to a christian man. Chap. 76 What it is that doth sanctify. Chap. 77 That man cannot sanctify himself, but is sanc●ified by God. Chap. 78 By what means GOD doth sanctify vs. Chap. 79 Of the word of God, and what pow●r it hath to sanctify. Chap. 80 How the Papists pervert the doctrine concerning the author of Sanctification. Chap. 81 How the church of Rome hath abused the doctrine of Sanctification by the word of God. Chap. 82 Of the Sanctification which we haue by the Sacraments of Christ: and first of the authority by which they are instituted. Chap. 83 Of the cause and end for which Sacraments were ordained. Chap. 84 The use of Sacraments. Chap. 85 What the worthiness of Sacraments is, and wherein it consisteth. Chap. 86 Of the difference betwixt the Sacr●ments of the Law& the Go●pell. Chap. 87 How the church of Rome hath abused the doctrine of Sanctification by Sacraments: and first of the mangling of thē. Chap. 88 Additions unto Christs Institution of Sacraments. Chap. 89 That the Romish church doth ordain other vessels of grace, and maketh other outward consecrated instruments of Sanctification, beside the word& the Sacraments. Chap. 90 How the Romish church corrupteth and perverteth the use of Sacraments. Chap. 91 error of the Romish church concerning the manner of Sanctification of Sacraments: which they say is chiefly done by the Ministers intention. Chap. 92 Of Opus operans, and Opus operatum: the act acting, and the act acted about Sacraments. Chap. 93 That the Romish church perverteth the use of the holy Eucharist, by turning the Sacrament into a Sacrifice. Chap. 94 Of the figment of transubstantiation, with the reasons against it. Chap. 95 That the authors of the mass themselves did never beleeue transubstantiation. Chap. 96 That the Romish church offereth up other sacrifices and oblations to God for the taking away of sin, besides the body and blood of Iesus Christ. Chap. 97 Of the figment of purgatory, another means of cleansing sin amongst Papists, besides the blood of Christ. Chap. 98 The objections of the Romish church for the establishing of their Purgatory. Chap. 99 Answer to the reasons for purgatory, taken out of the new testament. Antichristus. THE CHAPTERS OF THE SECOND book. Chap. 1. OF the necessity and manner of Christs prophetical office. Chap. 2 That none but Iesus Christ can bee the great Prophet, or the fountain of prophecy in the Church. Chap. 3 That our great Prophet Iesus Christ hath delivered al things needful to eternal life in the book of his prophecy, the canonical Scripture. Chap. 4 Canons and observations concerning the prophetical office of Iesus Christ. Chap. 5 Antichrist opposeth himself against Christ, by making himself a Magistrate over the word of God; so that without him the holy word hath neither life, power, nor authority. Chap. 6 The Romish church challengeth unto the Pope sole power to interpret the holy word. Chap. 7 That the Romish church offereth wrong to the prophetical office of Iesus Christ, by obtruding and enforcing a translation of the Scriptures, called the vulgar translation, necessary to be received of all the church, which is in many places improper and faulty. Chap. 8 The violence which the Romish church offereth to our great Prophet, by denying his word unto the people. Chap. 9 The blasphemy of the roman church, making their Decrees equal to the word of our great Prophet Iesus Christ. Chap. 10 privileges and graces given to Popish prayers& Traditions. Chap. 11 The church of Rome doth violate the office of our great Prophet Iesus Christ, by ordaining other Prophets which illuminate the church, and poure light into the hearts of men, by inward and secret inspiration. Chap. 12 That the Romish church offereth wrong to the prophetical office of Iesus Christ, by wresting the Scripture unto a strange and foreign sense, contrary to the mind of the holy Ghost. Chap. 13 Of the addit●ons which the missals and Legends put unto the word of God, out of more imagination and supposition. Chap. 14 Of malicious falsifications and additions unto Scripture, by which the Romish Antichrist wrongeth the prophetical office of Christ Iesus, to maintain his own errors. Chap. 15 Of plain untruths and falsehoods in the Missals of the church of Rome, delivered to the people instead of the true doctrine of our great Prophet Iesus Christ. Chap. 16 Of the uncertain and doubtful stories which the Romish church instead of the true and infallible word of God doth thrust vpon the people in their divine worship, contrary to the rule of our great Prophet; Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you haue eternal life. Chap. 17 Of the superstitious imaginations, beside all ground of Scripture, which the Romish church useth in her public worship, as though there were not sufficient motives in the word of truth to stir up our devotion. Chap. 18 Of poetical, Heathenish, and Idolatrous fictions, wherewith the Romish church worshippeth God in their missals; contrary to the rule of our great Prophet, who teacheth that God is to bee worshipped in spirit and truth. Chap. 19 Sundry ridiculous toys of the mass, wherewith the ears and eyes of the people are possessed, the truth of Christs gospel, our great Prophet the while being neglected. Chap. 20 Of the superstition of the Romish church in their divine worship. Chap. 21 Of mocking and deluding the people with vain words to no purpose in their missals. Chap. 22 The blasphemous violence which the Romish Church offereth to our great Prophet Iesus Christ, by forbidding what he commandeth, and commanding what he forbiddeth, and dispensing with his precepts. Antichristus. Chap. 23 OF the Idolatry of the Romish church. What an Image is? Whether there bee any difference betwixt an Image and an Idol? What the worship and adoration of an Image is? Chap. 24 All worship of Images is unlawful. Chap. 25 The bringing in and increase of Idolatry or Image-worship is much alike with the Gentiles and the Romanists. Chap. 26 Of the Limitations with which the Romi●h church maketh it lawful to worship Images of God, and of Saints& other dead and senseless stocks and stones. Chap. 27 Of the first Limitation, in which they pretend that an Image may be worshipped, so that no trust nor confidence bee placed in the Image, and that the Romish church putteth full trust in Images. Chap. 28 Of the second Limitation, that the Romish church doth ask of Images, and pray unto them. Chap. 29 That the Romish church attributeth divinity unto Images, contrary to the third Limitation. Chap. 30 Of the fourth Limitation, that the Romish Church worshippeth Images with divine worship. Chap. 31 Of the worship of the cross, the Nailes, the Virgins Sepulchre, the Lords Swathband, the Ladies Girdle, and such like relics. Chap. 32 virtue and divine pow●r ascrib●d to senseless things. Chap. 33 Of hope, trust and confidence reposed in senseless stocks,& dead relics by the Romish church, and of prayers to the same directed. Chap. 34 Of the form and figure of the cross, and that the Romish Church doth not certainly know the true fashion thereof, but doth worship a doubtful figure to which they haue put additions of their own. Wherefore they are very Idolaters, because their figure of the cross is a false figment of mans invention. Antichristus. THE CHAPTERS OF THE THIRD book. Chap. 1. OF the Kingly office of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. Chap. 2 Canons and rules concerning the glorious kingdom of the Lord Iesus, the Christ of God. Chap. 3 That the Romish church giveth the power of distributing the degrees of glory, and seats of the eternal kingdom unto Saints. Chap. 4 That the Saints are made defenders and gouernours of the Militant church, and do distribute the diversity of graces unto the same. Chap. 5 That Saints are made gods in the Romish church. Chap. 6 That the Bishop of Rome maketh himself the sole Monarch and supreme Magistrate over the church of Christ, without calling, warrant, or any authority from Christ. Chap. 7 Of ecclesiastical offices ordained in the church, by the authority of Iesus Christ. Chap. 8 Of ecclesiastical offices ordained in the church, without the authority of Iesus Christ, and injurious to his regal power; and first of Subdeacons. Chap. 9 Of doorkeepers and Acolytes. Chap. 10 Of Exercists another Popish order,& the wrong thereby is offered to the regal dignity of Christ. Chap. 11 Of diuers other officers ordained in the church, besides the Institution& Testament of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. Chap. 12 The Monks of these later times are not the children of the ancient Monks, neither agree with them in manners and conversation. Chap. 13 How opposite the Monkish order is unto the kingdom of Iesus Christ. Chap. 14 Of Priesthood, or the Ministry of the Gospel itself, the holy institution of Iesus Christ, how it is by the Romish church profaned, contrary to the majesty of the Institutor. Chap. 15 Apotheosis, or the exalting of the Romish Bishop, above all that is called God. Chap. 16 Of the Titles of Pride taken by the Romish Bishop. Chap. 17 Of the Popes spiritual power in decreeing& promulging laws, by which he bindeth and reigneth in the consciences of men. Chap. 18 Of the power of binding, judging, and condemning, which the Pope taketh to himself: and of the Excommunication practised in the Romish church. Chap. 19 Of Confession. Chap. 20 Of the manner of forgiveness of sin; whether God having pardonned the fault, doth neuerth●lesse retain the punishment. Chap. 21 Of satisfactions by euer● man in this life to bee perform for his own sins. Chap. 22 Of the last part of the Popes spiritual power, which doth consist in Indulgences& granting Pardons. Chap. 23 The beginning& increase of Popish Indulgences. Chap. 24 The wrong done to the Kingdom of Christ by Popish Pardons. Chap. 25 Of the jubilees and Indulgences granted from the Pope himself. Chap. 26 Of the yoke of Traditions imposed by the church of Rome, without the authority of Christ. Chap. 27 Of the vows of chastity enforced vpon all ecclesiastical persons in the Romish church, contrary to the liberty of honest Matrimony, which Christ the King hath left free unto bis whole church: and first of vows in general. Chap. 28 Of the Popish vows of continency. Chap. 29 answer to the Popish arguments which are brought for vowed chastity. Chap. 30 Of the set fasts and difference of meats imposed vpon the church by the Romish Prelate, contrary to the liberty which Christ the ●oueraigne King hath left unto all believers. Chap. 31 Of the Arguments which are brought in defence of their superstitious fasts and difference of meats. Chap. 32 Of the bondage of Romish Feasts and Holy daies. Chap. 33 Of the institution of the regal and Priestly office: and that the Priestly function is in order inferior to the Kingly power, and ought to be subject thereunto. Chap. 34 Of the Secular principality of the Pope,& whether it be agreeable to the word of God. Chap. 35 Of the rebellion of the Romish prelacy against Iesus Christ the supreme King, by lifting up themselves above all Kings and Princes which are the immediate Lieutenants of God vpon the earth. Chap. 36 Of the person of Antichrist. Chap. 37 Of the seat of Antichrist. Chap. 38 Of the birth, growing up, and dominion of Antichrist. Chap. 39 Of the marks and tokens of Antichrist. Chap. 40 Of the certainty of the destruction and abolishing of Antichrist. Chap. 41 Of the manner and time of the destruction of Antichrist. Antichristus. The Authors Intimation to the Reader. WHereas diuers quotations attributed to the Romanists, are alleged in this book out of Protestant writers; known be it unto the Christian Reader, that I haue preached the Originals of all of them, and haue found the same agreeable thereto. Cathechismus Tridentinus, impres. Colon. 1572. Bi. l. Can. Miss. impres. Lugd. Anno 1500. Bern. Mariale, Argent. imp. 1502. Antidotarium imp. In aelma lovan. per jo. de Westphalia. Tollet de Instruct. Sacerd. edit. Colon. anno 16.10. Berengosius, imp. Paris 1589. wherein he saith also in the same eleventh Chapter, Maioris meriti matrem credimus, quâm filium. Censura Colon. imp. Coloniae per haeredes Arnoldi Brickmanni. And diuers other too long to rehearse. To conclude: If any man shall except against any quotations in this book, the Author is ready to make good and justify his true allegation of every of the same, either by private conference, or by public declaration in print. This was intended to be done in the beginning of the Book: but by the hast of the Printer, the Author was prevented. Faults( somewhat material) escaped, partly by the Author; partly by the Printer. Pag. 6. lin. 4. the superlative, red these superlative. pag. 6. l. 1●. which every Bishop, red of every p. ●1. l. 32. weeks threesc●re, red & th●●escore. p. 87. l. 17. red given to men. p. 93. l. 33. put out be. p. 104. in tit. cap. for with, red which is. ●. 114. l. 1. hes, red be. p 126. in the marge●t for abbey, red albe. p. 136. l. 5. as, red for. p. 142. l. 1. for hare, red bare. p. 178. l. 20. these words, who assembled long before in the council of Nice, are ●y words for explanation, not of Socrates. p 184. l. 5. read to be worshipped as God. p. 186. l. 19 for Gerrudis, read Gertrudes. p. 189. l. ult. read his sisters the goose p 197. l. 5 for meritori●us, read intended. p. 204 l. 12. for continue read connive ib. l 27. read can be justified. p. 218. l. 3●. to God, read of God p. 220. l. 11. for reward read word. p. 226. l. 7. for any red an. p. 228. l. 20 red d●fference. p 277. cap. 84. l. 7 for intend, red inu●nt, p. 285. l. 3. for in red of. p. 298. l. 15. read to be of the necessity. p. 375. l. 21. for teach, read teacheth. p. 385. l. 30. read d●stinguishing p. 387. l. 7. for aesseuen, read Assauen. p. 455. l. 22 put out not p. 424. l. 6. for Mercury, read memory. p. 531. l. 32 red compresbiter. p. 589. l. 11. for any, read● an. p. 593. l. 20. read, thou shalt be excommunicate. p. 596. l. 10 for scarifying, read scarfing. p. 50●. l 4. read, and why not then for the murder of Princes. p. 293. in marg. k is left out. Namely, Reuera ibi sunt plura sacramenta: n●us accidentia panis sunt tantuus sacramentum corporis Christi &c. de consecrat. dist. 2. in gloss. p. 497. l. 35. red for the letter R was curiously &c. p. 583. l. 10. read apostolical. TRISAGION: OR THE THREE HOLY Offi●es of Iesus Christ the son of God; PRIESTLY, prophetical, and regal: how they ought of all his Church to be received. THE FIRST book. CHAP. I THE glorious and incomprehensible TRINITY in unity, The steps of the Triniti● in ●ll the creatures of God. hath so created all things in the spacious theatre of this round world, that although nothing can perfectly comprehend or express his cause; yet in every thing there is a certain image and resemblance of the great Creator. Cast your eyes upward; you haue the heavenly bodies endowed with light, with motion, and hear. look vpon the sun; you see the body, the beams, and the brightness, one from the other differing, but not divided: sundry, and yet the same. Consider the things below; you discern in Riuers the fountain, the breaking forth, the stream: in Trees, the body, the sap, the fruit. In every thing, which Arte, or Nature doth bring forth, the matter, the form, the inclination: so each with other, and every one itself, that we may well in them perceive and deprehend the footsteps of their great Architect, Rom. 1.20. being considered in his works. Now if this bee true, in the basest and most contemptible of all his workmanship, how much more Heb. 1.3. The brightness of the glory, the engraved form of his Person? The eternal Son of the eternal God, beareth not a dark and obscure shadow( as other things) but a lively and resplendent expression of the same. The image of the trinity in Christ above all other in respect of his person and offices. In his person, the Godhead, the soul, the flesh, with ineffable connexion so together knit, that neither one is by the other swallowed, nor that by this abased: very flesh, very spirit, very God, and yet one Christ. After the same manner three great and holy offices in his function are in one conjoined. The PRIESTLY, by which he hath redeemed: the prophetical, by which he sanctifieth( with the truth) all those that come to him: the KINGLY, by which he governeth not only the universal Globe of the world generally, but his own Church specially, and sitteth in the very individual soul and Conscience of every one of his chosen; yet in all these but one messiah. The threefold office of Christ. These three great offices whoso denieth unto Christ, or communicateth unto any other, as they are in Christ, overthroweth the eternal counsel of God in ordaining, the righteous truth of God in promising, the infinite love of God in giuing his son unto the world, as the fulfilling of the Law, sufficient to salvation, and the reparation of our nature. The name of Christ more proper to our Sa●ior thē to any other. It is then duly to be considered, that the name of Christ is proper to our saviour above all other that haue been anointed. For amongst men, some were by anointing ordained Priests, some by anointing were consecrated Kings, and some by anointing received the prophetical Office: but in all these several respects, our saviour is the Christ of God. Wherefore betwixt the unction of Iesus the true and natural son of God, and other Christs the seruants of God, there is a threefold difference. First, Christ was not anointed with material oil as others were, but with the Spirit of God himself. Esay 42.1. I haue put my Spirit vpon him( saith the Lord by the Prophet Esay:) And again, Esay 61.1. The Spirit of the Lord is vpon me, therefore hath the Lord anointed me. Secondly, when after the external and material unction, the seruants of God did receive the Spirit, it was in them by turns and pauses; now more powerful, then less powerful in operation: but the Spirit on the son of God, was an enduring unction. joh. 1.33. For the Spirit( as John witnesseth) did abide and tarry on him. Thirdly, Christ did not work by the Spirit as a mere man, but with the Spirit, as one God coessential with himself: wherefore he is Emphatically termed 〈◇〉, the Christ of God. In the thirteenth of the Acts, Saint Paul by conferring Scripture with Scripture proveth, that this is very Christ: And John saith, joh. 2.22. Who is a liar, but he that denieth that Iesus is the CHRIST? The Psal. 2.2. Kings of the earth( saith the Prophet david) stand up, and the Rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Christ. The Title of Christ given to our saviour so amply and Energetically, proveth his extraordinary dignity. The title in this ample maner given unto Christ, doth evidently show the pre-eminence of the anointing of Christ above all other the children of men: and yet to make it more evident, david witnesseth; Psal. 45.8. God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellowes. The same the Church in the Canticles doth aclowledge also: Cant. 1.2. Thy name is as an ointment powred out, therefore the Virgins love thee. Now in that Iesus is absolutely called Christ, it is for that he is anointed to all those holy offices, which I haue spoken of: which if any man desire to haue made more manifest, let him harken to the Psalmist, Psal. 110.4. The Lord swore and will not repent, Christ a Priest. thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedech: but this Melchizedech( saith the Apostle) was King of Salem, Heb. 7.1. & Priest of the high God. Christ therfore must needs be a King and a Priest, Christ a King. or else he cannot be of Melchizedechs order. The Wisemen in the gospel aclowledge this, offering unto him gold, as to a King; and Frankincense, as unto their eternal Priest. Of this kingdom Zechary doth witness; Z●ch. 9.9. Behold thy King cometh unto thee, the righteous and saviour. And the Psalmist hereto agreeth, saying, Psal 45.12. So shall the King haue pleasure in thy beauty; for he is thy Lord God, and worship thou him. Christ a Prophet. likewise, his prophetical function is no less clearly set out in the Scripture: D●ut. 16.15. The Lord thy God( saith Moses) will raise up unto thee a Prophet like unto me from among you, even of thy brethren, unto him shall you harken. The similitude betwixt Christ and Moses, as it doth in many things appear: so in this coniunction of offices also it is very evident. For Moses was both a Prince,& a prophet: therefore, as Melchizedech did resemble Christ by joining in one the Priest●y and the Kingly office: so Moses was a type of Christ, by joining together the Princely and prophetical parts. To conclude: in the gospel, the Iewes themselves did confess; Luke 7 16. a great Prophet is raised up amongst us: and the two Disciples, which went with him to Emaus from jerusalem the day of his resurrection call him a Luke 24 19. The re●son why Christ hath these three offices. Prophet, mighty in deed and word before God and all the people. Thus in our Christ doth all fullness dwell: and in his holy person is the Priestly, prophetical,& Kingly office conjoined, that he might be 1. Cor. 1.30. our wisdom, and our righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; Heb. 7 25. that he might be able perfectly to save them, that come unto God through him: and that we also might receive a Kingdom, which cannot be shaken; according to the doctrine of the Preacher: Eccles. 4.12 Christs Priesthood vnimitable and vncommuni●able A threefold cord is not easily broken. As all these offices are given to Christ, so are they vncommunicably given unto him: neither may they bee imparted to any other, as they are in him. Of the holy oil, in Exodus, the Lord saith: Exod. 30.32. None shall anoint mans flesh therewith, neither shall make any composition like unto it, for it is holy, and shall bee holy unto you. Which is spoken by a mystery; and signifieth, that the dignity of our high& heavenly Priest Iesus Christ, must neither be imitated, nor applied to any other. Some perhaps will object, Ob. that not onely Peter( speaking of the whole Church) saith, 1 Pet. 2.9. It is a royal Priesthood: but in the revelation also, Saint John witnesseth, Apoc. 1.6. he hath made us Kings and Priests unto God, even his Father. But to answer this doubt, Sol. it is evident that mere men are called Kings and Priests in another sense, and after another meaning then Iesus is. For these offices are inherent in our saviour, truly, substantially, and indeed. He is such as he is called: but they are in us, the members of his Church, by imputation and figuratively, for that in some sort and after a manner we are so called. Learned Beda therefore doth thus expound the place of the first of the revelation: Apoc. 1.6. he hath made us Kings and Priests unto God his Father, because being King of Kings, and the heavenly Priest, offering up himself for us, he hath united us unto his own body, so that none of the Saints now do spiritually want the office of Priesthood, being members of the everlasting Priest. This is confirmed by the ancient Father Augustine, where he saith, Aug. de civit dei. l. 20. cap. 10. As we call all men Christians for the mystical anointing: so al are Priests, because they are members of one Priest. And Lyra saith, Lyra in hunc locum. They are Kings, by subduing affections, and Priests by the sacrifice of devout Prayer. But because the whole discourse, which I haue intended, doth depend specially vpon these unseparable and uncommunicable offices of Christ, I desire the Christian Reader, not to think it lost labour to consider every one of these functions by themselves, and to see how they differ in Christ, from that which they are in other men CHAP. II. Of the Priesthood of Christ, and that it is unto all others uncommunicable. THe Apostle extoling the Priesthood of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ, allegeth the saying of the Psalmist; Psal 110.4. No such Priest as Iesus Christ. Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech. Now if every member of the Church, nay, if every Massing Priest were such, what were the pre-eminence and dignity of that unspeakable order, or what super-excellence did Christ thereby attain above others? But Paul Emphatically calleth him Heb. 4.14. a great High Priest: Heb. 9.11. an High Priest of good things to come: Heb. 10.21. an High Priest over the house of God. All the superlative honours are to him onely due, neither can they bee attributed to any other of the sons of men. Wherefore many and sundry differences the Epistle to the Hebrewes teacheth, wherein the Priesthood of Christ doth surmount all other Priesthoods. First, Heb. 4 15. Christ was holy and without sin; so is not any of the sons of men: Secondly, Heb. 5.9. Christ was the author of salvation in his Priesthood; so are not other Priests: Thirdly, Heb. 5.6. Christ is an everlasting Priest; of which honour no other Priest is capable: Fourthly, Heb. 7.4. unto Christ in the type Melchizedech, Abraham; and in the loins of Abraham, levi, and all other Priests payed tithes. By which all Priests acknowledged the perfection of Christ, and that they are inferior unto him: Fiftly, Heb. 7.16. Christ was not made Priest after the carnal commandement, but after the power of endless life: sixthly, Heb. 8.1. Christ sitteth at the right hand of God the Father; so doth no other Priest: seventhly, Heb. 8.2. Christ is the Minister of the true Tabernacle, which God pight, and not Man; herein no Priest to Christ is equal: Eightly, Heb. 9.12. Christ by his own blood purged the people; other Priests are not like him herein: Ninthly, Heb. 7 27. Christ offered not for his own sins, but for the sins of the people: Tenthly, Heb. 9.25. Christ made but one offering, other Priests did offer often: eleventhly, Heb. 7.28. Christ was made Priest by the oath of God, other Priests without oath. Wherefore most abominable is that of the Romish missal, which every Bishop and Confessor doth chant out: Non est inventus ●●mili● illi qui conserua●et ●egem excelsi, &c. Rom Bre. come. Conf. Pont. ad Vesp. Ant. ibid R. post lect. 2. There was not the like of him found, which kept the Law of the highest; wherefore with an oath the Lord made him to grow up in the people: yea, they are not ashamed to apply unto them that, which was spoken of Christ: Ibid. post. lect 3. No priest cons●crated wi h the oath ●f God, but ●hrist only. The Lord swore and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever, &c. But if all the school and college of Rome were summoned together to tell us, when, where, and how, God hath covenanted, or hath sworn unto any one of the Saints, that he should bee an everlasting Priest for us, they would lay their hand vpon their mouth, I trow, and be as speechless as the Images they worship. For of this kind of confirmation in his office, never any Priest but Christ could boast. What do I speak of the oath of God, No man hath the calling of pry thood to cleanse sin, but Christ. the special form of Christs own consecration? Come wee to the ordinary calling. Saint Paul saith, Heb. 5.4. No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was. Here therefore I challenge all the whole Hierarchy of Rome. Let them prove that ever any man but Christ, was called to bee a Priest, to cleanse and to take away sins, and to make men righteous before the tribunal of GOD: let them show in what book, in what chapter, with what words God ever conferred this honour to any other then his only son, and I will subscribe unto them. Let us proceed yet one degree further; and sithence, Gal 3. ● though it be but a mans covenant, yet when it is confirmed, no man abrogateth, or doth add any thing thereto, I require of them by what authority or privilege, with what warrant or colour, they haue ordained mediators to the mediator Christ, None can ordain Mediators to Christ the Mediator, without a due c●lling thereunto. and Priests unto the High Priest Iesus Christ, to obtain pardon for sinners by their merits, and to appear before God, for men. I conclude therefore, sithence God hath ordained no Priest but Christ onely with an oath, there is no such Priest as Christ: and since God hath not called any to this honour but Christ himself, there are no other Priests at all but Christ himself. Lastly, The meaning is, that in the New Testament God hath ordai●ed properly no sacrifici●g Priests but Christ. because Christ hath subordained by his Testament no Mediators to himself, but himself, there are no other Mediators to him, but himself, who is both Priest and sacrifice, angel and Altar, from whence the odours of the Saints prayers go up unto God. It may bee perhaps objected, that as in the Law, Ob. though the high Priest was endowed with sundry honours, whereof the inferior Priests were not partakers, yet the inferior Priests did also sacrifice, burn incense, and cleanse the people: So in the gospel, though Christ be the sole foundation, the principal expiation of our souls and bodies, yet other Priests inferior to him do cleanse, sanctify, justify,& make intercession. Sol. If there were no difference betwixt the first and the second covenant, the Law and the gospel, this argument would strongly enforce: but we must understand; first, the Priests of the Law did not verily, but sacramentally: not truly and indeed, but significatively and typically( as shadows of the true expiation to come) take away sin. Neither was the High Priest onely a type of Christ, and inferior Priests under the Law, types of subordinate Priests to Christ under the gospel: But both the high Priest, and the inferior Priests under the Law( though the high Priest more eminently) were types of that one onely eternal evangelical High Priest Iesus Christ the saviour of the world. Secondly, in the first covenant were many Sacrifices, and often iterated; many Priests, and often changed: but in the gospel, as there is but one Priest, so there is but one Sacrifice, and that but once offered for sin, which may not be reiterated. And this is the doctrine, which the Apostle Paul doth so often, and so earnestly persuade; Heb. 10.10. We are sanctified even by the offering of the body of Christ once for all. Heb. 10.12. This man after he had offered one Sacrifice for sins, sitteth for ever at the right hand of God. Heb. 10.14. With one offering hath he consecrated for ever them that are sanctified. This singularity therefore, both of Priest and Sacrifice, not to be renewed, Peter alludeth unto. Christ 1. Pet. 3.18. hath once suffered for sins. The word ONCE is here an exclusive particle, denying any other repetition of the Sacrifice. Wherefore it is called iuge Saecrificium. For it is always before God, and the virtue thereof hath no end. It is( saith lo) Potens ad priuil●g●um, dives ad pret●um. ser. de pas. domini. potent in the privilege, rich in the price. Lyra saith; Lyra in 10 ad Heb. quia hostia Christi habet virtutem aeternam sanctificandi,& propter hoc, illa peracta, non habuit ampliùs necessitatem ministrandi, sicut habebat. Sacerdos veteris legis: The sacrifice of Christ hath everlasting power to sanctify: and therefore that being ended, he had no more need to offer, as the Priests of the Law. Theophilact agreeth with the rest, and teacheth, that Fuit illa rei ingentes effectrix, vt vel temporis momento per se terrarum orbem purgauerit. Theo. in p. ad Heb. The sacrifice of Christ was so effective of the great work, that in a very moment of time by itself it purged the whole World. Thus we see, as to say one God, is to say, one onely God; so to call Christ our Priest, is to call him our onely Priest. CHAP. III. Of the prophetical office of Christ, and how it is in him vncommunica●le. THe Priestly office, I trust, I haue sufficiently proved to be proper unto Christ, and not communicable to any other. Let us now show his prophetical function also to differ from the ministery of all other Prophets: which many arguments do plainly confirm unto vs. The first is, because we are commanded to hear him absolutely without exception, without trial or examination of his Doctrine, being himself, joh. 1.1. The Word with God, and God that Word: but this honour is given to none other Prophet; 1. joh. 4.1. For it is lawful to try the doctrine of all other spirits, whether they bee of God, or not. But concerning his son, the Father commandeth an absolute hearing in all things: Mat. 17.5. This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him. Wherefore of this prerogative Moses speaketh Emphatically, Deut. 18.15. unto him shall you harken. Secondly, all other Prophets were sent by the Spirit; but he together with the Father sendeth the Spirit, for that the Spirit proceedeth from him, as from the Father: yea, Lyra. he sendeth all the Prophets themselves, being the Lord of Prophets, who filleth and sanctifieth them. Behold( saith he) I Mat. 23.34. sand unto you Prophets, and Wisemen, and Scribes. Thirdly, the Prophets had the spirit in measure, and did speak as the spirit gave them utterance. Wherefore Thomas Aquinas saith, Vt aer indi●es noua il●uminat on● sic mens Prophetae noua reuelatione, secunda secundae. q. 171. vt col●ig. à Bern. ●on joan. That as the air needeth new light and illumination: so the mind of the Prophet needeth new revelation; But the spirit never departed from Christ, who thought it no robbery to call himself, Luke 11.49. The wisdom of God. For( as the Apostle teacheth) Col. 2.3. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and Knowledge. Wherefore I cannot acquit Bernard of blasphemy, if he were author of the Sermons, supper salve Regina; where it is said, that Sola totam spiritas sancti grat●am possedist●, quam al●● ba●uere per partes. Ser qui incipit Ante pererratis. Mary the mother of God had alone the whole grace of the holy Ghost, which other had by parts. Fourthly, all other Prophets, though their motions were not private, nor their own, yet they were Prophets by observation of the Godhead: yea, they did receive their prophesy by the mediation of Angells; But Christ speaketh not onely immediately from the Father, as he hath commanded him, but he speaketh with the Father in the unity of the Godhead, Heb. 1.3 being the brightness of the glory, the engraven image of his person, bearing up all things by his mighty power. So Christ is not a Prophet by observation onely, as his traveling seruants in this world are, but by way of full and perfect comprehension of all things, in the union of his humanity to his divinity. And that knowledge is most excellent, which is merely intellectual, by simplo contemplation,& doth not consist in the signs and similitudes of corporal things. Fiftly, Christ is the end, to which all other Prophets aim; Apoc. 19.10. The testimony of Iesus is the spirit of prophesy; Act. 10.43 To him( saith Peter) give all the Prophets witness. Lastly, Christ is a Prophet sitting at the right hand of the majesty, in the highest place. Thus( saith Lyra) In office. b●at. Ma. vir. He is commended in hoth natures, as greater than the Prophets. All these things being considered, I must once again provoke the whole fraternity of the Romish Church, to show if they can, where, and when God did ordain any other eternal absolute Prophet, who was able to give illumination,& grace, and spiritual knowledge unto his Church, of himself: or that being gone out of the world, should yet bee still present with the world by his spirit: or that doth from age to age sanctify the understanding of men with the truth; and then we shall grant their blasphemies to haue place still in the Church. Wherein they attribute unto one, to be the In office. b●at. Ma. vir. window of heaven, the shining gate of light: to another to be De Barth. dixit ●um esse d uinae lucu splendorem, solem arbu cuncta ●●●●nantem. leg. Lomb. in sand. Barth fol. 106. pag 1. col. 1 the brightness of divine light, the sun of the world lightning al things, and of every virgin, Mis star. Con. Vrg et Mart. Sequent exulte●●●● in hac d●● festiua. that shee is like Lucifer among the lesser stars. CHAP. IIII. Of the Kingly office of Christ, that it is also uncommunicable. AS our Priesthood is not the same with Christs Priesthood, nor our prophesy with Christs prophesy: no more are we Kings as Christ is a King. For he is a King in respect of the universal dominion over the whole world, and all that are therein: but we are called Kings by ruling our affections, and taming the lusts of concupiscence, Gal. 5.17. which rebel in our flesh against the law of the spirit. Si ergo regnet in te animus, et corpus obtemperet: fi concupiscentias carn● sub ingum imperil tui mitias &c. Orig. sup. Iud. Hom. 6 If the mind( saith Origen) reign in thee, and the body obey: if thou bring the lusts of the flesh under the obedience of the mind: if thou restrain the nation of vices with a severe bridle of sobriety, thou art then worthily called a King, who knowest well how to govern thyself. Lyra doth expound the place of the apocalypse, Fecit nos regnum. ● ascribi c ues c●testis regni. Lyra in Apoc. 1. Ver 6. He hath made us kings, that is, to be written among the Citizens of the heavenly kingdom. Neither can the Romish Church dislike this interpretation, for they red the place, come. trans. et Rhem. trans. huius loci Apoc. 1. The difference be betwixit Christ the King, and other Kings. fecit nos regnum, he made us a kingdom unto God, and not Reges Kings. To come nearer to the question, there are diuers uncommunicable attributes given by the spirit of God to Christ the King, whereof no other King is capable. First, he is a King of ineffable generation; Heb. 7.3 without father, without mother, without kindred, and hath neither beginning of his dayes, nor end of life. Secondly, he is a King absolutely righteous; Psal. 45.6.7 The sceptre of thy kingdom( saith the Psalmist) is a sceptre of righteousness: thou lovest righteousness and hatest iniquity. Wherefore God even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellowes. The Apostle showing him to be a King after the order of Melchizedech King of Salem, argueth he is a King of righteousness and peace: Vpon which words Athanasius saieth, Null● itaque hobominum compent just t●ae et pacu &c. Athan. in ep. ad Heb. Unto no man it doth belong to obtain the Kingdom of righteousness and peace, but unto Christ onely, according to that of S. John, Apoc. 15.4. Thou onely art holy. Thirdly, Christ is an eternal King; Psal. 45.7. Thy seat, O God, endureth for ever. And Daniel saith, Dan. 2.44. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall never bee destroyed: Luke 1.33. he shall reign over the house of jacob for ever( saith the angel) and of his kingdom shall be no end. Fourthly, he is not onely a King, but a saviour of his people: Psal. 72.12, 13, 14. He shall deliver the poor when he crieth, the needy also, and him that hath no helper: he shall bee favourable to the simpl● and needy, and shall preserve the souls of the poor: he shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong, and dear shall their blood be in his sight. Fiftly, he is an universal Monarch; Ephes. 1.21. far above all power and principality. Apoc. 19.12. On his head were many Crownes, Psal. 72.11. all Kings shall worship him, all nations shall serve him. Apoc. 19.16. For he hath vpon his garment, and vpon his thigh, a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Daniel therefore prophesieth of the kingdom of Christ, that Dan. 2.44. it shall break and destroy all other kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 1. Cor. 15.25. He must reign( saith the Apostle) till he haue put all his enemies under his feet. Lastly, he doth not onely overcome our enemies in this life, but also in the life to come. For of sin, Death, and the Law, 1. Cor. 15.57. God hath given us victory thorough our Lord Iesus Christ. Now therefore, if of their Saints the Romish Church can show, that they are Kings and Priests together, praying for us to God, and themselves giuing us the things they pray for, we will confess in this sense the verse true, which is so miserable, and blasphemously wrested contrary to the mind of the Holy Ghost, Constitues eo● Principes supper omnem terram. Rom. brevi. An●ph post ●ructauit in come. Apost. Thou shalt make them Princes in all lands. But another King hath Esay foreshowed, Esay 9.6.7. Unto us a Child is born, and unto us a son is given: and the government is vpon his shoulder, and he shall call his name wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace: the increase of his government and peace shall haue no end, he shall sit vpon the Throne of david, and vpon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with iudgement, and with iustice from henceforth even for ever. I will conclude this point, with the saying of Ecclesiasticus, Ecclus. 24.28, 29, 30. Out of david his seruant he ordained to raise up a most mighty King, that should sit in the Throne of honour for evermore: he filleth all things with his wisdom, as Physon, and as Tigris in the time of new fruits: he maketh the understanding to abound like Euphrates, and as jordan in the time of harvest. proceed we now to speak of the Priestly office of Iesus Christ. Which that I may the better do, I will entreat first of the Titles and Appellations given unto him: and then of the attributes of his glorious person, together with the Canons and rules to be observed touching the same. CHAP. V. Of the Names, Appellations and Titles, in the holy Scriptures ascribed to our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. EVen by the light of Nature, and the purer reason of understanding, diuers of the very Heathens saw, that sin could not bee taken away without a Redeemer. Wherefore though either they wanted true Faith to lay hold on Iesus Christ, the onely Anchor of Hope, and rainbow of our Peace; and therefore by such glimmering light of sense, may not be said to be in the number of true believers; or else reading Vid. Genebrar. in l. 1. Chro. fol. 18. perhaps some of the ancient Prophets, from them they collected dark apprehensions of the truth, which for their sin God did not fully reveal unto them: yet it is certain, that of a Redeemer to come they dreamed, and sundry speculations concerning this argument they left behind them. Zoroastes the most ancient Writer affirmeth, that God the Father made and perfected all things, and gave them to the second mind. Pletho Gemistes, speaking improperly and obscurely, calleth this second mind, the second God. The Merc. Tris●●. in pae. cap. 2. ex domino bless. ancient Chaldean Mages said, there were three beginnings; God, the mind, and the Spirit. Mercurius Trismegistus saith, God, who is both Male and Female, the life, the mind, and the light, begat his word, another mind; and with this word there is another word, which is, the fiery God, or the Spirit of God. Orpheus justin. Mart. in ser. exhort. ad gentes adiuro te, O culum, prudens opus dei; adiuro te sermo, quem deus primus mundum creans emisit. ex eod. also out of Mercurius Trismegistus calleth vpon the word, which God first spake when he created all things. Plato Pl●. in Epi. ex ●od. compareth the Father to the Sun, that shineth in the firmament; and the begotten Son, to the power of that Sun. Proclus saith, Numenius worshipped three Gods, and that these three were one, the Father, the Creator, and the work proceeding from both. Plotinus saith, there is a threefold Essence; the goodness, the wisdom, and the spirit of the World. Now as the Heathens haue thus divined of the appellation of the Redeemer of the world: So the ancient Iewes also haue much inquired after the name of him, who should be the restauration of all things; and that so much the more▪ because they esteemed this saviour, most especially to belong unto themselves. Rabbi Hadarsan vpon the second of Genesis saith, God created all things by his word. Rabbi Isaach in his book of creation, maketh three numbers( as he calleth them) Ibid. the height in infinity, the crown, and the understanding. Philo judaeus calleth the world Phi. in allegor. leg.& in l. de instit. ibid. the younger Son of God; but his elder son cannot be comprehended, except onely by understanding. The later rabbins did every one give a name unto messiah Vid. collect. Rab. jacob. Salomonis filii de Christ. è Thalmud apud Genebrard. according to their own fantasies, and such as came nearest to their own appellations. Rabbi Sila said, his name should be Silo, according to the prophecy of Gen. 49.10. jacob. The Family of Rab. Ianai said, his name should bee Innon, because he should be for everlasting. Rabbi Hanina, would haue him called Hanina, or Mercy. Somesaid, his Lamen. 1.16. name should be Menahem; because of that in the Lamentations of jeremy: The comforter which should refresh my soul, is far from me. Other called him Esay 53.4. The White one: out of the Prophet Esay, Wee did judge him as plagued, or leprous, and smitten of God. Thus every one had his imagination, while every one with full consent assure themselves, that this World of sin must haue some bath to purge it; and our corrupt kind, some justification, by which it may bee made innocent: for that the eyes of God cannot behold unrighteousness, nor shall any polluted dwell before him. But leaving all these, which through the slender creuisse of natural wisdom, or the legal veil of judaical darkness, did rather pry at the light, then behold it; Let us search what Titles of honour, what Appellations, what sovereign names full of mystery& excellence, the Spirit of God in the Scriptures of truth, haue given to our Redeemer. Of the names of God there are sundry. Some are Appellations, which substantially express what he is; as when he is called God: some by relation express the persons; as when we say, God the Father, God the son, and God the Holy Ghost: some by way of Similitude express him; as when Christ is called Col. 1.15. Heb. 1.3. joh. 14.17.& 1. joh. 2.27. the image, the brightness: and the holy Ghost is called the Spirit, the unction. Some names are the names of the Essence, some of the person, and office. whatsoever Appellations declare the substance of the Godhead, are common to the Father, the son, and the Holy Ghost: but the names which express the propriety of the person, are not communicable to any, but the person of whom they are spoken. Some things are spoken specially of the God-head of Christ, which yet by communication of properties, are attributed to the Manhood: as the onely begotten son, joh. 1.18. which is in the bosom of the Father: some things are spoken of the Manhood, which yet are by communication of the properties, applied to the God-head; as when it is said, Act. 20.28. God hath purchased to himself a Church in his own blood. And John saith, 1. joh. 3.16. He laid down his life for vs. God neither died, nor shed blood substantially or properly: but because the person which died, is God and Man, Vid. Pet. Lomb. 3. sent. dist 21. therefore it is called the bloodshedding of God, by communication of properties: by which, what is absolutely true in the humanity, is also spoken of the divinity. Some Titles and Attributes are given to the son, which alike concern both natures, the divine, and the human; as ●. Tim. 1 15. Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners: Act. 10.42. Iesus Christ is made judge of the quick, and of the dead. Some things are spoken of the Godhead, which cannot be true in the Manhood alone; as Ph●l 2 6. he thought it no robbery to be equal with God. jo. 8.58. Before Abraham was, I am. Some things are spoken of the Manhood alone, which cannot be verified of the Godhead alone: as Psal 8.5. Thou madest him lower then the Angels. And again, he Esay. 41.1. is called the seruant of God. The observation of this distinction, is most necessary to them, that will rightly understand the Scriptures, speaking of Christ. The Name of God, and son of God, is substantially and eternally, before all time and ages, given unto the son: but this appellation was manifested to the world in due time, appointed by the eternal counsel of God. The name of the son of Man, Christ when he took flesh in the womb of the Virgin, took also unto himself: and as in his eternal nativity, the Name of God is his beyond all eternity: so in his temporal nativity, which he hath in the flesh, he hath also a temporal appellation, taken in time, but shall endure beyond all time, even for ever and ever. And here observe the unspeakable humility of Iesus Christ, who much more often calleth himself Mat. 8.20. Mark. 2.10. Luke 5.14. John 3.13. the son of Man, then the son of God. Christ is called the joh. 1.1. Word: not the Word created, but the Word begotten: not such a word as from God was given to Moses by the Angels, which was not begotten, but delivered: nor such a word as is speld by letters, or pronounced by syllables, the word created, and not begotten; Theod. but Christ is called, the Word uncreated, in his divinity, but not vnbegotten. Formed and begotten in his humanity: begotten in his divinity without time; in his humanity in time, but without passion. Whose generation was neither the violation, the diminution, the separation, or the taking away of any thing from the Father. Christ then is not the word which beats the air, which begins from silence, Tho. Aqui. and ends in silence; but the word never ceasing, and ever speaking. Wherefore as every man declareth himself to another by his word: so God manifesteth himself to the world by his son, who interpreteth the will of God to us, and is the substance, very God of God his Father. The wisdom of God 1. Cor. 1.14. the Father he is called: not that created wisdom, which is delivered in the word, or appeareth in the creatures, or is shed into the soul of Man, by the operation of the Spirit; but the substantial wisdom, the essential wisdom of God. Wherein wee see Gods infinite love towards vs. For as the Mother by the milk conveyeth the meat unto the Child, which of itself the Infant hath no power to receive: so God hath sent his wisdom unto us, clothed in our flesh, whose excellency and infinity, our infirmity cannot receive simply, and in the fullness of his glory. And here note, that Christ is not called wise onely, but wisdom itself. This wisdom in his Deity is not a quality, but the substance of the Father; though wisdom in the Manhood of Christ, is a quality, superexcellently given unto it by the Godhead. Col. 2.9. Christ then is the substantial wisdom of God, eternal, uncreated; and hath also as Man, the created wisdom, a quality infused by grace. By this he increased in grace and favour: but the eternal wisdom increased not, being the fullness, to which there could be no addition; ever infinite. The Father is wisdom, the son is wisdom, the Holy Ghost wisdom: yet but one wisdom, one Power, one eternity, one Essence, one goodness. Christ is called Heb. 1.3. Vid. Sedul. in cap. 1. ad Heb. The brightness of the glory; because, as the brightness is unseparable, coexistent, the same with the light: so Christ is unseparable, coeternal, the same with the Father. CHRIST is called jo. 1.9. The true light; because, as the light maketh all things manifest: so CHRIST declareth to us the Father, and vnfouldeth the deep abyss, and secret bosom of his eternal counsels. Christ is called Math. 17.5. The son of God: and men are called the sons of God; but Christ is the natural son, men are adopted sons: Christ is properly called the son, Men unproperly so called, and by favour onely. Christ is called the joh. 1.14. onely begotten; because God the Father hath no other Son by nature: He is called the Rom. 8.29. First begotten, by taking flesh unto him, by which he hath many brethren, sons by adoption. The appellation of onely begotten, and first begotten, is to bee given to no other but Christ, neither properly, nor improperly. Christ is called a Act. 4.12.& 5.31. saviour. This name is common to Christ with the other blessed persons in the trinity: yet so, as every person is called a saviour in a diuers consideration. God the Father is called a saviour, for that he sent his onely begotten son to die for our sins. Heb. 5.7 8 9. Phil. 2.8. Iesus Christ is called a saviour, for that in his holy humanity, he was obedient to the Father, and sustained the punishment of sin. God the Holy Ghost is called a saviour, for that by his power, the son of God was conceived in the womb of the Virgin; 2. Cor. 1.22. Ephes. 1.13, 14.& 4.30. Rō. 8.15.16.17. and all that beleeue are taught, and sealed unto salvation, by the earnest of the Spirit, who witnesseth in us, that we are the sons of God. So every person is a saviour, by the use of power, and operation of love; for that every person wrought in the work, that which was proper unto it to do. Common to all three persons was the work, the love, the Power, the Purpose. every Person hath also his proper work in our salvation, which to the other Persons is uncommunicable. The Father gave, and sent his son, by privilege of the authority: the son also took flesh, and satisfied for sin, by the humiliation of his Person: the Holy Ghost onely was the worker of the Words conception, Aug. de incar. dom. cont. judaeos. in the womb of the Virgin. We see in music, the Art, the hand, the instrument. The Art directeth onely: the hand moveth onely: the instrument only soundeth. Peter Lomb. 3. sent. dist. 3. even so( if any thing may express this glorious work of our redemption) the Father begetteth onely: the son onely is begotten: the Spirit proceedeth from both, the love and community of them both. The Father a saviour; for he sendeth: the son a saviour; for he suffereth: the Holy Ghost a saviour; for by the Holy Ghost Christ was conceived in the Virgins womb, and the holy Ghost, calleth, reproveth, sanctifieth, sealeth, assureth the Elect of God. As the trinity is unseparable and vndiuided: so yet the trinity was not incarnate, but the person of the son. The trinity did not say, This is my beloved son, Pet. Lomb. 3. sent. dist. 1. cap. 3. but the Father: the trinity did not descend in the likeness of a dove, but the Holy Ghost. He is called Psal. 2.2. Christ, in respect of his anointing by the Spirit of God, to be our Priest, our Prophet, our King; whereof I haue already spoken. He is Math. 1.21. called Iesus, in respect of the salvation of the world. Christ is called the joh. 10.11. 1. Pet. 5.4. shepherd; for that he hath brought home Man wandring in the Labyrinth of sin, unto God again. He is called a Esay 53.7. sheep; for that he was made a sacrifice for us: and with such patience, humility and mildness, he suffered all afflictions for us, that he did not so much as open his mouth before the Shearer. The Word was silent and without speech: the Fire without heat: the moving and working power, quiet and sleeping, as it were, for our sakes. he is called a joh. 1.36. lamb, for his innocency, purity, unspotted righteousness, meekness, and holinesse. Christ is Esay 40.10, 11. called the power of God; which sheweth, that he was ever with God by eternity, ever equal to God by consubstantiality: and that he is no weak means, or unperfect inchoation and beginning onely of our salvation; but as absolute, as full, as sufficient a Redeemer, as a Creator: a deliverer, as a Maker. Christ is called Mat. ●. 22. Immanuel; that is, God with vs. Aug. de Ver. Apost. This name expresseth his wonderful love. For if he bee counted full of humanity, that taketh Man into his house, what is he that taketh Man into himself? Cyprian well saith, C●p de vanit. Idolorum. Christ would be what Man is, that Man might be what Christ is. This name also declareth the coniunction of the two natures in one person. In the second of matthew Mat. 2.2. the Wise men call him the King of the Iewes; but in the revelation he is called Apoc. 19.16. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The first place proveth, that he is descended from the loins of david, according to the Prophets. The second declareth, 1. Cor. 10.26. that he is a Monarch, to whom all creatures bow and obey. In sundry places of the gospel, he is called Rabbi, or Master, the Mat. 8.2. Apoc. 15. Mat. 2.6. governor, the lion of the Tribe of judah, the King of Saints. All which show his power, both over all creatures, and much more over his own fold, which is his Church. Christ is called Esay 52.10. The holy arm of the Lord; because all things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made. He is called ALPHA, Apoc. 1.8. and the BEGINNING Apoc. 3.14. and the FIRST; for that, both creation, and reparation are of him. He is called OMEGA, Apoc. 1.8. or the last end: either because in the end of the world, he came in humility, and shall her●after come in glory: or else because all our thoughts, words and works ought to tend unto him, and his honour, as to the appointed end: Rom. 10.4. Mat. 5.17. Esay 25. or because he was the end of the mosaical Law: or because he is the end of the wrath of God, the Sabbath and the mountain, in which the hand of the Lord ceaseth. And lastly, he is called the last, or the end; because he shall put an end to the whole world, and all that is therein. Christ is called the Rom. 1.17. 1. Cor. 1.20. ●er. 23.56. righteousness of God, and our righteousness: not onely because he is righteousness himself, but Pet. Lomb. sent. 3. dist. 35. because he giveth righteousness to his elect. Christ is called Luke 2.30. The salvation of God, the sanctification, the redemption, the door, the way, the life, the holy of holies; that we should know, that he alone is all unto us, that is required unto eternal life. Christ is called Apoc. 2.17. Manna, bread, water, the garment: that as food and clothing are sufficient to the maintaining of the natural life: so we should beleeue, that Christ is alone sufficient to our spiritual and everlasting life; and having him, we need no more. Christ is called the first born of the dead, and 1. Cor. 15.20. the first fruits of them that slept, and Apoc. 1.5. the first begotten of the dead; for that by his power, all the dead are raised up. Christ is called the Hos. 1.11. Ephes. 4.15. head of the Church, the roote of the Vine, the bridegroom. All these appellations signify the community of love, the unseparable coniunction, the indissoluble unity, that is betwixt Iesus Christ, and his Church. Christ is called a 1. Cor. 10.4. rock, for his solidity, eternity, constancy; for that every one, which is built on him, shall not perish everlastingly. Christ is called the Apoc. 1.5. faithful and true witness; because in his mouth there was found no deceit. All the promises of God in him are, Amen, truly, verily, perfectly fulfilled. Christ is called Apoc. 2. ●. he, that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, and walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; for because he is always in the midst of his Church, by governing, and hath it in his hand, by defending. Christ is called a Esay 49.6.15.23. Branch, a Flower, a Child, a Seruant, a calf, a worm, in respect of his humanity and appearing in the flesh; as also in respect of his great humiliation, which he undertook, for the redemption of his Church. Christ is called Esay 9.6. the wonderful, counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace; in respect of his divinity: and that wee should to him ascribe all our being, both that of Nature, and this of Grace, the first and the Second birth. These, and diuers other Titles of Honour, the Scripture giveth unto the son of God. All which may be reduced into two kindes. For they either declare the Essence of his Deity, which properly can neither be conceived nor name; Damasce●. ● 1 d● fide Orthod. ca. 13. or else they concern his Office and Mediation; and then they declare either the Priestly, or the prophetical, or else the Kingly office of Iesus Christ. Phil. 2. To whom let every mouth confess, and every knee bow, Psal. 150. and every thing that hath breath, give praise and honour; neither let wretched Man envy him the absolute appellation of a sole and sufficient saviour, Redeemer, and deliverer, which the Scripture so copiously doth ascribe unto him. Thus much of the Titles. Let us proceed to the Canons. CHAP. VI. Canons or Rules of Faith, concerning the person of our great High Priest Iesus Christ, taken out of the Scriptures and Fathers. THough the understanding of Man is in nature after a sort infinite and wondrously capacious: yet it is not proportionable to the infinite and incomprehensible Essence and Attributes of God. Wherefore of the supreme being of the most glorious God, nothing can be spoken directly, but unproperly, by equivocation, and by way of similitude, according to that wee see in his works: insomuch that the name jehovah, Exod. 6. which God gave unto himself, we cannot directly conceive, nor apprehended, being altogether vnintelligible unto vs. But the attributes of Iustice, love, Mercy, which are qualities of men, are joh. 36.26. & vid. job. 38. per ●ot. indirectly and unproperly ascribed unto God, and cannot sufficiently express the excellency that is in him. cyril very well saith, It is great learning for a man to confess his own ignorance: and Augustine saith, Esay 45.15. God is great without quantity, good without quality. Iulius Scaliger truly deemeth, with no words can a man so fully signify God, as with those which confess his own ignorance. Vid. Barth. Kecker. syst. lag. lib. in trac. de voc. ambig. The first Rule then as an introduction of all the rest is, that all words and attributes common to God and his creatures, are Analogically and improperly given to God. Iesus Christ Mat. 15.22. God and Man, the son of God, and the son of Man, hath both natures in one person, really, Heb. 1.3.& 2.7 John 1.14. aqualin patri, non crescendo, said nascendo. truly, substantially; Phil. 2.6 equal in the Godhead with the Father, and with the holy Ghost equal, not by increasing, but by essence and nativity: jo. 14. 28.3● inferior to the Father, and the holy Ghost in his humanity. If he had been Esa. 40.28 God onely, he could not haue died: if he had been Man onely, he Sam. 2.14.14 job 21.23 could not haue overcome death. Wherefore he is both God and Man, that he might Heb. 10.5. submit the imbecility of the one nature to suffering; and by the power of the 1. Cor. 15.54.57. other, destroy death for ever. Who could destroy death, but he that is very life? Who could satisfy for sin, but he that is very righteousness? In the holy womb of the blessed virgin, Luke 1.31 Iesus Christ was conceived, and of her seed took substance of flesh. Shee did not conceive by the ear, neither did the Godhead enter into her by Introiuit per aur●m virginis. in di. Nat. domini. the ear,( as the missal of Sarisbury most blasphemously saith) he entred in at the Virgins ear: but his generation and conception was in the womb. It is heretical, and savoureth of the heresy of martion, to say with the missal, Conc●pist● per aurem dominum nostrum. Thou didst conceive our Lord by the ear. Iesus Christ hath two nativities: one in his divinity, in which he is coeternal, coequal, consubstantial with his Father. Of this nativity the Psalmist saith, Psal. 27. Act. 13.33 joh. 1 1.2 This day haue I begotten thee; intimating the certainty of generation, not the measure or point of time when he was begotten; for this begetting was before all time, and from all eternity. Of this generation we may not say, Christ is still a begetting, although he be still begotten. For he saith not, I do beget thee; but, now dicit hody ●egi●no, said hod●e te genus. psal. 2. To day haue I begotten thee: and this begetting gives him not being of time, or of life, who had lived beyond all time, the beginning of life. The second nativity is of the Manhood in certain time Luke 3.26 and place; of which may be truly verified the saying of the Canticles, Cant 8.5 There thy mother conceived thee, there shee conceived that bare thee. For his human conception and nativity had both determinate time and place. The generation Esa. 53.28 Luke 1.34 of the Godhead,& the Manhood are both ineffable. In the Deity; joh. 23.18 God begot him of himself: in the Manhood he was begotten, and born of a pure virgin, the power of the highest overshadowing her,& the holy Ghost coming vpon her. Here think not, that the holy Ghost was seed, nor that the holy Ghost did beget him, nor that the holy Ghost was his Father, nor that there was in his generation Esa. 53.2. either lust or passion: no, but as his divine Col. 1.17 generation is without beginning: so his human generation is without Esa. 53.1 example. His divine generation was unto God: his human generation is for men. In the divine generation, he is the beginning of life: in the human generation, Tim. 2.1.10 by suffering death, he overcame death for vs. If this generation could be conceived by Man, what great thing were in it above other generations? Esa. 53.8 Greg. Nazian. But his generation who shall declare? Thou understandest not how thyself wast created, and wilt thou inquire how Christ was begotten? It is enough to know that he was begotten, how he was begotten, the Angels themselves comprehend not: Esa. 40.13. Rom. 11.34 Ezek. 10. Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who was his counsellor? Canst thou describe the nature of Cherubins, the substance of Seraphins? both which stand before him,& cast their eyes to the ground, covering their faces with their wings, not presuming to look vpon that unaccessible light: and yet Man, who is but dust and ashes, Gen. 3. Ecclu 17 who knows not himself, nor how soon he shal be dissolved; who understands not how his own soul begetteth the word his mouth bringeth forth, dares prie into the secrets of the generation of the son of God. Assure thyself, the truth hereof is nothing less, because thou canst not comprehend it; wherefore lay hold on him by faith, whom with words thou canst not express,& bring not that into disputation, which cannot be answered: delight not in the torments of questions. If his Phil. 4.7 peace be above al understanding, his nativity is above al understanding. It is enough for thee to know that joh. 10.11 he is the good shepherd, who gave his life for his sheep. Christ jo. 1.14 the son of God, was made the son of man; not Heb. 1. et 2 per ●etum. Esa. 7.14 by conversion of one nature into another, but by taking the Manhood unto the Godhead: so the word and the Manhood are one Christ, verily& truly, in person, by coniunction, not by confusion of natures; not, that either nature doth suffer abolition, Vid. 1. ad Heb. but that both the natures are united in one person. Christ being Man on earth, was yet at the same time,& for ever God in heaven, God in the earth, God in the womb, God in the Manger, God on the cross. For the Godhead was never divided, changed, separated or diminished, but was in Christ Col. 2.9 fully, wholly, simply: and he was at the same time very Man, natural Man, like unto us in all things Heb. 7.26 1. Pet. 2.22 ( except sin) that the one nature might dy,& the other might raise it up again. The Godhead Eph. 4.9.10 Erat quidem in mundo: et mundus per ipsum factus est: said mundus cum non cognovit, non ergo venit qui aberat: said apparuit qui latebat. Vnde et humanam in qua agnosceretur induit formam: Ber. ser. 3 de trip. domini aduentu. is said to descend and come down: not, that it was subject to mutation, or change of place; but the God of heaven took flesh on earth; which to express, the Scripture is compelled to speak according to the manner of men. God is said unproperly, and by a borrowed speech, to come down and to bee changed: for the Deity cannot bee changed. The Exod. 4.6.7. hand of Moses taken out of his bosom was leprous,& returned into the bosom clean again. Here was a true change and alteration indeed. The Godhead from the bosom of the Father coming down, and taking flesh vpon it Esa. 53.23. joh. 16.& 17 seemed unto men as debased, infirmed, weak, which indeed was not so. For having taken away our sin, our death, our infirmity, and returning again( as it were) into the bosom of the Father, he is,& was ever glorious, powerful and almighty. This is but a seeming change, a seeming alteration in God( who indeed is ever the same Heb. 13.8 without variableness, or shadow of change) quoad nos, in our respect, in our understanding; not in nature, not in substance: 1. Sam. 1●. 19 God is in himself ever the same without variableness or shadow of change in nature and substance. The Godhead itself, in the passion of Christ did not suffer, it had no passion, though the humanity Mat. 27 did suffer, and were tormented. This cannot be expressed by any similitude, yet we see in Man the soul so knit unto the body, Calu●n in Inst. cap. 7. de side num. 1.3. that either nature keeps his own property. The body hath actions, whereof the soul is not capable: the soul hath actions, which of the body cannot be verified. And some things are common to the whole man, which are neither true in the body alone, nor in the soul alone. Damasc. li. 3. c. 26. Damascen compareth the suffering of Christ to the cutting of wood, on which the sun shineth: though the wood bee strooken, the sun beam is neither cut, nor strooken. He compareth it also to water poured vpon burning iron: though the fire be quenched, the iron is not consumed. August. Austine compareth the Godhead to the light diffused into the air, which is always uncorrupt, though the air bee corrupted. But fully and perfectly no earthly similitude can express, how Christ God and Man, in one person, suffered onely in the humanity. Faith must beleeue, what sense cannot conceive. Pet. Lomb. 3. sent. d●st. 22. If you speak of the distinct natures; God suffered not, God died not: If you speak of the unity of the person; wee may say, God did die, and God did suffer, that is, the person which is God and Man, did die and suffer. Christ is true and very Mat. 1.21. Man, the onely begotten of his Mother in his humanity, as he is the onely joh. 1.14. begotten of the Father in his divinity. The two natutes are not confounded( as the Timotheans did dream) but consociated: so that God and Man, is one Christ, as the body and the soul is one Man; not by versabilitie of the substances, as Apolinarius thought: nor by the copulation of man with woman, as Ebion blasphemed. For his Mother was a Virgin before and after his birth, contrary to the opinion of helvidius. His flesh was begotten in the womb of the Virgin, not brought from heaven, according to the dotage of martion; Not a fantastical body, as Valentinus taught; not onely flesh of flesh, as Martianus opinated: but true God of the divinity, true Man of the humanity, having a body& a soul natural, not a body without a soul( as Eunomius believed) but a soul endowed with reason, and with sense. All that Christ took of Psal. 124 7. 1. Cor. 15.42, 43, 44, 45. man he redeemed in Man; what he did not Heb. 2.14, ●6 take, he did not redeem. Though his generation were above nature, yet the natural Manhood of Christ took all our Esay 53.3, 4. Heb. 2.17, 18. infirmities, affections, passions, without sin. The very nature Heb. 2.14. must of necessity bee taken, which should be delivered, together with all natural defects, and infirmities thereof. Infirmities in him were not infirmities of fault, Esay 27.4. but of kind. Wherefore they are not from the same cause, that they are in us: we undergo them for necessity, he did undergo them for jo. 15.13. love: they are the punishments of our own sins in us: they are the punishment not of his own sins, but ours in him; Esay 53.8. For the transgression of my people was he plagued. All the laws of Ceremonies which Christ performed, he did observe; not that he had need in respect of his own person to bee cleansed, or purged, or initiated with any solemnity of rites, but onely to fulfil the jo. 3 21. whole law for us, and therefore he was Luk. 2. 2● circumcised: he ate the Mat. 26. 1●. Passeouer: he kept the Sabbaths, that he might bee a perfect Mat. 3.15. observer of the Law, before God and Man. So likewise he paid tribute, and offered himself to be baptized; not that he had any need of regeneration, but to give dignity to the institution, and to sanctify it, and by his own example to commend it unto vs. Therefore the missal of Sarum doth plainly blaspheme, where it saith, Concede propitius, vt fructus ancillarum ●uarum in orbem terrarum sanos& incolumes taliter disponas pervenire, quòd ad sontem baptismatis vna tecum regenerari mercantur. Miss. star in Miss. pro Mulieribus pragnant. in secret. pijssime christ Iesu. So dispose the fruit of thy Hand-maidens to come sound and safe into the world, that they may together with thee deserve to bee regenerate at the font of baptism. Can. 14. God Col. 2 9. jo. 14.11. Vid. Theod. Beza● aduersus conu. Guil. Hold. dwelled in Iesus Christ fully and perfectly; not as he dwelleth in Peter, or in the rest of the Apostles, by presence of the Essence of divinity, or by habitual grace onely. For the holy Saints are not personally and Hypostatically knit together unto God, as the Manhood and the Godhead are knit together in the person of Iesus Christ. Wherefore the Act. 3.12& Mat. 16.20. miracles of Saints were not so wrought, as Christs Miracles are. Can. 15. Christ in his Godhead jer. 23.23, 24 &c. E●ay 48 13. job. 37 25. is infinite, incircumscriptible, incomprehensible: but the manhood is finite, circumscriptible, comprehensible, and in Act. 1.11▪ Act. 3.21. place contained. Wherefore Eustathius speaking of the divinity well saith, God containeth all things, and is contained of none. And Seuerianus speaking of both natures saith, Continebatur qu●ad corpun quantum ad verbum attiret, contineri non poterat. v d. Theod. Bezam. ad Ho●d. Conu. he was contained touching his body, but as touching the word he cannot be contained. The body hath not the equipatence, or the ubiquity of the Godhead, but is contained in his place as other bodies are; which if it were not so, the Angels could not haue proved his resurrection from the dead, because his Mar. 16.6. body was not in the grave. And Pauls desire were absurd, Ph●l. 1.23. wishing himself to bee dissolved, Sicut à coelis aberat, quando in terra fuit, ita runc, quia in coel● est, non est in terra. Vigil. aduer. E●●●h. that he might bee with Christ. The truth then is, Christ as God filleth earth and heaven at once: but Christs Manhood was not in heaven, when it was in earth; and is not in earth, now it is in heaven. We must take heed, that we give not unto Christ one will onely, with the Monophysicall, and Monothelitan heretics. For as Christ hath two natures, so also two wils, and two powers, and two operations. The human nature, which is taken, doth serve the divine nature, even as the body of Man doth serve the soul: yet either nature doth work according to his propriety. At the resurrection jo. 11. of Lazarus the soul groaned, sorrowed: the body wept, and said, Lazarus come forth; but the Godhead gave life unto him, and raised him up, who is the beginning and the life of all. Wee divide not herein the person, with Nestorius; but wee say, the Man Christ wrought Miracles: yet not as more Man, but by the Godhead. For though the Manhood of Christ bee adorned with all graces, yet it hath not the essential proprieties of the Godhead, Mat. 21.18, 19. joh. 6 9, 10.11, 12. neither do those properties go out of their own subject. It was not the Godhead, which hungered at the figtree: it was not the Manhood, that fed five thousand with a few barley loaves, and two Fishes. Amphilochius well saith; Deu● sum& homo, haeretice: deus, vt s●ondent miracula; homo vt testantur affictiones. O heretic, I am God and Man: my miracles show I am God, my affections witness I am Man. Christ in his Manhood( though beautified with the most excellent graces) is yet to himself inferior, considering his Godhead. Apoc. 8.3. The angel standing before the Altar, is well expounded of the humanity of Christ worshipping the divinity. For the human nature is subject and doth serve the divine nature, even in himself, that is, in one& the same person. But to think that in Christ there is one person serving, another commanding, is the heresy of Nestorius condemned in the council of Ephesus. Christ was( as is formerly said) both Priest, Sacrifice, and Altar; for he offered as Priest, he was offered as Sacrifice, and his own worthiness was the Heb. 13.10 Esa. 56.7 Col. 1.21.22 acceptable Altar. He is the Sacrifice Heb. 5.10. which reconciled us unto God, when wee were enemies, and preserves us still in his favour being reconciled. This Sacrifice therefore took away both He. 10.14.18 fault, and Heb. 13.12 punishment; and therefore the punishment, because the fault. Ezech. 18 For God is righteous, and his iustice requireth to punish where is fault. And again, the same iustice of God permitteth him not to poure down Gen. 18.25 vengeance, where he seeth no fault, no blemish, no transgression. every first, or Ro. 11.34.35. moving cause is moved of no other, neither receiveth help from any other. The sun which giveth light unto all receiveth not light from any. The fire heats, and is not heated. every first working cause is perfect in his kind. So Christ in the work of our salvation is Esay 63.3 assisted by none, he receiveth help from none, being the fountain of all grace and goodness. even as the job 38.24.25.26.28 showers and due which falleth vpon us, falls not by our help: or as the light shineth vpon us, without us, or any of our labour: so is the salvation from Christ free, vndeserued, wrought only Rom. 11.36 by himself, and of himself, and for himself. Wherefore the Psalmist saith, Psal. 72.6 he shall come down like the rain into a fleece of wool, even as the drops that water the earth. And the Prophet Esay saith, Esay 62.1 I will not rest, until the righteousness therof break forth as the light, and salvation thereof as a burning lamp. And again, Esay 66.12 I will extend peace over her like a flood, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream. And of the free mercy of God the Prophet jeremy speaketh, jer. 32.41 I will delight in them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart,& with al my soul. Ioel saith, Ioel 3.18 In that day shall the mountaines drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk. Raining, dropping, breaking forth, flowing, planting, are all Symbols of vndeserued grace, and vnmerited favour. Christ had Act. 2.23.24 power to lay down his life, and not to lay it down. Wherefore in that he died, he died to satisfy the Heb. 2.14.15 wrath of God; not for any necessity in his own person. For he was such, yea, a thousand times more 1 Cor. 15.47 excellent then Adam in his creation. For this cause, his 1 Cor. 15 56 Manhood being without sin, was by 4 Esd. 7.48 nature also without death. In joh. 15.12.13. that he died, it was the dispensation of love and grace, not the exaction of necessity,( as himself witnesseth); joh. 10.18 No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. All the Cant. 5 10. ad finem. works of Christ were fully and sufficiently meritorious of eternal life for us, in respect of the worthiness of them. For even in his baptism the Father witnesseth of him; Mat. 3.17 that in him he was well pleased, but he died to testify the greatness of 1 jo. 4.9.10. the love, and to observe the order of Gods jo. 15.13 counsels, with whom without Heb. 9.22 effusion of blood there is no remission of sins. Wherefore Iesus Christ jo. 10.11 gave also his life for his sheep, and by his punishment satisfied the iustice and wrath of God; as it is written, Esay 53.10 It pleased the Lord to smite him with infirmity. Christ Esay 63.3 suffered himself, and no other for him. Christ suffered in his Ma. 26.38.39. Mar. 15.34.37 whole humanity, because whole man was to be redeemed, Wherefore he suffered both in body& soul; as it is written, Esay 53.11. My soul is heavy unto the death: And Esay saith, Ibid. Of the travell and labour of his soul shall he see the fruit. And again, He poured out his soul to death. he suffered himself alone, no other with him, for the taking away of sins; so witnesseth Esay, Esay 63.3 I haue trodden the winepress myself alone, of all people there was none with me. Adam, when he sinned, was a Rom. 5 public person, and in him all did sin originally: so Christ when he suffered, was a public person, and the benefit of his suffering redoundeth to all; not that all mankind is saved by his passion, but that Christs passion was a sufficient sacrifice, 3. sent. dist. 20. & powerful enough in respect of the price, for the salvation of all, though it were efficacious onely for the elect, who were given to him of the Father. This is proved out of the words of our saviour himself, jo. 17.9 I pray not for the world, but for them, which thou hast given me. The whole life of Christ was nothing else but suffering& affliction, according to that of jeremy, Lam. 3.5 Luke 2.7 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gull and labour. The birth of the King of glory was in a stable, his cradle a Manger among brute beasts, no sooner born, but presently persecuted and sought for by Herod. Mat. 2 Wherefore they flee with him into Egypt, from whence returned, all his life long he spent in temptations, hunger, labour, travail, infirmity, affliction, snares, dangers; till at last our glorious sun by little& little was wholly overcome,& the most dreadful Eclipse, overcast the same, that ever was. Mat. 27 At which the natural sun itself abashed, hide his face in darkness; the earth quaked, and the very stones did rent asunder: all creatures are astonied, Man, onely Man, for whom all this he suffered, harder then ston, more vncompassionate then the very rocks, Ma●. 14.29.30 31.32. hath no sense of his saviours torments, no feeling, no commiseration. The nativity of Christ, his death, resurrection and ascension, were certainly foreshowed by the Prophets, at what time they should come to pass. Of his nativity the Apostle witnesseth; Eph. 1.10 that God sent his son in the dispensation of the fullness of the times. And jacob prophesied, Gen. 49.10 The sceptre shall not depart from judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come. Esay foreshowed the same; namely, Esay 11.& 35& 53. that he should rise out of the stock or trunk of jesse, out of the waste and dry ground: by which was shewed, that vpon the destruction of the Israelitish royalty, in the overthrow of their state, in their confusion, their Anarchy, Others do otherwise account, but all comes in a maner to one end. their miserable oppression, Christ should come. Daniel therefore setteth down the precise time, how many yeares it should be from the going forth of the commandement, to bring again the people, till the coming of Messiah; to wit, Dan. 9 seven weekes, threescore and two weekes: which weekes being taken every one for a Sabbath of yeares( as Moses teacheth us to account) Leuit. 25 arise just unto 490 yeares; the full number of yeares from Darius Neh. 2. Longhand( whom the Scripture calls Artahshashte) who sent forth the command unto the time of Christs appearing. Of his death, Daniel prophesieth, it should be after threescore and two weekes: now the month, the day, the hour, was typically foreshowed in the eating of the paschal lamb, which was on the fourteenth day of the first month at even. according to the jewish account, who began their day about three of the clock in the afternoon. On which day, being Friday, Christ according to the Law did eat the Passeouer with his Disciples, and was betrayed in the night following, received the sentence of death about twelve of the clock the same day, and during the said hour of twelve was lead to Golgotha and crucified, and at three of the clock in the afternoon yielded up the ghost. Neither doth mark the evangelist varie from this account where he saith, Mar. 15.25. that Christ was crucified about the third hour. mark ●aith he gave up the ghost at the ninth hour. Verse 37. A day natural comprehending the night, consisteth of four and twenty houres; but the Iewes had a two-fold division of their day, not reckoning the night. The first was into four quarters, which were called the four great houres, for in every one of them, three houres were contained: joh. 11.9. The second division of the day, excluding the night, was into twelve houres. Now matthew, Luke, Luk. 23.44.46 and John say, that the iudgement was pronounced, and Christ nailed on the cross about the sixth hour: that is, in the tract, or by the finishing of the hour, which we call noon, or twelve of the clock, which was part of marks third great hour; and so, at the ninth hour, or three of the clock, he gave up the ghost. Some doubt of the time when Christ ate the Passeouer, because Saint Luke, and John say, he was crucified on the day of the preparing: but the truth is, Christ ate the Passeouer on the fourteenth day of the month, according to the Law of God. But the Iewes had a tradition, that if the fourteenth day fell vpon the sixth day of the week, then they deferred their Passeouer to the Sabbath day following: wherefore Christ was crucified on the day of their preparation for the Feast. The resurrection the third day was typified in jonas, and prophesied by Osee Osee. 6.2. and joh. 2.19. his own prediction also. The kind of death which our saviour Iesus Christ did suffer, was most shameful and ignominious, vpon a wooden cross: which manner of punishment was used among the Romans, and it was most odious above all other sorts of death. Cicero saith, Cic. act. 5. in ver ex Barth. Kecker●, Syst. Theol. the punishment of the cross was the worst, and most cruel torture: wherefore the enemies of Christian Religion did use tauntingly to call Christ, the hanged and the crucified God. Christs death was the separation of body and soul, as all other die: and when he was dead, his side being pierced, blood and water issued forth: the blood was a symbol of perfect expiation by him made; the water, of the cleansing and purifying of all them for whom he died. So his blood preached satisfaction, and the water the washing away of sin. Christ although he verily died, yet he had always life in himself. I joh. 10.18. 1. joh. 1.2. Symb. Atha. 34. haue power(( saith he) to lay it down, and haue power to take it again. Though in his death the soul were separated from the body, yet the divinity was never separated from the humanity; but as the two ends of a broken boaw, are yet knit still unto the same string: so the body and soul of Iesus Christ were ever joined to the divinity, though they were one from the other disjoined. Esay 63.5. Therefore my own arm( saith he) helped me, and my wrath itself sustained me. Here then behold a wondrous strong connexion of the two natures of Christ, which death itself could not dissolve; and thence take comfort( Christian) unto thyself, seeing the Manhood so knit unto the Godhead, that nothing could make separation thereof: and what doth he desire else but that all his may be one, as the Father is in him, joh. 17. and he in the Father? Some say, Was there no other way that wee might be saved from eternal damnation, but by the miserable torture, and bloody death of the son of God? yes surely, the power of God might haue saved us other ways: but God, who had condemned Man justly for the sin of one, would haue Man to be delivered also justly, by the obedience of one. So that the divell is not now cast by force onely, but by equity, out of his possession, according to that of Esay, Esay 1.27. Sion shal be redeemed with equity, and her converts with righteousness. Austine of this point speaketh well; There are some that say; Why? could not the wisdom of God otherwise deliver Man? Surely it could: But if he had done it otherwise, it would haue as much displeased thy foolishness. The covetous dislike that Christ was not made of gold: the unchaste dislike that he was born of a woman: the proud dislike that he suffered contumelies and shane: the delicate dislike that he suffered torments: the fearful dislike that he suffered death. But let us with thankfulness receive and embrace what he did, who did all for our love, whose wisdom the lists of our slender sense cannot contain. The Godhead in Christ, being one person with the humanity, did as it were( for who can truly express the maner?) delitescere, or cease his operation, and withdraw itself, that Christ might suffer. Insomuch that he cried out vpon the cross; Mar. 15.34. My God, my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? This was done; not that there was any passion or alteration in God: nor that the Godhead was separated from the Manhood by division of the person: nor that the Father forsook the son with a final dereliction: nor as though Christ did desperately cast off all hope of the favour of God. But yet after an ineffable manner, the Godhead permitted the Manhood, to which it was in person joined, to suffer, to die, to sustain and undergo the sins of the world, the wrath and iustice of God, as much as the severity of Gods righteousness required, for the redemption of all sinners: yea, I doubt not to say, as much as all sins deserved. For though Christ suffered not the very same kind of pain( the wages of sin) which the divels and reprobate sustained in Hell: yet the torments, the extreme humiliation, the shameful death of the son of God, was an equivalent satisfaction, and as great a punishment, as all our offences did deserve. When thou thinkest on the horror of thy sin, think also on the excellency of the sacrifice, and the extremity of the humiliation, and thou shalt confess the prophesy to be most true which saith, Esay 43.24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins, and wearied me with thine iniquities. Let us then aclowledge; Esay 53.6. Surely he hath born our infirmities, and carried our sorrows; the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquities of us all. The giuing up of the son of God to death was from the Father, from the son himself, Vid. Pet. Lomb. 3. sent. dist. 10. cap 1. from Iudas and the wicked Iewes. The Father gave him according to his eternal counsel: the son gave himself in obedience to his Father, and in love to mankind: the Iewes and Iudas delivered him up to be crucified, out of their malice and envy. Wherefore the work of the Father was good, and the work of the son was good; For charity was the cause, equity was this means, 1. Tim. 1.15. and salvation of mankind was the end thereof: But the work of the Iewes and Iudas was evil, as their will was evil, and their intention evil. God and the Iewes did one work, but not with one purpose. Wherefore when it is said, Acts 2.23. Ye took him by the hands of the wicked, being delivered by the determinate counsel, and foreknowledge of God; this is not to bee understood, as though God were in the obliquity of the work, or partaker of the jewish impiety, or as though Christ had killed himself, or desperately been the instrument of his own destruction: But the meaning of the place is, that the evil will of the Iewes was the instrument to bring the good will of God to pass; and that, as the Father in wisdom, in iudgement, in love gave his son, and the son in humility and obedience to God, and in exceeding charity to Man gave himself: so the Iewes gave him and betrayed him, sinfully, maliciously, treacherously. Wherefore to God the Father, the son, and the Holy Ghost all honour and praise: to the Iewes and Iudas all punishment, shane and confusion is due. The resurrection of Christ is our hope, and his ascension our glorification. Christ in that he rose, 1. Pet. 1.3. joh 17.24. Heb. 10.12, 13, 14. did rise never to die again, never to bee again corruptible, passable or infirm: but his humanity hath put on glory& eternity, and remaines now and for ever in the glory of the Father. John 14.2. he is gone up to prepare a place for us, to make intercession for us, to be the first fruits of the dead. he hath taken up our flesh into the heauens, that the head being glorified, the whole body might also arise unto glory. So unto the nature of which it was said, Gen. 3.19. Thou art dust, and shalt return to dust; it is now said Hieron. supper illua Psal 24. Attollite portas Principes vestr. Be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. To him be honour, and praise, and dominion, and might, and majesty vpon the knees of all hearts ascribed for ever and ever, Amen. I will presume no further to set down Rules concerning the Attributes of this unspeakable transcendent, whose praises in number surmount the drops and sands of the sea, in glory the brightness of the clearest sun: joh. 21.25. the world cannot contain the things which might of him be written: the heaven is his seat, Mat. 5.34, 35. Psal. 99.5. the earth is but his footstool. O vain were he would go about with the dropping of a quill for to express him. CHAP. VII. Of the works and benefits of Christs Priesthood, and of a double kind of denying and overthrowing them. OF the three Offices of Christ so excellent, although it cannot be said, which is the most profitable and beneficial unto mankind: yet I will begin with his Priesthood; because his Priesthood goeth before his prophetical and Kingly Offices in order of the work. For, first he doth redeem, and justify us as our Priest, then instructeth us as our Prophet, and lastly glorifieth us as our King. Now as in the Law there were sundry duties belonging to the Priests office: namely, to oversee the lights of the Tabernacle, to make showbread, to offer Incense, Sacrifices, burnt offerings, sin-offerings, and such like: so, many, infinite and unspeakable benefits do flow unto us from the Priesthood of Christ, whereof the Leuiticall was but a shadow, or a type onely. Redemption, the work of Christ● Priesthood. Redemption from the slavery of sin, of satan, and of Hell, by the offering of his most holy body as a full satisfaction, wherein himself was both Priest and Sacrifice, the gift and the giver, the incense and the Altar, is the first work of this glorious Priesthood. The second work is Mediation, Mediation, the work of Christ● Priesthood. or joining us unto God by unseparable connexion. So that we, who before were enemies unto him through the lust of our uncleanness, are now one with him through his son, whom he hath made our peace, and our reconciliation. The third work is continual advocation, advocation, the work of Christs Priesthood. and Intercession unto God for those, who are his by Redemption, that they may so continue, and be still one with him,& with the Father. The fourth work is justification of those, justification, the work of Christs Priesthood. whom he hath redeemed; whereby in our elder brothers garments, like jacob, we receive the blessing of our Father, being clothed with pure reins, the long white vesture of Christs holy merits. And indeed, having put on Christ himself as our righteousness, we are reputed and taken holy, blameless, undefiled, without spot or wrinkle in the uncorrupt iudgement, and clear seeing eyes of God. For Christ the true Elizeus, 2. King. 4.34. coming down from the Mount, hath applied his living body to our dead bodies, his members to our members, his merits, and his works to cure our sins, and our uncleanness. By application then, and imputation of his righteousness, wee are all righteous. The fift work is Sanctification of those, Sanctification, the work of Christs Priesthood. whom he hath redeemed and justified. Which sanctification is by the communication of his spirit, giuing us grace to hate and abhor the sins, which were so heinous, that with no other expiation they could be cleansed, but the onely immaculate blood of the son of God; and to walk henceforth as children of the light, in all the good and holy works, which God hath prepared for us to walk in. These, and infinite other benefits there are of Christs Priesthood. Which if we either deny to come unto us from Christ, or say, that wee receive them from any other as authors and fountains thereof( cavil and sophisticate with what curious quirks, and nice distinctions we will) we evacuate and frustrate the high and excellent office of Christs eternal Priesthood. There are indeed many, which deny not Christ in words, but do confess him; yea, pretending that they are his Vicars, they say they cannot bee his enemies: but though they confess him with their mouths, yet if they deny the power, the virtue, the efficacy of his office, they are Antichrists. The Apostle warneth Titus of those that profess they know God, but by their works deny him. Augustine also of such adviseth us; Inuenimus multos Antichristos, qui ore conficentur Christum,& moribus dissentiunt in 1 Ep. jo. tract. 3. We find( saith he) many Antichrists, which with their mouths confess, and in their manners dissent from Christ. jerome saith, there are many enemies unto Christ, which are thought to bee of his house, that is, in his Church; they do not depart from the head, but they hold against the head. Bernard saith, Heu, heu domine, ipsi sunt in persecutione tua primi, qui in Ecclesia tua videntur primatum diligere,& gerere principatum: arcem Sion occupauerunt, apprehenderunt munitiones,& vniuersam deinceps libere& potestatiuè tradu●t ince●dio ciuita●em. Bern in ser. de Con. Paul. Alas, alas Lord, they are first in persecuting thee, that love the primacy, and hold the principality in the Church: they possess the tower of Sion, and haue gotten into their hands the munitions thereof, and now freely and powerfully they deliver up the whole city to be burnt. Albert saith, Antichrist shall pretend a counterfeit show of holinesse. And hilary saith, Quisquis enim Christum negat, qualis ab apostles est praedicatus, Antichristus est. Hill. Gon. Auxen. vel Arrian. that Iesus Christ, while he is thought to be preached, is denied: and against Auxentius he saith, whosoever denieth Christ to be such, as he is by his Apostles delivered, he is Antichrist. CHAP. VIII. Of Redemption: Of Redemption. the first work of the holy Priesthood of Christ, and the definition thereof. COme we now to the most excellent work of Redemption, the first benefit which we receive from the great and glorious Priesthood of our saviour Christ. Of which, first it must be considered, what it is, and then how many kindes are therof. Difference betwixt Emption and Redemption. Betwixt Emption and Redemption the difference is, that Emption is the attaining by price of that which was never ours: but Redemption is to buy again that which was once our own, and now lost, alienated, and in possession of others. Thus is Christ called a Redeemer; for that us, who sold ourselves by sin unto satan, and were now fallen from the glorious liberty of the sons of God, to be the bondslaves of sin, death, and Hell, he hath with the price of his holy and precious blood bought again unto himself, and paid our ransom: not to the divell, Christ brought unto us Redemption. who had no right to hold us( being poor seduced wretches, trained by him into his own damnation) but unto God was this satisfaction made, who held us first as his Children, and now gave us over for our transgressions to the devil, the executioner of his wrath. Of these two diuers parts of our Redemption, namely, Satisfaction unto Gods iustice by his humiliation and suffering, and conquering of the divell by power and victory, the Scriptures give plentiful record. Of Satisfaction to God the Apostle saith, Tit. 2.14. He gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquities. And Esay foreshoweth Esay 53.10. He shall make his soul an offering for sin. Now of the conquest over the divell, Death, and Hell, the same Prophet doth plainly witness; Esa. 27.2. In that day the Lord with his sore, and great, and mighty sword shall visit leviathan that piercing Serpent, even leviathan that crooked Serpent, and shall slay the Dragon that is in the Sea. And the Psalmist saith, Psal. 45.5. Thine arrows are sharp to pierce the heart of the Kings enemies. Wherefore Esay again teacheth, Esay 9.4. The yoke of their burden, and the staff of their shoulder, and the Rod of their oppressor hast thou broken, as in the day of Midian. O samson of our strength, slaughtered, judge. 16.28.29, 30. and slaughtering at once, the onely Phoenix, who dying doth beget again. The pelican, which feedeth his young ones with his blood. Iud. 14.14. Math. 17.5. The eater, out of which cometh meat. The strong, out of which cometh sweetness; sweetness towards God, For I am well pleased: strength against the enemy Ephes. 4 8. Psal. 68.18. ; for he hath lead captivity captive and given gifts unto men. Man could not haue been separated from God, Bernard. but by sin; nor the soul from the body, but by death. Now Christ, to bring both these together again, hath redeemed the soul from sin, and the body from death, satisfying God as a Priest, and conquering the devil, Death and Hell as a King. Christs double redemption, as a King, and as a Priest. Redemption then, as we see, is the giuing of a sufficient ransom for us; whereby we that are captives, are now bought again, to be a peculiar people unto himself: by it wee that were far of, are now brought near, Heb. 12.22.23 to mount Sion, and to the Cisie of innumerable Angels, and to the congregation of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just and perfect men: The fruits of our Redemption. by it we are called out of darkness into this marvelous light, and we 2. Pet. 2.10. which in times past were not under mercy, now haue obtained mercy. CHAP. IX. Of the sundry considerations of sin. TWo things there are in sin: the corruption of sin, and the punishment of sin. The corruption of sin is seen in that continual perverse will and desire of ours, by which wee strive to do the things, that are displeasing to God, and to transgress his laws,& break them daily. This corruption and deformity doth ouergoe the body and soul of Man; so that he, who in the beginning was created to the image and likeness of God, having the innocence, the holinesse, the wisdom, and the eternity of God shining in him, is now become like the divell, black, spotted, unclean, leprous, foolish, mortal. For though the act of sin when it is begun, is also quickly ended: yet the corruption of sin in us, is ever in the sight of God, and for it to him wee are still abominable. Abominable was sin in Adam, abominable it is in us: in him as the spring, in us as the stream. Let us speak of the deformity of Adams sin first, and then of our own. The vileness of Adams sin in himself, three manner of ways is declared. First the object, against whom it was committed. Secondly the person, who did commit it. Thirdly, the whole nature of Man, which he did deordinate and infect, doth show the greatness of his fault. In that he sinned against God, infinite was the sin; for he sinned against the infinite power which had made him; the infinite wisdom which made him to his own likeness, the purest metal to bear the image of the King himself. He sinned against the power, the wisdom, the love, the Father, the son, the Holy Ghost. Wherefore from the whole trinity came that Sarcasm of indignation; Gen. 3.22. The Man is become as one of us: Thus Man, who in all things else was finite and had limits, in sin is infinite, and beyond all limits. Secondly, the person who did commit the sin, doth aggravate the same: the power, the wisdom, the love incomprehensible created him in the body from the earth, in the soul from the heaven, that heaven and earth conjoined, he might be another world in himself. Wherefore he decked his earth with the fairest feature above all other creatures; so far, that there was nothing whereof he might be ashamed: and adorned his heaven( the soul I mean) with light more excellent, then of the Sun, or of the moon; Understanding, memory, Will; a trinity after his own example, full of perfection, goodness and excellence. But Man, wretched Man, wilfully cast away his trinity of grace, given by the trinity of the supreme Essence, and gave it up to the trinity of vile and base suggestion, delectation, consent; by which all the power, the wisdom, the love, which from the supreme power, wisdom, love, he had received, was turned into weakness, foolishness, uncleanness; weakness of memory, foolishness of understanding, uncleanness and hard-heartedness of will: and this he did, no necessity compelling him, believing the divell, loving his wife, preferring his desire above God the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost. His sin was spiritual, harkening to an Apostata spirit: his sin was corporal, pleasing himself in the taste of an Apple. The commandement easy to be obeied: his will, iudgement, knowledge, love, all perfect, and therefore he might haue stood: his temptation onely outward, and therefore he needed not to fall. All things neglected, for a trifle he provoked the highest God, wittingly, willingly, maliciously, rebelliously; therefore his sin was infinite, unspeakable, without defence worthy of the deepest damnation. Thirdly, Adam in his sin did deordinate, or turn from the due end, himself and all his progeny that came from him: a murderer before a parent, whose offence imposed a double necessity vpon us; necessity of death, the corruption and the destruction of our nature. A little drop of Wine poured into water doth diffuse itself through the whole vessel. every little grain is infinitely diuisible( as Philosophers imagine) and so was Adams sin transfused from him into all his posterity: so that from the sour and filthy fountain proceed not but sour and filthy waters. The end for which Man was created, 1. Cor. 2.9. Esay 35.10. Esay 43.7. was infinite good, which eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, nor ever entred into the thought of Man. From this hath Adam turned all his posterity. O infinite transgression! all eyes may deplore it, all ears glow to hear it, and every heart rent in pieces to think on it: which is to bear intolerable; to avoid, unpossible; to answer, unexcusable. As our original sin is an universal botch, a general leprosy over all mankind: so of our own actual sins none can describe the filthiness; more innumerable then the hairs of the head, more importable then the sands of the Sea. Adams act corrupted his nature, our nature corrupts our acts: Psal. 14.3. There is none that doth good, no not one. And as the purest, gold hath his dross if it be fined: so the holiest action of ours is sin if it be examined. Wherefore all is concluded under damnation. For he that committeth sin is of the divell, 1. John 3.8. far from God: far from light: far from life: far from hope; Esay 57.19, 20. There is no peace unto the sinner, saith my God. Lastly, there is the punishment of sin, whereof the Psalmist speaketh, Psal. 11.7. Upon the ungodly he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, storm and tempest: this shall be their portion to drink. And our saviour saith Mat. 13.41, 42. The son of Man shall sand forth his Angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which commit iniquity: and shall cast them into a furnace of fire, there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Ecclus. 41 9. If ye be born, ye are born to cursing: if ye dy, cursing shall be your portion. Rom. 8.24 Deut. 27 O wretched Man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Let us hasten from this cursing ebal, to the Gerizzim of blessing: from the view of this lamentable captivity, to the means of deliverance; from the fiery, to the brazen serpent. CHAP. X. Of the sundry kindes of redemption from sin. ANswerable to the two considerations of sin, namely, Two kindes of redemption. the corruption and punishment, there are also 2 kindes of redemption from sin. The first is the taking away of the corruption of our sins: from which Christ hath so perfectly purged his elect, that it shall never bee laid to their charge: yea, God when he looketh vpon us, shall behold no sin in us, according as it is written, Eph. 5.8 ye were sometimes darkness, but are now light in the Lord. And again he saith, Eph. 5.25.26.27 Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it, and cleanse it, by the washing of water through the word, that he might make it unto himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should bee holy and without blame. Hereto may be applied that of Malachy, Mal. 3.2.3 He is like a purging fire, and likefullers soap: he shall even sine the sons of levi, and purify them as gold and silver, that they may bring offerings unto the Lord in righteousness. To this no doubt Ezechiel also aimeth, where unto Israel he pronounceth, Eze. 36.25 Then will I poure clean water vpon you, and you shall be clean; yea, from all your filthiness, and from all your Idols will I cleanse you. And Esay saith, Esa. 25 7 he will destroy in this mountain the covering that covereth all people, and the veil that is spread vpon all nations. jeremy prophesieth, jer. 50.20 In those daies, and at that time( saith the Lord) the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall bee none: and the sins of judah, and they shall not be found. Thus shall bee fulfilled the prophesy of Balaam, Num. 23.21. he seeth none iniquity in jacob, nor transgression in Israel. The meaning whereof is, that the corruption and the punishment of our sins is so taken away in the blood of Christ, that they shall never appear against us to eternal damnation. I cannot here sufficiently marvel at the audacious impiety of one Kellison, a doctor of divinity( as he termeth himself) who feareth not to infer, Kellison in survey of the new religion. lib. 3. pag. 260. lin. 9. that if Christ hath freed us from hell, and hath paid the punishment of sin, and requireth no other satisfaction at our hands, so Christs passion, which was a sacrifice to abolish sin, is a cause of all sin; and Christ, who came to redeem the world from sin, filleth the world with sin: and so is an absurd Redeemer, so to redeem us from sin, that he inviteth us,& eggeth us forward to sin. This is strange stupidity in a man of his degree: of whom I would gladly ask this question; Whether the Pope in his pardons forgiving sins, and commanding the Angells to carry the souls immediately into heaven, of all those which dy in his warres, or confer any thing unto the same, doth egg then on to sin? or doth the merciful father, which payeth the debt of his imprisoned son, and delivers him out of fetters, egg or provoke his son to run into debt again? Such thoughts can never enter into the heart of him that is truly redeemed, as to say, I will sin, because my sin is forgiven me. But on the contrary, he loues much to whom much is forgiven: Kell. in survey of the new religion. lib. 3. pag. 259. lin. 24. Who will care for sin( saith Kellison) that is persuaded, that Christs passion is so imputed to him, that no sin can hurt him? Surely many hurts there are in sin, though it doth not unto the elect bring the hurt of eternal damnation. There are in sin the offence of our God, the offence of our brother, the offence of our conscience: there is evil of example, evil of act, hurt of our neighbour, discredit of the gospel. These things the redeemed are afraid of, though there were no stripes, no rods, no hell. It is true, that joh. 4.18 perfect love casteth out fear, yet it doth not cast out obedience: and though the redeemed do not abstain from sin, out of the affection of servile dread; yet whosoever are redeemed by the blood of CHRIST, will Psal. 2.12. kiss the son, least he be angry, and with the loving chased wife, abhor to provoke so dear a husband. They which care not for sin, Christs free grace must not bee smothered, because the wicked abuse it. haue not Christs passion imputed unto them: they are Reprobates and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. And what their care is, belongeth not to the Elect of God: neither must the free redemption by CHRIST be concealed because evil men and Reprobates grow worse and worse. Kellison proceedeth saying: Kel. lib. 3. ca. 2. pag. 260 lin. ●0. So Christs Passion which was a sacrifice to abolish sin, is cause of all sin: and Christ, who came to redeem the world from sin, filleth the world with sin. Who can bee patient to hear, We may not blaspheme with enforced inferences. by such enforced conclusions, without ground or cause, the holy work of our Redemption blasphemed? Socra. Eccl. hist. cap. 10. Seuerianus of Constantinople, because Serapion passing by did not give him reverence, burst out and said, If Serapion die a Christian, Christ was never made man. The Witnesses that heard this, enforced against him, that he said, Christ was not made man: and so he was worthily excommunicated. For indeed, it is the thirst of all blasphemies, vpon idle suppositions, mis-reported and enforced assertions, to infer reproaches, and to call into question the glory of God, and the grace of his Christ. And therefore it was a good and religious regard of the Emperour Immanuel Comnenus. For when the Church of Constantinople ordained a form of detestation of the Mahometicall impiety: Cursed be Mahomets God; the Emperour forced them to change the phrase, and made it, Cursed be Mahomet. To stop the mouth of Master Kellisons cavil, the truth is, Christ hath abolished the guilt of sin, so that it shall not appear in the sight of God, but is cast behind his back. He hath sanctified us also and delivered from the Lordship of sin which reigned in vs. So that now sin shall not haue dominion over us: which deliverance though it is not in this life absolute, and perfect in us, Ro. 6.14.& 18. as it shall bee in the life to come; yet is it daily made manifest in all the children of grace, being stirred up by the spirit of Christ unto newness of life, Vid Ro 7.5, 6. and assisted also thereunto. Of this freedom, if hypocrites and reprobates be not partakers, nor are renewed in the spirit of their mindes, nor stirred up by forgiveness and Redemption, to fly from sin: yet the sons of grace and adoption, endeavour to tread vpon the train of the Serpent, whose head is crushed, and abhor the devilish syllables, which do pronounce; that Kellis. lib. 3. c. 2. pag. ●60. lin. 14. Christ came to fill the world with sin: or that Christ is an absurd redeemer, because he is a full and absolute redeemer. O wretched Man, Didst thou never yet taste of the spirit of liberty? Gal. 5.6. Or dost thou not know how faith worketh by love? Is there no mean, but either good works must justify, or else they must not be done? Either we must be saved by our works, or else Christ fills the world with sin? Is this Romish logic? are these conclusions? The second Redemption from sin, is from the punishment of sin, Ephes. 1.14. Rom. 8.23. the first and second death; which is called Redemption of Possession, and Redemption of the body, by the Apostle Paul. By this wee are brought out of death unto life, out of earth and dust, unto honour and eternity: out of the dark devouring grave, to the crown of vnmarcessible glory; Rom. 8.21. when wee shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God; and shall haue the fruition of all those joys, 1. Cor. 2.9. which ear hath not heard, eye hath not seen, Vid. 2. Sam. 7.14.15. neither can enter into the heart of man. For though the sin of the Elect hath in this life many transitory punishments, Vid. Heb. 12.6.10. or rather admonitory and fatherly corrections: yet the stain and horrible corruption of sin which crieth for eternal vengeance against us, together with the everlasting punishment, is utterly taken away, according to that of the Prophet; Osee 13.14. I will redeem them from the power of the grave: I will deliver them from death: O death, I will bee thy death: O Hell, I will be thy destruction. CHAP. XI. That none could redeem us but Christ, neither immediately nor mediately. THere are in Christ two things, by which he is able( and none but he) to redeem mankind from the fearful thraldom and miserable servitude of our spiritual enemies. The first is his mighty power: the second is his proper right. Let us first entreat of his power. The strength of sin, and the kingdom of satan, together with the cruel hand of death, are so forcible and mighty, that no power of Men nor Angels, but onely the victorious lion of the Tribe of judah, Apoc. 5.5, 7.8, 9 is able to subdue and overcome them. This we shall plainly perceive, if we consider, first what sin is: and then what the divell is; and lastly, what death itself is. Augustine defineth sin to be, De libr art●. The despising, The first reason, taken from the definition of sin. or turning away from the incommutable good, to mutable and transitory good, which indeed is evil. Ambrose saith, Ex Tho. Aq. 1. second q. 109. art. 4. sin is the transgression of the Law of God,& the not obedience of the heavenly precepts. Thomas Aquinas defineth sin Tho. Aq. 1. part. q. 63. art. 1. to be, An act turning away from the order of our appointed end, against the rule of nature, reason, and the eternal law. Out of these definitions it appeareth, that Man by sin doth turn away from God, from Nature, from order, from the end for which he was created. Wherefore it is by the latins called Peccatum, quasi pellicatus, an whoredom diuorcing us from God; even as an unchaste wife from her husband: and the mark and scope, against which all sin doth strive, is God. For the sins of the first Table immediately, and the sins of the second Table, though mediately, yet principally are committed against the divine majesty, and tend to the dishonour of God. Therfore david having committed adultery, and murder together in deflowering Bethsabe, and killing uriah, complaineth, Psal. 51.4. Against thee onely haue I sinned, that is, against thee principally haue I sinned: as though he should say; against Uriah, Vid. Muscul. in hunc locum. crying is the sin and bloody: against Bethsabe, foul is the sin and infectious: against my people, against myself, blood and filthiness attaint me, examplelesse example of evil haue I given, yet against thee onely haue I sinned. Against Uriah, Bethsabe, Israel, myself; all is nothing in respect of that I haue against thee done; a God, so gracious and merciful unto me. Moses also divideth all sins into two ranks: Leuit. 5. Leuit. 6. sins of Ignorance, and sins of Presumption; and for both, the offering must bee brought unto God: therefore in both against God is the sin committed. Out of these premises two conclusions do arise. First, that all sin is committed against God; therefore to God it is onely proper to forgive sin( as Alexander and Thomas Aquinas both confess; In Comp. Theol.& ita citat. à Cent. 13. cap. 4. The fault which is committed against any, he alone can remit, against whom it is committed. Secondly, Alex part. 3. q. 1. memb. 6. art. 2. ex Cent. ●3. God is infinite; therfore sin in some sort is infinite. And for this cause, neither men, nor Angels, whose nature is not infinite, but finite, can redeem from sin, being an infinite transgression, beyond nature, Alex. ibid. measure, words, thoughts, and all that can bee imagined. add we hereto, that sin being the deordination, or turning away from the appointed end, which is infinite and unspeakable blessedness, is also in this consideration an infinite and unspeakable evil. It followeth therefore that if God require punishment answerable to the fault, none can bear it that is Man onely, or of a limited nature. If God require satisfaction, Innocentius. it must be done by such a one, as is infinite in righteousness, as Man is infinite in unrighteousness. The second reason, taken from the comparison betwixt Man in his innocence,& Man in his fall. Secondly, Man against God offended, in giuing up the seruant of God, to the service of satan: but if man should seek to make recompense to God for this theft and revolt, he cannot do it; for innocent Man revolted, but now there is no Man innocent. Wherefore God gave his son, Man in substance, innocent in quality, to satisfy for sin. The third reason, taken from the captivity of sin. The third argument. The captivity of sin is a general captivity, extending itself to all mankind, and is a covering, wherein all flesh is wrapped, as the Prophet saith: Psal. 14.3. All are corrupt and become abominable, all are turned out of the way: there is none that doth good, no not one. And if perhaps in actual sins one doth less offend then another, yet the original guilt alike hath corrupted all, and cast the same fetters vpon the whole posterity of Adam; for ●. joh. 3.6. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh. Why then, of Prisoners in the same dungeon, laden with the same fetters, oppressed with the same calamity, bound with the same necessity, obliged in the same debt, and all of one condition, how can one bee anothers redeemer? Rom. 7 The whole nature of Man was by sin corrupted; therefore the righteousness of a private person or two could not bee an equivalent recompense for the sins of all other. Wherefore Christ was made of God a public person, and of infinite goodness, which might counterpoise all our evil. The Prophet, of Mans righteousness saith, The Esay 28.20 bed is narrow and not large, and the covering so small, that a Man cannot wind himself under it, Fourthly, the Angels, those glorious spirits, The Fourth reason taken from the nature of Angels. which stand before God, could not redeem vs. For though they bee not partakers of this wretched captivity and thraldom with us, yet they haue not impossibility of sin by nature, but by grace. Wherefore having nothing of their own to offer unto God for sin, but onely that which they haue received, they could not be redeemers from sin. But such a redeemer was needful unto us, who was in himself vncaptiueable, Vid. Pet. Lamb. lib. ●. sent. dist. 12. cap. 3 in whom was no possibility to sin by nature, the humanity to the divinity being in one person conjoined; and therefore when he offereth righteousness unto God, he offereth his own to God. The Angels also, though in their nature absolutely considered, they are more excellent then Man: yet they haue a finite nature, contained though not by circumscription of place, yet in the limits of their essence. But he that was offended, is infinite, and the offence also infinite. Wherefore the finite and limited nature of Angels could not be sufficient to so great a work. Fiftly, the Scripture maketh the cleansing of sin, The fift reason, taken from the power which forgiveth sin. part of Gods omnipotency. For so the Lord himself reasoneth with job, job 40.4.5.6 7.8 9 Hast thou an arm like God? or dost thou thunder with a voice like him? deck thyself now with majesty and excellency, and array thyself with beauty and glory: cast abroad the indignation of thy wrath, behold every one that is proud, and abase him: look on every one that is arrogant, and bring him low, and destroy the wicked in their place: hid them in the dust together, and bind their faces in a secret place: then will I confess unto thee also, that thy right hand can save thee. This is plain also in Exod. Exod. 34.7 where God maketh the taking away of sins, one of the attributes of his divine nature, and part of that description, which he gave of himself. The sixth reason, take● from the dignity of the work of justification. sixthly, the schoolmen confess, Ex. Th. Aq. prima secunda et sic col. per Bo●. that the justification of the wicked is the greatest work of God; because the end of justification is, to bring that which is transitorily evil& corruptible, to the eternal participation of infinite good, which is God himself. And Idiota saith, Cap. 5. de const. anim. et Car. ex C●n 9. cap. 4 that Man in his creation was made like to God: but in the redemption, the son of God is made to the similitude of Man; therefore the work of Redemption is greater then the work of Creation. wherefore Augustine saith, It is a greater thing to make a righteous man of a sinner, then to make heaven and earth: for they shall perish, but the salvation of the predestinate doth remain. I will conclude this point with the words of the Psalmist, Psal. 3.8 Saluatio belongs unto the Lord. And again, Psal. 37.40 The salvation of the righteous Men is of the Lord, he shall be their strength in the time of trouble. eleventhly, Ecclus. 15.15.16 17. sin proceedeth from the will of Man: Lam. 5 21. ●z●. 36.26, joh. 6.44. jer. 31.18 but the will of Man none can turn but God; therefore God onely can deliver from sin. Eightly, original righteousness was the gift of GOD, though it was made natural in our first father Adam; Gen. 1.27 Eccles. 7.27 therfore the return to this righteousness again, must bee the grace of God onely in all Adams posterity. Gen. 2.& 3 Ninthly, sin entred, and through sin, death into Man, by another, even the tempter, the worst of all. Wherefore it was most convenient, the reparation should be after the maner of the transgression, from another, the best of all. But herein the redemption far surmounteth the offence. The divell to bring Man to destruction, Heb. 2.14 entred into the Serpent, and did it by the body of an unreasonable creature: but God, that Man might bee repaired, took vpon him the flesh of Man, and in our nature wrought the deliverance of our nature. The divell Mans second great ●●●ny. The second enemy that tyrannizeth over us, is the divell; and he also impossible by any but by God to be subdued. The great force and power of this destroyer is most fearfully described in the holy word, where sometimes he is termed Apoc. 12.15 a Dragon casting water out at his mouth like a sloud: sometimes, a roaring lion, the Prince that ruleth in the air, the Prince of the darkness of this world: Nay, in respect of his greatness, and his might, he is called Eph. 6.12 Principality and power itself: whom God under the name of leviathan, witnesseth job. 41.1 to be so strong, that no man dare stir him up, nor can stand before him. Man in his kind is weaker concerning power, blinder concerning knowledge, younger in experience, shorter in continuance: Therefore Man cannot be equal to him. The Angels are of the same nature and substance; and therefore nothing more powerful in themselves, then the divell is in himself. I conclude then, since no nature is superior to him but God, it remaineth that none can overcome him but God himself. The third captivity wee are in, is that of punishment, by si●knes, infirmity, and death itself. Rom. 6.23 ●he third captivity of mankind, death. For the wages of sin is death; both temporal in this world, and eternal in the world to come. From this cannot any deliver, but he that hath life in himself, absolutely, originally, causatiuely. And therefore neither Angells, nor Men can deliver from death, but the son of God only. In whose death though the soul were separated from the body, yet the Godhead was never separated from the Manhood, neither alive nor dead. Therefore he had always life in himself: and even as the Father raiseth up the the dead, so doth he. This, Alexander of Hales acknowledges; Alex. Hall. That which is not the beginning of mans being, cannot be the beginning of his reparation. But as the same imagination and conceit of the Carpenter, which made the house at the first, doth best repair the same being in ruin: so the same word, the begotten word, the image, the wisdom of the Father, is the restauration of mankind, which was the creation and first maker. It appeareth then, concerning our delivery from the spiritual Egypt and the Pharaoh thereof, joh. 8.32 if the son make us free, then are wee free indeed: all other that promise to set us at liberty, are deceivers and impostors, like Act. 5 Iudas Gaulonites and Theudas, which lead away indeed much people after them, but to destruction. CHAP. XII. That Christ hath the most proper right to redeem vs. AS it is most manifest, that Iesus Christ only hath power and might to subdue our spiritual enemies: so he onely hath propriety of right, to redeem us from our captivity. The Law given to Moses concerning civil redemption ordaineth, Leuit. 25. that the Father shall redeem the son, the brother the brother, and the kinsman the kinsman, and so the next of kind is always the redeemer. Now what is the Law, but the covering, the shadow, the veil of the gospel? As one well saith; the Law is the gospel hidden, the gospel is the Law revealed. Therefore as in the shadow, so in the substance; as in the resemblance, so in the nature of the things themselves, the nearest of blood must bee the Redeemer. Now who is there, O who is there, in the whole university of things, in heaven, in earth, or under the earth, so nearly joined unto us, as our Christ? Our parents are not so near; for of them wee haue received flesh indeed, yet we haue received nothing but flesh, the worst, and beastly part: but of Christ we haue received the spirit, yea, his own spirit, as saith the Apostle; Gal. ●. 6. God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts. Who then but a mad Man will more esteem of the carnal coniunction, then of the spiritual? Secondly, though the generation even of the body itself be from our parents, yet the creation at the first, and the formation now is of God. So saith the Psalmist, Psal. 139.12. My reins are thine, thou hast covered me in my Mothers womb. Wee haue received of our Parents dead earth; and that, which either by misordered natures error, might haue been a Monster, or by casualty of evil fortune, haue proved abortive. But he hath breathed into us the breath of life; Psal. 139.4. Thou hast fashioned me behind and before, and laid thy hand vpon me, Psal. 71.6. thou art he that took me out of my Mothers bowels. Our parents are the instrumental causes, God is the most noble cause, the efficient cause of our being. Thirdly, wee are in Christ, and Christ in us: but our being is onely from our Parents, and not in them. Who can say, I am in my Father? but Act. 17.18. in him we live, and move, and haue our being. For this cause Aratus calleth us the divine Progeny. And porphyry saith, that men by nature are Gods, saving that mortality is cast vpon them. If we be nearer to Christ then our parents, wee are much nearer to Christ, then to our brethren; for from them wee haue received nothing: but Christ calleth us his sons; nay, unto us is given a Esay 56.5. name better then of the sons and of the daughters, even joh. 15.5. to bee his Members, his Branches; as Adam said of his evah, Gen. 2.23. Bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. Lastly, Christ is not onely nearer to us then our parents, our brethren, and our kinsfolk: but he is nearer to us then we are to ourselves. For in respect of the continual war between the sensual part of the soul, and the reasonable, and of the horrible corruption and depravation of sin, we are strangers to ourselves, unlike to ourselves. But Christ in the spotless purity of his innocent manhood( such as Man was in his creation) is nearer to us in our nature, I do not herein compare our perfection in nature with the perfection of the nature of Christ, but only that we were by nature perfect in creation, though he ●ore excellently. then wee to ourselves can be. In him we may behold what wee were created: in him we may behold what we were, while wee were ourselves: In him wee may behold what Man was, when he was one, and not divided in his affections. Finally, Christ onely is God in Man, and Man in himself: wee are divels in Man, and Man without Man. CHAP. XIII. That Christ hath fully and absolutely redeemed us from sin, and from the punishment due thereto. FOr the better understanding and clearing of this Axiom, that Christ is a full and absolute Redeemer, from the stain and from the punishment of sin, there are certain undoubted verities, and assured conclusions to be laid down, before we come unto the proof of the doctrine. The chastisement of the ●lect is the blessing of God. First, there is a great diversity and disparity, betwixt the punishments of the Reprobate, and the loving castigations of God, toward his own elect children of grace. For though the whirlwind of revenging ire lighteth vpon the ungodly, to the rooting out and utter confusion of them; snares, fire and brimstone, Psal. 11.7. storm and tempest, being the portion and cup, whose dregs the children of Satan must drink up: yet all the rods and stripes, wherewith God at any time smiteth his own children, are rather to be held admonishments, then punishments; preventions then plagues of sin; bridles to keep them in awe, conseruations and instigations to righteousness, then the iron sceptre of his severe iustice. As is plainly proved in Salomon the son of david; of whose posterity the Lord saith, 2. Sam. 7.14. Psal. 89.32, 33. I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the plagues of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I haue put away before thee. Osee therefore saith, Osee 5.15. I will go and return to my place, till that they knowledge that they haue sinned. Here wee see, that the end why God withdraweth his presence, is onely, that his people might see their offences, and aclowledge them. The same is taught also in Esay; where the Prophet makes a great difference betwixt the death of the godly, and the death of the wicked. Of the one he pronounceth, Esay 26.14. The dead shall not live, neither shall the dead arise: but of the Elect he saith, Ibid. ver. 19. Thy dead men shall live; even with my body shall they rise. Though the one and the other taste of the same death, yet diversly, and with sundry effects. Yea, of excommunication, the great iudgement and curse of the Church, the Apostle Paul sheweth, that though it were inflicted vpon a most exorbitant and facinorous offender, the end was, that being admonished of his sin, and forsaking the same, 1. Cor. 5.5. The spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus. Secondly, the members of the Church, the mystical body of Christ, suffer therefore many afflictions and tribulations in this world, The chasti e● en of the Elect is to make them conformable to the sufferings of Christ. that they may bee made conformable to the head, which is Christ. Gen. 1.26. In the first creation Man was made according to the likeness of God: and in his second creation why should not he be made also like unto Christ? John 3.2. Wee shall be like him when he appeareth: we must be like him also in our pilgrimage, as the Apostle witnesseth Rom. 8.29. ; Those which he knew before, he did also predestinate, that they should bee like fashioned to the shape of his son. And Peter saith, 1 Pet. 4.13. ye are partakers of Christs sufferings: and Paul again, Rom. 8.17. So that we suffer together, that we may be glorified together with him. Thirdly, the chastisements of the Elect are the seals of the love and favour of God towards them; The chastisements of the Elect are seals of Gods mercy towards them. and therefore are neither punishments nor destructions. This is proved by sundry Testimonies of Scripture; Apoc. 3.19. As many as I love, I rebuk and chasten. And the Apostle to the Hebrewes saith, Heb. 12.6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and he scourgeth every son that he receiveth. It being thus evident, that all the afflictions of the children of grace, are rather medicines then punishments, comformities with Christ, and witnesses of his favour and love to us, then rods and scourges; Wee ought therefore to rank them amongst benefits and blessings, and not to account them torments of anger, and instruments of wrath. Fourthly, the Redemption which Christ hath wrought for us, doth not overthrow the laws of nature, by which man in this life hath his infirmities, and at last is by death dissolved: but he maketh death which was before a bitter poison, now to be a sweet and precious potion, since thorough it, as the gate of the city, we pass into eternal joys. Wherefore it is called sleep, and it is called rest; to show that to the godly it is a benefit. Christ hath not forbidden it to bee present with us, but to be hurtful to vs. Minimè quidem abbess cogitur, said co●itur non obesse: Ber● Ser. 52. sup. ●a●t. Death is not a destruction, but a translation: it doth not take away, but change into a better: To conclude, death as it is the work of the divell, the punishment of sin, is perfectly overcome to the elect; but yet it is left as a passage unto life, unto glory and eternity. These Canons thus premised; To prove the absolute Redemption wrought by Christ, the first argument I will take from the person of the High Priest of the Iewes, in his complete attire and holy vestures, standing before the Altar of God, the resplendent image of Iesus Christ, the great Priest of the second covenant. In the book of Exodus, Exod. 28. the jewish High Priest entering the sanctuary, to appear before the Lord for the people, in his breastplate, Ephod, rob, broidered coat, mitre, and girdle of gold, blue silk, scarlet, and fine linen; figuring thereby the glorious merits, and unspeakable graces of Christ, in which he standeth before God for his Elect, hath also in the choicest and most precious onyx stones embossed with gold, the names of the children of Israel graven vpon his shoulders. For this purpose( saith the Lord) That Exod. 28.12. Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel, before the Lord vpon his two shoulders, for a remembrance. Secondly, Aaron in the breastplate of iudgement beareth also the names of the children of Israel, cut in precious stones; to this end, that Exod. 28 30. Aaron when he goeth in before the Lord, shall bear the iudgement of the children of Israel vpon his heart, Christ bare our names, our sin, our iudgement on the Altar of the cross. before the Lord continually. Thirdly, Aaron had a plate of pure gold, wherein was graven( as Signets are graven) Exod. 28.36. Holinesse to the Lord: and this was put on, that Exod. 28.38. Aaron might bear the iniquity of the offerings, which the children of Israel should offer. Thus wee see, that Aaron ba●e the names, the iudgement, and the sin of the house of Israel. Which, what doth it else preach unto us, but that Christ hath in our names born our sins, and sustained the iudgement due unto them? This is a place of unspeakable comfort, worthy ever to be in our minds; which doth so fully express the redemption wrought by our great High Priest, who scorned not to appear before God in our names, and to take our sins unto himself as his own, and to undergo that dreadful doom, and fearful curse, which our heinous transgressions deserved. Esay 63.3, Wherefore, Their blood( saith he) shall be sprinkled vpon my garments, Thou art my seruant Israel, for I will be glorious in thee. and I will stain all my raiment. Signifying hereby the imputation of our horrible and filthy abomination unto him: Nay, to show that all he suffered, he suffered for his Church, Esay calleth him Esay 49 3. Israel; intimating thereby, that he was a public person, in whom all ISRAEL satisfied GOD, was punished, and blessed, and justified. Peter saith, that 1. Pet. 2 24. his own self bare our sins in his body on the three. Of this we haue also a plain figure in the Law of Moses. For at the consecration of the Priest, the Lord enjoined, that on the Exod. 29, ●0 ram to be sacrificed the Priests should put their hands:& of the blood thereof some must be put on the right ear of the Priest, on the right thumb, and on the great to of his right foot. Of all which Ceremony there was no other signification, but that the great and excellent Priest to come ( Iesus Christ) should haue our blood-guiltiness, and our offences ascribed and imputed to him, and that every part of his body should be afflicted, and he should wholly bear the wrath and vengeance of God for our sins. My second proof is, the excellency of the Sacrifice, which was offered for our offences. Christ more excellent then all the sons of Adam, because he is the Son of God. The blood of Christ is so much more sufficient for the sins of the whole world, by how much one son of God is much more precious, then all the sons of men. Some perhaps will object, that the Godhead did not suffer; and therefore, that Christ was God, it conferreth nothing to the excellence of the Sacrifice. But although the Godhead did not suffer, yet the Manhood being the instrument of the Godhead, and in one person knit unto the same, did suffer. Wherefore the Godhead working by the Manhood, The excellence of Christs Sacrifice by the union of the two natures. and with the Manhood, made the satisfaction infinite, as the debt was infinite. he doth satisfy fully for any trespass or offence, who doth yield unto him that is offended, the thing which he loveth more, then he doth hate the offence: but Christ hath given for our trespass himself to God his Father, whom God more loveth, then he hateth all our sins; therefore Christ hath fully satisfied for all our sins. This is it, which the Apostle Paul meaneth, saying; 1. Cor. 7.23. Ye are bought with a price: which he speaketh Emphaticè, intending an unspeakable, infinite, incomparable price, above all the worth of gold and silver; 1. Pet. 1.18. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold: above all the worth of beasts and cattle; Psal 51 16. For sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldest not haue: above all the worth of Angels; Heb. 1.13. For, To which of the Angels said he at any time, sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? above all the worth of men: for Sap. 13.1. Surely all men are vain by nature: above all the value of the offence; Ro. 5.15.16. for, The gift is not so, as is the offence, the fault came of one offence unto condemnation, but the gift is of many offences to justification. My third proof is, the comparison between the legal and the true Sacrifice, the shadow and the substance. For if the blood of Oxen and Goates, and calves, did perfectly cleanse, as concerning the purity of the flesh: and the blood of Christ, which by the eternal spirit, offered up himself an immaculate host, Christ sacrifice● in his kind cannot be inferior to the Leuiticall sacrifices in their kind. a Sacrifice of all Sacrifices unto God, doth not purge our conscience fully from the dead works of sin: then the Sacrifice of Christ in his kind is inferior, and not of such perfection as the Leuiticall sacrifices were in their kind; which is most blasphemous to say. For Moses witnesseth, Deut. 32.4. The works of the mighty God are perfect. Perfect( saith Albert) in redemption, as they are perfect in creation. Wherefore of the perfection of Christs sacrifice Zecharie speaketh, Zech. 3.9. I will take away the iniquity of the land in one day. And again, Zech. 9.11. Thou shalt be saved by the blood of thy covenant. And the Apostle teacheth, that the offerers Heb. 10.2. once purged, haue no more conscience of sins. My fourth proof is, the infinite& unspeakable torment, which our saviour Christ did endure. The unspeakable suffering of Christ Why was Christ overflowed with such a world of plagues? such a sea of sorrows? such a hell of miserable afflictions, if he did not fully suffer, that he might fully redeem? Hereof we haue a lively image in the Law; Numb. 19.5. For the read Cow burnt, flesh and skin, blood and dung together, what doth it else foreshow, but Iesus Christ in all parts and powers of body and soul most extremely afflicted? The Prophet Esay showing the wonderful humiliation of Christ saith, Esay 52.14. men were astonied at him, his visage was so deformed of men, Christ most lowl aba●ed himself. and his form of the sons of men. Yea, what else is preached unto us in the Law, Dion earth. ex Rab Mos. when for great and facinorous sins, not the most precious and excellent things, as gold, silver, precious stones or pearls, Gal. 4 9. Heb. 9.19. but base and beggarly rudiments, the blood of calves and Goates is offered; but that Christ became most vile, most base, even the scorn of men, a worm of the earth, working our salvation, in the greatest humiliation of his nature? In the person of Christ david complaineth; Psal. 69. ●0 rebuk hath broken my heart, I am full of heaviness, I looked for some to haue pity on me, but found none. And jeremy, though literally he bewaileth the captivity of Israel, yet figuring thereby the infinite suffering of Christ, saith, Lam. 3.1. I am the man, that through the rod of his indignation haue experience of misery. And again, Lam. 1.12. Behold and see, if there be any sorrow like my sorrow, which is done unto me. Though Christ did not suffer every special affliction, Christ suffered all kindes of affliction. yet he did suffer in general all kind of affliction, and that three manner of ways. First, in respect of all sorts of men that conspired against him; Iewes, Gentiles, bond, free, men, women, Princes, private persons, Priests, Lay-men, strangers, and familiars: all encouraged one another, Mat. 21.38. This is the heir, come let us kill him, and let us seize vpon his inheritance. Secondly, as he suffered by his enemies afflicting, so did he by his friends forsaking him. Psal. 38 11. My louers( saith the Psalmist) and my neighbours did stand looking vpon my trouble, and my Kinsmen stood a far off. Thirdly, Christ suffered in all his humanity, The horrible affliction of Christ. and in all the naturalities that belong thereto. In his holy name he suffered by blasphemies, in his honour by reproaches, in his goods by stripping and spoiling: he suffered in his soul, by extreme heaviness; yea, such a cloud of sorrow did overcast his spirit, as never any heart was covered with: he suffered in his body not onely by stripes and wounds, nippings and spittings, as though contempt, and smart did strive which should haue the mastery over him: but by piercing also his hands and feet, the most sinowie parts of his body; and therefore most sensible of pain. Christs blood shed six times for vs. six times, it is evident he shed his blood for us; in his circumcision, in his prayer, in his crowning, in his whipping, in his crucifying, in the piercing of his side. Thus you see, he suffered in every member, and in every sense of his human nature: inwardly bearing the heaviest burdens, that ever were born of any man; the sin of the whole world, the curse of God, which even rent his soul in pieces. The contemplation whereof caused the Prophet to cry out, jer. 30.6 Demand now and behold, if a man travail with child. And he himself braieth forth, Mat. 27.46 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Outwardly he suffered the most shameful and execrable death that ever was sustained: Christ suffered the most grievous affliction. he suffered by passion, enduring affliction: he suffered by compassion, bewailing our offences. Finally, three reasons there are alleged, why Christs suffering was more grievous then any other. Albert. in Mat. 26 First, because he was more innocent then any other. And therefore( as Hen de urim. 〈◇〉 3 distin. In Christ there was no cause nor desert, why he should suffer. The more excellent the person, the greater the suffering. Christs sense the purest sense. Henricus de Vrimaria well collecteth) Christ suffered more then any saint; for that there was no cause, why he should suffer at all: but there are many causes, why Saincts should suffer. Secondly, the excellency of his great honour made his suffering the greater; for greater is the affliction, when the honourable are abased, then when the vile and base are wronged. Thirdly, the most pure understanding is most sensible of pain. wherefore Christs spirit most deeply above all other, had the sense& feeling of sorrow, because it was most pure, intellectual, and sensitive. To conclude, the Prophet Esay witnesseth, that Esa. 40.2 jerusalem hath received double at the hand of the Lord for all her sin. Which cannot be otherwise understood, but of the superabundant satisfaction of Christ, sufficient unto all them that lay hold thereon; even as in jeremy also the Lord unto Israel the type of his Church, promiseth deliverance; jer. 16 but first he will sufficiently reward their shameful blasphemy. O what reward is sufficient, but the punishment of Christ! Lastly, the Scripture doth every where testify of the fullness of his satisfaction. Ose 13.14 I will redeem them( saith he) from the power of the grave, and deliver them from death: O death, I will be thy death: O grave, I will be thy destruction. And jeremy of this absolute redemption saith, jer. 33.6 I will give health& amendment; for I will cure them, and reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth. Yea, God himself giveth us an acquittance, and witnesseth that he is in Christ satisfied; Esay 25 10 In this mountain shall the hand of the Lord cease, saith Esay. And with his own voice the Father proclaimeth, Mat. 3.17 This is my well beloved son, In whom I am well pleased: Therefore, 1 Cor. 15.55 O death, where is thy sting? O hell, where is thy victory? when God himself of himself acknowledgeth, I am well pleased: and that sin hath received sufficient punishment; Lam. 4 22 Thy sins are fully punished, O thou daughter of Sion. CHAP. XIIII. That Redemption and salvation are words of one signification. salvation properly understood is more general then Redemption; for that salvation is any kind of delivery from our captivity, either by force, policy, price, or persuasion: Redempth proprie d●citur liberatio, quae fit dato pretio. Inno. in Psal. 6. poenit. ex Cent. 13 but Redemption( as Innocentius saith) is that delivery, which is by paying a price. And Albert saith, Albert. in pr●um Hier. ●n Math. Christ came for two causes. First, to cure the nature of Man, and help it, by taking it on himself, and suffering in it: Secondly, to bring us into the kingdom of God, by his resurrection and ascension. nevertheless, because the salvation, which Christ hath wrought for us towards God, was altogether by satisfaction through his precious merits, and offering of the infinite, invaluable, pricelesse sacrifice of his blood for us; therefore salvation and Redemption in Christ are all one, and words of the same understanding. Wherefore Esay comprehendeth all the work of our salvation under this one part of delivery from sin; Esay 27 9. This( saith he) is all the fruit, the taking away of sin. And again, Esay 45.8. Let salvation and iustice grow forth, let it bring them forth together. And Zechary the Holy Priest joineth them both together also saying, Luke 1.68. he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of his seruant david. Bellarmine himself acknowledgeth, Non enim est nunus proprium Christo n●men S●lne toris, qu●m Red●mptoris Bell. de indulge. lib. 1. cap 4. that the name of saviour is as proper to Christ, as the name of Redeemer. Alexander saith, Alex. Hall. q. 17. memb. 3. art. 1. that Redemption could not be, but by satisfaction: nor satisfaction, but by his passion. And Thomas Aquinas, that the death of Christ did truly work the destruction of our double death: that which is of the soul, and that which is of the body. Wherefore wee may well say, that Redemption and salvation are all one in Christ, who by redeeming saveth vs. CHAP. XV. That the Romish Church maketh many Redeemers, and many saviours. THe true Church of God hath always acknowledged a relation and reciprocal reference betwixt Christ and herself; as, in the Canticles, Cant. 2.16 My well-beloved is mine, and I am his. The Church unto Christ alone,& Christ unto the church alone. But contrarily, the false and the Antichristian Church, although she pretend herself to be the spouse, the Turtle, the onely darling, jer. 3.1 Yet she hath plai●d the harlot with many louers. jer. 2.13 My people( saith he) haue committed two evils: they haue forsaken me the fountain of living waters, to dig them pits; even broken pits, that can hold no water. Although when they meet with a tender conscience, and such as( reverently considering the office of the Son of God) doth abhor, that the title of Redeemer should bee ascribed to any other, Thre● manner of ways, by which the Ro●ish church overthrows the priesthood of Christ. but to Christ, they mildly temper and moderate the matter with quirks and frivolous distinctions: yet the truth is, that the Church of Rome maketh Saints, as full& absolute redeemers, as Christ himself: and this by three maner of ways is brought to pass. Friers and schoolmen teach the doctrine: monks and Priests chant it out in Masses;& the Legend writers confirm it by miracles; even as we red in the Prophet, jer. 7.18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the doughty, to make Cakes for the queen of heaven. How oft doth Lypomanus, one of the Presidents of their great council of Trent, so he testifieth of himself in his Epistle to Pope Iulius the third( glorying& triumphing) proclaim that the Saints are called saviours, Author Indieu scholierum in Sanct vit. Aloy lip. cont haereticos pro Cath. dogmat, veritate. and no wrong done unto Christ. And speaking of the miracles of the Saints Cosmus and Damianus, he both saith in the text, Nullus erat, qui eos non vocaret Seruatores; there was none but called them saviours: and in the margin it is noted, Vides Sanctos d●ed Seruatores, et tamen nullam Dom. Iesu Christ. fieri in●uriam part. 2. fol. 14 8. in impress an. 1568. per Mart. Verhess. Thou seest Saints are called saviours, and no wrong done unto Iesus Christ our Lord. And he bringeth in an oration of Simeon Metaphrastes( as idolatrous a wretch as himself) who of Sebastian and his fellowes saith, Erunt servat ●re● et Custod●s. They shall be saviours and keepers. And least this should pass without observation, it is noted as a matter specially remarkable in the margin, The Saints are our saviours and keepers. Discipulus de Tempore saith, Ser. 5. de Sancta in conc●. virg. idem Mich de Hungan s●r. de Ras. Mari●. We may truly say of the Mother, as well as of the son, of her fullness wee haue all received; the captive, redemption: the sick, consolation: the sinner, pardon: the righteous, grace: the Angels, gladness: &c. After the same manner she is worshipped by bonaventure in his Psalter; Be mindful of us that are lost, O Sauiouresse. In one of the Rosaries she is called, Salus an●iorum, saluatrix langurdorum, reparatrix desperantu ainae. The health of the doubtful, the saviour of the weak, the reparation and salvation of the despairing soul. Bernardine in his Mariall set out by public authority, saith of her, dedi re●ut sis salus mea dextre●●um t●rr● Bern ●. Marial I gave thee to bee my salvation unto the end of the world. If these things had dropped onely from a private pen, then should they haue had some excuse; Ezech. 24.7 But her abomination she hath set on a high Rock, and poured it not on the ground to cover it with dust. For in their missals, in their public Lythurges, with full mouths they proclaim the Idolatry. unto every bishop and Confessor Saint, the Roman breviary applieth that of the twenty fourth of Ecclesiasticus, Ecce Sacerdos magnus, qui ●n diobus sius placul● De●●t imuntus est ●us●us et in tempore iracundiae factus est reconciliatio. Ro●●r● in come Cons●t Pontrif. behold the great high Priest, which in his daies pleased GOD, and was found righteous,& in the time of wrath was made a reconciliation. And as Christ is truly said to haue died for his enemies: so of Thomas Becket the use of Hereford saith, Hestil● hosti● fut●ra●. Bren Heref. That he was to be a sacrifice for his enemies. The Roman Breniary of the Apostles acknowledgeth Ist● s●t, qui plaiauerunt ecclesia s●nguine su●. that living in the flesh they planted the church in their blood. Wherefore they pray, Bap●●sa Chr sti preuius, et Clau●ger aetherius, cum caeteris apostles, no soluat n●x● crimint●, is him. Iesu Saluat. The Baptist, messenger of Christ, the heavenly key bearer, with all Apostles, loose us from the bonds of sin. And in the hymn, Lux mundi beatissima, they aclowledge to the virgin Mary, Per te mundus siluatus est, per te sursum, eu itus est, per tei●m mors dinata est, per te vita don ita est. vid. Cl●●lh● in Is●n. Ecclesiasticis. By thee is the world saved: by thee is it lifted up on high: by thee is death condemned: and by thee is life restored. The missals say, The Vitam datam per Vi●g●nem gentes redemptae pl●ndit●. B●e. star. ●t Bre. Ró. in him. O gloriosa Domina. life given by the Virgin applaud O ye redeemed nations. And they of Sarisbury, Tustes certa miserorum, verè matter orphanorum: tu leuamen oppressorum, medicami infirmorum Mis. star. in Conc. virg. Mar. in him. Dies isle celebratur. Thou art the certain hope of the miserable: the very mother of orphans: the relief of the oppressed: the physic of the weak. And again to the virgin they sing, Tu culpas nostras ablus, vt perennes sed●m gloria per te redempti valeamus scandere. in lect. sancta Dei genetrix. in seruit. beat. Mar. Virg. Wash away our offences; that wee being redeemed by thee, may bee able to obtain the seat of everlasting glory. Nay, they are not ashamed to say, that the nature of Man in the blessed virgin is exalted above all the immortal spirits. If you demand how, let the Ladies Psalter tell you; Perillam fit vera satisfactio de peccatis. Psal. 136. By her is made the very satisfaction for sin. But why do I labour in a thing so manifest? since the Rhemists in their marginal notes vpon the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy plainly aclowledge, 1. Tim. 2. gloss. in 4. anno●. that there may bee many mediators, as there bee many saviours and Redeemers even in the Scriptures. CHAP. XVI. Of the Limitations which they prescribe unto themselves, when they say Saints are saviours and Redeemers. Vid. Rhem s●. in 1. Tim. 2. annot. 4. certain pretensed and feigned Limitations and Modifications of their doctrine, they make in this behalf. For simply& absolutely to call any other saviour or Redeemer but Christ, they themselves confess to be Idolatry. Wherefore Bellarmine maketh a double understanding of the word Redeemer,& divideth the debt also into two kinds. There is a Redeemer( saith he) properly& unproperly called. Is proprie et absote dicitur Redemptor. qui redimi●● c●ptiuit. ●on qui soluit pro alio debitum a●● quod parus momenti, Bell. de Indul. li. ●. cap 4 He is a redeemer properly called& absolutely, who redeemeth from captivity, and not who payeth some debt of small moment. By this it is evident, that he makes Christ our Redeemer absolutely and properly, because he redeemeth from the infinite captivity, and Saints the lesser redeemers of lesser sins. Another modification there is, Bell. de Indul. li. 1 cap. 4 ad 3 object. that Saincts are not so Redeemers, as though Christs passon were insufficient; but because it is meet, that the passions of Saints should not be in vain before God. The obedience of the Law( saith Bellarmine) is Ipsa obedient●a legis est meritoria, et s●tisf ctoria▪ et potest fier● vt ●a satis, actione pro suis deal ctis non egeat, qui legis obediē. tam prasta●ac propterea cum aliis eā cōmunicar● posset. Bell. de indul lib 1 cap. 4 both meritorious, and satisfactorious: and it may be, that he which observeth the law, hath no need of satisfaction for his own sins; and therefore he may communicate his satisfaction to others. Yea, Multi labores sanctorum mane● esset& sine fructu● nisi pro reatibus aliorum consum rentur; cum ●psi Sanctiau● nullis, aut certe minoribis laboribus pro sut delendi● reatibus indig rent. Bell. ibid. many labours of the Saints( saith he) would bee in vain and without fruit, except they were spent for the sins of other men; for the Saints themselves haue need of no labours, or at least very few, to purge their own offences. Out of this, his mind appeareth to bee, that Christs passion is all-sufficient to our redemption: yet the passion of Saints, as a superabundant price, is thereto added. In which passion of Saints there are two things: the merit, and the Satisfaction. The merit of the Saints is sufficiently rewarded in themselves: but the satisfaction of the Saints passion, is applied to the Church. A third mitigation also Bellarmine seemeth to make; that Non l●cet a sanctipet re, vt nobi● tanquam ●uthores divinorum beneficiorum gl●riam, v●l●rat●●●● al aequ● ad bea●●●d●nē mediac●ce l●●t. Bell lib. 1. de Sanct. beat. cap. 17. ●t habetur in Tho. Aq. 2a 2ae. art. 4. we must not desire grace, or glory, or any other means, which bringeth us unto beatitude, from the Saints as from the authors of such gifts. And these are the qualifications, the distinctions, the nice reservations, vpon which they think it lawful, to call Saints Redeemers. But such is the disordered and headstrong violence of blasphemy in the Romish Church, that like a furious and unruly flood, whom no banks, no walls can contain, they exceed al measure, transcend al bounds,& overflow al limits, which they propose unto themselves; neither can they command themselves to observe their own laws& Canons. At the first it was thought to be a sufficient answer to all our arguments, brought out of the treasury of Gods book; that they made Saints mediators of Intercession, not of Redemption: but now they must bee the means of our Redemption also, with a few rules& observations set down. All which observations they keep as well, as Remus did the Sanction, that none should leap over the beginning walls of Rome: or as 1 Reg. ●. 37 cursing Semey the covenant, that he should not pass over the brook Cedron. CHAP. XVII. That in the Romish Church Saints are made Redeemers, according to the proper understanding of the word; because the phrases of Scripture, wherein salvation and Redemption are properly given to God, be ascribed to Saints, contrary to the first Limitation. ●xamination of the first Limitation THere are diuers select significant phrases in the scripture used by the spirit of truth, whereby God himself, and his son Christ, is declared to be properly and perfectly, the only saviour and redeemer: as when the Psalmist saith, Psal. 138.7 Thy right hand shall save me. The hand of God is the power of God: as it is in the gospel; Luke 1.66 The hand of God was with him. And in the acts of the Apostles, Act. 11.21. The hand of the Lord was with them. To save by the hand, is to save by that vnresistable power proper unto God, which no creature can withstand. After the same maner the defensive power of God is often called the shadow of his wings, as david acknowledgeth; Psal. 57.1.& Psal. 63.7 In the shadow of thy overflowings will I put my trust. Another phrase there is which expresseth the free grace and bounty of God, redeeming and saving: as when it is said; Psal. 106.8 He saved them for his names sake. And the Church saith, Cant. 1.2 Thy name is anoyntment powred out. Some places do testify the facility, wherewith God saveth and delivereth, as; Mat. 3 8 speak the word onely, and my seruant shall be whole. And david saith, Psal. 147.15 He sendeth forth his commandement vpon the earth, and his word runneth very swiftly. Other phrases there are, which intimate a ready presence of God every where, in all our necessities to behold us, and in beholding to defend us: as that blessing which the Priests used to the people; Num. 6.25, 26 The Lord make his face to shine vpon thee, and the Lord lift up his countenance vpon thee. And the Psalmist saith, Psal. 67.1 God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and show us the light of his countenance. Many times, to teach us, Deut. 33.26. Ps. 146.& 74.13 that the help that is done vpon earth, God doth it alone, the Scriptures do not onely speak of God in the Concrete, as the author of all goodness; calling him our saviour, our Redeemer, our deliverer: but in the Abstract he is enstiled our goodness, our salvation, our resurrection, our righteousness, our life itself; as though one should say, he is properly your saviour& Redeemer, who is the thing itself that you desire,& all you want; Wis. 16. 20.2● Like the Manna, which applied itself to the taste of every one, as he himself wished to eat: a saviour all sufficient; or, as the Heathens imagined of their Saturne; a storehowse, in whom all the vnexhausted treasures of plenty and bounty are to be found. With these,& diuers other such figures of speech, the Scriptures teach, that God is properly our saviour, who delivereth by power, giveth freely and with facility, is present in our necessities, the very thing itself which we desire. But there is no honour nor attribute so proper and essential to God, which, doting in her blind superstition, the Church of Rome thinketh too great for her Saints. Concerning the vnresistable power: In manu tua Domin● salus ●sep. terna est. Ps. 71. In thy hands( saith bonaventure) is everlasting life, O Lady. And again, Liberes nos d●●tra tua. psal. 73. Let thy right hand deliver vs. Hugo Cardinalis saith Vid. ●ugo. in Psa. 88. sup. verba, Testis in c●elo fide●ia. the virgin hath Brachia longa ad desendendum, et ad dandum longè positis; long arms to defend, and to give to those that are far off. Wherefore Bernard flieth to her protection; Ber. in ser. saper Salut regum. cover me( saith he) under the shadow of thy wings. The free and bountious grace of salvation, to Saints they bequeath also. For even as the Scripture speaketh of God, so they speak of the virgin. Domina in n●mi●e tuo sa●uum me sac. ps. 13. e● in aurea lit●n. save me, O Lady, in thy name. Germanus saith, she Germ. ●pud Sim. ●etapaex Al●●. I●phist. Sanct. par. 1 fol. ●83. edit. Verhes. defendeth her seruants from the invasions of the wicked enemy, by the only calling vpon her name, by which the Prince of the world is cast out. And again he prayeth, That lying lips may be put to silence, that they may know, that thy name is, our Lady. The name of the virgin is of so great power with them, that it both woundeth and cureth, killeth, and maketh alive again. Wherefore this name they will haue in their mouths, not as a sign of salvation, but as the thing itself; Ita etiam samctissimum nomen tun. quod in o●e juramentum tuorum assiduè versatur, in ●●ani tempore, loco,& modo, vitae, letit ae, ●t auxelis non solū●st signum. said ea e●●am procurat et conciliat. apud Aloy. lip. sol. 23●. part. 1. Thy name which is continually in the mouths of thy seruants, in all places, by all means, is not onely a sign of life, ioy, and help, but doth procure and effect the same. Albertus saith, Circunditus et ten●b●is? et abscondita tibi via? respice illuminatricē, inuoca Des genitricē,& nom●na Na●●ā. in Cap 1. supper luke. ex Cent. 13. ca. 4. so. 498 Art thou compassed about with darkness? or is the way hid from thee? look vpon the illuminatrix, invocate the Mother of God, and call her Mary. The Roman breviary saith, In octau. assump. lect. Ecce quibus. In this day of solemnity and gladness we call on the sweet name of Mary. In a prayer vpon the names of our Lord, which beginneth, oimpotens dominus, having a cross at the end of every name, they add, istanomina Regum, jasper, Melchior, and balthasar, with the twelve Apostles, whose names are Peter, Paul, Andrew &c. assist me in all my necessities. As the facility of God in making or saving, is expressed, in that he doth it by his word: so of al the Apostles they confess; O ye to whose command the health and infirmity of all is subject, heal all those that be sick in manners, Quorum praecepto su●ditur salus et languor omnium, sanate agros maribus, n●s reddē●es vi●tutibus. Ro Bre. in him. Exu●t et coelum laudibu●. restoring us to virtues. Bellarmine saith, they stand not on the words, but on the sense, De Sanct. b●at. lib. 1. cap 17. col. 2. Est tamen notandum. And it is lawful to say, Saint Peter haue mercy on me, and Saint Peter save me, so we understand it thus, Haue mercy vpon me, by praying for me. So like, a Mountebank eating poison, to show the power of his treacle, the cardinal cares not to blaspheme, and to committe Idolatry, that he may declare what virtue is in his mental reservations. But this abomination no treacle of Gilead, no balm, no plaster can heal. For first they confess, without mention of the prayer of the Apostles, that to their command all salvation& infirmity is subject: then they desire them not to entreat for health, but to heal: not to obtain virtues, but to restore to virtues. justin Martyr saith, queen Deu facit per se, ea jussu facit. in lust Respons de ●●surrect. 4. fi sit ille liber justin. the things that God doth of himself, he doth it by his command: as though to do by commandement were the proper and peculiar manner of Gods own working. What should we doubt, that to the command& power of Saints they make all things subject, when of the virgin they say, office. Virg. anglolat. ad Mat. Grace is powred out of thy lips. And De haec, et ●b lianc. et propped. hanc omnit scriptura facta est, et propped. hanc mundus factus est, et haec gra●i● Deipl●na est, et per hanc homo redemptus est Ber. supper Salu● reg. ser. of her, and for her, and because of her, all scripture was made: and for her the world was made: this is shee, that is full of grace: this is shee, by whom Man was redeemed. And again, Ipsa enim regem portauit gloria, illum omni potenti de tura●n tract. de lam. virg, Mar. she did bear the king of glory, whom shee doth give to every one that asketh. Wherefore the English latin Primer calls her, in orat. Obs●ero t●. The fountain of mercy, the fountain of consolation and pardon, the fountain of life and forgiveness, the fountain of piety and gladness. Of Thomas Becket they sing; Thaecedunt et parē● omnia. in Miss. Tho. Beck. unto Thomas all things yield and obey. To Thomas Dydimus they simply and absolutely pray for deliverance; O Th. did per Christ. queen meruist● tangere &c. portif. star. in Th. did. O Thomas Dydimus, by Christ, whom thou deseruedst to touch, wee beseech thee with our loud-sounding prayers, to succour us wretches, that we be not damned weth the wicked, in the coming of the great judge. The phrases, which show the ready presence of God among all his creatures, to save, to deliver, to govern, are in like sort given to Saints; emitted luc●̄ tuam, et gratiam tuam, et repara denu● vitam et conscitentiam meā. Ps. 142 sand out thy light, and thy grace( saith their psalter to the blessed virgin) and repair again my life and conscience. Hence it is, that the Saints are called, Beat. virg. Epitheta in Missal. the light of the firmament, the port of light, the stars of the sea; because as the light filleth all things, and is every where diffused: So the providence and power of the Sants filleth every corner of the world. This presence the Roman missal confesseth, calling her, In assump. lect. 5 quae est ista. The dropping hony comb of Charity, the bowels of mercy &c. And applieth unto her that of Ecclesiasticus, Ab inito et ●nt● secula creata sum, et vsque ●d futurum seculum non disinā, eo in habitatione sacta coram ipso ministrain. br●. Ro. in ●ffic. beat. Ma. vir. in S●● From the beginning and before the world was I created, until the world to come I shall not cease, and in his holy habitation I ministered unto him. Non enim vos omni● relinquent, ●tiamsi hoc videatur, said erunt Sergatores& Custod●s, ●unc quidem ita aduentantes, vt non cadant sub aspectum ● post vitae antem exi●um in ae●ern●s suscipiē●es mansions part. 2. pag. 150. What is this but a plain acknowledgement of the virgins presence in all ages, and to the end of the world, before God for sinners? Wherefore they say of her also, Ex office. anglolat. My abiding is in the fullness of Saints. Of the Saints Sebastian, Zoes, and their fellowes Simeon, Metaphrastes in Lypomanus saith, they shall not forsake you, though they seem so to do, but they shall bee saviours and Keepers; now so coming to us, that our sense cannot behold them: but after the end they shall receive you into eternal Mansions. How oft doth bonaventure call vpon the virgin, Splend●r sac●es tuae e● serenitas gratie 〈◇〉 resulgeat 〈◇〉 itimeae. ps 26 Let the brightness of thy face, and the sweetness of thy grace shine vpon my soul. And again, In luke ver tatis tuae liberam: Ps. 27 deliver me in the light of thy truth. Finally in this sense the Roman breviary termeth the virgin, 3. d e●●f. octau. ass●mp lect. Tu ver● Pelagus curationum, the Sea of healing. Likewise, they so speak of Saints, as that they make them, not only instruments& intercessors for salvation unto God, but salvation and all good things themselves, which wee of God desire. unto Saint Claudius they come with such powerful and omnipotent attributes, that you would beleeue it were a God at least, whom with such ambition of titles they so Pathetically adore; In Antiph. et orat. impres. per jac. K●●uer anno 1570 Moy●de june. 6. die. O comforter of the desolate, deliverer of captives, resurrection of the dead, light of the blind, hearing of the deaf, speech of the dumb, defender of those that suffer shipwreck, the healer of the weak and infirm, the health of all that beleeue in thee, Saint Claud the benign Confessor of Christ, pray for vs. In the hours printed at Paris the virgin is called, An Do. 1570 in ●ra. and bea. Ma. vir. Vid. offici anglolat. in orat. Obsecrote. The praise of holy souls, and the true saviour of them. In the Office of the blessed virgin, set forth by the commandement of pus quintus, printed ann. Dom. 1598 in orat: Obscero te, she is called the health of all that hope in her. In the English latin Primer, the consolation of the desolate, the way of them that go astray, the safety of all that trust in thee. In the Roman breviary, Ro. Bre. 3. die inf. octa. a●sump. virg. Ma. le● 4. lubilimus in arca Domini. All hail holy virgin, the medicine of all our sorrows, by whom death was expelled, and life brought in. And the Anthem saith, salve regina, matter misiricordiae, vita, dulce lo, et spes nostra salve. ad laud●s a complete Sabb. post penned. vsque ad ad●ti. All hail queen, Mother of mercy, life, sweetness, and hope. And of Martin they say, Ant●ph. ad magn. O beat pontificem. O Martin, sweetness, Pyhsicke and physician. Germanus the Patriarch, in Simeon Metaphrastes feigneth, that Ade●dum reparatio eorum, quae erant inueterata &c. ap. lip. part. 1. fol. 225 liu 2 et. 5. ed. l. Verhessalt. Zechary the Priest called the holy virgin, The end of Gods counsels, the renovation of the things which were old. So Michael Singelus confesseth of dionysius Areopagita, Ei( id est civit. Parisiensi) vt sanctido coel. tus datus estus, qui &c. Aloy. lip 〈◇〉 vita Dionis. Areop. par. 1 fol. 484. ad sinem. that He was holiness sent down from heaven, to make holy the Company of Citizens, and strangers in Paris, that worship Christ. Germanus the Patriarch again calleth the virgin, A●oy prim part. hist. Sanct. in ●●cō. sand. De●par. part. 1●ol. 215. edit. Verb. the lamp of his soul, the leader of his doubtfulness, the strength of his weakness, the clothing of his nakedness, the riches of his poverty, the healing of his uncurable wounds, the taking away of his tears, the rest of his groanings, the ease of his sorrow, the change of his calamity, the losing of his bonds, the hope of his salvation, and the reward of all good things. Innocent the Pope saith, In his praier● Clement. mi●ericordi●e et ventae s●s ine●acuabi●●s apud Chemnic. She is Misericordiarum et veniae fons incuacuabilis; The inexhausted fountain of mercy and forgiveness. The Roman breviary calleth her, Oct. u. assump. lect. ecce quibus. The fullness of grace. In a prayer of one of the Rosaries, she is called, Which begins, O virtutum va●culum. peccatorum ven. a, vinculum amoris, medela vitiorum, vas clementia, piscina gratiae, fons indulge●tiae. ex Ros. beat. vir. ap. Chemn. the forgiveness of sins, the bond of love, the medicine of vices, the vessel of mercy, the fishpoole of grace, and the well of pardon. add hereunto that, which Germanus speaketh, calling her, In Aloy. lip. part. 1. fol 225 The honour of those that be honoured, the reward of all rewards, the height of all highnes. And that of the missal enstiling her, Ro. Bre. in office. beat. Virg. mensae Aug. lect. 2. Fuit vnus ad finem. The mountain vpon the top of Mountains. And of Innocent, I●no ipsa misericordia et venia. apud Chemnic. she is not only the vein and fountains of mercy, but mercy itself, and pardon itself; and then tell me, whether this be to make Saints Redeemers, in the very propriety of the word? For what greater titles can wit invent? or what words more powerful and efficacious can any tongue deliver, to express the glory of Christ himself? I hope, D. Kellison cannot deny, he doth not attribute so much to the Redemption wrought by Christ, as these do to the Saints, and the blessed virgin. CHAP. XVIII. That the Romish Church maketh Saints saviours and Redeemers from all sins, great and small, and from the general captivity thereof. Therefore the distinction of Bellarmine touching the delivery from great and small debts, is but frivolous. howsoever Bellarmine, answer to the se●ond part of Bellar. first Limitation. or any other seem to give limits and rules to their invocation of Saints: yet such is the unbridled rage of furious and headstrong blasphemy, that it regardeth no laws, respecteth no bonds, but overfloweth all banks, all measure, all orders which it prescribeth unto itself. For in the Portuse of Sarum they aclowledge, that the holy Virgin taketh away both great and small offences. deal peccata, re l●xa facinora: Misi Sir in Sera. Beat. Mar. 2. Lect. In facinus iurasse putes, saith Ou●d: nothing an heinous offence. Blot out our sins, release our heinous crimes; for so the word Facinus importeth. Discipulus de Tempore saith, D●s●. de Sanctu ser. 34. Col. 2. There are not so many necessities in our mortal nature, as there are effectual helps in the holy Virgin. Wherefore the roman missal prayeth to her, Ro. Breu. in versu ora pro populo. Let every one feel thy help. Yea, the Legend of Lombardy bringeth-in the Virgin herself, assuring one Reginaldus of her absolute power in all occasions, Pete à me quid vis& d●bo tibi. Leg. Lamb. in Domimes. ask of me what thou wilt, and I will give it thee. The same is acknowledged in the missal; Quicquid bo●● reu●dus habet. ab illa habet. Portif. star. in ser beat. Virg. ●ec. 3. Hac ●inta. whatsoever good the world hath, it hath from her. Neither is the prerogative of the virgin any greater, then any other of the Saints in this behalf. For the roman breviary teacheth us to pray, Ro Breu i● Abdo 1.& Senon. julij ●0. deus qui vt Sanctorum tuorum intercedentibus m●r●tis &c. That the merits of the Saints Abdon and Senon interceding, we may deserve to be delivered from all our necessities. And of lo, his merits interceding Ro. Miss. in L●one. absolve us from all sins. To intercede by merit, is to redeem; for therein the merits of him that worketh, are offered up as the price and satisfaction for transgressions: and to deliver from all our necessities, is absolute Redemption. After the same manner they confess of Saint Nicholas, that Cu●us meritis ab ab omni cl●d● l●berantur, qui quaerant illu● ex toto cord. Port. Sara● Sanc. Nich. in land. Ant. 5. by his merits they that seek him with their whole heart, are delivered from all destruction. Finally, great or small Saint, he is of the same honour partaker; Ex Ch●mnic. de s●nct● omnibus. All you whom Gods grace from the world hath freed, Giuing to you the good celestial, Release to us our sins. And the missal of Sarum saith, Angelorum concio sacra, &c. in him. Christo in●●to. The holy company of Angels, the excellent troupe of Archangels blot out our sins. The History of Lombardy doth report of a Penitent, Lege●d. L●mb. in Sanct. jacob. that he revealed to a certain Bishop a stupendious sin, from which the Bishop durst not absolve him, but sent him to the image of Saint james, with the sin written in paper: which being laid vpon the Altar before Saint james, the sinner shortly after, coming to know the doom of the Saint, they found the sin taken clean away, and abolished out of the paper: and thus by a dead Saint he was absolved from his great sin, unto whom out of the living word, and the promises of Christ, the Bishop durst not pronounce forgiveness. By these proofs I doubt not, but even with half an eye the equal Reader may see, how from all sins both great and small they make the Saints Redeemers and saviours; and so( by Bellarmine his own conclusion) Redeemers properly understood; for to deliver from the captivity of sin he maketh Redemption in the proper sense. CHAP. XIX. That the Romish Church maketh Christ insufficient to salvation, contrary to the second Limitation of Bellarmine. ALthough to blind the eyes of the ignorant, examine. of thē second Limitation. and to carry captive simplo souls with false pretences, they cast smooth and faire glosses, vpon their venomous and devilish blasphemies: yet there are diuers strong and demonstrative arguments, by which the Synagogue of Rome is evidently convinced, that it esteemeth Christ as an insufficient Redeemer. I will reduce all of them unto five heads. First, because they make the Saints Redeemers of themselves: the second, because they make the help of Saints not onely profitable, but absolutely necessary to our Redemption: the third, because they make the blessed Virgin Saint Mary the first moving cause, or spring of salvation: the fourth, because they make the Saints our sole and absolute Redeemers: the fift, because they make the Virgin the saviour of Women, as Christ is of Men. Strange assertions you will say: but I trust, by that time you haue well weighed and considered the proofs and Testimonies I shall produce, the clear eye of an unpartial iudgement will easily discern betwixt the sheeps clothing, and the ravening wolf: betwixt the bitter pill they prepare for the stomach, and the gold, which is cast vpon it, to deceive the sight. CHAP. XX. That the Romish Church-Saints are made Redeemers of themselves. THis blasphemy is so intolerable, that the Synagogue of Rome itself( I doubt not) will bee ashamed thereof: yet by diuers reasons it is evident as the light, that they make the Saints redeemers of themselves. For proof whereof let us first consider, how they extenuate all the corruptions and sins of the Saints, and will haue them to be very easily purged: and then in the second place I will show, that they aclowledge the Saints, by their own works to be delivered. Bellarmine saith of the Saints, Fuerunt omnes vire sanctis●imi; ●●a vt mod. ca omnino pro suis culpis sat●sfactio●e opu● habuerint,& tamen tot angustijs& afflictionibus oppressi fuerunt, vt plurum:& m●xima peccata exp●are potuerint. Bellar. de indulge. lib. 1. cap. 2. They were all most holy men; so that they needed but a little satisfaction for their own faults, and yet they were oppressed with so many miseries and afflictions, that they might expiate or cleanse their most and greatest sins. And to this purpose the friar wresteth the words of Saint Paul. How little( saith he) the Apostle ought to satisfy for his own offences, in his Epistle to the Corinthians it is evident; 1 Cor. 4.4. I know nothing by myself. But understand, Christian Reader, in these words the Apostle to those that reproached and abased his ministery, Vid. Theoph. in hunc locum. The crafty Cardin●ll suppresseth the words that ser●e not his turn. modestly answered, that he knew not of any exorbitant flagitious scandal he had given to the church. Now from hence the cardinal enforceth, that Paul had but little to answer for, and a small debt to satisfy; and so will haue the clearness of his conscience a step to his justification, contrary to the words of the Apostle following in the Text, ( d) Yet I am not hereby justified. Of the Virgin Mary, Bellarmine also saith, that Non igitur eguit V●●o Mar vll● satisfactione pro se. de indulge. l. 1 cap. 2. she needed no satisfaction for herself; and therefore applieth unto her that which is spoken of the Church in the Canticles, Thou art wholly faire my beloved. To others( saith Discipulus de Tempore) was given in their Mothers womb, Al●●● in utero sanctify. collarum est, quod nunquam pec●●r ut mortaliter. Mariae autem, quod nunquam pec●au t venial●ter ser 5 de Sanctu. that they never sinned mortally: but to her, that she never sinned venially. And in another place he saith of her, In Ser purif. Virg. In this present life shee never sinned. The method to meditate on the Rosary, in the fift dolorous mystery saith, In ed t. Answ. anno 1598. My sins, sweet Lord, torment thee thus, Thy Mothers did not so. Bernard also saith, Proprium Maria delictum no habuit. Ser. 2. de assump. Mary had no sin of her own. The missal of Sarum saith, Ex r●d ce vitrata si●e vitio prodijs virga, quae intelligitur b●atissima virgo. in●er. beat virg. lect. 2. auth. mortis. Shee proceeded from a faulty stock without fault. Gratian the compiler of Decrees saith, De consec. dist. 4. per baptism. in gloss. That neither Mary, nor John could sin. Durand saith, Durand. l. 3. c. 18. ex Tho. Bell. survey of Pop cap. 11. John Baptist was born clear, that is, without original sin. Then if they were free from the act and power of sinning, it is evident, they had no need to be redeemed by Christ, but did justify themselves. To these let me add the testimony of John Fisher Bishop of Rochester, who saith, jo. Rof. in p●nit ps. Some there bee which through grace in this life haue so purged themselves by penance for their offences, Sanguine fuso meru●t sacra●um scandere coelum. Ro. Bren. in come. Virg. ad magnif. Aue. in him. Virg. prole●. that they haue made a sufficient recompense for them. And to every Virgin Martyr the roman breviary doth attribute; Who by shedding blood deserved The holy heaven to climb. So also the same missal commendeth Lucia; Sanguine propri● inimicum vicist●. By thine own blood thou hast overcome the enemy. Of all the Virgins generally they sing, Specie tua,& pulchritudine tua intend, prosperè procede& regna. Ro. Breu. in come. pluri. Virg Antiph. By thy comeliness, and by thy beauty, set forward, proceed and reign. And as Christ appeareth before God in his own righteousness: so of every Virgin they say, Dilexist● institiam,& edicti iniquitatem; propterea vnxit te Deus. Ro. Breu In come Virg. post. lect. 5. Haec nubes acrea. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity; wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellowes. Surely, whereas our Redemption hath two principal parts: the first, to deliver from captivity: the second, to bring into glory: you see that both these the Saints by their own sufferings unto themselves procure, as the catholic Missals affirm. Wherefore Lindanus blusheth not to avouch, Apud. Chemnic. That good works are the cleansing and expiation of sins formerly committed. And Soto, Ibid apud Chemnic. That the mind of the Church is, that we must so put trust in good works, that they be auail●●●le to cleanse sin, to pacify Gods wrath, and to attain everlasting life. If this bee true in all men, much more in Saints then, whose sins Bellarmine will haue to bee few and easy. Canisius out of a saying imputed to Ambrose proveth, that Saints Possunt ●ro p●ecatu nostr r●gar●, qui pro 〈…〉 in man. 〈…〉 10. may entreat for our sins, who ●y their own blood washed away their own sins, if they had any. Egidius saith, Egyp. l. 6. c. 21. The Reader may easily collect, that there are many men without sin. All with one voice say, the Virgin is absolutely holy and free from any sin. bonaventure saith, shee made herself holy: Sanctuarium quod firm●●erunt manus tue, est sanctum templam corporis tui gloriosi. Psal. 27. The sanctuary which thy own hands haue made, is the Temple of thy glorious body. Now of late our Iesuites haue taken authority for this Doctrine, out of the mouth of the divell himself. For they say, that one Act. Decemb. 15. pag. 69. Verrine a divell proclaimed, that John Baptist took vpon him repentance, to show sinners the way unto repentance, when he had not sinned, and that some go to heaven by repentance, other through innocence. wherefore I trust, no man can doubt of the Doctrine, that it is true, since the divell preacheth it. The history of Lombardy witnesseth of Francis, Legend. Lomb. in vitae Fran. that he never remembered any offence by him committed, which( through the mercy of God) he had not washed away by satisfaction. Nay, they not onely make Saints such, as haue little or no need to be purified and cleansed themselves: but such, as in this life feel power and might in themselves to redeem others. Wherefore Discipulus de Tempore saith, Imò si silij passio non sufficiens esset, ipsa cum filio pro nobis crucem ascendisset: Disp. de Tem. ser. 163. lit. R. That if the Virgin had not seen, that the suffering of Christ had been sufficient, herself would haue gone up to the cross together with her son. CHAP. XXI. The roman Church maketh the works and merits of Saints, not onely profitable, but absolutely necessary also unto salvation. IT is a true position of the great Canonist johannes Andreas; Andr. in 1 Cle. de summa trinit. cap. fides Cathol. Of two things tending to one end, if the one bee sufficient, the other is superfluous. Hence then is it an evident argument, that they esteem not Christs merits sufficient to salvation, because the merits of Saints are not onely profitable, but absolutely necessary thereto. necessity doth always presuppose, that there is not perfect and sufficient fullness in one: for which cause wee flee to another mean. Iacobus Spigelius in his Lexicon of the terms of the civil Law saith, Neces●e est, quod v● aliqua cog●nte fi●r● opus est Spig. in L●x. A thing necessary is that, which by some force compelling must needs bee done. It is evident therefore, that whoso saith the merits of Saints are necessary to our salvation, doth thereby make them such, as without which we cannot be saved;& so by consequence they make the merits of Iesus Christ our High Priest insufficient. To prove their opinion concerning the necessity of the help of Saints, there needeth no more but that, which the missal of Hereff. speaketh of the Virgin, Non auertas oculos a full, ore huius Syderis, si non vit obru● procellu● &c. Breu. H●re● in ser. beat v●rg. ●ect. 3.& nomen inquit. If thou wilt not bee overwhelmed with the storm, then let thy sight never be from the brightness of this star. She holding thee up, thou canst not fall: she being thy protector, thou canst not be afraid: Psal. 126. shee being thy leader, thou shalt not be weary. Likewise in one of the Rosaries, greatest Summa necessitas nos cogit te rogar●. In Ros. apud Chemnic. necessity compels us to call vpon thee. And in their Ladies Psalter, Except the Lady build the house of the heart, the building shall not endure. again, Quem vi● ipsa, sa 〈◇〉 erit: à quo auertis vultum, vadit in interit. In pre. ad virg apud Chemnic. whom thou thyself wilt, he is saved: from whom thou turnest thy face, he goeth into destruction. Qui in hac vita te non invocat, non perueniet ad regnum dei. Psal. 86. He that in this life doth not call vpon thee, shall never come into the kingdom of God. Another saith Si hanc demitta● non es amicus Caesaris. If thou let her go, thou art not Caesars friend; for without her he shall not save thee. There wanteth not also one that affirmeth, Audite Coeli apud Chemn. in precibus virg. As the infant cannot live without the nurse: so without our Lady he cannot haue salvation. Yea, Costerus a late Iesuite is not ashamed to say, C●sterus in lib. 5. instit. in explicat. Aue. Mar. that the King of heaven doth nothing with us, but according to the will of his Mother the queen of heaven. Thus you see by sundry their testimonies, how necessary they make the works of Saints to our deliverance. Wherefore the missal of Sarum urgeth, that the Virgin should be daily called vpon, and incessantly adored, Istam colas, ipsam ora, omni die, omni hora: sit meus supplex, vox canora in him. dies ista celeb. in Missa quotidiana de beat. Mar. virg: Sequen. Hodur lux dies. Worship her, and to her pray, every hour, and every day: Let mind be suppliant, voice lowd-sounding. And the breviary of Hereff. yeeldeth reason hereof; Quia sine intermis●ione ●nd g●t auxilio eius salutari. Breu Herif. in seris. pleno beat. U rg. l●ct. 1. sacro, sanctam. Because that continually the Church doth want her saving help. In the second council of Nice they made a Law, that whosoever Synod. septima ex nono Ca●one. Qui venerant. Can. 7. did consecrate a Temple without the relics of Saints, should bee deposed. By which a necessity is imported, that Saints should bee implored as well as God, to help and deliver vs. The roman breviary to the blessed Virgin confesseth, In te beatiss est expectatio nostr●rum praemiorum. lect. 6. sit pet te excusabilem. In thee, O thou most blessed, is the expectation of our rewards. What can be more forcibly spoken, or more effectually uttered, to prove the Virgins help to bee necessary to our salvation, in whom is the expectation of our reward? Since the missal maketh the Virgin necessary to salvation, the Rosary must needs aclowledge the same. Wherefore therein they pray, Summa necessitas cogit nos in fluctis positi● te rogare, &c. Ros. beat. virg. Extreme necessity enforceth us, whom placed in the floods the Sea doth beat vpon, to call vpon thee. If the merites of Christ be, before the tribunal of God the Father, sufficient; let them now show why the merites of Saints are so necessary, and what extremity driveth them in the cruel Sea-beating flood, to fly unto the virgin. Indeed the Tridentine Fathers, to colour the matter in their Canons, make it only Bonum et utile, Synod. tried. sess. 9. de invocat. et venerat, et reliquits sanctorum. good and profitable, that Saints should offer their prayers for us; not speaking a word of their merits or satisfactions: but in the catechism of the same council, they plainly profess a Necessity, Eā obcausā inno●andi sunt, quòd pro salute hominum preces assidue faciunt, multaque eorum merito et gratis in no Deus convert benefici●. ●x Mart. Chemnic. that not only for their Intercession, but for their Merits, God poureth many blessings vpon us; therefore the Saints must be called on, because they daily pray for the health of men, and God conferreth many benefits vpon us for their merites and grace. And that they do indeed( notwithstanding their smooth mitigation of Good and Profitable) make Saints to our salvation necessary, it is to the eyes of the blindest understanding perspicuous, since they condemn them as heretics that Atque eorum opis impetrandae causa sanctorum memorias frustra frequentari om ●●o d●mnandos esse &c. Sess. 9. council. tried. vt re●ertur a B●rth. Carranz. hold it a matter needless to frequent for help the memory of Saints. If the help of Saints be not of necessity, why do they not leave it at liberty to every mans conscience? It is evident then, they still retain that opinion of Gabriel Biel Gabr. Biel. supper ●ano●ē miss& Bern. in Mar. al. ●x Chemnic. that God hath divided his kingdom with the blessed Virgin; Id●m et Hugo carded in postil. supper Gen 1. in verba. F●cit Deus dvo lunt. 〈…〉. and retaining iustice to himself, hath assigned her to execute mercy. Which if it be true, it would follow that the virgin were more necessary to our salvation then God himself. CHAP. XXII. That according to the doctrine of the Church of Rome, Christ is not the first and original cause of salvation, but the virgin Mother. MOst earnestly doth the Lord blame the Colonies, which the King of Assur placed in the Cities of Israel, for that Reg. 17.33. Ezech. 20.39. They feared God, and served their Idols also. It is no excuse unto Idolatry at all, that God and his Christ haue a part or a portion in our worship, or that they are principally adored. Deut 6.13. Math. 4.10. For thou( saith he) shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him onely shalt thou serve. And yet had the Church of Rome restend in this, there might haue been more hope; as of such as had not known Apoc. 2.24. the deepness of satan. But as his Iud. 16.17.19 Philistim wife thought herself never satisfied with treachery, nor full of unfaithfulness, till shee was gotten unto the crown of Sampsons strength: The Papists will haue the Virgin Mary to be the beginning of salvation. So the Romish fraternity never give over, till they haue made a spoil of the highest excellency of the great Priesthood of our Redeemer; taking from him that, which by their own confession, is the greatest honour of Christ, to bee our first justification, and the original spring thereof. The missal of Sarum, in the Tract before the Office of our Lady, reasoning why Saturday above all other daies is holy to the blessed Virgin, saith, Dies Sabbati est ianua& introitus ad diem Dominicum; vnde cum in gratia sumus dominae nostrae, sumus quasi in ianuae paradisi. Igitur quia ipsa est nobis porta ad regnum coelorum &c. in ratione tertia. It is the gate and entrance unto the Lords day. Therefore when wee are in the favour of our Lady, wee are( as it were) in the gate of Paradise; Ex Chenin.& ex Leg Lomb. in assump. virg pag. 103 col. 1. because she is unto us the entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Of all good things( saith Damascen to the child-bearing Virgin) Thou art the beginning, the middle, and the end. Hence come the attributes of infinite honour, all importing the Virgin to be the beginning of our salvation. As, when shee is called Ex varijs locis in Missalibus. the first blessing of women, the window of heaven, the morning of our sun, the gate of Paradise, the holy roote, the fountain of love, the Mother of grace and mercy; nay, praeuia porta, M●ss. star. haec clara die. Foelix co●l po●ta, Ro. Bre. in him. have Mari● stella. the gate before the way; office. beat. V●rg. ad primam. as though they should say, the beginning of the beginning of salvation. Canisius in his litany calleth her In ●●tani● Ca isij exer. 11. 15. The causer of our gladness. Neither is this spoken onely in respect, that our saviour IESVS CHRIST took the beginning of his mortal nature, in the holy closet of her unpolluted womb; but it is spoken in respect of the inherent virtues of the holy Virgin, Vid. Chemn. de Sanc ●nu●●. part 3 and for that salvation and life flow from her manifold graces, Beata Virgo Maria quia fecit voluntatem Pa●r●: h●c in e● magnifica●u● deu, quia fec t 〈◇〉 lunt●tem patris, non quae caro genuit carnem Ro. Bren. in as●ump Virg. to the whole Church of God. Because( say they) Iud●●lix. quia verbā dei custodit, non qu●a in illa verbum caro factum est. in●est assump. she did the will of the Father, that was it which God did magnify in her, because she did the will of the Father: not because flesh begat flesh. And again, Iud●●lix. quia verbā dei custodit, non qu●a in illa verbum caro factum est. insest assump. Therefore she is happy, because she kept the Law of God, not because the Word in her was made flesh. In another place, Hinc promeruit gloriam, quam ipse post modum auxit. ●●nat. Virg. lect. 4. exult. Marax August. Thence she deserved the glory, which Christ afterward increased. Albert saith, Shee Ex Chemnic. de S●nct. inuoc. par. 3. it called full of grace, because she is the mean and the cause of grace. And in the roman breviary she is termed the In Assump. lect quae est ist●. fullness of grace. The blasphemous Psalter, thrice imprinted,( at Paris, at Venice, at Lypsia) thus confesseth, Psal 102. By her grace sins are released, and by her mercy sickness is r●paired. But to return to our purpose: in the Legend of Lombardy they wrest the Scripture to the Virgin; Leg. Lomb. in assump. Virg. Behold I come, in the beginning of the book it is written of me, that I should do thy will, O God. As though in the beginning of Gods counsel, for the redemption of mankind, the Virgin had been ordained to satisfy by perfect obedience the iustice of God. To show that the Virgin is the very spring of our salvation, they compare her with our first parent Eua, as the Apostle Paul compareth Christ with Adam. Eua Miss. Saris. ●n seru. V●rg. Alt●or coelo& Ro. Bren. in lect. 5. Eu●●niu● luxit. did by killing, hurt; Mary did by quickening profit us: that did wound, this did cure vs. Fisher Bishop of Rochester saith, Roff. on the word, quae est ista, qua progreditur? By her humility she hath broken the divels head. Paradisi portae per te nobis apart sunt quae hody gloriosa cum A●gilis triumpha●. Ro. Bre. in assump. Virg. in prim. nocturn. Ant. The gates of Paradise( saith the Roman Missal) were by thee opened to us, which triumphest most gloriously with the Angels. Another saith, Di●cip. de Temp. ser. 133 As death entred by the pride of Eua, so by the humility of Mary life is restored to us again. In the preface of one of their Rosaries they blushy not to say, Iupr●s. Ros●r. beat. Virg. Mar. That God had not sent his son into the world, except the deserts of the Virgin had been so great. And in the Roman breviary again, Ro. Bre. 1. die insr. octau. nat. bea. Mar. O beatae Mar. et in Miss. star O beata Mar. quis tibi digna. By thy singular assent( say they) thou didst succour the lost world. As God saved the world in giuing the son, so with them the Virgin saveth the world by yielding her consent; Nay, as God gave, so the Virgin also gave her son for our Redemption. For in the missal printed at Colen by Martin Werdena we are taught, that Dedit enigen tum suum Maria pro nostro scelere, et sructum ventru sui pro peccato nostro Missi merantium. Colon. impres. per Mart. de Werd. an Dom. 1505. in Mis. compass. virg. The Virgin Mary gave her onely begotten son for our wickedness, and the fruit of her womb for our offences. The mass of Sarisbury corrupting the Text, IT shall bruise the head of the Serpent, and turning IT into SHE, doth afterwards show how the Virgin doth break the Serpents head; Si interrogetur in quo serpentu caput haec beata virgo contriuerit? nim●rum quod virginitatem simul cum humilitate sacrificauit Deo. Miss. star. in concep. virg. lect. 6. si vero i●terrogetur. namely, In that she sacrificed together virginity and humility unto God. And in another place, By thee the occasion of sin is taken away, the curse of our first Parent is turned into blessing. Wherefore in the same missal they adore her as Christ is adored: By thy holy conception, by thy holy nativity deliver vs. It is by this which hath been spoken evident, that not only in respect of the fruit of her womb Iesus Christ, but also in respect of her own humility, prevention of sin, merits, consent, and such like, she is made the original spring of salvation; according as Discip. de Temp. insinuateth, where he saith, justum est judicio civili et ecclesiastico vt, qui rem alterius reperit, restituat. at Maria invenit gratiam à nobis perditam &c ser. 161. de beat Mar. virgin. It is just, both by ecclesiastical and civil iudgement, that he which findeth the lost substance of another, should restore it: But Mary found grace, which was lost by vs. Wherefore he will haue Mary to restore grace unto vs. God grant the veil may be taken from their eyes, that they may see and bee ashamed. CHAP. XXIII. That Christ is excluded, and Saints made onely saviours in the Romish Church. IN the restauration of the Church by Christ, the Prophet Esay saith, Esay 2.17 The Lord onely shall be exalted in that day, and the Idols he will utterly destroy. Yea, the Lord denounceth unto Israell, Zech. 14.9 In that day shall there be one Lord, and his name shall be one. But the contrary hereof, hardening her heart like Adamant, the Romish Church doth daily practise: so that the worship of God rejected, Saints are made our only saviours. What ear doth not glow? what heart is not astonied, to hear the Roman breviary call vpon the blessed virgin, Tu spes unica p●cc●torum Ro. Bre. in ●at. ●eat. virg Sit ge●t● exc●sib. lect. 6 Thou art the onely hope of sinners. And in the prayer Memento obsecro, O unica spes miserorum, O only hope of the miserable: and again, A●e unicum molesti ●ris le●●●nē, aue●●m●●ū cerdu dolorum medicamentum Ro Bre. 3 die ans. assum. in lubi●●mus. All hail the only ease of troubles, the Medicine of all diseases. The onely hope, the only comfort, are exclusive particles, restraining to one alone, and rejecting any other. johannes Andreas their famous Lawyer doth teach them; Tunc quu habet vnum q●ad● habet ●li ●d. ed tunc d citur habere t●●u ū, quado no h●●e●t aliud, nec sperat ●●bere aliud. jo. An. r●n c●p. de m●●or. et ob. ex tran. con. lib 1 Then a man is said to haue one, when he hath another: but then he is said to haue one onely when he hath none other, nor hope to haue any other at all. So also Saint gregory understandeth the word only: for vpon the seventh of Luke he saith, Ecce de●umctu● of ●●r●●tur filiu vnicus m●●ris et●s, quia matter ●t●s ●u●e v di●●, et non sperab. filio● viterius: recreare. Greg. ibid. ex jo. Andr. The dead which was carried forth, whom Christ did raise, was the onely son of his mother, which was a widow, and hoped not to haue any more children. And thus the prince of Orators Cicero understandeth the word only; In orat pro Sex. R●s. Amar. Q●●ramu q●ae vitia suerunt in filio unico Let us see what faults were in his ONELY Son. All interpreters therefore Vid. Amb. Calepin de uno et unico. make the latin word vnicus answerable to the greek word 〈◇〉, which doth exclusively signify one only, as the Phoenix is one only bide. To encourage us then unto this blasphemy, Pope Innocent hath granted three hundred daies of Pardon, to whosoever shall say that prayer( by himself devised) O clementissi. Dom. O clementissima. In which, after many titles, the virgin is termed, The only hope of men in despair. But grant that the word only were sometimes used not exclusively, but coparatiuely; yet because they will be sure to exclude Christ, with all words of exception and singularity which may be, the missal of Sarum use the word Solam, Alone: Christi v●rgine● solam virginem matrem la●●nū subsequantur. Portif. star. in Sanc. Agneta second. lect. 1 Let the virgins of Christ follow the virgin Mother of lights, Alone. And the sequens salve sancta parens, Quod Eua tristis abstuat, tu sola matter tribuis. what sorrowful eve deprived us of, thou only givest unto us: and in the feast of the Annunciation, Sub●●ni Domina cla●rā●●●s ad te ●ug ter, quo●am peccato●● i●o ●premi●●tur, et non est qui ad ●uet. Mis star. in armun. virg. v r●●s pest lect. 9. Per te Dei. Help lady those that daily cry to thee, because we are burdened with our sins, and there is none to help. Is there no God in Israel? is there no city of refuge, but the holy virgin only? The missal of Hereford is not behind the rest in this robbing of Iesus Christ. For whereas other breviaries falsely read, Ipsa conteret caput eiu●, cvi reseruata est haec victoriae nisi virgi●i. in ser. beat. virg. she shall bruise the Serpents head, this restrains it only to the Virgin, saying, To whom is this victory reserved, but to the virgin? And Pope Innocent also saith, Cum non sit spes altera nisi tu, virgo puerpera. in orat. O clem. Seeing there is no other hope besides thee, O thou Child-bearing virgin. After the same manner speaketh Germanus the Patriarch of Constantinople, Psal. 11. Fonauen. If thou forsake us, whither shall wee flee? Si tu nos deserueris, quonam confugi●emus? apud Aloy. lip. part. 1. fo. 283. impres. Verhef. vin● 1568. what shall become of us, O thou most holy Mother of God? And in the Psalter of the virgin, Psal. 11. Fonauen. Thou Alone, Sola, dost compass the round earth, to save them that call on thee. Anselm saith, Ut oculos cordis et corporis leuemus ad te Maria. Ans. apud Michael. de Hung. ser. de Rosar. when wee haue offended the high King by sinning: when we haue offended all Saints and Angells: when we know ourselves to be miserable burdened,& cannot tell what to do; this only remaineth to us wreches, to lift up the eyes of our hearts and bodies to thee, O Lady. The Orison saith, O regina poli, matter gratissima proli, spernere me noli, commendo me tibi soli. in erat. ad virg. apud Mart. Chemn. A●e sanctissima matter. O queen of the heavenly pole, to thy son most acceptable, despise me not, I commend me unto thee Alone. Not onely to the virgin, but to Saint Sebastian they come also after the same manner, reposing all their confidence in him: In Miss. de Sanct. Sebast. temp. pestis. in him. Omnes vnae decantemus ad finem fear. since all our hope is placed in thee O Martyr, now let this deadly plague be removed. If all their hope be in Saint Sebastian, where is God? where is Christ? lo in the Legend of Lombardy tur●eth himself unto the holy virgin, lo ad beatam virginem and conuert●t, et prouidentiae eius se total●ter committit. leg. Lomb. in Sanct. Leon. in princip. and doth wholly committe himself unto her, Totaliter, wholly. The prayer Sancta Maria virgo virginum saith, Ign●r● ad qui● fugiam nisi ●d te Domina meā, dulc●ssi●ā virginem Mariā. in erat. sancta Mar. p●rsec●● virg. in Chemn. I know not to to whom to flee, but to thee my most sweet Lady, virgin Mary. And this prayer hath a promise that who saith it devoutly, shall obtain whatsoever lawful thing he asketh. What flattery? what intolerable hypocrisy is this? to deceive God& his S●ints, pretending now to one, now to another that they commit themselves wholly to their protection. He that made the table before the history of Lypomanus doth plainly avouch, Non infer Dom. Iesu in●●riā, s● ad sancto● quis prius confugiat. in indice S●holiar. 15. That they do not sin, which flee first unto the Saints: and referreth the reader to diuers places of the book to prove the same. And in the marginal note he bitterly taxeth those which affirm, Huc adeste, quo● sanctorum aduersarus ●gitis, qui dicitis— peccare, qui, Christo omisso ad eos confugiunt. Aloy. lip part. 1. fol. 431. scholiar in. Huc adest●. That it is a sin to leave Christ, and to flee unto Saints. Now this to prove and make manifest by lively example, in come our Legendaries, the last Act of their interlude: and they haue history vpon history, to prove the salvation of them, who worshipping no other did serve the holy virgin only. In the Promptuarie of examples, Clericus quidam qui nihil boni faciebat. in Mirac, virg. exemplo. 71 The priest that never did good, but only said the hours of the virgin, going over a river to commit wickedness, falling into the water, and there perishing, yet remembered his accustomend deuotions,& died with the salutations of the virgin in his mouth. He is brought before Christ, he is accused by the devils, he is defended by the virgin, the matter is brought to this period; The virgin challengeth a promise of Christ, that where he findeth, there he iudgeth. Wherefore this man howsoever ungracious his life were, he ended it in my praises. If the devils will not beleeue, let them look into his mouth. They did so, and there found written in letters of gold; hail Mary full of grace: and so the dead Man was set free from Sathans tyranny. The like story Iacobus de Voragine in the Legend of Lombardy telleth of an English priest, who was suspended by the Archbishop of Canterbury, In Tho. Cantuaer. because he never said any mass, but of the virgin onely. Wherefore she appeared to her devout suspended priest, and sent him to the Archbishop, requiring that he should absolve her chaplain by the same token, that she the blessed virgin had secretly sowed the shirt of hair, which the Archbishop made unto himself to do penance in, and had left the needle hanging at a read thread. Of another Bishop the same author reporteth, Idem videre est in Prompt exemp. de mirac. virg. that when he had suspended a priest from his function, that could onely say the office of our Lady,& none other, the virgin appeared to the Bishop and threatened him, that he should die within thirty daies, if he did not restore the said priest again unto his office. And if you will haue it yet more plain, the same Author is witness, that In Prom●. exemp. de mirac. virg. 42 One Theophilus having by his bond or hand-writing given himself to the divell, afterward coming to repentance, doth prostrate himself before the Image of the virgin having her son in her arms: but her son turned away his face, as much offended at the presence of such a flagitious offender. Which the Virgin perceiving, laid her Christ down vpon the Altar, and took Theophilus with her to the divell, and commanded him to give up the handwriting; which the divell did, and Theophilus was restored to grace. This perhaps they will say, is the tale of some superstitious monk, whose gross inventions they neither beleeue, nor approve: but let them know, that even in their public worship the missal of Sarum itself pointeth unto this narration, and reckoneth it as one of the Virgins praises, Per octau. assump. him. Aue Maria Theophilum re●orman gratiae. In him. Aue Maria. Thou which to grace didst bring Theophilus. CHAP. XXIIII. That the Romish Church maketh the Virgin Mary the salvation of women, as Christ is the salvation of men. I Doubt not but that I shall be pursued, in respect of this assertion, with all the venomous exclamations, that the infernal brood of Locusts, Iesuites, Friers, monks and Seminaries can spew out against me. But blessed be the lamb of Mount Sion, whose seal shall defend me against all their assaults: Vid. 1. Ap●c. Esd. cap. 1. Truth is greatest and strongest, it overcometh all things. I must confess, this may seem a very strange Paradox, especially to those, who examine not diligently, the dregs of the Cup, wherewith the Babylonish dame hath made all nations drunken:& yet considering, that unto the blessed Virgin they ascribe the general salvation of all; as George Nicen speaketh in Simeon Metaephrastes, Tu casum veteris nostrae nobilitatis erexisti, tu primae imaginis speciem rest●tuisti in suam pulchr. iudinem: e●● Aloy. lip. par. 1. fol. 230. Thou hast restored the obscured form of the first image unto beauty again. And Guilielmas Tornacensis saith, Ipsa est mere& Christianis hospitium aquarum omnium in periculis. Guil. Ternac. in sac. confirm. ad Princip. fear. She is the sea unto Christians, the entertainment of all waters in peril: Missal. Saris. in praef. ad office. Mar. Virg. When the Virgin hath her compassion joined with Christs passion: when shee hath her mass, as Christ hath his mass, her Saturday holy unto her, as unto Christ his Sabbath, her temples, Altars, offerings, prayers, litanies, as Christ hath: when she hath her ladyship in heaven, as Christ hath his Lordship: when shee is worshipped with vows, oaths, confessions, as Christ is worshipped; why should it seem strange, that they make her the saviour of her own sex also, as Christ is of his? Of her Spouse Christ Iesus, the Church in the Canticle confesseth, C●nt. 1.2. Thy name is as an ointment powred out, therefore do the virgins love thee. The same the Roman breviary not without the spirit of blasphemy teacheth all women most falsely to aclowledge of the Virgin Mary, and to add; Therefore Ro. Breu. in assump. virg Autiph. in odorem. ad laud.& per horas Antiph. the maidens haue loved thee much. What is this but to appropriate the devotion of women to the Virgin, because her name is their sweet saving ointment? In the Houres of the conception of the virgin, set forth in greek and latin, they pray, In orat. Deus ineffabilu misericord●ae. O God, which didst ordain the first offence of the woman to be purged by the Virgin Mary. The breviary secundum vsum Hereff. doth teach no better Doctrine; for thus it singeth, Maledicta enim Eua ●uerat, qu●m nunc cred●mus per M●riam ad benedictionem gloriae remeasse: Bre. Her. lect. Mar. è contrario. eve was cursed, whom wee now beleeue by Mary to haue returned unto blessedness of glory. And again, Come Venite Virgines ad virginem; ve●ite concipientes ad concipientem; venite parientes ad parieatem; venite Matres ad Matrē: venite iuuencule, ad iuuenculam. Ideo omn●s cursus naturae virg. Mar. in domino nostro Iesu Christo suscepit, vt omnibus ad se co●fugientibus foeminis subueniret,& sic rest aurauit omne genus ad se venientium foeminarum noua Eua, seruand● integritatem, sicut omni genus vir●rum nouus Adem recuperat domi●us Iesus Christus. M●ss. Heref. in seru. pleno de beat. Virg. Mar. lect 3. venite virgines. Idem Bern. in tract. de Lam. virg. Virgins unto the Virgin, come you that conceive to her that conceived, come you that bring forth children, to her that brought forth: Come Mothers to the Mother, come you that gave suck, to her that gave suck: Come young women, to the young woman. Therefore the Virgin took all the courses of nature in bringing forth Christ Iesu, that shee might help all women that flee unto her: and so the new eve restored all the kind of women sleeing unto her, by keeping innocence, as the new Adam our Lord Iesus Christ hath recovered all mankind. To the same, Radford in his Directory consenteth saying, Cap. 54. impress. anno 1605. that the Virgin repaired by her virtue, that which eve lost by her 'vice. blushy drunken Babylon, blushy for shane; thus hast thou taught the people: this is the cup, these the dregs of thy fornication. For this they pretend the authority of Fulgentius; who teacheth, that Vt sic restauraret omne genus f●minarum ad se venientium. full. ser de laud. Mar. ex Chemnic. she received all the courses of womanhood, that so she might repair all the kind of women coming to her. The missal of Sarum agreeth with the rest, and saith; Haec est sola cunctorum hera, ●aterna obs●u●an● piacula. This is the onely mistress of all, hiding the Mothers offence; meaning the offence of eve. So in the mass of pregnant women, Ad quem confugient desolata pregnantes, nisi ad te cunctarum consolatri● cum lachry●●i? Portif. star. in Miss. prag. To whom shall the desolate Child-bearing women flee, Suasa est obedire Deo, uti virginis Euae v●rg. Mar. fieret aduocata, Ro. Bre. in office. beat. Mar. virg lect. in sua propria. Ex Ireneo l. 5. post medium. Iraeneus only compareth the transgression of eve, with the grace of Christ born of the virgin Mary, they refer it to the praise of Mary herself. but to thee the comfortresse of all women, with tears? The roman breviary also to the Virgins praise readeth; She was persuaded to bee obedient to God, that the Virgin Mary might be the advocate of the Virgin eve, and virginal disobedience equalized by virginal obedience. He saith also, that as Vehementer quidem. ) new Adam was formed of the old; so eve was transfused into Mary. again, Ro. Bre. in Nat. virg. plaudant nunc organis Mar. ad finem. The sorrow of eve, the song of Mary hath excluded. In the litany of the Virgin they pray, In Litania virg. apud Chemnic. O virgin of virgins, the new exaltation, and the first blessing of women. Discip. de Temp. must not be forgotten; who according to the public acknowledgement, frames his private censure and saith, Discip. de Temp. ser. 32. de assump. Virg. verbo vnde sicut conuenien● fuit, &c. The taking up of the Virgin Mary in body and soul, gave great hope to women of their ascension and resurrection, as Christ gave great hope to men by his resurrection. Wherefore as it was convenient, that the resurrection of Christ should be hastened, that thereby hope might be given: so it was necessary, that the resurrection of the Virgin Mary should be hastened, that hope might bee given unto the sex of women. Out of this same forge no doubt comes that blasphemy of the late Swite Gasper Loart; Gasper. Loart in in 5. glorioso mist. Come out ye daughters of Sion, and see your queen, whom the morning stars give laud unto. And that of the English festival, Right The English festival in the Virgins N●tiuity. as our Lord followed the old Law and the new, and all that fell to Man of right: so our Lady fulfilled both laws, and all that fell to woman. CHAP. XXV. That the Romish Church maketh the Virgin merciful to Christ God and Man, and Christ beholding to the Virgin: which importeth her to be the Author and first cause of our salvation, contrary to the third Limitation. THe Apostle Paul, examine. of the third Limitation. speaking of the free vndeserued grace of God, proclaimeth unto all the sons of Adam; Rom: 11.35. Who hath given unto him first, and he shall be recompensed? And the blessed Virgin herself, that the holy one of God should of her take flesh, doth aclowledge it as the mere mercy of God. Luk. 1.49. He that is mighty hath done for me great things, and holy is his name. Yet, notwithstanding the Apostles acknowledgement generally for all, and the Virgins confession in her own particular for herself, they are so darkened in their understanding, that they spare not to avouch, that it was mercy and favour in the Virgin toward Christ, which shee herself taketh to be duty and obedience; Luke 1 38. Behold the seruant of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. Compare wee now with this obsequious modesty of the Virgin, the Doctrine of the Romish Church. The roman breviary out of Bernard saith, Coronauit eum,& vicissim ab eo meru●t coronari 3. di● infra octan nat. beat Mar. lect 4. Nouum fecit. The Virgin crwoned Christ, and she deserved to bee crwoned of him again. Now what is this, but to give unto Christ first, and then to receive of him? Discip. de Temp. affirmeth, that there is a threefold reason, why the blessed Virgin is so potent in the high Court of heaven. Discip. de Temp. in ser. 161. in verba beatam ●ue dicent. First, because shee is Mother of the eternal King. Secondly, because of the grace she found. Coronauit eum,& vicissim ab eo meru●t coronari 3. di● infra octan nat. beat Mar. lect 4. Nouum fecit. Thirdly, because of the mercy shewed immediately, vpon God himself, clothing his flesh, feeding him with milk, receiving him to harbour in her womb, and visiting him when he did hang vpon the three. anselm therefore saith, Auxiliatrix Dei et hominum. de vulneribus. erat. 2. apud Chemnic. Shee is the help both of God and men. The roman breviary consenteth thereunto and saith, that In office. parvo. ●eat. v●rg. R. post lect 3. ●oelix namque. the holy Virgin was worthy of all praise, because the Son of righteousness did arise from her. Surely in this respect Luke 1.48. she calls herself Blessed, but praiseth not herself. For blessing is of Grace, but Praise proceedeth of desert. Neither are they content with this, that the Virgin hath extended mercy unto GOD, and given unto God( as Discip, de Temp. speaketh) Discip de Temp. in ser. de Sanct. ser. 5 in verbum sanctificauit tabernaculum. Of her fullness the son of God received substance of flesh, and the whole trinity everlasting glory: But they call vpon the Virgin to insist and stand vpon these her great deserts with Christ for us; ostend pectus& vie●ae filio. Antoninu● apud Chemn. show thy Paps and thy breast to thy son; and again, Ro Bre. Monstraete esse matrem. in him. Aue Maris stella& Miss Heref. in seru. beat. Mar. Virg him. Aue Mari. stel. show thyself to be his Mother. Hence come these manifold enforcings of her merits; queen d●gnè m●●uisti concipere, quem totus orbis nequiuit comprehender●. Miss. star. in sern. beat. Virg. Mar. Sanct. dei gen. Thou didst worthily deserve to bear, whom the world could not comprehend. And again, Meruisti benedicta profe●re mundi pretium in seru. ●eat Virg. in Sanct. Mar. succurre mis●ris. Thou didst deserve( O thou blessed) to bring forth the price of the world. This is she, In seru blat. Mar. Virg. Alti●r 〈◇〉 g●l●. who onely deserved to bee called the Spouse and Mother of CHRIST: An non Mon● sublim●s Mariae, queen vt conceptionem ●terni verbi pertingeret meretorum verticem supra omnes Chor●● Angelorum vsqu● ad ●olium de tatis trexit? Ro. Breu. in office. beat. Mar. virg ex Greg. Is not Mary an exceeding high hill, which( that shee might conceive the eternal Word) hath lifted up the height of her merits above all the Quires of Angels, even unto the Throne of God? But to return again unto Discip. de Temp. who maketh the Virgin an helper immediately to the Godhead: Perhaps they will excuse this blasphemy, in respect of the union of the two natures, the Godhead and the Manhood in Christ Iesus. Now the catholic Religion doth grant, that the things which are spoken of Christ, may bee spoken of both his natures, the Godhead and the Manhood: for otherwise God and Man should be two persons in Christ. But to this I answer, that Vid. Bez. cont. Hold. p. 761. whensoever we communicate the properties of the several natures to the whole person, we do it in the concrete, not in the Abstract. wherefore though we say, Vid. Th. Aqu. 3. part. quest. 16. God took flesh, and God was born, yet we do not say, God was passable, or God was mortal, or God was fed( as that blasphemous Psalter speaketh) lact Deifico saluatorem Iefu●● c●utristi Psal. 15. with God-making milk thou hast nourished Iesus the saviour. Though we say, God is Man, or Man is God, supposing the union of Natures in one person: yet when wee speak in the Abstract discretiuely and disiunctiuely, the properties of the one nature, cannot bee given to the other. Wherefore when Discip. de Temp. doth say, Discip. de Temp. in ser. 161. in verba beatam me dicent. that the Virgin doth exercise mercy immediately vpon God, it is not to be allowed. For God is not immediately fed, or clothed, or harboured: neither can that of the missal of Sarum well be maintained: Regn●i Deus d●i caro. ●n vgilia ascensionis, him. aeterne Rex altissim●. The flesh of God reigneth God. This was the cause why Petrus Gnapheus was condemned as an heretic, because he taught that God died, and God was crucified. Which though it might be defended in respect of the communication of the Idioms or natures: yet because he added to the hymn, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts, this sequence( which was crucified for us) as though the Godhead itself had been crucified, he was banished by the Fathers of that time, who desired to take away all scrupulosity from religion. even so, when wee speak of the commiseration extended to the Manhood of Christ in an Abstract consideration of the feeding and clothing of his humanity, the same cannot bee properly, nor truly avouched of the Godhead, that mercy was immediately extended to God. Thus much for the Limitations: proceed wee now to other their errors. CHAP. XXVI. That the Romish Church maketh the Virgin more merciful then Christ; and so they take from the son of God the chiefest property of his high Priesthood. AMongst the rest of the excellent graces in the eternal Priesthood of Christ, the Apostle Paul reckoneth, that he was Heb. 2.17. made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful, and a faithful High Priest in things concerning God. Esay therefore doth prophecy of him, that his mildness shall bee such, that a Esay 42.3. bruised reede he shall not break, and the smoking slaxe he shall not quench. And for this cause John Baptist calleth him joh. 1.29. a lamb: and the Law maketh the harmless Leuit. 1.14. dove to bee his type, that wee might know, that his peace passeth all understanding, and that his mercy is as great as himself. Yet notwithstanding Man hath found one more merciful then God, and more gracious then his Christ, contrary to that rule of philosophy; No Null u effectus excedit. virtutem suae causae. effect is more powerful then his cause. Deus vltienum dominus, said tu matter misericordiae God( saith bonaventure) is the God of vengeance, but thou art the Mother of mercy. Christ( saith another) Anton. vt recitatur à Mar. Chemn. is not onely an advocate, but a judge, who shall justly discuss all things; so that nothing shall remain unpunished. If the righteous then be scarce saved, how shall the sinner come unto him as to an advocate? Wherefore God hath provided an advocate mild and sweet, in whom is no sharpness at all. The roman breviary applieth to the Virgin that of Ecclesiasticus, which is spoken of Gods divine wisdom; In me gratia omnis viae& viritati●: in me om●u spes vitae& virtutu. Ex eccl. 24. in Concep. Virg. in me is all hope of life and virtue: in me is all grace of the way and truth. What now remaineth unto Christ? Where is his grace? and to whom is he life, if the virgin bee all the hope of life? Germanus the Patriarch in Simeon Metaphrastes termeth her without exception, Paratissimum resugium peccatorum. apud lip. part. 1. ●ol. 283. The readiest help of sinners. For full proof hereof, you haue the Legend history rehearsed by the Iesuite Costerus, which witnesseth, Fra. Costerus ●n epist. dedic. lib. 5 institut. that by the virgin, Christ was reconciled unto the world, when being anry with the Albigenses, he threatened an universal destruction: but by his Mothers intercession, the two orders of Friers, Dominicks and Franciscans, were raised up to turn the minds of men to God. revolve diligently( saith Bernard) the evangelical writings, Reu●lue diligentius, et si quod sort incre patorium, durum vel asperum inueniru in Maria, ipsam de caetero suspecta habe●s, et ad eā accedere verearu: said filius eius non solum miseric●rs. said etiam justus in omnibus operibus eius. Ber. ap. Discip. de Temp. serm. 161. and if there be any sharp or hard reproof in the virgin, then hereafter hold her suspected, and be fearful to come unto her, but her son is not only merciful, but just also in all his ways. And yet we know, that of the peaceable mediation of Christ, the prophet foreshe wed, Esa 17.4 Anger is not in me. Discipulus de Tempore is bold to propose a quodlibet, whether seeing the virgin mary is called the Mother of mercy, she or her son be more merciful. Resp. Quod filius eius in infi●itum plus habet de misericor. quia, vt est infinita potentiae, sic est infinitae misericordia. Vnde Psalmista; miserationes ●iui supra omnia opera eius: said ipsa beata virgo, matter misericordiae dicitur quiae semmp. misericorditer agit, et ideo quantum ad hoc peccatores fiducialius ad matrem misericordiae confugiunt. Discip. de temp. ser. 161. His answer is, that her son hath infinitely more mercy, according to the psalmist; His mercy is above all his works: but she the blessed virgin Mary is called the Mother of mercy, because she doth always mercifully,& in respect hereof sinners may more boldly come unto the mother of mercy. Thus you see, Christ hath more mercy, but the virgin doth exercise more mercy; according to that of their Psalter, bonaven. Ps. 71 O Lord give thy judgements unto the King, and thy mercies unto the queen his Mother. To this also let me add that, which Michael de Hungaria allegeth out of Orosius; Quos non saluat Dei iustitia, salua● M●riae misericordia infinita. in ser. de Rosaer Mar. whom the iustice of God doth not save, Maries infinite mercy saveth. CHAP. XXVII. That the Church of Rome maketh the merits of Saints, as efficacious and powerful as the merits of Christ. THe Church of the excellency of her redeemer Christ confesseth; Cant. 2.3 As the apple three amongst the trees of the foreste, so is my wel-beloued among the sons of men. And the Apostle Paul comparing all other things with Christ Iesus doth esteem them Phil. 3.8 as dung in respect of him. But such is the miserable blindness of her, who yet saith, she is the fountain of the Gardens and the well of living waters, that shee shameth not to make the blood of Saints equal to the blood of Christ. For proof whereof, consider( Christian reader) that they call much more, and oftener vpon Saints, then vpon Christ the Lord. The rosary is divided into mental and Vocall prayers. Of Vocall prayers there are two hundred and fifty Aue-Maries, and but fifteen Pater nosters. The same in their Litanies is also manifested; Litania de Mar. quae incipit, Kiri● elyson, christ elyson, apud Canisium. as in that of the blessed virgin mentioned by Canisius. Where having five or six times only lead vpon the name of GOD and his Christ, they invocate the Virgin at the least fowrescore times. The like you haue in the Lauritane litany, set forth in the end of Gasper Loarts meditation; wherein a few times serve to call vpon God& his Christ: but the virgins invocation is manifold, and hath no measure. Yea, in some of the litanies by him rehearsed, there is no prayer to God at all. In litania quae incipit, Ancillae& matter Dei, et litaeni● quae incipit, altar Dei, and sepulchrum nouum Christi, and virgo Maria semper glorios. and maeter et virgo perpetua; and Alleluia regis aeterni, and contritio prauitatis haeretica: In all these litanies there is no prayer at all to the Father, son or holy Ghost. vid. Ga. Loar. Let this then be my first argument; for, whom in troubles wee most fly unto, him we aclowledge to be most powerful for our deliverance. My second argument is taken from the confession of diuers particular members of the Romish church, whose authority is of singular estimation with them. Their Ladies Psalter saith, Bonau. Psal. 12 The blessed virgin is the best help in troubles. Simeon Metaphrastes compareth the passion of the virgin, with Christs passion, and saith, that Quae qu●dem omnia transuerberaebant eā profundius, quam ulli clavi, ex Aloy. lip. part. 1. pa. 238 edit. Verhessal●. an. 1568. lovan. the Heauiness of her contemplations did pierce her deeper then any nailes. Gasper Loart the Iesuite maketh her sufferings the greatest sufferings; Gasp. Loart. in the prayer after the 3. dolorous Mystery. What grief was ever like thy grief, O virgin, and most woeful Mother, when thou sawest thy son exalted vpon the cross? And he beseecheth her, Ib in 3. d●l. mist. To offer up these bitter griefs to her son, as he offered his blood to the father. Innocent proclaymeth three hundred daies of pardon to him, that saith the prayer, wherein she is termed Miserorum patrona. reorum aduocata doctissima. in erat. O clementiss. The most sweet Patroness of miserable men, and the most learned advocate of the guilty. In the very same words almost Anselm saith, Medicina efficacissima. Ansel. de 5 doloribus vir erat. 3 The virgin Mary is the most efficacious medicine: and in the Compassions also of the virgin, Te hody et semper in matrem et patronam prae cunctis elig●& praeopt●. Thee this day and ever I choose before all other, to be my Mother and patroness. Germanus the Patriarch calleth her, In Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 283 The most powerful recreation of those that are afflicted. hereto helpeth not a little their old friend Discip. de Temp. who telleth a long tale of one that Disc. de Temp. in exemp. de vir. ser. 164 came to the divell to obtain riches, and being by the divell required to renounce God, he did so: but thou hast not yet performed all( saith the divell) the work is yet unperfect: thou must renounce his Mother also, for she it is that doth us the greatest hurt; for whom her son would condemn by iustice, she doth by mercy save. The third reason is, the opinion that the merits of Saints are not a just recompense to God for our sins, is condemned by pus quintus,& Gregory the thirteenth( as Bellarmine Bell. de Indul. li. 1 ca. 4 in resp. ad ob. 6 Nor our satisfaction. himself doth witness) and yet Kellison saith of Christs merits, Kellis. lib. 3. fol. 261. lin. 12 that they are not our satisfaction. wherefore if the merits of Saints are a just recompense to God, and the merits of of Christ do not satisfy his iustice; it is evident that the merits of Saints are more powerful then the merits of Christ. My fourth proof is, their public worship, wherein when they offer those pre-eminences to Saints, which the word of God giveth only unto Christ, what other construction can be made, but that they esteem of Saints as of Christ? The Roman breviary of every Confessor singeth, Ro. Bre. in come. confat port if. star. post lect. quicquid igitur. I haue put salvation on the mighty: I haue exalted one chosen out of the people, my hand shall help him: I haue found david my seruant, with my holy oil haue I anointed him. Who knoweth not, that this was a mystical& prophetical speech pointing to the excellency of Christ only? Now if this bee be applied unto Saints, what do they else, but thereby make them capable of the praise, of the honour, of the office, and of the excellency of Christ? But to make this point more evident, celebrating the memories of Peter and Paul, the same Roman breviary saith, Cum Dominus Orientu regionem propria illus●rauit p●ssione, occidintu ●lagā, nequid minus esset 'vice suae, Apostolorum ságuine illuminare dignatus est. Ro. Bre. sexta die infra octau. Pet.& Pau. lect 5. Cuiu● autem. when the Lord had illustrated the Estern part with his own passion, the western world, lest it should be any thing less or inferior, in his own stead he did illuminate with the blood of the Apostles. If there be not an equality betwixt the blood of the Apostles, and the blood of Christ, let them tell me how the blood of the Apostles can make Rome, where they suffered, equal to jerusalem, where the blood of Christ was shed. I do not find that the city where Christ suffered, had ever greater title then the holy city. But John Andreas saith, Rome was called the most holy city, for the death of the Apostles. Of the evangelist John the mass of Sarum witnesseth, Par post Christum alter quidammodo relictus est filius. in die joh. apo. et evang. lect. 1 Quicunque in loco. that He was left after Christ, as his fellow or peer, being after a manner another son. And the him. de patre verbum prodiens saith Ex Clicthou. et Par post Christum filius; he was an equal son after Christ. Of Saint Francis, Turseline, the Iesuite is not ashamed to say, Ex diversis locis in Missal. Exue Fracciscum iunica laceroque cucullo, qui Fra●●iscus erat, ●am modo Christus erit. Francisci exui●js, si qua licet, endue Christum, iam Franciscus erit, qui modo Christus erat. Shift Francis from his hood and torn Cote, Then Francis erst, may now our Christ behote. Let Christ in Francis Robes again be stald, Who erst was Christ, shall now be Francis called. Hereto agreeth Bensius, who calleth Francis the image of Christ. To conclude, Veni matter gratic, sons misericordiae, miseris remedium ven●, lux ecclesiae: In solamē oppressorum, medicamē infirmorum, omnibus es omnia. Miss. star. in visit. et ●oncep. virg. Mar. vid. de hac materia et Ro. Bre. God is the Father of mercy, the Virgin the Mother of mercy: Christ is the fountain of mercy, the virgin the fountain of mercy: Christ the light of the Church, the virgin the light of the Church: Christ the gate, the virgin the gate: Christ al things to all men, the virgin all things to all men. What difference then is now betwixt the merit of Christ,& the virgin, the equal& unpartial reader may easily judge. If this be done in the public worship, it is no marvell that Euthimius the monk was so lavish in her praises, as to say In te omnem spem nostram collocanim●● et in te vivimus et gloriamur et sumus. Euthi. Monac. that we are her inheritance, and all put trust in her, and live, and glory,& are in her. Vpon which words the marginal note in Aloy. Lypom. triumpheth aloud, Vid. Mira. quae de master Dei dicit, et eadem fear, quae de ipso Dom. Deo dicutur. Aloy part. 1 pag. 286 See( saith he) the wondrous things that are spoken of the Mother of God, almost the same which are spoken of God himself. Almost the same; how doth this agree with the doctrine of the Apostle, who teacheth his Ephesians, Eph. 1.21 that Christ is exalted far above all principalities& powers, and might and dominion, and every name that is name, not in this world onely, but also in that which is to come. This notwithstanding, in our Babylon, Ziim to limb and one Legendary to another answereth fear quot ipsi Christo, tot fiū● lauds ipsi virgins Mariae. ser. 161 ap. Discip. de Temp. Almost as many praises are given to the virgin as unto Christ. XXVIII. That sometime in the Romish Church Christ redeemeth through Saints, and sometimes Saints redeem through Christ, and sometimes the merits of Christ and of the Saints are joined together to redeem. NOthing is so importunate, nor so pertinacious as heresy; which like the Poets Hydra riseth up still with excuse after excuse, and defence after defence: neither will it give over, though it haue neither hand to defend, nor ground to stand vpon. Hereof in this question of the invocation of Saints we haue sufficient proof. For albeit they are every way beaten from their holds, nor can find any footing for this impiety in the holy Canon; yet shift after shift, and wrangle after wrangle they invent, to prop up this ruinous tower of their spiritual Babylon. And now forsooth, they haue an armor of proof sufficient to receive, and break the force of all objections, that they do not make the Saints helpers to salvation, through themselves, but through Christ only. Most true is that of Augustine, as God the father begat his son the truth, so did the divell beget falsehood his son. Aug. It is then no marvel if Antichrist his first begotten, build his Synagogue with lying& deceitful vanities, as in this business clearly appeareth; wherein their superstition is intricate, implicit, perplexed, and after sundry fashions, and diuers maneris doth utter itself. sometime they feign, that Christ doth save us through Saints: sometimes Saints do save us through Christ: Christ redeemeth through Saints. and sometimes the merits of Saints and of Christ are joined together, like Spices in the perfume of the Apothecary. Of the first; that Christ redeemeth through Saints, sundry are the proofs, both of private judgements, and their public worship. Discip. de Temp. saith, Iesus Christus filius venit nos per eā ad statum immortalitatis perducere. 16 3. The son of God came to bring us to the state of immortality by the Virgin. And again, He Ibid. star. 32 would exalt the human nature in a woman. In the golden litany, they say In the golden Let any joined to the Iesus psalter in English, et Bre. diuersa. By the holy name of Mary haue mercy on us; by the conception of the virgin thy Mother, which was sanctified in her Mothers womb, haue mercy vpon vs. So the office of the virgin set out in English& Latin inuocateth also; Per Virginē Matrē concedat nobu Dominus salutem et pacē. in adu. ad Matit. By the virgin Mother, the Lord grant us peace and health. Anselm a saint of their Church( and therefore his authority may not bee rejected) in his prayers vpon the five sorrows of the virgin, Ansel. orat. de 5 dol. erat. 2. Au●●atrix Dei et hom. beseecheth that Christ for those her sorrows will give him pardon. And bonaventure saith, bonaven Ps. 66 The Lord be merciful unto us and bless us, by her that begat him. And in another place; Per te, regina clemens gratia sua munira largitur Iesus Christus. Ro. bred in assup. virg. lect Ecce quibus. O merciful queen, let thy son Iesus Christ grant us the gifts of grace by thee. The same is the manner of their public adoration also. The Roman breviary saith Precibus et meritis Maria siper virginis et omnium sanctorum, ●erducat nos Deus ad regnum c●●lorum. Ro. bred in office. Mar. virg. in absol. by the merits and prayers of the blessed virgin, and all the saints, God bring us to the kingdom of heaven. The golden litany saith, Aurea litania. by the oblation of the three Kings, haue mercy vpon vs. So the missal of Sarisburie, Tuper Tho. sanguinem, quem pro te impendit, fac nos christ, scandere, quo Thomas ascendit. in festo Tho. Cant. Thou by the blood of Thomas, which he for thee did spend, make us, O Christ, to clyme, whither Thomas did ascend. And again, In aurea Lita. they entreat Christ, by the sword of sorrow, which went through the virgins heart, and the compassion of tears, which she shed under the cross, to haue mercy on them. To conclude; the missal of Sarum shameth not to say, Ad. Mar. gloriam qui sedet ad dextram patru, miserere nobis an prap. ante Mis. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God haue mercy on us, to the honour of the virgin Mary. As they will haue Christ deliver them through Saints, so the Saints also are imagined to deliver through Christ. Hereof you haue sundry manifest and clear examples, both private and public. over passing the rest, I will content myself with a few. In the litany of the virgin; Per augustiam& dolorem passion● er●s libera nos Domina. in litur beat. Mar. virg. apud Chemnic. By the anguish and sorrow of his suffering deliver us, O Lady. And again, Ex Chimn. in Cant. Prophet. Thou to deliver banished men didst take the son of God into thy womb. So the missal also, Quod Eua tristis abstulis, tu reddi● almo germine Rom. Tre●n him. O gloriosa Domina. By thy fair blossom, thou restord'st What lamentable eve decayed. And in another place, Hac est virgo, quae antiquum d●ab●licae seditionis Chirographum aboleu●●, tot●que seculo subuenit &c. Bre. star. in lect sa●ro sanct. This is the virgin which blotted out the hand-writing of devilish sedition, and did help the whole world, opened the kingdom of heaven, when by the spirit of God she conceived the son. Of the third kind of superstition, joining the merits of Christ and Saints together, infinite are the records. Bernardine in his Mariall saith, Apud Chemnic. Mary was an helper in our redemption. And by Anthony shee is brought in thus speaking of herself; when the Seraphins at her assumption would haue stayed her in their station, shee would go on to her son; saying; Non est bo●um hominem esse solum, data sum in adiutorum in sredē●tionē per compasionem: ad glorificationem per intercessionem. apud Chemnic. It is not good, that man should bee alone, I was given an helper to redemption, by compassion: and to glorification, by intercession. Soto saith, In Confess Catho. The saints are coadjutors and fellow workers in our salvation. In the commendation of a soul departed out of this life they say, Ro. Bre. in commen. anima prof●ciscere go forth Christian soul out of this world, in the name of the Father, of the son, and of the holy Ghost: in the name of the thrones, the powers, the Archangells, and Angells: in the name of principalities, in the name of Cherubins and Seraphins: in the name of all holy Apostles: in the name of all holy Suppose fry r Tecell, Garnet, and the monk that poisoned King joh●, or the I●c●b●n that killed Henry 3. Ki g of France. monks and hermits. So likewise vpon the feast of all Saints in the hymn, Iesu salvator seculi, Patriarcharum cunes et Prophetarum mer●ta nobis precentur ven●ā. confessio sacerdotum. ver inalit castitas nos à peccatis abluant ex. Ro. Bre. they join together the prayers and merits of Saints. For having begun with the help of Christ, and the intercession of the virgin, they desire, that the merits of prophets may pray pardon unto them; that the confession of Priests, the chastity of virgins may wash them from their sins. What should I speak of that blasphemy in the office of the virgin? Ro. Bre. in office. beat Mar Mis. I●●●. lec. 3. vehementer quidem. By one man and one woman all things are restored. Thus you see, the merits of Christ and Saints are joined together. But whether one part of satisfaction bee made out of Christs passion for us, and another out of the passion of Saints: or whether the satisfaction bee wholly and always from the sufferings of Christ, and the Saints sufferings added to the heap, because he cannot tell( and yet ignorance must haue some excuse) Bellarmine saith, An explicetur part vna ex pass● nibus Christi, pa●● a●ia ex passionibus sanctorum an vero integra satisfactio accip atur semper ex passion●bu● Christi, et superaddantur ad cumu●ū sa●isfactionis passions sactorum, ●o videtur 〈◇〉 curiosè inuestigandum. Bell. lib. 1. dindul Ca. 4 in resp. ad 1 arg. non est quidem opus. It ought not to be over curiously inquired. I blame him not; falsehood cannot endure to be sifted: and to seek after that which is not, were an unprofitable labour. Better it is to harken to the counsel, which job gave to his friends; job 13.5. O that you would hold your tongue, that it might be imputed unto you for wisdom. CHAP. XXIX. That the Church of Rome attributeth unto the Saints, the two proprieties of Christ; Power, and Right to save. ALthough in our whole discourse vpon this subject, it is already made sufficiently evident, that both Power, and right to save us, is given unto Saints: yet because in the eleventh and twelfth Chapters of this book I shewed, that Christ ONLY hath power and right to be our Redeemer, I hope the godly Reader will not think it lost labour for me to destinate a peculiar tract to this purpose; namely, to show the violence, which unto the holy Priesthood of Christ is offered, in giuing to Saints power and right to save us; properties onely to the great office of the son of God peculiar. As in the former Chapters, the method hath been to bring in their private judgements and public service for witness, the like order I will also now observe. Of the Virgin Discip. de Temp. teacheth, Ser. 34. de Nat. virg in verb. sapientia adificanit. That she doth effectually help, because she hath Power and Will; She hath power( saith he) for she is Mother of omnipotency. Wherefore, Bernard saith, Ibid. To thee is given all power in heaven and earth, that whatsoever thou wilt, thou mayst obtain. Power Ibid. is not wanting in her; for she is the Mother of omnipotence: will is not wanting; for shee is Mother of Mercy: neither is industry wanting; for shee is the Mother of wisdom. That she hath Power, it is proved; for she hath Power over her son IESVS CHRIST, by command of motherly authority. Georgius Nicomediensis thus doth worship her; Nihil tuae resistit potentiae, nihil repugnat tuis viribus in orat. d● exitu Sanct. donu●ū nost. des para ex Sym. Metaph. Aloy. lip. in part. 1. pap. 230. edit. Verbessale. Nothing resisteth thy power, nothing can stand against thy force: all things yield to thy command, all things serve thy power: he that is born of thee, hath set thee high above all things. So in their public worship, Teneanu●● eam, ●ec d●mittamus donec benedixerit nobis, potens est enim. Ro Bre. in lect. A●●plectamur. Let us hold her, and not let her go; for she is of Power. And therefore Da mihi virtutem aduersus hostes tues Ro. ●re. in effic. ●●at. virg. give me power against thy enemies, saith that Respond in the lauds of the Virgin. What should I stand to recite the acknowledgement of the power of all Apostles? In Hymno exul●●t c●●lum laudibus. The Translator mends the matter; for the words are, Qu● coelum verbo clauditis, ser●sque eius soluttes, nos à peccatis omnibus solutte ius●u quaesumus. you that shut heaven with your word, and ●pen the locks thereof by your command, d●scharg● us from all our sins. Ye which by words the heauens close, And loose thereof the locks again, Vouchsafe us free by your behests, From all the sins that us restrain. Who seeth not this blasphemy? The power which by the preaching of the word, was given to the Apostles and Ministers of Christ in this life, is by the missal given unto them also after this life by absolute command; so that they are made eternal Priests. It is given to them, I say, not by ministration of the word, as here on earth: but by commandement and power, by their word and authority; and so they are made omnipotent and almighty Priests. It is given unto them being absent from us, and departed out of this life, to hear every prayer, to see every necessity, to be present in every place; and so they are made incomprehensible Priests, and of an infinite wisdom. Descend wee from their Power to the proper right they haue to save vs. The right of giuing salvation unto us, is made the property of Saints also in the Romish Church: and Discip. de Temp. doth affirm, Ser. 161. de virg. b●●t. Seeing her son is our brother, by that reason she is compelled to be our Mother. Nicetas ex Metaphr. apud Aloy. lip. part. 2. in fine ●r●t. O oculi purs& luminosi, &c. fol. 146. Nicetas of Cosmus and Damianus in Aloy. lip. saith, They are the pure bright eyes of the Church, the Knees of the Paralyticke, the feet of the lame, to all men they are all things. After the same manner unto Saint Etheldred speaks the Orison, In Miss. Eth. lect. 2. succurre Dom. O Mother defend thy children: O Lady defend thy seruants. The missal of Sarum calleth Cedda, In Miss. Cedd. pie Pastor,& Pater ovium Merc●orum. Father, holy Father, and shepherd of the flock of the Mercians. Which if perhaps in respect of the teaching and doctrine of Cedda it might bee tolerable: yet why do they invocate Etheldred as their Mother? who neither carnally, nor spiritually either fed them, or begot them. every where the Virgin is not onely called our Lady; wherein her power: but our Mother; wherein her right to save us doth appear. The missal both of Sarum and of Rome consenting in the same impiety say, Omnium nostrorum habitatio est in te, Sancta dei genetrix. in Antiph. sicut habitantium. The habitation of all us is in thee, O holy Mother of God. What nearer right can be conceived, then to dwell in the Virgin, Ro: Bre. ad Mat. lect. 1. in omnibus. as we dwell in God, and God in us? The Office of the Virgin applieth to her that of Ecclesiasticus, inhabit in jacob, and inherit in Israel, and take roote in my Elect. As though, as Christ by his inward and working grace doth grow into his Elect and becomes one with them through the communication of his spirit; so the Virgin did also. Hence now it is evident, how well they observe the commandement of Christ, Math. 23.9. Call no man your father vpon the earth, for there is but one your Father, which is in heaven. And Moses crieth unto them, Deut. 32.6. do ye so reward the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? Is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? He hath made thee and proportioned thee. having now discoursed of the blasphemies and injuries, which by the Church of Rome are offered unto our great High Priest, the Bishop of our souls Iesus Christ, in the principal point of his Office, which is our Redemption; I will only compare the doctrine of the Gospel, with the doctrine of the Church of Rome in this behalf; that contraries being set one against the other may the better show themselves, and according to that of the Prophet, jer. 2.19. Her own wickedness may convert her, and her turnings back may reprove her. ANTI-   christus. EVerlasting Bonau. Psal. 104. salvation is in thy hand, O Lady. 1 I even I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour. Esay 43.11. They Sym. Metaph. in vit. Seb.& sociorum apud Lypom. shall be Sauiour● and Keepers. 2 Neither is there salvation in any other. Act. 4.12. O Lady, Bon●u. Psal. 53. save me in thy name. 3 There is given no other name under heaven, whereby wee must be saved. Ibid. deliver In office. beat. v●rg. Angl. Lat ad completorium. us ever from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin. 4 No man can deliver his brother. Psal. 49.7. God Miss. Saris. in visit. Virg. veni matter gra. unto man, the low things unto the heavenly thou ioynest, O child-bearing Virgin. 5 Nor make agreement for him. Psal. 49.7. There be many Rhem. nos. marg. supper Tim. 2.5. saviours, and many Redeemers. 6 It cost more to redeem their souls: so that he must let that alone for ever. Ibid. every good man Rhem. nos. marg. in 1. ad Colos. addeth some thing to accomplish the measure thereof. 7 I haue trodden the wine press alone, and of all other there was none with me. Esay 63.3. Rhem. nos. marg. in 1. ad Coloss. One may bear the burden and discharge the debt of another. 8 I looked, and there was none to help, and I wondered, that there was none to uphold. Ibid. Rhem. annot. Marg. in 1. ad Coloss. The passions of Saints are suffered for the common good of the whole body. 9 One died for all: 2. Cor. 5.15. And again, was Paul cru●ified for you? 1. Cor. 1.13. In Cant. proph. ad virg. detert. apud. Chem●ic. Without her he shall not save thee. 10 he saith not; to the Seeds, as of many, but to thy seed; as of one, which is CHRIST. Gal. 3.16. Discip. de Concep. Virg. ser 5. truly may wee say as well of the Mother as the son: of her fullness wee haue all received grace. 11 Of his fullness haue all wee received, and grace for grace. joh. 1.16. Tu sola, dei genetri● excellentissima supper omnem terram. Ger. apud Sim. Metaph. Thou onely, O Mother of God, art most excellent above all the earth. 12 I am the Lord, and there is no other. Esay 45.18. Ibid. ex e●dem. The Lady Mother of God, my refuge, life, and defence, my armor and my glory. 13 The true God and saviour, and there is else none but I. Esay 45.21. queen et in augustijs& in rebus dubijs sa●us& sol●ti●●● in ●●m. Cone. Constanti●●●ns. Thou, O Lady, art in all dangers salvation& solace. 14 Neither is there any saviour besides me. Ose 13.4. O Lady, Ex Compass. beat. virg. apud Chemn. deliver me from all my evil, and all my sins. 15 By himself he hath purged our sins. Heb. 1.3. She Ex Rosario apud Chemn. is the comforter of sinners, the physician of the weak, the hope of the desolate. 16 He shall save his people from their sins. Math. 1.21. She Anselm. orat. 3. de 5. d●loribus is the reparation of the weak, and the most powerful medicine of the wounded soul. 17 We haue Redemption thorough his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to his rich grace. Ephes. 1.7. As mankind Ro. Bre. i● office. v●rg. lect. 1. in sua propria. was bound to death by a Maid, so by a Maid it was loosed. 18 As in Adam all die: even so, in Christ shall all be made alive. 1. Cor. 15.22. Mary Portif. star in seru. virg. lect hac tanta is the comfort of the miserable, the renewing of sinners. 19 The salvation of the righteous men shall bee of the Lord: he shall be their strength in the time of trouble. Psal. 37. ver. 39. This is the Ex Antiphonia de domina nostra apud Chemn. Woman of power, which hath broken the Serpents head. 20 he hath given us victory through our Lord IESVS CHRIST. 1. Cor. 15.57. Behold Ecce quam potentissima sit sancta dei genetrix,& quomodo nullus sal●●s fier● posset, nisi per eā. Schol. 6. Aloy. lip. i● Encom. Germ. Patr. in Zen●●. Virg. how powerful the most holy Mother of God is, and how none can be saved but thorough her. 21 The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I bee afraid? Psal. 27.1. CHAP. XXX. Of the second work of the glorious Priesthood of Christ, Of Mediation. with his Mediation. NOtwithstanding that the effect& fruit of Mediation& advocation in Christ bee all one and the same; even to make us near, which were far off, by his blood: yet Mediation, and advocation in themselves differ not a little. An advocate is he, who either pleads the cause before the judge, or arbitrates the business in private colloquy. Of the first the Canonist speaketh, sixth. decret. de poenis t●t 9. soelicis recordationis in gloss. advocatus non potest esse infamis; an advocate ought not to bee an infamous person. Of the second we haue example in the Comedy; Teren. in Phorm. Act. 2 scin. 1 I will advocate my friends unto this business for me. Mediation is, when two things( formerly divided and severed) are made one; as the point maketh two lines one, and the line maketh two extensions one. So the neck maketh the members and head one body: the body maketh the roots and the branches one three: the glue maketh two pieces one arrow. And thus Christ is called a mediator, because he hath made many conjunctions in himself. First, he hath conjoined the manhood unto the Godhead in one person, which is of all conjunctions the greatest. It is great power to join contrary elements together in one body: it is greater power to join them to a spirit heavenly created: but to join them to an uncreated, immortal, infinite, glorious spirit, the God of Spirits, notwithstanding the infinite disparity betwixt them; this is the greatest coniunction that may be. Yet, lo well saith, 〈◇〉 vtraque natura idem est Dei filius, nostra suscipiens, in homine hominem renouā, et in se incommutabilis perseuerā. lo. ●. insolem ●at Dem fear in pr●icipio. in both natures he is but one son of God, taking vpon him that which was ours, not leaving off that which was his own; redeeming Man in Man, and in himself remaining still immutable. This( Theodoret saith) was signified by lieu. 14.4 the two sparrows bound together in on Crimson lace; which are not to be understood to be two persons, but two natures in one person, which saved vs. Secondly, a Mother& a Virgin, two unreconcilable conditions are united in one woman by Iesus Christ. For like the Num. 17.8 Exod. 32 rod of Aaron, which budded& blossomed, when it grew not on the three: and like the tables of Moses, which were engraven without a pen: so the blessed virgin became a Mother without the knowledge of any man, to make up the fourefould creation of Man, witnessed in the Scripture. The first, neither from Man nor woman, Gen. 1 Gen. 2 Gen. 4. Mat. 1 Luk. 1 as that of Adam: the Second, of woman from a Man only, as that of Eua: the third, from Man and Woman, as Cayn and Abell: the last, this of our saviour Christ, from a woman only without a Man. The third coniunction is of the Lawe and the gospel in Iesus Christ; according as the Christian Poet well observeth, Sic vetus atque nouum coniungit gratia Christi. The old and new testaments are by the grace of Christ conjoined. The Fourth Coniunction in Christ, is of the sheep and the Goates in one fold: the ox and the ass at one Crib: the two walls of the building, Iewes and Gentiles, under one head corner ston. This Mediation the Apostle Paul witnesseth, Eph. 2.14.15.16 He is our peace that hath made of both one, and hath broken the stop of the partition wall, in abrogating through his flesh the hatred, that is, the law of commandements, which standeth in ordinances; for to make of twain one new man in himself, so making peace, that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by his cross, and slay hatred thereby. fiftly, in Christ the righteousness and the mercy, the love and the iustice of God are reconciled together, according to that of the psalmist, Mercy and truth are met together, righteousness& peace haue kissed each other. Psal. 85.10 The righteousness of God required satisfaction, the peace and love of God promised mercy: Then Heb. 10.7. ( said he) lo I come, in the beginning of the book it is written of me, that I should do thy will, O God. For in that god gave him to satisfy: in that he sent his son into the world, therein the love and peace of God appeared: and in that Christ made a sufficient recompense, a full& perfect satisfaction, the iustice of God& his righteousness is abundantly contented. sixthly, in Christ the faith of Man is conjoined unto all these things, effecting in us undoubted assent unto these wondrous works of God, even beyond sense the light of nature: beyond reason, the perfection of sense: beyond faith, the purity of reason: beyond hope, the life-bloud of faith: beyond conceit, the far stretching hand of hope: yea, beyond the thought of Man, the quickest and the nimblest operation of the soul. And therefore this reconciliation of the faith of Man, to so many impossibilities of nature, is a work of our mediator, no less admirable then the rest. For, Dan. 2.43. as iron and day cannot cleave together, no more can the hart of Man be assured of such supernatural difficu●ties, except the spirit of Christ be shed into our mindes, to teach us to beleeue it. And yet now we see, faith doth so effectually feel and apprehended the same, that no torments of persecution, no tyrants, no swords, no Gybbets, no fire, no racking, no mangling, no death, how painful soever, can drive frail flesh to deny this truth. Col. 1. eleventhly, Christ by his coming, and in his Mediation, hath reconciled, united, and conjoined us miserable wretches, unto our God and father again. Wee were cast out of his sight by our sins, wee are brought home again by his son. By communication of proprieties this must be understood. There are many other strange conjunctions in Christ; as that by incarnation the master became a seruant: the everlasting, temporal: the immense, little: the highest, lowest: God, an intercessor: the incomprehensible, comprehended: the simplo, compound: and as Augustine saith, the invisible is handled: the immortal is slain: the bearer of the world, is born in the arms of a Woman: Vid. Aug. lib. de Catechizand. r●dibus. Vid. etiam Aug in ser de nat. Dom. et de 8. v●rtut. charitat●. the food of Angells is fed: the power of heaven is made weak, and the life of all is dead. Lastly, as in the Godhead there is Trinity of persons, So in Iesus Christ there is Trinity of offices, the Priestly, prophetical and regal, though there bee but two natures; humanity, and divinity. In whose conception there met together, innated, infused, increated virtue. The innated virtue of the Mother gave him substance: the infused grace purified the substance: the increated power by uniting it to the Word made it one person, which nature could not do. having spoken of the sundry conjunctions in this rainbow of our peace, this head corner ston, the Center of Gods iustice, and Mans hope, Iesus Christ; Let us now consider the extremes which he came to reconcile. CHAP XXXI. Of the two extremes, God and man, and whence the great difference between them proceedeth. ALbeit man in his creation was made unto the similitude of God himself, wise, righteous, immortal blessed; insomuch that not only over all the creatures of God he had dominion, but had a higher title then the rest, to participate of God himself( as Aratus saith, we are the progeny of God: and Synesius, Synesius ep. 101. ●n Cent. 5. cap. 4. the soul of man is the seed of God) yet Man from God was afterward divided and dis-seuered, as far as heaven from Hell, the East from the West, the North from the South, light from darkness, good from evil: Nay( which I tremble to recount) that which is, from that which is not. So that fire with water, height with depth, life with death, might sooner look to be reconciled, then Man, miserable Man. O look then wretch vpon thyself and the huge gulf between God and thee, and confess thyself( as thou art indeed) worse, then the worst of evils: Farther off from the light, then the very darkness itself: more abominable to God then all the rest of the creatures which for thy service were created and in thy curse are cursed. The cause of this great divorce from God is nothing else but sin, nothing but transgression. Esay 59.25. Your iniquities haue separated you from God, saith Esay. This is it which hath cut off the branch from the three, and hath divided the beam from the sun, the stream from the fountain? Miserable Man, from his only Good, his only God. So that for disobedience the angry Father hath cast his onely son out of the house: and Man from the greatest, the most excellent, the most glorious of all his creatures, is become the basest, the vilest, the worst of all; impure, unjust, foolish, corrupt, darkness, cursing, death, a very Hell of evils. look vpon his birth; he is therein most infirm. The three doth come up with his bark, the Fish is naturally armed with scales, Eccl. 5.14. job. 1. 2●. the Serpent with his sting, the dog with his tooth: but Man is born naked, without armor, and without defence. If you look vpon the life of Man, as it is most sinful of all others, so it is most mortal and corruptible above all other. Rom. 5. levit ●6. Psal. 78.& 106. The multitude of sins open a multitude of passages to death and to destruction. every creature hath the diseases of his proper kind; Man onely hath all diseases, and of all sorts. Insomuch as the wise physician saith, In the eye of Man onely are an hundred maladies. Rom 7. look vpon his parts; the soul is divided, and at war within itself: yea, such a confusion and ataxy is therein, that the sensual and beastly parts bear rule over the reasonable and principal power, and the seruants domineer over their Lord. As for the body; the Head is a forge of vain imaginations, the eyes full of adultery, the lips hote burning coals, the teeth are sharp spears, the tongue a two edged sword, the throat an open sepulchre, the ears the wanton daughters of music, the hands stuffed full of bribery, the feet swift to shed blood: yea, the very heart of Man( his purest and most excellent part) is evil( saith ieremy) above all things. H●e●. 17.9. Simile Bern. lib. Med. cap. 3. job 14. job 7. job 13. job 20.8. job 25.6 eccles. 12. Psal. 39. Hence is it, that the Philosopher defining Man saith, he is a bag of dung, the food of worms, the theatre of inconstancy, the spoil of time, the sport of fortune. job calleth him a floure, a shadow, a wind, a leaf, a vapour, a dream, a tale, a worm. And Salomon, vanity of vanities, nothing but vanity. And this is the one extreme. look on the other extreme; alas poor pore-blinde eye! how canst thou look vpon that unaccessible light, which poureth light into the sun? the Sun( I say) which thou canst not( no not covered with a cloud) behold. Nature hath not worlds: the world hath not men: men haue not tongues: tongues haue not words: words haue not force: force is of no force to express him. Good, just, holy, light, truth, life, blessing, righteousness, wisdom, and all that he is, he is infinitely, and he is eternally. Daniel saith, Dan. 7.10. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him, thousand thousands minister unto him, and ten thousand thousands stand before him. Michea saith, The Mountaines shall melt under him, Miche. ●. 4. so shall the valleys cleave as wax before the fire. Nahum saith, Nah. 1.5. The hills melt, and the earth is burnt at his sight. When God appeared therefore to give his Law to Israel on Mount Sinai, Exod. 19.12. the people, when they saw the thundering, the lightning, the smoking mountain, and heard the trumpet, though they had sanctified themselves, yet they fled and stood a far of, and durst not talk with God, lest they should die, but besought Moses as a Mediator, to go up for them unto God. After the same manner in Deuteronomy they plainly confess the contrariety betwixt God and mankind, and how unable Man is to stand before him. Deut. 5.25, 26. If we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, we shall die, for what flesh ever was there, that heard the voice of the living God out of the midst of the fire, as we haue, and lived? Nay, they not onely could not abide the presence of God, nor the delivery of the Law: but the face of Moses their Mediator himself, Exod. 34. was too glorious to look vpon. So that he was constrained to cover his face with a veil, that they might behold their mediator by another mediation. And thus it fared with the Prophet Esay. For though the glory of God appeared to instruct him, yet presently the contrariety betwixt God and Man struck into his mind; Esay 6. ●. Woe is me, I am undone, because I am a man of polluted lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of polluted lips; for mine eyes haue seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Hence comes the consternation, the fear, the amazement, even of the holiest men, at the least visible signification, or smallest disclosing and discovery of Gods majesty vpon them; As in Adam, Abraham, jacob, Daniel, Paul and diuers others, you may see. And this shall suffice to be spoken of the unspeakable division and separation betwixt the two extremes, God and Man: and how hard a thing it is to reconcile and unite them together, thus differing in will, in nature, in continuance. CHAP. XXXII. The things which are requisite to be in a Mediator, that shall join God and Man the two extremes together, are found in Christ onely, and in no other. THe first thing that is requisite in a Mediator is, that he participate of both the natures of the two extremes. even as the rainbow hath the bright lustre of the sun, and the gross dark vapours and clouds of the earth in one body: or as the evening hath part of the light of the day, and part of the darkness of the night: or as the midst of a place containeth both parts of the same in itself: So must the Mediator conjoin both the natures of the two extremes together. Irenaeus therefore saith, Ireneu● adverse. Hareses lib. 3. c. 20. fear ad finem. If Man had not overcome the divell, he had not been justly overcome: if God had not given salvation, we could not haue had it firm and assured: except the Manhood had been joined to the Godhead, it could never haue been partaker of incorruption. Wherefore it behoved that the Mediator should be domestical and concording with both, to bring both together, and to procure that God should accept Man,& Man should give himself to GOD. Augustine saith, Aug. confess. l. 10. cap 42. ex cent. 5. cap. 1.4. the Mediator between GOD and Man, must haue something like God, something like Man. Chrysostome saith, In 1. Tim. 2. hom. 7. ex Cent. 5. cap. 4. that mere Man cannot bee Mediator, because he cannot speak unto GOD, nor stand before him: mere GOD could not be Mediator, Exod. 19.25, 26. because Man could not receive him, nor bee spoken to by him. For D ut. 5.25. the majesty of God is incomprehensible, and his glory unconceivable. Haymo saith, Haym. supper 1. Tim. cap. 2. If he were onely God, he could not bee Mediator to the Father, being altogether one with the Father: and if he were onely Man, he could not be Mediator, for that he could not be free from sin. The truth is, None could make satisfaction but God: none ought to make satisfaction but Man. Therefore then, it was needful, that the Mediator should be both God& man. Wherefore) as Lyra well saith) Lyra in 1. ad Tim. 2.5 Christ hath appeared; the mean between the immortal good, and the mortal evil, being mortal as Man, just as God. And thus he is called a Mediator betwixt God and Man, because he is God and Man, reconciling both. Plato and his followers did beleeue, that betwixt mankind and the supreme God, there were two kindes of Mediators; daemons, and Heroes; divels, and souls of excellent men. And Philo judaeus saith, the Iewes had three Mediators to God; the Fathers goodness: the great founders of kingdoms: and the works of the penitent. But these are the dreams and fictions of such as mean to deceive, and to be deceived. For Angels are of two sorts; either Good, or evil. The good are they which are blessed within the unaccessible light, and are holy Ministers in the sight of God: the evil are wicked and ungodly spirits: but neither of them can be Mediators for vs. For the first kind, they cannot bee Mediators for us; because though they bee glorious and eternal with God, yet of his nature they are not. Now with the other extreme they haue no manner of agreement. For they are neither of our substance and nature, neither are they infirm and corruptible as Man is. The evil Angels haue many impediments also, why they cannot be mediators. For though they be corrupt and sinful, as Man; eternal and immortal, as God: yet they participate of the nature of neither of the extremes: and if they did, yet can they not be mediators for us to God, that are seducers and tempters to evil, which is most contrary to God. For the second kind of Mediators, the souls of illustrious and excellent men, the reasons before touched in the Chapter of the Redemption of Man do sufficiently prove, that they cannot mediate. But thereto let me add another reason from P. Lombard; Men Vid. Pet. Lomb. l. 3. dist. 19. cap. 2. and Angels cannot bee mediators, for they haue natures mutable and variable: but our Mediator is without variableness and shadow of change. Perhaps some will say, Though Christ took flesh of the Virgin, and so was of the 〈◇〉 nature in his humanit●e, yet the Virgin was not of Christs divinity; Wherefore she did not participate of his whole nature. the Virgin Mother, and the souls of holy men may be Mediators to Christ God& Man, though not to the substance of the divine majesty for vs. To this I reply, that if it be of necessity that the Mediator must participate of both natures, then the Virgin, nor Saints cannot be mediators to Christ; for that they do not participate of the whole nature of Christ. Hereunto I must also add, that as Christ took not this office of a mediator, but was called of God unto it: so the Romish Church must prove that the blessed Virgin Mother, or the Saints haue such a calling from CHRIST, as to bee Mediators betwixt his Church and him. And it were a strange thing, if the mediation of the departed godly souls were ordained by God, but that in all the whole course of the gospel, one sentence, word, or syllable, should haue commended a matter of such great consequence unto vs. CHAP. XXXIII. The second point necessary in a Mediator, is to remove the obstacles and impediments which hinder this coniunction. AS it is needful that a Mediator bee such, as hath ability in himself to conjoin the things that are separated: so he must also haue power to remove all the obstacles, and impediments, which may hinder this connexion. The principal impediments and lets unto our joining with God are sin, infirmity, death, Hell, the divell; the whole force of strong armed philistines, standing betwixt david and the well of Bethelem: a wall of partition, forbidding our prayers to go up unto God, and his mercies to come down to vs. These like the angel with the blade of a shaken sword, keep us from the Paradise of eternal felicity. Now all those mists, and clouds, and vapours hath the bright sun of righteousness Iesus Christ dispersed. Wherefore Behold,( saith John) the joh. 1.29. lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world. Bernard saith, Bern. ser. 4. an vigil. Nat. domini. Who can better take away sin, then he that hath no sin? He can surely wash me clean, that was never defiled himself. Let that hand wipe mine eye covered over with dirt, which is itself faire, and hath not a dust vpon it: let him pluck the mote out of mine eye, that hath not a beam in his own: nay, let him pluck the beam out of mine, that hath not the least mote in his own eye. Christ then is he, that hath broken the stop and the partition wall: which hath abrogated Eph. 2.15 through his flesh the hatred; yea, slain hatred, that he might reconcile us unto God. We see the cunning Fletcher in peecing the arrow which he maketh, taketh from the one, and from the other part, till he hath made both pieces fit, and then with his strong-knitting glue compacteth them together: so, from Man, Iesus Christ took away sin, and from his Father he took away wrath: us he purged; and God he satisfied: and by himself hath knit us unto God for ever; so may we now go boldly unto the throne of grace, and cry, Abba Father. even as a pure river into his silver stream sweepeth away the dirt and channels, the silth and ordure of the city: so( O fountain of the gardens! O well of living waters! O spring of Lebanō! I do not meare, that Christ took into him our corruption: but our punishment, and chastisement due to us for our sins are in Christ by imputation, not by inhasion. Culpā tuam suscesit delendam no faciendā Aug. ser. 37. de v●rb. Domini. ) our Christ hath into his own person taken, and with the stream of his inestimable prize-less blood cleansed the souls and bodies of sinful men. This is the spotless crystal glass, in whom all our sins appeared plain to God, and received punishment. This is the faithful pledge, who, though guiltless, hath in our stend pleaded guilty at the bar of Iustice, and hath undergone condemnation and death in our name and place, and made his own sacred person the sink,( O sink more sweet then any fountain!) the grave wherein our sins are butted. Finally, Esay 25.6 this is the mountain, in whom the LORD hath made a feast of all fine and delicate things; who is Luke 15.23 himself the fat calf slain, to entertain the prodigal son. What can bee more said? or what should not bee said in the praise of him, that hath made himself sin itself( though he never committed sin) for our sakes? Es●y 53.9 By the Psalmists pen he prophesieth of himself, Psal. 40.12 My sins haue taken such hold vpon me, that I am not able to look up. The sins of us men( unthankful men) became his, Vid. Musc. inhun●●ecton. that we might bee the righteousness of God through him. O strange exchange! What thanks can we yield unto him, that is content to be our sins unto God, that we might be his righteousness unto God? As he removeth sin, so he taketh away all the Satellitium, the armor, and the retinue thereof; mortality, infirmity, death, and the divell; as it is written, Ose 13.14 O death, I will be thy death, O hell, I will be thy destruction. The same sacrifice on the cross was the satisfaction to God, by humiliation: and the destruction of the divell and all his kingdom, by power and victory. For even in death he triumphed over death: and being crucified, the Law itself, and sin, and satan were crucified with him. Our victorious Samson hath together in his own death destroyed all the Esay 41.2 power of the Philistim: they are all as dust unto his sword, and scattered stubble unto his bow. CHAP. XXXIIII. The manner how Christ our mediator doth join us unto God. I Am now come unto the burning Mountain, the mystery of all mysteries, which the tongues of Men and angels cannot sufficiently express: yet I trust, God will give me grace to shadow out unto you some small obscure Idea therof; such as my dim eyes can comprehend, and my uncircumcised lips with harsh and unproper words, concerning this high and incomprehensible argument, express. It is a very perfect incorporation, when of two things which must bee made one, each groweth into the other, and assumeth what is anothers, communicating also their natures together. So the graffe groweth into the three, and the three groweth into the graffe: so wine and water are together blended; wine taking of the taste of water, and water savouring of the sweetness of the wine, so that both in substance and quality they are unseparably united. After the same manner( saving that earthly similitudes fully express not spiritual things) Iesus Christ and his Church are together united; God, an uncreated, an infinite, a powerful spirit knitteth himself unto Man, fleshly, mortal, finite, weak: and inspireth into man a certain lively and powerful vigour, Faith, hope, and love. by which he again is knit also unto God. There are wise and learned Philosophers, Vid. jo. Picum Mirandul. in 1. cap. lib. 4. Heptap. who of the coniunction of the human soul unto the body, teach, that it is done by mediation of the vital spirits, more gross and carnal then the soul, and somewhat more spiritual and ghostly then the body. How true this is, I will not contend: but sure I am, that by Iesus Christ inferior to God in his holy humanity, superior to Man in the dignity of his person, this union and coniunction is made. But this is a general coniunction, in which not only the true members of Christ, but all mankind seemeth to be knit unto God. Wherefore this is not the effectual and entire union which wee haue with CHRIST. For though in this, God seemeth to come near unto Man, yet there are many impediments, which suffer us not hereby to be unseparably joined unto God. Christ indeed hath taken flesh and was made Man, yet betwixt his manhood and ours there is great difference; his body and soul holy, ours corrupt: his humanity pure, ours impure: he Man without sin, we men, but sinners. Christ died not of necessity, for he is omnipotent: he died not as owing death a debt, for he was without sin. Wherefore his humanity was of itself immortal,( but that by dispensation he made it mortal and gave it to dy) we are mortal and of necessity must die. Christ therefore after a double manner hath united himself unto vs. First, in nature, Christ united unto m●n two manner of ways. which is a general coniunction, by which he is in some sort joined to all mankind: without this, his elect could not be joined to God; yet more then this is also required. Wherefore secondly, he uniteth himself to his Church, and to every member thereof, and to none other by communication of his spirit. For as a member of the natural Man, though it grow into the same body, and be covered with the same skin, yet liveth not, and is not to be reckoned as a part, except it be quickened by the same soul which animateth all the rest: so the effectual union with Christ is wrought by the spirit of Christ, and the grace thereof communicated unto vs. marriage is the communication not onely of bodies, but of love and affection; and they are verily one, which haue not onely one matter, but also one form, one efficient, one end,& one effect. Such is our copulation with CHRIST. The material Coniunction. he hath taken our flesh, he hath given us his Spirit, working in our hearts and quickening us together in God, and to the glory of his name. The Apostle Paul therefore saith, 1. Cor. 2.16. Wee haue the mind of of Christ. And in his Epistle to the Ephesians he compareth the Church Ephes. 4.16. to a natural body, The formal Coniunction whereof the members being knit and coupled together by every joint for the furniture thereof; according to the effectual power which is in the measure of every part, receiveth the increase of the body, to the edifying of itself in love. What can bee more plain? We see, as Christ doth participate with us in the flesh, that thereby he might satisfy in our own nature for sin: so all that are Christs haue also the Spirit of Christ, and do participate of the effectual inward power of his grace, which doth enlighten our understanding, and raiseth up our saith, to lay hold vpon him, and to cleave unto him. For as the head is the principal seat of the soul: so is Christ of the Spirit of God, from whom it is dispersed into the whole Church, anselm well saith, all that beleeue in Christ, by secret inspiration and communication of ghostly grace, are justified; because they all are one spirit with him. Wherefore, joh. 14.20. I am in my Father( saith he) and you in me. And this is the cause why he is called immanuel, Esay 7.14. God with vs. For he is in us, and his Spirit is in us also, as he himself witnesseth; joh. 17.23. I in them, and thou in me, that they may bee made perfect in one. This coniunction Christ by many excellent Parables hath set out unto vs. For he calleth himself joh. ●. the bread of life, his flesh meate, and his blood drink indeed. As then our natural food is incorporate into us, and groweth into our substance, and wee into it: so spiritually received by a lively faith, Christ becomes one with us, and we one with him. In the gospel he runneth himself joh. 15.5. a Vine, and his Disciples branches. For because the branches and the Vine are one, nourished with the same sap, covered with the same bark: so Christ and his chosen are one; because they haue the same spirit, being clothed with the same nature. The Apostle Paul in the same manner declareth this union unto us, when he saith, 1. Cor. 11.3. God is the head of Christ,& Christ is the head of Man. So that by a due and seemly subordination, wee are one with Christ, and Christ is one with God. And again, he calleth our 1. Cor. 6 15. bodies the members of Christ, and the Church the body of Christ. Why then here, O taste and see how sweet the Lord is: behold( I say) Mercy beyond mercy, and grace beyond grace, which hath made us himself; and our members, members of his own body. Wherein we are told, that as our soul animateth every part, and every member: yea, and is in every part, and every member whole and the same, although in greater excellency in some of the more principal parts, then in the inferior: so God and the same spirit of God is in us, which is in Christ, by our being in Christ; although in a more glorious and perspicuous manner God bee in Christ the head, then in us the members. Wherefore it is well distinguished of one, Vid. Theod. Be●. co●tr. Conu Guil. Hold. pro corp. Christi ver. edit. 1581. pag. 76. God is in Christ after three manner of ways; by filling; and so he is in all his creatures, even the wicked and ungodly: by peculiar Sanctification; and so, as he is in Christ, he is in the Elect after their measure: by fullness of the Godhead united personally to the Manhood; and so he is onely in Christ. And thus the deity hath mingled itself, as it were, with the humanity, that taking unto him that which is ours, he might give unto us that which is his: lo d● pass. Christ● Vid. s●r. 3. in se●● N●s. and Christ was made like unto Man in his conception, that wee might be made again like unto God in our Redemption. CHAP. XXXV. That a Mediator must be one onely. THe first proof, to teach us that the mediator betwixt God and Man can be but one, I will take out of the witness and authority of the holy Word itself. Of which what other scope is there, but to prove that Christ is the sole Mediator? in whom we Ephes. 2.22. are knit together to bee the habitation of God by the spirit: Leuit. 1.3. Exod. 29 11. The onely door of the Tabernacle, to which every offering must be brought. The jewish High Priest there is none but doth aclowledge, to be the figure and foreshowing type of Christ: but this Priest was but one, and when he entred into the most holy Sanctuary, he went in alone to make expiation, as you may see it ordained in Leuit. 16.17. Leuiticus. By which what is intimated but this? That Iesus Christ is our alone and onely Mediator before the Throne of God. The same is signified, in that for all the Tribes there was but one Tabernacle: for all the people there was but one Temple. Wherefore Paul the Apostle maketh it evident by a comparison; 1. Cor. 15.21. By man came death, by Man came also the resurrection of the dead. This is a plain resemblance betwixt Adam and Christ; that as the first Man alone was our mediator to damnation: so the second Man was our Mediator to salvation. The same in an other place he teacheth, Rom. 5.15. If through the offence of one, many bee dead: much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one Man Iesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. My second reason to prove that there can be but one Mediator is; Without satisfaction Man could not bee fully repaired. There Esay 48.22. is no peace( saith the Lord) unto the wicked. Now this reparation required as great humiliation for the purging of sin, as was presumption in the transgression by sin. But the presumption proceeded from the lowest of all creatures endowed with reason, which is Man, against the highest rational or reasonable Essence, which is God. Therfore it was necessary, that from the equalititie of the Godhead, the Mediator should abase himself to the lowest estate of man. For which cause he saith, Zach. 13.7. Arise, O sword, vpon my shepherd,& vpon the man that is my fellow. And the Apostle saith, Heb. 5.8. Though he were the son, yet learned he obedience. Wherefore it is evident, that none but God can be Mediator unto God; and God is one. Thirdly, if a mere creature could be a Mediator, then wee should bee more beholding to a creature, then to our Creator: and in us a creature should do a more excellent work, then the Creator; because it is more excellent to bee made a righteous Man, then to be made a Man. Fourthly, he is a perfect Mediator, who prayeth and intercedeth for all other, and none for him: But Christ onely hath this prerogative; therefore Christ onely is our Mediator. Fiftly, Bernard defineth a true Mediator, to bee such as steeketh not lightly, but efficaciously, all things that belong unto peace. This could none perform but Christ; therefore there is no true Mediator but Christ. sixthly, it is against the dignity of Iesus Christ to make any other mediator unto God. For thereby we aclowledge that God is well pleased in others, satisfied in others, and communicateth himself to us in others, as he doth in Christ. wherefore, as he dishonoureth God, who maketh many Creators: so he doth more dis-honour God, who maketh many ways of new being, and of new creation, which is the greatest of all the works of God. Sedulius saith, that if the soul yield any thing at all of that which it oweth to God, unto any other, it commits adultery. As it is then heresy to say, God made the world by Angels, or by any other but by himself: so to say, that Christ procureth the salvation of the world by any, or with any but himself, is heretical doctrine. Yea, to make others mediators to Christ himself, is derogation from his infinite& unspeakable love: as though any other could be nearer to us in love and charity then our Christ; or that we might more boldly call vpon any other then him. seventhly, it is a derogation from the dignity of the human soul itself, to prostrate itself unto his own kind. For the souls of holy men delivered from the burden of the flesh are not superior in nature, Ex Musculi. but equal to ours. And if there be any inequality, it is by our fault, not by our substance, or creation. whatsoever( saith Augustine) the soul doth serve as God, it must of necessity think it better then itself. Wherefore the Apostle requireth his Colossians, Colos. 2.18. That no man bear rule over them by humbleness of mind, and worshipping of Angels: and yet who knoweth not that the angel in his creation is more excellent then Man? Lastly, we are forbidden to trust in men, to put confidence in men, or in our religion to haue many Math. 23.9. Fathers and many Masters: but to haue one Lord, Ephes. 4.5. one Faith, one baptism. All which commandements wee break, when wee make Saints our Mediators unto Christ. For, to maintain the mediation of Saints, they confess that we ought to beleeue and trust in Saints; as in the missal of Saint Nicholas, Credo piè saint Nich. tu● me precibus esse saluandum jo orat. ad Nico. ex Mart. Chemnic. I verily beleeue, holy Nicholas, that I shall bee saved b● thy prayers. And in the Legend of Lombardy, Saint Peter is brought in Leg. Lomb. in assump. v●r●. c. 114. sol. 10 c. Col. 2. Rhem. 2. in verse 5. counseling the High Priest of the Iewes to beleeue in Christ and his Mother. The Rhemists vpon the Epistle to Philemon do plainly confess, that wee may beleeue and trust in Saints. As in men they put trust, so unto men they aclowledge themselves children and seruants, in their glorious and holy worship; which in due place, I trust, I shall abundantly declare. Ob. Here perhaps some will object, that as our own evil merits help to increase our damnation which we haue from Adam: so our good works help to increase our salvation which we haue from Christ. Sol. The answer is easy; there is not the same reason of our good and evil works. Our sins are infinite, and deserve the deepest condemnation: but our good works are full of spots, stains, and imperfections: therefore they cannot merit at Gods hand the temporal good of this present life, much less the eternal glory and vnmarcessible crown, which we shall receive in heaven. The Scripture every where is full of Testimonies in this behalf. For to this end tendeth that of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 8.6. There is but one God, which is the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him: and one Lord Iesus Christ, by whom all things are, and we by him. And again, 1. Tim. 2.5. There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and Man, which is the Man Christ Iesus. The same Apostle witnesseth in another place, 1. Cor. 1.30. ye are of him in Christ Iesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption; according as it is written, 2 Cor. 10.17. jer. 9.24. he that rejoiceth, let him rejoice in the Lord. Ephes. 4.4. There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your vocation: But Popery hath many hopes. This trusteth chiefly in the Virgin, he in Saint Peter: another in Saint John, that in Saint james: Some hope more in one Saint, then in another: nay, in one Saint in one place, more then in the same Saint in another. CHAP. XXXVI. Whether Christ be our Mediator in both natures. IT is a question much controversed betwixt the two Churches( the Romish, and the Reformed) in which nature Christ is our Mediator. For, because the Apostle saith, 1. Tim. 2.5. There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and Man, which is the Man Christ Iesus; Therefore many do conceive, that the Apostle Paul hath restrained the Office of Mediation unto the human nature of Christ onely. Thomas Aquinas saith, Tho. Aq. ●. part. q. ●6. art. ●& 〈◇〉 collig à B●r. Bon. John cap. 26, that two things requisite in a Mediator are wanting in the Godhead of Christ. First, the nature of mediation. Secondly, the Office and means of coniunction. The nature of a Mediator is wanting( saith he) in the Godhead of Christ; because Christ as God doth not differ from the Father. But the mouth of this cavil is easily stopped, for it is a mere fallacy, which the Logicians call à malè diuisis, ad been coniuncta. For when we say, Christ is a Mediator in both natures, wee speak of Christ God and Man, one person: neither nature in itself merely and alone considered can be Mediator betwixt God and Man as Haymo well saith); Christus Iesus per hoc quod homo pariter et Deus est, Mediater noster est, verba patris referē ad nos, et modo nostra ad illum Isay. in Heb 12. Iesus Christ, by that he is God and Man together, is our mediator, bringing the words of the Father unto us, and reporting ours unto God. Secondly, Christ Iesus though he differ not in the substance of the divinity from God; yet he differeth in the person of the son from the Father. And therefore when we say, Christ is a mediator in both natures, we say as much, as that Christ the son of God doth mediate unto his Father for vs. To the purging of the filthy leper lieu. 14.6. in the law, the priest must take two sparrows, and one of them he must kill over pure water in an earthen vessel: after, he must take the live Sparrow with Cedar wood, and a scarlet lace, and hyssop, and with these, and the living Sparrow dipped in the blood of the dead sparrow, he must sprinkle the leper seven times& cleanse him, and let go the living Sparrow into the broad field. This is a mystical allegory, telling us that in Christ there are two natures; the manhood, which was offered and became a dead sacrifice for sin; the Godhead, which presents the sacrifice, makes it acceptable, and offers it to the Father. Eusebius Emissenus well saith, Euseb. Emiss●le nostro obtulit sacrificium, de suo contulit pretium. He offered the sacrifice of that which was ours: but of his own he made it precious, and gave honour to the gift. And so far is this honour given, that the living sparrow is dipped in the blood of the slain: and God is said, to haue died for the sins of the world, not in his Godhead, but in the nature of Man assumed into the unity of the second person the son of god who is God& Man. justine Martyr therfore saith, Filius Dei vt Deus et homo lapsum Adams i●tegrum restituit. just. Mart. lib. de trin●t. The son of God as god& man restored again perfectly the fall of Adam. One also well saith, divinitas svit in lo●ente, n●̄ in dollar. the Godhead was in the sufferer, not in the suffering. Arnobius maketh a lively comparison to teach us the truth of doctrine in this behalf, though the similitude be not each way correspondent. The Godhead( saith he) could no more suffer with the Manhood, then the sun beam which shineth on the wood, is cut, when the wood is cut. And Vigilantius excellently saith, Christs passion did pertain to the flesh, in respect of the nature suffering; and unto the word, in respect of the person. Irenaeus saith, In lib. 3 cap. 2● that if Man had not overcome the divell, the divell had not been justly overcome: but if God had not given salvation, the manhood had not sufficiently attained it. I will conclude with that of Albert; That Christ touched the leper( saith he) it was the act of his humanity: that by touching he cured, it was the act of his divinity. So did the coniunction of the divine nature to the human make the satisfaction infinite; and for whom his Manhood did suffer to the uttermost, them his Godhead doth justify to the uttermost. Thus Christ both God and Man in both natures doth mediate. The second obstacle that Aquinas observeth in the deity of Christ, for which he cannot mediate betwixt God and us is, because the office of a mediator is to join two extremes, by giuing that to one, which is the others. Now that( saith he) cannot bee done of the divine nature, but only in the human nature, which differeth from God in nature, and from Man in dignity. But it must bee still remembered which I spake of heretofore, that Christ is not divided from himself to become our mediator, but in his own person of two natures is the Gen. 28.12.13. ladder of Iabob, by whom our prayers ascend to God, and Gods blessings descend vpon vs. The Apost. doth plainly show, that Christ is our mediator according to the form of mediation in his divine nature. For he saith, Heb. 9.14. By the eternal spirit he offered himself without spot to God. And again, in these last dayes God hath spoken to us by his son, whom he made heir of all things. Who Heb. 1.2. et ver. 3. being the brightness of the glory and the engraved form of his person, both by himself purged our sins, and sitteth at the right hand of the majesty in the highest places. Here you see, first, that God spake unto us by his son, and this son is God. For so John witnesseth, jo. 1.1. That word was God. Therefore if God speak unto us by God, God is a mediator unto us from God. Secondly the same that he spake to us by, he purged us by: but he spake unto us by the brightness of the glory; therfore he purged us by the brightness of the glory. Thirdly: that which redeemeth us, sitteth at the right hand of the majesty of God. Now though the right hand of God be taken for the excellency of reward, yet the right hand of the majesty of God, is taken for the unity of the godhead; De Christ. lib. 1. cap. 16. verb. Respond. illud. As Bellarmin himself truly collecteth out of those words of the Apostle, Then shall the son also himself be subject unto him; that is, in his glory Christ as Man shall be subject unto God. wherefore the sitting at the right hand of the majesty of God, must needs be understood of the Godhead of Christ. And then I may well conclude; God spake unto us by the brightness,& purged us by the brightness, that sitteth at the right hand of his majesty; therefore the brightness is the mediator, even God himself. The work of Mediation was wrought in the humanity, as far as concerneth sorrowing, suffering,& dying: It was wrought also by the Godhead, as concerning making of the sacrifice infinite in price, efficacious of so great a work, and in raising his own body again for our justification, which he gave for our redemption. Neither doth it hence follow( as Bellarmin and Kellison do foolishly enforce) that there bee then three mediators, or that there is a confusion of Natures in Christ, or that Christ in his Godhead is inferior to the Father. Let no papist here accuse me, that I make the Godhead of the Sō unequal to the Godhead of the Father, which I do not: but I only speak of the official respect of the Father and the Son. For though the Father and the son be equal in essence, yet the son in office is inferior to the Father. Bellarmin imagineth, Lib. 5 de Christ. mediate. cap. 5. ad finem Igitur vide. that as the same work of a private person,& of a King, differeth much in respect of the dignity that the person of a King bringeth with it: yet the Regality of a king doth not sand forth any substantial influence into the work: so the sacrifice of Christ had exceeding dignity from the Godhead, though it were wrought by the human nature, and no way by the divine. This similitude agreeth not with the purpose. For regality is an accidental thing in Man: but the Godhead is substantial in Christ. And though there are two operations; the one of the Godhead, the other of the manhood; yet( as lo teacheth in his epistle to Flauian) Agit enim v●raque forma cum communione alteri●● quod est proprium. lo ad Flau. cap. 4 et in ser. 3. de pass. Dom. vid. Tho. Aq. 3 a. part. q. 19. art. 1& sic coll. Bo● jo. either form, or either nature doth work with the communion of the other, that which is proper to bee wrought. The word worketh that which to the word belongeth, and the flesh performeth that, which is to the flesh pertaining; the Manhood being as the instrument to the Godhead, and the Godhead as the principal mover or worker of the Manhood. CHAP. XXXVII. That Saints are made mediators in the Romish Church. THe Church of Rome is so far from denying the mediation of Saints deceased, that both in their public& private writings they every where profess the same. wherefore the council of Trent Sess. 9. d● 〈◇〉. s●ct verb. mand●● sanct, Synodu●. commandeth al Bishops& others to teach diligently the faithful, touching the intercession of Saints the invocation of them,& the honour of their relics. Thomas Aquinas saith Th. Aq. 2.1.2 a. q. 83. that Saints must be prayed unto, because they are already in the promised glory, and more full of charity then before. The reason hereof he bringeth out of jerome: If they then prayed for us, when they were yet careful for themselves, now after the crown and victory obtained, they much more pray for vs. The missals of Sarum and Rome call to the virgin: Coeli fenestra facta es, In him. O gloriosa Dom. in Ro. Bre. et star. Bre. quasi aurora rutilam. tu regis alti ianua, et porta lucis fulgida; the window of heaven, the shining port of light, the morning of the sun. And Discipulus de Temp. expounding this, saith: Disc. de Temp. ser. 162. therefore the virgin is assimiled to the morning; because as the morning is the midst between the night and the day: so the virgin is the mediator betwixt God and Man. And the same Author saith again, Ser. 163. that the virgin is compared to the neck; For that, as the neck joineth together the body and the head, so doth the virgin us unto God. anselm also enstileth her Mediatrix Dei et hom. et f●ns misericordiae, indesinenter effundens riues copiosae gratiae. in orat. 1. de 3. dol. ver. The mediatrix of God& Man, the spring of mercy, powring out the vndeficient Riuers of her plentiful grace. The Legend of Lombardy feigneth Saint Paul to take his leave of Saint Peter in these words: Pax tecum fumdamentum ecclesiae, pastor ouiū et agrorum Chr●sti, mediator, et ●ux salutis ●ustorum de sact. Pet. fol. ●3 edit. His●●●et. Peace be with thee, O thou foundation of the Church, the shepherd of the sheep and lambs of Christ, the mediator and leader of the salvation of the righteous. Yea, in that forged donation of Constantine he is feigned to ordain Eligente. nobis ipsum princ●pem Apost. vel eus vicarios sirm●● apud Deum esse patron 〈◇〉 ex d●●a● Constā. apud C●nt 4 cap. 7●. all the vicars and Successors of Peter, his mediators. Neither is this the prerogative of the greater Saints onely, but of every one. Antonius Florentinus saith: Ant. 3. part. sum. Tit. 3. ex Chemnic. as concerning the gift of grace the Saints are the midst betwixt God& Man. Thus all Saints are mediators; and all the Pope doth Canonize are Saints. Therefore what mediators the Pope pleaseth, he may thrust vpon us; As Saint Becket, a traitor to his King; of whom it was questioned by the Masters of Paris whether he were saved or damned. Ex Caes. Monath. lib. 8. de ilo. cap. 69 Saint Thais the whore, famous for her name, and nothing else; Saint Sophronia, and Saint Pelagia, who slay themselves; Saint Hermannus an heretic, who was twenty yeares worshipped as a Saint in Verona; Platin. in Bonif ● Eusib. lib. 8 hist. ecclesiae cap 17. verbo sunt quidem. Amb. lib. 3. de virginibus. Saint Cuthlake, Saint Cuthbert, Saint Wolstane, miserable wretches: in whom all the merit was, that they promoted monkery. Austen of Canterbury, anselm and Lanfranke proud contentious wranglers for worldly pre-eminence. Dunstane suspected of necromancy; Dominicus, Lubinus, Medardus, Franciscus, Didacus, Hiacinthus; some unlearned, some superstitious and barbarous. Yea, the Pope in Canonizing Saints maketh a protestation, Fulk. in 2. Mat. ex Pontef. Marel. Archiep. Corciri. Vid milk Canum. li. 5. loc. ca. 5 pa. 174 Litanen●●c in lib. 2. q. 16. Sacctorum igitur canonismi authores ac m●gistri fu●re ●lim suis in Diocesibu● episcopi ac primates quilibet. litanen. lib. 2. ca. 10 lo the 3 was the first pope that ever solemnly did canonize any Saint. He at the req●est of Charles the great put Suibertus into the Albe of Saints Vid. Sur. ●●m 2 et Bel. lib. 1. de ●am beat cap 8 v●rbo, dices plurimi. If he should happen to be deceived in the party, and hath ere now canonised one against his opinion. finally, who knoweth not the old saying? Many bodies are worshipped in earth, whose souls are burning in Hell. Therefore cardinal Bessarion might as well doubt of the honesty and virtue of some Saints, as of the truth of their histories( howsoever Serarius the Iesuite saith, that thereof Bessarion never doubted). For who knoweth not that in ancient time, before the Pope made a Monopoly of Canonizing Saints, and took that power to himself, every Bishop in every diocese made Saints, as Cyprian and Austin witness. Wherefore when there were so many Saint-makers as were Bishops, can any man bee assured of the holinesse of all the Saints? May not Bishops as well make unworthy Saints, as worthless Ministers? And may not the succeeding age look one day to see james Clement, and Francis Rouiliac of France: Parry, Lopez; yea Garnet, Faux, Gunpowder traitors of England, graced with red letters in an almanac? We know how ready the Romish Church is to advance,& increase the dignity of her Saints,& how every order strives for their patron. Alex. 4. in literis Anag●. dat 5. anno pōt ficatus, ex spectus. Ex Dec. Sexti 41. d●t. Rō ap. Sanct. 〈◇〉 et oc●●●us Sept. pō● an. 2. in speculo Minerum. When Francis was admitted by the papal Bull to bee painted with the wounds of Christ in his hands, feet, and side, and all men enjoined by remission of sins to beleeue the same, and none to contradict it: what swelling? what envy? what emulation was in the other orders? insomuch that the Sisters of the order of Saint Katherine of Sene, and the seruants of other Saints said, That their Patrons also had the same marks conformable to the five wounds of Christ. They caused this to be preached in pulpits, to be delivered to the people: they painted, graved, and formed the Images of them with wounded feet and hands, and with the pierced side: Nothing was omitted that might make them equal to Saint Francis. So that Sixtus the fourth had much adooe by his letters to suppress the same; forbidding, enjoining, inhibiting, that no man should presume to preach or teach that the said wounds are found in any Saint but Francis: commanding also that all Images so painted be amended, until the apostolical Sea shall grant special privilege to Saint Katherine, so to be painted and preached. Wherein you see the cunning of this old sinon, who after the thunder bolte of his blustering inhibition, that such honour to Saint katherine should not be given, being false and not pertaining to her, yet he giveth hope, that in time Saint katherine from the purple strumpet may receive favour to deck her self with her own lies, and to be boared thorough hand and foot. Quid non speramus, si nummos possideamus? Christ and Saints are to bee sold for money. CHAP. XXXVIII. That Saints as the Papists affirm haue the two attributes of a proper mediator ascribed unto them; which is, to participate of the two extremes, and to remove the obstacles of coniunction. IN the former Chapter I declared, that the virgin is compared to the neck, joining both the head and the body together. Now all men know, that the neck joineth the head and the body together by matter of the same substance with both. Of the virgin the missal thus singeth: Quae Deum hominibis, et im● coelesti●us ●ūg●●. O puerperae. in v s●. Mari● seq●●● Ve●i matter grat●●. in Miss. star. which God unto Man, the lowest unto the highest hast joined, O child-bearing virgin. This cannot bee, except the virgin participate of both natures. Ser. 161. Wherefore of her coniunction to our nature, Discip. de Temp. saith; Shee is compelled to be our Mother, because her son is our brother: and of her coniunction to the Godhead the same author telleth; Pater elegit in s●l●a, silius in matrem, Spiritu● sanctus in 〈◇〉 ser. ●ocandum q●●d sic●● d●●, in princip● ap. the Father did choose her for his daughter, the son for his Mother, and the holy ghost, 〈◇〉 Deu para●● cum 〈◇〉 pater est et D●um omnium ita 〈…〉 genetrix ●l●ria meritis suis ●●●cta ●●●arandom ●●●r est A s l. in lib. de exc●l v●rg cap. 11. ex Cent. 11. cap. 4 Tit. de Maria. for his wife. anselm of her coniunction to mankind saith; as God by his power ordaining al things is our Father: so the Mother of God by her merits repairing all things is our Mother. And of her divine nature another saith; ●x cum silio seeds in gloria patris. apud Chem●. in tibi omnes chori. thou with thy son sittest at the glory of the Father. Likewise of her coniunction to the Godhead, the mass of Sarisburie saith, Concathedrat, She sits together in the same throne. Nay Antonius Florentinus saith, she is the Throne of God itself, wherein God doth rest. But I will defer the further tractation hereof unto the place wherein I shall show the Apotheosis, Maria est thronus Chr●sti, in quo qui●uit, ex Chemn. de Sanc. ●moc. part. 3 or God-making of Saints. The Roman breviary saith,( shee is the sleece betwixt the earth and the dew, the woman between the sun and the moon, in lect. amplectemu●. even Mary betwixt Christ and the Church. Let us now descend to the second property of a mediator, which is, to remove all obstacles which may hinder the coniunction. I said before, that the impediments betwixt God and us were sin, death, hell, and the divell: but the strength of these did cheeflie consist in sin. The taking away of which principal impediment, the Romish Church doth attribute unto Saints. For so they pray unto Martin; Mundans immunda, qui sugas daemonia, nos hic libera. in transl. Mar. Thou which cleansing the unclean dost drive out devils, deliver vs. Likewise unto Bartholomew; I Te precor vt metuis pretiosis meritis liberes ab omnibus persi●●●● diaboli,& insidu●, et terroribu●, et im●ugnationibus, et damnatione, et illusione hosti●: et in dic suroris Dom. et i● si●e vitae m●ae contra adversarios m●o in adiutorium m●um ven●●●●et br●i● lumin bus suff●●to agni ves●●●●● osten●●●. apud C●emnic. in orat Sanct. filled with all filthiness beseech thee, that thou wilt deliver me by thy precious merits, from all deceits of the divell, ambushes, terrors, assaults, and damnation, and illusion of the enemy: and that in the day of the wrath of the Lord, and in the end of my life, against my enemies thou wilt be my defence● and being upheld by two lights, thou wouldst show me the steps of the lamb. Discip. de Temp. to the virgin prayeth; Copiosa charitas tua nostrum cooperia● mu●t●no●●ē peccatorum, D●mina nostra, aduocata nostra. Disc. de Temp. ser. 162. ex Bern. Let thy plenteous charity cover the multitude of our sins, O Lady, our Mediatrix, and our advocate. And in the missal; Mala nostra pella bona cuncta posc●. Bre. star. et Ro. in him. Au●. ma. stella drive away all our evils, procure for us all good. Thus I haue made it clear, neither can it be denied, but that both the proprieties of a mediator are by the Church of Rome ascribed unto Saints. God grant, that they may be taken in their own heart,( as the Prophet saith) that seeing their own error, they may forsake it, and turn again unto the Lord. CHAP. XXXIX. Of the Limitations, which the Church of Rome prescribeth unto itself in making Saints mediators. THe first& principal distinction, wherewith the Church of Rome( attributing the office of mediation to Saints) goeth about to colour her impiety, is, Vid. Bull●●g. de orig. cultus diuorum, et simulacrorum. cap. 13. ex Musc. in loc. con. Tit. de Sac. now. test. that they make Saints mediators of intercession ONELY, and not of redemption. A second shift Aquinas bringeth in, Esse mediatorem simpliciter et perfectiue est proprium Christo●al●● unt mediatores dispositiue et ministraliter, pr● v● cooperantur ad vnionem cum Deo. Aq. vt coll. per Bo● jo. part. 3. cap. 26. et sic in tex q. ●6. ar. 1 that betwixt God and Man simply and perfectly to mediate, is proper only unto Christ: dispositiuely, and by way of ministration, the Saints work together with Christ. Thirdly, they deny, Kellis. lib. 3. cap. 12 fol. 3●4. that they make Saints immediate mediators unto the essence of God and the glorious Trinity. And they say, that ●he āno●. in ●. ad T●m. ●. 5. they ask not grace in this life, nor glory in the next but by Christ: and that they aclowledge, that all secondary advocates haue access to God, only through him. Fourthly, they make Christ a mediator by giuing, not by prayer. For no man amongst them( as the Rhemists teach) saith, Vid. Bel. de Sanct. beat. lib. 1 cap. 17. Christ pray for us, but Christ haue mercy on vs. They esteem not so basely of Christ, as to invocate him to pray,& to beseech, as they do Saints. Fiftly, the Rhemists haue found out a spiders web of no small strength to cover their nakedness: namely, Rhem annot ●n 1. Tim. 2. sect. 5. that Christ is such a mediator as prayeth for all, and hath none to pray for him: but such( they say) Saints are not. These are the armours of proof, wherewith they suppose that all objections may be repelled. But in all these, Mentita est iniquitas sibi; iniquity lieth unto itself. If it lied to itself onely, the fault were the less: but it lieth unto men, it lieth unto the holy Ghost; as I doubt not in the ensuing discourse, it shall to all those that will unpartially deem, evidently appear. So that laying aside all these cloaks and visors of deceit, you shall see them nakedly, simply, plainly, make Saints mediators as Christ is a mediator. CHAP. XL. That Saints are mediators of Redemption, contrary to the first Limitation. ALthough of this argument it is sufficiently discoursed in the former treatise of Redemption: Answer to the ●ast Limitation. yet in this place also( that it may more fully appear with what falsehoods they excuse their blasphemies, and with what untrue glosses and deceits they bewitch the understanding of the simplo) I will bee bold to detain the reader with a survey of this their Limitation again. First, it is needful to define the mediation of Redemption, and to know what is meant thereby; and then it will easily appear, how well this Canon is observed. Mediation of Redemption is the offering of the full price and sufficient satisfaction for offences, and so to procure absolution of the same. But all this they confess that the Saints perform for us; therefore they make Saints mediators of Redemption. I need not to seek far for arguments to make the matter plain: they are every where offered unto us in their private and public writings. The Rhemists say, Rhemist. in 2. C●r. ● annot. 5. that the satisfactory and penal works of Saints are communicable and applied to the use of other. Antonius Bishop of Florence saith, Vid Chemnic. in Sanct. inuoc part 3. That Mary is the gate of heaven; because what grace soever came from heaven, it came through Mary:& whatsoever cometh up unto heaven, entereth by Mary. Bernardine saith, that Vid Chemn. in exam. con. ●●id. d● cultu Sanct. ex Bre. in suo Mar●al. the virginis Mediatrix of salvation, of coniunction, of justification, of reconciliation, of intercession, of communication. If there could haue been more ways of Mediation found out, surely more he would haue repeated. The missal of Sarisbury in like manner offers the merits of Peter unto God as the price of their sin; Huius amore deus juramentum terge rea 〈◇〉 vt tibi qui placu●● placido● nos r●dd●ra pos●●t. Bre. star. in Cath. Petri. in sec. noctur. For his love, O God, cleanse the guilt of thy seruants, that he which pleased thee, may make us please thee also. What can be more plain? Gods love to Peter, and Peters acceptable pleasing of God, is alleged as the cause, for which he should haue mercy on vs. So in the Primer printed by Arnold Connings, set forth by authority, confirmed with the same graces and privileges that the latin Office itself is, thus they pray; Sit tibi domine merit●● beatae virginis genetricis tua Maria& emmum Sanctorum gr●t.& accept morat post Confess. sit tibi domine The like the roman breviary also hath in the absolution precibus& meritis. Let this confession, O Lord, bee acceptable unto thee through the merits of the blessed Virgin Mary thy Mother, and all Saints. But because there hath been so much of this argument before delivered, I will no longer hold thee( gentle Reader) with a tedious Discourse, to prove that which none can deny that hath a forehead to blushy. CHAP XLI. That the Saints do mediate perfectly and properly in the Romish Church, contrary to the second Limitation. THe vanity of this evasion doth at the first blushy bewray itself. answer to the second Limitation. For the ministerial mediation to salvation is onely in this life, Bellar. de justif. l. 1. c. 2. ubi exemplificantur causa justificationis, in causa instrumentari● separata. and that by preaching the Word, administering the Sacraments, and exercising the keys of the Church. And in this sense Moses is called the Mediator of the Old Testament. The truth is, that in the Law there were diuers Mediators betwixt God and Man. For Moses was not an immediate mediator betwixt God and the people. But when it is said, God appeared, or God spake unto Moses, it is always meant, that an angel appeared, or an angel the substitute of God spake unto Moses. Vid. Luther. in 3. ad Galatas. Angels therefore were mediators betwixt God and Moses, to bring the Law unto him. And of this mediation Saint Paul speaketh; Gal. 3.19. It was ordained by Angels in the hand of a Mediator. So Stephen telleth the Iewes, Act. 7.35. that God sent Moses by the hand, that is, by the dispensation or ministery of an angel. The Angels were subordinate unto God, because Exod. 33.20. Moses( though with extraordinary sanctification adorned) could not stand before the presence of God. And Moses was subordinate unto the Angels, because the people( though they also were sanctified) could not sustain, Exod. 20. nor abide the glory of Angels delivering the Law in fire, in lightning, in thundering, in tempest and in earthquake. Nay, this Exod. 34.33. glorious apparition made the face of Moses so resplendent, that he was also compelled to cover his face with a veil, that it might bee a Mediator betwixt him and the people. For on his face itself( so brightly shining) they could not look. Now these sundry mediators in the first covenant were necessary; for that the first covenant delivered the glory of God, and the power of God to iudgement and to vengeance: It set forth the purity, and the spotless rigour of his vnflexible righteousness: It thundered out the Law, the curse, the death which was due to all mankind. So that the deliverers thereof were as intolerable to the people, as the things themselves were. Neither were they properly Mediators as Christ is; but messengers to denounce, and declare unto the people the righteousness of God, and his wrath against sin. But the gospel is a covenant of sweetness and peace, wherein God weakeneth and humbleth himself( as it were) and hath sent his own son in the cloud of flesh, by which God is communicable and familiar with us; that thereby we might behold and draw near unto himself. And this is the difference betwixt the first, and the second covenant, and the mediations of them both. Now therefore it is to be considered, that in the New Testament, though there be diuers Ministers, yet none is called a Mediator but Christ onely; for that in none wee can behold God, or come near unto him, but in CHRIST. As it is absurd and traitorous ambition in an earl or a Duke, to bee called a King, because he is a subordinate power to the King: so it is blasphemous and sacrilegious in our religion, to call any other but CHRIST, by the glorious and sovereign title of a Mediator. Augustine very soundly teacheth, In 8. cap. contra Epist. Parmen. it is an intolerable blasphemy to say, Bishops are mediators betwixt God and the people. Let us now proceed further unto other Reasons, which prove Saints deceased not to bee ministerial Mediators for us unto GOD. The Office of ministration ceaseth in men, when men cease to be among the living. And hereof are many probations. First, the souls of the Saints, Apoc. 14.13. after they bee dis-burdened of the flesh, enjoy an everlasting Sabbath and rest from their labours. Ministration then ceaseth with them, which belongeth to travelers in the way: glory and thanksgiving remaineth to them, as unto Citizens of the new jerusalem in the Paradise of happiness. Secondly, the Apostle Paul maketh this difference betwixt Christ and all other Priests; Heb. 7.23.24. for that other Priests were forbidden by death to endure, but this Man, because he endureth for ever, hath an everlasting Priesthood. Now if the Saints being dis-burdened of the flesh, and dead, do yet still make intercession for us, their Priesthood endureth still, as Christs Priesthood endureth still; and there is no difference betwixt our High Priest Christ and other Priests, in respect of continuance and endurance. Which if it were granted, the Apostle should bee found a false witness concerning Christ. An impiety that no Christian ear can endure. Thirdly, no place of Scripture teacheth, that the departed Saints are ministerial Mediators in heaven, or that they pray for us there as Mediators. Neither haue wee example of any, that ever in the gospel of IESVS CHRIST was taught to call, or did attempt to call on Saints to be his ministerial mediators. Augustine acknowledgeth; August. whom should I find that might reconcile me to thee? Shall I go to the Angels? With what prayer? with what Sacraments? as though he should say, in all the holy volume there is no Ordinance, there is no Rite, there is no ceremony nor fashion, according to which any should bee worshipped but God alone. But what go I about to beate the air? Or why do I sight with this chimera and fantastical imagination of ministerial Mediatorship? whereas indeed they make Saints full, perfect, absolute, and proper Mediators in all their worship. And this is evidently proved by all the Attributes, which can be given to a perfect Mediator. It is the Office of a perfect and absolute Mediator, to unite by his merits and prayer sinners to God; But this they aclowledge Saints to do. For proof whereof look into the mass of Saint Anthony, where you shall find, Tua pr●ce, laudi& gloria nos copulat sanctorum coetui. Miss. star. ●n Sanct. Anth. foelix corpus& foelix anima. By thy Prayer, thy praise, and thy glory, God joineth us to the fellowship of the Saints. And unto the Virgin they pray; Nos in pertu salutari tua s●●at gratia. in concep. virg. Miss. star. Let thy grace make us stand in the heaven of health. To this purpose Bellarmine urgeth a saying of Chrysostome; Bellar. de Sanc. beat. lib. 1. cap. 18. As souldiers showing their wounds to the King do boldly speak: so the Martyrs bringing in their heads cut off, may obtain what they will, of the King of heaven. A perfect Mediator is such, In omnibus, queen ad pacem siuit, non perfunctorie, said efficaciter quaerens. Bern. as doth not lightly, but efficaciously, seek those things which belong to peace. But this, they say, is by the Saints performed. For Portis. star. in sert●. b●at. virg. lect. 1. sacrosanctam. leg. 4. the Virgin hath abolished the handwriting of devilish sedition; as it pleaseth the missal of Sarum to say. anselm calleth her Ansel. i● 2. ●rat. de 5. dol. virg. auxiliatrix dei. the composition of eternal peace. Of Saint Claudius they say; fear totus orbis Christianorum pro suis neces●itatibus ad ipsum affinit,& quicunque eum p●è& deuotè quaesierit, desolatus non remanebis in Suffr. Sanc. impr. Paris. per jacob Ker●er. anno 1570. Moys de la●● in orat. deus qui per haec tanta tamque. almost the whole world of Christians flieth unto him for their necessities: and whosoever doth devoutly and godly seek him, shall never remain desolate. The roman missal prayeth, that the merits of lo interceding, they may bee absolved from all their faults: so for all men and all causes Saints are mediators: orat. Exaud. quaesumus. He is a perfect Mediator, who is an universal Mediator, saving all. Such the Virgin is; for the missal saith, Sancta v●rg. digno exigit venerari prec●●to ca●●● constat m●ndus saluitus suffragio Bre. star. in ser●●. beat. virg. O beat Mar.& Ro. Bre. in assump. virg. This great and so holy Virgin requireth with worthy praise to bee worshipped, by whose suffrage it is manifest the world is saved. Another saith, Ex quo è terra tra●sl●●●es, te vniuersus mund●s conti●et co●●●. propitiatorium. Aloy. lip. hist. per. 1. fol. 270. ex Andr. Crete●si. Since thou wast translated from the earth, the whole world holdeth thee a common propitiation. And of Nicholas; Credo, ●iè Sanct Nico. tuis me preci cibus esse sal●m cum. apud Chemn. in orat Sanct. I devoutly beleeue, O holy Nicholas, that I shall be saved by thy prayers. He is a perfect Mediator, in whom all the treasures of Gods mercy are exposed unto us: But such the Romanists aclowledge the Saints to be. For the second counsel of Nice calleth Saints, In act. 3 apud Barth Caranz. Promptuaria dei, Gods Butteries or his Spence, wherein belike all his riches are comprehended. unto Saint Erasmus they pray; In orat. modo Sanct. Eras. apud Chemnic. O blessed Erasmus, I commend all my counsels, all my actions, and all things, that are subject unto me, to thee& thy holy faith: deliver me from all my adversities, and all my enemies bodily and ghostly, for the promise which God to thee hath made. So to the Virgin they call, Bre. star. in a● nunciat. beat. Mar. virg.& Ro bred in aue Maris Stella. Bona cuncta posce, procure for us all good things. Pardon to the guilty: medicine to the sick: strength to the faint-hearted: comfort to the afflicted: Ro. Bre. in assump. virg lect. ecce quibus. help to them that are in danger, saith the roman breviary. She is the true ark of Mercy, the Lady of Kings, the glory of women, the congratulation of Saints, Vera Arca prop●●tatorij: Haec est ergo domina Regum, decus mul●erum, &c. port. star. in seru. beat. Maria. virg. hac ta●●. the consolation of the miserable, the refuge of sinners, the reparation of all believers. What can be more accumulated to the perfection of a mediator? And yet the History of Lombardy doth attribute as much unto Saint George. For when he was beheaded, Et d●●ana vox ver●t quod sic es●●t. in Leg. george. He prayed unto God, that whosoever did call vpon his aid, should obtain his Petition, and the divine voice came unto him, that it should be so. Thus God makes a covenant with George, an universal covenant, that all things should be given for his sake: a covenant of Salt, or an everlasting covenant, to endure for ages; that whosoever calleth for his help, should obtain his petition. He is a perfect mediator, in whose intercession God and Man resteth. In whom God resteth himself as in the Sabbath of his iudgement, Man resteth as in the Sabbath of his conscience: God resteth from punishment, Man resteth from fear: God resteth, as pleased and satisfied: Man resteth, as hopeful and assured. But both these rests are in the Saints. For first, a sinner may confidently( say they) repose and rest himself in Saints, and be secure in Saints, although by a lively faith out of the Word of God he cannot be secure in the mediation of Christ. Of the Virgin in the assumption they sing, Quam id circo de praesenti seculo transtulisti, vt pro peccacatis nostris fiducialiter crare●. Miss. star. in vigil. assump. virg. secret. mun●ra nostra. Thou didst translate her from this present world, that she might confidently intercede for our sins. Now they cannot here by any distinction avoid just reprehension, or say, that Fiducialiter, may be taken for light hope, as not onely Tho. Secunda secundae q. 129. Aquinas teacheth, Lib. 5. cap. 7. and Bellarmine de justific. But Seneca also to Lucilius saith; De te spem babeo, nondum fiduci●m. I trust thee, but yet haue no confidence in thee. But let us return to our Romanists, who pray; In orat besiege diem ex Mart. Chemnic. Defend, O Lord, thy seruants being confident in the patronage of Peter and Paul, and other Apostles. And the roman breviary prayeth, Itaque eius precibus glorialis deuota permaneat,& secura consistat. Ro. Bre. infest. Agap. orat. laetetur Ecclesia. That the Church may remain devout, and secure by the glorious prayers of Saint Agapet. The schoolman also saith, that the Saints must be called vpon with great boldness, because they haue deserved that they may help us in our necessities. And therefore one Orison prayeth; Ecce domi●a salvatrixmea, fiducialiter agam in te,& non timebo. apud Mart. Chemn. in exam. Co●c. tried. de cultu Sarc. Behold, O Lady my Sauioresse, I will bee bold in thee, and will not fear. And the Antidotarium calleth her Spem tutissimam, the safest hope of a sinful soul. Bernard saith; Vt fiducialiter sequuntur dominam. ser. de assump. 1. Our queen is gone before us, and so gloriously received, that her seruants might confidently follow her: as a sinner may quiet his conscience in the mediation of Saints, so God is also at rest and p●cified in them. Anto. Arch Flor. Mary is the throne of Christ, in which He restend, saith Anthony. Among the seven joys of the Virgin this is not the least, That the highest trinity, and the Virgin haue but one will: and that as the day is made joyful by the sun: Discip de Temp. 〈◇〉 exemp. 11. so the whole Court of heaven is cleared by her presence. anselm saith, It is impossible he should perish, that turns to our Lady. Michael of Hungaria saith; In ser. de Rosario. I speak it confidently, he that offers himself faithfully to serve our Lady in the fraternity of the Rosary, shalt not perish for ever. Bernard saith; Ex Mich. de Hung. serm. de Rosar in c●nfirm. frat. Ros. If thou be devout to Mary, Velis nolis, whether thou wilt or not, thou shalt be relieved with her grace. Lastly, to conclude concerning this frivolous distinction of Perfect and unperfect Mediation; what should they cloak the matter in saying, that Saints are not perfect mediators? since they make not the Mediation of Christ himself perfect without Saints. For that cannot bee perfect, unto which of necessity another must bee joined. But Eckius plainly saith, Quemadmodum deus est qui vot●. nostra exaudire, qui orationes implere potest, dominus est qui gratiam& gloriam dabit▪ ita quoqu● dominus deus inter●m neque votis an●uit neque exorabilem se praestat, nisi intercedentibus diui● Eckius de Vener. Sanct. part. 2. fol. 216. iuxta impress. Paris. anno 1572. As it is God, which can hear and fulfil our Petitions, and the Lord which shall give us grace and glory: so the Lord in the mean while, neither granteth our Petitions, nor is favourable to bee entreated, except the Saints intercede for vs. And bonaventure saith of the blessed Virgin; Psal. 86. He that calleth not on thee in this life, shall not come into the kingdom of God. And again,, Psal. 136. propitiation shall not be found without her. And Michael de Hungaria in his Sermon on the Rosary out of anselm saith; Mich. de Hung. ex Anselmo. Who ever obtained pardon of his sins, except Mary did mediate for him? I might here infer diuers Histories reported by Iacobus de Voragine, which import a necessity of worshipping Saints. As, that when all Apulia was like to perish by reason of dearth, there was a revelation given, that it was, because they did not celebrate the festival of Saint Mary. And the plague raging in Italy, to another it was revealed, that it should not cease, till an Altar were at Papia erected to Saint Sebastian. But what need I busy my myself in proofs hereof? sithence the shameless suits haue brought the testimony of the divell himself in this behalf. Sebastian Michael. in act. 19. Decemb. 1610. Verrein forsooth( for so they call him) pronounceth, That who denieth intercession of Saints, denieth an Article of his creed. CHAP. XLII. That Saints in the Romish Church are made immediate mediators unto God, and that by them they ask grace in this life, and glory in the life to come; contrary to the third Limitation. THis Limitation is much enforced by the teachers of the Romish Church, answer to the third Limitation. as though thereby the stain and imputation of blasphemy were altogether taken away. Wherefore Doctor Kellison affirmeth, Kellison in his survey of the new religion. lib. 3. cap. 12. that they (a) pray otherwise to Saints; and otherwise to Christ. To him they pray, as to their supreme advocate: to them as secondary advocates, who haue no access to God but through him. Now although it bee presumption enough to ordain officers unto Christ without his warrant, yet either Master Kellison is very ignorant in the business, wherein he would be thought most exercitat: or else he cannot but know, that the Church whereof he is a member, maketh Saints mediators unto the Essence of the trinity and unity itself; to the Father, to the son, and to the holy Ghost. Examples hereof are too too plentiful. saint paul Apo. pradicator veritatis, et doctor gentium, intercede ad Deum pro nobis, qui te elegit. Ro. Bre. in sest. Apo. Pet. et Paul. Holy Paul teacher of the truth, and doctor of the Gentiles, intercede for us unto God, who hath chosen thee. so in the hymn common to every virgin; By huius ob●entis, Deus alme, nostris parce tam culpis, vitia remittē●. Ro. Bre. in him. virg. proles. her obtaining, O gracious God, spare our offences, and forgive our sins. This is immediate mediation unto God, without once naming Christ. again in the missal unto the blessed virgin Mary they pray; Sic per te excusabile, quod ter te ingerimus▪ in Ro. Bre. Let it bee by thee excusable, that by thee wee offer. In another place also the same missal feareth not to make Saints to help us for Christ his sake, as well as Christ helpeth for the Saints. For it saith, No● solise vinculis seculi amore filii Dei. in come. unius Mart. in him. martyr. De●. Loose us from the bands of the world, for the love of the son of God. Sundry prayers they haue wherein they desire Saints to bee mediators for them unto God, without any mention of Christ, or the ordinary conclusion, FOR, or THROVGH Iesus Christ our Lord; as in the service of our Lady, where the Ex Fulk. in annot. in no●. testament. three Orisons; Holy Mary Virgin of virgins, and Mary the holiest of holies, and holy Mother of GOD, are not concluded with the clause, By, or Through Iesus Christ our Lord. Wherefore all these are wicked and unlawful prayers, as by the testimony of Saint Augustine in his treatise on the hundred& eight psalm it is evident: who saith, Non est iusta oratio nisi per Christum; oratio autem, quae non sit per Christum, non solum non potest delere peccatum, said etiam ipsa sit in peccatum. ex Hen. B●ll. de orig. cult. diuorum. cap. 23 it is no just prayer, which is not made by Christ: it cannot only not take away sin, but it is sin also itself. The missal of Sarum, of Saint Anne saith; Let Nostra svit aduocata in Des praesentia. in Sequent. test●ment yet. her be our advocate in the presence of God. In the Antidotary they pray to the virgin; Tu ergo, O virginea matter, accidents ad illud supper coeleste sacrarium semper venerandae trinitatis offer pro me. ex Chemn. Thou therefore, O Virgin, Mother of Virgins, having access to that supercelestiall holy place of the ever venerable Trinity, offer for me. To Bernwardus the Bishop they thus pray; O gemma Saxoniae, norma pretatis. pie praesul Bernwarde, tuorum memer operum, sta coram sumin● judice, pro tuorum coetu pauperum. ex Chemnic. O gem of Saxony, the rule of piety, O godly prelate Bernward, being mindful of thy work, stand before the high judge, for the company of thy poor suppliants. Chrysostom in Aloysius Lypomanus out of Simeon Metaphrastes is forged thus to pray to the Apostles Peter and Paul; Trinitati principio carenti, nullo inter medio, assistentes. ex orat apud Aloy▪ lip part. 1. pa. 318. do not forget, but standing before the holy Trinity, which hath no beginning, without any mean betwixt, desire of GOD those things which you know to be fit for vs. So unto Saint Cyprian, Gregory Nazianzen doth pray; Sancta trinit. cvi nunc astas splendorem nobis perfectiorem gratific●re. gratify unto us the light of the holy Trinity, before whom thou standest, more perfectly and more clear. And to Saint Anne; Offer ante thro●ū trinitatis, miseror. miseratrix An●a, stumē pi●tatis, si● pro nobis aduocatrix. in Miss. Colon. impr. per Mart. Werd. an. Dō. 150● O Anne, river of pity, and pittier of the miserable, be thou our advocate before the throne of the Trinity. As they make Saints mediators to the Essence, so also unto every person of the Trinity. For thus Nicetus prayeth in Simeon Metaphrastes; Domine pater, Dom. fili, Domin● paraclete, tri●itas sancta et cosubstantialis et supersubstant. intercessionibus chastiss. Dei matris, et omnum sanctorum, e● ipsius quoque nostri post te seruatoris, patron● et defensoris Steph. ad gloriam& honorem et laudem &c. Aloy. lip. part. 1. fol. 446. iuxta editionem an. 1●68. Lo●. per Mart. Verhess. O GOD the Father, O GOD the son, O God the comforter, thou holy and supersubstantial Trinity, by the intercession of Mary, the most chast Mother of God, and of Stephen our saviour, our Patron and defender after thee, unto the glory and honour and praise of thy adored name, now and ever through all ages &c. A Primer printed in queen Maries dayes saith of the virgin; In the 7 spiritual joys of our Lady. ver. rejoice O flower of virgin● all. , By liege of dignity thou art coupled with God so near, that thou mayest at thy desire obtain whatsoever thou wilt require. Canisius out of Augustine saith; Sancti ●hori, Arch. in angelorum, patriarchar. atque propheta●. euangelista●. et martyrum, confessor. sacerdot. leuitar. monachor. v●rginum, omniūque servorum, per illum, qui vos elegit, et de cuius contempl●tione gaudetis, vos rogare praesumo vt pro me culpabili peccatore. ipsi Deo supplicare dignem●ni. ye holy quires of Archangels, Angels, patriarches, Prophets, evangelists, Martyrs, Confessors, Priests and levites, Monks, Virgins, and all righteous, by him that hath chosen you, and for whose contemplation you rejoice, I presume to desire you to pray for me culpable offender, unto God himself. The prayer, Orat. O intem. in Chemnec. O intemerata, which was ordained by Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury, a canonised Saint, approved with a special miracle( for Saint John clapped him gently on the hand with a Ferula, because edmond had one day neglected this his own prayer, and commanded him to do so no more, and therefore must not bee doubted of) set forth also in the Primer or office of our Lady, with many graces from the apostolical Sea adorned( And therefore the authority thereof may not be called in question) after it hath instiled the virgin Mary and John to bee celestial jewels, and lights shining diuinelie before GOD( so that thereby they are constituted mediators in the presence of the eternal majesty itself) sendeth them unto the Holy Ghost to bee mediators for us also unto that blessed third person of trinity; Ex primario vel office. virg. Mar. Anglolat. impress. anno 1599. per Arnold. Coning. Procure, I beseech thee, procure by thy glorious prayers, that the pure spirit, the best giver of graces, may vouchsafe to visit my heart and dwell therein, which may thoroughly purge me from all filth of 'vice: lighten and adorn me with sacred virtues: cause me perfectly to stand and persevere in the love of God, and my neighbour: and after the course of this life, the most benign comforter may bring me to the joys of his Elect, who with God the Father, and the son liveth and reigneth world without end. So doth bonaventure also make the Virgin his Mediatrix to the holy Ghost; Pac domina, vt viuamus in gratia spiritus sancti. Psal. 86. Procure Lady, that we may live in the favour of the Holy Ghost. Many other prayers I might recount, wherein the Saints are made advocates to the substance of the Godhead, to the Essence of the trinity,& to the several persons thereof. CHAP. XLIII. Of the vanity of the fourth Limitation, wherein they pretend that Christ is a mediator onely by giuing, and not by praying; but Saints contrariwise are mediators onely by praying for men. answer to the fourth Limitation. AN ancient Father truly& wisely saith, there is a double kind of blindness, when men see not the things that are,& yet would seem to see the things that are not. And surely this miserable darkness is fallen vpon the Romish fraternity, who cannot behold the great High Priest and Bishop of our souls at the right hand of God, making intercession for his Church continually, and yet can see swarms and armies of other mediators commending their cause to God. It is no just defence or apology to say, they do not esteem so basely of the Mediation of Christ, as to beseech him to pray for them; seeing that Christ doth both pray for us as a Mediator: and giveth to us as our God. he prayeth in his humanity, wherein he is stil inferior to God: he giveth in his divinity, wherein he is equal to God: his prayer hath relation to his person: his giuing hath reference to the substance of his Deity. Wherefore the Apostle saith, Heb 7.25. he is able perfectly to save those, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. And in another place; Rom 8.34. Christ is at the right hand of God, and maketh request also for vs. Vpon which words Ambrose saith, the Apostle makes us secure both of the Father, and the son. For before he said, that God doth justify: and now, that the son doth intercede. Two parts there are of Christs eternal Priesthood. The first to Sacrifice: the second to pray. The Act of sacrificing was but once done, and never to bee renewed; he himself thereof having witnessed, jo. 19.30. It is finished. And the Father also doth aclowledge the same. For the sweet Exod. 29.38. and fragrant odour of the Holocaust is ever before GOD; whereof the daily Sacrifice Exod. 12.11. was a type and figure. And he in this respect is termed Apoc. 13.8. a lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world. But the second part of Christs Priestly Office, which is prayer, is now in doing, and shall ever continue till the accomplishment of our redemption, and that his whole body be glorified with him their head. Wherefore Saint John saith, 1. joh. 1.1. Wee haue an advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous. Now then the Romanists, if they please, need not fear to come to this open fountain and professed advocate: and they may bee bold to beseech him to pray for them; which if they do not, it is their own fault. And whereas they account it a debasing, or the disgrace of our Redeemer, in his holy humanity to pray for us, there is no such cause. For his prayer is infinitely excellent above all the prayers, that we, or any other Priests can sand up unto God; and that for many considerations. First, Christs prayer hath satisfaction joined with it, it is Gen. 8 2●. odour requiescentiae, the savour of rest, which was figured in the Sacrifice of Noah, wherein God is fully contented. But our prayer is the prayer of a loathsome and corrupt Leper, lieu. 13. who must haue his clothes rent, the head hare a covering before his lips, and cry; I am unclean, I am unclean. Neither may we offer it up, but with the acknowledgement of our corruption. Secondly, as wee ourselves are unworthy, so our prayers are unperfect: but the prayer of Christ is absolute, and perfect. For Col. 2.3. job. 16.30. he knoweth all our necessities, nothing is hide from him. Thirdly, Christs prayer maketh all our prayers acceptable; as you read in the revelation, that unto the Apoc. 8.3. angel standing before the Altar, having a golden Censer, was much more odours given, that he should offer with the prayers of all Saints vpon the golden Altar, which is before the Throne. Which place Lyra their own Glossator expoundeth of IESVS CHRIST, which came, that is( saith he) united flesh unto himself, and stood before the Altar: that is, before himself, and representeth the prayers of the Saints unto the Father. By this it appeareth sufficiently, how vain their excuse is, who fear to make Christ their orator to the Father, according to the gospel; and yet fear not to make men their advocates, contrary to the gospel. The Law ordaineth, Leuit. 21.18. that the Priest may not be lame of any of his members. But they haue shamelessly dismembered and dissolved Iesus, taking from him one of the most excellent parts of his Priesthood, which is Intercession at the right hand of GOD by prayer for us; the most sweet and sovereign salve of all wounded consciences: and in place thereof haue put those to plead our cause, and to pray as our advocates for us, who haue no warrant for such an office. Concerning the second part of this Limitation, wherein they pretend, that they come not to Saints, as unto such as haue power to give, but onely to pray; Let us now examine it. And not to go farther for examples, being compassed with such a cloud of witnesses, the matter in controversy is made manifest in their public Orison; Omnesque ciue● coelici annuant votis supplicum. Ro. B●e. 〈◇〉 him. Iesu salu●tor seculi. Let all the heavenly Citizens grant the prayer of the suppliant. bonaventure to the blessed virgin saith; Cō●●de 〈◇〉 locum inter ●●ctos ●●e. ●sa. 19. Or P●t Eremica. grant my soul place amongst the elect of God. After the same manner speaketh the prayer recorded by Martin Chemnicius unto Nicholas; Post hanc tuam nos m●u●as ad aterna g●udi● ex Chemu. After this life bring thou us into eternal joys. And unto Saint George; Hic nos saluet à peccatu, vt in ●oelo cum beatis possimus quiescere. Let this man save us from sins, that in heaven with the happy wee may rest. The Roman breviary saith of John and Paul, Habent potestatem claudere coelum nubibus, et aperire portas eius, quia lingu● esrum claves coeli. That they haue power to shut up heaven with the clouds, and open the gates thereof: their tongues are the keys of heaven. Bernard saith, Ser. 15. in Cant. iuxta medium. If Philip and Andrew bee our Porters, wee shall take no repulse. Thus now is Peter put out of his office, who elsewhere is saluted with the title of Clauiger a●hereus. ad manis Antig. in Rom. Bre. heavenly Keybearer. Yea, the Lion of the Tribe of judah doth hereby lose his place also; even he, that hath the key of david, and shutteth, and no man openeth, and openeth, and no man shutteth: except( perhaps) heaven haue many doors, and many ways into it. Michael de Hungaria in his sermon on the rosary of the virgin saith; In confirm. Rosarij. ad finem. Michael the captain and prince of the heavenly host, together with all ministering spirits obey thy commandements, O virgin, in defending the bodies, and receiving the souls of them that commit themselves unto thee day and night. So Bernard saieth, Ascendens ergo i● altum virgo be ta, d●b●t ipsa dona hominibus apud lip. part. 1. fol. 22●. vul. ser apsiu de assum. virg. ser. 1. The holy virgin ascending on high shall herself give gifts unto men: Dabit ipsa, shall herself give. Where is now the Limitation of Tho. Aquinas, that Soli Deo pore●gitur oritio ●uasi per ipsum m●lenda. 〈◇〉 2ae q 83. unto God onely prayer is directed, as by him to be fulfilled? where is now Bellarmins reservation? Non licet à sanctis petere &c Bell, de Sanct. lib 1. cap. 17. protos. prima It is not lawful to require of Saints, that they should as authors of divine blessings, give glory or grace, or any of the means, by which wee come unto the same. Learned Chemnicius recordeth a prayer used to Martin after this manner; In orat. quae inci●it, Martinus quiniam. For Martin doth attend the prayers of the faithful, giuing all wholesome things unto his seruants which do rightly sing. And again to the Angels; Tu nostros Gabriel prosterne hostestu Raphael a●ri● affer meed am. ibid. Gabriel, destroy thou our enemies: Raphael, bring thou medicine to the diseased. Nay, as the true Ortohd●x faith teacheth, that Christ is such a mediator, as both prayeth to the Father, and also gives with the Father: so they also call vpon the Saints in one prayer, both to pray for them, and to give unto them. As, in that Orison of the blessed virgin; Accipe quod offerimus, redena quod regamus, excusa quod timimus. Miss. star. in ser. beat. Mar. Accept that we offer, give that we pray for, excuse that we fear. here three things they require of the virgin; To accept, to give, to excuse. In the first they aclowledge her dignity: in the second her power: in the third her office. Yea, unto every Martyr they make their petition, as well to forgive, as to pray for forgiveness; Now Miss. star. de un● Mart. non de collato. are the bonds of thy holy body loosed, loose us also from the bonds of the world, for the love of the son of God. This is clean contrary to their foresaid Limitation. For here they desire not Christ for the Saints sakes to forgive; but the Saints to forgive for Christs sake. Aloysius Lypom. recordeth a prayer unto Cyprian; Tu vero nos ab alto propitius respice, nostrūque sermonem, ac vitam diring. et sanctum ovile hoc pasce, aut vna rege, lip part. 2 pag 57. behold thou us mercifully from above, direct our words and life, feed this sheepfolde, and govern it withall. The like they haue of Saint Nicholas; Blessed In portif. Sarisb. festo. Nicho. Nicholas enjoying now his triumph, knoweth how to give unto his seruants, which with all their harts desire his bounty. Here is neither intercession, nor mediation, nor advocation, but triumph and bounty. Now if they reply, as Bellarmine doth, that it is no matter for the words, so the meaning bee, that Saints should save by prayer. I rejoin thereto, that in our religious worship our words must be perspicuous& plain, to edify the ignorant, not to ensnare them. Wee must not use ( f) cadauera verborum, Vid. Barth. Keyker. dead words, which are not such as they seem. Austin saith, It is a token of a good disposition, in verbis verum amare, non verba; to love the truth in words, not the words themselves, or the sound of them. Our religion doth not seek after dark& difficult speeches; but plain, and such as may edify. Ornari res ipsa negat, contenta doceri. And Augustine saith, that the diligent desire of plainness doth sometimes neglect fine words, Nec curat quid been sonat, said quid been indicet atque intimet; it careth not for the fine sound of the word, so it bee manifest, and doth intimate and declare well. We ought not so to put one word for another, as God may be thereby dishonoured, and his power given unto others: We ought not to put stumbling blocks before the blind. But happy is that religion, wherein speak what you will, it is no blasphemy; for mental reservation helpeth all. If the Iewes had been allowed such interpretation of words, I think none should haue been stoned to death by the Lawe lieu. 24.15. against cursing of God. But the truth is, they plainly desire, and will obtain health and blessings from the Saints themselves. wherefore Clichtoueus, who expoundeth all their Hymns and business of the mass, vpon the hymn of one Martyr, Spe mercedis, and the sixth verse of the same; Non est morbus, quem non curet, dum morborum non obduret plagā disfidentia. There is no evil which he doth not cure, so that distrust do not increase the plague of the disease, expoundeth it thus: The Omnē morborum molestiam curat hic sanctus martyr, si modo diffidentia de curatione morbi consequenda non reddat plagā morbi obduratiorē et deteriorem. pain of all diseases this holy Martyr cureth, so that distrust do not make the plague of the sickness the worse and harder to bee healed. Now let them pretend what excuses and reservations they will, their exposition, and their text are the same: their words and meaning all one. After the like manner they pray unto Saint Stephen, both to give and to forgive, in that hymn, saint Prastans genti persequenti preces pro lapidibus, ne rependas te petē●● lapides pro precibus, said indulge pia menti, plusqua audet vocibus. Vid Cl●cth●. dei pretiose; unto the nation persecuting, for stones thou yieldest prayer, then pay them not that pray to thee, with stones instead of prayers, but grant thou to the mind devout more then it doth desire. And to Saint John; absolve nostra crimina. in him. 〈◇〉 Patre verb. prodiens. forgive to us our faults. CHAP. XLIIII. Of the last Limitation, which they prescribe unto themselves in the worship of Saints, That Christ is such a mediator as prayeth for all, and none pray for him; but that Saints are not so. TUlly saith, Answer to the last Limitation. in philosophy there should bee no place for fables. Much more in the profession of our religion truth and sincertiy is required. I cannot therefore but marvel at the shamless falsehood of the Rhemists, who in their notes vpon the first Epistle to Timothy haue set down this Limitation; 1 Tim. cap. 2. in annot. that none make intercession for Christ, nor give grace to his prayers; but he to all. For the better unfolding of this cavil, you shall understand, that herein the glorified Saints differ not from Christ. For Bellarmine out of Augustine doth aclowledge, that the suffrages of the Church do not profit those that are Valde mali, that is, reprobates, swallowed up of the second death: Nor those that are Valde boni; which are the Saints dwelling in the glory of the Father. Now therefore( saith Bellarmine) Sacrificatur enim pro saints; non vt iis aliquid petamus, said vt pro ●loria illu ●o lat● Deo gratias 4 amus. Bel. de purgat. lib. 2. cap. 18. We sacrifice for Saints; not that wee do ask any thing for them: but that wee may give thankes unto G●d for their glory. And in this sense they sacrifice for Christ himself. For in the Canon of the mass they say; Vnde et m●mores Domine, no seruitur● said& plebi tua sancta eiusdem Christi filii tui Domini Dei nostri tam beatae passionnis: nec non et ab inferi● resurrectionis said et in coelo gloriosae ascensioni●, offerimus praclara mitestati tuae de tuu donis ac datu. in Can. Miss. wee thy seruants, O Lord, and thy people, being mindful of the blessed passion of the same Christ thy son, and of his resurrection also from the dead, and his glorious ascension, offer unto the excellent majesty, of thy own gifts and largesse, a pure Host, an holy Host, an immaculate Host. In these words it is evident, that the sacrifice of thanksgiving is offered for Christ: and otherwise then this to sacrifice for a Saint, they aclowledge it to bee unlawful. Iniuriā facit martyri, qu. orat pro martyr. Aug. ser. 17. de verb. apo. ex Bell. de purgat. lib. 2. cap. 1●. he offereth wrong to a Martyr, that prayeth for a Martyr. But to stop the mouth altogether of this false suggestion, only used to be a cloak of error& Idolatry, the gentle reader shal understand, that the Romish Church maketh Saints mediators five manner of ways. First, unto Christ: Secondly with Christ: Thirdly without Christ: Fourthly, for Christ; Fiftly, one Saint is made mediator to another Saint. And these be the sundry sorts of mediation, which wee find them to attribute unto Saints: whereof we will entreat in order as they lie. CHAP. XLV. Of the first kind of Mediation of Saints, which is unto Christ. THe Mediation of Saints unto Christ they do not deny, but aclowledge it as a position of their Church: which howsoever it carry a plausible show of outward and worldly holiness, Ignorance of Christs office the first cause of the invocation of Saints. as acknowledging their unworthiness, and therfore sending Saints as their orators to Christ: yet the truth is, it doth proceed, first, out of ignorance of the office of Christ. For they look on him, not as on an advocate, or a Redeemer, or a mediator, or our reconciliation, our peace, our righteousness: but as a truculent judge, a severe Censor, or a wrathful executioner. Secondly, it proceedeth out of an opinion, Desperation in the forgiveness of sin, th● second cause of the invocation of Saints. that they themselves are not so thoroughly cleansed by the blood of Christ from the guilt of sin, that they should bee able to haue access to him, to stand before him, or to be accepted of him: which by this ensuing of Discip. de Temp. plainly appeareth; for thus the virgin Mary he saluteth: Ser. 162. By thee wee haue access unto the son: O blessed finder out of grace, parent of life, Mother of salvation, let thy plentiful charity cover the multitude of our sins; our Lady, our aduocatrix, present thou us unto the son. They teach also, that as the wounds of our saviour Christ by dispensation are yet fresh appearing in the body of Iesus Christ: so the Virgin sheweth unto Christ, Pectus& vbera, her breasts and her teats. Yea, as Christ sheweth his wounds unto God: So friar Francis sheweth his wounds to CHRIST; as wee read in the blasphemous hymn, O Francisce Iux solaris, crucifix s●ngularis, tam cum Christo gloriari, in Ch●ro coelestium, in si● nobi●s v●tae v. 1, in pro nobis semper p●a, prode Christo stigmata. O Francis, the light of the sun, thou onely crucified, which now triumphest with CHRIST in the heavenly society, show for us thy ever holy wounds to Christ. In the method to meditate on the Rosary it is said, The method to meditate on the Rosary in 4. glorios mist. impr. Antwer. ann. 159 Sweet Virgin, pray unto thy son, In life to grant me grace: To serve you so on earth, as I In heaven may haue a place. So in the Missal, M ss star. in been d ct A●m● virg. The Virgin of Virgins intercede for us: and again, In Iesu s●luator seculi. the Quires of holy Virgins, and of all monks, together with all Saints make us partakers of Christ. Wherefore Germanus the Patriarch prayeth; Apud ●l●y. lip. par. 1 fol. 225. ad Vithessals. deliver us in all our necessities, in all our dangers, in all great sicknesses, from all kind of calamity, and from the just threatenings of thy son. In the hymn, Te matrem laudamus, they sing; entreat him for us, O Virgin Mary, whom wee beleeue shall come to judge the quick and the dead. The roman breviary to the Virgin saith; Intercede for the people, Ro. Breu. pray for the Clergy, beseech for the devout womankinde. It is to bee observed, that whereas the Scripture, and the Fathers speak many times of Christ coming to iudgement at the later day, as thereby importing matter of great comfort and consolation unto his Elect, for that the same shall be both our judge and our advocate, the Church of Rome turneth the same into matter of fear and terror, onely to drive us thereby from Christ to other mediators. To prove this by example, Disc de Temp. ser. 161. ad finem. Discip. de Temp. hath an History ready coined. For a grievous sinner standing on a time before the Image of the Virgin Mary with her son in her arms, and seeing the blood drop down from the little child into her lap, as it did flow from Christ vpon the cross, being amazed said, Who hath done this? The Virgin answered, thou and other sinners, which crucify my son more then the Iewes, are the cause of this. The sinner replied, O Mother of mercy, intercede for me. Shee answered, you sinners call me Mother of mercy, but you do not cease to make me Mother of sorrow and misery. Then turning her to her son( the stony mother to her stony son) prayeth, but shee is not heard. She prayeth again, and is answered; Cease Mother, for I prayed unto my Father, if it were possible, that the cup might pass from me, but he would not hear. The Virgin prayeth again, and is again rejected. I( saith he) prayed unto my Father the second time, that the cup might pass from me, and was not heard. Well, the Virgin moveth the third time, and Christ the third time replieth, I prayed unto my Father the third time, that the cup might pass from me, and could not prevail. Then, when no prayer would serve turn( for belike the Christ of ston cannot bee so merciful as he that is partaker of the flesh of his children) shee went unto the Altar, and laid down her son vpon the same, and fell down at his feet. This the child beholding said, Mother what wilt thou haue me do? She said, I will with this sinner so long lie at thy feet, till thou grant pardon: to this the son replied, Not so Mother, it is ordained by the Law of God, that the son should honour the Mother. Thus you see, first, that they come to the Mother, as more pitiful then the son. Secondly, how hard Christ is become, and how inexorable unto sinners: And lastly, the Virgin hath still her motherly command over him as a little child. Deut. 32.34. Is not this laid up in store with God, and sealed up among his treasures? Psal. 74.23. Arise O Lord, maintain thine own cause, remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily. CHAP. XLVI. Of the second kind of Mediation of Saints, being joined with Christ. AS I haue formerly shewed, that the merits of Saints are joined together with the merits of Christ in the redemption of Man: so now must I in this Chapter prove, that Christ and the Saints are joined together in Mediation. To bring this to pass I must needs open to the Reader a most detestable fraud, used by the Architects of the spiritual Babylon, both in their public and private writings. Which when he shall deprehend, I doubt not, but he will aclowledge, Psal. 36.3. that the words of their mouths are iniquity and Deceit: or, as Amos saith, Amos 2.4. Their lies haue caused them to err after the which their fathers walked. For whereas the common translation, which only is authorised by the Tridentine council, readeth the words of the ninth verse in the forty fift psalm, Astitit regina à dexteris tuis, the queen stood on thy right hand; by which is literally meant the Daughter of Pharaoh standing on the right hand of Salomon; and mystically, the Church his Spouse on the right hand of Christ: Now the missal, not content, against the mind of the Holy Ghost, to apply this unto the Virgin Mary, turneth also Astitit, Ro. Bre. in assump. b●●t. virg. Maria lect 4. hodi● Regina as●isteus. into Assistit. Standeth, into Helpeth; for so the word, Assistit, is commonly used. And to show that this did not by chance drop from them, Gasper Loart, and his interpreter follow the same error. Insomuch that he rendereth this in English, The Gasp. Loart Iesutta in ●. glor. mist. ●ag. 110, lin. 2. queen hath assisted at thy right hand in a garment of gold environed with variety. After the same manner Ambrose Catherinus in the council of Trent blusheth not to call her Ex Chemn. in exam. Conc. tried. part 1. fol. 4. Sociam eius, the fellow of Christ. All these things necessary import, that the mediation of Christ and the Virgin are together joined, as the one to the other helping. Wherefore the Iesuite again prayeth; Gasp. Loart in orat post. 2. dol. mist. I beseech thee, holding up my hands to thee in most humble wise, O Mother of mercy, by the most vehement anguish of thine, and his afflictions, that sithence he hath been tied for my trespasses, I may bee loosed by means of thy sacred intercessions: and that I may for the merit of so many his blows escape the punishment due unto my most grievous sins. Hereunto I may add that blessing recorded by Martin Chemnicius; Chemnic. The peace of our Lord Iesus Christ, the virtue of his Passion, the sign of his cross, the integrity of the blessed Virgin, the blessing of all Saints, the custody of Angels, be between me and all my enemies, visible and invisible, now and ever, and in the hour of death. And Soto in plain terms saith, Soto in conf●si. Cathol. ●x Chemn. The Saints are coadjutors and Cooperators in heaven, in the work of salvation. bonaventure therefore joineth them together in his thankes; Ibid. Psal. 77. Thankes bee to God and thee, holy Mother, for all that I haue obtained by thy pitty and mercy. Gasper Loart pronounceth; Gasp. Loart. in 5. glor. mist. Let us beleeue that as God gave to the first Adam, a companion like unto him, to the end he might not be alone in terrestrial Paradise: So was it convenient that such a like companion should be given to the second Adam, who being risen up and glorious, might reign with him risen up and glorious in the celestial Paradise. CHAP. XLVII. Of the third kind of Mediation of Saints in the Romish Church, which is without Christ. ALthough then they may bee rightly said to make Saints mediators without Christ, when their prayers to Saints, or to God, that the Saints may be their mediators, do not end with the clause, Through Iesus Christ, or for Iesus Christ: yet this is not enough unto her that hath a whorish forehead, and cannot blushy, but that she must proceed unto the height of all iniquity; according to that of the Prophet, The Osce 4.12. spirit of fornications hath caused them to err, and they haue gone a whoring from under their God. In the service of our Lady, this is most manifest; In an●n. beat. virg. ●ar. post. lect. per te dei ●ertitudinem. Miss. star. Haue mercy on those that cry unto thee continually, because we are oppressed with the burden of our sins, and there is none to help. If there be none to help, surely Christ hath made a vain expense of the inestimable treasure of his sacred blood: If there be none to help, Christ hath lost his Office of mediatorship, and they haue laid his greatest honour in the dust. Likewise again of the Virgin they say, Isac sola coelum ac terram amplitudine ●uperauit. Ro. bred in dic infra octau. Nat. virg. lect. magnum reuera miraculum. Shee alone hath won heaven and earth with her greatness. In the same sort bonaventure brayeth out also unto the Virgin; Bonau. Psal. 7● The enemy hath bent his boaw against us, and there is none to comfort. The missal of Sarum saith, queen tuo solo commercio recuperandi vitam aditum inven. t. in ●er. beat. virg. lect. O beat. Maria. that mankind hath found entrance to eternal life by her onely commerce or intercourse. The same is proved out of all the prayers Vid orat. obsecro te, domin●:& orat. Missus est Gabriel. i● horu impr. per Iacebum Keruer. anno 1570. wherein she is called our health, our life. Surely, health is but one, and life but one. Wherefore in giuing these titles to the Virgin, they make her our onely mediator. But above all abominations is that of Berengosius most impious: who doth discharge us flatly, that wee come not at Iesus Christ the son of God in this matter of Mediation any more( as by these his words doth appear) to reconcile God the Father unto us; Bereng. apud cent. 12. c. 4. de inclinatione doct. de inuocatione. Wee ought not now to pray unto him the son, but unto the Mother, that by the aid of her most holy intercession, she may suffrage for us before God and her son. I know thy ears tingle, and thine eyes are much displeased( Christian Reader) in beholding and considering such and so stupendious blasphemy: and thou wilt say, Vox non hominem sonat; It is not the voice of a Man, but the very mouth of satan: yet marvell not, he is not alone in his sin. The English latin Primer allowed by pus Quintus, and with the like privileges adorned as their latin Office is, setteth down a prayer, wherein wee are taught, Unto In commend. ad virg. Mar O domina Mar. Sancta. the singular custody of the Virgin, and into the bosom of her mercy, to commend ourselves. Which words are plain restraints of the Office of saving unto the Virgin; That as the bosom of the Mother is the infants only safety: so the Virgin, the singular or onely refuge of sinners. Germanus the Patriarch in Lypomanus out of Simeon Metaphrastes( three theeues concurring in one robbery) saith; Aloy. lip. part. 1. fol. 183. Thy aid, O Mother of God, is powerful for us unto salvation: There is no need of any other intercessor unto God. The missal of Hereford saith; ubi matter m●s●ricordiae, impe●ratrix vent. mediatrix ad Deum pro crimine, nisi Maria? Br. Heref. in lect 3. in v●sit. Mar●ae. Gaudet axtem Deus. Where is the Mother of mercy, obtainer of pardon, the Mediatrix unto God for sin, but Mary? And again, Ibid. in lect beatis. matter Dei. All that are in necessity flee unto her as their singular refuge, when mans help sufficeth not. To these let me join the Legend of Lombardy, which feigneth, that all the Apostles thus saluted the virgin; Hoc solum refrigerium habemu●, qu●d and mediatricē apud Deum nos habere speram●s. Leg Lomb. in assump. virg. Wee haue this only comfort, that we hope to haue thee our Mediatrix to God. I will conclude with the blasphemy of the Romish missal, to which nothing can bee added more abominable; for to every Statuit es Dominus testamentu paci●, et principem fecit ●um, vt sit illi sacerdotij dignitas in aternum, Martyr Bishop they plainly ascribe the eternal priesthood due only unto Christ. CHAP. XLVIII. That the Saints are mediators for Christ. I Very well know how strange a paradox this assertion will seem unto many; and what exclamations against me for this, the virulent tongues and venomous pens of the fauourits of the Babylonish strumpet will cast out. I beseech thee therefore( godly reader) not onely to weigh my reasons with an equal balance, which I shall allege for the probation of this strange position: but also to consider their Apologies and defences in this behalf; and then according to the uprightness of thy Christian heart judge of the matter, and give glory unto God. My first proof that they make Saints mediators and intercessors for Christ, is that, which Martin Luther, Georgius Maior, Martin Chemnicius, and diuers other haue observed; that in the Secrets of the mass they ever commend the Sacrifice, which is Christ, unto God the father, through the merits and intercession of Saints. As in that of Saint Valentine, Sacrificium, queso D●mine, quod offerimus, gratis tibi beatu● mar●yr Valent●n suffragator e●ficiat. Secreta in Miss star. Let the sacrifice, O Lord, which wee offer unto thee, be made acceptable to thee by the blessed Martyr Val●ntine the intercessor. The like the Roman missal hath also in sundry places. I will allege one for all; S●●●●ipe quaesumus Domine, munera dignater oblata,& beati Marcelli suffragantibus meritis ad nostra salutis aux l●ū pret●enire concidas. Ro. Mis● in Sanct. marcel. Papa. receive wee beseech thee, Lord, the gifts worthily offered, and by the suffrage of the merits of blessed Marcellus cause them to proceed to the help of our salvation. But they answer perhaps, that in these and the like secrets their intent is not to commend the body of Christ, or his blood to the Father: but the bread and wine, which is the matter to be transubstantiate. For so Bellarmin seemeth to say, when he teacheth, that Bell. de Miss. li. 1. ca. 27. postremo l●c. of the mass there are five partes; of which the first part is the offering of the bread and wine. To this I must reply, it is a needless thing to commend unto God, that which they mean not to offer unto God: that which they know of force by the power of the words must perish and vanish away. And in the whole gospel and canonical volume of the new Testament, there is no commandement, no example, to offer bread unto God; it is a more judaical tradition without any warrant of the word of God. again, the bread is not the host to bee consecrate, but the body and blood of Christ is the Host, except they will make two Hosts; one of the Bread, another of the Body. But the secret in the feast of Primus and Foelicianus doth make the matter most plain; for therein thus they pray, Piat tibi, domine, quesum●●, hostia sacranda, placabilis pretiosorum celebritate martyrum tuorum Primat Foeli, quod per corum merita gloriosa, et peccata nostra purific●●,& tuorum tibi vo●a conciliat, alia secreta in Miss. star. in mem. Primi et Foeli. in sect. weak. Let the host to be consecrate be pleasing unto thee, by the celebrity of the Martyres Primus and Foelicianus, that by their glorious merits and prayers, it may purge our sins, and reconcile to thee the prayers of thy seruants. Many things there are in this prayer, which make it clearly evident, that by the word, host, neither bread nor wine can be understood, nor any thing else but the body of Christ. For first, to call bread and wine in their own natures a sacrifice, is merely judaical, and may not be granted. Origen truly saith, Ipse solu● est hostia peccatis et ips● est hestia sancta sanctorum, he is the only host, or sacrifice for sins: he is the host, the holy of holies. Neither can the host bee termed the thanksgiving of the Church. For Harding himself, the greatest Oedipus of the intricate riddle of Transubstantiation saith, Has. ling. artic. 17. sect. ● verbo per hanc autem. The oblation of the New testament is not the sacrifice of our devotion, but the body of Christ itself. Secondly, the secret of Primus and Foelicianus doth expound and unfold itself. For they desire the host to bee accepted by the merits of Primus and Foelicianus, that it may purge their sins, and reconcile their prayers unto GOD. Now they cannot say of the substance of bread and wine, that it purgeth the sins, or reconcileth the prayers: nor of any thing else but the body and blood of Christ. Therefore it is manifest, that the body and blood of Christ is commended unto God the Father by the merits of Primus and Foelicianus. The Roman breviary in the secret of Saint jerome prayeth Munera queen deferrimus, intercedente beato Hieronimo confessore tu●, et medelam nobis operentur et gloriam. Ro. Bre. in secret. samct. Hierom. donu coelestibus. that the gifts which they offer, by the intercession of Saint jerome the Confessor, may bring unto them medicine and glory. I know there is none so impudent to deny, that this gift which bringeth medicine and glory, is Christ alone. wherefore they must of necessity confess that they pray, that Christ in his office may bee commended to God by jerome the Confessor. The Secret of the fourteenth sunday after Trinity, in the missal of Sarum thus saith; Propitiare, Dom. populo tuo, propitiare muneribus, vt hac oblatione placeturet indulgentiam nobis tribuas, et postulatae concedes. secret. forgive thy people, O Lord, and be thou propitious to thy gifts, that being pacified by this oblation thou mayst grant us pardon, and what else wee desire of thee. The Roman missal in the Secret of Saint Peter saith; Oblatum tibi Dom. sacrificium intercedente beat. Pet. apost. tuo vinificet nos semper et ma●●at per Dominum nostrum. Let the sacrifice offered by thee, O Lord, by the intercession of the Apostle Peter, quicken us always and defend vs. If they say, the oblation which God is pleased with, which quickeneth and defendeth, is the bread and wine, it is judaism; and superstition more then pharisaical: If the oblation be Christ, then they pray for Christ it is most manifest. My second proof is taken from the prayer in the Canon of the mass, which beginneth, Supplicet te rogamus omnipoteus. in Ro et Saris. et ●m●tb●● Breuiarus. Supplices te rogamus; supplyant, we beseech thee, O holy Father, command these things to bee carried by the hands of Angells into the high Altar, in the sight of thy divine majesty. Now in these words either the bread& wine, or the body and blood of Christ, or else the prayers of Saints must needs be understood. Bellarmin himself, because he thinketh it Bel li. ●. de Missae. ●4 ver●. fatemur absindissime. were very gross to grant the first, and to make heaven like a bakers Bynne, will haue this to bee understood of the service of the Church: But how untruly, the circumstance will declare. For the speech of the Priest is applied to the Host, which is the body and blood of Christ; wherefore in speaking he kisseth the Altar, crosseth the Host, In Can. Miss. star. even as he doth, when he maketh the body and blood of Christ: he pronounceth the demonstrative pronoun, Haec, These: which in all construction pointeth to that, which is before us, and which is next in hand: But that is the very body and blood of Christ in their Hosts, whereof in the words also going before immediately he spake. It is evident therefore, that they mean by the Host the body of Christ itself; even as in the Legend it is storied of Hugo de Sancto Victore, Leg. Lomb. in pelag that calling for the Host, when he was sick, they brought him one, that was not consecrate. Which Hugo perceiving said, god be merciful to you my brethren, this is not my Lord, which you haue brought me. whereat the company amazed fetched another Host that was consecrated indeed: but Hugo not able to receive it said; Let the son ascend unto the Father, and the soul to God that gave it, and presently the body of Christ vanished. Hugo, you see, is a mediator by his prayer for the taking up of the body of Christ into heaven. Why should they then deny, that they make Angells mediators to carry him up in their hands, which the Canon itself professeth? Much more sincerely dealeth Odo in his exposition; who interpreteth the words as the truth is indeed, after this manner; hostia perferri in conspectum Dei, quid est, nisi oblatonem nostram con ung● verbo. fieri Deum, per eā nos in Deum assumi, et nostra vota ac● p●ari? Odo Camer. ●●●enpos Can. M ss dist. 3 Our sacrifice to be carried into the sight of God, indeed what is it but to bee joined to the word, to be united to the word: to bee made God, and by it us to be received to God, and our vows to bee accepted? This is plain dealing. For herein he teacheth the Orison to bee twofould. First, that the oblation( which you know after the words of consecration is the very body and blood of Christ should bee joined and united to the Godhead. Secondly, that our prayers should be thereby accepted. The Master of the Sentences saith, Missa autem dicitur, vel qua Missa est hostia cuius cō● Immoratio fit in ill● officio: vnde dic●tar●te Missa est. 1. sequemi●● hostiam, quae miss● est ad coelest●a ●●ndentes post eā: vel quia Missus coelestu ve●it ad consacrandum corpus Dominicum, per quem ad altar coeleste desertur hostia &c. Pet. Lomb. in lib. 4. dist. 14. in finem. et sic coll. Henr. Vrimar. It is called Missa, or the mass, either because the Host is sent up to heaven, whose commemoration is in that office. Wherefore it is said; go ye, it is sent, that is, follow the Host, which is sent up to heaven: or else it is so called, because an heavenly one comes to consecrate the Lords body, by whom the Host is brought unto the heavenly Altar. Clichtouius likewise agreeth herein with Odo, and the Master, expounding those words, First, of the prayers of the congregation: Secondly, of the very body and blood of Christ. For so his words witness; Potest et altera huic loco ad ●ptari expositio: secundum quam Sacerdos hic r●gat, quod Deus jubeat haec, corpus scilicet et sanguinem filis sui in altari oblata et praesentia, perferri per ministerium angelorum Sanctorum in sublime altar suum, scilicet in coelum, ubi seeds eius est et thronu●: perferri( inquam) non secundum ipsam loc ● translationem, quandoqu●dem ibi nunc residet ad dextram patris gloria et honore coronatus, said secundum gratam acceptationem. Cum enim princep admittit munera sibi dono data in suum offerri conspectum, id argumentum est, quod ea non auersatur, s d cum beneuolentia amplectitur. siqua nanque alominatur et execretur dona●ia, non ea finite suo conspectur praesentari: ita quatenu● accepta finite haec munera quae offeruntur, petuntur ea perferri in conspectu divinae maiestatis summaeque d●uinitatis, Angelico m nesterio. Nam si non patiantur ex indignitate offerentis repulsam, said admittantur d●uino conspectu●, omnino grata erunt. Clichtou. in Can. Missa. There may bee another interpretation( saith he) fitted unto this place, according to which the priest doth pray, that God would command these things, that is the body and blood of his son offered on the Altar, and there present, to bee brought up by the ministery of his holy Angells into his high Altar, which is heaven, where his seat and Throne is; to bee carried, I say, not by local translation( for he is there now sitting at the right hand of his Father crwoned in glory and honour) but according to the gracious acceptance thereof. For when a Prince doth admit gifts into his presence, it is a token that he rejects them not, but doth gratiouslie accept the same:& the gifts, which he abhorreth, he suffereth not to come into his presence. So then in that respect that they should bee accepted, the petition is, that they should be brought into the sight of the divine majesty, and of the high deity, by the ministry of Angells. For if they bee not repulsed by the indignity of him that offereth, but bee admitted into the divine presence, they must bee altogether accepted. This opinion is received of all them, which think the etymology of the word, Missa, to come from the sending up of the son unto the Father in the mass. Much wresting thou seest( Christian reader) there is to make an honest understanding of this petition: and all that the best excuser Clichtouius can say, is this in effect; that for the very body of Christ the Angells must mediate: even Vid. Henr. Bullinger. de erroribus circa Missom. the body that is on the Altar, that it may bee brought into Gods presence, not locally, but acceptably, lest in respect of the indignity of the offerer, it should be repulsed from the divine presence. For if it once get into the presence of God, there is no doubt, but it will bee accepted. By this which hath been spoken it appeareth, that Bellarmins evasion is a false and impudent figment of his own, and that the carrying of these things into the high Altar, is either the uniting of his Manhood to the Godhead, as Odo: or the procuring of acceptance for it, and admission into the presence of God, as Clichtouius expoundeth. Yea, unconstant Bellarmine himself forgetful of his own position, after the same manner doth salve the sore. For he saith, Ex parte ministri, vel populi astantis, qui simul etiam offerunt. p●test non placere. Bel●. de Missa. lib 2 cap. 24. verb● said facilis. that although the oblation in respect of the principal offerer, and in respect of the thing itself do always please GOD: Yet in respect of the Minister, and of the people it doth not always please God. Into what impiety? into what blasphemy doth not obstinate heresy bring him whosoever hath sold himself to iniquity and to resist the truth? Who would haue thought that the pen of a Christian man could leave such blottes of blasphemy behind him? as to say, that Christ in respect of the offerer doth not please God. Incidit in Scyllam; to avoid one blasphemy, the Iesuite is carried into another: to excuse the imputation that Angels with them bee mediators for the real carrying of Christs body into heaven, he is driven to say, that they are mediators for the acceptance of Christs body: which because simply understood, is as blasphemous as the other, now he mends it by saying, that Christs body may be vnaccepted in respect of the offerer; an hellish and devilish speech, fitter for the barbarous mouth of an infidel mahometan, then the pen of a Christian. Though wee and our service bee often times hateful unto God in respect of our manifold abominations: yet that our corruption should make Christ to the Father unacceptable, is no less a sacrilegious speech, then false and unproper. If he had said that the priest or the people had not pleased God in that sinful mass and oblation of theirs, I would easily haue believed him: but that the consecrated Host, which is according to the Romish Church very Christ, God and Man, should in any respect be said to be brought out of the favour of God, or unacceptable by any fault of ours, is an intolerable position, and full of heinouss injury to God and his son Christ. But there is good hope notwithstanding. For though they bring Christ out of his Fathers favour, they will by prayers bring him in again. And this is the cause, perhaps, why guilty unto themselves of the wrong they haue done him, every priest is his mediator, praying and wishing salvation unto Christ, and unto every member of his; as salve tremendum iunctis potestatibus ●●put, salve speciosissima salvatoris nostri Iesu Christi facies, salve me●listuum ●s, guteurque suauisumum. He that saith this prayer, hath 3●0 daies of pardon for every salve. saved bee thou, O head, dreadful to all powers, most beautiful face of our saviour, saved bee thou: saved bee you most benign eyes of our Lord Iesu Christ: saved bee thou, hony flowing and most sweet throat of our Lord Iesus. And at the last, having run over all the parts and members of the body, they add, saved bee thou, O most holy soul of our Lord Iesus Christ. To mollify this by a gentle exposition, their english-latin primer translateth it, In salve. ad omne membrum Christi In the primer or office of the blessed virgin printed by Arno Conings an. 1599. and privileged with the like graces as the Latin. All hail dreadful head, all hail beautiful face &c. But they are never a whit hereby holpen. For the author of the Compendium of theological verity saith, jo. de Combis in Cōpēd. Theol. verit. lib. 4 cap. 2. Aue, or, All hail is a word importing Health or salvation. So that their prayer is, that Christ should bee saved. My third proof I take from their post-communion prayers. In that of Saint Barnabe thus they pray; S. cramenta coelestia quae per●●ati ●arn. Miss. star. The heavenly sacraments, which for the passion of the blessed Apostle Barnabe we haue offered to thy divine majesty, let them bee healthful to us by his intercession, in whose birth day they are received. I hope, they cannot deny this to bee spoken of the very body of Christ, because it is called an heavenly Sacrament; and for that after consecration( as they say) no substance of bread and wine remaineth. Yet they pray that Barnabees intercession may make it healthful: which is all one, as to pray that power may bee given to Christ in his office and mediation for Barnabees sake. So in the post-communion, on the nativity of many confessors; Praesta, quaesumus omnip●tens ●●u●, vt cuius ●estiuitate ●oti●a sunt s●●ramenta, eius salutaria ●obis intercessi●ne reddantur. Grant we beseech thee, O Lord, that for whose festivity these Sacraments are desired, by his intercession they may be unto us healthful. After the same manner they desire, that by the prayers of Saint Bertine and Saint Nicomedes, the holy things, which is Christ, may defend them. The same is common in the Roman missal. I will content myself with one example amongst many; In post con. sanct. Steph Haec nos communi● &c. Let this communion, O Lord, purge us from sin, and by the intercession of Stephen thy Martyr and Bishop, let it make us companions of the heavenly medicine. sundry such other there are; in all which they desire, that the Host for the prayers and merits of Saints may haue power to sanctify, or to defend, or to save them. And thus are men made mediators for Christ, that he may become an effectual mediator unto God for vs. Of this argument I will entreat no further, since not only with prayer for the eternal acceptance of Christ they come unto GOD, but they haue an Orison also which wisheth unto him temporary and limited health. How many Quo● marum sunc guttae et arena, terra grana et gram●na, arborum fructus et folia, stella coeli, et angelus spiritu, tottes cum filio ●uo. Aue castissima matter Dei, foecundissimaque virg. Maria. drops and Sands the Sea, how many grains and grasses the earth, how many leaves and fruits the trees, how many stars and Angells the heauens do contain: so many times, hail Virgin with thy son. CHAP. XLIX. That Saints are mediators unto Saints: the fift and last kind of Mediat●on. THe missal of Sarum with plentiful record shall free me of my promise in this behalf. unto the angel Gabriel they pray; Nunc igitur prae●● accelera p●e matris &c. in Miss. archang. Gabe. A te precor verge amabili●. Now, O thou herald, make hast, I thee beseech, pray thou the bowels of the holy Mother to show unto her son her breasts and her teats. Here you see is mediation vpon mediation. Gabriel to the virgin, the virgin to Christ: all this is done to set the Lord Iesus far out of the sight of a wounded conscience, that neither the eye of an oppressed mind, nor the feeble hand of a distressed heart should lay hold on him: and therefore Christ is made a Tetrick judge, to whom mediators themselves cannot come but by a mediator. After the like sort they pray unto Anna the Mother of the Virgin; Tua prole● est Regina in coelesti patria, ipsa cunctis iam pralata per te sumens hec precata. I● sequent. testamento veteri. Thy child is queen of heaven, shee before all is now preferred: by thee receiving our prayers, be she our advocate in the presence of God. And the missal Itinerantium, printed by Martin de Werdena in Colen, prayeth to the same Saint Anna; Tu nos matriatque proli, regi ac reginae p●li, commendare non def●ne. in Sequent. Anna pia matter aue. Thou to the Mother and the son, unto the King and queen of heaven cease not to commend vs. Neither is this doctrine without example. For Iacobus de Voragine in his Legend of Saints witnesseth of Saint Martha, That shee built a chapel to the Virgin Mary: And Albert maketh the Virgin a mediator betwixt Christ and the Saints in heaven. For he saith, Maria illuminat Sa●cto● in gloria. Albert. Mary doth illuminate the Saints in glory; which cannot bee verified but by mediation, because the lamb is the light thereof( saith John) and not the Virgin. To conclude, the Virgin herself is said to pray unto an angel at the time of her dissolution, Legend Lomb. in assump. virg. that her soul might not seee any evil spirit, and that no noisome power of satan might meet with her. To whom the angel answered, What needest thou to fear the malignant spirit? who hast crushed his head, and spoiled him of all his power: yet thy will be done, thou shalt not see them. ANTI-   christus. NO mercy Bern. in Marial. cometh from the heaven to the earth, but it must pass by the hands of Mary. 1 NO man cometh unto the Father but by me. joh. 14.6. Not onely Rhem. in annot. in 1. ad Tim. cap. 2.5. Saints, but good men living, that pray for us and help us in the way of salvation, may bee and are rightly called mediators. 2 There is one God, and one mediator betwixt God and Man, which is the Man Christ Iesus. 1. Tim. 2.5. Shee Bern. ser. 4. de assump. hath obtained the reparation of the whole world, and hath begged the salvation of all. 3 They which receive the abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, reign in life through one, which is Iesus Christ. Rom. 5.17. Mary Bern. in su● Mariali. was an helper of our Redemption. 4 In me onely is thy help. Osee 13.9. No bonaven. Psal. 136. propitiation shall be found without her. 5 He shall save his people from their sins. Math. 1.21. Who ever asked Michael de Hungaria in ser. de Rosario. pardon of his sin, but by the mediation of Mary? 6 At that day shall ye ask in my Name. joh. 16.26. 〈◇〉. The fullness of all grace he hath placed in Mary. 7 It pleased the Father, that in him should all fullness dwell. Col. 1.19. Ibid. in adopt. Mor. Ros. Mar●ae. All remission, liberty and grace come from the Virgin Mary. 8 Grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. joh. 1.17. Anselm. ibid. If thou burn, Mary is the cooling. 9 Will a man forsake the snow of Libanon which cometh from the rock of the field? jer. 18.14. Reconciliatio corum quae male dissentiunt Ger. Patriar. apud Sym. Meta. Mary is the reconciliation of the things which evilly disagree. 10 He is our peace, which hath made of both one. Ephes. 2.14. Ansel. apud Michael de Hung. in ser. de Rosar. When wee know not what to do, this onely remaineth to us wretches, to lift up our eyes unto thee, O Mary. 11 O our God, we wot not what to do, but our eyes bee unto thee. 2. Chron. 20.12. Tu porta lucis fulgida. Ro. Bran him. O glorios. domina. Mary is the bright gate of life. 12 I am the door of the sheep. joh. 10.7. That Intrent vt astra flebil●s, tu coeli fenectr● sacta●●. Ibid. Ro. Bre. the sorrowful may enter, thou art the window of heaven. 13 he that entereth not in by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, he is a thief and a robber. joh. 10.1. He that Bonan. Psal. 86. trusteth in thee, Lady, shall find the treasures of peace. 14 Cursed bee the man that putteth his trust in Man. jer. 17.5. CHAP. L. Of the third work of the glorious Priesthood of Christ, which is advocation. advocation. I Haue said before in the Tract of Mediation, that the effect and fruit of Mediation and advocation are all one, although the things themselves are sundry in their own kind. What therefore hath been spoken of Mediation may suffice for the matter of advocation. Yet notwithstanding because to express fully that Iesus Christ is all things to all men, and that of himself alone without any other he is sufficient to our salvation, the Scriptures, and( following the Scriptures) the ancient Church hath given unto him all Titles of Office; as Redeemer, mediator, advocate, intercessor, and such other: I will also of the Title of advocation speak briefly. In the great high Priesthood of the eternal Son of God there is nothing more comfortable, then that he having united us unto God generally by the coniunction of our nature to the divine nature: specially and effectually by giuing us his Spirit to knit us also unto God; and having sacrificed himself on the Altar of the cross, in which wee find full and perfect Redemption: yet moreover he now also ever liveth to make intercession for vs. The work of Redemption hath graffed us into his body: but this restless and uncessant advocation doth continue us in his body; who daily of ourselves start out, and hourly fall away from grace, but he still helpeth our infirmities; being our spiritual Moses, holding up Exod 17.11. unwearied hands to the father for us: Dan. 12.1. The onely Michael, the great Prince, who standeth for the children of the people. He standeth( I say) like Aaron betwixt Numb. 16.48 the living and the dead, that the plague may stay: He standeth like josuah, Zech. 3.1, 2. before the angel of the Lord, whom though satan would resist, yet he is not able. Now in the handling of this excellent Office, because the effects thereof are all one with the fruits of his Mediation, as I haue shewed; therfore I will touch only three points of observation. First, that his Office of advocation is proper unto Christ, and can by none but by him be performed. Secondly, I will answer the Arguments vpon which they ground the intercession and advocation of Saints. Thirdly, I will show, that the Romish advocation of Saints is invented to the imitation of the old Heathen. CHAP. LI. That there can be but one advocate, which is Christ. THe Scripture calling Christ an advocate, taketh the Metaphor from worldly tribunals,& seats judicial: where in respect of the ignorance and vnabilitie of the common sort, learned and well experienced men are appointed to defend and plead their causes. Into this temporal function of an advocate, as none can intrude themselves, but such as by the judge( who hath power) are thereto ordained: so none may take vpon him to exercise this spiritual advocation, but such as are by sufficient authority appointed. But to ordain an advocate in heavenly things, none hath power but God: and he hath constituted his son onely. Therefore there can be no other advocate but Christ. It is worthy due and serious consideration, that the Scripture so often and almost every where setteth out unto us the Commission and authority, by which Christ undertook his office. Heb. 5.5. Christ took not unto himself this honour, to bee made the High Priest( saith Saint Paul) but he that said unto him, Thou art my son, this day haue I begotten thee, gave it him. And unto the Corinthians he saith, that 1. Cor. 1.30. Christ is of God made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption. And in John, 1. jo. 4 10. God hath sent his son to bee a reconciliation for our sins. And Christ himself saith, joh. 5 30. I can of myself do nothing. And again the Apostle witnesseth, Rom 3.25. God hath sent him out to be a reconciliation. Christ therefore calleth himself joh. 5.30. Him whom God hath sent. And the Apostle saith, that 1. Cor. 11.3. God is the head of Christ. These and sundry other places prove, that Iesus Christ was by the Father ordained, appointed, and called to this Office of advocation; without which calling he could not haue had the same. All then, that challenge this office, must show their lawful calling and constitution: Or if the Pope will set up advocates, he must show his Commission, and what right he hath so to do. Wherefore I cannot sufficiently marvell, that Pope Innocent the fourth, commending Saint edmond of Canterbury in his authentic instrument of Canonization, bids all the world rejoice, Quod nouellus 〈◇〉 ●i apud 〈◇〉 ●atron● ac 〈◇〉. M●th W●stm ●●aste●ien. ●. Hen 3. That there is a new Patron grown up for them to God, but telleth not who called him, who admitted him, or with what authority he was ordained Patron. The Apostle Saint John entreating hereof saith, 1 ●●a. 2.1, 2. We haue an advocate with God, Iesus Christ the just, he is the reconciliation for our sins. And Saint Paul saith, that Heb 9 24. Christ is entred into the very heaven, to appear now in the sight of God for vs. Surely, if there had been any other advocates, or any other reconciliation, or any other that appeared in the sight of God for us, the Apostles would not haue spoken of Christs intercession in such singularity. Yea, unto the Ephesians the Apostle saith, that Ephes. 2.14. He is our peace, which hath made of both one, and hath broken the stop of the partition wall. Now lest perhaps we should think, that after this obstacle is removed, and this partition taken away, we should haue access by any others unto God, the Apostle in the next verses addeth, Eph●. 2.15 16 To make of twain one new man in himself, and that he might reconcile both unto God: as though he should say, Christ hath taken away the partitition wall; not that now by other subordinate ways you should come to God, or be knit together in one body, or be reconciled in any other, but in him that hath made an entrance unto grace, and removed all that kept us from God, that we might enter by him, and that he might reconcile vs. So that as our Redeemer is one, our advocate is also one; even as he witnesseth, Ephes. 2.18. Through him we both( that is, jew and gentle) haue an entrance unto the Father by one spirit; not by many spirits, but by one spirit, even the spirit of Christ. As it was then with Israel the figure, so it is with the Church the very spiritual body of Christ, and all the members thereof. Numb. 35. No Cities were allowed for refuge unto the defiled with blood, but such onely as were appointed. So no advocate for sin, nor refuge, nor deliverance can bee, but such as is ordained by authority. Wherefore, except the Romanists can prove their Saints to be appointed for Cities of refuge, and that the Lord spake to them, as he spake to josuah and to Moses, to ordain such Sanctuaries and Asyles for offend 〈◇〉 In vain they flee unto them, in vain they call vpon them. Let us now descend unto their arguments. CHAP. LII. The reasons which the Romish Church hath for the advocation of Saints. SOme few unnecessary and vnconcluding reasons for the defence of this advocation and invocation of Saints, the Romish Church hath invented unto itself, wherewith shee could never haue been persuaded, except shee had sold herself to commit Idolatry, and had been willing to be deceived, and had said unto herself, as her rebellious sister the jewish Synagogue speaketh in the Prophet; Amau● alieno●& illos amabo. jer. 2.25. I haue loved strangers, and them I will love. The weak, vniointed, and vnsinewed shadows of argument, which they haue in this behalf, are derived from two especial heads. The first is the wisdom of flesh, and reason of the carnal man, so often condemned by the Holy Ghost in the sacred volume. The second is the authority of Scriptures, miserable wrested from the true and natural sense, which is enforced contrary to the mind of the holy Ghost, to speak what it speaketh not, and to prove what it doth not intend. Of the first kind, their Rabbi Alexander of Hales bringeth three Reasons. Alex. Alens. ex Chemnic. de inuoc. Sanct. First, our own want, imperfection and weakness in ourselves. Secondly, the glorifying and praising of Saints, whose honour is thereby exalted, in that wee confess them able to commend our prayers to God, and to obtain graces for vs. Thirdly, the reverence wee owe unto God, being of ourselves wretched sinners, and therefore cannot be bold to thrust ourselves into the presence of our glorious God; And for this cause wee must make the Saints our advocates. To these three heads may bee well reduced all the Reasons taken from human understanding, which the roman Church can allege for their defence in this controversy. Of the second sort of arguments taken from the Scripture, I will speak in their place. Now le●●● consider the first. CHAP. LIII. Of the first argument taken from Mans reason, which is our want and imperfection. THe want and imperfection of our nature doth in three things especially utter and declare itself. The first defect is of our righteousness in deserving. Wherefore wee haue need( say they) to borrow of the merits of Saints to supply our poverty in desert. The second is our want and defect of knowledge in contemplation. For our eyes are as the eyes of an owl unto the bright sun beams, neither can we behold the unaccessible light. Wherefore wee must commit our cause to the Saints, who do behold him. Thirdly, our want and imperfection in love and devotion, which should be the strength of our prayers. Therefore( they say) That Man being full of imperfection doth feel himself oftentimes to be more stirred up in devotion towards Saints, then towards God himself. Alex Halens. Now although these reasons be so frivolous, that there is no great need to overcome them, which fall to the ground of themselves; Ezek. 13. like the vntempred mortar, that the Prophet speaketh of, which cannot cleave together, neither endure: yet because foolishness must bee answered, lest it seem wise unto itself, I will briefly show the weakness and idleness of these Sophistications( wherewith none can be entangled but those, whose mindes are blinded, and judgements lead astray by the wiliness of satan; So that, as Cyprian saith, Cypr. they will not easily yield being overcome, although they know it is not lawful what they do.) Beseeching thee Christian Reader, duly to consider, what Austine well saith, August. concerning the nature of Man, There is nothing in it better then the mind and reason; yet who desireth to live blessedly must not live thereafter, but must live according unto God, that he may attain unto blessedness: for the obtaining whereof it ought not to be content with itself, but our mind must be subject unto God. CHAP. liv. Of the first part of the first reason, want of righteousness and of worthiness. TO the understanding of the weakness of this shadow of reason, it is necessary to discern betwixt Man in himself, in his corruption, as he is merely natural, full of sinful abominations, from the sole of the foot unto the crown of the head, nothing but boiles and botches; And Man in his Christ, in his regeneration and new birth, being washed and sanctified in the blood of Christ. When we come then to God in our invocation and prayer, though wee be in nature sinners and loathsome Lepers, both to ourselves, and to all that look on us: yet we pray in the Name of Christ, the true salt of every sacrifice, and wee put on, Gen. 27.15. like jacob, our elder brothers garments, to obtain the blessing, wherein wee are clean and holy, and for such are accepted in the sight of God. joh. 9.31. We know( saith the blind man in the gospel) that God heareth not sinners. Wherefore that God should hear our prayers, it is necessary that wee be not sinners but righteous: and such wee are onely in the bloodshedding of Iesus Christ, and by his sanctification. indeed I must confess, it is pharisaical pride, to say, Luke 18. we are holy in ourselves, or righteous in ourselves: and so it is also desperation to deny ourselves to be holy in Christ; and that in Christ we are not worthy to haue any access unto God. We haue in Christ a treasure of merits, a full satisfaction to offer unto the Father. His deservings are a superabundant recompense for all our transgressions and debts: a superabundant payment for all our purchase. God doth require nothing at Mans hand, which Christ is not unto God for Man. Wherefore there can be no want of merit in them, who, when they come unto God, come in CHRIST IESVS, and offer up their prayers seasoned in the blood, and sweetened with the perfume of the Tabernacle, which maketh the flesh, even of beasts and of birds, acceptable sacrifices, and the prayers of sinners welcome oblations unto God; especially, seeing Iesus Christ prayeth for us, as our Priest, and our Sacrifice: prayeth in us, as our head: and is prayed unto of us as our advocate. CHAP. LV. answer unto the second part of the first carnal reason, which is our want and defect in knowledge of contemplation. THe second cause which the first reason pretendeth, why we should seek help of Saints, is the defect of contemplation. Wee are so ignorant, that Man knoweth not himself, nor his own soul within him: how should he then know the things that are without him, the diuers wants both for this and the better life? It may therefore seem, that these blind eyes haue need of better directors then themselves, even the Saints, who in the face of him that upholdeth all things, do all things know, say they. To this Sophistication wee may truly answer; that, as Christ is our righteousness, so he is also our wisdom, by whom we know so much of God, as is sufficient to be known to eternal life. For he hath taught us, who it is, that must be prayed unto: by whom he must bee prayed unto: for what we must pray unto him: and after what sort we must pray vn- him. And these are the four parts necessary unto prayer; which being observed, every prayer is acceptable. For this cause no doubt John calleth Christ I●h. 1.9. The light that lighteth every one, that cometh into the world: And again, 1. joh 4 7. every one that loveth, is born of God ●nd knoweth God; as though he should say, as we haue the beginning of love, or inchoate love: so we haue in this our pilgrimage, the beginning of knowledge, or inchoate knowledge of God, such as sufficeth here to invocate him, and to pray unto him withall. Thomas Aquinas well teacheth, Tho. Aq. secunda secundae. q. 82. art. 4& sic. eo. Bon John. c. 82 c●mp. that there be two contemplations in a Man, which stir up devotion. The first is, the beholding of Gods great blessings& graces: the next is, the beholding of our infirmities and offences, which maketh a man to cleave unto the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth. For the further clearing of this point, the Apostle witnesseth, that the Spirit of God itself helpeth our infirmities, and teacheth us how to pray unto God. Wee know not what to pray as we ought, Rom. 8. ●6. But the Spirit itself maketh request unto God for us with sighs, which cannot be expressed. Lastly, whereas they presuppose, That to call perfectly on God, requireth perfection of knowledge: It is evident, that the departed souls neither know God nor Man perfectly. That they know not God perfectly and fully, who can doubt, since God is infinite and incomprehensible, whom the heaven of heauens containeth not? That they do not know man and his necessities, Esay witnesseth; Esay 63.16. Though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel know us not, yet thou, O Lord, art our Father and our Redeemer, thy name is for ever. And in the second of the Kings, the Lord saith of josiah; 2. Reg. 22.20. I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be put in the grave in peace, and thine eyes shall not see all the evil, which I will bring vpon this place. But if the holy departed did know what necessities the living want, then how should they bee hidden from the eyes of josiah? Wherefore it is manifest which Ecclesiastes speaketh; Eccles. 9. The dead know nothing at all: nothing of this worlds business: nothing of the necessities of their militant brethren. CHAP LVI. The third part of the first reason; Our great want of love, which is the strength of prayer: insomuch that vnperfest Man doth feel himself to bee more stirred up in devotion towards Saints, then towards God. TO speak of the third reason of the first argument, which is, the want of love in us, and that unperfect Man is often more moved in devotion towards Saints then toward God, there is no need. For it is of all fantastical conceits the most idle. Who knoweth not that wee are bound Deut. 6.5. to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength? This love if at any time we find to wax could in ourselves, wee must not therefore run to Saints, and to departed souls of holy men with our devotion; but, by all the means we can, stir up our love, towards God, and strengthen the weak things, that are ready to die. Origen well observeth, that there are two sweet and grateful names in Christ, which do 'allure men unto him; God calleth him his well-beloved son. These appellations( saith he) are so printed in our senses, that even the community of the names joineth us to the society of the gifts. Appellations of such sweetness mollify our hearts, and kindle in us the affection of devotion. And Augustine saith; Tutius& iucundius loquar cum meo Iesu, quàm cúm aliquo Sanctorum spirituum dei; I speak more safely and sweetly with my Iesus, then with any of the holy spirits of God. The proposition therefore itself, That infirm Man is more affencted in religion toward Saints, then toward God, is very untrue. We are most affencted unto that, which the Law of nature leadeth us unto; but the Law of nature moveth us rather to the love and worship of God, who is our Creator and preserver, then of Saints from whom wee haue received nothing at all. Aquinas saith, God D●u● est m●ximè d●ligib●li, quia est suinus● bonus. secund● secu●dae. q. 24. art. 2. ob secunda. is most easily loved, because he is supremely good. Secondly, every thing we love, wee therefore love, because it is good: but every one knoweth Luke 18.19. Psal. 118. God is most good. Therefore by nature we love him most of all. Hereto may wee add, that wee love GOD for himself; but wee love Saints for God. Therefore our love is naturally more toward God, then toward Saints. Lastly, what man is so infirm, but that he knoweth that 1. joh. 4.19. God loved him first, Rom. 5.8. and that he loved him more, then Man doth love himself? Therefore the most infirm doth know, Math. 22.37. that God is to bee loved with all the heart as the Creator: with all the soul as the Redeemer: with all the mind, as the reward. Which if we do not, but wanting love towards God call vpon men to be our help, we shall one day feel the fearful curse, which it allotted unto them that jer. 17.5. make flesh their arm. CHAP. LVII. Of the second argument, by which they would prove, that Saints must be prayed unto as our advocates; Because they must be honoured. THis argument, if it bee duly considered, doth above all other wound their own position concerning the invocation of Saints. For if prayer be a religious worship( as Aquinas saith) Secunda secundae 83. coll. à Berard. Bon joan. Patet orationem esse actum religionis; it appeareth that prayer is an act of religion, unto which it belongeth to yield reverence and honour unto God, then it cannot be due or appertaining unto Saints, for that in religious worship God requireth, Deut. 6.13. Math. 4.20. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him ONELY thou shalt serve. Alexander of Hales saith, that Idolatry is the giuing of the honour due unto God to the creature. Out of these Antecedents it is evident, that since religious honour is due onely to God, and prayer is a religious honour; who so giveth prayer unto Saints, committeth Idolatry with Saints. Neither can the distinction betwixt 〈◇〉 and 〈◇〉, that is, Saintly and divine worship, help them any iote. For prayer is an act of religious worship, wherein we confess and presuppose a power in him that we pray unto, to help us, and every where to be present, and at all times, and to bee as the soul in the body, whole in the whole,& whole in every part. wherefore Master Kellison doth vainly infer, Kellis. in the sur●●ey. lib. 3. c. 12 pag. ●48. d●t duac. a●no 1603. That if we must honour none but God, wee may not honour our parents. For wee aclowledge two kinds of honour; civil honour due to men, to Saints, to priests, to princes: but we deny unto thē that honour, which is Religious worship; whereof prayer, by Aquinas confession is part. For so the Apostle teacheth; 1. Tim. 1. iuxta communem versionem. To God only glory; therefore to God only prayer. Eckius and Bellarmine urge, Bell. ib. de Sanct. beas. cap. 19. prate●ea viroque testamē. that if the Saints may not be prayed unto, then much less might the Apostle desire his Colossians, his Ephesians, and the Hebrews to pray for him, First then to stop the mouth of these cavils, wee must consider, it is one thing to desire our living brethren to pray for us as fellow members: another thing to make dead Saints advocates and mediators, offering up both their prayers and their merits, as a satisfaction to God for our sin. When Paul requesteth the Ephesians and Colossians to pray for him, he doth seek only a charitable consociation of fellow members in earnest invocation of God. But the Church of Rome prayeth unto Saints as unto superior powers; unto such, Quos veneramur officio( as the missal saith) Miss. star. in Sanct. Agrete. orat. Deus qui nos. et Ro. Br. ib. whom wee worship by duty. The Apostle Paul desireth the prayers of his Col●ssians and Ephesians unto God; but the Romish Church desireth the Saints themselves to grant us forgiveness of sins, and all other graces. For so they sing unto Thomas Becket; Tho. cedunt et parent omnia, pests, mor. ●, damonia igitu, aer, cel●u●, ●t maria. Tho. mūaū replenit gloria. Tho. mundus pra stat obsequia. in bred star. To Thomas all things give place and obey; plagues, diseases, manners and divels, fire, earth and Sea: Thomas hath filled the world with glory, let the world to Thomas yield obedience. Secondly, the Apostle desireth the Colossians& the Eph. 6.19. Ephesians to pray for him, and for other disposers of the word and Mysteries of God; to the end that the door of utterance might be given him, to speak the Mysteries of Christ: that he might open his mouth bouldlie, to publish the secrets of the gospel. This is but a prayer of the congregation, that God would bless the Minister with gifts fitt for edification of the body of Christ, and of themselves. What is this to the calling vpon Saints to bee our advocates with God? Thirdly, to request our living brethren to pray for us, we haue warrant and example in the word of God: but to beseech the glorified souls of Saints so to do, we haue neither precept nor example. But I will go forward to answer their other arguments. For answer unto the third argument touching our reverence due to God, that which hath been spoken in the 53. Chapter in answer to the first part of the first reason, may suffice. CHAP. LVIII. Answer to the arguments of Eckius and Bellarmine, taken out of Scripture to prove the invocation of Saints. BEllarmine, and his Master Eckius before him will needs prove the invocation of Saints out of Scripture. To which purpose they allege the forty eight of Genesis; Gen. 48.16 The angel which hath delivered me from all evil, bless the children, and let my name bee name vpon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and isaac. To the answering hereof wee must understand, that the word angel hath a double signification; sometime it is taken for a Psa 103.20.& Heb. 1.7 ministering spirit; sometime for Iesus Christ himself: and so Christ is called Esay 63.9. the angel, that went forth from his presence. Now jacob here prayeth not to the other common Angells, but to the great angel of office, Iesus Christ. Three places they bring out of job. The first, out of the fift Chapter; job 5.2 Call now, if any will answer, and to which of the Saints will thou turn? Ergo, there is invocation of Saints. The very words, which went before, show the meaning of Elyphas to bee, That God is onely righteous, and all men sinners: God only et●rnall: Man, yea the Saints themselves, transitory; which having finished their course, rest with God and cease from human things, neither can give help to any. Wherefore call( saith he) If any will hear thee, and to which of the Saints wilt thou turn? Surely Elyphas yieldeth as little help to the Church of Rome in the question, as he did comfort to job in his misery. But admit these words of Elyphas were to their advantage; yet what foundation can bee laid vpon the speeches of such an one, of whom the Lord himself hath pronounced, job 42.7 My wrath is kindled against thee, and thy two friends: For ye haue not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my seruant job. again, the very contexture of the place alleged doth altogether prove the contrary. job. 4 For Elyphas was stricken into terror: his bones trembled in him: his hair also stood upright: and a wind passed by, and one stood before him like an Image, whom he knew not. All which circumstances teach, that this was a vision, and the doctrine thereof was this; that God found sin in his Angells, much more in men, which dwell in houses of day, who perish for ever without return: so that if you call to them, they will not answer. Wherefore wee must inquire of God, and turn our talk unto him. The other place in the ninth of job, where the patient man saith, job 19.22 ( Miseremini mei, amici; haue mercy on me my friends: the common latin translation, which they so much approve, sheweth that job in the complaints of that Chapter was a type of Christ, and his great afflictions. Which if it bee so, I hope, they will not say, that job being typical Christ did pray for the help of Angells: but if the words bee literally taken, they evidently require the true and faithful compassion of his friends, that stood by; who in stead of a loving visitation did unkindly upbraid him, and vex him with taunts and bitter reproofs. As for that place in the thirty third of job; job 33.23 si fuerit pro eo Angelus loquens, if an angel shall speak for him; the text is corrupted. For the Hebrew soundeth thus; if an angel or Messenger speak to him: and not for him. lastly they urge the place of the thirty two of Exodus, where Moses saith, Exod. 32.13 Remember Abraham, isaac& Israel thy seruants, to whom thou sworest by thy own self. But( as I before said) this place is no proof of prayer unto Saints; for that, by Bellarmins own confession, before the coming of Christ the souls of holy men departed were not in heaven. Therefore they could not bee prayed unto, because they could not pray for us, who did not thē in the face of Chr.( as they say) behold our wants. This place then doth set Gods own covenant, which was his more mercy, before the eyes of God, as a motive sufficient to implore forgiveness of sins and continuation of his grace. The same is to bee understood of that place, Psa. 132.10 For thy seruant Dauids sake turn not away the presence of thine anointed. david was the type of Christ: and many times by the name of david, Christ is understood. As for Aaron standing betwixt the living and the dead with his censer, it was a figure of Christ also, and prayeth him to bee our only advocate. Of all vanities, that of Eckius doth excel, who saith, Because God doth honour his, joh. 13 and Christ did minister to his Disciples, therefore wee muct pray unto Saints, and honour them in our religious worship: as though Christ washing his Apostles feet did adore his Apostles: or the honour of reward, which god giveth to his chosen, were a sufficient argument, that the honour of adoration& invocation may bee given to them. CHAP. LIX. Concerning the arguments for the invocation of Saints, taken from the Fathers of the Church. HOw venerable the consent of the ancient Doctors of the Church is in matters of religion, where they agree unto the Scriptures of god, ther is, I think, no man but will confess. ieremy commandeth to jer. 6.16 inquire for the old way, which is the good way, and walk therein. And Moses exhorteth Israel to Deut. 32.7 remember the dayes of old, and to consider the yeares of so many generations: ask thy father, and he will show thee; thine elders, and they will tell thee. job 3. Bildad therefore calleth vpon job to inquire of the former age, and to prepare himself to search of his Fathers. Tully well saith in philosophy, that men the nearer they were to the beginning, and to the divine progeny, so much better did they discern the truth. Yet notwithstanding there are diuers cautions and rules to bee observed in alleging the sentences of ancient Doctors, without the which the authority even of the best Fathers is but a Spiders web instead of clothing,& gravel instead of bread. Wherefore the Papists themselves admit not absosutely of the authority of the Fathers, but only where they serve their turns; As you may see in Bellarmine. Who in the controversy, Bell. de Sanc. beat l●. 1 cap. 5. ad finem. whether Saints are fully blessed, rejecteth the authority of Tertullian, as an heretic: and of Lactantius, as one better red in Cicero, then in Scriptures: and of Victorius, as one altogether unlearned. That authority is always fit for our example, which doth not serve from the rule& Canon of al truth, the Dan. 7.9 word of the ancient of daies, who is before all time; joh. 1.9. the light of lights,& the Father of all that is called Father in heaven& Earth. By his spirit, the Prophets, Apostles and evangelists in delivering of scriptures were directed. Which scriptures being neglected, wee may answer, as Socrates did to Eleusius; Quomodo, Eleusi, to● qui Antiochiae conuenerunt patres nominas: illorum autem maiores patres esse insiciaru? Socr. lib. 2. cap ●1. How cometh it to pass, that you call them Fathers, which met in the assembly at Antioch,& deny their elders to be Fathers who assembled long before in the council of Nice? Why do they accept of some of later daies as Fathers,& do not receive the Apostles& Prophets in their canonical writings as Fathers? Wee must then so allege Fathers, as that wee aclowledge them to bee all seruants, and in subiection to the word of God. A Doctor( saith Chrysostome) may add nothing besides the lawe, out of his own sense: nor take away any thing from it after his own understanding; But must preach that only which is contained in the lawe. So doth Cyprian also teach, that the opinion of Fathers must bee no further received, then they agree with the scriptures. Quare si solus Christus audiendus est, non debemus at tendere quid aliquis ante no● faciendum putauerit; said quid, qui ante omnes est, Christus prior secerit: neque en●m hoins consuetudinem sequi op●rtet, said De● veritatem. Cyp. l. b. 2. ep. 3. ad C●cilium. Wherefore, if Christ alone must be hearkned unto, wee ought not to attend what any one before us doth think meet to bee done; but what Christ, that is before all, hath done. For wee must not follow the custom of men, but the truth of God &c. tart. de praescrip. aduersu● Heret in pri●● fear. Do wee try the faith by the persons, or the persons by the faith? saith Tertullian. Ambrose saith, N hil i●itur, vel quod bonum ●●de●●, addendum est Nothing may bee added to the commandement; no, though it seem to bee good. Augustine saith; Aug. sup. jo tract 46. ca. 10. circa medi●●●. Sitting vpon the chair of Moses they teach the lawe of God; therefore God teacheth by them. But if they will teach their own things, hear them not, do not after them; for such seek their own things, and not the things of Christ. And this is the first caution to bee observed in the reading of the Fathers, To try them by scriptures, and to aclowledge their writings to bee but seruants and handmaydes to the word of God. Secondly, it must bee considered, whether the Father, whose authority is alleged, were not misled with any fantastical opinion of heretics, or superstition of false teachers in his time. Wherefore wee may justly except against Vid. C●nt. 3 a. c. 10 Tertullian in the controversy of marriage, and of fasting, and of difference of Meats, who favoured the dotage of the heretic Montanus concerning marriage, and choice of meats; which little differeth from the opinion of the church of Rome. Grat. dist. 15. The works of Tertullian by Gratian himself are counted Apocryph. So the books of Origen in the matter of free will, orignall sin, purgatory, and such like cannot be alleged; in which points he is notoriously known to haue dispersed many venomous opinions. As, that in this life the Saints haue the same perfection, that Adam had before he fell: that every Man may exterminate from himself the seed or inclination to sin, which is called foams peccati. Yea, the Romish Church itself rejecteth Origen and all his works; which jerome approveth not. Thirdly, wee must consider, whether the books of the Fathers become to our hands uncorrupted or not. Of Origen Ruffinus saith, Ea C●nt 3 〈…〉. that many things which are reprehensible in his books, were foisted in by his enemies: and he bringeth forth an Epistle of Origen to his friends in Alexandria, in which Origen himself doth therof complain. jerome saith, Vid. Hieron. in ep. ●d Pam et Oceani● de erroribus Orig ser● ad finem that Origen confessed his errors to Fabian the Roman Bishop, and blamed Ambrosius his friend, who did immaturely divulge the writings, which Origen for his own private use secretly composed. The same my bee said of the rest of ther Fathers, and of Augustine himself. Of this sort are the apostolical Canons: whereof the most part are plain forgeries, and the rest doubtful. For touching them there hath never been any certainty in the Church. Diuers condemned them all as Apocrife and false. E● Pet. Soto ●●●or ad sine. ●●st. ded. in Can. Apost. a●ud ●●●th. Carranz& ex Grat. ●an. 14. Some allow only 60; and of that opinion is Pope Zepherim: some approve but 50;& of this opinion is Pope lo in his Epistle against Abbot Nicetas: the 6. council approveth 85. Canons. Now then what sound authority can be taken from such doubtful& ambiguous surmifes, whereof even Rome itself is not resolved? The same estimation is to be made of the decretal Epistles, which they pretend to haue been written by the primitive bishops of Rome. But Esops ass is easily bewrayed by his ears. For the argument of them agreeth not with the time of those Fathers, nor the phrase with the style of those times: besides sundry other evident reasons, by which they are deprehended to bee false and forged deceits. They haue not the testimony of any Fathers: they are not alleged by any ancient Councells: no approved Histories record them. And it is manifest that the Popish jugglers haue thrust diuers things into them, which they never wrote; as not only those famous learned men; Erasmus, and Philip Melancthon abundantly declare: but the sundry editions of the Fathers at Rome, at Paris, and at lions, within these forty yeares printed, evidently witness. To this let us add those Indices expurgatorii, perfidious falseries, worthy to bee condemned by the Cornelian law; Posse●●. in select. bib. li. 1. ca. 19. especially that Spanish Index, mentioned by Posseuinus. But of the falsification of Fathers I shal no more need to speak, being so notably detected by Andreas Crastonius; Mr. John Fox in his history, the Magdeburgenses, and by that Star of oxford Doctor Reynolds; and lastly, by the excellent learned man Doctor james, to whose fidelity the famous library of oxford is committed. Fourthlie, we must diligently regard in what time or age of the Church, the Father, whose authouritie is pressed against us, did live. For every author must not be reckoned among the Fathers; but such only as lived near the time of the Apostles, or in the primitive Curch. For then the Church( as Eusebius well observeth) was a virgin. Wherefore, as one Plut. in vita eius. said of Philopemen, that he was the last of all the Grecians: so may wee say, that the age of the Fathers ended almost with Saint Austin; as that learned man Bartholomeus Keckermannus truly observeth. By this rule then, the testimonies of Bernard, gregory Beda, Damascen, Theophylact, anselm, and diuers others, whom the Romish Church hath put into the Albe of the Fathers, is to bee judged and examined by the reasons and arguments they bring, not by the authority and celebrity of their names; since they lived long after the time of the Churches purity, in corrupt and superstitious ages. Lastly, it is specially to bee observed, that wee judge not any of the Fathers by one or two singular or special sentences, nor yet the whole college of Fathers by one or two that are called Fathers: but( as Oportet secundum plura intelligi pauciora. aduersus Praxiam. Tertullian saith) the fewest must be understood by the greater number: the three must bee judged by the wood: the branch by the three: the drop by the river: the spark by the fire; That is, one particular saying by the whole Tenet and doctrine of a Father in the rest of his works, and one particular Father by the general concent of all the whole choir of the Fathers. For it were most absurd to judge the general by the special, all the doctrine of a man by one sentence, or all the Fathers by one Father. These rules and Canons being observed, the Church of Rome shall haue no cause to boast of the Fathers in the matter of invocation and adoration of Saints, or any other question. Now to the third point. CHAP. LX. That the Romish worship of Saints is an imitation of the old Heathens. much labour the Romish church doth take, to prove the worshipping of Saints to be received from the venerable antiquity of the church, the gray-headed truth. But if they would duly and sincerely indeed Esay 51.1. look back unto the hole, out of which they were digged, and the pit, from whence they were taken, then they shall find, that in this and sundry other their abominations, Ezek. 16 3 their Father was an Ammorite, and their mother an Hittite,& that Ezek. 11.12 they haue done after the maner of the nations, that were round about them. To begin therefore with their strongest defence, wherein they most of all triumph; that though they worship diuers subordinate means and mediators to salvation, yet they aclowledge but one God and one Lord: Wherefore the black reproach and foul spot of Idolatry cannot be imputed unto them. You shall understand, that never any wise or ingenious Heathen did allow, or aclowledge any more but one God of Nature, though they had diuers subordinate and mediate Gods of office. Ex et Bulling. de orig. cultu diuorum c ●● 8. Orpheu● apud justin. ibid. Orpheus unto Musaeus( as jo. Franc. Pico interpreteth) thus doth sing; — climb thou above the Pole, behold him that of the world is ruler sole. He, by himself begotten, alone hath all created. And again also; jupiter et Pluto, Phoebus, dionysius unam est: said cur bis loquimur? Deus astat in omnibu vnu●. Musaeus apud justin Mart. licet aliis verbis. Vnde justin Mart. in exhortatorio ad Gentes ibid. jupiter and Pluto, Phoebus, dionysius one; Why speak I twice? one God in all is seen. And justinus Martyr in his admonition to the Gentiles bringeth in Sybilla thus divining; There is one God alone, not made, vncreate, beholding all, himself a King invisible, Whom mortal flesh can never comprehend. Sophocles saith, indeed there is one God, which hath framed the earth, the heauens, and the shining water,& the threatening winds. But we mortal men deceived in our mindes to the destruction of our souls haue made Images of wood, or of ston, covering them with gold or ivory: to whom we haue ordained holy Rites and festivals, thinking hereby to worship holily. Pythagoras also taught, that unity was the beginning and cause of all good things. Which what is it else, but as though he should say, that God is one and alone? Aristotle in his book of the world saith, Vnu● porro cum D●● sit, pluribus nomin bus appella● tu● est à suu, ●●sque v●ique affect●bus omnibus denominatus quorum specimen edere ipse solet. Although there be but one God, yet he is called by sundry names, according to his effects which he sheweth of himself. The famed, Seneca teacheth; Sen. lib. 5. de beneficij●. Whether thou call him Nature, destiny, or Fortune, they bee all the names of the same God, using his power diversly on them. Ibid. The same God is called jupiter; as much as to say, helping Father. Mercury, because he is always running amongst us, and present with vs. Neptune, for that he succours travelers by Sea. Pluto, for his riches. Mauors, for his ruling of great things. Saturne, because he satisfieth all. Lyber, because he delivereth. Apollo, for destroying. osiris, because he hath many eyes. Pan, because he is preserver of all things. juno, of helping. Venus, because by that vigour all things are produced. Minerua, for threatening. Isis, for antiquity. And so all the rest are but the several powers of one and the same God. herein the Romish Church doth nothing differ from the Idolatours. For as they aclowledge one onely true and immortal God, so did the Heathens also confess the same. The beginning of the Heathenish, and the Popish Idolatry was much after the same fashion. For the Heathens put their excellent Kings, and the inuentours of works beneficial to mankind, yea, sometimes their Friends and their parents into the Albe of their Gods; as Ninus did Belus, and Aeneas Anchises; as Tully in the second book de natura Deorum, and Pliny in the worlds history, and Virgil in his Aeneidos teach. Yet these they never held equal to the God of Nature, but put always a difference betwixt their mortal& immorral powers; the Gods that were made,& the glorious majesty of the eternal uncreated Deity. wherefore they are termed Heroes& Semi-dei, half Gods,& worthies, whose virtues and noble acts men sung at great feasts and solemnities, to honour their memories with hymns of praise, and to stir up others to follow their example. The same is the progress of the Christian Idolatry. At the first the memories of Saints were solemnized onely to excite men to follow their virtues; as the Epistle of the Church of Smyrna to the Philomelians touching the burial of Polycarpus doth witness. Wherein they plainly profess the honour of Martyrs to be no other, but that the minds of Men should bee provoked by notable examples, unto the ways of their predecessors. This also the second Nicen council in the fift sanction declareth, saying; Etsi ●acimus hominum piorum similitudines non tamen ea funt vt adorentur vt Dei, said vt eas vidē ●s ●d●mitationē s●cinerum illorum irritentur. 2. Con. Nice. act 5. Although wee make the similitude of holy men, yet they are not made to bee worshipped, but that beholding them we may bee stirred up to the imitation of their noble acts. Natalis Comes, a man very exercitate in the study of these things, doth aclowledge, that the Images of Saints were at first set up, to be Monumenta amicorum Dei, the remembrances or Monuments of the friends of God. After this the Heathens proceeded farther, from superstition in remembering, to Idolatry in serving and praying to their Heroes, Bulling. de orig. cult. dus et Su●●. ●rr. cap. 9. lib. 1. who were entitled Medioxumi Dij, as Mediators and intercessors betwixt God and Men: yea, they feigned( as many now also dream) that every one had two particular Angels, a good and a bad, by whose administration from the supreme Deity all things were ordered unto a Man. So in the Church, from celebrating the memories of Martyrs they proceeded to build Altars over their tombs, to honour them with Temples, with prayers, with gifts, with oblations, running to them as mediators betwixt Christ and his Church in all dangers and all diseases. Ro. bred post. come. pro pluribus pontiff. Quaesumus Domine solu●aribus. Yea, they shane not to worship saints with the same sacraments wherewith they worship God: and with the very same prayer which Iesus Chr. taught his disciples to come to the Father with; as not onely the Scottish friar openly taught in the pulpit: but Costerus the Iesuite also in his Institutions ordaineth Oratio dominica ad angelum custodem. Costanstit lib 1. ca. ●5. ad ipsum finem. every one to come unto the angel Gardyan with the Lords prayer. Neither can they say this is a private opinion, seeing that whole book of Costerus is approved by all the faculty of divines in the university of Mentz, and of the university of colen, of trevers,& of louvain; together with the censure of H. Cuykius an apostolical Censor of books to bee printed. The Heathens gave unto their Saints seasons,& months, and daies,& houres,& times, over which they made them Presidents. But the Christians haue gone beyond all Heathens, and haue multiplied their Saints; not according to the number of their cities, but according to the number of the months, and weeks, and daies; insomuch that one day is consecrated to eleven thousand virgins. The Heathens haue ascribed to their Saints particular places, which they defend, and where their Deity especially would show itself. Babylon hath Belus, Egypt osiris, Aphrica Neptune, Mauritania juba, the Massagets Phoebus, Athens Minerua, Rome Quirinus: juno hath Samos, Venus Paphos, Vulcan Lemnos, jupiter Crete, and beastly Priapus his Lampsacum. Thus every country, and city, and field, and river, and Wood, and house, and place had Deos tutelares, singular Gods of defence; Insomuch that Oenomaus Vid. H. Bullinger de orig. error. circa deos Gentium. cap. 9. and Hesiod speak of 30000. Gods Christians also haue learned this kind of superstition of the Heathens. For the Saints haue their special places, wherein they delight to bee adored, and make their power known. England had Saint George, spain Saint james, France, because they would be the more sure, Saint Michael and Saint Denis, Panonia Ludouicus, Colen the three wise Kings, to the protection of Saint Ambrose milan, and unto Huldericus Augusta was committed, the Virgin is most famous at Loretta, and Saint mark at Venice; Nay, every particular Church in towns and Cities glorieth with his singular Patron, even as Virgil speaketh of Troy. Excessere omnes, odites ●●risque relictes, Dij, quibus imperium hoc steterat. Enead. 2. lib. The Gods to whom this Empire was committed, Did all forsake their Temples and their Altars. Yea, as among the Gentiles one Heros was surnamed of sundry places( As Diana, Agietora, Coryphaea, Laphyra, Corythalia, Ephesia, Eremitana, Aquensis, Campensis) So one Saint hath also the surname of diuers places; as our Lady Lorettanae, our Lady of Worcester and of Walsingham, the faire Lady, the rosy Lady, Nostra domina candida C●st. in prae. 9. lib instit. the lily Lady, the Lady of power at Paris, the Lady of ioy in Pycardie, the Lady Nostra d●mm● de Pul●●. of the fountain in Auernoys; as Costerus the Iesuite in his Epistle dedicatory to his five books of Institutions writeth. Did ever any evangelist or Apostle give her such titles? Is there more zeal in Friers, or more humility then in the holy Writers? The Heathens ascribed particular offices to their Gods: some of war, some of Peace, some of Sea, some of Land were soueraignes. M●ia and Flora of the Spring. Ceres of autumn: of sheep and Cattle Pan: Mercury of Messages: Apollo of wisdom: of the Sea Neptune: aeolus of the winds had care. Hereunto they add diuers others; some obscene, and some sick, and miserable Gods; as Stercutius, Cloacinus, fear, paleness, Rust, the fever, the God of the Furnace, Mutinus, Virginius, Subigus, Prema, Iugatinus, Domiducus, Maturna, Partund●, Priapus, whom for modesty I may not English. So in the Romish Church; of Painters, Luke; Nicholas, of Shipmen: the Virgin and Christopher, of the Sea: urban of Vines: Iodocus of corn: Guendolin, of sheep: Pellagius, of Oxen: Eulogius, of Horses: and miserable Anthony hath the charge of Swine: Valesian, or( as some say) Gallus keeps the goose: Gerrudis rules bats and Mice: Theodulus, is the Saint of winds: Agatha of fire: Sebastian helps the plague: Saint rock the pox: Valentine, the Falling sickness: Petro iella, fevers: Wolfgang, Conuulsions: Romanus, the lunatic: mark, sudden death: Margaret, though she be a Virgin, doth stand in stead of juno Lucina unto childbearing women, and hath her Niobe Saint Notpurgis to assist her: Saint Ita, though she be an obscure Saint, is governess of the head: Otylia, is Saint of the eyes: Saint Kath●rine rules the tongue: Apollonius, the teeth: Saint blaze, governs the neck: Saint laurence the back and sides: Erasmus the guts and bowels: Saint Bughart the legs and feet: Apollinaris lastly comes into Priapus place, and is made patron of the members of shane. I will stir this sink no longer, least they should take me for some Atheist Lucian, making warres against the holy Saints, whom, God knoweth and my conscience beareth witness, I honour as much as themselves, with all the reverence, which the word of truth hath taught me to give unto the glorified members of IESVS CHRIST. Consider again, I pray you, that as the Heathens of their Heroes erected Images, before which they worshipped: so the Romanists haue of their Saints made the pictures, to whom they also do service. The Heathens kept the relics of their Gods, and gave great worship unto them; and the head of Orpheus in Lesbos, the Cradle of jupiter in Crete, the Image of Diana at Ephesus, which was sent down from heaven, and a thousand such. But herein gentility cannot compare with the Romish Church, who haue their Ladies milk, her Girdle, with our saviours Swathe-band, the bones of Saint Bartholomew, Iosephus shoe, Saint Thomas shoe, Saint Martins bootes, Saint George his sword and arm, Saint Peters chair, Saint Denis hand, Saint Adelberts arm sent by Boleslaus King of Polon to Otho the Emperor: the coals of the burning bush, Exod. 3. the coals that broiled Saint laurence, the part of the Gridiron whereon he was laid, a feather of Saint Michaels wing, the flag that Christ did harrow hell with, the foot and the tail of the ass, the blood of Christ in Mantua: And in Hales, pieces of his cross so many, that twenty Carts cannot carry, what poor Simon of Cyrene bare on his shoulders, Mar. 15. Math. 3. the three Nailes multiplied to threescore at least, the water of jordan where Christ was baptized, Mar. 15. Math. 27. the sponge that was offered him with vinegar, the thorns of his crown at Malmsbury, the oil of the Candle which burnt on his Sepulchre, joh. 19. sent by Pope Benedict to the Abbey of Cassinum, anno dom. 1203. the spear that pierced his side, extorted by Henry the Emperour from Rodulph Duke of Burgundy, for which he gave him the dukedom of Sweuia; and thousand thousands more, which in sundry abbeys and Churches are proposed to be seen. Another agreement there is betwixt the Heathen and the Christian Saints in miracles. For the Pagans pleaded for their Gods, that they were workers of great wonders. Castor and Pollux in the latin war were seen washing their horses at the Lake Iuturna. And in the Macedonian war, vpon white horses they offered themselves to P. Valerius going towards Rome, and declared, that the very same day King Perses was overcome. So the Idean Mother, when the Ship, wherein she was brought toward Rome stuck fast in Tybur, to show the chastity of Claudia, whom for her overmuch niceness in attiring herself the people took to be a strumpet, was content that the Ship should follow Claudia up the river towed by her Girdle onely. A miracle also they report of Esculapius, delivering Rome from the pestilence: and how Appius Claudius was strooken blind, when contrary to the Oracle he had translated the holy Ceremonies of Hercules to the seruants in Rome: and how Fuluius the Censor was strooken with madness, because he took the marble tables out of the Temple of juno, to cover the house of Fortune which he built: Much they speak of Turulius overthrown in battle, after he had cut down in Coos the wood of Esculapius to make Ships therewith. And what should I speak of Milesian Ceres? who struck blind with lightning the souldiers, which broke into her City to spoil the same. Now, as GOD gave up the Heathen to be seduced with strong illusions: so the coming of Antichrist also is by the working of satan, Math. 24.24. with all power of lying signs and wonders, to deceive, if it were possible, the very Elect of God. Let them hear( saith Austine) what wonders the Pagans tell of their Temples and their Gods, which haue been heard and done, and yet their Gods are but divels. The same may we answer also to those that boast so much of their Romish miracles. We may say with Lyra, Et s●m●liter aliquando lit ●●n Ecclesia maxima dec●pti● populi mirac●●● filli●a ●acerdotibus,& e● adharenti●us propter lucrum tempora●e. l. ●r in 14. Dan. verbo& colebant enim B●bylonij. In the Church of God the people are often deceived of the Priests and their adherents, with feigned miracles for lucres sake. Wee may again say with Austine, Brethren let us keep the unity of the Church. For he that being out of the unity doth work miracles, is nothing. The people of Israel were in this unity, and did no miracles. The Exod. 7.& 8. Soothsayers of Pharaoh were out of this unity, and did the miracles of Moses; yea, the Lord himself doth teach us, that if the miracles bee agreeable to the word, then they ought to bee regarded: but if they tend to draw men from the truth of the Law of God, Deut. 13 5. That Prophet, or that dreamer of dreams shall bee s●●ine, because he hath spoken, to turn you away from the Lord your God, &c. Compare we now the miracles of the Romish Church, with those of the ancient Heathens. For they tell us, Ex R●●●●●. l●ct. 3. jo. E●ri●sius. how the Horse, which a Lady lent to Pope John, would never again bear his Mistris, after he had once carried that holy burden, the universal Bishop, vpon his back. They preach how Saint blaze made the wolf bring home the poor womans pig again: Ex Le●endi●. and how Saint julian bound the divell hand and foot, and whipped him about the streets with a chain: How Saint laurence turned him on the other side, to make room for Saint Stephen being laid in the grave with him: that Saint Dunstane held the divell by the nose with a pair of tongs: that the devil was swallowed down by a monk that drank wine without a cross: That a In Miss. Heref. in come. Sanc. Tho. con●ess. put● m●r●us morte datus. drowned boy at Oxford, raised from death to life by the power of Saint Thomas the Confessor, cried, Let us go to Hereford: that a nun being ouerhastie and too greedy for meate, swallowed up the divell sitting vpon a Lattis: that Ex Ro. Br● in lect. 4 Ambr. Epist. ā swarm of of Bees sate in Saint Ambrose mouth: and Acladius was taken at Iustins window in the shape of a Sparrow: that Saint Francis turned a Capons leg into a dish of Fish, because it was fasting day: that Saint Cuthbert commanded Elfledus to take away the Mouse and her younglings, that troubled him in his grave; whereat Elsted being angry would haue killed them all, had not the Saint forbidden: that Saint Denis, Saint clear, Saint justinian, Saint Iuthwar carried their heads in their arms after they were cut off: and that another, whose head was cut off, brought it in his arms to Saint Cadocke, and prayed him to put it on his shoulders again: that Saint Bartholom●w made the Sparrow hawk fast three daies to purge his fault, because he had eaten his little bide: that the Shipmen could haue no faire winds, till they had eaten the Goose Saint Cuthbert commanded them: that Francis made his sisters goose leave their gaggling, while he sang his canonical houres: that three Angels did geld Elias the monk: that the Orowe did penance for pulling the straws off the roof of Saint Cuthberts house: that the In Bre. Ser. aquae mix●. pulvere &c. lect. 3. said autem ●●●t. ashes of Saint Cedda mixed with water cured all diseases: that Saint Sebastian commanded Lucina to take his body out of the privy, and bury it by the Apostles: that Saint bennet made whole his nurses broken halter: that the sun beam held up Saint Aldems Chesuble from the ground: Ro. Bre. that a Crow fed Paul the hermit for the space of sixty yeares: that Garnets face was pictured with his blood on a straw at his execution: worthy we are to perish, if these fooleries could turn us from our faith. aventinus speaketh truly of such Prophets; False Apostles and false Priests haue sprung up, who by feigned religion haue deceived the people: great signs and wonders they haue done, and they haue begun to sit in the Temple, and to bee extolled above all that is worshipped as God. Saint jerome saith, Sicut in Christo plenundo divinitatis su●t corporaliter: ita es in antichristo omnes erunt fortitudines, es signa et prodigia, said vniuers. mendacia. Hier. ad Alga●. q. 11. ad finem fear. As the fullness of the divinity was in Christ bodily: so all power and signs and wonders shall bee in Antichrist, but they shall bee all lies. And here the Christian reader is to be admonished, that the miracles of Antichrist, are called lying miracles for four considerations. First, because they were never done at all; as, that at Saint Thomas Beckets shrine in canterbury. Testatur hanc hist. jo. Foxu● ex Tho. Mors et Tindallo. Where, when they sang and rang a wonder; namely, that a born blind man had received his sight, presently the Duke of gloucester came vpon them, and demanding of the new cured blind what colour his gown was? the Hypocrite said, blew; by which the duke presently discerned the imposture. For though he were cured of his blindness, yet on such a sudden he could not distinguish colours by their appellation, and call every colour by his own name. The second respect is, because though they seem to bee done, yet they are done by juggling and by legier du main, or false deceiving of the sense. Like to that which wee read of Menippus, Vid. Ph●lip. Canter in op. suc. cap. 70. ex Phi●ost de v. 1. Apolat Budeum. who was deceived with lying dishes, and plate, and hangings, which were all but shadows& deceits by beguiling the eyes. The third reason is, because they are wrought by the power of the divell, the Father of lies. And such may wee, not without good reason, judge the miracle of Saint Du●stane to bee, Leg now. Aug. in Dunst. when at Winchester the Crucifix concerning priests marriages openly spake( as they said) Absit hoc vt fiat, Absit hoc vt fiat: let it not bee done, let it not bee done. Lastly, the miracles of Antichrist are therfore called false, Vid. Theoph. in. 2 Thes. 2. omne virtute et signis et prodigijs mendacibus. because, though they are truly done, yet they are not done for the truth; but they tend, and are alleged to set up false worship and idolatry, against the truth of God manifested in his word. For all true miracles haue this only end; To serve the word of God, and to towns the verity thereof. Act. 3 As, when Peter and John cured the lame man in Salomons porch, it tended to show how God had glorified his son Iesus: so the miracles of Elias 1 King 17.18 tended to beat down falsse worship contrary to Gods word. The same doth Augustine testify cvi nisi isti fidei attestantur ista miracula in qua praedicatur Christus resurrexisset Aug. de Ciu. Dei. lib. 21. cap. 9. in princ. cap. of the miracles done at the memory of Saint Stephen; To what faith( saith he) do these miracles bear towns, but unto that wherein it is preached, that Christ rose from the dead? &c. The Gods of the Gentiles had their Poets, which devised wanton tales and idle fables of the theft, deceit, lust, drunkenness and shamless ribaldry of their Gods. And the Legendaries and missals are not herein behind the Gentiles, who commend their Saints for heinous sins. Ex variis Legend. horum Sanctorum. Lucia is magnified, because she forsook her husband: Saint blaze, because he fled and hide himself in a cave, from the bishopric to which he was lawfully elected: Saint Agatha, for that she refused the ordinary help of surgery to her breasts, that were cut off: Saint Dunstane for being a non resident, and holding the two bishoprics of London and Worcester together: Saint Thomas, for distributing the Indian Kings money to the poor, which he delivered into his hands to build a Palace. Of Thomas Becket they feign, ( z) that the blessed Virgin was his Semster. And( which the tongues of devils would abhor to utter) that the Mother of Christ served fifteen yeeres in a Nunnery, in the habit of one beatrice, while the said beatrice played the harlot abroad: Ex prompt. exemp. Disc. de ●emp. exemplo 25. in Mo●asterio. and that of another encloistred, which had lost her honesty, the holy Mother of God carried secretly the child to nurse; as their famous exem●lo 2●. quod. in Abbatissa. Promptuary of examples teacheth. The Heathens had their unknown Gods, imaginary deities, of whom they had no certain knowledge, but some opinion or surmise. Such was Act. 17.23. the unknown God, to whom the Altar was erected at Athens: such were those, whom Halicarnassaeus calleth secret Gods. Virgil saith of Aeneas; In manta script. quodā libello seu Bre. intitulate ad vsum curiae R● hac figura infignito. De marues●. The t●ree theological v●rtues mad Saints in the Romish Church, as the Heathens mad fear, paleness, and such like, Gods. The earth, and Nymphs and streams unknown he worshipped. The Church of Rome also hath her Altars of St. George, Saint catherine●, Saint Christopher; whom no antiquity doth approve, no true history recordeth, no ancient Father makes mention of, no good record enrowleth, which never lived, never were, never drew breath at their nostrils; as Paulus Vergerius that worthy Bishop openly protested of St. George in the council of Trent: insomuch that for very shane he besought the synod to blot him out of the Calendar, being a more figment, and Chimaera, worse then an old wives tale, or Poets bugbear. The like if it were well examined, might be said of the three Saints, Faith, Hope and Charity. Whereof if one or two perhaps were living creatures, yet Saint Hope, I persuade me, was put into the Calendar, that the theological virtues might bee Sainted amongst Christians, as the moral were Deified among the Romans. Surely Albysius Lypomanus confesseth Saint Hope to be in the number of obscure Saints: neither hath he any author to testify of such an one, but only gregory in his supposed Dialogues, whose word is scant a sufficient warrant for our worship, seeing the Dialogues abound with many incredible and superstitious stories: neither is the style, V●d cattle S●nct. minus. notor. apud Aloy. Ly●. nor the matter thereof agreeable to the other writings of Gr●gory. wherefore the learned haue doubted, whether these Dialogues were the true works of Gregory. Lastly, as diuers wiser and more learned Heathens misliked this multitude of Gods amongst the Pagans; as Socrates, Plato, Zenophanes and such other: so there haue not wanted even in the bowels of the Church of Rome, whom the holy Ghost hath raised up to cry out against this idolatry: as of ancient times Claudius Taurmensis a Bishop and counsellor to Charles the great: and of later time Ludouicus Viues; Lud●u vives de corruptis artib. 2. who plainly saith, that the compiler of the golden Legend was a man of a leaden heart, and a brazen face. To these may I add Erasmus in his colloquys, jo. Ferus, In exam. ordinidā. and jo. ●lthusius, catholic Catechists; who exhort all Priests not to bee too bold in publishing the Legends of Saints. If the story seem scarce credible, to touch it but lightly: If incredible, not to meddle with it at all. Thou hast seen, gentle Reader, a true comparison betwixt the Heathenish and the popish worship: wherein it appeareth, that the same was the beginning, progress, and increase of the one and the other. Wherefore I wish that they would set that saying of the ancient Father before their eyes; He that will usurp any thing in his Religion, out of the custom of Pagans, it is to bee feared l●st the name of a Christian cannot profit him. Concerning the Limitations, with which they make Saints their advocates, that which I haue spoken formerly, may suffice. ANTI-   christus. Rhem. in luke. 15. sect 2 Bellar de Sanc b●at. l. 1. c. 2 ver o de●●de non est verum. our hearts and inward repentance are open to the Angels and other celestial spirits: it is certain they know them. 1 GOD onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men. 1. Reg. 8.39. jo. Monach. apud Damasc. ex. Aloy. lip. par. 1. fol. 275. Wee haue thee, onely, O Virgin, left in the earth our comforter. 2 I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Math. 28.20. Ephrē. diacon. apud Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag 288. I haue no other trust but in thee, O sincere Virgin. 3 In thee, O Lord, haue I put my trust. Psal. 31.1. Psal. 71.1. G●r. Patriarch. ●pud Sym. Metaph. in encō. Zonae virg& sic cita ab Aloy. lip. p. 1. pag. 283. Thou, O Lady, art the spirit of Christians. 4 The Lord is the Spirit. 2. Cor. 3.17. Spiritus& vitae Christianorum. Ibid Thou, O Lady, art the life of Christians. 5 Christ is to me life. Phil. 1.21. advocate. praemisit peregrinario nostrae Bern ex Aloy. lip. In our Pilgrimage wee haue sent an Aduocatrix before vs. 6 We haue an advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the righteous. 1. joh, 2.1. Andr. Archiep. Cret. apud. S●●v. Metaph et lip. p. 1. pag. 270. Since thou wast translated from the earth, the whole world hath thee a common propitiation. 7 he is the atonement for our sins: and not for our sins onely, but al o for the sins of all the world. 1. joh. 2.2. By her, jo. Monach. apud Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 277. our reconciliation unto him was begun with great applause. 8 It pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things unto himself. Col. 1.19, 20. I am thine bonaven. Psal. 118. bonaven. Psal. 30. wholly, O Lady, thou art my strength, O Lady, my refuge, my comfort, my protection. 9 Ye are Christs. 1. Cor. 3.23. He that jo. Monach. in Aloy. lip. part. 1. ●ol. 278. thirsteth for the medicine of his infirmities, deliverance from all perturbations of his soul, and the washing away of his sin, come unto me, saith jo. Monachus of the Virgins Sepulchre. 10 Come unto me all ye that are weary, and are laden, and I will refresh you. Math. 11.28. CHAP. LXI. Of justification, the fourth effect of Christs great Priesthood. IT is most true, that the marrow, or rather the spirit and life of Christian Religion is justification from sin. And therfore, as there is no point, wherein the evangelists& Apostles, and all careful Teachers haue more laboured then in this: so there is no work of the High Priest and Bishop of our souls more impugned by the Synagogue of Antichrist, then the pure reins and spotless righteousness of Christ, wherewith he hath clothed the nakedness of his members, presenting them blameless and without spot to GOD. Wherefore here it is wonderful to consider, what tempests and storms: what clouds and darkness: what mists of errors they interpose betwixt the bright sun of righteousness, and the poor distressed conscience or Man. The Doctrine of the Scripture is plain and simplo, that joh. 1.29. Christ is the lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world, and that 1. C●r. 1 30. he is made unto us of God wisdom, and righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption, our Rom. 3.15. reconciliation, Ephes. 2.14. our peace, our life. By all which emphatical and powerful words, the Spirit of God denounceth unto us, that he is all we want, and all wee need unto the purchase of the eternal inheritance. But the Romish Church hath so overwhelmed the whole work with questions and perplexities, that they haue hidden Christ from the wounded conscience,& with their intricate disputations robbed the soul of her peace, her Sabbath, her consolation. To this purpose haue they hedged up our way with thorns; multitudes( I mean) of distinctions, modifications, restrictions, reservations, quirks and quiddities; The merit of congruity, the merit of dignity and condignity: the first justification, the second justification, the grace of justification, and justification itself: the merit of the work, and the satisfaction of the work: grace freely given, and grace making gracious: things in Scripture commanded, and things counseled: the merit of the work, and the merit of the person: the cause, by which, and the cause, for which: simplo debt, and the debt by Gods own disposition: merit properly taken, and improperly taken: occasional righteousness, and meritorious righteousness: righteousness commutative, and righteousness distributive: works of necessity, and works of supererogation; and sundry more, which I might repeat. Of all which the onely end and purpose is, to take away from Christ the honour of our justification: to entangle the simplo and ignorant heart with nets, brakes Labyrinths of perplexity, boiling, yea, drowning our Passeouer in water, Exod. 12. which should be roast with fire; that is, obscuring, through the multiplicity of their difficult and intricate Riddles, the Doctrine of salvation, which should be received onely with simplicity of faith. But because diuers excellent and famous witnesses of the truth, haue of this argument most learnedly and copiously disputed, I will onely set before thy eyes, Christian R●ader, these four points. First, the true Tenet of the Orthodox and Christian Church concerning justification. Secondly, the Romish corruption, wherewith they haue leavened this doctrine. Thirdly, the Limitations, with which they think it lawful to deny the merits of CHRIST to be our full and sufficient justification. Fourthly, I shall show thee, that these their rules and Limitations are not observed by themselves, neither in their private opinions, nor public worship. Which I will do by the help of God, in the tractations of the several Limitations. CHAP. LXII. What the state of the question of justification is. much ado there is made by many, concerning the diuers understanding of the word justification; being taken sometime for the Law, which commandeth righteousness: sometime for the obtaining of righteousness: sometime for the increase of righteousness: and sometime for the judicial declaration of righteousness; as when the judge pronounceth a man innocent, or not guilty of the crime intended against him. The latin phrase, justificare, indeed is as much, as to make righteous: but the Hebrew phrase doth import so much, as to pronounce one righteous. So it is taken in Deuterenomie; Deut. 25.1. The righteous shall be justified, and the wicked condemned. In the same sense job useth the word; job 27.5. God forbid that I should justify you. And david saith; Psal. 143.2. In thy sight shall none that liveth be justified. Esay saith; Esay 53 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant justify many. The same is also the most common understanding of the word in the New Testament. Math. 11.19. wisdom, saith our saviour) is justified of her children. And in the seventh of Luke; Luke 7.29. All the people that heard him and the publicans, being baptized with the baptism of John, justified God. In the same sense also it is taken in the eighteen of Luke, where of the humble publican he saith; Luke 18.14. I tell you this man went home to his house justified rather then the other. So that it is clear, that in the Scripture the most usual and frequent understanding of the word justify, is to absolve, acquit, or pronounce righteous. indeed, this of all matters that fall into consideration, is the most weighty; namely, to understand what haven of rest the poor distressed soul of man wearied with the burden, and affrighted with the tempests of sin, and of desperation the companion of sin, may haue to harbour itself quietly and securely in: what it shall lay hold on to defend itself, from the just wrath and righteous displeasure of the most high: Deut. 4. Exod. 22. where the city of our refuge, and the Altar of our impunity is, unto which from the revenging hand of the great judge wee may safely and assuredly fly. Bucer cont. Rob. Episc. Arērincensē. For man can never haue peace nor quietness in himself, till he find the true means how to be reconciled unto God; and till his conscience be assured, that he doth stand in the favour of God: so that the chiefest good of man is, to know that God is pleased with him. The Synagogue of Rome hath for many yeares, like an vnskilfull surgeon, omitted the onely true and sovereign balm of a wounded conscience, Iesus Christ; and with unmerciful cruelty terrified, and tortured the consciences of men, by obtruding unto them worthless and vneffectuall salves of their own proper satisfactions, of will worship, of supererogations, of the merits of friarly orders, of the patronage of Saints, of Pilgrimage, of Pardons, and sundry such other. In which, a conscience loaden with sin, and beaten down with the anger and wrath of God, can yet never get ease, nor comfort. And on the other side, they haue slandered the doctrine, which teacheth the conscience of man to rest and repose itself on the merits only of Christ, with many impious and blasphemous reproaches; as though the reformed Churches did teach, that man obtained forgiveness of sin by Christ, but no kind of Sanctification, or renewing of the inward man, or grace of repentance by him; as though wee taught that charity, and newness of life did not follow remission of sins. Yea, they shane not to say, that we cast off all care of obedience to the Law of God, and all good works; and that Kellison l. 3 c. 2 in teaching free justification by Christ, wee open the wide gap to all 'vice, and loose the bridle to all iniquity: that wee give good leave to all faithful men to commit all sin and wickedness. But unto all the world be it known, that the reformed Churches do vehemently abhor that heresy of Simon Magus, which feigned, that men freely by grace saved may do what they list, as being not tied to the observation of the holy laws of God. And we condemn no less the abomination of Basilides, who taught, that unto those that are saved by grace, all actions good or evil, clean or unclean, are indifferent. The reformed religion condemneth also the opinion of the gnostics, who say, that they are saved by knowledge onely: and that they are so spiritual by the excellency of their faith, that they can not fall from grace, do what they will. Neither are wee enemies unto good manners and purity of conversation with Aetius and Eumonius: but we profess, that true faith is, and must bee, accompanied with good works; which works un● regni. n●n caus● regn●ndi 〈◇〉 de ●rat.& 〈◇〉 rhet. in ipso fi●● tract. are the way to his kingdom, not the cause of the kingdom. Wherefore the state of the question is not, whether the man, to whom sin is forgiven, bee renewed in the spirit of his mind? Neither is it questioned, whether good works bee requisite in all true believers; or whether repentance, contrition, a purpose to amend, charity, alms, fasting and prayer ought to bee earnestly ensued by a Christian man? But the question is, what it is for which our GOD doth absolve and account innocent him that is nocent; and righteous, him that is sinful? What it is that wicked man must oppose to Gods wrath, and wherewith he must defend himself from the same? what faith must trust unto: what it must insist vpon, when it will entreat with God concerning forgiveness of sin and eternal life? what the mean i●, by which, he that hath offended God, and infinitely provoked the judge, may be brought into favour and grace with him again? Whether it be the satisfaction, the obedience and deserving of Christ in his own person? Or whether it be the actual righteousness, which wee ourselves standing in true faith, and being regenerate, do bring forth by the grace of the spirit of Christ? Now, to the discussing of this question, there is no better way, then leaving the quirks and subtleties of scholastical Writers, to inquire first in what things the Scripture forbiddeth us to place our righteousness; and then, whereon the Scripture will haue us rely, and settle ourselves in this behalf. CHAP. LXIII. Wherein the Scripture will not haue us to place our righteousness. sin cannot justify, FIrst of all, there is none so stupid and so blockish, to suppose that our sins, or our offences, which are the onely causes of our separation from God, can be the means to unite us to him, or bring us into his favour again. Prou. 12.3. A man cannot be established by wickedness: our sins do always strive against the iustice of God; therefore they can bee no mean to justify us in the sight of God. For even men that justify the wicked, are an abomination to the Lord. Mich. 6.11 Shall I( saieth he) justify the wicked balances, and the bag of deceitful weights? Secondly, natural virtue cannot justify. by the natural virtues of the unregenerate man no man can be justified in the sight of God. For he himself proclaimeth; Esay 43.26 Put me now in remembrance, for we will reason together, and show what thou hast for thee to make thee righteous. Of these the Apostle saith; 1 Cor. 15.50. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. jo. 3.5 Except a man( saith our saviour) be born of water and of the holy spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The wisdom of the unregenerate man is in the Scripture called flesh, and is condemned every where in the holy Canon. Gal. 5.19. H b. 9.10. Phil. 3.4 Eph. 2 3 Rom. 8.7. So that the work of the flesh, the justifying of the flesh, the confidence of the flesh, the will of the flesh, the mind of the flesh, are still disproved, and disallowed, as such as cannot justify. Wherefore, Eccles. 7.27. as the first Man Adam had not original righteousness by merit, but by gift: Eph 2.7.8 9 so all his successors haue actual righteousness, not by desert, but by grace. Thirdly, political iustice and integrity, political iustice cannot justify. when wee are in Mans tribunal and iudgement seat pronounced innocent, and our actions do answer the prescript rule of human laws, cannot yet make us righteous in the sight of God. Of men-pleasers it is spoken in the sixth of matthew; Mat. 6.2 Verely they haue their reward. And in the sixteenth of Luke; 〈◇〉 16.15. That which is highly esteemed among men, is abomination in the sight of God. Wherefore the keeping Mich. 6.16 of the statutes of Omry, and the manner of the house of Ahab, the Lord in the Prophet Miche expressly sheweth, shall be no excuse to the people of Israel. All such may say before God, as the sons of jacob did to their brother joseph; Gen. 44.16 What shall wee say unto my Lord? what shall we speak, and how can we justify ourselves? Fourthly, Will worship cannot justify. the diuers worships which the Gentiles did ordain without the true knowledge of God, and their sundry cleansings, which out of the blind iudgement of carnal reason they haue invented, can in no wise make us righteous in the sight of the highest. Ex P●ill. Meruey. ●om de Pest. Some made their children go through the fire: some used Lustration and a kind of baptism, or cleansing by water. The Persians gathered great multitudes of venomous beasts, worms and serpents, which in a solemn feast they burnt, and called it the death of sins. The Lacedamonians had a certain religious kind of whipping and scourging of five noble young men, for the expiation of the rest. The Romans offered up a Bull with gilded horns, as a justification and satisfaction for sin. It were a needless labour to reckon up the sundry kindes of the heathenish expiations and justifications. Of all which, the Scripture pronounceth; Deut. 12.31. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God. And the Apostle saith, Eph. 2.1 that they were dead in their sins. And again, Rom 3.17. The way of peace they haue not known. Of all unregenerate men, though their justifications and cleansings seem never so probable, we may truly pronounce, Mat. 7.17. that an evil three bringeth forth evil fruit, and Rom. 14 23 whatsoever is without faith is sin, and Heb. 11.6 without faith we cannot please God. The Mosaical law cannot justify. Fiftly, concerning the institutions, ceremonies and ordinances of the lawe of God himself, the question is somewhat more difficult. For it should seem that the works of the lawe which God himself appointed, may justify us in his sight; seeing to the Scribe which demanded, Luke 10.25 master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? Christ answered, Do this and live. But we must consider, that our saviour Christ answered a Lawyer in his question, who was iovis insolens, a proud young man, and gloried in his righteousness: who was subtle and came to tempt. Wherefore Christ sends him to the lawe, of which he so much boasted, that he should by due estimation of the unspotted innocence,& perfect righteousness required therein, weigh his own vnability to perform the same. But in the end of the communication with this Lawyer Christ sheweth plainly, that by the law none can be justified; and that salvation is mere mercy: bringing-in the Parable of the wounded traveler, who neither could help himself, nor was cured by any other helper, but by the merciful Samaritan only. Therefore david disclaims all that righteousness, which cometh of the lawe,& saith, Psa. 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant. And yet in the 119. psalm he saith; P●. 119 memor esto. ver. 7. I haue kept thy lawe. again, Ps. 110. desc cit anima. ver 7 I forsook not thy commandements: And P●. 1●9 for mea ver. 5 I haue not forgotten thy Law; and yet, Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant, for none is righteous in thy sight. Out of which it is plain, that such righteousness, as a man can acquire by the Law, is not sufficient to justify in the sight of God. For Man, though in his own and other mens judgements he be a streight observer of the Law, yet in the divine balance he is too light. Wherefore the Apostle saith, Rom. 3 20 By the works of the Law no flesh can be justified. And to the Galathians Gal. 3.10 As many, as are of the works of the Law, are under the curse. For it is written, Ibid. Cursed is every man, that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them. Ezechiel therefore foreshoweth; Ezec. 16.61. I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant; that is, not by the first covenant of the lawe. Finally, Christ doth pronounce; Mat. 5.20. Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Yea, Peter Lombard himself assigneth this reason, why a man cannot be justified by the works of the lawe, although they be done in faith, hope, and charity; In onus positae. lib. 3. dist. 36. cap 3. because God hath imposed them to servitude, not unto justification. And this is answerable to the doctrine of the Apostle; Gal. 4.30. Put away the seruant and her son, for the son of the seruant shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. But hath not the lawe then promises of eternal life? Surely it hath. For our saviour doth aclowledge in the colloquy with the Scribe; Luk● 10. ●8 Do this and live. Doth God mock us then in his legal precepts? God forbid. Rom 3.4 He is a God of truth, T●● 1 2 a God which cannot lye. Why is not an unregenerate man then justified by the law? Rom. 4 15 Because the law causeth wrath. How doth the lawe cause wrath, if the lawe bee good? M●●. 5 17 18& Rom. 5 12 Because no man can keep the lawe. Is the law then impossible, and such as may not be kept? The lawe is possible in itself, and in the nature thereof, as it is from God: but it is the corruption of mans nature proceeding from himself, which makes it impossible to man to be kept. Wherefore the lawe sheweth, what kind of righteousness God requireth at the hands of man, that he might be justified. But might not God haue given such a lawe, as imperfect man should haue power to keep? God could not give a lawe attempered and correspondent to our imbecility. For his own doom is; Esay 10.1. Woe be unto them that decree wicked decrees. Wherefore it must needs bee far from God( giuing a lawe for the reparation of man fallen from righteousness) to give such a lawe, as should continue or dispense with sin: or should not at full declare all that God requireth in him, that will be justified. Inherent righteousness of a christian man cannot justify. There remaineth now the last excellent kind of inherent righteousness( as they call it) which is far beyond all the power of the natural man: far beyond all civil righteousness in observation of human constitutions: nay, it exceedeth far the streight rule of pharisaical and legal iustice. And this is the righteousness, or holy works of a man regenerate, wrought through the motion of the spirit of God, being the fruits of a lively faith working by charity. Now the question is, whether these works do justify a Christian man in the sight of God? For of all the other kind of works, the council of Tren● itself pronounceth( though deceitfully,) Siquis dixerit, hominem suis operibus, quae vel per humanae naturae vire, vel ●er le●u dicternī siant 〈◇〉 d●uina per Christum Iesun gratia posit just ficari coram Deo, Anathema sit C●●one 1. de iustificatione. If any shall say, that a man by his own works, which by the powers of his human nature, or by the doctrine of the lawe are done, can justify without the divine grace of Christ, let him be accursed. CHAP. LXIIII. Whether a regenerate man doth merit? LEt us at last come unto the question betwixt us and the Romish Church; which is, whether a regenerate man doth merit? Now whereas ther are many states& seasons of a regenerate mans life, it is needful to inquire in which of them, it is most like he should merit and justify himself. The first is the state of a regenerate man before his conception: and therein it is questionless he cannot merit at all. Wherefore the Apostle bringeth in the Scripture witnessing of the children of Rebecca; Ro. ●0, 11 1● vid. Aug. de verb. Apo. ser. 11. Yer they were born, and when they had done neither good nor evil( that the purpose of God might remain according to the election, not by works, but by him that calleth) it was said, the elder shall serve the younger. The second estate of a regenerate man is to bee considered in his conception, and before his birth. Now in this state that wee cannot merit, it is evident. For david, although he were descended of good and godly parents, complaineth; Psa. 51.5. I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin hath my Mother conceived me. And job saith; job. 14 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of filthiness? Out of doubt, as the wheat, though never so diligently famned& purged from the chaff, yet when it is sowed, bringeth forth fruit loaden with the natural imperfections, which itself was encumbered with before the sowing: so a regenerate man begetteth children according to his own natural birth from Adam, not according to his new birth in Christ: by which, though sin bee abolished( saith Augustin), Nunquid, quia de leta est iniquitas, siuina est infirmitas▪ Aug. de verb. Apo. ser. 2. iuxta medunt. yet the infirmity is not taken away. wherefore since joh 3.6 al that is born of flesh is flesh, the children of regenerate men merit not in the time of that life, which they haue in the Mothers wombe; wherein they only grow, and are increased like plants, without either reason or understanding. The third consideration of the state of Man is in his infancy and childhood. And certain it is, the works of a regenerate man in those his tender yeares cannot justify him; Eccles. 11.10 for childhood and youth are vanity. And they, whose manhood is an example of severity and gravity, yet when they were children, understood 1. Cor. 13.11. as children, they spake as children. There can bee no merit then in them, whose life is in truth but the life of a beast, lead with sense and appetite only, having in their works no election, in their election no iudgement, in their iudgement no stability; but are carried by uncertain passions without mature discretion or reason. Wherefore, that such cannot merit at the hands of God by their works, I think every man acknowledgeth. As before he is conceived, before he is born, before he is come to perfect iudgement, a regenerate man cannot merit: so after this life it is manifest, he cannot deserve at Gods hand. For Ecclesiastes saith, Eccles. 9.5 The dead know nothing at all, neither haue they any more a r●ward, for their remembrance is forgotten. Yea david saith; Psal 6.5 In death no man remembreth thee, and who will give thee thanks in the pit? But when we remember not, we praise not, we merit not. If any works were meritorious, it were those questionless, wherein God is glorified, and his name honoured and remembered by vs. It remaineth lastly to consider; whether the works of a regenerate man having all aduantagees that may bee( as being done out of iudgement, and by the advice of reason, by a man of mature yeares, through a lively faith) can justify the doers? And surely, Aug. ser. 11. de verb. Apost. if Man could not keep himself good, when he was good, it is not likely he maketh himself good when he is evil. The first reason therefore that Man cannot justify himself, is taken from our condition, who are not our own men; but all that we are, we are the Lords: he hath a threefould jurisdiction, over vs. The First, as a Father over his children; because he is our Creator, we are in his hand as day in the hand of the Potter: Psa. 100.2 he hath created us, and not we ourselves. Secondly, he hath over us the right of a king, or a Lord and a Master. For both these he challengeth unto himself in the Prophet; Malac. 1.6 If I bee a father, where is my honour? If I bee a Master, where is my fear? Lastly, he hath over us the power of a Mat. 20.28 Redeemer, being bought with the precious expense of his inestimable and incomparable blood. Now then when we obey the commandement of a Father, a Lord, a Redeemer, it is no more then we are bound unto by duty, and then is commanded vs. Therefore by all these works wee deserve nothing at all: Nay, they are not one for a thousand to the temporal blessings wee haue received; no, though wee gave him again in recompense our bodies, and souls, and all the powers thereof, which he hath given vs. Aristotle well saith, Mag●stri●, Dijs, et parentibus ●on pot●st reddi quiua. 1. ē●. Ar●st lib. 9. E●h. To God, the Parent, the master, there can be no recompense equivalent. unto the children of Israell therefore the Lord denounceth, Vid Ezechae. 16.& cap. 20. that the bringing of them into the temporal land of promise was not for their desert, but for his own mercies sake, and for his names sake only. Wherefore, if the elect cannot deserve transitory and earthly things at the hand of God, much less can they deserve an everlasting and heavenly inheritance. The second proof that by his own works a regenerate man cannot merit at Gods hand is, for that our works profit not God, nor are beneficial unto him. Esay 40 13. Who hath instructed the spirit of the Lord, or who was his counsellor or taught him? And david saith; Psal. 16 2. my well doing extendeth not to thee. Zechary also witnesseth to the Iewes; Zech. 7.5, 6. When ye fasted and mourned in the fifty and seventh month, did ye fast unto me? do I approve it? and when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did ye not eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves? This is much contrary to the popish doctrine in the mass; which teacheth, Ro. Br● in office. beat. Mar. virg. mens. Aug. lect. 3 fuit vir vnus. that the blessed virgin did lift up the head of her merits above all the quires of Angells, even unto the Throne of the Godhead. It being then evident, that our good works profit not God, it is plain that at Gods hand they cannot deserve. even so the Apostle Paul concludeth out of the Prophet; Rom. 11.35. who hath given unto him first, and he shall bee recompensed? It is no profit unto the physician that the patient doth keep good diet; nor to the teacher, that the schollers bee diligent: much less to God, that man doth good works. Thirdly, our righteousness whatsoever it is, it is the gift of God. Therefore by it wee cannot merit, which is not ours. 1 Cor. cap. 4 7 What hast thou, that thou hast not received? and if thou hast received it, why boastest thou, as though thou hadst not received? Austin truly saith, I●sa quantulacumque virtue, quae dicitur nostra, illius est, nobis bo●itate comcessa. Aug. de civit Dei. l. 10. c. 12. circa finem. whatsoever virtue is called ours, it is given unto us by Gods goodness. The fourth proof, that the good works of a regenerate man do not justify, is taken from the comparison betwixt the unperfect, corrupt, and blotted righteousness of the best men, with gods holy, streight, spotless,& severe righteousness; which so much daunted the patient man job, that, although when he speaks of his righteousness according to the balance of human judgements, standing vpon his innocency, he saith, job 29.14 I put on iustice, and it covered me, my iudgement was a rob and a crown: yet when he cometh to reason with God, and to talk of his righteousness in the sight of the highest, he is in another tune clean contrary to the first. For then he crieth out; job 42.6. I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. And therefore, as for sin he doth job. 10.15. aclowledge himself cursed: job. 10.15 so, if I haue done righteously( saith he) I will not lift up my head, being full of confusion. again, joh. 9.15. Though I were just, yet could I not answer. Wherefore david saith; Psal. 143.2 In thy sight shall none that liveth be justified. And Psal. 143.11 for thy righteousness( saith he) bring my soul out of trouble. And if sometimes he say; The Psal. 18.20. Lord rewarded me according to my righteou●nes, he meaneth the righteousness given unto him, not done by him: even as wee also pray, Quomodo nostrum. quomodo da? Aug. ser. de temp. 49 dominicae. post Octaeu. epiph divinae lectiones ixx●a medium. give us this day our daily bread. Now in that he saith, In thy sight none that liveth, shall bee justified, he preventeth the objection, which might arise, that david himself, because of murder and adultery, could not appear before GOD as righteous: but others, who haue not defiled themselves with such heinous crimes, perhaps may stand before God bold and confident as a lion. To this the Psalmist answereth; None that liveth shall bee justified in thy sight. Wherefore considering what Gods righteousness requireth, and mans righteousness can perform, of the Father of all believers the Apostle saith; Rom. 4.2. If Abraham were justified by works, he hath wherein to rejoice, but not before God. For the righteousness of God is not contented with unperfect obedience or defective holinesse in the regenerate, but he requireth in them pure, absolute, and constant sincerity. If they will bee justified by their works( as james doth witness) Ia. 2.10.11. whosoever shall keep the whole lawe, and yet fail in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, thou shalt not commit adultery, said also, thou shalt not kill. And Saint Paul to his Galathians; Cursed Gal. 3.10. Deut. 37.26. is every man that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law, to do them. And this doctrine Saint james and Paul learned of Christ himself, who saith; Math. 5.19. He that shall break the least of these commandements, and teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. Wee see that God requireth absolute obedience in his elect to justification: but this is found in none of the elect children of God; for james saith, Iam. 3.2. In many things we sin all. And John saith generally of all, 1. joh. 1 8. If we say that we haue no sin, wee deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in vs. Yea, the Apostle Paul( though regenerate) complaineth of himself; Rom 7.14. Ibid. ver. 18. Ibid. ver. 21. Ibid. ver. 23. Ibid. ver. 18. I am carnal, sold under sin. And again, I find no means to perform that which is good: when I would do good, evil is present with me; I see another law in my members, rebelling against the law of my spirit, and leading me captive into the law of sin. Therefore he concludeth; I know in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. Wherefore, though touching Phil. 3.6. Ibid. ver. 9. the righteousness required by the Law he saith, he was blameless: yet he desireth to be found in Christ not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which cometh of God through faith. Who can compare his righteousness, his labour, his zeal, his sufferings, his fasting, his taming of the body, 1. Cor. 11. with this blessed Apostle Paul? Yet when this vessel of election, this Trumpet of God, an Apostle, more then an Apostle, looketh on his own righteousness, as a man affrighted he starteth, as it were afraid of himself; and crieth out; Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? In this horrible conflict, in this astonishment he findeth this only comfort, I thank God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Ibid. ver. 25. CHAP. LXV. Wherein the Scripture of God hath placed our righteousness, and what it is that sinful Man may oppose against Gods wrath and just displeasure. SVssiciently I haue discoursed, I trust, in what things our justification is not placed. By which the pharisaical pride of works is altogether beaten down. Our next disquisition must be, wherein the Scripture of God hath placed our righteousness, and what it is, that sinful Man may oppose against Gods wrath and just displeasure. And surely nothing can be more reasonable, then to beleeue, that the blood and merits of Christ( in which wee are washed from sin: by which we haue performed the Law) are the means also, by which in the sight of God we are accounted innocent. For what is innocency, but cleanness from sin? And what hath made us clean from sin, but the blood of Christ? What can purchase the infinite inheritance of glory, but infinite righteousness proportionable thereto? And what obedience, or righteousness is infinite according to the infinity of the glory, and proportionable to the greatness of the reward, but onely that which Christ hath done for us? Here appeareth the diversity betwixt the Law and the gospel. For in the Law one cannot satisfy for another, neither is one man innocent for another mans righteousness; even as the Psalmist saith; Psal. 49 7. The brother cannot deliver his brother. And Ezechiel saith, Ezec. 18 4. The soul that sinneth shall die itself. And again, Mans righteousness is compared to a covering that is short, which cannot cover one. And Esay saith; Esay 59 6. Their web maketh no cloth, they may not cover them with their labours. What can another mans righteousness do unto me? since the Law saith; Exod. 20. Thou s●alt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal. But in the gospel the hidden mystery of God is revealed, that since his righteousness requires obedience to the Law, which Law cannot bee absolutely obeied and fulfilled by us; therefore it was translated and put vpon Christ to be fulfilled by him. As the Apostle saith; Rom. 10.4. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to eu●ry one that believeth. Necessary was it, that the believers should haue perfect righteousness in the sight of God: but this righteousness is no where else but in Christ; therefore it must needs be, that Christ is our righteousness. The Apostle saith, Gal, 4.4, 5. God sent forth his son made of a woman, and ma●e under the Law, that he might redeem them which were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of the sons. And again, 2. Cor. 5.21. he hath made him to be sin for us, which knew no sin, that wee should be made the righteousness of God in him. And unto the romans, Rom. 8.3, 4. That which was impossible to the Law, in as much as it was weak because of the flesh, God sending his own son in the similitude of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in vs. So in the fift chapter to the romans he saith, Rom. 5.9. Ibid. ver. 19. We are justified by the blood of Christ. again, By the obedience of one many sh ll bee made righteous. And in the third to the romans; Rom. 3.14. We are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption, which is in Christ Iesus. Wherefore the Scripture in sundry places calleth him our righteousness; as in jeremy, jer. 23.6. This is the name whereby they shall call him, the Lord our righteousness. 1. Cor. 1.30. And he was made righteousness unto us of God. Wherefore the Apostle concludeth, that Col. 1.27. Christ is in us the hope of glory. Here it appeareth how wee are saved by righteousness, and how we are saved by mercy. For it is evident, that in respect of ourselves, and any of our deservings, Rom. 6.23. salvation is the free gift of God, it is his goodness, his grace, his mercy, his love onely: but in respect of Christs satisfying for us, fulfilling and paying for us, salvation is deserved, it is merited, it is wages, it is due, and God is become debtor nulli debens, a debtor that oweth nothing to any man. This was foreshowed by the Psalmist; Psal. 85.10. Mercy and truth are m●t together, righteousness and peace haue kissed each other. That he gave his son, it was his love: that for his son he gives us life, it is his righteousness: that for our sins he scourged his own son, it is the infinite unsearchable abyss of his endless mercy: that having punished him, h●e is satisfied towards us, it is correspondent to his holy righteousness; so the love and iustice of God concur in Christ to our salvation. This made Basil say; Hac enim est perfecta ac integragloriatio quàdo neq, ob iustitia suà quis se ta●las, said nona quidem seipsum verae justitiae indignum esse, sola autem fide in Christum iustificatum. Basilan Con. de humi●tate. Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord; because Christ is made unto us of God righteousness, wisdom, justification and Redemption. This is perfect and sound boasting, when we boast not of our own righteousness, but know ourselves to be unworthy of true righteousness, and to be justified by faith alone in Christ. And Origen vpon the third Chapter to the romans( expounding the words of the Apostle, Rom. 3.27. Where is then the rejoicing? It is excluded. By what Law? Of works? Nay, but by the Law of faith) allegeth the example of the Apostle in the sixth to the Galathians; Gal. 6.14. God forbid that I should rejoice but in the cross of Christ. Behold( saith he) Paul doth not glory in his righteousness, in his chastity, in his wisdom, nor in his virtues and actions. When( say I)? even then, when he wrote to his Galathians. Gregory saith, Iustu● Igitur advocatus noster justos nos defen●●s in iuditio, quia& no● ipsos ● g●os●imus, et a●cusa●ius intusto●. Nos ergo in fletibus, non in acti●us n●stris, said in aduoc. nostri allegatione confidamus. our just advocate shall defend us as righteous in iudgement, because we know ourselves, and accuse ourselves as unjust. Therefore let us trust in our tears, not in our works, but in the allegation of our advocate. Augustine saith, the Prophet saw almost the whole life of Man to be every way barked at by sin: all consciences to be accused of their own thoughts, that a pure heart presuming on his own righteousness could not bee found. Which because it is not, Aug. supper Psal. 129. ex Chemnic. Let every heart bee bold in the mercy of God, and let him say to God; Psal. 130.3. If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? What is the hope then? Ibid. ver. 4. Because there is propitiation with thee. What is the propitiation but the Sacrifice? What is the Sacrifice but that which was offered for us? The innocent blood shed hath done away all the sins of offenders; therfore there is propitiation with thee. If there were no propitiation with thee, if thou wouldest only be a judge, and wouldest not be merciful, thou shouldst mark all our sins, and seek after them, and then who could endure? Who could stand before thee, and say, I am innocent? Who should then stand in thy iudgement? Therefore all the hope is, because there is propitiation in thee. Bernard saith; Ber. ser. 61. verbo ego vero fiditer. That which is wanting unto me, I usurp unto myself out of the bowels of the Lord; for they flow with mercy, neither are there holes wanting, thorough which they flow out to me. And again, I will speak of thy righteousness onely because it is mine: thou art made righteousness unto me from the Lord. Shall I fear lest that one righteousness should not suffice us both? It is not the short covering, whereof the Prophet speaketh, which cannot cover two. Thy righteousness is everlasting righteousness, it shall cloath thee and me with large and eternal righteousness. In the life also of Bernard it is storied, that In vita. Beru. c. 12. in princ. cap. when he was now even in the last act of his life, he seemed unto himself to bee presented before the tribunal seat of GOD, where satan stood against him, heaping up many dreadful accusations: and when he had said all he could, the holy man answered him confidently; I confess, I am not worthy, neither by mine own merits may I possess the kingdom of heaven: but my Lord IESVS by a double right possessing it, that is, by the inheritance of his Father, and by the merit of his passion, being himself content with the one, hath given the other to me; by whose gift claiming it as of right unto myself, I am not confounded. hereunto I will add the counsel of anselm; anselm. who ordained, that Ministers and Curates should thus catechize their Parishioners being sick. Minister. Brother dost thou rejoice that thou diest in the faith? Parishioner. I do. M. dost thou aclowledge, that thou hast not lived so well as thou oughtest, and art thou therefore hearty sorry? P. Yes verily. M. Hast thou a will to amend, if God give thee space? P. I haue, surely. M. dost thou beleeue that Iesus Christ the son of God died for thee? P. I do beleeue. M. dost thou beleeue thou canst not be saved but by his death? P. I do beleeue. M. dost thou thank God the son? P. I I do so. go to then, while life is in thee be always thankful unto him: put thy whole trust in this death of Christ alone: to his death commit thyself: cover thyself wholly with his death: wrap thyself in it: and if the Lord will enter into iudgement with thee, say; O Lord, I set the death and passion of our Lord Iesus Christ betwixt thee and me, and betwixt me and thy iudgement: otherwise I contend not with thee. If the Lord say, thou hast deserved damnation, say; I set the death and passion of Iesus Christ betwixt me, and my evil doings, and I bring his most worthy merit for my merit, which I should haue had, but alas, I haue none. Let him say again. I set the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betwixt me, and thy wrath; O Lord, into thy hands I commend my spirit: And let the standards by say; O Lord into thy hands wee commend his spirit, and he shall die securely, and shall not see death eternally. This is not like the Popish absolution now adays, in which they say; Portif star. in indulgent. in praeparat. ad Missam meritum passioni &c. The merit of the passion of Christ Iesus our Lord: the prayers of our holy Mother the Church, and thy own good works, which thou hast done, and shalt hereafter do by the grace of God, bee unto thee the remission of thy sins. Nor is it like the commendation, which they use unto a departing soul, when they give pas-port unto it to go forth, not onely in the name of Christ the son of God, who suffered for it: but Ro. bred in come. animar. proficiscere anima. Christi. Of good monks and Friers the number is small. in the name of Angels, Thrones, Dominions; and at the last, in the name of all good monks and Friers, he and Shee Saints. CHAP. LXVI. The Popish Tenet and opinion concerning justification, containing their errors, their defence, and the answer thereto. THe council of Trent Quamquam enim nemo posus esse justus nisi cvi merita passionnis domini nostri Iesu Christi communicantur, id tamen in hac impij iustificatione fit, dum eiusdem sanctissimae passionnis merito per spiritum sanctum charitas dei diffunditur in cordibus. Sess. 6. Can. 7. maketh the justification of a sinner to be certain inherent virtues, of Faith, Hope, and charity: which together with remission of sins wee receive through Iesus ●hrist. This, Bellarmine expoundeth Siquis probet partem a sumanté, e●dem tempore res●●es omnes contrarios errores, nam si formalis causa iust●ficationis est iustitia inharē●, non igitur iustitia Dei in hab●tā, vel iustitia Christi●niputata, vel sola remiss ● pec peccati cati sine renou●tione hoins inter●oru: ●t ● iustitia inharē est formalis causa absolutae justificationis, non igitur requiritur imputatio iustiti● Christi, quae justificatio en alioqui inc●oatā, et imperfectam abso uat. Bell. li. de justif. 2. cap. 2. verbo porro status. so to bee understood; that if inherent righteousness, that is, our own good works, be our justification, then neither the righteousness of God dwelling in us, nor the righteousness of Christ imputed, nor the remission of sins onely, can justify us without this inherent holinesse. And if inherent righteousness be the formal cause of absolute justification, then the imputation of Christs righteousness is not requisite, which should make perfect our justification. You see what dangerous inferences and conclusions Bellarmine draweth from the definition of the council; calling into question, Whether God can justify a sinner without his own good works? and whether the imputation of Christs righteousness be needful? The first of which is sufficient to drive the whole world into despair: the second destroys wholly the office of faith, which is to apprehended and lay hold on the righteousness and merits of Christ, and to apply them to ourselves. every heresy hath words of oil to mitigate and smooth their pernicious falsehood. The Church of Rome, lest their treachery should bee of every eye discerned, doth the same. For this inherent righteousness of ours they call council. tried. Sess. 6 c●p. 7. the charity of God: B●ll. lib 1 cap. 2 the righteousness of God infused into us: the Vid Comp. jo. de Con b lib. 5. cap. ● grace of God, making us gracious. Glorious and specious titles. But all this is done, that they may place salvation and justification, partly in God, partly in ourselves. For de Combis saieth, that this grace is not had without our own free will consenting. For it is from God, it is from grace freely given, it is from free will. Now then, though they call it Gods righteousness, Gods charity, Gods grace, yet it is mans righteousness, and mans grace also, for that it is from man consenting, by an active quality in himself, which is free will; Vt neque Deu● determinet ●ue necessitet voluntate, 〈◇〉 volū●as D●um Bell. de grat et ●●art l●b. 4 cap. 15●. pri●c not necessitated nor compelled by God, but freely electing: So Si a t●r nolit ●oncurrere opus non fiet ib d that if Man will not consent, the work cannot be done. As when Iamē Deus opere 〈◇〉 vo●untas opera●ur: non co●tra. ibid. two carry a great ston( saith Bellarmin) neither giveth force to other, or forceth the other, and it is free to either to leave the work. Yea, God worketh( saith he) because the will worketh, and not contrarily. These things show, that although God worketh with the will, yet it is also of ourselves: and so it is not onely Gods grace, and Gods iustice, but our own also. Gabriel Biel saith, Ex ●onsapsius Bel. A meritorious act, concerning the substance thereof, is from mans will, as from the first& principal cause: and from Grace, as the second,& not the principal cause. You see then it is but a vain pretence, that they say, our good works are Gods grace, and Gods righteousness: for their doctrine itself is otherwise; namely, that it is partly from God, and partly from ourselves: yea, there haue not wanted schoolmen, which haue taught, that a Vid. Bell. in iudi●io de 1. Conc. ca. 48. man may love God above all things without the spirit of God: and that ●●el. free-will of itself without the gift of grace, can eschew mortal sin. Merit they make of three sorts: merit of congruity, dignity, and condignity. Merit of congruity or fitness, is it, by which a man is disposed, and prepared to receive grace according to Gods righteousness. And thus even unregenerate men merit the first grace. For, Man doing what he can, it is meet, reasonable, and fit, that God should remunerate and reward him: but this merit of congruity doth not attain unto eternal life, it deserveth not salvation, they say. The second degree of merit, is merit of dignity: which is the fitness of him that worketh, to attain that which he doth deserve: that is, when a man doth deserve being regenerate, and standing in the state of grace; Here is a fitness to bee rewarded in the person of the worker, by reason of the holy Ghost, which moveth him. The third is the merit of condignity: which presupposeth an equality Vid. Comp. Theo. verit. lib. 5 cap. 11. of proportion betwixt the work, and the reward: and by this a man doth merit increase of grace, and glory. Now by merit of dignity, or condignity, no man meriteth the first grace: no man meriteth reparation after his fall, nor perseverance: these are onely merited by congruity; I●. de Comb. ibid as for temporal things, evil men may merit them at Gods hand. This distinction observed, they hold that good works merit eternal life, increase of grace, and remission of sins. Notwithstanding the merit of works, much adooe there is amongst them, how our works do justify vs. Tho. Waldens. T●m. 3 de Sacram. cap 7. Paulus ●urgensan Ad. ad come. Nic. Lyrae. in Ps. 35 Some say, the words, condignity and congruity in the matter of our merit ought not once to be name, but that good works are meritorious by Gods grace. Others say Durand. in 2. sem. dis. 17. q. 1. art. 2 Good works are meritorious by condignity in a large signification; so that condignity bee no more then congruity( as it were) or fitness. Suarez saith, Suarez. Tom. 1. in Tho. 3. d. 41. Sect. 3. verbo ser●do et oportet. Reward of heaven is not given for Christs merit, but for our own merit. The most say, that the merit of works is absolutely the merit of condignity; and that they are such, that unto them by iustice reward is due, according to the covenant of God. Nay, many of them proceed further, and say, Caietan in 1. 2. q. 114. art. 3. that good works are worthy of everlasting life, in the nature of the work itself, without the divine promise at all. The truth is, their terms of congruity, dignity, and condignity, are insolent, proud, pharisaical phrases of speech, which the Scripture useth not in the matter of our salvation. Now to establish these errors, diuers false, Dom. a Soto lib. 3. de nat. et gra. cap. 7. and wicked conclusions they are fain to propose unto them. The first, Ex Bell. de just. lib. 3. cap. 17. that it is possible for a man to keep the lawe of God fully, and absolutely. And surely this pride, and opinion of mans power to keep the lawe, hath evermore troubled the Church. In the very promulgation of the lawe the people promised unto Moses; Deut. 5.27 All that the Lord our God saith unto thee, we will hear it& do it. But the Lord, knowing the weakness of their power& their strength, replieth; Deut. 5.29. Oh that there were such an heart in them to fear me, and to keep all my Commandements alway. Much adooe had Christ with the pharisees about this persuasion. In the 19. of Math. All Mat. 19.20 Luke 18.11.12 these things( said the young man) haue I observed from my youth. Such was the pharisee in the parable;* I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers: I fast twice in the week, I give tithe of all that I possess. evagrius an ancient monk did beleeue, that man might so order his conversation, that he might grow up to the equality and perfection of the purity of God himself, and never to sin, no not in thought. But the impossibility of our infirm nature to keep the lawe, the Apostle Paul notably confesseth, arguing that justification Rom 8.3. was impossible by the lawe, insomuch as it was weak because of the flesh. And again, Rom. 3.9. All both Iewes and Gentiles are under sin: Yea, he concludeth, that by the law All the world is culpable before God; and saith directly, that Rom. 8.7. the flesh is not subject to the law of God, nor yet can bee. O that flesh would then know itself to bee but flesh, and would bee taught by the Apostle; 1 joh. 1 If wee say that wee haue no sin, we deceive ourselves, and truth is not in vs. The second absurdity is, that of venial sins they make so light reckoning, that their guilt doth not pollute and contaminate, but a little obscure the life of a Christian man: they are so small, that they hinder Bell de just lib 4. cap. 17. not the perfection of charity, nor yet the absolute performance of the Law: they are not against charity( saith Bellarmin) nor properly against the lawe. Wherefore these, every trifling expiation can purge; Vid. them. in exam. council. tried. de b n. op part. 1. And in a Summary of christian religion in form of a dialogue ●etwixt a doctor and a novice. Andrad. vt idem refert. Holy water, a Bishops blessing, and the oil of extreme unction, saying of a pater noster, entering into a Church consecrated:& a Christian man that doth commit these, doth nathlesse merit, and justify himself by his works. This is a most unreasonable and false position. For though there be degrees in sin, yet every sin is abominable to God: for whoso breaketh the least commandement is guilty of all. james saith; jac. 2.10. whosoever kepeeth the whole lawe, and faileth in one point, is guilty of all: and( o) we know God heareth not sinners. Thirdly they teach, joh. 9.31 that the infinite and inflexible righteousness so God is satisfied, Commut●tiue and arithmetical iustice is, when you haue the val●w of a penny for a penny. and that his favour is merited by such righteousness of works as is not perfect, nor is absolutely full: and by commutative or Arithmetiall iustice proportionable to the favour of God, and eternal salvation. By which they overthrow all the iustice and righteousness of God; who professeth of himself, Mat. 16.27 that he giveth unto every man according to his works: and when he iudgeth according to his exact righteousness, he iudgeth in measure and weight: Vid Conp. jo. de Comb. lib. 5. cap. 1●. verbo a●●o aut●m. Da●. 5.27. neither doth he connive, or wink at any mans imperfection; Thou art weighed in the Balance, and art found too light, saith Daniel to balthasar. If God enter into iudgement, the Apoc. 2.4 somewhat against Ephesus: Ibid. ver. 14 the few things against Perg●mus: the Apoc 3.10 Luke-warmeness of Laodicea, that is, the imperfection of her religion shall not bee forgotten. To conclude, the Lord himself doth best decide this controversy; who, proclaiming his own name& excellence in the mountain unto Moses, saith, Exod. 34.7 for giuing iniquity and tran●gression, and sin,& not making the wicked innocent. What is this but a declaration of Gods mercy, and of his iustice, and what he doth in both? Though he forgive& pardon sin, yet he calleth not sin righteousness, darkness light, imperfection perfection. Wherefore ilb saith; job. 9.10 If I would bee perfect, he shall judge me wicked. Deut. 10.17. God accepteth no mans person; weak love, unfruitful faith, could devotion, are archbishopric, unfruitful, could in the sight of God, neither do they merit of him. I confess, God forgiveth the imperfection of our devotion, for Christ; but imperfect devotion meriteth not of God because we are Christians: imperfect works are accepted of God, not as our merites, but as our service: God forgiveth imperfect works; but God justifieth us not for imperfect works. Fourthlie, they haue another proposition clean contrary to this precedent. So of the Romish Chaos is verified that of the Poet; Frigida pugnabant calidis, humentia siccis. In the former proposition they teach, that good works are remunerated above their desert: but in this they stand vpon the dignity, the excellence, the nobility of Christian works; which they so much advance, that Petrus a Soto, saith, Pet a Soto vt testatus Chemn in e●am de bonap. ●art 1 If any thing less then expiation of sin, appeasing of Gods wrath, and eternal life should be retributed unto them, it were not the proper and true reward of good works. Suarez also saith, To●. 1. in 3. d 〈◇〉 ●ect ●. verbo secundo et oportet. that a work above nature, that is, a work wrought by grace, hath a proportion to the reward, and a sufficient value to bee worth the same; the reward therefore is not given for Christs merit. And the Rhemists say, Rhē. in Heb. 6.10. Good works are the very cause of salvation; so far, that God should bee unjust, if he rendered not heaven for the same. And Lindanus is much offended with certain modest catholics, who affirmed, that God doth reward good works out of the free vouchsafing of his mercy: And he teacheth, that the kingdom of heaven is no less due to good works, then eternal pain to evil works. Bayus saith, Bayus de indulge. cap. ult. that our good works in the rigour of Gods iustice do satisfy and merit. Hosius calleth Hos. de expresso Dei verbo. the charity of our works, the reward of salvation. Andradius saith, Necesse est vt reuatorum o●era diuinitatem quàdā in se habeant. in Chemn. It is necessary that the works of the regenerate haue a certain divinity in them. Peter Lombard proceedeth further; and saith, that our charity and love towards GOD and Men, is the very Essence and the substance of the holy Ghost the third person of the Trinity. Which opinion, Scotus also saith, Scotus in 1. sent. dist. 17. q. 1. art. 3. may bee very well defended. And Pigghius confesseth, In scholis— fear imaginantur grat. iam Dei qualitatem aliquam increatam anime nostra à Deo, vel eandem cum charitatis habitu, vel distinctam ab eodem. big. lib. 5. de liber. arb. ex Bell. that the schools did imagine the grace of GOD to bee an uncreated quality of our soul from GOD. Now therefore I blame them not to say, Charity in us is meritorious, since they say, our charity is the glorious Person, Essence, and substance of the holy Ghost. Bellarmin is ashamed of this Tenet of the Master, and saith, he never held any such position. But with what face can the friar cloak this monstrous blasphemy, confessed and disclaimed Tho. Aq. 2 a. 2 ae q. 23. art. 2 by Thomas Aquinas, and also by Henricus ab Urimaria? who collecteth the doctrine of Peter Lombard, and saith, Pr●dicta opinio magistri non tenetur This opinion of the Master is not held. The words of Peter Lombard himself make the matter most clear. For he saith; Ipse idem spiritus sanctus est amor, siue charitas, quan●s diligimus Deum& proximum. lib. 1. dist. 16. cap. 1. He the same holy spirit is the love, with which wee love God and our neighbour. And again, Charitas ergo spiritus sanctus est, qui Deus est, et donum Dei. ibid. cap. 6. ad finem. Charity is the very holy spirit, which is God,& the gift of God. And in the same place, Est ergo charitas verè spiritus sanctus, Charity is verily the Spirit of God. And this he goeth about to prove out of Austin, who saith, nothing can bee better then charity; signifying thereby Et per hoc ip●am esse Deum signific●●. ibid. ( saith Lombard) that it is God. In the fift chapter he maketh a difference betwixt Faith and charity, and saith, that charity is from God in us, and yet it is the very spirit of GOD: Now faith is from the spirit, but is not the spirit. again; the spirit( saith he) worketh other virtues in us; as Faith, and Hope, by habits of them infused: but he worketh charity in us thorough himself, not by any habit infused. he answereth also all arguments to the contrary; affirming that Charitas ab ipso est in no●i●,& tamen ipsa spiritus sanctus est. cap. 5. charity is from the spirit, and is the spirit. Is there any cardinal now hath such a brazen face, as to deny so plain, so open, so manifest truth? Therefore marvel no longer, Christian reader, that the schollers of Peter Lombard, whom every university received, red, disputed, alleged, allowed, attribute justification to the works of Charity, which their Master teacheth them to bee God himself, the holy Ghost, third person of the blessed Trinity. The fift blasphemous position concerning the merit of works, is the matter of Supererogation; of which they hold, that a man may not onely by his good works merit salvation, himself; but he may also dispose of the superfluity of his works, to satisfy for other: yea, that Priests, Rhemistae in Colos. 1. annos. ●. verbo and sometimes with all. and Bishops, and their great Lord the Pope may dispose of the good works of the Church, and make them satisfactions for other mens faults unto God. Wherein first, they exceed all pharisees in spiritual pride: Secondly, they entice men from Christ our onely satisfaction, unto a vain confidence in human righteousness: Thirdly, this doctrine denieth Christ to be the sole head of the Church, from whom, Psal. 13 3.2. like the oil of consecration, from the head of Aaron to the skirt of his clothing, grace is derived into his whole body, which is the Church, and every member thereof. But hereof in the third book I shall speak. Let us now consider the strength of the arguments; which are brought for justification by the works of the regenerate. First, whereas in many places of Scripture the kingdom of heaven is called a 1. Cor. 9.17. reward, a recompense, the price of victory; from thence they conclude, that it is merited, and by us deserved. Sol. The kingdom of heaven is indeed 1. Cor. 9.24. a price, a reward, a recompense of good works, but it is not the merit of works. For this Saint Paul gives us a full and proper distinction. There is 〈◇〉, as well as 〈◇〉. Rom. 4.4. That is, there is a reward or wages by favour, as well as by debt. And a distinction, totidem verbis expressed in Scriptures, I hope will not bee refused. Wherefore though the kingdom of heaven be a reward, yet God giveth it not to any man by the due of Iustice, but by the grace of merry. Our saviour in the 17. of Luke teacheth us, to esteem of ourselves as Luk. 17.9, 10. seruants vnprofitabl●; when we haue done all is commanded, we haue done but our duty. Ob. The Apostle Saint james is brought-in for justification by works; who saith, that jac. 2.21. Abraham our Father was justified by works. Sol. The Apostle Paul witnesseth, Rom. 4.2. Abr●ham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteou●nesse. And again, To him that work●th not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Are the two Apostles contrary one to the other? God forbid. For neither doth Paul understand the same faith with james, nor the same justification. Paul requireth such a faith as is seated in the heart. james rejecteth such a faith as onely soundeth in the tongue. Paul requireth a lively faith. james reproveth a dead faith. Paul requireth a divine faith apprehending the promise with comfort. james rejecteth the faith of divels, which knoweth onely the History of Christ without all application. Paul commends a fruitful faith working through love. james condemns( and that justly) a barren and naked faith voided of all fruits of piety. again Paul describes our justification before God; james our justification before men. Paul shows how Abrahams person was justified by faith. james shows how Abrahams faith was justified by his works. justified, I say, that is, declared to be a true faith by his works. For this justification of Abraham by works was onely Secundum quod justificatio dicitur justitiae exercitatio vel ostensio, as justification is taken for the exercise or declaration of righteousness, as Aquinas himself writeth vpon those words of james, Aquin. in jac. 2. 1● ostend mihi. show me thy faith by thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. And now what opposition is there between the two Apostles? The Apostle saith, Seeing we haue these promises, Ob. dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh, 2. Cor. 7.1. and spirit; and grow up unto full holinesse in the fear of God: Ergo, we are justified by works. The Apostle in these words doth onely exhort his Corinthians, to endeavour to all perfection in holinesse: Sol. he doth not say, they can attain such perfection; nor that they should thereby be justified: for who ever was so sanctified by his own works, that he might presume to expect reward at the hands of God? The Apostle Paul saith, 2. Cor. 9.10. God shall multiply your seed, Ob. and increase the fruits of your righteousness: Ergo, works justify. The Apostle here speaketh how God shall increase his blessings vpon them that are merciful to the poor. Sol. So that they shall not want, who are liberal in giuing: he speaketh no word of justification by works. Otherwise wee may answer; God shall increase the fruits of your righteousness, that is, the righteousness you haue in Christ, shall be fruitful, and appear in you by good works: he doth not say, their alms was their righteousness. The Spirit saith, ( d) Let him that is righteous, Ob. be righteous still, or more righteous yet; Ergo, Ex ult. Apoc our own righteousness doth justify. Man by Gods grace doing good works doth more and more justify himself before men, Sol. though thereby he be not justified before God. This increase is of the fruit of justification, which men may see: not of justification itself, which God freely giveth. And this shall suffice to be spoken of their objections. Many more idle cavils there are, either not worthy of answer, or else so already by sundry learned confuted, as I need not to deanery my pen in them. I will therefore now repair to the examination of their Limitations. CHAP. LXVII. Of the Limitations with which the Romish Church doth place justification in their own works. BEcause simply to place justification in human works is spiritual pride, and the intolerable tumour of pharisaical arrogancy; therefore the Babylonish strumpet hath mixed her cup of venom with a little Wine to colour it, and hath put treacle in the poison, thinking with a few distinctions and Limitations, to make her false coin currant, and her devilish Positions, true divinity. The first is, They do not attribute this power of justification to the works of unregenerate men, but to such works as are done by the faithful, through the moving of the Spirit of Christ. Therefore seeing the works which justify, are done by the grace of Christ, it is still Christ that justifieth, and Christ that meriteth in vs. For this cause the council of Trent saith, Nisi in Christo renascerentur nunquam iustificarentur, cum ea renascentia, per meritum passion● eius gratia qua justi fiunt illis tribuitur. Con. tried. Sess. 6. Can. 3. verum etsi. Except they were born again in Christ, they could never be justified: For in the new b●●th by the merit of his Passion, the grace by which they are just, is given them. And Bellarmine saith, Bellar. l. de just. 5. c. 10. verbo quinta vt. Unto merit is required, that one be the friend of God, and acceptable to him. Now that the first justification is no way from ourselves, nor our own works, he confesseth, Hominem vere operibus justis justificari, non prima, said secundo iustificatione, qua non ●acis justos ex impijs said iustiores ex justis. Bellar. l. 4. de justif. cap. 10. ad finem. A man is truly justified by righteous works, not in the first justification, but in the second justification, which doth not make us righteous of sinners, but of righteous more righteous. Merita hominum requiruntur, non propter insufficientiam mer●torum Christi said propter maximam eorum efficaciam. Bellar. l. 5. de just. cap. 5. verbo at inquiunt. So that all the places of Scripture, which speak of free justification, they restrain unto the first justification onely. The second Limitation is, that the merits of the Regenerate are not required for any insufficiency in the merits of Christ, but onely in respect of the great efficacy that is in them. Thirdly, that Bonum opus non esse meritorium vitae aeterna nisi ex charitate procedat. Bellar de justif. l. 3 ae. 15 per tot●m cap. Good works are not meritorious to eternal life, except they be done in charity. But these their restrictions and rules how well and faithfully they observe, the Chapters following shall make manifest: so that every eye may see, that these are but false Stales set up to deceive, and vain illusions contrary to the public worship,& daily practise of their Church. CHAP. LXVIII. Of the first Limitation, and that the Romish Church placeth justification in the works of unregenerate men, and taketh away the honour from CHRIST of being our first justification. THe unconstancy of the Romish Synagogue, concerning the merit of the works of unregenerate men, is so great, both in their public and private writings, that whoso goeth forth to see it, shall see but a Reede shaken with the wind; and whoso shall harken thereunto, shall harken to a Trumpet of most uncertain sound. To blind the eyes of the world, the Fathers of Trent cast a faire gloss vpon their false pretence. For they pronounce Sess. 6. can. 3. de operibus infidelium. accursed whosoever shall say, that a man without the preventing grace of the holy Spirit, and the help therof can beleeue, or hop●, or love, or repent, so that the grace of justification may bee given him. But the soul, shall I say? or the tongue of the Tridentine assembly, Andradius( as Martinus Chemnici●s affirmeth) expoundeth the Canon thus; Ex Chemn. Free will without the grace of the Spirit of God cannot bring forth good works. Which is not, because free will in man hath no power before conversion to bring forth good and spiritual works; but because the natural powers are so wrapped and bound with the chains of sin, that a man by his own power cannot deliver himself. As a man chained therefore in fetters wanteth no faculty or power to go, but is onely hindered by the impediment vpon him: so( saith he) is the will of an unregenerate man. You see in what sense the council of Trent pronounceth them accursed, which say, that a man without preventing grace cannot beleeue, nor repent: that is, he can beleeue and repent by the force of the natural powers: but he cannot beleeue nor repent, by reason of the impediment hanging on him. And that Andradius doth truly expound their meaning, they themselves give apparent testimony in the seventh Canon of the sixth Session: in which they accurse him, who shall say, that all works before justification, what way soever wrought, are sin. Doth not the tail now bewray the Fox, and his ears the wolf? For, if any unregenerate man cannot prepare himself to grace( as they teach in the second Canon) why is he excommunicate in the seventh Canon, who doth say; that the works of the unregenerate are sin? The whole stream of scholastical doctrine is carried to this point, that a man unregenerate by his pure naturalitie may eschew and avoid all sin: and so, doing what in him is, out of congruity may deserve the grace of God. John de Combis, in the Compendium of Theological verity saith, Comp. Theol verit. l. 5 c. de orig. v rtutum& gra●i c. cap. 2. that though free-will of itself cannot effect grace in Man, yet it can prepare a man, and make him able to haue grace; As a man cannot enlighten the house, but can open the window to let in light. Wherefore not onely Andradius in the open council defended an Axiom of Clement, Ex Chemn. that Philosophy is a schoolmaster to Christ: that it doth illustrate the mindes with knowledge, and enformes it with godliness, beautifying it with love and repentance preparing to the gospel: but he did plainly also in the same council avouch, that Philosophers, which had not Scripture, which had not the Oracles of God, had yet true faith; Slodan ●j justification of faith, and everlasting life. Yea, Slodan doth record, that in the year of our Lord 1552. a Franciscan friar in the council of Trent expounding the third Chapter of Saint Paul to the Romans did openly profess, that those which had not the knowledge of Christ; if they lived honestly, were notwithstanding saved. The same is the opinion of Baius, B●iu● de mer. op. l. 2. c. 1& 4.& 7. ●x jo. White. that the dignity of the person addeth nothing to the reason of meriting; and that they may merit heaven, that are not yet adopted to be the sons of God. Suarez teacheth, our works before wee haue attained grace, prepare us to grace. The Rhemists say, In Marg. in Mat. 12. Man hath free-will to beleeue, or not to beleeue: to make himself a vessel of salvation, or damnation. In other places they teach, In Ro. 10. marg. no●. ●. in 2. Tim. 2. annot. 5 it is a mans own free-will and election to bee a good three, or bad three, to bring forth good fruit or bad. again they say, jo. 1. annot. sect. 5 Man hath free-will to receive and aclowledge Christ. They aclowledge In 1. Cor. 6. annot. 1 it lieth in mans free-will to frustrate, or to follow the motions of God. Man In jac. 4. annot. 4. maketh himself clean, and purgeth his own heart. This is more then for an unregenerate man to do good works: for it maketh free-will, of power to elect and choose: to take hold and beleeue in Christ, which is the first step to justification. The like uncertainty of doctrine is amongst the rest concerning this point. Bellarmine denieth Lib. 6. de li. arbit. c. 4. in princip. cap. that the schoolmen did ever hold, that certain weak good desires in a man vniustified do go before grace; but this was the opinion of certain false catholics, Faustus and Cassianus, and their adherents. Yet, I hope, Bellarmine, nor the schoolmen will ever forsake the Helena of all distinctions, with which they are so much enamoured; the merit of Congruity, merit of dignity, and merit of condignity. wherein they teach, Potasi homo nondum recomciliatu● per opera poe●itē●●● impetrar● et nurer● con ruo gratiam iustifi● menis. Bel. l. 5 c. ●2. ( w) that though the substance of the work of an unregenerate man deserveth not worthily eternal life, because of the great vnequality betwixt the work and the reward: yet there is congruity by a certain equality of proportion. For it is meet, that man working according to his power, God should give recompense according to his goodness. And thus Bellarmin confesseth, a man by congruity may deserve grace of justification: nay, he proceedeth a great deal further; and saith, Non ●●●dem quod sin● pacto, 〈◇〉 acceptatione non habeat● opus bonum p●oportionē ad vitá ●ternam. de Iustif●●●. 5 c. 17. that good works of themselves without any covenant or acceptation of God haue a proportion to eternal life. The Compendium of the theological verity teacheth, jo. de Cōl. Comp. Theol. ver. l. 5 c. 12. potest peccator habi●●are se ad gratiam. A sinner may prepare himself unto grace. Gratian saith, Per l●be●ū arbitr●ū h●mo li. b● en se potest reddere, vt ei D●mi●u●● gratia in●unta Grat. de comes. 3 〈…〉. 5 c plac●●t vt quicunque d●xerit. by free will a man may make himself fit for God to power grace into him. Henricus ab Vrimaria collecteth the same out of Peter Lombard, distinguishing betwixt Operation and Cooperation, and saith; a man doth not work with God before infusion of grace, but Non autem fine nobis operantibus insū●dit Deus virtutes, operamur enim, quia praeparamus nos ad susceptionem virtutum P. Lomb. in 2. sent. d st. 27. c. 1. et H. ab Vtim. abide. God doth power into us working, his virtues. For wee work, when we prepare ourselves to the receiving of virtues. The sum is, the unregenerate though he work not with God, yet he worketh towards the attaining of grace. Bellarmine therefore himself forgetful of his own position, that Christ is our first justification, saith, Nos existimamus vitam aeternam reddi bonis meritis filiorum Dei, cum quoad primum gradum, tum quoad raetero●. l. 5 de justif cap. 20. per totum cap. we think that eternal life is yielded to the good works of the children of God, both concerning the first degree thereof, and the rest also. It is most true, that Augustine saith; Sub lau libus naturae latent inimici gratiae, under the praising of nature, the enmity of grace is hidden. For out of this which hath been spoken, it is clear, that the Romish Church believeth, that there is some kind of goodness, which God doth respect and reward, going before grace in the unregenerate. And their plain Assertion is, that H. ab urim. in 2. sent dist. 27. cap. 1 God never giveth grace, but unto these that work. And John de Combis; Comp. theol. l. 5. c. 2 Grace is not given to those that do not endeavour themselves thereto. The differences betwixt the Pelagians and Papists, The difference betwixt Pelagians& Papists. is: Pelagius teacheth, that by the general or natural endowments, a man may convert and turn to God, and repent, and merit: The Romish Church teacheth, that this general or natural endowment of grace is ever ready to move, and stir up the free will, whose part it is to consent unto such motions: and this is to do what a man can of himself, by which dead a man may prepare himself to grace. To conclude; Three maner of ways( they say) a man is prepared to grace. Efficiently, from God: Formally, from graces freely given: Conp. Theol. ver. in fine cap. 11. et cap. 12. lib. 5. Materially, from ourselves. They say, ( u) works done by the unregenerate, though they bee not directly good, yet they haue some good in them, and God doth interpret them as good, and unto none such is grace denied. And this is the little difference betwixt the Pelagian, and the Romanist. But since their opinions concerning the works of the unregenerate are so doubtful, perplexed, and uncertain, let us descend unto the next chapter, wherein the Scarlet strumpet shall be unmasked, which openly maintaineth, that sin is meritorious at the hand of God. CHAP. LXIX. That the Romish Church placeth merit of eternal life in open and known sins; contrary to the first Limitation. I Did not a little marvell, when I red in the missal, Per peccatrici● meritum peccati solve debitum in Ro. Bre. fest Magd. him. aeterni pat. vnice. By the merit of a sinner take away the debt of sin: And as unproper seemed their gratulation unto Mary Magdalen, O foelix peccatrix, O happy sinner. Certainly Magdalen was no happy sinner, but an happy convert: neither doth God reward the works of sinners. First, he did look on Gen. 4.4 Habell, then on the Gift. never was any work to God acceptable, which proceeded from sin, or from Man as he is sinful. Wherefore howsoever they may excuse the matter, in respect of that Mary Magdalen formerly had been, and her repentance afterward; it is a doubtful speech, and most improper, to beseech God for a sinners merit to bee merciful unto vs. joh. 9.31. Wee know, God heareth not sinners. And as improper it is, to call any a happy sinner. For all sin is most unhappy, and all men unhappy in that they are sinners. Neither was Magdalen an happy sinner, but all her happiness was in her conversion from sin. But since it is familiar to this generation to blaspheme by mental reservation, and with the nimbleness of their wiits to put to and take away scandals at their pleasure, Let us proceed further with them and demand why they pray unto Thomas the Apostle, O Tho. Did. per Christum quem meruisti tangere. Portif. star. in Sanct. Tho. Decemb. 21. O Thomas Didymus by Christ whom thou diddest deserve to touch? Thomas was in infidelity, he believed not the resurrection of Iesus Christ: and to this infidelity he added obstinacy, protesting that he would not beleeue except he both saw and felt the print of the nails in his hands, joh. 20.25. and the wound in his side. The Apostle saith, Rom. 14.23. whatsoever is without faith is sin. Our saviour acknowledgeth, that Thomas was without faith, where he saith; joh. 20. 2● be not faithless, but beleeue. The conclusion then is, if Thomas merited, he merited by sin: and indeed what was in Thomas at the time of his fall, but incredulity? want of faith to beleeue the Scriptures? obstinacy and stubbornness to reject the testimony of his fellow Apostles? temptation of the spirit of God, by hardening his own heart? wilful resistance of the grace and truth of God? Except I see and feel, I will not beleeue. Infidelity and perseverance therein, obstinacy, temptation, wilfulness, these were his works, and no other to merit with, until Christ himself by his miraculous and glorious presence lightened his dark heart, and opened his understanding to receive the truth. They will say perhaps, the former actions of Thomas before his fall, did deserve to touch Christ: I answer with the prophet; Ezech. 18.24. If the righteous turn from his righteousness and commit iniquity, all his righteousness that he hath done shall not bee mentioned, but in the sin that he hath sinned he shall die. If they say of Thomas, as they do of his fellow Apostle, Petrus salua fide, Christum negauit. Peter denied Christ, yet saved his faith: I answer, the fall of Thomas was infidelity in the highest measure; for he denied the resurrection of the head of the Church ( Iesus Christ) the son of the everliving God; who, 1. Cor 15.14 If he rose not from the dead, preaching is vain, and faith is vain also. So that to deny the resurrection of Christ, was to overthrow all hope, all faith, all truth, all religion: and yet in this act Thomas did merit and deserve. At the consecration of their Taper; O certe necess●r●is Adamae peccatum et nostrum Miss star in Sab Sanct pasc. him. exuliet et Miss. Ro. ex decret. Cō●il. ●rid. edis. ●●sa Pij 5. O necessary sin of Adam, and of us, which is taken away by the death of Christ. If our sins are necessary, they must needs be also good: and if good, then meritorious. Surely it cannot bee said, that Adam did offend, or that wee do offend, if either his or our fault be necessary: nay, we are commendable in that wee do, and worthy of great praise for performing so great a benefit to ourselves. Wherefore, This is a clause( saith Clichtouius) containing Non solum falsam continent sententiam, said ●●piā, et blasphemiae proximam, neque Deo rebusque sacris dignam. in him. bened. ●eres Paschalis. ex Clicth. not only a false, but an impious sentence, next unto blasphemy, unworthy of God and our divine service. blushy not Rome, for thou hast children of thine own spirit, who dare avouch, Zanch. lib 9 de debito coning. disp. 46. num. 15. vid. Tollit. b. 5. c. 10. num. 3 that The handling of the unclean parts of Beasts is but venial sin. Others haue affirmed, that Ex Hoss. co●●. ●ront. lib. 2. the sentence of the Scribes and Priests pronounced against Christ was just: that the Priests condemning Christ erred not in their public iudgement, but in their own mindes, because Christ took vpon him to bear our sins. Some, that the error of the Iewes was onely in the manner of proceeding, being tumultuous and by subornation: Others Dist 12. itam in marg.& in Gloss. that the Iewes had sinned mortally, if they had not put Christ to death. The contrary whereof the schools will tell you is, Vid. Bell. l. 2. de council. author c. ●. they merited highly in that wicked conspiracy against the Lord of life. And why should they doubt to allow the wicked act of the Iewes against Christ our saviour, who of late haue found Vid. Sebast. Michael. in poss. Madg. de Cr.— out holy divels preachers of righteousness, which came to save souls? Magdalen is an happy sinner, and Adams fault was necessary: the Iewes did well in betraying Christ, and divels are become Preachers. Is it any marvell then, if sin bee meritorious? Wherefore, O foelix culpa quae ta●em ac tantum in ruit habere redemptorem! Ro. Miss in him ex●ltit tam.& Miss. star. O happy fault, which did deserve to haue such, and so great a Redeemer. I will press them no further then with their own Doctors judgements. The author of the theological Compendium saith, L●b. 5. cap. 11 ad finem. It is an improper speech, and that, deserve standeth here for to require. But Clichtouius, who examineth the words more exactly saith, Clich. in him. exult iam a gelica. it is a false and unreasonable speech, to call the fault of Adam, which was most baleful to himself and his posterity, an happy fault. Neither is it to be suffered( saith he) that to the fault it is attributed, that it deserved such and so great a Redeemer. Wherefore both clauses are to be blotted, and abolished out of all the ecclesiastical books: neither ought they ever to be sung again in the Church, lest being moved with a foolish holinesse, and not knowing how to sing wisely unto God, wee ascribe that to the fault( the divels work) which was the onely mercy of God. Thus far Clichtouius. Here now, I trust, I haue delivered myself of my promise, both by plain text, and by the confession of their own Comment. Surely wee ought to beleeue as wee worship. I●h 4.22, ●3 24. If they beleeue not that sin doth merit, why is it professed in their public adoration? If they do beleeue it, was it not high time that England should come out of Babylon, and forsake a Religion so impious and so profane? wherein if their faith be according to their profession, sin is meritorious: if they think not as they speak, their service is hypocrisy. They will reply perhaps, that Clichtouius afterward recanted this opinion: but a recantation without reason must not disable the censure grounded vpon strong arguments, and assured demonstrations. Such Doctrine as their schoolmen teach, and their mass celebrateth, their Legends also by sundry examples do illustrate. For, of Petrus Telonarius they record, that having one day thrown a loaf of bread angrily at a poor mans head, and strooken him with the same, the next night he saw himself brought before the tribunal seat of God: where on the one side did certain black Bugs stand, who in their end of the Scales did heap all his evil deeds, and at the other end stood some all in white, very sad and sorrowful, that they had no good works, which on their side they might cast into the balance: till at the last one answered, wee haue indeed nothing but one Pulson loaf, which two daies ago he gave unto Christ against his will: this loaf therefore they put into the Scale, and it did equalize all the rest. Thus, as sin did merit damnation, sin did merit salvation also. Doth this seem strange unto thee, O Reader, that any man should be so shameless as to place desert in wickedness, and merit in ungodliness? jo. and Comb. in Comp. Theol. verit. l. 5. c. 1 tantem peccator quandoque meretur occasionaliter. known be it unto thee, that the Legend exemplifieth no other doctrine, but that which their schoolmen teach. For jo. de Combis saith, that a sinner may occasionally merit by giuing unto the poor an alms, by which they are moved unto prayer, whereof the alms was the cause. He saith, that works done in mortal sin, though they be not directly good, yet a sinner may merit by them occasionally. By this rule there is no abomination so monstrous which may not be meritorious: For it may be the occasion of some good or other more or less. The Acts of Sophronia and Pellagia, who muthered themselves because Tyrants should not deflower them, are openly made meritorious by their Canonization. Hieronimus Mutius and johannes Casa an Archbishop of Beneuent haue written books, defending, praising, commending the sin of Buggery; and the later of them calls it, Ex ●●gedi●o. A divine work. O sodom, O Hell, O bloody Babylon, where are now thy inquisitors, thy whips, thy racks, thy Tortures, thy Strappadoes? Salua res est, shall not men praise in Paper, Sub julio terti● Sixtus 4. what the holy Father approves in led? Is it any more to teach by writing, then to confirm by dispensing? the one saith, Fiat quod petitur: the other Laudatur quod fit. To swear by Saints and invocate them as witnesses, is contrary to the express letter of the Scripture: they approve, they teach, they defend it. We see daily, to adorn, to deck, to kneel, to worship images, is an act meritorious. Hath not Clement the 8. in his papal chair, in the full Court of Cardinals, out of Peters consistory commended, approved, extolled with a curious Oration, the friar who killed his lawful Prince, the King of France; comparing his act with that of judith in slaying Holofernes. No man can now any longer marvell, that so oft both in their Missals and Legends their Saints are solemnized and adored for open impiety. Saint Christopher, Leg. ●omb. in Christoph. fol. 8 c. for that he bade the divell farewell. Mary Magdalen, Ibid in Mary Magd. for that shee set at liberty a prisoner that was bound for debt, without payment of the same. Alexander, Rom. Bre. for mingling water with the wine in the communion. The Virgin Mary, In Nat. virg. Leg. Lomb. for parting man and wife. Agatha, who Ro. Bre. in Agap. gave reviling speeches to the Magistrate, by whom shee was condemned, calling him cruel, hard-hearted Tyrant. Gregory, Ro Bre. for that he hide himself in a cave from the charge, to which he was elected. Benedict, Ro. Bre. in Ben●d●ct lect. 4. for that he shut himself into a close den three yeares, where no man knew of him but Romanus the monk, neither did he good to any man. But of this argument having spoken before, I now supersede; onely let me advertise them, that they must not think to obtrude the faults of Saints instead of virtues vpon the Church. But, as Ezechiel said of the waters which came out of the Temple: so must wee deem of the imperfections of holy men; Ez●ch. 47.11. The miry places thereof, and the Marises thereof shall not bee wholesome, they shall bee made salt pits. Their own rule is, Non verbis, said jo de Comb. de grat Sanct. l. 5. c. 1● aduerbijs meremur; meaning that no work is good, or meritorious but that which is well done and lawfully, and according to the rule of Christian charity: but such are none of these which I haue before rehearsed; therefore I may justly reckon them in the number of sins. CHAP. LXX. That the Romish Church maketh the Passion and merits of CHRIST unsufficient to salvation; contrary to the second Limitation. answer to the second Limitation. TRue it is that Fauorinus observeth; Turpius est exiguè& frigide laudari, quam infectante● vtinperari. Au●us Gell. l. 19. c. 3. noct. Au●c. It is more shane to be coldly and lightly praised, then to be eagerly pursued with dispraise. If then we consider how sparing, how niggardly, how basely the Romish fraternity speaketh of that ineffable Redemption wrought by Christ, their light commendation will easily bewray their light estimation therof. Demand of Panigarola what trust we shall place in Christ he will say, Quoticscunque videus aliquem in sermone vel concione nihil unquam aliud laudantem quam haec quinq●nē●e, Christi sanguinem, dei misericordiam, dei gratiam, dei fidem& scripturat, cavete ab eo discep. Calu. 18. pag. 43. vid edit Mediolan. 1●94. As often as ye see any man in his preaching or Sermon praise nothing else but these five things: the blood of Christ, the mercy of God, the grace of God, faith in God, and the Scriptures; take heed of him. Demand of Peter Lombard, whether Christ be our Redeemer? he will answer, and the whole choir of schoolmen with him, that 3 Sent. d●st. 19. c. 2 Christ hath redeemed the soul in part, but not in whole: from the fault, not the punishment. Demand of Thomas Aquinas, and he will come wi●h an envious aliqualiter, and say, Pro corum peccatis aliqualites satisfecit. ex 3. part. q. 2. 2. art 4.& sic c●l Bi. John c. 12. he hath after a sort satisfied for their sins. But if you put the question to Master Kellison( a beast that lately barked against the moon) he( for ignorance is evermore audacious) will answer; Kell. l. 3. c. 2. ib●d. Christs Passion was not our formal justification, nor satisfaction: and again he saith, Christ hath satisfied for sin: not because his Passion without cooperation of ours doth suffice. Demand of Aloysius Lypomanus, he will answer; Vide●, quod ad salutem peccatoris requiritur etiam operis satisfactio, ne● prodest sola Christi passio, &c. part. 1. in vit. Sanc. jo. Baptist. pag 107. Thou seest that unto the ●al●ation of a Sinner the satisfaction of works is required, neither doth the Passion of Christ alone suffice. Demand of Bellarmine himself, who hath assigned this Limitation, whether Christ hath justified us or not? You shall hear him say, Sacrificium autem crucis non efficienter& immediatè iustificauit. l. 2. de Miss c. 4. verbo secando prob●tur. Christ hath not justified us efficiently. Demand of the council of Trent; and the Beast with all her mouths of blasphemy will vomit out, that Can. 10.& sic Bellar. citat l 2 de justif. cap. 7 respende● conci●ium. Christs Passion was not the formal cause of our justification. What is it then? Is it the matter of our justification?( as jeremy speaketh) jer. 23.6. The Lord our righteousness? or( as Paul teacheth) 1 Cor. 1.30. Christ was made unto us wisdom, and righteousness? No, saith the Tridentine, Soss. 6. Can. 16. Anath. 11. Cursed is he, whosoever shall say, that a man is justified by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ onely. Though Christ be neither the sufficient, the effective, the formal, nor the material cause, yet he is some cause( I am sure) of salvation. liberal Master Kellison will grant him so much, Kellis. l. 3. c. 2. that He is the meritorious cause of our Redemption and salvation, by which he deserved for us at Gods hand grace: by which together with our own cooperation we may be saved and redeemed. O envy! O detraction! O ballast of wind and feathers! Is this the praise his bloody sweat, his mangled flesh, his gaping wounds, his groaning soul deserved; Ibid. that we may redeem ourselves, and wind ourselves out of the servitude of sin, and the tyranny of the divell? Thus you see, CHRIST is made the most causeless cause, the lightest, the least enforcing cause of all causes: that which they call, Causa sine qua non, the cause, without which wee cannot bee saved; even as Ulysses speaketh of himself in the Poet, Posse capi ●aciendo Pergama cepi. Mat. l. 1●. I then conquered Troy, when I made it conquerable. If this bee all is given to Christ, the Saints haue as much attributed to them; Ro. Bre. in ●ui. virg. lect. 4. beat. matter. Mary is the mother of life. And again; Ibid. in lect. ●ua dalum est. Mary is the cause of life, by whom our life was begotten. And another saith of her; Nullus, est qui saluus siat nisi per te, O sancti sima: nemo est qui ●beretur à m●le nisi per te, O Purissima: nemo ●s cvi donum concedatur nisi per e●, O chastis● m: nemo est, cuius gratiams, creature nisi per te, O honestisssma. Germ. pat. 11 Aloy. lip. par. 1. pag 283. edit. Verhes. There is none that is saved but by thee, O thou most holy: non● that is d●liuered from evils but by thee, O thou most pure: none, vpon whom grace hath mercy but by thee, O thou most hon●st. Thus, godly Reader, thou seest how slenderly they praise, how forcibly they extenuate all that Christ Iesus with the expense of his sacred blood hath done for us: Thou seest how they strip the great High Priest out of his glorious garments, making him a poor and naked levite. The very Canon of the mass itself is guilty of this impiety: where, at the offering up of their Host they continually aclowledge, that they offer for the redemption of Quoris tibi fides cognita est et deuotio. ix Can. Miss. their souls, whose faith and devotion is known to God. Now if those faithful and devout are already redeemed, then they need not offer for their redemption: if they be not redeemed, they ought( by Christs example) joh. 17.9. not to pray for the world. Bellarmine to salve this sore saith, B ll de Miss. lib. 2. ca. 21 verbo. respendeo, quod attiuet the catholics account those whose devotion is unperfect, nor yet justified, nor yet redeemed. But this maketh the rent worse. For they offer not for such, who haue no faith nor devotion, but for their redemption, whose faith and devotion God seeth, that is, which are truly devout and faithful. Now if they that be truly faithful and truly devout, bee not fully redeemed, then Christ hath redeemed none, and we are still of all men most miserable. CHAP. LXXI. That the Romish Church placeth merit of eternal life in the smallest and most trifling works they do, in which there is little or no charity expressed; contrary to the third Limitation. Answer to the third Limitation. OF the false Prophets in his time Ose complains; Ose 9.8 The prophet is the future of a fowler in all his ways. But of whom may this be better verified then of the Babylonish strumpet? who Pro 7.16, 17 decketh her bed with ornaments, and perfumeth it with spices, sweetening with all the art shee can, the stinking breath of her enchanting lips. This in the examination of this Limitation of theirs, which we haue now in hand( godly reader) thou shalt evidently deprehend. For as they stretch their merits so far, as that all things are obtained thereby: so they are in such sort, like Narcissus, enamoured with themselves, that whatsoever they do, is merit. It is D sc. de Temp. possible( saieth one) for us to merit in every thing that we do being in the grace of God. If thou eat to comfort nature with thanksgiving, thy meat praiseth God,& thou deservest the crown of eternal life: if thou sleep with an intention to rise the stronger to serve God, by sleeping thou dost merit. Therefore Gregory saith, Somnas sanctorum non vacat merito. Disc. de temp. s r. ●61 The sleep of the Saints is not without merit. Likewise, if thou labour with thy hands to nourish thy family, that thou haue no need to steal: or if thou labour to relieve the poor that cannot relieve themselves. Lastly, if thou endeavour in thyself to make up the penance enjoined Adam, and all mankind: whosoever thou art that labourest for any of these three intentions, standing in grace, thou dost always merit in every work the crown of eternal life. Ergo ●istor non potest p●n, ●re panem, quin mercaetur coronam vitae atern●● similiter, ab●r, ●artor, suitor, rasticu &c. Disc dr Temp. ser. 16● Therefore the Baker cannot bake bread but he deserveth the crown of eternal life: so the Smith, the tailor, the shoemaker, the Husbandman. This also the Comp. of Theol. verity teacheth, where he giveth this rule; Finem sub fine quis potest ponere? For example; Verbi gratiae; aliqum omendit vt ernat medicinas, et ad hoc emit eas, vt curetur ab infirmitate, et ad hoc curari desiderat, vt melius Deo seruiat. In esto ultimo praecedentes voluntates omnes sunt meritoria propter ultimum. jo. de Comb. Conp. Theol verit. lib 5. cap. 14. Some man intends to buy medicines, and to this end he buyeth them, that he may be cured of his infirmity; and to this end he desireth to be cured, that he may serve God the better. Here all the first intentions are meritorious for the last. You see how easy a thing it is in the Church of Rome to merit eternal salvation; where if either the beginning, or the end bee for God, all the rest of the action is meritorious. Wherefore there is no work so small, wherewith they will not merit. if sum tangel. Tit. de Sacr. Miss. they sprinkle holy water, sins are thereby forgiven, per modum meriti, by way of merit: If they fast; Vt tetuniorum nobis sancta deuotio et purificationem tribuat, et maiestats tuae nos reddat a ceptos. far. 5. et Sab. heb. 3. in quadrag. ex Bre. star. sim le et Ro. Missan Sab post ●●neres orat. ad esto Domine. Grant, we beseech thee, that the holy devotion of our fasts may both purify us, and make us acceptable to thy majesty. If they keep an holy day; Vt per temporalia sesta qua agimas, pervenire a laeterno gaud a mereamur. in erat 4 Hebd. pasc. Deus quinos resurrectionis &c. Grant, we beseech thee; that by the temporal feasts which we keep, we may deserve to come to eternal joys: If they mingle the bread& wine together; Haec sacrosancta c●mixtio corpori& sanguinis Dom●● nostri Ies Christi fiat mihi omnibu●que sumentibus salus metis et corporu: ad vitam ●ternam promerendum, et cap●scendam praeparatic salutaritan Can M●ss. Let the commixtion of the body and blood of our Lord Iesus Christ bee made unto me, and to all that receive it, health of mind and body: a healthful preparation to deserve to receive eternal life: If they light an holy candle, it is, Vt igne tua cl●ritat● s●ccl●●n templo sacto, ●●riaetua rec prae●entari mereamar Miss. ●ar in purij be●t. vn. Mar. orat Omn potens semper aeterne Deus That we being enlightened with the fire of thy brightness in thy holy temple, may deserve to be represented to thy glory: If they take a Pilgrims scrip, it is, that they may deserve In Miss star. in office. peregrinorum. to go safe to the temple of the Saints, and return again: If they take a staff, it is, that Vt pera●ure mereantur ad gandia aeterna aeternae visio. nis. ibid. they may deserve to come to the eternal joys of eternal vision: If they sprinkle ashes vpon their head, it is, Praeserendae humilitatis et promerendae veniae causa. in Mis. star. et Romano. in cap. jeiunij. orat. Deus qui non mortem. for the cause of showing humility, and deserving of pardon, and to bee an wholesome remedy to all that call on his holy Name. Insomuch that Dominick the friar, when his legs were scratched with thorns, said to his fellowes, Now, Ex Prompt. exemp. quod exemplum bonum prouocat malos ad poenitentiam. our sins bee cleansed with blood. O happy people, who haue so easy means to attain such unspeakable glory! Our saviour, of our best endeavours saith, Luke 17.10 When ye haue done all ye can, think yourselves unprofitable seruants. They will be profitable in every trifle they take in hand. The Apostle Paul Rom. 8.18 accounteth not the afflictions of this present time worthy of the glory, that shall be shewed unto us: With the Romish Church the least affliction is the merit of eternal inheritance. To buy that precious Mat. 13.45.& 46. pearl the rich Merchant sold al he had: they buy it with the paring of their nailes. They haue ready distinctions to avoid both Christ and his Apostles. For there is Ex Conp. Theol. merit. lib. 5. cap. 11. equality arithmetical, and equality geometrical: equality of quantity, and equality of proportion. Equality of quantity is, when in commutative iustice for a penny we buy a penny-loafe. So no work of our own can merit at Gods hand: for he ever giveth more than wee can deserve. But our works( say they) do merit of Gods distributive iustice, by way of proportion. O miserable shifts! First, Christ is not our formal righteousness, but our own works are our formal righteousness: then our works are not our righteousness fully and perfectly, according to the exact rule of God righteousness, or the full value of the reward, meriting but in a certain manner, and after a proportion. O weak hope! O slender consolation! how shall Gods iustice be satisfied, and his righteousness contented? return to thy rest, Psal. 116. O my soul, and put thy trust in him, who hath redeemed thee with a price: such a price as is answerable, yea, above the commutative iustice of God. For Christ hath fully paid my debt, and with a sufficient valuable sum made me the heir of his kingdom. And of this doctrine the Lord hath commanded all his Ministers to be the preachers; Esay 40. ●. speak comfortably to jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardonned: for she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sins. The least drop of his innocent blood is a sufficient satisfaction for the sins of a thousand worlds. And here by the way let me tell them, that the distinction of merit, of dignity, of condignity, and congruity, is an idle distinction. For if the works of the regenerate do not fully deserve at Gods hand in the balance of his strict iustice, then the works of the unregenerate do as much as they: for by congruity the works of the unregenerate do merit also. CHAP. LXXII. That with the Romanists good works are meritorious which bee not done in charity; contrary also to the third Limitation. IN the former chapter I haue shewed with what trifles, with what toys, the Romanists persuade themselves the heavenly kingdom may be merited. Now let us come nearer the Limitation itself, and consider whether they do in dead observe their own rule, and verily persuade themselves that works are not meritorious except they bee done in charity: and surely sundry reasons there are which do plainly teach the contrary. First, their public worship, which is the rule of religion, maketh the works of such, meritorious towards God, in whom there is no capacity of actual charity: for they make men to merit before they are born, and after they are dead. Of the Prophet ieremy, in the mass on Passion Sunday they sing; Magnum( inquam) Ieremiae meritum, qui ante promeretur, quam nascitur. pox. star. in dom in pass. lect 4. Great was the merit of ieremy, which did deserve before he was born. And of the holy Innocents, whom Herod put to death, they do aclowledge, that Pro Christo merentur occidi. Bre. star. lect 4. b●ats qui labores. they merited to die for Christ. And amongst the praises of Nicholas, the roman breviary recordeth, Vid. lect. 4. in sest. Nic. illustri loco. That he would never suck being an infant on Wenesdaies and Fridaies, but once in the day, and that towards evening. Of every Confessor they say, Isle homo ab adolescentia meruit cura●e infirmo●. Ro. Bre. in c●m confess. non Pont. This man from his youth up deserved to cure the infirm. Now I would know of them, what charity is without Free will: and in Infants or boyes what free will is there, where nature itself is captive? That the dead do merit with them, contrary to the rule of the Canonist, Nullus meretur nisi in corpore. de comes. dist. 4. nec quemquam in Gloss. None deserveth but in the body; their prayers in the memories of them that are departed, give sufficient testimony; Vt mertis vinculu ansolutis, transire mereatur ad vitam. in die Tricinali ad placebo. Deus cvi proprium est. et Ro. Miss. in secret. pro animabus famulorum famulorūque tuarum. Grant that being absolved from the bands of death, he may deserve to pass into life. So in the Vigil of the dead, that Vt, qui in te sperauit et credidit, sanctorum tuorum mereatur consortio laetari. Miss. star. in office. Mort. Deus cvi proprium. he which did trust in thee, may deserve to rejoice in the fellowship of thy Saints. What complain I hereof? seeing they make senseless stocks, and things without any life at all, to merit at the hand of God. Of the wooden cross they sing; Sola digna tu fuisti ferresecul. pretium. Ro. bred, in invent. crucis R. post Nicode. ex ei● orat. Thou only wast worthy to bear the price of the world. In what charity, I pray you was the cross of wood? And of the night, wherein Christ rose from the dead, they say; O certè beata nox quae sola scire merint tempus et horam in qua Christus resurrerit a mortuis. Mis star. in sab. anct. pasc. et Ro. Miss. O happy night, which only didst deserve to know the time and the hour, in which Christ arose from the death! Was there any charity in the night? Either to the words Merit& worthiness they must seek new significations, or else things senseless and without life are meritorious, and haue worthiness in them, by which they are commended unto God, Paulus Burgens●s saith, Totum corpus S. Christi, mysticum& compactum per virtutem fidei, qua in quantum fides est vna, omnes fideles efficiuntur vnum corpus, etiam per fidem informen, sicut corpus humanum, etiam sine anima, est vnum, corporis organus integritate &c. Vid Gloss. second. Ni. de Lyra in 4. ad Eph. that the whole body of the Church is compacted by the virtue of faith: which because it is one, maketh all the faithful one body, even by an vnformed faith, that is, faith not formed by charity, as the body of Man is one, without the soul. Thomas Aquinas saith, supper priamium de Apoc. ex Cē●. 23. c. 4 that a man that is not in charity, but suffers for Gods sake in a certain vnformed devotion, though he do not deserve, yet he is disposed thereby to the state of grace. Tollet saith, Impletur praeceptum extra charitatem. l. 4. de instr. Sacerd. c. 12. pag. 489. ed●●. Cosē. anno 1610. The precept is fulfilled without charity. John de Combis, Opus fiat in charitate, et ex charitate. l. 5 c. 13. though he teach, That good works without Charity are dead, even like coals of fire put out, and that wee must work both in Charity and from Charity; yet as a man clean forgegetting himself, entreating on the rule that one intention doth form many actions, he teacheth thus: If a man propose to himself to give twelve pence to the poor for Gods sake, every day one penny, and so doth give for diuers daies, but forgetteth in some one day to give in respect of God,& to distribute the penny for Gods sake, yet( saith he) The Dati● est meritoria propter prom●● intentionem. gift is meritorious in respect of the first intention. By this wee see that for the first intention, in which was charity, the second gift is meritorious, in which was no charity. Yea, the same author doth witness, that a very sinner doth merit sometimes, Occasionaliter, occasionally; because he gives an alms, which moveth the poor to prayer. As of Almesse the Compendium: so of prayer and all other works speaketh Thomas Aquinas, Primae vt intent●onis, qua aliquis ad orandum accedit, reddit totam orationem meritoriam, ficut in aliis meritorus acti●bus accidit. 2 a. 1. c. q. 83. et fie etiam collig. a Bon John. c. 83. That it is not necessary that a man bee intentue to his whole prayer, for that the force of the first intention maketh the whole prayer meritorious, as in other meritorious acts. And I pray you, why doth the missal of Sarisburie solemnize Saint blaze, for that, being chosen to bee a Bishop, he fled into the Argean mountaines, contrary to the rule of Saint Peter in his caconical Epistle. And therfore contrary to the rule of Charity, which saith; 1. Pet. 5.2 Take the oversight of them, not as compelled thereunto, but willingly. And why doth the Roman breviary magnify Ro. Bre. in Ruff. ● Secunda. 1 Cor. 7.3 Ruffina and Secunda, because they forsook the marriage of Armentarius and Verinus, unto whom they were by their parents honestly espoused; contrary to the Apostles rule? Or why doth the history of Lombardy commend Alexius, Leg. Lomb. ● v ta. Al●x●i. Works plainly commended as meritorious in the Missals, which were not wrought in charity. who did for sake his wife, to whom he was lawfully joined? And Migdona, which forsook Carisius? And the Indian Kings wife, who forsook her husband also? With Anastasia, who shunned the company of her husband Publius? or why is Vitalis the Abbot commended, who went into brothel houses to convert souls? and being therefore suspected of his Monks, and desired to refrain, and not to be a scandal unto others, he refused their counsel and answered them churlishlie; Legend. Lomb. in jo. Elemos sol. 25. Haue not I a body as other men, or is God angry with monks onely? Are you made Iudges over me? Or why is Ambrose commended, Ex Leg. Lomb. u● vita. Ambr. who because he would avoid a bishopric, sent publicly for infamous women to come unto him? Since all these actions are against the rule of charity, neither can they bee said to bee according to knowledge, or faith, without the which there is no Christian love; I conclude therefore, if all good works do merit, and these works I haue rehearsed, be accounted for good works, surely works done of a man contrary to the rules of charity are meritorious. CHAP. LXXIII. Of the frivolous distinction betwixt the two Propositions, PER and Propter, BY and FOR: and of that false pretence, that they make Iesus Christ the meritorious cause of our justification, though they grant not his merits and sufferings to be the formal cause thereof. LOng since, the Prophet Nahum complained of Niniueth; She Nahum. 3.4. is a Mistris of witchcraft, and selleth the people through her whoredom, and the Nations through her Witchcrafts: but let niniveh give place to Babylon, and all other strumpets to the Romish chair; of whom we may truly say, that she is indeed a cunning Mistris of Witchcraft. For Esay 47.10. her wisdom and her knowledge haue caused her to rebel: her Sophistications, her distinctions, her Riddles and subtleties haue enchanted herself, and all nations with her. When wee require of them why they pray unto Saints, since Iesus Christ is an open door, jo. 10.9.& 14. through whom every one may come unto the Father; then they haue Mercuries Caduceum, with which they lull every eye asleep, and appease every one that complaineth. Concede nobis, deny, intercessione huius Sancti tale benefictum Per Christum dominum nostrum. Bellar. de Sanct. b at. lib. 1. c. 17. For they( forsooth) desire not salvation, or justification, or any other thing from the Saints as from immediate Mediators: but they desire it, Per Christum Dominum nostrum, By Christ our Lord. But now demand of them, by whom they will be justified? By whom they will be saved? By whom they will merit? By no means Per Christum, By Christ, but By their own works. Is not this Babels cup? Is not this Witchcraft? Is not this whoredom? Is not this the kingdom of lies, where you can beleeue no word they speak? The term Per or By( saith Bellarmine) doth signify Bellar. de justif. l. 2. c. 2. The formal cause of our salvation. But such cause they utterly deny the merits of Christ to bee unto men: but we are justified( saith he) Propter Christum, For Christ. If thou desire, Christian Reader, to know what the formal cause is, it is that which giveth the name and being, which causeth every matter to be such, or such, and without which it cannot be; as the motion of the heauens causeth the division of times; as the shining of the sun causeth the air to be light: the soul, the body to be living, and the Sap of this, or that kind, causeth the three to bring forth fruit thereafter. So that the formal cause is the noblest cause, constituting, ordaining, making every thing to bee that it is. And such cause of salvation they can in no wise endure the merits of Christ to be unto vs. From hence spring all these barbarous and hellish blasphemies, with which the Beast hath braved heaven, vomiting out her poisoned venom, even in the face of our Redeemer. council. Tr d S●ss. 6. Can. 13. If any man shall say, that one is justified either by the onely imputation of the righteousness of Christ, or by the onely remission of sins, excluding the grace and charity, which is shed into our hearts by the Spirit of God: or that the grace by which we are justified, is the onely favour of God, Cursed be he. If any man shall say, Can. 12. that justifying faith is nothing else but trust in the mercy of God, forgiving our sins for Christ: or that such trust is that onely, by which wee are justified, Cursed be he. If any man say Ibid. Can. 10. that wee are justified by the righteousness of Christ formally, Cursed bee he. And this the last Canon Bellarmine expounding saith, the meaning of the council is, Ex soutentia eiusdem concilij non justificari hominem formaliter iustitia Christis ullo modo habetur. express. in Can. 10 Bell. lib. 2. de justif. c. 7. verbo respondea concilium. that a man is not justified formally by the righteousness of Christ by any means. You now see the cause, why the holy friar can by no means endure any man to bee justified Per Christum, By Christ: but onely Propter Christum, For Christ. And lest he should bee deceived in his own word Propter, For; the term Propter, or For,( saith he) must signify onely the meritorious cause of our salvation. For, Bellar. l. 2. de justif c. 2. verbo respondemus si illud propter. if Propter should by chance signify the formal cause of justification, then we are not justified Propter Christi meritum, For the merit of Christ neither. The conclusion is, Per Christum, By Christ, we are not justified ullo modo, by any means, nor Propter Christum, for Christ, if the word Propter, bee not properly understood. And thus great pains the good cardinal taketh to exclude Christ from his salvation. He strains at every Gnat, and searcheth every wrinkle, lest Christ should haue too much ascribed to him in the matter of justification. And yet here he hold( I beseech you) they which cannot endure, that Christs righteousness should be imputed unto them for justification; neither will allow, that his elect do merit in Christs merits: yet they can be content, that the merits of the Virgin shall be imputed unto them for righteousness: in whose service they every day sing; Vt coelestis regni per te mertamur habere proennum in lect. Sanct. Mar. virgo virginum. in S●r. Bre. Let us merit by thee to haue the reward of the heavenly kingdom. They can call her Ro. Bre. in Nat. virz. their life, their sweetness, their dwelling. They which suffer not, that the covering of their sins by the righteousness of Christ should be their salvation, yet can confess of the Virgin, Sicut spina rosam genuis: judaea Mariam, uti vitium v●rtu operiret, gratia culpam. Bren. star. in concep. virg. as the thorn, the Rose: So judea brought forth Mary, that virtue might cover 'vice; and grace, the offence. Her they can bee content to call Germ. P●tr. arch. apud Aloy lip. prim. in encom. beat. virg. the clothing of their nakedness, the riches of their beggary: and to say unto her; In manuel Canisij in 11. exercitio. Let thy copious charity cover the multitude of our sins. Come we now to the oil that must mollify all this vinegar, and the Sugar that must sweeten this leaven unto vs. Christ( say they) is the full and absolute meriting cause of our salvation. O Pro. 26.23. silver drops overlaid vpon a potsherd! Pro. 26.25 Though he speak favourably( saith Salomon) beleeue him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart. What is there belonging or appertaining to salvation, which they do not desire to attain by their own merits at the hands of God? forgiveness of sin, renewing of the mind, purging of the heart, holinesse, righteousness, life, glory, eternity: All these they still pray to haue by their own merit. Neither let them say they desire to merit by Christ, since( as I haue before shewed) By Christ, is not by Christ with them. First, the very giuing of Christ, and his appearing in the flesh, they merit. For so they say; Per quam merit mu● authorem vitae suscipere Dominum nostrum Iesun Christum. Bre. star. in office. beavirg. orat. Deus. qui salutis aeternae. et in Ro. Bre. And in the Primer printed by Arnold Conings an. 1399. in orat. O God which by the fruitful virginity. By whom we deserved to receive Iesus Christ the author of life. Secondly, if forgiveness of sin be the first justification, to the Virgins they pray; Virgines Dei beatae orate pro nobis, vt seclerum veniam per vos accipere mereamur. in come virg. in laudibus Bre. star. O ye Virgins of God pray for us, that wee may deserve to receive pardon by you. And in their Indulgence after confession; Bona, qua fecisti, at quae per Dei gratiam facies, sins tibi in remissionem peccatorum. absolutio in praeparatione ante Missā. bred star. The good works which thou hast done, and which by the grace of God thou shalt do, bee unto thee the remission of thy sins. Thirdly, if to be graffed into the body of Christ be the first step to justification, of this they desire their own works may bee the meritorious cause. For so Aquinas Orat. Tho. Aq prayeth, and by his example they teach all other to pray; Grant me so to take the body of thy only begotten son Iesus Christ which he took of the Virgin Mary, that I may deserve to bee incorporated into his mystical body. Fowrthlie, if they desire to bee Sanctified, they desire their works may bee the deserving cause; Aus●r à nobis Domine quaesumus, omnes iniquitates nostras, ut sancta sanctorum puris mentibus mereamur intr●ire. Portis. star in praeparaet. ante Miss. idem et Ro. Bre. in die Palmar. in orat. Deus qui filium. it orat. oimpotens sempitern, et passim. Take away from us, O Lord wee beseech thee, all our iniquities, that wee may deserve with pure minds to enter into the holy of holi●s. And in the feast of Saint Cuthbert; Mereamur ad culmē peruenite virtutum. Bre. star. in Cuth●ert. Grant we beseech thee, that Cuthbert thy Bishop and Confessor interceding, wee may deserve to come unto the height of virtue. again( they say) In the prayer: Let our fasts: within the week after pa●sion Sunday. in office. Anglo lat. per Ar. Conings. their fasts make them worthy to receive grace. Fiftly, if they desire resurrection from the dead, they desire it for the merit of their works, and their works they pray may bee the meritorious cause of the same; In Bre. star. Dom. in Ramis palm. idem et Rom. Bre. in Dominica palmarum. orat. oimpotens sempitern. Grant mercifully that wee may deserve, both to haue the lessons of his patience, as also fellowship of his resurrection. sixthly, if they desire salvation itself, they desire their own works may be the meritorious cause thereof; Bre. star. in precibus ad trimam orat. dirigere et samct sua re. that wee may deserve to bee whole and saved. Lastly, if they desire Glorification, they desire it may bee the merit of their works; Vt in die iudicit ad dextram tuam statuti à te audire mereamur, Venite bened●cti. port. star. Miss. 5. vulnerum in erat. Domine Iesu christ, fills Dei vi● ni. idem et Ro. Bre. in anniuers. dedic. ecclesiae. orat. Annuc quaesumus. Grant that in the day of iudgement being set at thy right hand, wee may deserve to hear from thee, Come ye blessed &c. And in the mass of every Confessor; Pray for us, that wee may together deserve to possess the holy kingdom of heaven. Omnes electi Dei nostri memoramini ●●te Deum, vt vestru precibus adiuti mereamur vobis adiungi. Br. star. in memor. seriae. tart ad Mat. All ye elect of God bee mindful of us before God, that being helped by your prayers, wee may deserve to bee joined unto you. After the same maner again; Sancta Maria& omnes sancti iutercedant pro nobis ad Deum, vt nos mereamur ab eo adiunari, et salvari; qui vivit e● regnat in secula seculorum, amen. Ro Br. in aestiu. par. Dominic. ad primam. Holy Mary and all Saints, pray for us to God, that we may deserve of him to be helped and to bee saved. Now, beloved Christian, I appeal to thy conscience, whosoever thou art that hast an upright heart, whether they make Christ the only meritorious cause of our salvation, when by their own works they desire to merit all, whatsoever belongeth to eternal life: that is, the coming of Christ in the flesh, forgiveness of sins, graffing into the body of Christ,( which is the first justification) sanctification, resurrection, glorification. Of all these every day they pray, that their works may be the meritorious cause. Let them now tell me, what remaineth more to a Christian man for his souls health to desire? Wherefore since in every Orison they contend to haue their works the meritorious cause of all that they pray for, of them and their distinctions wee may conclude, as job doth of his sour conditioned friends; job 13.4 Ye forge lies, and are all Physitians of no value. ANTI-   christus. BY Et virtute meritorum illuc introducitur omnis qui ob Christi &c. Rom. Bren. in come. non virg. him. vibi beat. jerus. the virtue of merit he is brought in thither, whosoever in this world suffereth for the name of Christ. 1 I Am certainly persuaded, that the afflictions of this time are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vpon vs. Rom. 8.18. Wee Ex Euseb. Emiss. apud Aloy. lip. in vita Sanctorum Apost. Pet.& Pauli. pag. 302. aedit Verhessalt. aclowledge virtues to bee the true keys of heaven. 2 Not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast himself. Ephes. 2.8, 9. Without jo. de Comb. Camp. Theol. lib. 5. cap. 22. merits there is no hope. 3 Abraham considered not his own body, which was now dead, being almost an hundred yeares old, neither the deadness of Saraes womb. Rom. 4.19. Hope Bellar. de justif. lib. 5. cap. 7. ●is accedit etiam. and confidence come not onely from the grace of God promising, but from our merits and works. 4 Come to the waters all ye that that be thirsty; Come I say, but wine and milk without money. Esay 55.1. It Ibid verb his tot ac tantis. doth appear that in our good deserts some trust is to be put. 5 Because thou hast trusted in thine own works and treasure, thou shalt be taken. jer. 48.7. It council tried. Sess. ●. de justif Can. 11. any say, that a man is justified by the imputation of Christs righteousness, and the remission of sins onely, Cursed be he. 6 As by one mans disobedience many became sinners: so by the obedience of one shall many bee made righteous. Rom. 5.19. If Si quis in quolibet bono opere justum saltem ventaliter peccare dixerit, aut( quod intolerabi lius est) mortaliter, atque ideo poenat aeternas m●r●ri, tantumque ob id non damnats quia deus ea opera non imputes ad damnationem, Anath. sit ibid. Can. 25. any man say, that the righteous sinneth, at least venially, in every good work, or mortally, and to deserve therein eternal death, and to be saved onely because such sins are not imputed to him, let him be accursed. 7 There is none that doth good, no not one. Ro. 3.12. All our righteousness is as filthy clouts. Esay 64.6. By Conc. tried. Sess. 4. de operibus satisfa●terijs. C. ●. 9. temporal scourges inflicted of God, and patiently suffered by us, we may satisfy before GOD the Father through Iesus Christ. 8 His own self bare our sins in his body on the three, that we being delivered from sin, should live in righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 1. Pet. 2. ver. 24. whosoever council. tried. Sess. 6. Can. 7. shall say, all the works done before justification, howsoever done, to be sin, let him be accursed. 9 whatsoever is without faith is sin. Ro. 14.23. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11.6. Man Rhem. in Mat. 6. annot. 1. that doth iustice, is thereby just, and justified. 10 he saw also that there was no man righteous. Esay 59.16. There is none righteous, no not one. Rom. 3.10. That Rhem. in luke. 19. annot. 3. which wee give of our own, is satisfaction for sin. 11 Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us through Iesus Christ before the world was. 2. Tim. cap. 1.9. We Rhem. in 1. ad Cor. 11. annot. 20. may escape, by punishing ourselves, fasting, and other penance. 12 Did ye fast unto me? do I approve it? Zech. 7.5. They Rhem. in 16. luke. annot. 3. might gain salvation by their money. 13 Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold. 2. Pet. 1. ●8. Mary Grat. de consec. dist. 4. per baptism. in glos Verrin. Diab. apud Sebast. Mich. in poss. de Cr. and John could not sin. Some go to heaven by repentance: others by innocency. 14 All haue sinned, and are deprived of the glory of God. Rom. 3.23. Good Rhem. in Ro. 11. sect. 4. works are joined with Gods grace, as the causes of our salvation. 15 To him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Rom. 4.5. Without Rhem. in Mat. 5. Annot. 5. iustice of works no man of age can be saved. 16 The Gentiles which followed not righteousness, haue attained unto righteousness, even the righteousness, which is of faith. Rom. 9.30. The Aloy. lip. par. 2. in vita Anton. pag. 195.& iui●dice. taking of monkery forgiveth all sins past. 17 Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. joh. 1.29. CHAP. LXXIV. Of the sundry significations of the word Sanctification. THat it may bee the better understood, Sanctification the fift work of Christs priestly office. what kind of Sanctification it is which we are now to entreat of, it is fit to consider the sundry significations of the word, which are found in the holy Scripture. To sanctify therefore, is as much as to dedicate, or to separate unto holy uses, or to esteem religious unto God;& this understanding the word hath in diuers places. Moses saith; Deut 5.12. keep the Sabbath day, to sanctify it. And the Lord commandeth; Exod. 13.2 sanctify unto me all the first born. After this sense Exod. 40.9.10 the tabernacle and all the instruments are sanctified, that is, by solemn rites and due ceremons dedicated unto God. To sanctify, is otherwhile taken for to bee stirred up to execute the wrath of God. In this sense Moses biddeth the levites; Exod. 32.29▪ Consecrate your hands, when of the Idolatrous people they slay three thousand. Yea, the Lord himself saieth of the wicked Medes and Persians, that he had sanctified them to the destruction of Babylon: Esay 13.3. I haue commanded them, that I haue sanctified: and I haue called the mighty to my wrath. To sanctify, is also as much as to praise God, and to honour him, either in private or in public worship. And thus the word is taken in that holy prayer which Christ commended to his Church, in which we are taught to say, Mat. 6.9 Hallowed be thy name. hereof Saint Peter speaketh; 1 Pet. 3, 15 sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. And in this sense God reproveth Moses and Aaron; Deut. 32.51. Ye sanctified not me among the children of Israel. To sanctify, doth also signify as much as to make a thing seem holy. So it is to bee taken in that saying of our saviour; Mat. 23.17 Ibid. ver. 19. ye fools and blind, whether is greater the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? ye fools and blind, whether is greater the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering? Lastly, to sanctify, is to cleanse the conscience from the dead works of sin, Luke 1.75. 1. Pet. 1.15. to serve the Lord in righteousness and holinesse. And this is the Sanctification we are to speak of now. This consisteth in two things: First, in abstaining from all corruption of sin and wickedness, whereof ieremy speaketh; jer. 4.4. break up your fallow ground, and sow not among the thorns. The second part of Sanctification consisteth in beautifying our conversation with virtues and holy works, which God hath ordained us to walk in. This, job as a figure of Christ attributeth to himself; job 19.14. I put on iustice, and it covered me: my iudgement was as a rob, and a crown. Thus the Apostle would haue his Ephesians to be adorned; Ephes. 6.14.15 Stand therefore having your loins gird about with verity, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod in the preparation of the gospel of Peace. CHAP. LXXV. That Sanctification of life is necessary to a Christian man. ALthough the Christian faith doth not admit of justification before God by our own merits, and our own holinesse, even where such works and holinesse do proceed from the grace of Christ in us: yet, that unto every member of Christ holinesse and good works are requisite, the true Religion doth undoubtedly affirm and teach; and thereof are many Reasons. First, because it is one of the ends, for which he hath redeemed us: For so the Apostle witnesseth; Ephes. 1.4. He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. And to the Colossians; Col. 1.21.22. You which were in times past strangers and enemies, because your mindes were set in evil works, hath he now also reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to make you holy and vnblameable, and without fault in his sight. Secondly, because we are commanded by God to walk before him in 1. P●t. 1.15.16 Luke 1.75. righteousness and holinesse. Wherefore unto the Thessalonians the Apostle witnesseth; 1. Thes 4.3. This is the will of God, even your Sanctification. And the Lord himself requireth of the children of Israel; Leuit. 19.2. ye shall bee holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. The third cause, why sanctity and holinesse is necessary to a Christian man, is, that God may bee glorified. So our saviour himself doth teach; Math. 5.16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven. This, Saint Peter also sheweth 1. Pet. 2.12. Haue your conversation honest among the Gentiles, that they which speak evil of you as evil doers, may by your good works which they shall see, glorify God in the day of the visitation. A Christian man therefore, if he neglect this duty, may dread to haue the wrath of GOD laid vpon him, as it was vpon Moses and Aaron; whom God punished with temporal death, because they Deut. 32.51. did not sanctify the Lord among the children of Israel. Fourthly, holinesse of life is necessary to a Christian man, that by our example the weak Brethren may be confirmed. Hereof Peter speaketh in his exhortation to married women; 1. Pet. 3.1. Let the wives be subject to their husbands, that even they which obey not the word, may without the word bee won by the conversation of the wives. This is it, which the Apostle Paul meaneth, when he exhorteth Titus Tit. 2.7. to show himself an example of good works. Fiftly, holinesse of life is needful unto the seruants of God, that the mouths of the obstinate may bee stopped. So the Apostle counseleth his Thessalonians, to 1. Thes. 4.12. behave themselves honestly towards them which are without. Thus Peter also exhorteth the elect, to 1. Pet. 3.13.16. sanctify the Lord in their hearts, and to bee ready always to give an answer to every man, that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them: and that with meekness and reverence, having a good conscience, that when they speak evil of you as evil doers, they may be ashamed, which blame your good conversation in Christ. sixthly, to all the members of the church of Christ holiness is needful, that one may help another,& one by another may be relieved. For God hath so compacted the mystical body of his son, ● Cor 12. that the more excellent members thereof cannot say of the inferior, I haue no need of thee: but every one in his place and calling must serve another. So the Apostle Paul witnesseth, ● Cor. 8. that the abundance of the Corinthians supplied the lack of others: and in the ninth of the second to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 9 12. The ministration of this service not onely supplieth the necessities of the Saints; but also is abundant by the thanksgiving of many unto God. To this then wee are every where exhorted in Scripture; Psal 41.1. Blessed is he that iudgeth wisely of the cause of the poor, the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble. And our saviour saith; Luke 11.41. give alms of those things, which are within, and behold all things shall be clean unto you: as though our corn, our cattle, our money, our goods were not sanctified unto us, except we give alms thereof. Lastly, the Apostle Paul plainly denounceth unto us, that Heb. 12.14. without holinesse no man shall see God. And david teacheth, that Psal. 15.1.2. he that walketh uprightly, shall dwell in the Tabernacle, and rest in the holy mountain. In respect then both of the punishment, and the blessing, holinesse and sanctification is necessary to all that profess the faith of Christ. And this the Church doth assuredly beleeue, and earnestly persuade. And yet when all is done, it affirmeth with the author of the Morals; S●ncti viri quo altius apud deu virtutum dignitate profictuns, eo subtili●●●i ●●●ig●os esse deprehen luns: qu●a dum luc● proximi fiunt quicquid eos in seipsis l●tebat, ●u●eniu●t. Mer. Greg. Holy men the higher they proceed in worthiness of virtues before God, so much the more sharply they see themselves to be unworthy: for when these come near the light, whatsoever was hidden in themselves, they find out. CHAP. LXXVI. What it is that doth sanctify? IT is most manifest, that justification and Sanctification are vndiuided companions, growing up together, and knit as it were, in one infallible and vndisseuered bond. Wherefore it may reasonably seem, that they spring up out of one roote, who grow always in one model, and dwell continually in one house. The contemplation whereof, no doubt, caused the Author of the Theological verity( though many times a plain adversary to the grace of Christ) in his fift book and second Chapter to confess, Ad bonum gratiae non potest quis per se vinire: cum hoc non fit secundum limits naturae, said secundum influentiam l●rgitatis divinae jo. de Comb. l. 5. c. 2. comp. Theol. verit. unto the good of grace none can attain of himself: for this is not after the limits of Nature, but the influence of the divine bounty. For, as the natural thing needeth his beginning to be in the Essence of nature: so the same beginning according to his goodness doth not cease to power into the reasonable soul the spiritual life, that it may be well with him in the essence of Grace, which he cannot haue without God the giver; thus far this Author. And indeed this Doctrine is every where taught us in the Scripture: First, that we cannot sanctify ourselves: Secondly, that it is God, which doth sanctify vs. Let us consider the proofs of the first Position, and then of the second. CHAP. LXXVII. That man cannot sanctify himself, but is sanctified by God. IF there were nothing else, the sundry Titles of reproach and shane, which the Spirit of God hath branded our infirm nature withall, may show how unapt and unable we are of ourselves to sanctify and cleanse ourselves. For what other appellations to man, considered in himself, doth the Scripture give, but Briars. Mich. 7.4. thorns. 2. Sam. 23.6. darkness. Ephes. 5.8. foolishness. jer. 4.22. wickedness. Psal. 55.15. Vanitie. Eccles. 1.2. liars. Psal. 116.11. Dust. Gen. 3.19. Earth. 1. Cor. 15.47. Flesh. joh. 3.6. captivity. 2. Tim. 2.26. Miserable. Apoc. 3.17. Wretched. Apoc. 3.17. blindness. Apoc. 3.17. nakedness. Apoc. 3.17. The old man. Col. 3.9. Matter for fire. Mat. 25.41. Children of wrath. Ephes. 2.3. Dead dogges. 1. Sam. 24.15. sin. Gal. 3.22. Debtors. Luke 7.41. Bondage. Esay 14.3. and Heb. 2.15. Cursed. Deut. 27. ult. Death. Rom. 7.24. Damned. Rom. ●5. Adorned with these accoutrements, go to now whoso will, and make himself holy. Moses will tell thee, Gen. 8.21. The imagination of Mans heart is evil, even from his youth. job will tell thee, job 9.30.31. If I wash myself with snow water, and purge my hands most cl●ane, yet shalt thou plunge me into the pit, and my own clothes shall make me filthy. Which is as much as to say, If man be not purified with a more effectual purification, then he can procure to himself, he shall never be cleansed. Wherefore the Apostle counseleth us to cast off all such conceit. 2. Cor. 3.5. Wee are not sufficient( saith he) of ourselves to think any thing, as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. And again, 1. Cor. 12.3. No man can say, that Iesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost. Yea, of himself a vessel of election, the Teacher of the Gentiles, more then an Apostle, he doth ingenuously confess, that Rom. 7.23. he found a law in his flesh rebelling against the law of his mind; that he was lead captive to the law of sin in his members: that the good he would do, he did not: that in his flesh dwelled no good thing: that when he would do good, evil was present with him. Wherefore to the Galathians he saith, Gal. 2.20. I live; yet now not I, but CHRIST liveth in me. As it was with with Aaron the jewish priest, when he was consecrated, and separated to minister before the Lord; he was adorned indeed with rich array, he was blessed thorough his Ecclus. 45 7 comely Ornaments, and clothed with the garment of honour; the rob, the Bells, the Tunicle, the Ephod, the Urim, the Thummim, all of blew silk, scarlet, fine linen, gold and precious stones, which shined vpon him, but when all was done, it was none of his own; and therefore vpon the plate of gold, which he wore on his forehead, there was this inscription, Exod. 28 36. Holiness unto the Lord: even so, when wee are with all graces invested, yet wee must remember it is given still, nay, It is grace for grace: Grace not by ourselves deserved, but Eph. 4.7. Grace given unto us, according to the measure of the gift of Christ. This, our saviour Christ taught his disciples to bee assured of; jo. 25.4. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. And again, Ibid ver. 5 Without m●e can ye do nothing. And therefore wee may wonder with the Poet, if such a man could be found; A right and holy man when I behold Such monster to a double membred child, Egregum sactumque virum si cerno, ●imēbr● hoc monstrum pucr●, vel miranti, si● aratro piscibus inuentis, et foetae compare mulae. Iunē. sas. 13. Or hidden hoard I do compare of gold, Or pregnant Mule, or ploughed up fish in field. Where then is that Mal. 3.2. fullers soap, which purgeth& maketh white? where is that 2 Kin. 5.14 jordan, in which Naaman may lay down his leprosy? Where is that spirit of fire, which burneth away all the rust of sin? Psal. 51.7 Thou shalt purge me, and I shall be clean●, thou shalt wash me, and I shall bee whiter then snow. And in another place; Psal. 94.18 when I said, my foot slipped, thy mercy, O Lord, h●ld me up. Ezechiel therefore proclaymeth; Exec. 37 ●8 The heathen shall know, that I the Lord do sanctify Israel. The same is the doctrine of the Apostle Paul; 1 Cor. 6.11 Ye are sanctified, Ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus,& by the spirit of our God. Col. 1.22 He hath reconcil●d you in the body of his flesh th●row death, to make you holy, and vnblam●able, and without f●ult in his sight. And to the Hebrewes he saith; Heb. 10 10 wee are sanctified by his will, even by the offering of the blood of Iesus Christ once made. Now here wee must consider, that Sanctification is twofould. The first, when the holinesse of Christ is made our holiness by imputation, as we are taught by the Apostle; 1. Cor. 1.30 Christ is made unto us of God wisdom, and righteousness, and Sanctification, and redemption. hereof Austin excellently speaketh, beating down both the pharisee, that with his own Sanctification will bee holy: the desperate, which denieth the blood of Christ to be a sufficient bath to cleanse and sanctify him. Non est ist● supe●b●a etati, ●ed co●●ssinō ingrat●. Si enim dixeris sanctum ex te, superbus ●s●rursu● fidelis in Christo& ●●ēbrū Christi si te non dixeris esse sanctum, inge●tu●es die, deo t●●o, sanctus sum quia sanctificasts me: quia accepi. non quia habui. Si enim Christiani, et b●ptisati omnes Christum induerunt, si membra ficti sunt Christi,& d●cunt se sanctos non esse, capiti suo faciunt iniarī Iam vide ubi sit, et de capite cuo. scape dignitatem. It is not the pride of one puffed up, but the confession of one not unthankful. For if thou say, thou art holy of thyself, thou art proud. again, if being one of the faithful& the member of Christ, thou say, thou art not holy, thou art unthankful. Say then unto God, I am holy, for thou hast made me holy: not because I had holiness, but because I haue received holinesse. For if all Christians, and all that are baptized, haue put on Christ, and are made the members of Christ, and yet say, they bee not holy, they do wrong unto their head. Now see then where thou art, and receive dignity from thine head. The second kind of Sanctification is the renewing of our hearts by repentance, which is the argument wee now entreat of: and that this is from Christ, it is also evident in the Acts of the Apostles, where it is witnessed; Act. 15.9 he purified their hearts by faith. And again, 2 Cor. 1 21 It is God which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed vs. Wherefore the Apostle Peter sheweth, that there is a cooperation of the whole Trinity in our sanctification: 1 Pet. 1.2 elect( saith he) according to the foreknowledge of God the father, unto sanctification of the spirit, thorough obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Iesus. And the Apostle Paul saith, Eph. 1.4 he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that wee should bee holy, and without blame before him in love. To the Philippians he saith; Phil. 1.11 The fruits of righteousness are by Iesus Christ. And to the Thessalonians; 1 Thes. 5.23. the very God of peace sanctify you throughout. And to the Hebrews: Heb. 13.10 the God of peace make you perfect in all good works. So that it is evident, our Sanctification is from God, not from ourselves: joh. 1.16. it is grace for grace, that is, who are first cleansed by the blood of Christ redeeming, now are sanctified by the spirit of Christ working in them. It must bee understood, that Sanctification is not absolute and perfect in this life: and the words of the Apostle,( Eph. 5.27. Vid. Mu●c. in jo. 15 that he might make it unto himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing) shall not bee fulfiled in this life, but in the life, which is to come. We haue here therefore grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ: but 1. Cor. 15.53 when our mortal shall put on immortality, Ibid. ver. 49 and when wee shall bear the Image of the heavenly, then wee shall bee fully and perfectly renewed in the spirit of our mind; and our righteousness shall break forth as the light, clear, unspotted, absolute, without clouds of sin, or mists of error. CHAP. LXXVIII. By what means God doth sanctify vs. THe means, by which God doth sanctify his elect, are of two sorts. The First, outward and instrumental: the Second, inward and effective; namely the sweet influence and gracious working of the spirit of God in our hearts. Of the first sort there are two kinds; Common, and Consecrated. Common means of Sanctification are all Gods blessings, and all his punishments, his benefits, and his chastisements, by which God deterreth from sin, and allureth to holiness. For although the wicked by these grow daily worse and worse: yet the elect, and the children of light are by these Sanctified, that is, stirred up to holiness. For when they contemplate the blessings of God poured vpon them, they say with david; Ps. 116.12.13 What reward shall I give unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto me? I will receive the cup of salvation, and call vpon the name of the Lord. If they taste of adversity, they will say with Israel in the Prophet; Ose 6.1. Come let us turn again unto the Lord, for he hath smitten us, and he will heal us: he hath wounded us, and he will bind us up again. Of these means and ways of Sanctification, every age, and time, and place is full: for Omnia deal oper●es creature merè vitae sūi sigra, et verbade●●ssicaciter loquentu. Aug. apu● Verba. Rheg de sensis script. all things admonish us to serve the Lord. In his kind every smallest creature is a schoolmaster, teaching& giuing Man occasion to put on holiness. Instruments of Sanctification of this kind, is every good Father to his children, every good Master to his family, every husband to his wife, and the wife to the husband. For of these the Apostle saith; 1 Cor. 7.14 The one is sanctified by the other. But of these ordinary and common instruments of Sanctification wee entreat not now. In the second rank are placed the means of Sanctification, which are instituted, separated, and ordained of God for that only purpose. Excommunication and absolution I reckon to belong unto the preaching of the word. For excommunication is the pronouncing of the judgements of God cont●ined in his word against impenitent sinners: and absolution the application of the promises to the penitent. These are of two sorts. The first, the word, and the ministery therof: both in the Sabbath appointed by God, and all other times, when it is delivered unto us in season( as the Apostle speaketh) and out of season. The second is the Sacraments: and those also are twofould. The first is, the instrument of Admission into the church, which wee call baptism. The second is, the instrument to continue us in the church,& it is the Lords supper. Other ordinary Rites or Ceremonies, as outward instruments to sanctify us and to bring us to holiness, Christ hath not ordained in his church. The Iewes had indeed sundry ordinances and institutions; Heb. 9.1 Heb. 9.13. Heb. 9 9. a worldly Sanctuary, Sacrifices, washings, shaving, anointing and such like, which Sanctified as touching the purifying of the flesh: but these were but similitudes, shadows and figures of good things to come,& did point unto Christ, who now hath abolished them, by the offering up of the eternal Sacrifice of his own body& blood once for all. And in the gospel he hath consecrated& ordained the instruments only, which I haue spoken of, to sanctify his Church; Namely, the administration of the word, and the Sacraments. Some will perhaps object, 1 Sam. 9.13 that as Samuel blessed the Sacrifice, before the people did eat which were bidden to the feast: synagogue. Iudaeor. pag 50. And as the Iewes were wont to bless and to pray over their meate, fruit, butter, cheese, flesh, fish, milk and honey; insomuch that whosoever tasted of any of these without praise and prayer, was accounted a very thief: so the Apostle doth also say, that amongst Christians ●. Tim. 4.5. meate is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. To this I answer, the word sanctify is here taken improperly. For the Apostles meaning is not, that by pronouncing of words over meate it is made holy with that holiness, which the Sacraments, or word of God are beawtified withall, or with that holiness, which doth sanctify men; Vid. Hen. Bullinga●● ep. 1. ad Tim. c. 4 et glossam second. in hunc locum. but that it is separated from profane and ungodly abuse, because it is received with thanksgiving and prayer. And so it is neither hurtful to body nor soul, but that wee may holilie and soberly use the same. And after this manner also are the words of our saviour Christ to be understood; Luke 11.41 give alms of those things, which are within, and behold all things shall bee clean unto you. LXXIX. Of the word of God, and what power it hath to sanctify. THe law which God giveth unto Man, is of two sorts; Vid. Ambr. in ep. ad Ro. cap. 5. the lawe of Nature, and the lawe Written. The law of nature hath three parts. The first is, to aclowledge God, and to honour him only with that honour, which is due to him: The second is, Vid. Sedulan 5. ad Ro. to order ourselves according to the true light of reason, the rule of Nature in us; which is to do unto every man, as wee ourselves would bee done unto: The third is, to instruct others to know the same God, and to embrace the same virtue, which wee embrace. But the natural corruption, which wee haue drawn from Adam, hath so prevailed against this natural instinct, which is shed into our hearts by God, that both reason is mis-led with error, and our will by concupiscence; so that this lawe is in a maner defaced, and blotted out of our hearts. It was necessary therefore, that God should, instead of this secret inspiration into our nature, promulge a more forcible instruction, and deliver more powerful commands in written tables; to take away all excuse, that the soul might be subjecteth wholly unto God, the understanding of Man being reformed by true belief, and the will of Man by true love and charity. This hath our merciful God twice done unto the sons of Adam, whose voice first shooke the earth, and Hag 27. Heb. 12.26 then; I shake( saith he) not onely the earth, but also the heaven. The first voice was the Law given unto Israel: The second, the Gospel preached unto the Church. The Law written consisted of three parts. The ceremonial law, for outward comeliness, by which also the people of God were discerned from other Nations: The second was, the judicial part, in which were statutes for civil government, whereby God taught his people how one should bee conformable to another, that there might be an harmomonie of all parts of their political state: The third part of the Law doth consist in moral precepts, to sanctify every mans heart in himself preparing it to God. The Law declared fully, what the inflexible and spotless righteousness of God required in us, as necessary unto true holinesse. It was given Exod. 19.16 in lightning, in thunder, in a cloud, in fire, in smoke, the mountain trembling, and the trumpet sounding dreadfully: yea, the People were commanded to sanctify themselves, and to wash their clothes before they did receive the Law: yet being Sanctified, and being cleansed, Exod. 19.12. not to go up into the mountain, nor to touch it, least they died. All these circumstances of glory and majesty were used, to drive on the people to the keeping of the Law by fear and terror, seeing God shewed himself a consuming fire, a jealous God, and of unspeakable power: yea, the Deut. 28. law itself was crwoned with many Blessings, to reward the good; and armed with many terrible Curses and execrations against those which should violate the same. Here yet we must learn first, that because Deut 4 8. the law was given onely to one Nation, and not to all people: Secondly, because Gal. 3. the Law onely shewed what was requisite to be done, but did not show how that, which was wanting, should be supplied: Thirdly, because in the strict commandement of the Law there was no place for reparation by repentance, but Ezek. 18.24. in the sin he committed every one must die: Fourthly, because the Law did connive and wink at some things, which were not good, for Math. 19.8. mark 10.5. the hardness of the hearts of men: Fiftly, for that it did obscurely and darkly rather intimate, then open the things of salvation, so Heb. 9.9. that by the law no man stood assured of Gods favour: Lastly, because the Heb. 10 1. Ex Pet. Mart. de vsu& alregat. Law was an instrument onely of bondage and of servitude, and made no man perfect before the highest: Therefore GOD hath yet a second voice, by which he speaketh unto men; even his jo. 1.1. word, which was in the beginning, his own son, Heb. 1.2. the brighnesse of his glory, and engraved form of his person, dwelling in our flesh, by which he hath spoken to us all, Gal. 3.28. Iewes and Gentiles, humbly, sweetly, peaceably, gently; a word of comfort, a word of life, a word of liberty, that the saying of the Prophet might be verified; Esay 5.4. What could I haue more done to my Vineyard, that I haue not done? Here are two Mountaines: ebal, Deut. 28. from whence with cursing: Gerasim from whence with blessing; the Law threatening, the gospel promising, commandeth, and entreateth us to be holy. Howbeit these are not the onely means, by which the Word of God doth sanctify us; namely threatening, and Promising: But seeing the word is the word of God, therefore there is strength and a power in it, if it be duly received, to convert from sin, and to bring us to a new conversation. For let no man think, that there is no more force, nor life in the Law of God, then in the words of men. Origen truly saith, Nullum est verb●● ita mundum apud Grac.& Barb. qua le est verbum legis. Orig. Tom. 2. in Esay. hom. 7. There is no word so clean either among the Greekes, or Barbarians, as the word of the Law. Therefore jer. 23 28. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord in jeremiah. Many notable praises the Prophet david giveth unto the Scriptures of God, in which it appeareth what power of Sanctification is therein. First, it is a word of truth; Psal. 119.160 Psal. ●9. 9. The beginning of thy word is truth, the judgements of the Lord are true. Agreeable to this is the saying of our saviour; joh. 17. 1●. sanctify them thorough thy truth, thy word is the truth. Secondly, it is a word of righteousness; Psal. 119. ●72. The commandements of the Lord are righteous. And again, Psal. 119.128 I esteem all thy precepts most just. Thirdly, it is a word of life; Psal. 1●9. 50. Thy word hath quickened me. Agreeable hereto is the confession of Peter unto Christ; Thou hast the words of eternal life. And Moses saith; joh. 6.68. Deut. 32.47. It is no vain word concerning you, it is your life. Fourthly, it is a word of eternity; Psal. 119.89. Thy word, O Lord, endureth for ever in heaven. Fiftly, it is a word of perfection; Ibid. 96. I haue seen an end of all perfection, but thy commandement is exceeding large. sixthly, it is a word of power; Psal. 19.7. The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: it is sharper then any two edged sword. jer. 23.29. And ieremy compares the word of the Lord to fire, and to an hammer breaking the stones. Wherefore the Lord himself doth challenge the power of converting the heart, as proper onely to his word; jer. 23.22. If they had stood in my counsel, and had declared my words unto my people, then they should haue turned them from their evil ways, and from the wickedness of their inventions. And Esay compareth Esay 55.10.11. the word of God to rain or snow, which doth not return unprofitable unto him, but doth increase and fructify in all he hath commanded it to do. Moses speaketh also of the virtue& power of the Law; Deut. 32.2. My doctrine shall drop as the rain: my speech shall distill as the dew, as the showers vpon the herbs, and the great rain vpon the grass. By this it appeareth, as in the rain to make the earth fruitful, so in the word to make the heart holy, there is an efficacy and a power, if there bee not indisposition, or want in the hearer. seventhly, the word of God is a word of light; Psal. 119.130 The entrance of thy words sheweth light, and giveth understanding to the simplo. It is a lantern( saith david) to my feet, and a light unto my paths. The Lord also in Esay challengeth this attribute as proper to the Scriptures; Esay 8.20. Get thee to the Law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, there is no light in them. And ieremy saith; jer. 8.9. They haue rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them? Eightly, it is a word of ioy; Psal. 19.8. The statutes of the Lord are right, and do rejoice the heart. ieremy saith; jer. 15.16. Thy words were sound of me, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the ioy and rejoicing of the heart. Wherefore the Gospel is called Luke 7.22. Rom. 10.15. The glad tidings of salvation. Ninthly, it is a word of purity; Psal. 119.140. Thy word( saith the Psalmist) is proved most pure. And again, Psal. 19.8. The commandement of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes. Lastly, it is a word easy and perspicuous; Ibid. 7. For the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth light unto the simplo. Moses therefore saith; Deut. 30.1. The commandement, which I give thee this day, is not hide from thee, neither is it far off thee, neither is it too high in heaven, nor too far beyond the Sea, that is, it is not difficult, it is not ambiguous: Ibid. ver. 14. but the word is very near to thee, in thy month and in thy heart to do it. All these excellent Attributes, of truth, righteousness, life, eternity, perfection, power, light, ioy, purity, facility, show that there is no word like this word, nor by which we may bee sanctified, as by the holy Oracles of our God. Two Cautions there are in this matter to bee observed. First, when wee say the Scripture doth sanctify, it is not meant, that the Scripture is a satisfaction for sin, or that it doth blot out our sins from the sight of God, as the blood of Christ doth: but wee are sanctified by the word, that is, such as are redeemed by the blood of Christ from sin and wickedness, haue the word of God a powerful instrument to teach them true holinesse, and to beget in them hatred of sin. wherefore it is called the Math. 13. Luke 8. 1. Pet. 1.23. Seed of God. And Peter saith, that we are born anew not of mortal seed, but of immortal by the word of God. Secondly, the force of Scripture doth not consist in the written letters and syllables, or in the verbal pronunciation onely: but( as Peter saith, 1. Pet. 1.22. Your souls are purified in obeying the truth through the Spirit. Now to make the word powerful to salvation, it is not enough, that it be written in books, or pronounced with tongues: jer. 31.33. Rom. 11.27. Heb. 10.16. but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those daies( saith the Lord, I will plant my laws in the inward parts of them, and writ it in their hearts. Wherefore the gospel is called the ministration of the spirit, because by it being rightly preached, humbly heard, inwardly digested, truly believed, the Spirit of God speaketh to the heart of Man: but to tie it about the head, and the nose Ex Sy●ag●adae●r. as the Iewes do in their Tephilim: or to carry it about in their Phylacteries, is of no force, nor power at all to sanctify; Chrys st. as Chrysostome of some in his time reporteth, who for a great preservation hung the Gospels about their necks. CHAP. LXXX. How the Papists pervert the doctrine concerning the author of Sanctification. cyril doth excellently teach what difference there is between the power of Sanctification, which is in the head of the Church, Iesus Christ, and the members that depend on him. In Thessau. l 4. c ● For the members( saith he) which are sanctified by the participation of the holiness of God, preserve the gift that is in them, and keep the commandements, but they cannot sanctify other. For no man that is holy by the participation of the holy spirit, can by his own power and will give the same unto other: the fountain of Sanctification only can out of himself give Sanctification to all the rest. Wee see that the Angells are holy by participation of grace: and therefore they are never found to haue themselves given sanctification to any. Num. 11.25, Blessed Moses did not himself give the spirit unto the seventy Elders: But God took of the Spirit that was in Moses, and gave unto them. Wherefore the Saints obtain the gift themselves by grace and sanctification, but they cannot after their own wills give it unto other. The son is not so. For as the fountain of holinesse, by his own power he doth sanctify the Disciples, saying; receive you the holy Ghost. Thus far cyril. But let the Scriptures, or Fathers teach what they will, the Romish Synagogue will bee as the Heathen, and as the Families of the Countries: and to their Saints will they attribute the power of all Sanctification. wherefore unto the Apostles they pray; Quorum praeiepto s●●ditur salus& languer omnium, sanat● agro● moribus, ●●s reddentes virtutib●s. Ro Bre. in exult. c●●lum laudib●●. O you to whose command health and sickness is subject, heal the sick in manners, restore us to virtue. To the Baptist they come; Nunc potens, nostri m●●it●● o● im●●p●e Horis dur●●●u●i●es ●epelle, asperū●●o ●a 〈◇〉 e●reste●● d●●●ge calies. Ro Brein him. O nun●s ●oelix. Now, O thou powerful, by thy r●ch m●rites, throw down the hard stones of our heart, make plain the rough way, and direct our crooked steps. unto Saint joseph; Ex beris virg. impr. per jacobum Keruer. an. 1570. Paris. Moy●. de Mars se●um, lū vsum Rom. With thy Axe, O holy carpenter, cut down sin in me, that I may be a three adopted unto the palace of heaven. unto Mathias; Matauste, dvo deno folio residens sort, nos a cunctis nexibu● solve peccanan ●re. S●r. just Mathias, who by lot in the twelfth seat residest, from all the bonds of sin discharge vs. Dost thou marvell religious Reader? Proceed a little further, and thou shalt see Babylons cup full of blasphemy. For the mass of Hereford sends Iesus Christ unto the virgin to obtain Sanctification for us; Bre. Heref. in vssit. Mar. ●. Antiph. Iesu redemptor optime, ad Maria● nos imprime &c. Iesu the redeemer of all, bring us unto Mary, that the aduoca●rix of the world may after such sort visit us, as she did visit Elizabeth, that by her highest goodness shee may direct our manners, and our actions, and 'allure us to heaven by grace conferred on vs. The like you haue in the prayer which beginneth Sancta Maria, regina coeli et terrae; Custode nos Domine semper et ubique, et defend me ab ira tua, et ab ira sanctissimae genetricis tua Mariae et omnium sanctorum in crat. speciali ad beatissimam v●rginem pro vit●e incolumitate in suffr. keep us O Lord at all times,& in all places defend me from thy wrath, and from the wrath of thy mother the blessed virgin, and of all Saints. What can bee more monstrous in religion? Christ bringeth us to the virgin, the virgin sanctifieth, and directeth with her highest goodness, and giveth grace. Proceed yet further, if blasphemy may further swell: yes surely. For Aloy. Lypom. out of Theodorus Studetes saith; Tāquā qui simus sanctificandi e● sola praecursoris commemoratione. par. 1. pag. 90. Let us show our boldness in praising the Baptist, as who must be sanctified by the onely commemoration of this forerunner. And the Roman Office teacheth Tibi committo omnem spem meā et consolationem, omnes angust●●s et miserias, vilam et finem vitae tibi committo. In the english-latin Prin●er printed at Antwerp by Ar. Conings. an. 1599. i● orat Odomina mea Sancta Maria. to commit ourselves wholly to the virgin, to be directed in the ways of holiness and sactification. May wee not now see Babylon in her chair of pestilence? doth shee not sit aloft vpon the back of the Beast? can there be more added to her idolatry, with whom Saints do sanctify, and Christ bringeth us to Saints to be sanctified, and Saints do sanctify alone? mollify, O Lord, her heart, and open her eyes, lest, as she hath drunk of the cup of abomination to the bottom, so shee drink also of thy bloody cup, the cup of thy wrath, even the dregs thereof. CHAP. LXXXI. How the Church of Rome hath abused the doctrine of Sanctification by the word of God. WHereas all that rightly beleeue, do aclowledge the holy Scripture of God to cleanse and sanctify the soul by the operation of the Spirit, preparing our minds to receive and obey the same in sincerity and singleness of heart; the Romish Church putteth the force of Scriptures in the outward letter, and the bare sound of words. Wherefore they not onely red the Scripture in an unknown tongue, which many times the Priests themselves do not understand: but also they sometime enjoin for penance, sometime reward with blessings, the often saying over of the Aue Mari, and Pater noster, in the latin tongue by ignorant people; as though the often repeating of the words, which they understand not, did sanctify them, or were acceptable in the sight of God. In the preface before the Psalter of Iesus, much doth the author thereof attribute unto it, for that the name of Iesus is repeated, and called on four hundred and fifty times: And the Psalter itself must be said over ten times togegether. I confess, they trouble not the people with much Scripture in their missals, but spend the time in exhortations out of Fathers, or narrations of some Legend Histories, whose credite is uncertain: But touching those short sentences of Scripture, which in an unknown language are propounded, they say; Per tuangelica dicta, delcantur nostra delicta. Ro. Breu. in Benedict. d cendis ante lectiones. &c. Vid. Pet. Viretum. By the evangelical words let our sins bee abolished. Of which words I would willingly require a true and simplo interpretation of any ingenuous Romanist, in whom there is some spark of pudency left. If they say, sin is blotted out, that is, cleansed and washed away, and hidden from the sight of God by the words of the Scripture; then they rob the blood of Christ of the office which is assigned unto it. For the Scripture is not the cleansing of our sins, but the witness and joyful tidings unto us from God, that our sins are cleansed: Secondly, if they say, that the Scripture cleanseth sin, because it is an instrument to sanctify the heart, and to arm and strengthen it against sin: then I reply, why do you red it in an unknown tongue, which the people understand not? Either therefore the sound of the words, and the pronouncing of the Syllables doth sanctify; or else your labour is in vain and frivolous, since the people understand not the sense, neither are partakers of the virtue and power of the word. The truth is, that in the outward letter, the number of syllables, and in the verbal repetition, they place the power of the word; as it may appear in their doctrine, touching the administration of their Sacrament of Confession, which if it bee by writing, and not by speaking: or if a man sand his confession by another to the Priest, who cannot come himself, this is no confession; insomuch, that( if a catholic Historian truly relate) when a Iesuite published at Rome, that confession by Letters, was sacramental: Clement the 8. Ex Pseudo mart. cap. 4. by a direct decree condemned that doctrine as false, rash, and scandalous at least. At the consecration of the host( as they term it) their doctrine is, that if every tittle and letter of the words, Hoc est corpus meum, bee not pronounced, there is no due consecration, neither yet is there transubstantiation. Cuius tota virtus de●endet ab ultimo verbo, scilicet Meum. Miss. star. in Can. Miss. verbo, sic non immiscet sc. Dicu●s quidam quod non si● transubstantiatio, nisi in vltima syllaba totiu● formae prelata. Gratian. de consecrat. dist. 2 cum emne in gloss. For the whole virtue standeth in the last word, MEVM, as the missal itself doth witness. Corpus Christi non incipit ibi esse, nisi pos● prolatiorem vlt●mae syllabae, scilicet v●●. In this last syllable, vm, as Manipulus Curatorum teacheth. But If the words bee fully pronounced, though the Priest haue no heed to them at all, yet they haue power to transubstantiate: for intention Comp. Theol. verit. ib. 6 cap. ●●. de Sanc. l●●●ber verb. attentio autem non est de substantia. ( say they) is one thing, and attention another thing. Intention general, or special, is necessary in the consecrating of the sacrament: but Attention, that the Priest should mark what he saith, and to haue his cogitations thereon fixed, is not of the substance of the Sacrament. I speak not this, that I think the vnattention or negligence of the Minister to the word he readeth, doth take away from the power, which it hath in the attentive and zealous hearer: but I do onely show how much they attribute unto the form of words, and how little to the spiritual power. To baptize in the Name, is indeed, to baptize in the power, and by the authority, and to the profession of God the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost: But of the bare pronunciation of the words they say, that Ma●ip. Curat. cap. 4. fol. 10. If a child in spor● or play intend to do what the Church doth, and speak the words, I baptize thee, casting on water withall, this is very baptism. And yet, Loco v●rbi baptizo non debet dici ●●imer●o. Comp. Theol. vertt. lib. 6. cap. 9. de Bapt. If a lawful Minister, instead of, I baptize thee, say, I wash thee, or I dip thee, the baptism is not lawful; for the letter is not kept: If Innoc. in D cap. 1. Ex Sum. Angel. the copulative, And, be wholly omitted, there is no baptism. Such power they give to the form of the words, that if perhaps the Minister should say, Manip. Curat. cap. 3. verbo uno m●de t●taliter. Et in comp. Theol. verit. de virt. Sacr. 6. cap. 9. In the Name of the everlasting begetter, the only begotten, and the proceeder from them both, the baptism is not effectual, though the Minister intend to do as the Church doth. If a Minister perchance omit one of the first letters of any of the necessary words in baptism, and by lisping, or lapse of the tongue say, Sidemin●tio talis sit in principio dictionis &c. talis diminutio imped●t baptisinum. Manip. Cur. cap. 3. de scima verb. Ather for Father, or Vn for son, or host for Ghost, he doth not baptize at all, though his intent be to baptize: it is but lost labour, for the letter is not kept. If a Minister say, Comp. Theol. ver. de Sacr. virt. lib. 6. cap. 9. I wash, I sprinkle, or I dip thee, for I baptize thee: by this means the form of the words is violated, and to keep the form of words, is of the substance of baptism. For( as Odo Episcopus Parisiensis in his synodical statutes witnesseth) In d stinctione verborum,& in prolatione, in quibus totae virtus consisti● sacramenti,& s●lus piurotum. in the distinction of words, and the pronouncing of them, consisteth the whole power of Sacraments, and salvation of Children. Here observe( religious Reader) these profound divines: for though they strain so quickly at the loss of a letter in the beginning of a word; yet when either a letter, or a syllable is wanting, changed, or transposed at the end of a word to consecration necessary, they swallow it with great facility: and good reason. For the Priest that baptized, Manip. Cur. cap. ●. fol. 9. ex decret. tract. Consec. d. 4. retulernus nuncij. In the name of the Father a, the Son a, and the holy Ghost a, is justified by the Popes own mouth. Many of them are of opinion, that if you add to the words of Consecration, either in the beginning, or in the end any vain, or wicked speeches, yet the baptism is good. As if you should say, Of arms and men I sing; Ea Mam● C●ras I baptize thee in the name of the Father, the son, the holy Ghost, and the blessed virgin, and Saint John Baptist. Nay, if he say, Colligitur, quod non vitiatur serma baptis. si quid apponatur in ca superstuum, quod admittunt quidam. vt si dicatur, baptizo te, in nomine Patris,& filii,& Spiritus sancti,& d●ab, vel arma v●rumque canon. Et quicquid sequatur, baptisast. Gratian. de consec. dist. 4. cap. Sinon sanctificatus. I baptize thee in the name of the Father, the son, the holy Ghost, and the divell, the baptism is good. The rule, vpon which this goodly doctrine is grounded, is; Utilia non viti●●tur per inuitilia ibid. That which is profitable, is not hurt by that which is unprofitable. Lastly, such power they give to the literal pronunciation, that If two Ministers meet at once, they may not baptize together one infant, because the form is, Immersio ista stat ab uno. jo. de Comb. in Comp. Theol. veris. lib. 6. cap. 9. I baptize thee: which words cannot be true, when many join together to perform it. From hence comes that learned Quod-libet of Guido de Monte Rocherij: Manip. Curat. cap. 4. sere ad finem, verbo solet autem ponitasu casus. If there be two Priests, one without hands, another without a tongue, whether can these two join together and baptize; the one speaking the words, the other laying on the water? Many Doctors think, that according to the latin form, the child is not baptized. But Scotus and his followers are out of doubt, that according to the form of the Gr●cians, which saith; Let this child be baptized, &c. the child is baptized sufficiently. Dominicus à Soto thinks, that the Greekish form of baptizing is good, because the Romish Church doth tolerate it. But Bellarmine saith; Bellarm. de Sacra. in genere. cap. 21. verb. quod vero dominu. baptism no baptism, if the Romish Church so decree. If the Romish Church detest the Rite of the Grecians, as offending against the accidents of the form, then the Greekish Rite is baptism, though they offend in using it. But if the Romish Church should decree, that the Greekish Rite is against the substance of the form●, then the Greekish Rite were no baptism. They require the word, Ego, and the word, Te; yet in India the Iesuites sprinkle water at once vpon whole multitudes. Dancus. cap. 7. de bap. Switae isle. This is the Logomachia, the strife of words, the warres of ignorance, August. which the Romish fraternity stir up unto themselves, little regarding that one thing is the sound which passeth, another the virtue which abideth: and that the words which Christ hath spoken, are spirit and life: or the saying of hilary Non sunt in legendo, said intell●gendo, ex them. Scriptures consist not in the reading, but in the understanding. CHAP. LXXXII. Of the sanctification which wee haue by the Sacraments of Christ: Of the Sacraments. and first of the authority, by which they are instituted. MAny things concerning the Rites and Sacraments of the Church are to be considered, that we may come orderly to our purpose, which is to show the profanation of the Sacraments in the Romish Church. We must therefore well understand in whom is the power and authority to institute Sacraments: Secondly, what was the cause, and the end, for which they were ordained: Thirdly, what the use of them is: Fourthly, what their worthiness is, and wherein it consisteth: Fiftly, the difference betwixt the Sacraments of the old covenant, and of the new must be considered. The authority, by which Sacraments are ordained, is only in God himself, and in none other. Christ hath given power to his Ministers to distribute and dispense them unto his Church; but not to ordain new Sacraments, or other Sacraments, then such as he himself hath left unto vs. Hereof are sundry reasons. The first shall be taken from the word itself. The children of Israell were commanded Deut. 4.2. not to add unto the precept which the Lord spake, nor to take from it, but to keep the Commandements of the Lord their God, which he commanded them: Neither were they only commanded to keep the doctrine, which he gave them, inviolably, without addition or diminution, but the Rites also and Ceremonies. For so he enjoineth in another place; Deut. 7.11. keep thou therefore the Commandements, and the ordinances, and the laws, which I command thee this day to do● them. That which wee translate Ordinances, Custodi ergo pr●● cepta,& Ceremoa●, atque iudicia quae ego mando tibi. Impr Colon. per Pet Qu niel. An. Dom. 1527. the vulgar rendereth, Ceremonies, and the greek, 〈◇〉. Carolus Sigonius, well observeth, Car●l Sigon. l●b. 1. de Rep●b Heb. cap. 4. that the lawe of God given to the Iewes, was divided into four kinds; 〈◇〉, that is, Commandements, Ordinances, justifications and judgements. The first taught what God required, or what he forbade touching the worship of his own majesty: The second set down the outward order and fashion, how this duty should be performed: The third ordained after what sort they should justify, or acquit their innocent brethren in iudgement: and the fourth how to condemn the nocent. But concerning all these he enjoineth them: Deut. 4 2. Ye shall put nothing to the word which I command you, nor take ought therefrom; no not as touching Ceremonies. Ex Pet. Mart. in 1. Cor. 10. For so signifieth the Hebrew word Chukim, in the fourth of Deuteronomy: And the whole Lawe in latin is called Lex Ex Muscul. in loc. come. de lege. a Ligando, because we are thereto bound. As in the Law, so in the gospel, God cannot endure that we should worship him according to our own wills, and fantasies: but Mat. 17.5. This( saith he) is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him. Our saviour Iesus Christ, though his human nature were most holy and most innocent, yet made not the excellent understanding, and pure wisdom of his naturalitie the rule of doctrine and instruction. For he saith; jo. 7.16. My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. And in another place; jo. 12.49. I haue not spoken of myself, but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandement what I should say, and what I should speak. If that blessed manhood, which was knit in one person unto the Godhead, did not intromit itself into the authority of God, or presume to teach of itself: what temerity, Nay, what arrogancy is it in others, to make Articles of faith? To bring new doctrines and Sacraments into the Church, besides those which the Spirit of God in the word of life hath left unto us? The Apostle Paul therefore is very wary in this behalf, and saith: 1 Cor. 11.23. I haue received of the Lord that which I also haue delivered unto you. And of other doctrines, which are not received of the Lord, he saith: Gal. 1.8. Though wee, or an angel from heaven preach unto you otherwise then that which we haue preached unto you, let him be accursed. This agreeth with the position of our saviour himself. Math. 15.13. every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted out. Let us conclude then, that neither in the Lawe, nor in the gospel there may bee any addition, or diminution from the institution and ordinance of the holy word. My second reason is taken from the testimonies of the ancient Fathers of the Church. Ambrose saith; Amb. lib. de Parad, s. c. 1 2. If thou add any thing, if thou take away any thing, it seemeth to bee a transgression of the commandement. For the pure and simplo form of the commandement must bee kept,& the form of the testimony must be observed. Often times, when a witness doth add something of his own to the narration of things done, he doth blemish the whole credit of his testimony, with that part which is false. Wherefore nothing must be added, though it seem to be very good. Cyprian saith; Quae est ista obstinatio? quaeue praesumptio, humanam tradit●onē anteponere, nec animaduertere indignari et irasci deum, quotie● diuina praeceptae soluit et praeterit humana traditio? C●p. ad Pomp. cont. Epis. Steph. fe●e ad prin●p. What obstinacy is this? and what presumption, to prefer mans tradition before the disposition of God, and not to consider that the Lord is offended and angry, as oft as human tradition breaketh and neglecteth his divine precepts? Chrysostome saith; Chrysost. in op. imperfect. supper Mat. cap. 7. every doctor is a seruant of the law: for he may not add any thing more unto the laws out of his own, nor take away any thing according to his own understanding, but he preacheth that onely, which is in the lawe. And in his book de Sacerdotio, he sheweth, Reliqua omnia euanid● pereant oportet. l de Sacerdot. 4. cap 4 fear ad medium. that to the curing of the body there are many medicines: but to the curing of the soul there is but one way, even the word of God. Augustine saith; Aug tra. 46. in 10 joh. circa m●dium. Sitting vpon the chair of Moses they teach the lawe of God, therefore God teacheth by them: but if they will teach their own things, hear them not, do not after them; for such seek the things which are their own, not the things of Christ. Tertullian saith; Nobit vero nihil ex nostro arbitrio ●●dulgere licet, said nec eligere, quod aliqus de arbitrio suo indu● erit●apostelo● domini habemas authoret. Terede pr●scrip. adverse. incres pag. 16●. edit. A●ul●nit●an. ●566. Par●s. It is not lawful for us to flatter ourselves with any thing of our own iudgement or discretion, nor to choose that which any man hath brought-in of his own head: we haue the pattern of the Apostles for us, which brought-in nothing after their own pleasure, but faithfully delivered to the nations the doctrine they received from Christ. whosoever( saith Ignatius) speaketh any thing more then is written, although he be credit-worthy: although he keep virginity: although he work wonders: although he prophecy: account him as a wolf in the flock of Christ. Let me add, that by Tho. Aquinas own confession, Deus. qui est selves institutor sacramentorum vt coll g●a Bon Ion. cap. 6●. 3● part. God is the onely institutor of Sacraments. Many others I might allege in this behalf, but I avoid prolixity. The third argument against those, that take authority unto themselves to ordain Sacraments in the Church, is taken from common reason. The Sacraments are seals and witnesses of the grace and love of God towards us, assuring and certifying our consciences of our salvation from God: but 1. Cor. 2.16. Rom. 11.34 no man hath known the mind of the Lord, neither can any man assure us of his love, but himself; therefore none can ordain Sacraments but God onely. Fourthly, Gal. 3.15. Though it were but a mans testament, when it is confirmed, no man doth abrogate it, or addeth thereto: but Sacraments are covenants of God himself, that is, seals and evidences of his covenant; therefore Sacraments may not be instituted, altered, or abrogated by any but by God himself. By this which hath been delivered, the christian Reader may clearly see, that they obliterate, obscure and diminish the seal of God, whosoever take away from the institution of of his Sacraments: and they are traitors, counterfeiting the great seal of our Redeemer, whosoever make any other expressions of grace, or symbols of his promise, but such as God himself hath instituted. CHAP. LXXXIII. Of the cause and end, for which Sacraments were ordained. OF the end and purpose, Chrysost. for which Sacraments were ordained, Chrysostome doth well and learnedly teach; If men were Angels, there were no need of signs: if wee were without bodies, God had delivered to us incorporeal gifts: but since the soul of man is joined to the body, they are now set forth in sensible things to bee understood: Vid. Tho. Aq. q. 60 vt col à B●● Ion. 3● part cap. 60. art 4. It is natural to a man to come to the knowledge of insensible things by sensible. Wherefore, as long as the soul dwelleth in the flesh, it seeth by the eye, hears by the ear, and by fleshly organs or instruments attaineth to all knowledge which it hath. To this end God hath humbled and meeked himself, to express his unsearchable and infinite wisdom in words and letters, that we may hear: and to propose the riches of his mercy to our eyes, in poor signs and simplo elements, that we may see: because our gross understanding is not immediately capable of heavenly things, neither can our mortal infirmity sustain the presence of God speaking in his glory. The light of natural reason toward heavenly things Aristotle compareth to the eyes of an owl vpon the bright Sunbeames: wee cannot behold them in themselves; wee cannot look vpon them in their excellency, no more then the Israelites vpon the face of Moses, Exod. 34.30. when he came down from talking with God in the mountain: but Exod. 33.23. to behold his hinder parts, that is, to contemplate, and look vpon him in sensible things, and to prie vpon his glory through spectacles and glasses, is as much as our frail nature can endure. here then let us aclowledge the unspeakable love of God passing all understanding, who hath as it were debased himself, and laid his brightness from him for a time, to attemper himself to our infirmity, and to speak unto us according to our capacity,( as Origen Origen. well noteth) marvell not that the word of God is called flesh: for it is called bread, and milk, and herbs, and it is name diversly, according to the measure of believers, and the ability of the receivers. Let us here also confess the wisdom of God, which hath chosen out such elements& matter of his Sacraments, wherein all things belonging to our salvation are lively, effectually, and plainly set forth unto us: insomuch that the Apostle Paul feareth not to tell his Galathians, Gal. 3.1 that Iesus Christ was described in their eyes, and among them crucified: that is to say, his life, his death by the word and Sacraments were so fully presented to their understanding, as though Christ had been crucified in Galatia. Austine speaking of the Sacraments saith, they are the visible words of God: for indeed in them God speaketh to the soul by the eye, as he doth in his word by the ear, as job saith; job 42.5. I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye seeth thee. And with Saint John; 1. joh. 1.1 Wee haue looked vpon, and our hands haue handled of the word of life: Or with the Psalmist; Psal. 48.8. As we haue heard, so haue we seen in the City of our God. So clearly are all the benefits of Christs appearing and suffering in the flesh, exhibited to us in his most honourable Sacraments. CHAP. LXXXIIII. The use of Sacraments. AMongst the uses for which Sacraments were ordained, the Schoolmen haue taught this to be one; that Pet. Lomb. lib. 4. dist. ● cap. 2. in princip. cap. wee should in the celebration of them exercise humility, by subjecting ourselves to sensible things far inferior to ourselves, and seek salvation from them. But wee haue many true and excellent uses of the holy Sacraments of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ, though wee intend not false and superstitious ends; nor subject ourselves to earthly elements, in seeking salvation from them. If earthly things consecrated and separated to holy use, could haue yielded such benefit to mankind, Christ needed not with the lamentable profusion, and dear expense of his sacred blood to haue redeemed vs. The Ceremonies of the Law were instituted by GOD himself, and delivered with great glory, confirmed by many miracles, enjoined with threatenings, commended with promises: yet for all this, none of them were sufficient to sanctify, or make holy the people with that holinesse, which is requisite to him that desireth to appear innocent in the light of God, or to dwell in his Tabernacle. Therefore wee must seek some other uses and ends, for which the Sacraments were ordained. Generally, the use and purpose of the Sacraments is, that by these outward signs we should be stirred up to apprehended thorough faith the promises of God, and bee enflamed with desire to pursue the same. If we wish to haue the matter made more plain, there are five principal ends and scopes, for which Sacraments were ordained. The first end is, that by them wee may be both generally and particularly instructed, how great the love of Christ is unto vs. Wherefore they are Gods Messengers unto us, reporting the reconciliation betwixt God and us in IESVS CHRIST: they are Rings of our spiritual marriage: they are seals of our promised inheritance: they are Images and representations of the manifold blessings, which are proposed unto us in the son of God: they are Glasses, in which wee may behold what Christ hath done and suffered for vs. And this use Christ himself speaketh of; Luke 22.19. do this in the remembrance of me. Austine saith, that in the celebration thereof wee are so moved, as though we saw Christ present vpon the cross before vs. Chrysostome saith; Chrysost. in 1. Cor. c. 2. hom. 7. ex jo Iuello in art c. ●. &c. the vnbeleeuer, when he heareth of the Lauacre of baptism, doth persuade himself, that there is simply water: but I do not onely see that I see, but the purging of my soul by the spirit: the burial, the Resurrection, Sanctification, righteousness, Redemption, Adoption, the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom, and the filling of the soul. For I do not esteem the things, which are seen by the sight, but I behold them with the eye of the mind. Ambrose saith; that is most seen, which is not seen. Finally, Austine teacheth, that in the Sacraments we must consider, not what they are, but what they signify. The Sacraments do not onely testify the general love of GOD to his whole Church: but they are also special seals of the favour of God to the particular conscience of every man. Faith in a man, when it meditateth on the promises of God, doth easily aclowledge the stability, the truth and the sweetness of them, because God is everlasting, just, and good: but it wavereth many times, and doubteth concerning the application of these promises, whether they appertain to himself as well as to other. For this cause our God, 1. Tim. 2.4. who will haue all men to be saved, hath annexed to his word his Sacraments, that we may in the receiving of them be assured of salvation in our particular. For in the Sacraments the spirit speaketh comfortably unto us, and saith; As our bodies are cleansed with the same material water, and fed with the same material bread and wine with others: so the blood of Christ doth cleanse our conscience, and his body doth feed our souls unto eternal life, as well as others. Ambr in luke. l. 5. c. 7. ex Iuello. Ambrose well saith of the word; wee haue seen, and our eyes haue beholded, and wee haue thrust our fingers into the print of the nailes: For we seem to ourselves to haue seen whom we read of, and to haue beholded him hanging on the cross, and to haue felt his wounds, by the searching of the spirit of the Church. Cyprian saith of the receiving, of the Sacrament; Cypr. de Coena domini paulo post medium tractatus. We stick unto his cross, wee suck his blood, we thrust our tongues into the wounds of our Redeemer. And this is the first use of Sacraments; To assure our conscience of the infinite love of God towards vs. The second use of Sacraments is, to stir up in us an earnest desire and longing to attain the promises of GOD, which by these outward elements are declared to bee so necessary, so profitable, so sweet and comfortable unto vs. These teach us with david, Psal. 42 1. to thirst after the Lord, as the Hart brayeth after the water brook: they call vpon us; Psa●. ●4. 8. O taste and see how sweet the Lord is: they proclaim with the Prophet; Esay 55.1. He, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and ye that haue no silver, come buy and eat: Come I say, buy Wine and milk without silver, and without money: they inflame our hearts with a burning desire, Phil. ●23. to be dissolved, and to be with Christ: they make us Cant. 3.1. in our bed to seek him by night, and to set him as a seal vpon our hearts, Cant. 8.6. and a Signet vpon our arm. The third use is, that Christians by the contemplation and communicating of the Sacraments, should be together knit in a firm and assured bond of love and charity, having one heart and one mind. This use the Apostle commendeth unto us; 1. Cor. 10.17 We that are many, are one bread and one body, because we are all partakers of one bread. Wherefore( as it may be gathered out of John) immediately after his last Supper, of which the last action was the institution of the Sacraments of his body and blood, he added joh. 13.34. a new commandement, that they should love one another, as he had loved them. anselm saith; wee break and divide the bread into many parts, to signify the charitable union of the receivers. Paulinus unto Austine saith; It is no marvell, if absent wee be present amongst ourselves, and unknown we know ourselves, since we are members of one body, and haue one head, and are washed with one grace, and do live by one bread, walk in one way, and dwell in one house. Cyprian Cyprian. saith; with what love and concord all faithful Christians are joined together, Chrysost. the Lords Sacrifice doth declare. Chrysostom saith; we do embrace one another in the mysteries, that many may become one. Hierom. jerome saith; wee are all one bread and one body, as many as communicate of one bread. The fourth use is, to discern us from all other Sects and Religions by our public Rites: for it is the covenant between God and vs. Wherefore, as Gen. 17.14. they which were not circumcised, were not counted any of Gods people: so they which partake not of the Sacraments, are not reckoned in the fellowship of the members of Christ. The military honour is conferred by girding with a sword: The civil honor is signified by the rob: the nuptial bond by the Ring: so are the Sacraments the marks and cognisances of Christians. Therefore of circumcision Chrysostome saith, that it was the bridle and fetters which withheld the Iewes, that they should not be mingled with other nations. The fift use is, to stir us up to holinesse of life, and cleannesse of conversation. This use the Apostle noteth in the first to the Corinthians, 1. Cor. 10.2. where he sheweth, that many of the Iewes after they were in the read Sea baptized unto Moses, and had eaten the same spiritual meate, and drunk the same spiritual drink: yet God was displeased with them, and overthrew them in the wilderness, that they might bee ensamples unto us, that we lust not after evil things: that wee bee not idolaters, nor fornicators, nor tempters of Christ, nor murmurers against God. For, as it was with the Iewes in the celebrating of their Sacraments, so it is with Christians. The Apostle Paul saith; 1. Cor. 10.21. ye cannot bee partakers of the Lords Table, and of the table of divels. In the next Chapter he denounceth, that 1. Cor. 11.27. whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, Ibid. ver. 29. and in the 29. verse eateth and drinketh his own damnation, because he discerneth not the Lords body; that is, because he counteth this bread profane, and this cup common, and doth not receive it with reverence as the Sacracramentall body of Iesus Christ. Wherefore the Apostle exhorteth every man to examine himself, and so to eat of the bread, and drink of the Cup. CHAP. LXXXV. What the worthiness of Sacraments is, and wherein it consisteth. THat which hath been spoken touching the cause of the institution, and the use of the Sacraments, doth abundantly declare the worthiness of them. For how can it bee but an excellent ordinance which is instituted of God himself? And how can it be without profit, which is a sensible and visible instrument, conveying thorough our outward and sensitive parts, the understanding of insensible, and iniuisible graces to the inward man? They testify of Gods general love to his whole Church, of his particular love to every special member: they stir up in us a desire of heavenly things: they call us unto unity and concord; not such as is between Man and Man, or Friend and Friend, or Brother and Brother; but the strongest and the straightest unity, such as is betwixt member and member in one body: they are badges, by which we are discerned from all Sects and false religions they stir us up to holinesse and newness of life. What greater thing can we expect? The adversary blameth us, as such who do esteem of the Sacraments as naked and bare signs. Apoc. 12.9.10. But satan hath been always an accuser of his Brethren, and Antichrist his first begotten is of his Father the divell ordained the Prince of falsehood. All the reformed Churches, do earnestly teach and assuredly beleeue, that the Sacraments are not bare and naked tokens, but honourable institutions, which haue the promises and threats annexed unto them: that is, God hath promised to all, that worthily and rightly participating of of them profess the faith of Iesus Christ, the unspeakable blessing of eternal life. On the other side, the threatenings and dreadfulness of the curse doth accompany those, that vnreuerently and profanely receive the Sacraments. wherefore the Psalmist saith of the eating of Manna; Psal. 106.15. He gave them their desire, and sent leanness withall into their soul. And in Esay the Lord pronounceth; Esay 1.13.14. Incense is an abomination unto me, my soul hateth your New moons, and your appointed Feasts, they are a burden unto me, I am weary to bear them: And the Apostle Paul saith; 1. Cor. 11.29. he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh his own damnation. On the contrary side, he that communicateth rightly of the Sacraments, communicateth with the whole Church. For Christ is verily, truly, and effectually received in the Sacrament, with all his benefits, blessings, and graces; though not naturally, carnally, or really. We die with him, we are washed by him, we are graffed into him, wee put him on, as many as are baptized: we seed on him, wee are nourished with him, we grow into him, and he into us: we are made one with him, and unseparably one, as many as truly participate the holy Eucharist. So that satan can no more divide us from our CHRIST, then one grain can be partend from another in the bread, or then one Grape can bee discerned from another in the wine. Christ is powerfully, gloriously, graciously present in the hearts of all, who duly use the holy mysteries. Therefore Sacraments are no more the things they were, but the bread is the bread of the Lord, and the cup the cup of the Lord: P●●. M●●●. and as the Iewes called their offerings, Sancta Sanctorum, holy of holies, or most holy: so ought we to esteem of our Sacraments as most holy seals, and representations of the benefits of Christ. Sundry praises therefore are given to the Sacraments, and they are called by the name of the things they signify, and which in the right exercise of them we be partakers of. As, Circumcision is called Gen. 17.2. his covenant: the 1. Cor. 10.4. rock in the wilderness is called Christ: Psal. 60.24. the ark is called God: baptism is called the laver of regeneration: the bread is called the Body of Christ, the Wine the blood of Christ. After the same figure of speech the Fathers also magnify the Sacrament of baptism. Paulinus saith, the water conceiveth God. Chrysostome saith, it is no more water to drink as it was afore, but water to sanctify us as it was not afore. Tertullian saith, the most holy spirit descendeth from the Father, and resteth vpon the water of baptism. Austine saith, it toucheth the body, and cleanseth the heart. Cyprian saith, the divine essence doth vnspeakeably poure itself into the visible Sacrament. jerome saith, the Priest doth pray, that the Font may bee sanctified, and the whole Trinity bee present in it. Cyprian also saith, the truth is joined with the sign, and the spirit with the Sacrament. And again, to those that are to be baptized, we publicly deliver the holy adored Trinity. So likewise of the Eucharist Gregory saith, Christ death again in this mystery. Chrysostome saith, the Priest holdeth Christ betwixt his hands; and we fasten our teeth in the flesh of Christ. Irenaeus saith, the bread, over which thankes is given, is the body of the Lord. Paulinus in an Epistle to Austine saith, the solidity of the trinity is contained in the bread. All these are figurative speeches; and in them the things signified, and the things signifying, are called by the same names: yet the elements are not changed in substance, but in dignity, and of common creatures they are become holy. Now this holinesse is not in the matter of them, but in the use, by which use the receivers also are changed, and renewed in the spirit of their mindes, through the operation of the Spirit of God. The ancient Fathers use this amplification of words, and powerful terms to stir up devotion in the receivers: But these praises tend not to the magnifying of the sign, but of the thing signified. It remaineth now to search in what sense all these honourable Attributes, both by the Scripture and the Fathers haue been given to the Sacraments. This we shall the better do, if we set before our eyes the definition, or nature of a Sacrament. Austine defining a Sacrament saith, it is the visible sign of invisible grace. Hugo de Sancto Victore saith, it is a mateririall element outwardly proposed to the eye, presenting a similitude according to the institution, and by sanctification conferring invisible grace. The schoolmen generally speaking of baptism say, Baptismus est ablutio corporis excerior facta sub praescripta forma verborum. Tho. Aquin. q. 66.& sic Coll a Bon ion. cap. 66.& come. lib. 4. dist. 3. cap. 1. lavacrum illud obsignatio de est fidei. tart. in l. de poenit. circa medium. it is the outward washing of the body, under a prescript form of words. Tertullian saith, ( (i)) baptism is the seal of faith; according to that of the Apostle, where he calleth Rom. 4 11. Circumcision, the seal of the righteousness of faith. Austine in another definition teacheth; Ex Comp. Theol. very. l. 6. c. 2. A Sacrament is that, in which under the covering of visible things the divine virtue doth secretly work. In ●. ad Rom. Peter Martyr defineth a Sacrament to be, the visible word of God. And again, In loc come. class. 3. loco. 8. the visible instrument, which God useth, to stir up faith withall. again, Ibid. a Sacrament is the promise of God concerning forgiveness of sins by Christ, sealed and signed by an outward and visible sign of Gods institution. If we confer all these assertions together, we shall perceive, that some make a Sacrament to consist of two parts: the Element, and the Word; and some of three: the element, the word, and the invisible grace. And according to this last opinion, if any of these be misrepresenting, the Sacrament is not complete. If there be no material sign, there can bee no Sacrament at all: If you take the word from the Element, what Aug tract. 80. supper jo. paulo post medium. doth remain but water( saith Austin:) And the spiritual grace is so necessary, that Austine again saith, the visible Sacrament without the invisible sanctification, though it be present, it doth not profit. Wherefore when the Scriptures and Fathers attribute such great power unto Sacraments; to purge, to cleanse, to sanctify, this must not bee understood in one part or two parts of the Sacrament: Of the Elements onely, or the words onely: but of a complete Sacrament, which doth consist of the sign, the word, and the invisible grace. A Sacrament thus understood doth sanctify: but every part thereof must haue that virtue onely attributed unto it, which it properly hath. The sign and the words are instruments to move our understanding and will, to embrace the grace which is offered: but inward grace is the thing, which doth sanctify, and it proceedeth neither from the water, nor the word, but from the Spirit of God onely, as from the efficient cause. The sign conferreth not grace, the word conferreth not grace: but he which hath instituted them giveth grace, not to them, but to us in the godly use of them. When we say, that grace of sanctification is tied unto a Sacrament, we understand it of a Sacrament, which hath all three parts thereto belonging; according to the common definition; A Sacrament is the visible sign of invisible grace. If there be no invisible grace, there is then no Sacrament: yet this visible grace is not conferred by the sign, but expressed: it is not contained in the element, but declared. When we say, the Sacrament doth sanctify, we do not mean, that the sign onely is the Sacrament, or that the sign joined to the word is the Sacrament; but wee call the sign, the word, and the grace, all three joined together, a Sacrament: for inward grace is as the soul and life of the Sacraments. Wherefore the Romish Church itself calleth grace the matter of the Sacrament. When wee say, that Sacraments do work in us eternal life, we mean not, that God hath ordained Sacraments to effect and give us his promises, but to seal them and witness them unto vs. When we say, Sacraments are instruments to eternal life, it must not be understood, that they are such instruments of salvation, as the common material bread is of natural nourishment: for spiritual things cannot be given by corporal causes; nor eternal things, by temporal causes. Therefore when we say, that grace is joined and annexed to the visible Sacrament, wee do not mean, that it is by natural coniunction, as bread and drink haue the nutritive power in them: nor by local coniunction, as the bread and wine are mingled together in the cup: nor by corporal coniunction, as the members are knit together in one body: nor by the coniunction of inevitable necessity, as though God had simply granted life eternal to every one, that participateth of the outward element: nor yet by effectual coniunction, as the power of the fire is in the Iron, both when wee use it, and when we use it not: But we account the outward symbols instruments of grace, Non Physica said Moralia, not instruments or vessels inherently containing grace in themselves or effectually infusing it into vs. For as the power to create, So to infuse grace is onely in GOD, not communicable to any creature. But the outward symbols, are sacred means and instruments, In the due and devout use whereof according to Christs institution, God doth immediately and invisibly infuse grace into our hearts, and doth it, Ex pacto& foedere, having tied himself by his promise to convey and exhibit unto us his invisible grace when we duly and devoutly receive visible and holy Sacraments. When the Fathers say the Eucharist is a sacrifice, they do not mean, that it is a sacrifice of reconciliation, as the body of Christ was: but of thanksgiving, as the Scripture calleth the invocation and celebration of the Name of GOD, Ose 14.3. The calves of our lips: yea, properly they understand our thanksgiving to be the sacrifice, not the Sacrament, which is so called figuratively; because when wee do celebrate the holy Eucharist, wee do it with the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, setting out the death of the Lord till his coming again. We do not think, that these mysteries are made holy by mans consecration, or by any power or efficacy inherent in the words and syllables pronounced: but that the Sacraments are holy by reason of the Lords institution itself. Gregory and Platina witness, that Peter the Apostle did use onely the Lords Prayer at the celebration of the Eucharist: And the Grecians use not the latin form in baptism: And yet, I trust, the Romish Church will not deny, but that Peter ministered the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and the Grecians of baptism. There is another rule also, which out of this doctrine doth arise, that Sacraments are no longer such, then while they are in use: When they are not in use, they lose the name, and the dignity of Sacraments. To conclude, the son of God doth merit all blessings for us: the Father, for his son and with his son, by the operation of the Spirit giveth them unto vs. Thus God and the Sacraments haue the honour due unto them, when wee seek forgiveness and grace onely from God, and do place the merit and cause onely in Christ, the efficacy of the work onely in the holy Ghost, and esteem the Sacraments as external signs, obsignations, seals and images; to witness, confirm, exhibit, and present these benefits unto vs. CHAP. LXXXVI. Of the difference betwixt the Sacraments of the Law, and the gospel. IT is an old and a true proverb, one absurdity granted, a thousand follow. This is plainly seen in the Popish opinion concerning Sacraments. For, when they place power of Sanctification in the Sacraments Ex opere. operato, and make them Vessels containing, or Causes effecting grace through pronunciation of Words, and Distribution of the matter by the Priest; then it must needs follow, that there is great difference of power in the Sacraments of the Law, and of the gospel, since the Leuiticall Priests challenge no such efficacy and force in their legal Rites, being Heb. 10.1. shadows onely of good things to come, and figures for the present time. The schoolmen make two differences betwixt the Sacraments of the Law, and the gospel. The first, Vid. Pet. Lomb l. 4. dist. 1. c. 3& additione Henric. de Vrima●● ibid. That the Sacraments of the gospel are holy signs of holy things: but the legal Sacraments were not holy, but onely signs of holy things: Secondly, That the Sacraments of the Law did onely signify: but the Sacraments of the gospel do confer and effect what they signify. But if, leaving the inventions of men, we will harken to the truth of God, many reasons there are which show, that the efficacy of the legal Sacraments, and the evangelical is all one. First, no man can doubt, but that the love of GOD towards the Fathers and us is both one. They were as dear and precious unto him, Hos. 11. Deut. 7. as wear. Then there is no reason, but the signs of his love should be as efficacious to them, as unto vs. Christ Apoc. 13.8. is a lamb slain from the beginning, not only in respect of Gods prescience and eternal counsel, but in respect of their salvation, who lived in the beginning of the world: Eph. 2.20.21. Christ is the chief corner ston, in whom both the buildings are coupled: the joh. 10.14. shepherd which hath brought both flocks into one fold. Why then should wee deny them to haue the like instrument, who haue the like operation? Or why should not the Sacraments be equal, when the grace is equal? Christ was preached to the Iewes in the doctrine of the Law: why was he not then exhibited to the Iewes in the Ceremonies of the Law? If there were the same Christ in both Sacraments, there was the same grace in both Sacraments. Wherefore there is no cause, why wee should extenuate the jewish Sacraments so much, as to think they were common signs, barely foreshowing grace. Fourthly, although there is difference in circumstance, yet in respect of the substance of the things, or the effect of the work, the spirit of God in the holy Scripture doth make equal the jewish Sacraments with the Sacraments of the Church. For the Apostle Paul doth call Circumcision Rom. 4. 1●. the seal of the righteousness of faith; by which it appeareth to be more then a naked sign. Moses calleth it the covenant; and to show that there was invisible grace given to those that rightly used Circumcision, he saith; Deut. 30.6 The Lord will circumcise thy heart, that Thou mayst love the Lord. The Apostle Paul likewise plainly declareth, that the same was the effect and fruit of the Sacraments in the Lawe, and in the gospel: for that 1 Cor. 10. ver. 2.3.4 The Fathers were baptized unto Moses, and did all eat the same spiritual meate, and did all drink the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual rock, which followed them, and the rock was Christ. Nay, he calleth also the Sacraments of the gospel by the appellation of the Sacraments of the Lawe. For he saith, Col. 2.11. that We are circumcised by circumcision made without hands. wherefore none can doubt, but he esteemed the effect of jewish Sacraments, and Christian to be all one, since he communicateth the names of the one to the other. Yet notwithstanding wee deny not, that there is some difference betwixt the jewish Sacraments, and the Christian. Therefore I will set down, wherein they agree, and wherein they differ, plainly, and in a word. The Agreements betwixt the Sacraments of the Lawe, and the Sacraments of the gospel. One God, and one Lord was Author of both Sacraments. Both Sacraments were given to be signs, and seals of grace. In both Sacraments there is one thing that doth signify, and another that is signified. The matter of both Sacraments is Christ. Both Sacraments haue one and the same effect: for in their Ceremonies the Fathers were assured of Christ, and so are we. wherefore Austine saith, In signis●d uersa sū●, said in re●quae significatur, paria sunt. Aug. tract. 26. in jo. circa medium. The Sacraments though they differ in sign, yet they agree in the thing signified. Both Sacraments require faith in the receiver. The Differences betwixt the Sacraments of the Lawe, and the Sacraments of the gospel. In the old Testament there were many Sacraments; in the new Testament there are two only: according to that of Austine Sacramentis numero paucissimis, obseruatione sacillimis, significatione praestantissimis societatem novi populi eo ligat it. Aug. ad Ian. Ep. 110. ; With Sacraments fewer in number, easiest in observation, most excellent in signification, he hath knit together the society of his new people. The Sacraments of the Lawe were prenuntiations of Christ to come: the Sacraments of the Gospel are annuntiations that he is come; and in this sense are Austines words to bee understood, when he saith: the old Sacraments do promise salvation; the new do give salvation: that is, the old speak of a benefit to come; the new, of a benefit performed. The Sacraments of the Lawe were subject to change and mutation. For after one fashion ought things to be signified, which shall be fulfilled: and after another fashion, which are fulfilled. But the Sacraments of the gospel cannot be changed, they must endure as long as the Church is militant. The old and new Sacraments differ in the variety of the sign. The Iewes had Circumcision, sacrifices, feasts: we haue water, bread and wine. In the jewish Sacraments there was often effusion of blood: of mans blood in circumcision; of beasts blood in sacrificing: But in the Sacraments of the gospel there is no effusion of blood: but they witness the blood of Christ to be shed once for all. The ancient Sacraments were more obscure and dark then the new. They drew the picture in the first lines, in dark clouds and shadows: but the Sacraments of the gospel are most perspicuous, and with lively flourishing colours depaint the benefits of Gods grace unto vs. The Church was never without Christ, but to some he giveth harder lessons, to some more easy: to some he was more obscurely declared, to others more plainly. In the lawe of Nature, he was as the wheat in the grass: In the Lawe of Moses, as wheat in the stalk: In the gospel, as wheat in the ear, fully, plainly, openly. The Sacraments of the Lawe, for the most part, signified future things: The Sacraments of the gospel present unto us things past, things present, and things to come. And thus much shall suffice to be spoken of the difference betwixt the Sacraments of the Lawe, and of the gospel. CHAP. LXXXVII. How the Church of Rome hath abused the doctrine of Sanctification by Sacraments; and first of the mangling of them. IF it be a true position of Basil; Saint Basil. he that forbiddeth what the Lord commandeth, and commandeth what the Lord forbiddeth; let him be held accursed of all men that love the Lord: I doubt much how the Romish Church can quit herself from most extreme malediction; who not onely mangleth& maymeth the Sacraments, which the Lord hath ordained, contrary to the institution: but also addeth unto the number, falsifieth the use, darkeneth the brightness of the Sacraments: and lastly, placeth power of sanctification in such things, as themselves aclowledge to be no Sacraments. Mangling and maiming of Christs Institution. Austine truly saith; Tract. 80. su●. joh. paululum post med ū ● Accedit verbum ad elementum,& fit Sacramentum. the word coming to the element makes it a Sacrament. Wherefore the schoolman will haue the word to go with the Sacrament, when he defineth baptism to be the outward washing of the body under a prescript form of words. Pet Lomb lib. 4. dist. 3 cap. ●.& Th Aqu n par. 3 q ●6. art. 10. This whether it be understood of the words of Consecration( as they call it) only: or whether it be understood of the word of Gods promise, it appeareth that the word, and the sign ought to be joined together. But they are not so in the Roman Church: for it denieth the word unto the people, both learned and unlearned. In the hearing of the ignorant people, the Word, which is the spirit and life of the Sacrament, is never joined to the sign. For though the one bee presented unto their understanding, the other is not: but they are alients from him that readeth, and he that readeth from them. The learned are robbed also of the help of the word, which should stir them up to faith and devotion in receiving, when instead of audible and intelligible speech, the Priest is commanded to mussitat, and whisper the secrets of their mass in a low and submiss murmur, which none can hear. And it is evident, that the words, which are most full of comfort and sweetness; WHICH IS GIVEN FOR you, are clean left out in the mass, and instead of them they add words of their own devising; as that Patet in Canone. Miss. star. eleuatis in c●li●n manibus. Christ lifted up his eyes to heaven, and such like. As they take the word from the sign, so they take away also in the Eucharist, part of the sign itself, the Cup, from the Lay people. Eckius confesseth, that Eckius de Euchar. sub vtraque specie. verbo pat t quod vbique Solum idem& in Con. Tr d. sometime they take it also from the Priests themselves: And that the sacerdotal order communicateth with one kind at certain seasons. And he contendeth impudently, that Eckins b●d. not only Ambrose, jerome, Eusebius, and Benedict did receive the Sacrament in the form of bread onely: but that Christ himself did so administer it to his Disciples at Emmaus. Yet this is contrary to their own Canon; Aut integra sacramenta percipiant, cat ab integris arce●eur. de Cosic. dist. 2. cap. comperimus. either let them take the whole Sacraments, or be prohibited from the whole. Beda saith, Bed● in Lucam. c. 22. l. 6. The bread is mystically referred to the body of Christ, and the wine to the blood. And the Apostle saith, that 1. Cor. 10 The Bread is the communion of the body, and the Cup the communion of the blood of Christ. Alexander saith, Whole Christ is not contained in one kind Sacramentally, but the body in the form of bread, and the blood in the form of wine. And their Canon saith, De Consec. dist. 2. 〈◇〉 ●●um omne. The bread is commended by itself, and the cup is commended by itself. Gratian saith, that (a) in very dead there are two Sacraments. The accidents of the bread are the Sacraments only of the body of Christ, and the accidents of the wine are the onely Sacrament of the blood. Lorichius saith, the institution of the Sacrament requireth us all to eat together, and drink together. To conclude, they mingle-mangle the Sacrament, taking the word from the element: they mingle-mangle the word, now chanting aloud, then muttering in secret: they mingle-mangle Christ himself, giuing the body without the blood: they mingle-mangle the Church, making difference betwixt Priest and people, where no difference is: they mingle-mangle the precept; drink ye all of this, when none drinketh but the Priest: they mingle-mangle the sense; drink ye all, that is, Priests by themselves, and Eckius de Euchar. sub utraque specie. the people by the Priest. For the Priest( saieth one) is the mouth of the people: yea, many times they mingle-mangle the mass itself, when neither the bread, nor wine, the body nor blood, is given to the people, but onely certain relics instead thereof are shewed them; Manip. Cur. c. 7. quoties in die Missa debet c●lebrari. and this is called Missa sicca, or the dry mass. CHAP. LXXXVIII. Additions unto Christs Institution of Sacraments. IT is true, that the word Sacrament is scarce found in Scripture. Therefore in plain speech the holy word doth not determine the number of them: yet, if wee hearken unto the will and testament of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ, we shall find, that indeed he ordained but two visible seals of his mercy towards us, that is to say, baptism, and the LORDS SVPPER. Of baptism wee find the institution; Mat. 28.19 go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the son, and the holy Ghost: Of the Eucharist wee haue also the institution; Luke 22.19 do this in the remembrance of me. baptism hath the promise annexed; Mar. 16.16 He that shall beleeue, and be baptized, shall be saved. The Eucharist is not without the promise; Luke 22.20. For, This Cup is the new testament in my blood( saith he) which is shed for you, that is, it witnesseth, that my blood was shed for your cleansing, and that whosoever eateth me, shall live by me. But the Romish Prelates haue thrust into the Church diuers other sacraments, which Christ never ordained to be placed in that rank. 1. Cor. 7.2 Gen. 2.18 First, Matrimony, which was ordained to be a remedy against sin, a mutual comfort and an help to mankind, they say, is a Sacrament. But against this there are many reasons. First, there is no injunction that every one should be married, as it is that every one should be baptized, and communicate of the table of the Lord: But if Christ had ordained it as a seal and Badge of salvation, and a necessary rite testifying his grace, it should be enjoined to all, as well as to some. Secondly, there is no external sign& symbol therein. In some places they use the Ring, in some they join hands: but these are not commanded by God; therefore they be not sacramental signs, according to the rule of Pighius himself, who saith; Sacramentum est signum efficax diuinuus institutum. &c. A Sacrament is an efficacious sign ordained by God. Thirdly, there is no promise annexed to Matrimony concerning forgiveness of sin. Ob. They object, that Matrimony doth signify the coniunction, which is betwixt Christ& his Church; therefore it is a Sacrament. The answer is easy; every thing that resembleth the benefits of Christ to his Church, Sol. is not a Sacrament: then were leaven, mustard-seed, the way, the door, the key, Sacraments. Ob. Sol. It is by the Apostle Paul called Rom. 11.25 a Mystery; therefore it is a Sacrament. every thing that is called a Mystery, is not a Sacrament. The Apostle calleth the obstinacy of the jews, till the fullness of the Gentiles be come, a Mystery: the doctrine of resurrection, the vocation of the Gentiles, the incarnation of Christ, Mysteries: yet these are not Sacraments, as all men know. Order, they say, is a Sacrament, and Imposition of hands the visible sign of the same: For the Apostle exhorteth Timothy 1 Tim. 5.22 to lay hands on no man suddenly. And again, 2. Tim. 1.6 stir up the grace which is in thee, by the laying on of hands: Notwithstanding all this, Order is no Sacrament. For there is no promise of forgiveness of sin annexed unto it, as is properly unto Sacraments. Ministers haue onely power to preach the word,& distribute the Sacraments by this Ceremony of laying on hands. Imposition of hands in the Apostles time was a miraculous action, by which the holy Ghost was given, and diseases cured: but imposition of hands now hath no such force, it is onely a kind of prayer, or gesture in prayer, by which we do testify, that we commend the person ordered to the grace of GOD. Now, all signifying Ceremonies are not Sacraments. Penance also is a Sacrament in the Romish account: but it hath no visible sign; therefore it is not a Sacrament. Some say, Imposition of hands is the sign: but God hath ordained no such rite; therefore it cannot bee a sacramental rite. Some say, The sighs and groans of the conscience under the burden of sin, is the material sign in penance: but such groans and sighs are not visible; therefore they be not sacramental. And the Tridentine council therefore saith, Quasi materiam sacramenti poenitentiae. sess. 4 Can. 4 Si quis negauerit ad integram &c. that Contrition, Confession and Satisfaction are, as it were, the matter of the Sacrament of Penance; not the true matter, but as it were the matter. moreover, they witness unto us Mans compunction: but they are not seals of Gods promise. Of the covenant of salvation there are two parts; one from God: another from vs. sorrow for sin is our part of the covenant: 2. Cor. 7.10 Luke 5.21 forgiveness of sin is Gods part. Now sighing and lamentation is the witness on our p, rt, that we gladly desire to embrace the forgiveness of our sins: but where is the material witness on Gods behalf: as the water, bread, and wine do witness both in baptism, and the Eucharist, that he freely forgiveth us? To conclude, what better witness can bee brought to prove that Penance is no sacrament, then Alexander and bonaventure? who both confess that Christ was not the author therof. Confirmation had this beginning: It was thought a godly policy, that Infants, which at baptism were not able to make confession of their faith; when they came to lawful yeares, should before the Bishop make public protestation thereof; which being done, the Bishop laid his hands vpon them, being the gesture which was used in his prayer, desiring God to strengthen their faith, and to poure his blessings vpon them. Christ himself indeed laid his hands vpon children, but he did not require of them profession of faith; Wherefore they cannot say, that Christ was the author of this Rite of Confirmation: and we may justly deny it to be a Sacrament, because it is not instituted by God. Many toys Popery hath added to Confirmation, neither haue they retained the primitive guise thereof. For they anoint the confirmed with oil, they cross him, they give him a blow, in token that he must bee prepared to battle. All which are neither the ordinances of Christ nor his Apostles: and yet such is their blindness, that Confirmation, which is no institution of Christ, nor is retained according to the primitive use, is preferred with them before all other Sacraments, and can bee administered by none but by a Bishop onely. extreme unction hath no commandement nor promise of forgiveness of sin in the holy Scripture. Christ sent his Apostles forth, and they anointed the sick with oil, and they did recover. This is nothing to the forgiveness of sins: It was a miracle, joh. 9.6. Act. 5.15. but not a Sacrament; even as the spittle and the earth, which Christ anointed the eyes of the blind withall: The shadow of Peter, the beds and the couches brought forth into the streets: Kerchefs from the body of Paul sent unto the sick. These all are wondrous works, by which God glorified his son, and promoted the gospel: but they are not in the number of Sacraments sealing to us forgiveness of sins. In our daies such Ceremonies haue not the same power that they had in the primitive Church, because the truth is sufficiently confirmed with miracles already. Therefore, what should they use the oil without the virtue? Iam. 5.14. In the time of Saint james they prayed, and anointed with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith saved the sick. The oil was onely to heal infirmities, not to forgive sins; but now the miraculous working by oil, and the virtue ceasing, they make a spiritual use thereof for the help of souls; wherefore it is superstition to use it; even as when the Israelites fell down before the brazen Serpent, at what time the force and power thereof was gone. 2. King. 18. As they make the number of Christs Sacraments defective, The Rhemists confess that anointing with oil in the gospel was but a preparative to the Sacrament of extreme unction. Ergo extreme unction was not instituted in the Gospel. Marg. Note 1. chap. 6. Mar. till five more of their own coining bee thereto added: so they esteem not the Sacraments of Christ honourable enough of themselves, without the accoutrements of their invention; even as the pharisees before them made their 〈◇〉, or vain traditions of more esteem then the Oracles of God. First of all therefore, In uno omnia con●eniunt, quod in signo crucis omnia Sacra sunt danda. Summa Aug. in verb. Sacrament. quo modo sunt danda. All Sacraments( say they) agree in this, that all must bee administered with the sign of the cross. Are not all Chrismes De Consec. dist. 5. cap. nun quid in textu& in Gloss. of the Priests office( saith the Canon) perfected with the figure of the cross? Doth the water of baptism release sins, except it be sanctified by the cross? Why then? Which now is greater, baptism or the cross which sanctifieth the baptism? Wherefore of this doctrine the very gloss itself is so much ashamed that it mollifyeth the matter, and saith, Ibid. in Gloss. baptism is made solemn by the cross; and not otherwise. Yet then, the cross still addeth to the dignity of the Sacraments, and Christs institution is not sufficiently honourable without your tradition: yea, Christ himself with them hath not dignity enough in himself without the sign of the cross: or else why do they make so often cross after cross, even vpon the holy Eucharist, before and after the consecration? Before, belike, to prepare it to Transubstantiation: in the act, to perform the Transubstantiation: and after consecration, to bless the body itself. Ex Innoc. Papa apud Manip. Curat. cap. 10. de ritu, quo debet Missa celebrari iuxta medium. For in the Canon of the mass, there are twenty five Crosses, which are finished in seven superstitious courses. chrism also of one yeares age may not bee omitted in baptism, except in case of necessity, lest the Minister be punished. jo. de Comb. c. 11. l. 6 Ad finem fear per istud Sacramentum fiunt fidele pleni Christiani. For it is to be used, that we may bee full Christians: Yea, ( p) no man can be a Christian, except in episcopal confirmation he be anointed: and it is of greater honour then baptism, because oil is made by none but Bishops. Hallowing the baptismal water, Summa Angel. q. de bap. 5.11. vtrum non. although it bee not of the necessity of baptism, yet it is of congruity: and the Minister doth mortally sin, who doth baptize in water which is not hallowed. This ceremony they take from Moses stretching his hand over the read Sea; as the holy Candle, from the Pillar of fire, which went before the Israelites. exorcism, to adjure the divell to depart from the Font; without which, baptism hath no due solemnity: exorcized oil on the breast and shoulders of the baptized: a cross of spittle vpon the ears and nose: the Priest to spit into the mouth of the baptized. For, Manip. Curat. de annexis bap. cap. 8. as spittle cometh from the inward parts: so Christ came from the substance of the Father. All these, and sundry other, which for prolixity I omit, are by them accounted, not onely to adorn the institution, but to be the necessity of the precept, though not of the necessity of the Sacrament. Demand of them who gave the precept? Peter gave it. In what book? In what Epistle? The Church hath observed it even since Peters time: and the Church cannot err. Auditum admissi, risum teneatis? The dipping of the bread into the Wine De conse. dist. 2. cap. cum omne. Is a ceremony, by Iulius the Pope himself pronounced to bee contrary to Christs institution: and yet the Canon of the mass enjoineth it, and prayeth, that the commixtion may bee health of body and soul to all receivers. So the Canon is neither agreeable to Scriptures, Fathers, nor their own Constitutions. They add water to the Wine in the Eucharist, and whosoever shall withstand that ceremony as contrary to Christs institution, with extreme malediction they hold accursed. I confess, the eastern Churches, because in those Regions Wine was of so great strength, did commonly mingle water therewith for sobriety. So that both among the Iewes and Grecians to power out Wine, and to mingle Wine is all one. And of the latins every Butler is called, Pincerna, of mingling that which is to be drunk. And because in the primitive Church they used to haue certain Feasts of love called Agapae, after the Communion; therfore the wine was mingled to avoid drunkenness. But neither are our wines of such force in these western parts of the world: nor yet do we use any such repletion and filling ourselves with Wine, 1. Cor. 11.21. as the Apostle taxeth in his Corinthians. wherefore since our saviour Christ speaketh plainly of the fruit of the Vine, but not of the water in the sacramental Cup, there is no cause why such dreadful curses should be thundered out against them, that leaving uncertainties follow the certain form of the word. Durand confesseth, that the Greekish Church did not universally receive this tradition. Wherefore the Canon is blame-worthy, which maketh the additition of water so necessary, that, Si vinum tantum quis offerat, sanguis Christi incipit esse sine Christo. dist. 2. sicut in sanctificando. If one offer the Wine onely, the blood of Christ begins then to be without Christ. And the Decree of Alexander is too too rigid, which Alex. in decret. ep. ad omnes orthod. ex Barth. Caranza. enjoineth every one to offer water with the wine: And that of Iulius is blasphemous, who saith; De Consec. dist. 2. cum omne, ad finem. verbo, non enim potest. Except water be mixed with wine, it cannot be the Cup of the Lord: And so the Tridentine council also, which most impiously De Sacrif. Miss●. Can. 9. nurseth all them that say, water is not to be mingled with wine in offering up the Chalice. CHAP. LXXXIX. That the Romish Church doth ordain other vessels of Grace, and maketh other outward consecrated instruments of Sanctification beside the word, and the Sacraments. THere is no mediocrity in impiety; but who haue once forsaken righteousness, run forward still into sin, and the end of one error is the beginning of another: So dangerous a thing it is to forsake God, and to be forsaken of God; whereof this present discourse giveth us evident declaration. having communicated the name, they now also communicate the virtue and power of Sacraments( which is, to be instruments of Sanctification) unto other things, not of Christs institution. The name they communicate( as hath been shewed) to matrimony, Order, Confirmation, Penance, extreme unction. Whereof some were instituted of God: some ordained by the Church: some carry show of good purpose and use, and some none at all. But they are further carried in their blind devotion, to make every senseless ceremony( whereof some are taken from the Iewes, some from the Heathens, and some are their own inventions) to bee sanctified means and instruments of Christian holinesse. Of their Ashes thus they speak; Mis● star. in cap. ●●i●●j. orat. oimpotens sempitern deus, queen mis●rerit omnium. Vid. Bell. l. 3. de cultu sanctorum. c. 7. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to bless and sanctify these Ashes, which for humility and holy religions sake, for the purging of our souls, according to the manner of the ninivites, thou hast ordained us to bear. See how many plain untruths one short Orison, as full of lies as words, containeth. First, God never commanded them to carry Ashes: Secondly, the ninivites did not after that manner carry them as the Papists do: Thirdly, in Ashes there is no power to take away sin, neither was that the purpose of the ninivites, but onely to humble themselves before the Lord. Yet notwithstanding, Costerus agreeth with the Missal, and saith, that Fr. Costerus in l. 4. institut. cap. 10. The Ashes are an wholesome remedy to obtain remission of sins and eternal life. For their Candles they also pray, T● humiliter de● precamur, vt has Candelas ad vsus hominum,& sanitatem corporum& animarum praeparatas, siue in terra, siue in aquis, per inuocationem sancti tui nominis &c. Miss. star. in Purific. virg. Mar. in Orat. domine saint Pater oimpotens. Ro. Missan Fest. Purif. virg. orat. oimpotens sempitern deus qui hodierna. That being prepared for the use of men, and health both of body and soul, whether in the land, or in the water, God would bless and sanctify them by the invocation of his name, and by the intercession of the holy Virgin Mary, and the prayers of all Saints. Franciscus Costerus the Iudaizing Iesuite, perhaps, hence picked out those four graces, which to consecrated Candles he ascribeth. First, Coster. lib: 4. instit cap. 9. Vid.& Ro Miss. in Sab. Sancto. There you haue the like of the holy fire: Orat. deus qui per filium tuum.& orat. domine deus Pater oimpotens. That they to health of body and soul by land and Sea avail: Secondly, The divell is chased from the place, where they do burn: Thirdly, They procure that the hearts and souls of men be illustrated by the invisible fire of the holy Spirit: And lastly, That the fire of charity, together with the light of Faith may bee in men kindled. Is there any greater gift in the Sacraments of Christs own institution? do they work any greater things in us? Nay, Christ never attributed such virtue to his Sacraments. Christs baptism doth not drive away divels, but their exorcism doth. Neither doth the Eucharist cure the diseases of the body, but the holy Candles drive away divels, and cure both soul and body; their own traditions are above the institution of Christ. For the wedding Ring likewise they pray, Vt profici●t illi ad aeternam sal●● tī. Miss. star. in ●rdo Sponsalium. That it may profit her that weareth it, to eternal salvation. The same effect they assign to holy bread. bless, O Lord, this thy creature of bread, as thou didst bless the five loaves in the wilderness, that all which taste thereof, may receive health of body and soul. Of holy water unspeakable are the benefits; In decr. Alex. Papae apud Bar. Curan●. It is blessed, that all which are sprinkled therewith may be purified and sanctified: By it the mind is disposed to prayer: the grace, the favour, the presence of Gods Spirit is obtained: it helpeth against those things that hinder the power of the Sacraments: it multiplieth, it increaseth good things: it cureth the infirmities of the body: it driveth away pestilent air, with the plague and all contagion. Wherefore in their Suffrages they pray; Aqua benedicta fit mihi salus& vita. in suffrag. Let holy water be my health and life. What should I speak of their Hallowed grains and Medals, their Agnus dei, their pilgrims Miss. star. in office. Peregrinarum. Scrip, coat, and staff, Sanctified to beate away all the power of the enemy? Or of the sign of the cross, to which they attribute as much power, as to the Passion and death of him who suffered thereon. For, of the cross they pray; Miss. star. in office. peregri. in orat. deus inuicte. Let it be the most invincible strength of Gods seruants against the temptations of the ancient enemy. The sign of the cross, the Rhemists say, In 1. Tim. 4. annot. 11. doth specially sanctify vs. Costerus and Bellarmine say, Bell. l. 2. de effect. Sac. c. 31. de●●de vim habet hoc signum. It is the holy prayer of a Christian man to God: It is an offering, by which we offer ourselves to his divine majesty: it is a conjuration to drive away the divell. By this signing of ourselves with the form of the cross, hope, and faith, and charity are stirred up in us, and wee are moved to imitate the crucified. O holy nation, where blocks and stocks haue such great power! I overpass the hallowed chrism, which some call the Hen. de urim. in Pet. Lomb. l. 4 dist. 7. c. 1.& Gabr. Biel apud ●ell. de Sac. Cons. l. 2. c. 10. ad sinem. anointment of health: some of Sanctification. I omit also their Ex Miss. star in ●ered Flor& Frond ū& Ro. Mis●al. Grapes, Altar, clothes, Vestments, Garments, Boughs, Flowers, Salt, Fire, Frankincense, Smoke: for which they pray, That they may be endued with spiritual power to cleanse, to sanctify, to illuminate, to defend, to drive away divels; works greater then in any Scripture the spirit of God doth assign to the Sacraments. But of all these things I shall more speak, when I come unto their Sacrifices. CHAP. XC. How the Romish Church corrupteth and perverteth the use of Sacraments. AMongst all the dregs of the Babylonish cup, wherewith the scarlet strumpet doth make the Nations of the world drunken,& infatuateth the people, I think there is none more venomous, nor full of peril, then that the holy Sacraments of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ, contrary to his eternal counsel and appointed end, are sundry ways turned unto strange and superstitious uses. The first abuse is; where CHRIST ordained them to bee seals of grace onely, they make them vessels containing grace. Christ appointed, that they should signify our justification and salvation in his blood: they say, they are salvation and justification through Christ. Christ ordained them to be Testimonies of good things: they say, they are the good things themselves. So the shadow is turned into the substance, and the wedding Ring is made the husband self. Secondly, they pervert the use of Sacraments, as well those which are ordained by Christ, as those which themselves haue devised. baptism they make of no virtue, but keep onely the outward ceremony for fashions sake: but they attribute and communicate the power thereof to all the superstitions which themselves haue added. ●ell de Sac. con●●m. l. 1. c. 11. in princip. For when (a) exorcism doth drive away the divell and all his power: when chrism doth admit us into the number of the Souldiers of CHRIST: when it giveth grace; even more then baptism, concerning the strengthening of the soul against the divell: when the cross doth doth sanctify, what office is now lest to baptism? Wherefore the holy Sacrament of Iesus Christ is exauctorated and put from the dignity whereto it was ordained. The baptismal water must be carried Rhem. an. 5. jac. annot. 5. home to cure diseases: and by the author of the Legend of Lombardy, baptism is termed In vita Ama●di a Secular business; it must now serve for profane and base uses: it is become the sanctifying and solemnization of bells( forsooth) wherewith Christ ordained men to bee admitted into his church. Hossius is hereof ashamed, and saith; Vid. Pet Mart. loco 9. de temp. dedicatione. The Romish Church doth not baptize Bells, but consecrate them. The reply is easy; holy and ceremonious washing is baptism: and that they intend to baptize Bells, the ceremony itself doth show. They wash, they pray, they anoint, they exorcize, they give names unto them, with as great solemnity as unto men baptized. Hereunto let me add, that they give power unto them, in some sort greater then in baptism is given to any man; that by Ex veteri agenda. apud Cent. 10. cap. 6. In casibus circa Baptism. their sound they shall drive away the power of the divell: that they shall calm the fury of the tempests, and the calamity of winds, and assuage the violence of lightning. Wherefore of all sacraments generally Summa Angelica pronounceth, Possunt recipi pro sanitate, vel alio fine, quam eo, propter quem sunt instituta. sum. Angel de Sac. That they may bee used for other ends, then for that to which they were ordained. As they haue turned baptism to a profane use: so do they also the sacrament of the holy Eucharist. They celebrate it for the murrain and pestilence of their flock, and pray, Vt et animalia, quae vsibus nostru seruiunt, tua potentia liberentur. Miss. star. in Miss. pro post. animalium, secret. subueniat nobis, domine sacrificij huius oblatio. idem Ro. Br●. in pro pest. animalium. that it may be the preservation of their cattle. One puts it into the mouth of the hive, that her Bees may Lucas Pinell● ex prompt. exē●. exemp. 3● prosper: Another takes it for a notable remedy against Purgatory: some offer it Ro. Misi. n postcō. preces nostras. to deliver prisoners out of their fetters: They hang it up in Pixes and in Boxes: they worship it, they swear by it: they Sic continuator reg●no●●s, res●rt, vt citat. a Cet. 10 ca. 6. in casibus c●ca●●n●m. purge themselves with it from criminal accusation. They I●g. Lō: in Sancto Benedicto. et●n Alo●. I●p. bury it with the dead: they exercise it in unnatural and bloody conspiracies. For vpon his vow to kill our late incomparable queen Elizabeth, Ex com●●s. Parre● Parry the traitor received the Sacrament between the two cardinals of Vandosme and Narbon. In the same sort as they pervert the use of the Sacraments: so they do also them of their own invention. Saint blaze is celebrated, because In Br●. star. fest. Sanct. Blus●. in lect. 2. et si fort. he used imposition of hands vpon Beasts. chrism they use to the anointing of Altars. Penance and satisfaction are sported with, and enjoined to unreasonable creatures. For so the new Legend of England witnesseth, In n●na leg. Aug. in vita Cuthberti. That the crow did penance, which vncouered the roof of Saint Cuthberts house. And, Bartholomew Ibid. in vit. Bart. Monach. the monk enjoined the Sparrow-hauke to fast two daies, which had eaten his little bide. Absolution is given to the dead. The binding knot Greg. pap. appellat Hildebrand. in excō. et depos. Hen. Imp. apud Platinam. of Excommunication is not promulged in the name of God alone, but of the Virgin, and the Apostles, and it is used for the Popes private temporal gain. Bernard In vit. Ber. l. 1. c. 11 did excommunicate flies. And another Priest In Disc. de Temp. enem. de E. 41. a Garden; and that by the authority of the words of Christ; What ye bind in earth shall be bound in heaven. It were an Herculean labour to rak up the dung of this Augean stable, this Romish sink, to the bottom; Ex non. Leg. Ang. who even with the very resurrection of the dead, the highest mystery of our religion, make their sport: for Saint German raised up an ass from the the dead. Adelm a camel. Bernacus a Cow. Bridget a calf. Gundwell a sheep. Cuthbert his Blacke-bird. Kentigerne the little Robin redocke. CHAP. XCI. error of the Romish Church concerning the manner of Sanctification of Sacraments, which( they say) is chiefly done by the Ministers intention. manifold are the Romish corruptions in this respect. First, how the Sacraments are holy: then, how Sacraments make others holy. Two things there are, which( they say) give life unto the Sacraments: the words of the Consecration, and the intention of the Minister. Of the Consecratory words it hath been formerly spoken: now let us examine their doctrine touching the intention of the Minister. The cautel of the missal saith; Qu●niā magn● latent in signis, mai●ra in verbis, maxima in intentione. in prima Cautela. Miss. star. Great things are hidden in the signs, greater in the words, greatest of all in the Ministers intention. Bellarmine saith, that after a certain manner the Sacraments Aliquo modo ●●̄. dē● verba sacramē talia a minisiri potestate, et ●● 〈◇〉 B●ll de Sacr●●●● nere. l. 1. c. 27. idem Ro. Br●. in defect ●us in celeb. Miss. verb. celebranius. depend of the power and will of the Minister: and he calls it by the name of a new heresy, to hold, that the intention of the Minister of the Sacram●nts is not requisite: but that the Sacrament is complete, if the matter& the words be present, or joined together. He saith, The same is the opinion of Tho. Aq. par. 3 q. 64. art. 8. et decimo. The Ministers of Christs Sacraments are m●n endued with reason, therefore they ought to haue a certain purpose and intention to perform the Institution of Christ. Wee confess indeed, that it is required in respect of his own duty, that the Minister intend unto the Institution which he doth celebrate: but his negligence, or his wickedness doth not hinder in others the efficacy of the Sacrament ordained by Iesus Christ, and received with a lively faith. To confirm his error Bellarmine again coineth a frivolous distinction, and saith, that Ibid. ad vert. tertia ratio sum●ur. the words of God are either speculative, or wick and working words: speculative words are significative, howsoever pronounced: but wick or working words are not powerful, except they be spoken both by him that hath power, and will, and intention to effect that which the words do signify. Thus doth the friar turn the gospel of Christ into magical spells, and maketh it an enchantment, by which the elements are converted into Sacraments. Manipulus Curatorum teacheth, In illo qui baptisaet requiritur sē●er intentio baptisandi: scilicet illud saciendi, quod intendit, seu facit ecclesia: al ter non est baptismus, quā●u alia necessaria ad baptismum sint ibi. Manip. Cur. c. 4 That in him which baptizeth it is requisite, he haue an intention to baptize, that is, to do that which the Church in that ceremony doth: otherwise it is no baptism, although all other things necessary to baptism be there present. And yet it is not necessary( saieth he) that the Minister baptizing should intend, that this baptism be available to the receiver unto eternal life. Thus far Manip. Curatorum: with whom Bellarmin agreeing saith, Bell. de Sacr in genere. l. 1. c. 27 porr● quod ecclesiae. that the intention of the action is requisite in the Minister, but not of the end. And John de Lapide teacheth, Cum ad perfectionem cuiuslibet s●cramenti requiratur intentio ministri: eo qu●d perfectio illa sit per actum humanum à voluntate procedentem, quae per intentionem determinatur et specificatur, const●t quod maxim ad cobficiendum hoc excellemtissimum sacrific●um eligitur intentio ministri: vnde et qua dā glossa supper Mat. d. cit, quantu● intendis, tantum facis. jo de L●p. in Resolutorio dub. circa ●elib Mis● c. 2. art. 3. To the perfection of every Sacrament the intention of the Minister is required: because the perfection thereof is made by the act of a man proceeding from his will, which is determined by his intention, &c. Thomas Aquinas saith, Ad perfectionem Sacramenti●● nostri intent●o requi●itur. The. Aq. q. 64. vt collig. à Bōn jehu. 3. part. c. 64. To the perfection of the Sacrament the intention of the Minister is necessary. The absurdity of this doctrine bewrayeth itself. For if on the intention of the Minister the Sacrament depends, then the negligence, the ignorance, the malice of the Minister, makes the sign no Sacrament; neither can any man be assured that he is baptized, or that he hath received the Eucharist. For he knoweth not, whether the Minister did intend to consecrate the elements, that they might bee made Sacraments. again, Manipulus Curatorum saith, Quantum umque intenderet consecrare: tamen non consecraret. Manip. Curat. c. 4. de forma Euch. that though he intend to consecrate never so much, if any one of the four words, which are of the necessity of the Sacrament( namely these, Hoc est Corpus meum) be not pronounced, there is no consecration. Now, no marvell if they teach, that no man hath assured certainty of salvation: for without baptism( they say) is no salvation; and without the Ministers intention there is no baptism: why then, in a massing Priests thought stands our salvation, or damnation. After the like manner in the Eucharist, The words of Christs institution are working words, Nī in verbis sacramentalibus est virtus operatiua, said dependinter à ministro. Bell. de Sacr. in genere. l. 1 c. 27. But dependently vpon the minister: For they then only haue power, when they are joined with the virtue of the Minister. They transubstantiate the bread and wine into the very body and blood of Christ, and by the power of the Priests office he makes it God and man, and as God and man it must bee adored: Jdē in Ro. Miss. in defectibas in celebratione Missae. Verbo sacerdos celebraturus. But if the Ministers intention fail, if he mind not, if he purpose not, if he will not, if he speak not that the element should be transubstantiate, it remaineth bread still; and he that adoreth, adoreth bread, and worshippeth bread, and is now an idolater. Wherefore a certain Inquisitor was very wary and cautious, who said; Cypr. Val. in his treatise of the mass. Lord, if thou be there, I adore thee. And the missal of Sarum, when the Priest is to receive many Hosts at once, because some perhaps are inclining to corruption, counseleth the Priest to receive the Host of his own consecration first, and then those which remain. For De suis cred ●,& scit: de aliu credit, et n●scit. in Cautelis circa Mis Cau. 5. Touching his own, he believeth and knoweth: concerning the other, he believeth, but doth not know, whether it be the body of Christ or not. Manipulus Curatorum saith, Cap 2. de minist. ●●thar. The Host presented to a man by an angel must be adored, conditionally, that it bee the true body of Christ. Thus doth the Romish prelacy reign over the souls of simplo men, and with these perplexities, they rob the consciences of the sweet comfort and consolation, which Sacraments duly esteemed administer unto vs. From hence, and other gross conceits as touching Sacraments, spring manifold questions, thorns and briars, to entangle and snare the soul. Whether it be bap●●sme, if one in sport or play cast on water, and say, I baptize thee? Whether it be necessary, that the Minister be free from mortal sin when he doth baptize? Whether the Minister, who being in mortal sin, baptizeth, doth therein sin? Whether he that thinks himself a Priest and is not, doth consecrate? Whether a child may be baptized in the womb? Whether, if any member but the head, come forth of the womb, Vid. Sum. Angel. Manip. Curat. jo de Lap. Durand. et similes. it may be baptized on that member? Whether, if you cannot come at water, you may cast the child into a deep well, and say, I baptize thee? Whether one may baptize a Child in Urine? Whether you may baptize in Ale? Whether you may baptize in spittle, in lie, in Rose water, in dirt? Whether you may baptize a child in Pottage? of which Manipulus Curatorum distinguishing saith; Si autem non sit tanta spissitudo brodij, said brodium sit pingue, credo quod tū● in illo brodio posset baptisari. Manip. Cur. c. 2. de materia baptism. If the Pottage be not over thick, but good and fat, you may baptize therein. Whether a man may buy water to baptize with? Whether, Sum. Angelic. in quast. bap. If the Priest will not baptize a woman, except he may deflower her, she may consent? Whether the Priest may consecrate any bread but of wheat? Whether he may consecrate any wine but of Grapes? Whether he may consecrate Vineger? Whether he may consecrate wine made of wild grapes? How much bread and wine in quantity a Priest may consecrate? Whether he may consecrate all the bread and wine in the town? If the Minister intend to consecrate twelve Hosts, thirteen being on the Altar, whether all be consecrate? Whether he may consecrate bread, that is in the way of putrefaction? Whether he may consecrate bread of mingled corn? Whether he may consecrate bread that is mingled with Rose-water? Whether he may consecrate paste made with wheat? Whether he may consecrate washings, that is, The water which is cast vpon the Grapes after the wine is crushed out? Whether the pronouncing of the word, Enim, bee of the necessity of consecration? Whether consecration may be, when there are no other words, but, This is my body? Whether a Priest may consecrate one piece of the Host, and not the other? Whether when the Host is moved, Christs body doth move? Whether when the Host is broken, Christs body is broken? Whether he that worshippeth an Host, which he thinketh to bee consecrate, and is not, be an idolator? Whether he that doth swallow down the relics of his supper may celebrate? Whether, if a Priest jo. de Lapid. eat or drink late, he may receive on the morrow? Whether he may receive the Sacrament before his meate bee digested? Whether the Priest jo. de Lapid. that gargarizing his mouth, lets some of the spittle or liquour down, may communicate? Whether the actual intention of the Minister bee required to transubstantiation, or the habitual sufficeth? Whether a Priest may consecrate in the Sea, lest the blood in the tottring of the ship be spilled? Whether a Priest may consecrate in the night? Whether a Priest that thinks himself baptized, and is not, doth consecrate? To these ye may add that jolly question, Grat. de Consec. dist. 2. cap. cum omne in Gloss. Whether Christ betrayed Iudas? To conclude, Op●● aureum erra●um omni lapide ●re●● so. the answer of the eight thousand doubts reckoneth up two hundred forty five questions concerning the Sacrament of the Altar onely. All these spinosities and Labyrinths of doubt, for the most part, do spring from these false grounds, that the intention of the Minister is necessary to the constitution of the Sacrament: that the words or the Priest pronounced, are working and wick words, like those of the Poet, Necte tri●us ●o dis tri●os, Ama●●lli, col●re●: Necte, Amar●lli, modo, et Veneris, dic, vencula nect● Virgil in eglo● Knit, in three knots, three colours, Amarillis: Knit, Amarillis, soon; and say of love, The knots knit I.— CHAP. XCII. Of Opus operans, and Opus operatum; the act acting, and the act acted, about Sacraments. COme we now to their opinion of Opus operatum, or the acting of the Act, as they call it. The Compendium of the theological verity saith, and with it all the rest agree, that Item Sacramenta noua legis iustificant, et quantum ad opus operatum, et quantum ad opus operā●. lo. de Comb. in Conp. Theol. verit. l. 6. c 8. ad sinem fear. The Sacraments of the new Lawe do justify, both in respect of the act acted, and the act acting. The Tridentine Fathers hereto accord, and pronounce Accursed, whosoever shall say, Si quis diverit, Sacr●menta norae legis opere operato non conferre gratiam &c. Anathema sit. Sess. 7. Can. 8. The Sacraments do not confer grace, by the very acting of the act. But here worthy of observation it is, how the tongues of the Babylonish builders are divided. Manipulus Curatorum saith, that Manip. Curat. de efficacia et virtute Sacram. cap. 2. fear in pri● c●p. The act acted, is the doing of the deed, or the action which is used about the Sacraments; as in baptism the aspersion, or dipping into the water. Scotus and Biel say, The consecration, oblation, and receiving of the venerable Sacrament is the act acted. Harding Hard. art 2 sect 1 will haue the act acted, not to bee the work of the Minister, but the work which God himself worketh by the Minister. Others say, that The conferring of grace by the Act acted is not by the desert of him that conferreth the Sacrament, or of him that receiveth it, but from the force of the external action of the Sacrament, that is, by the due application of the matter and form of the Sacrament by the Minister. Bellarmine sometime saith, Item id; quod actinè et proximè, atque instrumentaliter essicit gra●am iustification●, est sola actio illa externa, quae Sacramentum dic tur; et hoc vocatur opus op●●●ū. Bell. l. ●. de eff●c Sac. c. 1. verlo igitur vt intelligamu●. The sign conferreth grace: sometime, That God alone conferreth grace. Gerson saith, Vid. Lā● Da●●ins cent Bell. ad. 9. Cont. cap 1. The word of the Creator, and the virtue of the spirit is the act acted. Gropperus saith, It is the body of Christ. The like controversies are amongst them, whether the outward acting of the act onely conferreth grace in the Sacraments? cardinal Caietan in his conference with Luther at Augusta said, In Paral. vnsp●r anno 1518. Faith is not necessary to him that receiveth the Eucharist, Biel saith, Bul lect. 81 an P●ralip. vasperg. anno 1518. The Sacrifice doth not require spiritual life actually, but potentially in them, for whom it is offered. And again, The Biel l. 4. s●. ●. d. 1. q. 2. special motion of faith is not required in him that receiveth the Sacrament. Peter Lombard saith, baptism is the external washing of a man under a prescript form of words. So that it is evident, he doth not require any internal motion in the receiver. bonaventure holdeth, That it is not needful the words bee pronounced with faith. Bellarmine saith, Bell. de Sac. l, 1. c. 2. special faith is not required in the Sacraments. John de Palude, Marsilius, Mensiugerus, Thomas jo. de Palud. in l. 4. sent. q. 1. conclus. 2. Mar●ilius in 4. quast. art 2. Me●s●gerus in c. 6. jo. teach, that Sacraments haue their efficacy, and confer grace to the good and the evil, neither do● they require internal motion to the receiving of them. The book entitled, Opus aureum ornatum omni lapide pr●tioso, saith, In d●m. Palm●r. dub. 195. tract. 4. sent. dist. 3. That in the receiving of the eucharistical Sacrament all punishment of sin is not remitted, but according to the measure and quantity of the devotion and zeal of the offerer, or of him for whom it is offered. The same, Bon joan collecteth out of Aquinas; Comp. 3. part. cap. 79. This sacrifice( saith he) is satisfactorious for the offerers, according to the quantity of the devotion, and not for all the punishment. Pomerius saith, that Cher●●. in exam. de Fest. ●orp. Chri. when a man being contrite, on the day of the Feast of Christs body, is present at the mass and Procession, and giveth solemn reverence to the Sacrament then born about; by that worship, and that work he doth merit, and obtain many good things; as, the acceptance of God, blessing, conversion from sin, &c. The Tridentine council is more subtle. For in words it doth not shut out faith, council. tried. Sess. q. Can. 8. But accurseth him who saith, the Sacraments do not confer grace by the very doing of the deed, but that faith onely sufficeth to obtain grace. The difference betwixt them is this. The schoolmen ●aught, that the external action conferred grace without faith: The council of Trent teacheth, that faith in the exercise of Sacraments doth not attain grace alone, but the acting of the act conferreth it. In these windy conflicts and strifes of vain imaginations, what way shall the simplo, and ignorant man take? whom shall he follow? Surely there is no course, but to shun these brakes of errors, and to fly out of these Labyrinths of disputation, unto him that without perplexity of words, or difficulty of terms proclaimeth plainly; Math. 11.28. Come unto me all you that travell, and are heavy loaden, and I shall refresh you. CHAP. XCIII. That the Romish Church perverteth the use of the holy Eucharist, by turning the Sacrament into a Sacrifice. THat the holy Eucharist is sometime called a sacrifice by the ancient Fathers, for that we in the receiving thereof give thankes to God for his incomparable benefits in Iesus Christ, there is no man can deny; and surely the ground hereof is very good. For the onely Sacrifice, which is now left unto the church, is that of prayer and thanksgiving, Osee 14.3. The calves of our lips; as the Scripture calleth it. Now, because at the celebration of the holy Eucharist chiefly and with greatest magnificence, we give praises and thankes to God for the death of his son, therefore many times the Sacrament itself is called the Sacrifice, though unproperly, because in receiving thereof we always offer up the sacrifice of thanksgiving. In place of this holy and unbloody Sacrifice, the Romish priest contendeth, that he every day offereth up the very natural flesh and blood of Christ unto God the Father for the forgiveness of the sins of the quick and the dead. But this is a figment injurious to Christ, monstrous in his Church, abominable to God, and to men offensive. Against which, sundry reasons may be produced; I will content myself with a few. My first Reason I take out of the word of our saviour Iesus Christ; who, ordaining this holy ceremony, doth not onely command what shall bee done, but also sheweth to what end and purpose it should be done, Luke 22.19. do this( saith he) in remembrance of me. Wherefore the end of this institution is a remembrance of Christ. And this is the exposition of the Apostle Paul; which he most exactly instructing his Corinthians in the Doctrine of the Sacrament, maketh of Christs words. 1. Cor. 11.16. For as often as ye shal eat( saith he) this bread, and drink this Cup, ye show the Lords death till he come. It is therfore evident, that the end of Christs institution was, that we should continue in the church always to the end of the world an honourable remembrance of his death& Passion. The second argument I take out of the Apostle to the Hebrewes: who showing that unto the Priests office it is incident to offer for sin, addeth; Heb 5 4. No man taketh this honour vpon him, but he which is called of God, as Aaron was: but the Romish Priests haue no calling in the old or new Testament to offer up Christs flesh unto God in sacrifice; therefore it may not be granted unto them. If they say they haue any such authority, let them show us their commission, and their calling with the ceremonies belonging thereto. Christ said; Mar. 16.15 go and preach: Christ said; Math 28.19. Baptize in the name of the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost: and of the Eucharist he said, do this in remembrance of me: but he never said; do this to take away your sins: he never said; sacrifice me, offer me up to God. Thirdly, this figment of the offering up of Christ for sin by the Priest, doth plainly cross the whole drift of the scripture. For of the Scripture the scope is, to show that Christ Heb. 10.14. with one offering hath consecrated for ever them that are sanctified. And the Apostle, lest wee should think that this one offering might yet be often renewed, saith, Heb. 10.10. Wee are sanctified even by the offering up of the body of Christ once for all. Therfore where Christ once sanctifieth and taketh away sin, there needs no further sanctification, nor taking away of sin. Esay saith, Esay 53.5. We are healed with his stripes: being healed, what more can be done. Wherefore Esay again calleth him Esay 25.10. The mountain, wherein the hand of God ceaseth: and he saith, that E ay ●●. ●7. The work of iustice shal be peace: and again he prophesieth, that Esay 45 8. S●luation and iustice should bee brought forth together: meaning that Iesus Christ should at once save, and justify them, whom God hath given unto him. Wherefore the Apostle Paul in the tenth to the Hebrewes plainly affirmeth, He●. 10.2. that when the offerer is once purged, he hath no more conscience of sin. It is evident then, since the blood of Iesus Christ is that Malac. ●. ● fullers soap, that Spirit of fire, which hath at once taken away all sin, and that in the Sacrifice of the cross God resteth as in his Sabbath: Man also ought to make it the rest and Sabbath of his conscience, and to offer no more sacrifice for sin. Fourthly, this figment of offering up of Christ by the priest for the sins of the quick and the dead is overthrown by themselves. For they prohibit any man to receive the Sacrament, except he bee first confessed to the Priest: But in Confession, by the penance enjoined sin is taken presently away; therefore the Priest heed not to offer for it. Lastly, the Romish Church teacheth, that the offering sacramental doth not take away all sins, but the lesser, and the smaller sins: which the Tridentine council insinuateth, saying, Con●il. tried 〈◇〉 rat. instit. hi●●s Sa● c●p. ●. That the holy Eucharist doth deliver from our quotidian or daily sins, and it preserveth against mortal sins: and the Iesuites of Colen teach, Ex Mar●. Che●●● that the Sacrament hath many notable effects, to them that are clean from all great sins, that is, who in confession are cleared from great sins: the small which were forgotten in Confession, are taken away by the Sacrifice of the Eucharist, but not the mortal. Thomas Aquinas saith, that the cause of the institution is against the rapine of certain quotidian sins, that as the body of Christ was once offered vpon the cross for original sin: so there should be a continual offering vpon the Altar for our daily offences: Or( as Bon johannes doth collect) Cum itaque pe●●●us v● hoc Sacramentum s● ablutio ●c●●●●u●a, i●telligitur ●orum, quorum ●oti● ā no● halemu●; vel vt ●ontr●tio p●r s●c●atur: seu vt robu● d●●●r a● si ●●era vitam ●a. come tertia part●● c. 9.& sic ips● author suppl●●i. q. ● 9. ar● 4. When we desire that this Sacrament may bee the washing away of sins, it is to be understood of those sins, which wee are ignorant of: or that contrition may bee given or perfected in us: or that strength to avoid sins may be given us: and again Et virtute ●uius Sacramenti pe●cata ventalia re●●ttuntur Ibid. By the virtue of this Sacrament venial sins are forgiven: and again, Ideo competi● huic Sa ramento, vt i●sa venialia remutat. ibid. it belongeth to this sacrifice to forgive venial sins. The sum is: Christ neither on the cross, nor in the Sacrament doth take sin fully away; it must bee done by Penance, Satisfaction and indulgence, to fill the purses of Prelates. O spiritual wickedness in heavenly things! CHAP. XCIV. Of the figment of Transubstantiation, with the reasons against it. AS the orator said of the roman Augurs, that he marveled a soothsayer did not laugh, when he saw a soothsayer, knowing in their own conscience with what falshoods they abused the people: the same may I truly say of this Chymana, this Monster, this idol of Transubstantiation. Against which the reasons are so plain, the arguments so many, the proof so evident, that no man, except he be forsaken of all iudgement in spiritual things, nay, of common sense, can beleeue it. As compendiously as I can, omitting the numerositie of conclusions against this figment, which in sundry good authors may bee found, I will onely set before thee( discreet Reader) a few demonstrations, which I doubt not, will sufficiently confute the vanity of this imagination. The first argument shall be from the words of the institution themselves. They complain they cannot, nor dare not deny the truth of Christs saying; This is my body: neither do we. But of the understanding, and the construction or meaning of the words is the controversy. observe. It is a certain and true Canon in expounding Scriptures, that one place must not be opposed against many, but the fewer must bee expounded by the more in number, and the doubtful by those that are plain: Neither do we ever make a true exposition of any one text of Scripture, but when the dignity, the authority, and the verity of all other sentences of the Scripture, are equally and inviolably preserved. Wherefore the Romish Prelates unjustly enforce one short sentence against many, and four words against such a cloud of witnesses, as the Scripture on the contrary side administereth: yea, they are most faulty, who allow of no other interpretation of the words, This is my body, but such as is plainly repugnant to the whole course of Scriptures: and yet let us examine the words themselves, and no such portent can be gathered out of them, as the Archimago of Rome maintaineth. Iesus took bread, and when he had given thankes, he broke it, and gave it to them, saying, Take, eat, this is my body. Luke addeth, Luke 22.19. which is given for you, this do in the remembrance of me. Notwithstanding the diuers opinions, and disputation of Sophisters touching the word, This, it must needs in simplicity of understanding be referred to that which Christ had in his hands: but that by the consent of all the evangelists was Bread; therefore, This, that is, the Bread, must bee his body. The Bread may not vanish, the Bread may not be taken away, but Bread still remaineth: else our saviours proposition cannot be true, This,( meaning the Bread) is my body. Such interpretation must bee made of the words, as the terms of the proposition may stand still: which cannot be, except it be Bread and Body. Wherefore, if wee follow the grammatical sense, that opinion which taketh away bread in the Sacrament, falsifieth the words of Christ: but the opinion which saith the Sacrament is both Bread and Body( the bread naturally, the body figuratively) agreeth with the very form of Christs words. When Luke 22.19. he had given thankes, he broke it, and gave to them. This connexion sheweth, that it was the very same he gave, which he broke: but it was Bread, which he broke: therefore it was Bread, which he gave. No man can say, that he broke one thing, and gave another, since the evangelists use one and the same term; He broke it, and gave. Which is given for you: these words are not referred to the sign which he broke and distributed, but to his own natural body, of which he spake in the Present tense; It is given for you, because it was speedily to be given. For if that which he held in his hands, were the thing which was given for them, then doubtless he was broken, and bruised, and suffered before he was betrayed: for, that which he held in his hands, he broke, and bade them, Take, and eat. In that he saith, do this in remembrance of me: it is plain, that he did not mean, that his natural body and blood should be carnally and really under the forms of bread and wine. For he saith, do this, that is, take and eat: but no sober man will think, that Christ would haue his impassable, glorious, immortal body, after his resurrection broken or eaten: surely he did not say; Consecrate as I consecrate, or speak as I speak: but he commandeth us to do as he did: he broke that he gave, shall we break his body? No man can say, that the bread is any otherways the body of Christ, then the wine is his blood: now he calleth not the wine his blood simply, or the blood of his body, but respectively, and in lome sort. Math. 26.28. This is my blood of the New Testament, that is( as Luke expoundeth) the New Testament in his blood: and Luke nameth not the wine, but, Luke 22.20. This Cup is the New Testament in my blood. So that, if wee cleave to the very letter, it is not the wine, but the cup itself, which is changed; not into blood, but into The New Testament of his blood. Wherefore as the Romanists themselves cannot deny that the words of Saint Luke are figurative; This cup is the New Testament in my blood: so are the other also, This is my body. My second argument against Transubstantiation, is the manifold authorities of the Scripture which plainly impugn the same. The Apostle Paul calleth that which is eaten and drunk, 1. Cor. 11.26.27, ●8. Or bread and the Cap. Bread and Wine three times together, in the eleventh chapter of the first to the Corinthians. And again, 1. Cor. 10.21. ye cannot partake of the Table of the Lord, and the table of divels. Our saviour Christ both in Saint matthew, and Saint marks gospel doth plainly call it Ma●h. 26.19. M●●ke 14 25. The fruit of the Vine after consecration. To this let me add the Doctrine of Saint Paul, 1. Cor. 10.17. We are all one bread and one body, because wee all are partakers of one bread: But the Popish Transubstantiation doth altogether overthrow this inference and conclusion; for it taketh away the bread in the Sacrament, and it denieth that we partake of any bread therein. Christ telleth his Disciples, that joh. 16.28.29. He leaveth the world and goeth unto the Father: the Disciples answered; Now thou speakest plainly, and without Parables. Wherefore it is manifest, that Christs words are to be understood literally, and not figuratively. For he speaketh plainly, that his natural body must forsake the world, and bee taken up to heaven: neither can it return again till his great and second appearing, when we shall behold him. For so the Scriptures do witness; Act. 3.21. The heauens must contain him until the time that all things be restored: Neither is he so contained in heaven, that he is contained in the earth also. For he saith; Math. 26.11. me you shall not haue always with you. Which words must be understood of his bodily presence. I will conclude these testimonies, out of the words of the Apostle to the Hebrewes, who saith; Heb. 10▪ 12. This man, After he had offered one sacrifice for sins, fitteth for ever at the right hand of God, nothing can bee more plain: the meaning of the words is, that Christ hath finished all his business of sacrificing and cleansing sin, and now enjoyeth a glorious Sabbath of rest, sitting at the right hand of God for ever: not for a time, not for some season with discontinuation from thence, and negotiation other where, but at the right hand of God for ever. The third argument against Transubstantiation is taken from the comparison with all other Sacraments. The Rock, the Apostle saith, was Christ: yet no man will say, that the rock was Transubstantiate into Christ. 1. Cor. 10.4. Gal. 3.27. baptism is the putting on of Christ: yet no man will say, that the flesh and blood of Christ is naturally vpon vs. Fourthly, experience teacheth, that the substance of the bread and wine is not changed: for it hath the same properties that other natural bread hath; colour, taste, nutriment, putrefaction, corruption. Marti Polon●os ●●lateranus▪ Math. Palmarin. Texter. ●aralip vrspurge●. Anno 1313 baptista Ignatius aventinus. Carton. in supplementum Chron. Te●ter in O ff ●●n●● vene●o exti●●●. Victor the Pope was poisoned in the Chalice: Henry the Emperour, with the bread. If it were Christs body and blood, it could not produce these effects. Fiftly, many absurdities follow this figment of Transubstantiation. Christs body must be in many places at one time: Christs body is often sacrificed: Christ giveth no more in two parts of the Sacrament then in one: the wicked receive Christ: the Mice eat Christ, the fly drinks his blood: all the holy souls by Concomitance are on the Altar; and in a thousand places, on a thousand Altars at one time, for revel. 14. They wait on the lamb, whither soever he goeth. And this, Odo Paris. in his Synod: Stat, confesseth; for he saith, Odo in stat. Synod. c. de Sacr. Alta. The whole court of heaven is present, when the mass is celebrated, Christ hath many bodies: God is made by man: Christs body is fantastical: Corpus de pave, corpus de virgin, primum est conuersum, said materiale secundam Henr. de urim. in Pet. Lomb. 4. l. dist. 11. cap. 3. Christs body is made of that which was neither the flesh, the blood, nor the seed of the Virgin; which is a most blasphemous absurdity. These and many other blasphemies, and absurdities do necessary come from this position of Transubstantiation; as, that of Aquinas, Th. Aq. ter. part. q. 64. art. 10. If a Priest intend to make the body of Christ, that he may use it to sorcery, yet it is the body of Christ still. sixthly, there are so many conditions required in Transubstantiation, that no man can certainly know, whether Christs body bee in the Host or not. The intention of the Minister, the form of words, the due matter, the due commixtion of wine and water. For, Si vinum sit factum de vuis acerbis seu non maturis expressum, non conficitur Sacrament in Ro. Br●. in desec. Vini. Item cauendum est. ne apponatur. In Cant. Miss star. If the wine bee made of sour Grapes, or of Grapes not ripe: if there bee too much water therein. Non conficeretur; the blood of Christ should no● be made. seventhly, the Doctrine of the Fathers is against it. Tertullian against martion saith; Tertul. cont. Mar. lib. 4. This is my body, that is to say, a figure of my body. Origen saith; if you follow the letter, or words of this that Christ said; Orig. hom. 7. in Leuit. Except you eat my flesh and drink my blood; This letter killeth. jerome saith, Christ took bread, which comforteth mens hearts, that he might represent thereby his very body and blood. Augustine saith; our Lord doubted not to say, This is my body: when he gave the sign of his body: And vpon the third psalm; Corpo●is su●●gurā di●cipul● suis commendauit& tradid●● Aug. in Psal. 3. he gave the figure of his body to his Disciples: and of all Sacraments he saith, they be signs of the things: they do one thing, and signify another. The eighth argument against Transubstantiation, is the disagreement of the Romish Synagogue itself concerning the doctrine. For such contentions, strifes, warres, disputations, brawls, as are amongst them concerning this matter, are in no other Art or Science, learning or profession to be found. Themistius unto Valens the Emperour witnessed, Socrates eccles. hist. l. 3. c. 27. that there were three hundred several opinions in the religion of the Gentiles: and I am surely persuaded, that if we did diligently peruse them, there would be found many more questions and disagreements in the bowels of the Romish Church concerning this one point of their faith: ●●d in this behalf the author of the answer to the eight thousand doubts, of whom I spake before, shall towns with me. The book called the answer to the eight thousand doubts; or ●pus aureum ●rnatum, &c. Some teach Transubstantiation, some Consubstantiation, some circumstantiation or commixtion of the sign with the thing signified, some substitution of the substance of the thing signified, into the place of the substance of the sign: others hold transelementation of the first matter, of which the sign and the substance of Christs body doth consist: there are who teach, that there is no change nor conversion of the sign into the thing signified, but a generation of a new substance, by the pronouncing of the words of Christ: some say, The consecration is by the last letter or syllable of the words: some by the first words, Hoc est corpus: some say, the accidents of the signs do utterly perish and come to nothing: other say, they hang in the air: the rest say, they are resolved into their elements: Some say, the bread alone is the sign of Christs body without the blood: other say, the blood is a sign also: Some say, the consecration of the bread into the body of Christ is done in heaven: some say, it is done on the earth: some say, it is done by an Angel: some by a Priest: some say, the wicked are partakers of Christs body: others say, they are not: some say, it is the very body of Christ which was crucified for us, that is received in the Sacrament: other say, it is his spiritual body: some say, the Article, This, is referred to the body: some to the bread: some unto both: some to neither: some think the body of Christ is made of the form: some of the matter of the bread: some say Christ is sensibly: some insensibly in the Sacrament: some say, there is discretion of parts: other say, all the parts are confusedly in one: some say, he is there in his natural quantity: others deny. Let them first compose these contentions, and agree amongst themselves, and then we shall give them answer. In the mean time wee must needs esteem it as the idol Ezech. 8 3. of indignation mentioned in Ezechiel: And Moses saith; Deut. 32.21. They haue moved me to jealousy with that, which is not God. CHAP. XCV. That the authors of the mass themselves did never beleeue Transubstantiation. I Know there are many that will deem me very opinionatiue and fantastical, to divine so Paradoxically of their faith who were the principal authors of the mass; since for so many yeares and ages the Church hath always believed, that the office of the mass doth most plainly teach Transubstantiation: for the Priest doth openly and boldly profess, that Qu●m ego ind●gnus hic in manibus teneo In Can. Miss. secundum vsum Sarū. He holdeth the flesh of Christ in his hands. But retain patience a while( impartial Reader) and thou shalt with me undoubtedly resolve, that the Missificatours themselves never believed Transubstantiation. First, let it not be past over, that they so often call the holy Ex Miss. star.& Ro. Eucharist a mystery, an Image, a Pledge: but how can it be a mystery, or an image, if it be the thing itself? Secondly, when they speak of the oblation received, or laid on the Altar after consecration, they speak commonly in the plural number; Prasta quasu●us oimpotens deus, vt de percep●● muneribus &c. Ro. Miss. in post come. Sancti Paulini Sumptis, domine, muneribus sacris. in dom. 7. post Trinit. Post. come. Mis. Saris. Hos●ias quaesumus domine, pus intend domire in 13. post ●●n. in secreti Tribuant nobis quasumus domine, continuum tua sancta pr● sid ū. Ro. M●ss Post come. ●E●●l. Sanc. Maria. Holy gifts, Hosts, or Sacrifices: but CHRIST is not many gifts, nor many Hosts, nor many Sacrifices: he is one gift, one sacrifice, and one host: therefore it cannot bee, that what the Masse-maker speaketh in the plural number, should be meant of Christs body which is singular. Thirdly, on the four Ferie quatuor temporum, they of Sarum confess, that God would haue his Sacraments to consist of the fruits of the earth: but if there bee Transubstantiation, there is no fruit of the earth, of which the Sacrament doth consist: the fruit of the earth is vanished, it is not there. They plainly profess of the Sacrament; Ex h●ris de 5. Sacramento impr. per jac. Keruer: Parisi anno 1570. Et in Ro. Miss. in S●len. sacratis. corpor. Chri. in princip. Cibauit eos ex adipe frumenti, he hath fed them with the flower of wheat. Wherefore, by their own confession, the Sacrament which is eaten, is the fruit of the earth, and the fat of the wheat. In the Post-communion after every Bishop Confessor the roman missal; and the missal of Sarisbury in the Post Communion prayer In post. come: quasumus oimpotens deus feria. 6. 4. temp. in advent. Feria sexta say, Wee beseech thee O Lord, that giuing thankes unto thee for these gifts we haue received, we may receive better gifts. But Nihil in sacrificijs maius esse potest, quam corpus& sanguis Christi. Alex. 5. Papa. Gratian de consecrat. 3. part. d ct. 2. there is no better gift then Iesus Christ the son of the living God, in whom wee receive life, and all that belongs thereto: therefore they think not that they receive very Christ in the Sacrament. In another place; Quodor● sumpsimus domine, pu●a mente capiamus,& de munere ten●orali siat nobis remedium sempiternum. In Can. Mis. et. Ro. Br. far. 5. post. dō. pas●oni●. Post. come. quod ore sumpsimus. That which we haue received with our mouths, O Lord, grant, that with pure mindes wee may also take, that of a temporal gift, it may be made an eternal remedy. This cannot be spoken of the very body of Christ; which is not a temporal, but an everlasting gift and remedy. So likewise; Quod imagine contigimus Sacramenti, manifesta participatione sumamus. in Fest. Sancti Swythen. in Post. come. pignus vita aternae in Mis. star. That which wee haue received in the Image of the Sacrament, grant that we may receive by manifest participation. After the same manner they pray again; Let thy holy Sacraments perfect, O Lord, that which they contain, that what wee now do in show, we may receive in the certain truth of things themselves. What can bee more plain? They confess they receive Christ in show, they desire hereafter to receive the things themselves in verity and deed. Fourthly, in the Feast of Saint Potentiara the Virgin they pray, Ita tuis nos sa●●a uti Sacramenti●, vt aeternis mer●am●● interest conui●●●●. Miss. star. in Post. come. That they may so use his Sacraments, that they may be present at the eternal feast: but if CHRIST very God and Man bee the thing received in the Sacrament, they haue already tasted of the eternal banquet. Fiftly, in the Post-communion of the Virgin Maries mass, they call the Sacraments Mis. star. in Post-com. in Mis Bea. Virg. Mar. Salutis nostrae subsidia, the helps of our salvation: But if it be the very body of Christ it is horrible and blasphemous detraction from our great high Priest, to call him the help to salvation, who is salvation itself, and all we need thereto. sixthly, in the secret of the Office of the dead they say; Miss. star. in office. mor●. receive O Lord, for the soul of thy seruant, the host which thou didst offer to God the Father for us bountifully. If the Host bee the very body of Christ, then their prayer is most absurd, to desire Christ to receive Christ. Annus nobis quasumus domine, vt intercessione beati Leonis haec nobis profit oblatio. seventhly, in the feast of lo they pray, That the oblation may be profitable to them by the intercession of lo: And in the feast of Saint Osmund they pray, Munera nostra, domine quasumus, meritis& intercessionibus munifici Confessoris tui Osmunds sanctifica, vt in filii tui domini nostri Iesu Christi corpus& sanguinem conuertantur. Ex Mis. star. sanctify we beseech thee, O Lord, our gifts, and by the merits and intercession of bountiful Osmund thy Confessor, let them be turned into the body and blood of Christ, and be profitable to the health of our souls. How many impieties are here, wherein they bewray themselves? If the words of Christs institution be working words, and being spoken intentiuely by the Priest do transubstantiate, then what need Saint Osmunds merits and his prayers? And I pray you, what deserts of Osmund were so great, that for them Christ should be new-created? Now we see they pray both in this, and sundry other, that Christ should be available to us for the merits of Saints, and his sacrifice be effectual by mens commendations; as they are not ashamed to say; Sumpsimus, domine, pignus redemptionis aeternae, quod fi● nobis( quaesumus) interuententibus Martyribus tuis vita praesentis auxilium pariter& futura. Ro. Miss. in post. Tiburt.& Susannae. Wee haue, O Lord, received the pledge of eternal Redemption, which we beseech thee let be the help of this present and future life by the intervention of thy holy Martyrs. Eightly, in the Canon they pray, In Can. Miss. That God would accept the things offered, as he accepteth the sacrifice of his holy child Abell, the sacrifice of Abraham, and that which Melchizedech did offer. But it is intolerable blasphemy to compare Christs blood with these: therefore of Christs body and blood this may not be verified. If it be the very body of Christ, why do they offer it up to the honour of Saints? As in the feast of Vedastus and Amandus and sundry other; In quorum veneratione pietati tuae haec Sacrificia offer rimus. Mis. star. in S. Vedast.& Amand.& plurimis aliis. Et Ro. B●eu. Post-cō. pro Sancto Paulo quc pro illorum celebrata sunt gloria. 1. Cor. cap. 10.31. Unto whose honour we offer these sacrifices to thy holinesse. Surely, to offer up Christ to the honour of man, is to make Christ the seruant of men: and it is against the rule of the Apostle; Whatso ever ye do, do all to the glory of God. above the rest it may not bee forgotten, that in their secrets before the bread and wine be transubstantiated, they attribute as much unto it, and desire to receive as much grace, and as many blessings by it and for it, as they do in their Post-communions after it is consecrated and changed. Wherefore it is evident they esteem it to be still the same. The roman breviary in the eight Sunday after Pentecost saith; Suscip●, quasumus domine, munera, quae tibi de tua largitate deferimus, vt haec sacrosancta mysteria, gratiae tua operant virtute,& praesentis vita no● conuersatione sanct●ficent,& ad gaudia sempitern● perducant. Ro. Mis. dom. 8. post. penned. in Secret. receive, O Lord, these gifts which of thy own bounty we bring unto thee, that these holy mysteries, the power of thy grace working with them, may sanctify us in the conversation of this present life, and bring us to eternal salvation. Consider now, and judge uprightly; by the mysteries they bring, which can be nothing but bread and wine, they desire to be sanctified and brought unto the life to come: and more then this the Sacrament after it is transubstantiated cannot procure unto them. What need then such Tragedies? and why contend they so bitterly for their miraculous bread-turning, when the natural and plain elements before consecration, may yield as much unto them as they can desire? The same is made plain also in the secret of the third Ferie after the fourth sunday in Lent, wherein they pray; Haec H●stia. quaesumus, emundet nostra delicta,& ad sacrificium celebrandum subditorum tibi corpora et mentes sanctificet. Let this Host, O Lord, cleanse our sins, and let it sanctify the bodies and souls of thy subiects to the celebrating of thy sacrifice. Which way can they here escape, or what evasion may be found? The words, This Host, witnesseth, that it is the bread and wine, of which they speak, and not the body of Christ: for, the Host they desire may by sanctifying prepare them to the Sacrifice of Christs body: and by the same Host they desire also cleansing from sin. If then From and By the outward Symbols they desire to receive the same blessings as after transubstantiation, Their real presence is an idle and fruitless figment. On the sixth day of the preparance at night, Repon●● crucē in sepulch●ū pariter cum corpore dominic●. Miss. star. seria 6. in die Parasceues. Two Priests in surplices, barefooted carry the cross, and the body of Christ,& put it into the Sepulchre, humbly bowing down their knees. This is a plain argument, that they think it not to be the glorious immortal body of Christ. For then they surely would not do so much wrong unto it, as to bury the living, on whom death hath no more power. Nay, as the Poet reporteth of Mezentius, that he was used to join the living and the dead bodies together: so the history of Lombardy doth witness, L●g. Lō● in vita Bened. that they butted the Host, that is, Christ, with the body of a dead man in the same grave. After consecration Abluit digitos, extergit, et sumis ablutionem, extergit calicē. vid. second. Miss. they wash their fingers over the Chalice with wine and water, in which it must needs bee, that some of the blood is still left, at least vpon the sides of the Chalice: But if they thought as they speak, who would doubt it to be horrible impiety, to wash filthy fingers over the blood of Christ? No less in humanity is it to mingle, with Pilate, the Sacrifice of Christ with his own blood in their commixtion, of which there can bee no sufficient reason yielded. For if the body be natural, it is not without his blood already: and if in the Chalice be both the body and blood, what folly and abomination is it to lay Christ vpon Christ? what should I speak of the drenching of him in water? I doubt not, but if they believed it to bee the very body of Christ, they would more reverently, and with greater honour esteem it; as Nicholas de Ploue doth, who forbiddeth Priests to blow,& breath, and belch over the Sacrament. Lastly, the Romish Church itself teacheth us to doubt, whether Christ bee always really present in the Sacrament. For the Canonist saith, Quid si ex m●lle, vel al●o liquere fuerit farina aspersa, num quid transubstantiatur ill● panu●● corpus Christis non. Gratiā de consec 3. part. dist. 2. in Glos. sicut in sanctificando ad finem. that If the flower be tempered with honey, or any other liquour but water; such bread is not transubstantiate into the body of Christ. And again, Nota, quod de a●●o pane nô potest confici corpu● Christi, ●●si de frumento. ibid. If the Host bee made of any bread but of wheat, it cannot be made the body of Christ: nay, Nūqu d, si addatur p●per frumento, ●ōuertitur in corpus Christi? non. Grat. de Consecr. 3. part. in Gloss. in Sacram. if any other seeds or spice bee added to the wheat, the wheat is changed, the other is not changed. In these doubts who can bee assured, that the body of Christ is always present in the Host? Especially, seeing( as I haue formerly shewed) that on the intention of the Minister hangs the force of Consecration. Insomuch that of the Hostes of another Priests making, every Priest hath cause to be doubtful. The Roman missal saith; Quic cu●a eni●● h●●u def●●●t, sci●● et materia d●●●●a, ●orm● cum intent●●ne, et ●●do Sacerdo●a●is in confi●●enti, non co●icitur Sacrametis de desictibus. in c●lebr. Miss. If there want due matter, form, intention, or sacerdotal order, the Sacrament is not made: If Si ●●tons●ctus de aqua rosartae, ●el alter ●s distillationis, dubtum est, an confic. atur. M ss ib d. the bread be made of Rose-water, or any other distilled water, it is doubtful whether the Sacrament be made: again, Si aliquid disit ex ii● quae ad integritatem verborum u● ipsa consecratione requir●ntur, non conficer●tur sacramentum▪ Ro. Mis. iuxt. approb. con. Tri. If any thing bee wanting, which doth appertain to the fullness of the words, which are in the consecration required, the Sacrament is not made. To conclude; concerning the doubts of these Sceptike divines, in this the highest Hieroglyph of their dark Sphing●an faith they say, Si quis h●bet coram se vndeci● hossias,& intendat consecrare solūdicē, non determinans quas decem intendis, non cons●crat; quia requ●●i●●rententio: Secus si p●tans quidem esse dec●m▪ tamen oranis v●lu●t consecrate, quas coram se habebat, tunc omnes erunt consecratae: atque ideo qu●●i●e● Sacerdos tatem semper intentionem habere deber●t, s●ilicet, consecrandi ●as omnes, quas ante se ad consecrandum positas hab●t. ibid. in Ro. Miss●li. If a Priest haue before him eleven Hosts, and int●nd to cons●crat: onely ten of them, not appointing in his intention, which ten shall be consecrate, he doth then consecrate none at all, because the intention is requisite: otherwise, if thinking there are but ten Hosts, he doth intend to consecrate all that are before him, in such case all are consecrated: wherefore every Priest ought to intend to consecrate all that are set before him to be consecrated. Is there any Daedalus, any Oedipus, any Delphos so dark? so intricate? so vnextricable, as the definitions of our seauen-headed Beast, and the A●nigmaticall strumpet, which sitteth on his back, whose onely sport is, to hold in suspense the hungry soul with doubts and ambiguities: to keep every conscience in uncertainty, to dazzle, to delude the understanding of men, that the poor soul may be robbed of all peace and quietness: of all comfort and assurance of salvation in this earthly Pilgrimage. O Rome! O babel! O chair of pestilence! CHAP. XCVI. That the Romish Church offereth up other Sacrifices and oblations to God for the taking away of sin, besides the body& blood of Iesus Christ. TWo kindes of oblation the mosaical lawe ordained unto to the children of Israell; Vid Carolum Sig●n●ū. l. 4. c. ●. de Rep. Hebrae●r. Gifts, and Sacrifices. Gifts were of three kindes; commanded by the lawe, promised by vow, and free-will offerings. The Sacrifices were of six sorts; burnt off ings, meat offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, trespass offerings, and the sacrifice of Consecration. Of Sacrifices there were three causes; Philo judaeus in lib. de Sa rif. first, the honor of God, to which the burnt offering was wholly ordained: for it was altogether consumed with fire, neither did any thing thereof remain to the use of the Priest, or the offerer. Origen therefore calleth it Orig h●m. 5. Holocarpoma, because all the fruit was to offer it unto God. The second end of Sacrifices was, to obtain good things at the hand of God: and those were they which were called Ex Carol. Sig. l. 4. c. 2. 3 4. 5. de rep. Heb. Salutares Hostiae, or Pacificae; peace offerings, or health offerings: for they were offered, when either they would obtain any good at the hand of GOD, or did give thankes for that which they had obtained. Origen makes two kindes of them; Orig. h●m. 5. one of vows, another of thanksgiving. The third end or cause, for which Sacrifices were ordained, was Ibid. for the turning away of evils: and those were called sin offerings, and trespass offerings. The first five kindes of Sacrifices In lib de sacrif. Philo judaeus reduceth unto three heads; burnt offerings, sin offerings, and peace offerings. And it is evident, that all these served but for a time. For the Psalmist saith; Psal 51.16 Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee, but thou delightest not in burnt offerings. And in Esay; Esay 1.11 I desired not the blood of Bullocks, nor of lambs, nor of Goats. The Apostle therefore saith; Heb. 7 18. The commandement that went afore, is disannulled, because of the weakness thereof, and unprofitableness. These things were but figures of Iesus Christ to come, the true Sacrifice, and oblation expiating and abolishing the sins of the world. For he gave Eph 5●. himself to be an offering, and a sacrifice of sweet smelling savour unto God, saieth the Apostle. And if the legal Sacrifices at any time be called savours of rest, or sacrifices of sweet savour unto God, it is not in respect of the things themselves, but for that they were Images and representations of the great Sacrifice of Christ, who is come in their place, and is now a general offering, an everlasting offering, a sufficient offering for all that beleeue in him. he is a general offering; for that, whatsoever the six sundry kindes of jewish offerings did signify, Christ is unto vs. Secondly, he is an eternal offering: Heb. 10.10. for though he offered up his body actually but once, yet the virtue of this Sacrifice was from the beginning, and endures to the end: his wounds were open before he had them, and his blood never dry, but always God beholded it, and was pacified in it towards mankind, both before he suffered, and after. In this sense he is called Apoc. 13.8 the lamb, which was slain from the beginning of the world. Thirdly, he is a sufficient sacrifice, a superabundant price for all offences: in respect of whose worthiness, all the transgress●ons and debts, wherewith wee are charged, are lighter then wind, lesser then nothing. Wherefore job as the type and figure of Christ, maketh his punishment as great as his sin, and his correction answerable to his offences; job 6.2.3. O that my grief were well weighed, and my miseries were laid together in the balance: for it would bee now heavier then the sand of the sea. The Sacrifice of Christ being then general, eternal, sufficient, it taketh away all other Sacrifices whatsoever: neither can they be offered any more without unspeakable injury& reproach unto the son of God. This notwithstanding, he that opposeth himself against all that is called God, will haue his offerings, his gifts, his Sacrifices, his altars: the superstitious smoke whereof obscureth the benefits, and hides from mens eyes the glorious oblation of our great high Priest. For although Popish offerings differ, partly in the matter, partly in the maner, from the jewish oblations: yet they agree with them in the name, in the kindes, in the end, and in the fruit. In the name they agree; for they call them oblations, gifts, Sacrifices, incense, sweet savours; as in the consecration of Bread, Passim in Mis●al. wine, salt, tapers, candles, incense, boughs, palms, flowers, the missals yield plentiful record. So in the fourth false apostolical Canon they are also called oblations. For there it is decreed, Offerr● non ●●cat a●●quid ad Al are praeter nouas spicas,& vnas,& ●●●uns ad lumi●●ria& Thymiam●, id est, incensum, tempore qui● s ncta ceaebratur ●●l● c. ●. Can. 〈◇〉. qu● liceant ●sse●●i ad altar. apud ●a th. Caranz. that it may not bee lawful to offer at the Al●ar any thing but new ears of corn, new grapes, and oil for the lamps, and sweet spices, that is, incense at such time as the holy offering is presented. And, who knoweth not, the Canon commandeth; Om●● C●ristianus procure. ad M●ss s●len a ●liquid Deo offer. Can. Greg. ap. Gr. 〈◇〉. de conse●r. ●i●t. 1. c. omnis Christia●●. Let every Christian procure something, to offer unto God at the solemnity of the mass. The kindes also are the same. For they are sometimes burnt offerings, wholly ordained to the worship of God: as, where they say of the Candle; vt Cereus iste in honorem tui consecraetus ad noctu ●uius caligmē destruendá indefictès perseueret in be●ed Caer. Let it continue to the honour of thy majesty: And of the Incense; Ab ipso benedicatur hoc incesum, 〈◇〉 cu●●● honore cretuabitur. in ordin. Miss. Let this incense bee blessed of him to whose honour it shall be burnt. sometimes they are peace offerings, to obtain good things of God. So they pray; Can Miss. quam oblatio ent. that the bread and wine before consecration may be in all things blessed, approved, ratified, reasonable, an accepted offering unto God, that it may be turned into the very body of Christ. Of their incense in their exorcisation thereof they pray; Vt omn●s gustant●● tangente siu● odorant●s ●am &c. in exercisa. Thymiam. That the creature may bee sanctified in the name of the Lord Iesus, that all which taste, touch, and smell the same, may receive the power of the holy spirit. Surely, this is a sacrifice then of greater efficacy, then the jewish ever were; for, the touching, tasting, smelling of the legal Sacrifices did never confer the grace of Gods Spirit. The same they attribute also unto the hallowed fire; that Qu●. ūque lumē ex coportaueru, sit ●l luminatus lumine gratia●n Bened. ig●●● in Miss star. whosoever shall take light from it, may be illuminated with the light of grace: And of the incense they say; Pra●sa hoc pussi m pate●, boni ●d●ru●●c●̄ um al opus ecclesia tua ob causa reli●●●●utugiter per nauere in orat. Descendat be●edictio●●●. Miss. star in Sa●. ●●nc ●as. Make, wee beseech thee, most holy Father, this incense of sweet savour to remain continually to the use of thy Church for the cause of religion. Thus they make incense an offertory to attain good things, and to further the cause of Religion for ever. Likewise, that they offer them to take away sins, it is most evident in the xiiij. Sunday after Trinity; Propitiar● Domine populo tu●, propit●are muneri●●● vt hac oblat. ●●t placatus et indulgē●●ā nobis ●ribuas, et postula●● cōcod●●. dō. 4. post. Trin. Be merciful, O Lord, to thy people: bee merciful to these thy gifts, that thou mayst give us pardon and grant our requests. Iulius the Pope therefore makes it an assured Axiom, that De cōs●●. dist. 2. ●●um. mu● cr●mē a●●●pect 〈◇〉 o●●●●tu d●o sacrificijs del●aetur. all sins and trespasses are taken away by the offering up of Sacrifices to God. The sprinkling of ashes Costerus calleth Lib. 4. instit. cap. 10. an wholesome remedy to take away sins. The missal also, of the same ashes saith; Miss star. in cap. ●●●●nt. erat. omipotens sempeterne De●s. It is done, ad emundanda delicta, to cleanse sin. Lastly, as they are oblations, so they are oblations also unto God himself. Of their waxed Tapers they say; Quatenus Domino Deo nostro offer dig●s. in purif. Virg. Mar.& bened ct candle orat. oimpotens sempitern Deus qui h●di●●na. that we may be worthy to offer them unto the Lord our God: so of their incense; Let this incense be a savour of sweetness acceptable to thy divine majesty. Of their Flowers they say; In conspectum glory tu● offerim●●. In bened. Frond orat. oimpotens s●●piterne Deus qui in. we offer them up before the sight of ●hy glory. Philip ●onicerius witnesseth, that to St. Leonard they offered horseshoes: and saith, that himself saw offered unto Saint Liborius for the curing of the ston, in the Church of Saint Peter, the privy members of a man made of pure silver. And to Saint Symphonia diuers Ramices of silver. What can bee more done or said, to evacuate the sufferings of Iesus Christ? to dishonour his great sacrifice? to extenuate the price of his blood, then to offer up these jewish Rites, and beggarly elements, Gal. 4. to be the honour of God and of his Saints, the obtaining of good things, the remedy of sins? Arise, O bright sun of righteousness, arise in thy glory, dispel the mists of darkness, the night of error, the clouds of ignorance; that we may behold thee in thy truth, worship thee according to thy word, Heb. 9.26. and aclowledge thee to be our only Priest, and our onely Sacrifice, once offered for the taking away of all our sins. CHAP. XCVII. Of the figment of purgatory, another means of cleansing sin amongst Papists, beside the blood of Christ. WHo once are past the bonds of shamefastness, never care into what outrage they fall. Hereof the Romish Church yeeldeth us abundant proof. For when shamelessly they make other means to purge sin then the blood of Christ, any invention of their own, any tradition, any frivolous Ceremony, they are content rather shall bee the instrument of cleansing our offences; then he whom the Father hath sent into the world to bee the salvation thereof. Wherefore not only holy-water, candles, palms, confession, penance, iubilyes, popish pardons, and such like trash, are ordained to be the sanctification of the bodies and souls of men: but they haue also a fiery purgatory after this life, wherein every soul doth suffer for itself, and payeth the price of his own redemption. Concerning the persons in purgatory to be punished; it must be understood they make three sorts of men: The one perfect, whose souls go presently to heaven after their dissolution, as being free from all sins: the second sort are those, that are altogether evil; with out faith, without love, without hope, without repentance: these are thrown immediately into the hell, from whence there is no redemption: The persons in purgatory to be tormented. Vid. Bel. l. 2. de purge. ●. ●. verbo his ergo. thirdly, a middle sort of people there are, which haue faith and charity, but imperfect, and not answerable to Gods severity of iustice; these are in Purgatory, to satisfy for their own sins, because Christ( as they say) hath only satisfied God for the guilt of mortal sin, if we repent, but the blemishes and spots of venial sins, and the pain of those sins whose guilt is forgiven, must be taken away by our own satisfaction, which if in this life we do not sufficiently perform, it must needs be done after this life in Purgatory. The doctrine of purgatory. They say, that the eternal pains, due to mortal sins by the power of the keys of the Church, which are in the hand of the Pope, are changed into temporal pains, which every man must perform, either in this life, or after this life by himself or by another. Albert saith, Vid. jacob. Herbrand. in disp. cont. pu●gat. There may bee so many prayers said for one man, that in a moment he may be delivered from all pain of Purgatory. And therefore in this case onely the condition of the rich is better then the poor: for the rich haue means and substance, by which they may procure many prayers: according to that of the Scripture; Relemptio anima ●i●id 〈◇〉 eius. A mans riches are the redemption of his soul. So plainly they make cleansing of sin, and eternal glory to be gotten by money. The punishment of purgatory( they say) is not alike to all, but greater or lesser: according to the proportion of the fault is the punishment, which the soul must so long suffer, till either it be purged by long endurance of torture, or some other means be used for deliverance. unto offenders this Purgatory is so vneuitable, that Gratian saith, Non antem ita est in cordu contritione, vel poenitentia nam pox eā non potest purgatorium euit●ri dist. 32 c. praeter hoc in Gloss. ad finem. by repentance and contrition Purgatory cannot bee avoided. Summa Angelica saith, they which die in charity, are yet for their offences punished in purgatory, if they haue not made sufficient satisfaction. In Purgatory( they say) Vid Comp. Theol. ver. in purge. there is a twofold punishment: one of pain, another of loss: loss of the happy vision and presence of God: pain in fire, or otherwise greater then the greatest affliction in the world: not any thing less then the pains of hell, but that these are temporary, and the hellish tortures eternal. Concerning the place of Purgatory they haue not yet fully agreed; so that the whole Church can deem nothing thereof. Vid. Bell. l. 2. de. purge. c. 6 Some say, it is above us towards heaven, yet under heaven: some say, Philo. Greg. l. 4. dialog 4. it is only the conscience of every man: some say, Vid. Pet. Damia. de mirac. sui temp.— Vid. Bell. de purge l. 2. c. 6. per totum. it is in the valley of josaphat: some say, the place in earth, where every man hath committed his greatest sin, is the place of his Purgatory. After all this, at last by Vid. Comp. Theol. ver. 7. c. 3 revelation it was given to them to know, that the place of Purgatory is twofold: one common, to which they usually go all: the other private, as in sundry baths under the shadow of trees, and in the houses wherein they haue offended. But to return again to the common place of purgatory; Vid Ia. Herbrand. de purge. ex Mart. Chem●. some will haue it above Hell, some about Hell: some say, that the fire of Hell Vid. Bell. l. c. de purge c. 6. v●rb. detude quod purgatorium sit etiam sub terta et inferno damnat●rum probat●r. within the heart of the earth tortureth the damned, and thence breaking out afflicteth the souls of the faithful in purgatory, and so forth proceeding, falleth short of the infants in the third circled, and the Fathers in the fourth station or Limbus Patrum. Some say the divels do not torment the souls in purgatory, but only conduct and bring them thither to be tormented: but Bellarmine saith, Lib. 2. cap. 13. this is to be doubted; for many revelations are to the contrary. The fire of purgatory( they say) Ex Comp. Theo. ver. lib. 7. cap. 3. is both elementary or true, and also Metaphoricall, and in show and likeness; as a painted lion is a lion. The natural or material fire, though as it is corporal, it cannot work vpon the soul: yet, as it is the instrument of Gods iustice, it may and doth make impression vpon the soul. For as the soul by order of nature is united to the body, that it may give life: so by order of iustice it is united to the fire in purgatory, that it may suffer punishment: but how this should be, Bellar. de purge. lib. 2. cap. 12. Bellarmine acknowledgeth that no man can conceive. The means how a soul from hence is to be delivered, is fourfold. Oblations of the Priest, prayers of the Saints, the alms of friends, the fasting and pious offices of the kin; amongst which, one of the chiefest is, to procure the Indulgences and Pardons of the Man of Rome, many Masses to be said, and such like. Wherefore; Summa Aug. in Suffrag. much auail●able also to the redemption out of Purgatory it is, to be buried in a Churchyard, and to haue a Monument to move mens minds to remember him in prayer, or to be butted in an holy place: yea the candles; the clothes, the incense, help accidentally to the deliverance of souls from purgatory. Hence now springeth a world of questions, to perplex the dismayed conscience: as, where is the place? what is the fire of purgatory? How long purgatory shall endure, whether to the time of the resurrection only, or afterward? Whether in purgatory souls bee tormented by the divels? Whether they bee tormented by Angels, or of the fire itself? What it is that can help the souls in purgatory? Whether the Pope may at once deliver all souls out of purgatory? Whether the suffrage of one may help another? Whether, whether suffrages of sinners avail for the souls in Purgatory. if the suffrages of another do help, it be done by way of merit, or by way of prayer? * Whether when a man maketh many partakers of his good works, they be the less avail able to himself? Whether if the Executor of the dead bee slack in performing his good beheasts, the Testators soul shall be the longer detained in purgatory? Whether, if the Executor make stay to perform the Testators will, vpon a good intent that he may sell the goods the better for to give greater alms, this stay be prejudicial to the Testators soul in purgatory? Whether the suffrages which be made for many, bee as available unto them, as when they are made for one? Whether vpon an Indulgence granted to those that visit such, or such a Church, he merit as much that is dwelling near the Church, as he that is far off? Whether he that is enjoined to do penance a whole year, may divide the time, and do now one month, then another, till he haue done penance so many Monthes as be in the year? Whether any but the Pope can grant plenary indulgence? What if he that giveth the penance, be not a Priest? What if the Priest enioining penance, be in deadly sin? Whether he to whom a plenary indulgence is granted at the hour of death, hath need of any other helps; as alms and suffrages, and sundry other which I pass over? The end of all which vain and frivolous contention is, to take from the merits of Christ: to tyramnize vpon the conscience of men; and to fill up the insatiable purse of the Nimrod of Rome. Let us now show the reasons, which plainly overthrow this poetical Chimaera of the Romish Church. First, our saviour Christ, nor his Apostles make no threefold division of men: Good, evil, Indifferent, as the Papists do. But our saviour divideth all men into jo. 3.6. Spirit and Flesh, wheat and Tares, believers and Unbeleeuers: and he assigneth only two places unto the souls out of this world departing. jo. 5.24. he that heareth my word, and believeth in him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but passeth from death unto life. And again, jo. 3.18. he that believeth in him, shall not be condemned, but he that believeth not, is condemned already. The Apostle Paul most carefully instructing his 1. Cor. 15. Corinthians, and his Thessalonians of the state of the dead, speaketh not any word of Purgatory: and yet else where he witnesseth, that he Acts 20.20. had kept back nothing that was profitable, but uttered unto his auditors all the counsel of God. And who knoweth not, that 2. Cor. 12.2. he was taken up into the third heaven, where he saw vneffable things? If he saw this, why did he not reveal it, that Masses and Dirges, and trentals, and such other offices might bee done for the dead? Saint John also had diuers revelations, Apoc. 20. whereof some were concerning the dead, and their resurrection, but not a word in any of them touching purgatory. 1. Pet. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Saint Peter in his Epistles reasoneth much of the punishment of them that walk inordinately, and after their own Lusts. He speaketh also of the day of the Lord, 2. Pet. 3. and of his coming, but of purgatory not a syllable. To conclude this argument, in the whole volume there is not one word Cathegorically, plainly and distinctly set down, by which purgatory, an Article of the Romish faith, a matter of such unspeakable weight, a general Necessity lying vpon men, is taught or delivered. Secondly, the figment of purgatory is plainly against the catholic and apostolical faith contained in the Common Creed, wherein it is confessed; I beleeue the remission of sins. Where remission is, what punishment can there be? If sins be punished according to the offence, they are not remitted; if they be remitted, they are not punished. Though the body in hell suffer material fire, the soul doth not so. Thirdly, the dream of purgatory is against natural reason. For how can the soul, that is an vncorporall substance, suffer in corporal fire? The worm, the fire, the brimstone in Scripture, wherewith the souls are tormented, are Metaphorically to be understood. Fourthly, this dotage of purgatory doth contradict the whole scope of Scriptures; whereof the end is to show, that Iesus Christ is a full, absolute, and complete Redeemer: not a parcel saviour, nor half a saviour, but such a one, as hath himself born our sins, and was wounded, that wee might be cured: he hath not satisfied for the fault onely, and left us to satisfy for the punishment, but hath exactly satisfied the lawe, and sustained our pains; as Esay witnesseth, Esay 53.5. He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities. Fiftly, this fantastical mockery of purgatory denieth that sweet rest to the souls of Christian men, which God in his holy, word abundantly promiseth, saying; Apo. 14.13. Blessed are the dead, which hereafter die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours, and their works follow them. What blessing, what rest, is to them that in merciless flames of hellish fire are so long and lamentably tormented? The Scripture calleth the death of the godly, sleep. Deut. 31.16. 1. Thes. 4.13. 1. King. 2.10. Math. 27.52. Surely it might better bee called roasting or broiling, horror and slaughter, if the souls departed go hence into such fearful pains above all that ever was in the world endured. The Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 15.55, 56, 57. glorieth over death, and the grave, and the Lawe, by that victory which we haue thorough our Lord Iesus Christ. But there is no just cause of such boasting, if wee be still held under the Law, to satisfy in our own persons, enduring the unspeakable torment and tortures of Hell, no man knoweth how long. sixthly, and lastly, in Leuiticus and other books of the Law, all maner of Sacrifices are described both generally and specially: but amongst all those sundry kinds of gifts, oblations, sacrifices, burnt-offerings, peace-offerings, sin-offerings, there is not any oblation, gift, or sacrifice for the dead. Knowing therefore that the proofs, which out of Scripture he pretendeth, are not sufficient for his defence, Bellar. de Purgat. lib. 1. cap. 11. verb. tertia ratio sum: tu● a communi opinione omnium; ergo exercentur poenis veterumque malorum supplicia expendunt. Bellarmine the voluminous cardinal, who careth not with what chaff he stuff his papers, flieth to the testimony of Philosophers, Poets, Heathens, and the Turkish Alcaron itself, and shameth not to city the fabulous Aen●iads of Virgil for his witness. CHAP. XCVIII. The objections of the Romish Church for the establishing of their purgatory. IT is now time to speak of their vniointed sinewlesse arguments, with which this bugbear, and Phlegeton of their folly they do maintain. Ob. First they say, that purgatory is proved out of the history of the maccabees, where it is written, that Mach. 12.45. Iudas made a reconciliation for the dead, that they might bee delivered from sin. Sol. To this I answer: the book of maccabees hath not canonical authority: every man knoweth how the ancient Fathers did esteem of these volumes. Cyprian saith, Cyp. in Symbol. Apol. post. medium so fit ille tractatus Cypriani. that we may not take authority of faith out of them. jerome saith, Legit quidem ecclesia, said eos inter Canonicas scripturas non re●●pit. Hier. in prologo. in Prou. August. the Church readeth the books of maccabees, but counteth them not among canonical scriptures. Austen also witnesseth, that the book of maccabees is not in the Hebrew Canon, or in the number of those books, of which Christ saith, that they bear witness of him as the books of Moses, and the Prophets: yet are they not vnvnprofitably received of the Church, if they be soberly red and heard. This sheweth that from the books of maccabees, no proof, nor rule of faith can bee taken; Wherefore wee must not insist vpon the fact of Iudas; but consider, whether he did it lawfully, duly, and according to the word of God. Ob. Toby saith, Poure out thy bread on the burial of the just, but give nothing to the wicked; ergo, there is purgatory. Sol. The book of Toby is not authentic, it is not canonical; therefore it presseth not, it proveth not. But were it never so assured and certain in authority, what conclusion can arise from hence? Toby himself did bestow his substance vpon the burial of the godly, and exhorteth his son to do the same; Ergo it was done to deliver souls out of purgatory. If Toby did mean, that his son should make expense for the Redemption of souls out of Purgatory, the more wicked, the more was there need of help: as for the just they pass not into purgatory, but into heaven; joh. 5 24. Luke 16.20, 21, 22. wherefore there was no cause to lay out money for the ransom of the just. The Citizens of jabesh Gilead mourned for Saul seven daies: Ob. and david mourned for Saul and jonathan, 1. Sam. 31. 2. Sam. 1 and other that were slain: ergo, there is purgatory. The men of jabesh lamented for their King, Sol. as it was their duty: all Israel Gen. 50.10. made a great and exceeding sore lamentation for jacob, Deut. 34.8. and for Moses also they wept in the plain of Moab thirty daies: They lamented for Samuel: 2. Chro. 35.24 all judah and jerusalem mourned for josiah. I trust there is no Iesuite so shameless as to say, that jacob, Moses, Samuel, and josiah were plunged in Purgatory. 2. Sam. 1.12. As for Dauids lamentation the text sheweth plainly, it was not, because david feared that Saul and jonathan were in purgatory, but because they were slain with the sword of the uncircumcised. The fourth argument taken out of the Old Testament is grounded vpon the eight and thirtieth psalm; Ob. where david saith, O Lord rebuk me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure: out of this the alogical friar Bellarmine concludeth Purgatory. The meaning of the Psalmist is literal and mystical. Sol. Literally, david being stricken with some great sickness for his sins, desireth forgiveness thereof, and mitigation of Gods wrath towards himself: the mystical meaning of the psalm is, to point unto the great and extreme humiliation of Iesus Christ, bearing the sins of the whole world in his own body vpon the cross, and being stricken and wounded for them. Thou Psal 66.11.12. hast caused men to ride over our heads: Ob. wee went through fire and waters, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. The Psalmist speaketh of the calamity of Israel, Sol. being given up into the hands of proud& insulting enemies, which did as it were, ride and trample over their head. What is this to purgatory? Fire and water are here taken for the afflictions of Israel in this life, not in the life to come. Ob. Esay saith; Esay 4.4. The Lord shall wash the filthiness of the daughters of Zion, and purge the blood of jerusalem out of the midst thereof, by the spirit of iudgement, and by the spirit of burning; Ergo there is a purgatory. Sol. This is nothing to the matter of purgatory: it is a prophesy of the cleansing of sin by Iesus Christ: and so is also the place of Malachy, Mal. 3.3. wherein he speaketh of the spirit of fire and fullers soap: the blood of Christ is therfore called Fullers soap, and the spirit of fire, because it is a perfect and full cleansing of sin, which doth absolutely perform the same. Ob. The ninth of Esay, the eighteen verse, is brought to establish purgatory; wickedness burneth as a fire, it devoureth the briars and the thorns, and will kindle in the thick places of the forest. Sol. I marvell, any man hath so much leisure, as to spend time in heaping together such vain interpretations. The Prophet saith not, purgatory burneth, but iniquity burneth: not very fire, but as fire: What is this to the purpose? Ob. I will bear the wrath of the Lord, Mich. 7 9. because I haue sinned against him; until he pled my cause, and execute iudgement for me. Sol. In this whole chapter the Prophet speaketh of the church afflicted by her enemies in this life, and of the iniquity of the times; not a syllable of Purgatory after this life. Ob. Thou Z●ch 9.11. also shalt be saved by the blood of the covenant: I haue loosed the prisoners out of the pit, wherein is no water. Sol. purgatory cannot hence bee proved: the Prophet speaketh of the delivery of the Church of Israel from the captivity of Babylon: Vid. Lamb. Dan. Resp ad Bell. con●●●n. 6. ad cap. 3. and mystically from the prison of sin, the pit without water. Thomas in 3. secundae understandeth this place, of Hell itself: some schoolmen, of Limbus Patrum. CHAP. XCIX. answer to the reasons for purgatory taken out of the New Testament. FIrst, Ob. they urge the words of the good thief vpon the cross to prove purgatory, and that there is forgiveness of sins after this life. For, he saith, (a) Lord remember me, Luke 13 42. when thou comest into thy kingdom. If all the Iesuites in the world were in one hive buzzing together, Sol. they could never conclude purgatory out of this premisse, but much sooner the contrary. The thief desireth not Christ when he cometh into his kingdom, to forgive his sins, but to remember him, that is, to make him partaker of his glory, by receiving him into the number of his elect: which is the fruit, and manifestation of the forgiveness of sin, which on the cross he had in this life. Surely, if any man had need to be drenched in purgatory, the thief had most need of all other, whose short repentance was accompanied with the fewest works; and whose flagitious life deserved much correction: but GOD hath mercy freely on whom he will haue mercy. The schoolmen Larga deipieta● veniam non dimidiabit. Aut nihil, aut totum, te lachrimante, dabit. and Sententiaries themselves haue a position; Gods mercy great doth not give grace by halves: Or none, or all of thy true tears he salves. It is said; Act. 2.24. Whom God hath raised up, Ob. losing the sorrows of hell, because it was impossible that he should bee holden of it. Hence they conclude purgatory. This of all other is the most a syllogistical or vnconcluding argument. For here it appeareth, Sol. that Christ suffered his purgatory in this life: for after this life ended, he saith to the thief, this day thou shalt bee with me in Paradise. But what an heretic is Bellarmine, who seemeth by this reason to enforce, that Christ after this life suffered the pains of purgatory? In the second to the Philippians the Apostle saith, Ob. Phil. 2. That at the name of Iesus every knee should bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; Ergo, there is a Purgatory. I answer; This place delivereth not a word concerning purgatory, but onely proveth the great Ephes. 1.21. Mat. 28.18. Dominion and infinite sovereignty of Christ over all creatures, whom Men, Beasts, Birds, Fish, Fowles, the very divels themselves do serve and obey. Ob. Christ commandeth us, Luke 16 9. To make us friends of our unrighteous Mammon; Ergo, there is purgatory. Sol. Pope Joan was delivered of a child; Ergo Paul the fift is not lawfully elected. This conclusion is as necessary as the other. Christ speaketh of alms, which in this life we ought to give. How doth he here establish purgatory? O magnificke logic of a friar cardinal! Ob. Out of 1. Cor. 3. Bell. de purge. l. 1. c. 4. they labour to confirm purgatory. For the Apostle saith; 1. Cor. 3.15. If any mans work burn, he shall lose, but he shall bee saved himself, nevertheless yet as it were by the fire. Sol. This place is not literally to be understood. For how can the work itself, or the labour of the Minister burn? It is therefore a Metaphor: which the Apostle useth, to show that if the hearers of any Minister shrink from the faith, and fall from religion, though there be loss of his travail, yet he himself after the enduring of many tribulations( as all the other members of Christ do) shall be saved. To this I may add, that the Apostle doth not say, that he shall be saved by fire; but as it were by fire: so that it is evident, that the Apostle doth not speak of true and natural fire, but of Metaphoricall fire; for affliction is in sundry places of the Scripture called fire. Peter 1. Pet. 1.7. compareth the faith of the church to gold tried in the fire. The Psalmist also of the affliction of Israel saith; Psal. 66.12. thou sufferedst men to ride over our heads: wee went through fire and water, and thou broughtest us into a wealthy place. I conclude therefore, since the words of the Apostle Paul speak of Metaphoricall fire, this place cannot bee understood of the fire of purgatory, which the common consent of the Romish school affirmeth, Bell. de purge. l. 1. c. 11. in ipso prime cap. to be true, proper, elementary fire, of the same kind which we haue on earth. Austen, though he is no where so much inconstant in his opinion, as concerning this matter of purgatory: yet he plainly expoundeth this place of Saint Paul, not of the fire of purgatory, but of sorrow and anguish which ariseth from the loss of temporal substance. jerome Vid. jac. Herb. in disp. de purge. expoundeth this place, of the teachers in the Church and their auditors; for by the good auditors which remain constant in trial, they shall receive reward: but by the evil, which like stubble or dross are burnt up in the fire, which should try them, the Ministers receive loss; for they haue laboured in vain. Out of matthew they maintain their purgatory; Ob. Mat. 12.32. whosoever shall speak against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. I answer; Sol. The meaning of the evangelist Saint matthew is explained by the other evangelists. mark saith; He Mar. 3.19. that blasphemeth against the holy Ghost, shall never haue forgiveness. Luke rendereth it after the same manner; Luke 12.10. It shall not bee forgiven. John therefore calleth it 1. joh. 5.16. sin unto death: But their purgatory( say they) is cleansing unto life. To conclude, Austen interpreteth the words of matthew, to the same purpose; Non habet remissionem in aeternum:— de verb. domini. ser. 11. he hath not remission for ever. Thou shalt not come out thence till thou haue payed the utmost farthing. Ob. From hence they conclude there is purgatory, in which a man may discharge the full sum of his debt. Here the word Donec, until, is of the same power, Sol. that it is in the first of matthew; Mat. 1.25. he knew her not till shee had brought forth her first born son, that is, he never knew her. And so Augustine also expoundeth the place; Aug de ser. domini in Mont. l. 1. c. 2. Miror si non ●am significat poenam, quae est aelterna. I marvell if he understand not that punishment, which is eternal. Other places there are, which without iudgement they heap together, to prove their Purgatory. As though, wheresoever the wrath of God, the tempest of his indignation, the lake of fire, prison, fetters, darkness is spoken of, there by and by purgatory were taught. But as the better learned of the Aduersaries themselves in such places put no great trust: so I will pass them over as unworthy to bee answered: and such, whereof the true meaning the reader himself out of the proportion of Scriptures, and circumstance of the Text, may easily find. Being destitute of all good authority out of the Scriptures, they fly to the help of Fathers, councils, Decrees of Popes, and such like. Of all which we may deem, as Austen doth of the works of Cyprian: Cont. Faust. Man●ch. l. 1. c. 1 4.& co●t. credit. grammat. l. 2. c. 32. where they agree with Scriptures, he receiveth them, where they dissent from Scriptures, with Cyprians favour, he refuseth them. In this case then with Panormitan we more esteem the saying of a simplo private person, having better authority out of the Old and New Testament, then the saying of the Pope without authority. They themselves stand not to the iudgement of the Fathers, when it maketh against their Idolatry and Traditions: why enforce they then the saying of a Father or two, spoken most commonly by way of rhetorical amplification, against us as a binding Law? Ob. They object, that the communion of the body and blood of Christ is in many writers called an offering, an oblation, a sacrifice for the quick and the dead; and this proveth purgatory. Sol. understand( discreet Reader) that the Eucharist is called a Sacrifice: not, that it is offered for the quick and the dead, but because it is the memorial of the Sacrifice of the body& blood of Christ, which he offered vpon the cross for vs. Secondly, it hath the name of oblation or offering, because at the celebration thereof the faithful were wont to offer bread, wine, and other alms for the use of the poor. Lastly, it is called an offering or sacrifice, because it is the solemn thanksgiving of the Church for the death and passion of Iesus Christ. The second argument taken from the Fathers is, because they pray for the dead: but this argument proveth not purgatory. For it is evident, that many Fathers did hold, that the souls of the elect did increase in glory and ioy more and more, till the consummation of all happiness at the resurrection; wherefore they prayed for this increase of honour to the Saints: Hom. 69. ad.& Dion. c. 7 Hierarch.& Ambr. l. 2. c. 8.& Hier●n ad Delphi●. but yet this was without warrant of Scripture, Vid. Aug. tract. 84. an jo. and therefore of no authority. The Lyturge of Saint james is produced for the kindling of this fire of purgatory: but it is a doubtful uncertain writing, without any assured proof, that it was the doing of Saint james. Origen and Tertullian the Papists themselves reject, as stained with many blots of erroneous opinion: yea, Bellarmine alloweth not the purgatory of Origen, who teacheth, that in time the very divels shall in Purgatory be so cleansed, that they shall be saved. The Lyturge of Ex Lamb. Da●e●. Basil, Dionysius, Damascene, Gregory, are not of such truth, authority, or integrity, as their words should be laws to bind the conscience of men. Arg hypog. l 5. Augustine is doubtful and inconstant in this business. lib. 5. Hypognosticon( if that book be Austens) he manifestly taketh away purgatory: and so in the Enchiridion cap. 69. he is doubtful, whether the souls after this life be tormented; Aug. l. peccat. mer●●. c. 28 in Enchir. c. ●9 wherefore the authority of Augustine cannot be produced on the Romish behalf. Let us now see how by this false coined figment of their purgatory, the high and honourable office of Iesus Christs Priesthood is wronged. First, it maketh Christ an unsufficient redeemer, who hath not cleansed us fully from our sins: but hath onely prepared the way, that we may satisfy for our own sins in our own persons. This doctrine is contrary to the teaching of John; 1. joh. 1.7. The blood of Iesus Christ his son purgeth us from all unrighteousness. Secondly, it taketh away from the dignity of Christs Sacrifice, which( they say) doth onely satisfy for the guilt of sin, but not for the whole punishment. Thirdly, by this figment of purgatory, an idle distinction is brought in concerning sins venial, and mortal, by which the majesty of God is wronged; as though there were any thing committed against God by man, which is not mortal in man. The Scripture maketh all sin deadly. For the Apostle saith; Rom. 5.14. Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even ou●r them also, that sinned, not after the like manner of the transgression of Adam: And again, of all sins generally he saith; Rom. 6 23. The wages of sin is death. John indeed saith, 1. joh. 5.17. There is a sin not unto death. But his meaning is not, that any sin is of itself venial; but that some sins God forgiveth, Mat. 12.31.32. and some he never forgiveth: namely, The sin against the holy Ghost. Fourthly, by this figment of purgatory they make Merchandise of Christs Priesthood, while they sell Pardons and Masses for the redemption of souls, out of the imaginary Cocytus of their own invention: and grant full, fuller, and most full pardons, even as your money will stretch unto. Fiftly, they lift up themselves herein above all the power of Christ. For they say, Christ onely hath remitted the guilt: but the Pope in his Pardons doth remit guilt and punishment: yea, that he hath power to remit the pains of Hell also. To conclude, if we shall answer a fool according to his foolishness, it is evident, that if there be any purgatory, yet there is none therein tormented. For every mass( say they) delivereth a soul from purgatory: but there are many more Masses sung, then there are catholic souls departed. again, if alms, if Pardons can deliver souls from purgatory, why do not the monks and Friers sell their fat abbeys, and Lordly Priories to procure Pardons from the Romish Sea, unto all those poor imprisoned souls, which cannot help themselves? Lastly, what a toy is it, to see the purple Fathers, and Mytred Bishops of the latin Church, from their great Lord the Pope promulge pardons of Three thousand yeares, five thousand yeares, thirty thousand yeares, 100000. yeares, to the souls in purgatory, and yet the best of them agree, that after the resurrection there is no purgatory? 1. Cor. 10.11. And now the later ends of the world are fallen vpon us, who can beleeue then that the resurrection is so far off? Thus much of their fabulous Phleg●ton, the Popes Mint or treasury, which nourisheth his kitchen, and feedeth fat the Kine of Basan. ANTI-   christus. BY Ad● Tren. in vit. Ignatij apud Al●y part. 2. fol 4. Sch. 1. the relics of Saints people are sanctified& lightened. 1 I The Lord do sanctify Israel. Ezech 37.28. Cities Al●y in vit. Igna. per Metaph. Scho. 2. receive blessing from the relics of holy Martyrs. 2 Ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus. 1. Cor. 6.11. The Rhem. in Math 8. annot. 1. Priests of the new Law haue power to purge the filth of the soul. 3 The Lord sanctifieth you. Leuit. 22.32. A Bishops Rhem. in 10. Math. ann●t. 2. blessing taketh away venial sins. 4 Christ gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquities. Tit. 2.14. God Ex forma extrem. vnct.— by the virtue of this oil forgive thee thy sins. 5 Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify it,& cleanse it by the washing of water thorough the word. Ephes. 5. ver. 25.26. For Rhem. in 10. ad Heb. annot. 4. new sins other remedies be daily requisite. 6 The blood of Iesus Christ purgeth us from all sins. 1. joh. 1. The Kellison l. 4. ca. 2. pag. 380. presentation of the sacrifice of the cross, because it is in heaven, is not sufficient to uphold religion in earth. 7 With one offering hath he made perfect for ever, them that are sanctified. Heb. 10.14. Let Eui●imius M●na●. apud Aley. lip. part. 1. This is spoken of our Ladies girdle. us magnify the girdle, by which the air is sanctified, the heauens are most bright: by which the sun and moon shine above nature: by which the whole world of four corners consisting is renewed. 8 They shall not sanctify the people with their garments. Ezech. 44.19. The the in Mat. 23. annot. 7. Donaries and gifts bestowed vpon Churches and Altars, be sanctified by dedication to God, and by touching the Altar. 9 It was necessary, that the similitudes of heavenly things should bee purified with such things: but the heavenly things themselves are purified with better sacrifices then are these. Heb. 9.23. Our Rhem. in Ro. 4. marg. not. 2. in ver. 11. Sacraments of the new law give by the doing of the deed, that grace and iustice of faith. 10 Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but in that a good conscience maketh request to God by the resurrection of Iesus Christ. 1. Pet. 3.21. Man Rhem. in 1. epist. joh. 3. sanctifieth himself by his free-will quibbling together with Gods grace. 11 We are sanctified by his will, even by the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once made. Heb. 10.10. THE SECOND book. THE prophetical OFFICE OF Iesus Christ. COR VNVM VIA VNA printer's device of Humphrey Lownes AT LONDON, Printed by H.L. for matthew Lownes. 1618. COR VNVM VIA VNA printer's device of Humphrey Lownes TO THE MOST REVEREND FATHER in God, George, by the grace of God Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate and Metropolicane of England, and one of his majesties most Honourab●e privy council, increase of honour and all felicity both in this life, and the life to come. WHen it first came into my thoughts to offer unto your Grace, most reverend Father, the second part of these my labours, I found not a little consternation of mind, and conflict of opinion in myself, considering your exquisite learning, and the gravity of your iudgement: it caused me oftentimes to take my hand from the paper, as abashed to offer these rude and vnpolisht lines unto your patronage. But on the other side, when I remembered the singular clemency and gracious disposition which in the whole course of your government hath so abundantly declared itself, I was animated and encouraged to present the poor fruits of an unlearned pen unto you, not without assured hope to find favour in your sight, since true honour is always gracious, and the greatest learning hath most facility. I know not what conceit sour and suspicious hearts will haue of my travails, neither after what manner the sharp swords which are in the mouths of the popish Emissaries will entertain me: but surely neither hatred of the persons of them of the Romish Church, nor any other sinister motion of mind( I trust) but onely the desire of the salvation of their souls whose simplicity is lead astray by the deceits of Antichrist, hath stirred me unto the performance of this duty. For when should dogs awake the household, but at what time it is compassed about with theeues? Or when is it so fit to lift up our voices in the Church, as when the heretics and false teachers labour most earnestly to set up the abominable desolation? which certainly in these our daies they more busily and earnestly practise to effect, then ever they did since reformation of religion in the Church was first begun. And here, if I might be bold humbly and reverently to show unto a great part of the Ministers of our Church their blemish, as david shewed unto Saul the cruse of water, and the spear that stood at his head, I would presume to say, that even by the fault of the Candles themselves the Watchmen and shepherds of the flock, the darkness spreadeth itself every day more and more over the whole house of God, and the wolves haue free access unto the fouldes of Christ: For surely unto two sorts of Clergy men may this evil be chiefly imputed. The first are they who neglecting to stand up in the breach for the house of Israel, and to make war against the Beast, spend all their ministery in digladiation de lana Caprina, fighting about the shining of the moon in the water: all their labour and endeavour is nothing else but to declaim against the government and the discipline of the Church. With their own hands they bulge the ship that beareth them, and break down the walls of the house wherein they dwell, and become spiculatores pro speculatoribus, and pro dispensatoribus dissipatores. Author. Ser. ad frat. in eremo. A miserable thing it is that by their contentions and schism, heresy should take opportunity, and the kingdom of darkness increase amongst us: in this unhappy ataxy what remaineth? but with the Patriarch to pray, Gen. 9.27. God persuade japhet that he may dwell in the Tents of Sem, and that Canaan may bee his seruant. The Lord of his mercy grant a Christian syncretisme unto his Church, Esay 11.13. that judah and Ephraim may join together and flee vpon the shoulders of the Philistines, till they bee rooted out. To speak no more concerning them that busy themselves so much in tithing of mint and Rue, but leave the greatest and the chiefest office of their ministry alone, I would wish them to remember often and advisedly, that if wee shall all give account what we haue dove in our own bodies, much more shall wee bee called to a strict and severe reckoning of that which wee haue done in the body of Christ, which is his Church. The second sort is of them who though they approve the government and consent unto the discipline of our Church; yet whether they fear to displease the few of Babylons great Merchants which are left amongst us; or whether they mis-doubt the stability of times, I know not: but howsoever in all moral arguments they lift up their voices like Trumpets, yet in the cause and controversies of Religion they are mute; Iud. 5.23. like the inhabitants of Meros they come not forth to help the Lord, against the mighty. In those great and grievous warres of Arians against the Son of God, the Orthodox professors, to set forth the Consubstantiality and Coeternitie of the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost, used in the public worship to sing Glory be to the Father, and to the son, and to the holy Ghost; but the heretics to separate themselves from the Church, sung after another manner; Glory be to the Father, Theod. l. 2. c. 24. by the son, in the holy Ghost. Leontius Bishop of Antioch, that he might offend neither part, would chant out the later verse of the hymn, As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, like a morning lark: but the first part, Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the holy Ghost, he did with a low and submiss murmur whisper forth like the secrets of a mass. M●t 12.30 He that is not with him is against him, and he that gathereth not with him scattereth. Cic. and na. d●or. l. 1 If the Athenians could not endure Protagoras, who of their Gods would neither define whether they were or were not; is it not to bee feared lest our God, a jealous God, and a consuming fire will spew such lukewarm Laodiceans out of his mouth, as are neither hote nor could? evil must be always resisted, and false doctrine as carefully quenched, as fire when it burneth houses, or the pestilence which infecteth the city. Wherefore not onely the Prophets, and Apostles, and all holy men which spake by the Spirit of God, were directed to cry out against the wickedness of their time, but in all ages the Fathers of the Church haue applied themselves to withstand the Heresies which sprung up in their daies. Iraeneus laboured against Valentine and martion, Athanasius against Arians, Augustine against Donatists, Pelagians, Priscillianists, and Manichees, lo against Eutiches, Eusebius Doroleus against Nestorius, John Bishop of Constantinople against novatus, Theodorus Bishop of Antioch against the Apolinarists, Rutherius Veronensis against the anthropomorphites. The time would fail me to rehearse all that haue opposed themselves against spiritual wickedness in heavenly things; in every age the worthy Fathers of the Church thought it their duty to root out of the field of Christ the seed of satanical and perverse doctrine dispersed. I trust therefore no man will marvell that I, a very worm of the earth, a man of obscure place, and mean gifts, haue put myself into the battle against this huge and pestilent mountain, the whore that sitteth vpon many waters: For though I consesse this argument requireth the pen of a ready writer, and skilful artist to handle it; yet who is so ignorant but can demonstrate that the sun shineth when the day is bright, that the water is moist, the fire hote, the earth by nature heavy? There are some things so manifest that a very child may prove them; and of such sort I haue always esteemed the idolatry, Superstition, heresy, falsehood of the Romish Missals to bee. Wherefore since to the opening of their impiety, there rather needed faithfulness, then learning, and much labour then great knowledge, I presumed to take the work in hand: like the poor and simplo Christian, Zozom. l. 1. c. 17. of whom Zozomen witnesseth that he stood up against the curious and subtle Philosopher in a great council, and even with simplicity of Christian faith beat down the goliath of heathenish and profane Idolatry. Neither do I fear to maintain my propositions, and to prove these blasphemies by me alleged, against any of the Romish brood, bee they never so fallacious and full of Sophistications, being prepared if God permit to yield a ready account of any thing that in this poor volume I charge them with. To conclude, I am with all humility bold to present this poor work unto your Grace, hoping assuredly that it shall find an honourable and faire acceptance with you, for that the cause is the Lords; and the dignity it is of our great Prophet Iesus Christ, which I desire to vindicate from the barbarous violence, and treacherous hands of the Romish Antichrist. The Lord of his mercy give success thereto. Now the Go● of all glory and mercy long and long continue your Lordship in that honourable government of the Church, unto which the divine providence hath chosen you: that after many happy daies of labour in his Vineyard here on earth, you may be translated into the glory of his eternal kingdom, and hear that sweet and comfortable blessing pronounced over you, Good seruant and faithful thou hast been faithful in little, I will make thee ruler over much, enter thou into thy Masters ioy. This, God grant unto you, through Iesus Christ, our onely Lord and saviour. seavern Stoke in Worcester-shire. novemb. 6. 1618. Your Graces bound in all duty, RICHARD FOWNS. THE prophetical OFFICE OF IESVS CHRIST. THE SECOND book. CHAP. I. Of the necessity, and manner of Christs prophetical Office. OF the bright sun, whose glorious beams chase away the darkness of the pitchie night, and replenish all things with joyful light, who can speak the praise sufficiently? But, of a more excellent lustre, of light more divine, which poureth light into the stars: at whose presence the sun and moon are dark, and without glory, I am to speak; the light of lights, the true light, joh. 1. which lighteth all that come into the world: which is both the light and the life of all that receive the same. Vouchsafe O fire divine, O fountain of clearest brightness, O fairest star of righteousness, to arise in my blind and ignorant heart, that my darkness may comprehend some little spark of thine inestimable clearness, whereby I may entreat of this thy high office to the honour and praise of thy Name, and to the instruction and comfort of them who shall peruse these Meditations. After GOD had created the heaven and the earth, the mass and matter of the whole world, it was set in discomfortable and heavy darkness: so that, though it had being, it had not beauty, but was without form and voided. For what is beautiful, which cannot be seen? But God, who always is glorious in accomplishing and perfecting his own work, said, Gen. 1. Let there be light; and this light being created, he saw that it was good. After the same fashion, when in the death of Christ all things were made new again, and the lost world was with another creation the second time formed, the same Word, which made the creature anew( that the beauty of his work might appear) hath also adorned the same with comeliness, and shed of his own light into our hearts by the spirit of his prophesy, according to that which was long ago forespoken; Esay 60.1. Arise O jerusalem, be bright, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen vpon thee: behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people, but the Lord shall arise vpon thee, and his glory shall be seen vpon thee, and the Gentiles shall walk in thy light, and Kings at the brightness of thy rising up. His death is our life, and his suffering our new birth: But to be born blind, alas, it were to little purpose. For to none is Christs death available, but to them who look vpon it with the eye of faith, and haue knowledge to apply this all-healing medicine to their wounds. Wherefore after he had finished all things which belonged to their Redemption, he telleth them, there yet remained another thing behind; Luke 14 49. Act. 1.4. The promise of the Father, the spirit of truth, which should led them into all truth. As Redemption then is the work of his Priesthood: so is the illumination of his Church, and the Sanctification of it by the word of truth, the fruit of his prophetical function. Neither are wee without the testimony of the Scripture in this behalf. Esay saith, Esay 9.2. The people that walked in darkness, haue seen a great light: they that dwelled in the land of the shadow of death, vpon them hath the light shined. jeremy witnesseth; jer. 31.33, 34, 35. After those daies( saith the Lord) I will put my law in their inward parts, and writ it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people: and they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and will remember their sins no more. Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light to the day, and the courses of the moon, and of the Stars for a light to the night. To this the Prophet david aimed, when he said; Psal. 36.9. In thy light shall wee see light: Simeon calleth him Luke 2.32. a light to lighten the Gentiles. Ezechiel saith, Ezech. 43.2. The earth was made light with his glory. Daniel foreshoweth, that in his time Dan. 12.4. knowledge should be increased. And Saint John calleth him joh. 1.9. the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world: Ibid. ver. 4. and the life was the light of men. Of this the jewish high Priest was a manifest figure, in whose breast the Exod. 28.30. Urim and Thummim, light and perfectness, were placed. I may then, by so many Testimonies of Scripture warranted, infer this undoubted conclusion; That as Christ is our Priest by redeeming his Church: so it was necessary that he should bee our Prophet, to led us into the truth: whose light directeth in the darkness, comforteth in the troubles of this our Pilgrimage, till we come to the new jerusalem, Apoc. 22.5. where is no night, neither need of Candle, nor of sun, for the Lord God giveth them light. Whoso now acknowledgeth that Christ is their Priest and hath redeemed them, must also confess, that he is their Prophet and instructeth them. For the Apostle saith, 1. Cor. 1.30. not onely that he is made our Redemption, and justification, and our Sanctification of God, but our wisdom also: so that, if thou aclowledge Christ to be thy salvation, thou must also take him to be thy wisdom: thou must follow him as thy guide: thou must harken to him as thy teacher: learn him as the onely knowledge, by which we approach unto God. Christ the Priest died for them onely, who embrace Christ the Prophet, as their truth, their wisdom, their light. do not think, Christ the Priest will confess thy name before his Father, if Christ the Prophet deny thee to bee one of them who would be learned by him. Now whereas of Prophets there be diuers kindes: Vid. Haym. l. 2. c. 5. in Apoc. the first by ecstasy; Act. 10.11. as when Peter had the sheet let down to him from heaven: the second by vision; Ezek. 1. as when Ezekiel saw the glory of God sitting vpon the Throne: the third by dreams; Gen. 28.12. as when jacob saw the Ladder reaching up to heaven: the fourth in clouds; Exod. 19.9. as God spake unto Moses: the fift by voice from heaven; Gen. 22.11, 12 as unto Abraham, Lay not thy hand vpon the child: the sixth by Parable; as Balaam and Salomon: the seventh by repletion of the spirit; as generally all the Prophets:( wherefore Theophylact saith, every prophesy may be called Lemma, because it is taken or received by the Prophet.) Christ though he needed not any external motions, and second subordinate means of prophesy, yet he used them sometimes, being a Prophet ministerial in his humanity, as in his divine nature he is the fountain of prophesy. To conclude, Christ being God and Man, the engraved form of his person, the very word of the Father, hath delivered his prophesy immediately from God, as he heard of the Father, and wrought with the Father: Angels, Cherubs, Visions, dreams, Voices, Clouds, he needed not to bee his mediators. For as he is called the Christ Emphatically: so he is also called Luke 24.19. the Prophet, or that Prophet, the wisdom and word of God Emphatically. CHAP. II. That none but Iesus Christ can be the great Prophet, or the fountain of prophesy. AS of the polluted ways of Man the very Heathen and uncircumcised Gentiles, by the light of nature, did conclude, that they must needs haue some higher, and more supernatural means of purging, then foul flesh to itself could yield: So of the illumination and splendour of the foul they also taught, that of itself it could no better speculate Arist. and behold the heavenly things, then the Bat, or the nightly owl the beams of the glistering sun. Mercurius Trismegistus therefore calleth the son of God, that Mer. Trison. shining and luminous word, which cometh from the mind: Plato, Plato. that power and virtue of the sun, by which we see all things. Proclus saith, Proclus. this mind receiving the power of understanding from the Father, doth possess knowledge and power, and doth distribute the mind and understanding of the Father, to all beginnings and springs. Zoroastes calleth him Zoroast. the second mind. Philo judaeus saith, Philo. in alleg. Leg. The son of GOD is the book, wherein the Essence of all things that are in the world is written, the illumination also, the light, the wisdom, and image of the highest God. The Greekes and Arabians generally, Ex jo. Pic. Mira●d. Hopt. l. 4. c. 2. as also Abunasar Alpharabius, did beleeue, that our understanding was lightened by a greater and higher understanding, whether it bee GOD, as some, or a mind nearer unto men, as others thought. The Aug. l 8. de ciui●. dei. c. 7. ad finem. Platonists generally believed, that GOD was the light of mindes, to discern all things. Among the Iewes, Rabbi Samlay calleth Messiah, Ex Genebr. the light which the cock looketh for, not the Bat; Meaning( though vntruely) that Christ was for the Iewes, not for the Gentiles: The Chalde Paraphrast understandeth the star, which Balaam prophesied should rise out of jacob, to be the Christ of God. Rabbi Biba calleth Messiah, Nehira, light. Rabbi Aba, and Rabbi jonathan, vpon the words of the Psalmist; In thy light we shall see light, teach, that the light of Israell hath been often kindled, and often quenched: but at the last wee must not look, that the light thereof should come from man, but that God in his own substance should llumine vs. Thus gentle and jew, every one who apprehended any thing of the souls purging, understood that our redemption,& illumination must be neither from ourselves, nor from any other, but from one and the same heavenly power and beginning. Saint John calleth him jo. 1.1.49 the word and the light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. These Epithets of unspeakable honour show, that as the word of a man communicates his mind unto another, and as the light proceedeth from the glistering sun into the world, to make it bright: so Christ lighteneth the Church from the Father, bringing his hidden wisdom into the same. If any man doubt, why the son of God should rather haue this office then the Father or the holy Ghost, let him know, that it was metre the Son should be called the word, then that the Father should be called the word, for the word is from God: Vid. Ric. l. de Trin. c. 22. but the Father is from none; therefore may not the Father be called the word. The holy spirit also cannot well be called the word; for the word is from one: but the spirit proceeds from two. Thus among the divine persons the son onely is fitly termed the word, and the wisdom; but yet by community of operation, and act of love, the Father and the spirit also illuminateth the world; as together with the son, the Father& the holy spirit by community of will redeemed the world. It may perhaps bee objected, that the holy spirit may bee more fitly called the Prophet, because both our saviour termeth him jo. 15. ver. 16 jo. 14.16. 1 jo. 4. ver. 27 the spirit of truth, and saith, he shall teach you all things: And Saint John also witnesseth; The anointing teacheth you all things. To this may be truly answered, that Christ illuminateth the Church, and the holy spirit also illuminateth the Church. For, as Christ is the Fathers word; so the spirit is the Fathers love. The spirit therefore proceeding from the Father& the son teacheth, while he moveth the heart to consent to the word, by the word delivered. And we rightly also affirm, that from the son is the illumination of the Church. For the spirit proceedeth from the Father and the son: the son worketh with the spirit, and by the spirit; jo. 16 15. He shall receive of mine, and show it unto you. Wherefore, he is called Ro. 8.9 the Spirit of Christ, and Gal. 4.6 the Spirit of the son: not a created quality, but connatural, consubstantial, coessential, coeternal with him. From this light-spersing sun, Christ illuminates the reprobates& the devils. the shining rays refuse not also the very dungeons, and vaults of darkness& horror to illuminate, while even devils, and reprobates from the same fountain receive all knowledge and understanding they haue: not for their own sakes, but either for his glory, and the execution of his will, or else for the good of his elect, that his Israell may borrow the jewels of the Egyptians, for the furtherance of truth and religion. How much more then doth our sun poure himself into the stars of glory, that shines even vpon the dung-hils? Christ illuminates the Angels and heavenly spirits. and with what sweetness doth he fill the angelical nature, confirming them with all knowledge and grace, whom for his own self he hath created, Sic Picus Mirand. ●eptapl. l. c. 2.— thousand thousands to minister unto him: he created them light, and into the light he poureth light uncessantly. But I will wade no further in this argument, since of the illumination of mankind, the younger child of grace, I am to speak. Of which Esay yet foreshoweth; Esay 30.26 Esay 9.2 The light of the moon shall bee as the light of the sun: the people that w●lked in darkness, h●ue se●ne a great light. Let us now see for what reasons we beleeue, that Christ is the onely morning star, arising unto the Church: the morning star( I say) not as though any greater light were to come after; but because, as he is the consummation, V●d Mu●● in Ps. 22 so he is the beginning of our knowledge also. As, for the redeeming of man, it was necessary that the Son of God should descend from the bosom of the Father, and take our nature vpon him: so for the illumination of man it was as necessary, that wisdom should proceed out of the Throne of God; Sap. 9.9 ( s) the wisdom which knoweth the works of God. Because, as man was infinitely evil, so man was infinitely blind. From the same fountain, then ought to be his illumination, from whence was his redemption. That man was infinitely blind, I hope none is so blind, that will not confess. Esay even of the holiest men saith Esa. 42.19.20. Who is blind as the perfect, and blind as the Lords seruant? seeing many things, but thou keepest them not: opening the ears, but he heareth not. And in another place he saith; We grope for the wall like blind men: wee grope as one without eyes: wee stumble at the noon day as at the twi-light. It is then necessary, that as infinite sin was taken away with supernatural righteousness: so infinite blindness should be removed, and cleared by supernatural illumination. The second reason which proveth, that Christ Iesus is the onely fountain of prophesy unto the Church, is taken from the similitude of the natural and spiritual man. Christ is called Eph. 1.22.23. the head of the Church, and the Church is called the body of Christ. In the head three things are considered; Order, Perfection, Power: in Order the head is the first, the highest, the supreme member: in Perfection, it is the seat of all senses, except touching onely, which is throughout the whole body diffused: In Power, all motion, all virtue is from the head. Therefore it must needs be, that from Christ, the whole Church, and every member of it, hath all influence of grace and knowledge; who is the first, the highest, the nearest unto God in excellency and order: who is fullest of grace and truth; for in him all fullness dwelleth as concerning perfection: as for power, he hath also to disperse into every member, his vital and intellectual moving, as it is written; jo. 1.26.& Col. 1.19 Of his fullness haue we all received. Except then it can be shewed, that the Church by joints is coupled unto any other but CHRIST, in vain it is to think, that from any other it receiveth the increase of the body, to the edifying of itself. Thirdly, all true prophesy and knowledge is from God, the Father of lights: Mat. 11, 27 but no man hath known God the Father but the son Iesus Christ, and they to whom the Son doth reveal him; Wherefore there is no such Prophet as Christ, If you consider the Godhead of Christ, it is the vneuacuable fountain of light and truth: if you consider his Manhood, it is nearer unto the cause of grace& knowledge, then any man, or angel; being united personally unto the Godhead. But what is nearest to the spring, is always fullest; therefore with all knowledge, truth, grace, prophesy, Christ is most replenished, being in one nature the fountain: in the other, united to the fountain a thousand times more indiuisibly, because more substantially, then either the light to the Sun, the heat to the fire, or to the water moisture; jo. 3.31 He that is come from on high is above all. Fourthly, the first moving cause in every kind is moved by no other, or helped by no other: but Christ is the first mover unto life, and light; therefore unto Christ in this his prophetical office nothing can help, nothing can assist: neither Angells, nor men, nor any creature can add, according to that of the Apostle; Ro. 11.34.35 Who was his counsell●r? or who hath given unto him first? Surely, if to the sun, the star: if to the Spring, the stream: if to the Carpenter, the house: if to the Potter, the day: if to the first cause, no effect can bring any thing in his operation: no more can man unto Christ, in his wisdom, his truth, his prophesy. Fiftly, in prophesy there are two parts; Prediction and Preaching. Concerning Prediction, true it is, Vid. Alex part. 3 q. 77. memb. 3 The Aquin. the Prophets themselves knew not the very things they forespake, but by a lively faith onely believed them. For in human apprehension, Ens et Verum conuertuntur: all knowledge is of things being or in the present: but Christ comprehendeth things that are, and things that are not, with the same knowledge. In place of faith there is a more excellent understanding in him, by which he sees al things as in the present; knowing all things, not in their general, but in their special and individual cause, and in themselves also. Therefore none so able to teach his Church as himself. As concerning the denunciatiue part of prophesy or Preaching, he not onely delivereth the doctrine, but by his spirit can prepare the heart to receive it. Rupertus.— Wherefore one well saieth, it was necessary to our salvation, that God should not sand an angel, or a Messenger into the world, but his own son, who raineth down knowledge and wisdom, nimbler then all nimble things: which goeth through, and attaineth unto all things; Wisd. manifold, subtle, movable, clear, passing through all intellectual, and pure spirits: the breath of the power of God, a pure influence, that floweth from the glory of the Almighty. Therefore he is able not onely to teach the truth, but to prepare the heart, to move it, to turn it. For this cause then we may not grant, that there is any Prophet like unto him. As the sun is not only the cause of light by his natural brightness, but doth by his beams disperse the same into the world: so the son of God is the true light, and his Spirit the instrument, which conuaieth this light into our hearts. he both shineth into the house, and openeth the window, that the light may enter in: he teacheth the truth and prepareth the understanding to receive it: as it is in Luke; luke. 24.45. Then opened he their wits, that they might understand the Scriptures. Of the eye Philosophers dispute, whether it be illuminated by some virtue of the light entering into it: or by some virtue proceeding out of the eye to apprehended the light. But of the illumination, which our glorious morning star CHRIST IESVS, worketh in the heart of man, there can be no such question. he is the light, he is the virtue, which worketh in us to behold this light: He shineth vpon us, he moveth in us, he declareth what is truth: He sanctifieth the heart, to consent unto the truth: he bestoweth the gift, and he openeth our unwilling hand to receive it; the beginning, the middle, the end, the workman, the work, the instrument. O light of lights! O grace most gracious, which fillest all things with thy glory! Lastly, the Scripture evidently sheweth, that we haue no Prophet but Christ our Priest, and our Redeemer. For in him only is all the treasure of wisdom and knowledge, other where job 28.13 14 job 28.11 it is not found in the land of the living. The deep saith, it is not in me: The sea also saith, it is not with me; it is hide from the eyes of all the living. Wherefore, Salomon himself the wisest that ever was, yet of this wisdom was too short; Pro 30.3 I haue not learned wisdom, nor attained to the knowledge of holy things. And as of himself, so of all other he pronounceth, that of the mortal race none hath brought light from heaven to earth; for( saith he) Ibid. 4. Who hath ascended up to heaven and descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his fist? Who hath bound the waters in a garment, and established all the ends of the world? Moses complaineth, that Exod 4.10 he was not eloquent, that he was slow of speech. Esay complaineth; Esay 6.5 I am a man of polluted lips. jeremy saith; jer. 1.6. I cannot speak, for I am a child. Finally, of all the sons of men, the Apostle Paul confesseth 2 Cor. 3.5. that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing, as of ourselves. And again, 1 Cor. 2.11 The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God: but the doctrine of salvation, is the things of God. Peter, to show that in no other the truth of prophecy is to be found, but in Iesus Christ, saith; jo. 6.68 Lord, whither shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. I conclude then, though the Stewards of the mysteries of God labour in the gospel, and preach, and minister Sacraments: yet all of them must aclowledge him the Lucifer of their day, the fountain of their channel, the roote of their sap. ministerial Prophets there are many in the Church, but these are taught by him only. If they move themselves: if they deliver their own; if they speak their own: if they harken not unto the voice of the shepherd, they are neither his Ministers, nor his members, who is the husband of the Church, the head of the house of God; To whom bee all praise for ever and ever. CHAP. III. That our great Prophet, IESVS CHRIST, hath delivered all things needful to eternal life, in the book of his prophecy, the canonical Scripture. having proved that Christ is the ONLY lamp and brightness, which can enlighten the Church: the ONLY shepherd and Prophet, which can instruct the people; it remaineth now to consider, whether he hath left in his sacred Oracles so much knowledge, as may suffice to the full illumination, and perfect erudition of his flock. And surely sundry arguments, and plentiful proofs there are, by which it may be clearly manifest, that the Cononical Scriptures are an infallible path, a perfect rule, an undoubted guide, a Lantherne most clear, a full definition of all things requisite to bee believed or done, of them that desire to become Citizens of the glorious jerusalem which is above. The first argument is taken from the excellency of the Author: for of the Scripture there is no other cause nor spring but the highest God. he that made all things of nothing, who in the wondrous volume, and spacious book of the universal world, hath in such faire letters of glory expressed his power, his wisdom, and his goodness, is the only dictatory of the Scriptures: the written word is from the begotten word, job. 28.28.29 Who is the Father of the rain: who hath begotten the drops of the dew; cut of whose womb comes the ice: who hath engendered the frost of the heaven; out of this mind is this word proceeded. I confess, mortal men were the pens of this ready writer; but the water of the fountain taketh nothing from the Conduit, thorough which it runneth; nor the light from the air thorough which it shineth: Neither did any of the Scribes of the holy Ghost intermingle ought of their own. 1. Cor. 11.23. They delivered what they received, neither was it 2. Pet. 1.20, 21& 2. Pet. 1.16. of any private motion what they did set down: they followed not deceivable fables, when they opened to us the coming of our Lord Iesus. The Apostle therefore calleth the word of God 1. Pet. 1.23. immortal seed. Now then, if from a perfect cause there cannot be an unperfect effect( but how much every cause is more excellent, so much more is his work excellent) they unjustly blaspheme the Scripture, that deny it to bee the abundant treasure of all heavenly knowledge needful unto the Church. Moses shall reprove them; for he saith, Deut. 32.4. Perfect is the work of the mighty God. The Psalmist shall reprove them; for he saith, that the perfection of the word of God is above all perfection; Psal. 119 96. I haue seen the end of all perfection, but thy Commandement is exceeding large. Yea, the Lord himself reproveth them; job 40.3. Wilt thou disannul my iudgement? or wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be justified? Well faith the schoolman therfore, Alexand. Halins. Scripture is from God, and of God, that it might bring us unto God. The second argument let us take from the end and purpose, for which the word was ordained. John saith, jo. 20.31. The gospel is written, that wee might beleeue, and in believing haue everlasting life. So, two ends he maketh thereof: Faith the subordinate: eternal life the final end of Scriptures. It is also called Eph. 1.13. The word of truth, the word Act. 5.20. of life, the word 2. Cor. 5.19. of reconciliation; for that thereby we be taught, what is truth, where is life, how we are reconciled unto God. The Psalmist saith; Psal. 119.2. Blessed are they that keep his Testimonies. So that of the Scriptures, blessedness is the scope with david. The Apostle Paul sheweth, that the end of Scriptures is; 2. Tim. 3.16.17. Pro. 3.4. That the Man of God may bee absolute, being made perfect unto all good works. Salomon saith, the fruit of the word is, to find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Peter saith, 1. Pet. 4.6. The purpose of the preaching of the gospel is, that we might be condemned, according to men in the flesh, and we might live according to God in the spirit. God himself calleth it, The word of his covenant: then must it needs contain all that his covenant doth require; evangelists, Apostles, Prophets, Wisemen, Angells, yea, God himself witnessing, that the end and purpose for which the word was delivered, is truth, faith, life, reconciliation, perfection unto all good works. bark now whoso will against this glorious light of the sun of righteousness: let them reproach it with all the venom of their diabolical slanders, of imperfection, insufficiency, obscurity, inconstancy: every good Christian will assure himself, that the God of power faileth not in his purpose: the God of wisdom faileth not in his knowledge: the God of mercy faileth not in his promise; his word is perfect, full, sufficient unto the work, for which he hath ordained it. A third reason ariseth from a sufficient distribution, or division of the things that to salvation are needful. And surely, to instruct us herein, four things are necessary to bee known from whom we are; what we are; to what end we are: and how this end must bee obtained: but all these things the Scripture doth fully comprehend; therefore it hath in it all that is to be known unto salvation. Others otherwise distribute,& say, the things necessary to be known, are either concerning the essence& the persons of the Trine unity, the supreme majesty of God; and those the Scripture, either explicitly in open words, or implicitly by necessity of conclusion, doth sufficiently deliver: or else they concern the creation of all things, and their preservation, the corruption of sin, the remedy against sin, the inward grace, the outward instruments, the final iudgement. In these things consisteth all that concerning salvation may be known: but all these are set out in the Scriptures; therefore Scriptures contain Omne scibile, all that can be known unto salvation. If there were nothing else, the very gospel itself by the iudgement of Aquinas, contains wisdom enough to instruct us unto salvation. For the new Testament is divided into the evangelical, and apostolical writings. The evangelical describe the head, and the offices thereof, which is Christ: Vid. Tho. Aq. in Pro●m. Apoc. the apostolical writings describe the body, which is the Church; and that after three manner of ways. In the primitive state, as the Acts of the Apostles: the middle state, as the canonical Epistles: the final state, as the revelation. But more cannot bee delivered concerning the spiritual man, then the head and the body: the beginning, the middle, and the end: therefore all that is needful to salvation, is contained in the gospel; and the Apostle might justly say, that Rom. 1.16. it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth. There are that distinguish, and say, the holy Scripture concerning God sheweth us the son in the Father, and the Father in the son, and the holy Ghost from them both: and this is as much as can bee known concerning God: it teacheth man what helpeth, and what saveth: Quod inuat,& quod saluat. Isichtus. in 6. Leuit. what is comely, and what is necessary; therefore it delivereth us as much as is needful to be known unto salvation concerning Man. Another divideth the Scripture into the history, the prophesy, and holy writings. The History declareth things past: the prophesy things to come: the Hagiographa, or holy writings, do order the present conversation, Simile habet Honorius in prologue. Psa. and magnify the joys to come. Some say, that according to the three theological virtues, the Scripture is ordained and disposed; Faith, Hope, and charity: But in these consisteth all the completure of a Christian man; Rupertus de process. spir. Sanc. c. 13. therfore in the Scripture al to a Christian man required is delivered. All Meditations are of three sorts; one consisteth in consideration of our own manners: Potho. l. 2. de stat. domini dei. ex Cont. 1●. a second in contemplation of Gods law ordained: the third in contemplation of the works of God. Our manners are either good or evil: his laws either commanding, promising, or threatening: His works threefold; what he hath made by his power: how he governeth by his wisdom: how he saveth by his grace. These are all the things mans soul can meditate vpon: But all these are handled in the Scripture; therefore all is in Scripture delivered that the thoughts of Man can work vpon. All that wee ought to do, is comprehended in the ten Commandements: all that we ought to beleeue, is contained in the creed: all that we ought to pray for, is contained in the Lords Prayer: But all these are found in the Scripture, taken out of the Scripture, taught in the Scripture; therefore all that we ought to do, to beleeue, to desire, is comprehended in the Scripture. Lastly, we may not omit the Apostle Pauls distribution, who unto Timothy saith, that 2. Tim. 3.16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God: and is profitable to teach, to improve, to correct, and to instruct in righteousness. And surely, nothing more can be required in any teacher, unto the perfection of doctrine. The fourth argument to prove the sufficiency of Scriptures is taken from the divine prohibition, forbidding us to seek any other learning but the Scriptures. The prohibition appeareth in sundry places. Salomon saith; Prou. 30.6. Put nothing unto his words, lest he reprove thee. This the Lord denunciatiuely, and peremptorily commandeth in his Law; Deut. 4.2 You shall put nothing unto the word, which I command you, neither shall you take ought there-from. Mat. 15.9. Our saviour out of the Prophet saith; Esay 29.13. In vain they worship me, teaching for doctrine precepts of men. God the Father himself recalleth us from all other teachers, unto the gospel of his son onely; Math. 17.5. This is my bsloued son, in whom I am well pleased, hear him. Our saviour also giuing his Apostles commission to go forth and preach, teacheth them how far they shall therein proceed, bidding them observe and keep all that I haue commanded you. Math. 28.20. Now might it not seem cruelty to confine them onely to his word: to forbid all other doctrine and learning concerning heavenly things, if his own sacred Oracles were not sufficient? The fift argument I take from the witness of God himself. In deuteronomy it is said; Deut. 28.1. If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of the Lord thy God, and observe, and do his commandements, which I command thee this day, then the Lord thy God will set thee on high, above all the nations of the world. Our saviour saith; joh. 8.31.32. If you continue in my word, ye are verily my Disciples, and shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Again, of his Fathers commandement he saith, joh. 12.50. It is everlasting life. The Apostle Paul witnesseth to Timothy, that the sacred 1. Tim. 3. Scriptures are able to instruct him unto eternal salvation. And Saint John saith, 1. joh. ●, 5. He that keepeth his word, in him is the love of God perfect. All these places directly prove, that the word of God is sufficient to eternal salvation. The last argument I take from the witness of the Fathers and Doctors themselves, whose authority the Romish church embraceth. Augustine saith, Hic prius per Prophetas, deinde per s●ipsum, pestea per Apo●t. quam tum satis esse indicavit, locutus &c. de ciu. dei. l. 1●. c. 3. in ipso princip. First by the Prophets, then by himself, after by the Apostles, he hath spoken so much as he thought to be sufficient, and he ordained the Scriptures, which are called canonical, of most eminent authority. Tertullian saith; Adoro scriptura plenitudinem, qua mil●& factorem manifestat& facta Ter. aduer. Hermog. circa med. I reverence of the fullness of the Scripture, by which to me the maker and the works are declared. Cyprian saith, Cyp. libel. ad F●rtunas. in Proem. verb. praecep. ipsa. the divine precepts are as armor to them that fight: they are the exhortation of the military trump, the onset unto, Souldiers: by them the ears are raised up, the mindes are instructed, &c. lo lo ser. 11. de quadrag. verbo Artifex en●m. calleth the Scripture the most bright glass of his Commandements, in which man may behold the face of his soul, how like it is to the image of God, or how unlike. jerome to Paulinus Or● te frater charissime, inter haec vivere, ista medicaeri, nihil aliud nesc●re, nihil quaerere. Hiiron. ad Paulinum fear ad finem. having reckoned up the several praises of the books of Scripture, beseecheth him to live among the Scriptures, to meditate on them, to know nothing else, to seek nothing else. Chrysostome Chrysost. in hom. 10. ad pop. Beruacces fear in princip. verbo hic vero contra. sheweth the excellency of the Scripture by the manifold argument thereof: it entreateth( saith he) of the things in heaven: of the soul, of our life of the end for which wee are made: of the cause why wee stay in this world so long: whither we shall go from hence: what shall entertain us: whereof this body doth consist: what is the nature of death: what this present life is, and what is hereafter to come. Irenaeus saith; Lib. 5. aduer. Hareses Valentins fer● ad finem. to him that putteth to, or taketh ought from the Scripture, remaineth no small punishment. justine in his colloquy with Tryphon the jew bringeth him in thus speaking; Ac ne te quidemtulissemus, nisi ad scripturas rese●res omnia. justin. in C●lloq cum Tryph. Iudae● in medi● fear. We would never haue endured to confer with thee, except thou hadst, referred all to the Scripture. Athanasius saith; Nisi sacra litterae opitulentur, integre● nos& persectos reddi nompossean 2. Tim. Except the Sacred Scriptures help us, wee cannot bee entire and perfect. Basil saith; Audianius agitur verba veritatis, non in humana sapient●a persuas●●ilus, said in doctr●nis spiritus pr●lata● quorum finis non est audientium colla●dati●, said eorum, qui d●centur, salut. Basil. He● am●rō non. 1. in princip. fear. Let us hear the words of truth, not delivered in the persuasion of human wisdom, but in the doctrines of the Spirit of God: whose end is not the applause of the auditory, but the salvation of them that are taught. Thus you see the honour, the excellence, the learning, the perfection, these worthy Organs of Gods praise, and ancient Fathers, ascribe to his holy Word. Yet he that doth evil hates the light. The owls of the Romish Church endure not the bright beams thereof to shine unto the people. Ignorance, blackness, obscurity, darkness, night, clouds and mists: in these they reign, in these they triumph; Ecclus. 11.16 for error and darkness( saith sirach) are appointed for sinners. CHAP. IIII. Canons and observations concerning the prophetical Office of Iesus Christ. THe first Canon is concerning the measure of knowledge. We must not dream with the gnostics, that our perfection by the excellency of knowledge, is equal to that of Christ himself or his Apostles: neither may we think any Father or Teacher to be sanctified with the truth, that he cannot err: or that any earthly man hath all laws human and divine in the treasure of his breast. This is the privilege of the great Prophet only, joh. 14.6. who is the way, the truth, the life; the way without wandring: the truth without erring: the life without ending. The Apostle paul teacheth, that as yet, 1. Cor. 13. our knowledge and understanding is unperfect, we see as in a glass, we understand as children: Christ yet revealeth unto us according to our capacity. Hereafter when our bodies are glorified, our knowledge shall be perfected: wee shall see face to face, and know as we are known. The second, that whatsoever in the word of Christs prophesy is necessary for our salvation, it is plain and open to the ignorant and very Idiot; Deut. 30.11. It is not hidden from thee, saith Moses. And again, Deut. 29.29. The secrets of the Lord our God are opened unto us and to our children for ever, that wee may do all the words of his law. So that every one may by reading therein, learn all the principal points, the purpose and the substance of Scripture, although they see not perhaps the Art, and the grammatical power of the words, the Dialecticall inferences, the rhetorical illustrations therein used. The things which are dark and intricate, they are rather to declare the glory of God, and to show his wisdom to be infinite above our comprehension; then for edification, and furtherance to salvation. Wherefore it is a true observation, that in the Scripture there are Res dei, and Res hominum: something that serves for mans instruction, some for Gods glory. In the hard places the Scripture is bread, it must haue chewing: in the easy it is water do but taste and it will nourish. The Scripture is a river; here are pleasant fords and shelves, the simplo Lamb may wade over it: there are whirlpools and bottomless pits, the Elephant cannot swim over: Deut. 29.29. the plain and open things are for us, the hidden and secret for our God. Ecclus. 3. Curiously to search the glory of the heavenly things is not commendable: search not into the secret, lest thou bee confounded of the majesty: Let God alone with Acts 1.7. the things that he hath put in his own power. Yet those dark and hard places are profitable also two manner of ways; Ut exercitatus cap●at, quod capere non potest ●ciosus ● ut sacra scriptura sensus vilescat. Greg. Ezech. l. 1. Hom. 6. that a diligent Reader may understand, what being negligent he cannot: that the understanding of the Scripture should not be basely esteemed of vs. The third Canon; wheresoever the Scripture seemeth to command a thing wicked or unlawful, and to forbid that which is good and holy: those places are not literally to bee understood, but figuratively. wherefore they must be expounded by other sentences of the holy word. jacob. 1.13. For God tempteth no man, neither is iniquity with him: he is right in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The fourth Canon; One place of Scripture must not be enforced against the whole scope and current of the word: but one place must bee so understood, that all the rest may haue their due estimation and authority. Scripture is never well expounded, nor according to the mind of the holy Ghost, when we make one place to contradict an other, or when one place is so expounded, that it taketh away the verity of another. Wherefore, Math. 4.7. when the divell tempted Christ with Scripture, Christ stopped his mouth also with Scripture. It is written, &c. The fift Canon; In the understanding of the word or prophesy of Iesus Christ we must consider, what is figuratively, and what is literally spoken. That which is spoken plainly, must not be turned into Allegories, but with great caution and good warrant of the word itself: and that which is spoken Allegorically, must not be understood literally, except it bee, when the History is both literal and mystical. Now what is allegorical, Vid. A●●lom. in pref. supper l. Reg. ex Cent. 9. cap 4. de sac. scrip. and what is plain, the comparing of Scripture with Scripture will best declare. Some make seven ways to interpret the Scripture, historical. tropical, Allegericall, anagogical, figurative, Absolute. Dignitius. some four. But let them follow subtleties, that are delighted in them: it is unto a soul that hungereth and thirsteth after righteousness, sufficient to know what is literally to be understood, and what Allegorically in Scripture. The sixth Canon; Against the voice of Christ wee may not harken to any teacher: None hath power to dispense with his precepts but himself. For this is to deny Christ to be the wisdom of God, and to make Prophets superior to our great Prophet; Gal. 1.8. Though wee, or an Angel● from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, then that which wee haue preached unto you, let him be accursed. The seventh; there is a difference betwixt the words of other teachers, and the word of Christ, though in substance they teach the same thing: neither is the doctrine of every Minister, which is in the unity of the Church, very Scripture. Wee must reserve that honour and appellation to the canonical volumes onely. The works of the Fathers are but handmaids to the Scripture: Neither is any Decree of Man equivalent to the book of the prophesy of Iesus Christ. Multa sunt verba, said non sicut verbum istud, there are many words, but none like this word. The very Iewes did witness of him; joh 7 46. never man spake as this man doth. The eight Canon; Iesus Christ must not be measured by the estimation of flesh and blood. To examine the doctrine of the spirit by the reason of Man, Theophylact saith, is very blasphemy. The mysteries of our faith are above the reach of logic or Philosophy: Rom. 8.7. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God. job. 38.2. Who is this( saith the Lord) that darkeneth the counsel by words without knowledge. The ninth Canon; every Parable by a dark similitude doth represent the truth unto us: but the Parable is not in every point correspondent unto the thing which it signifieth; wherefore every particle in a Parable must not bee applied to the thing in the parable signified, but so much as is to the end and purpose, for which the Parable was uttered; as, in that of the Luke. 16. unjust St●ward, if we inquire why one owed oil, another wheat: why one owed fourscore, an other an hundred measures, we shall be no less tedious then ridiculous. The tenth Canon; Except the spirit of God open the understanding, and move the heart of man to consent unto the truth of the holy word, we shall never take fruit thereby. When God prepareth not the heart, the teacher fisheth in the night, and catcheth nothing. Chrysostome well saith, Se●entia. queen ex solis lect●●nibus est, ex ore procedit: queen a●●em de spiritu Sancto est, ex cerde profertur, et ideo spiritualis sei●ntia non solum d●e●ur, said sentitur: non tantum in scriptures legitur, said ex c●rde suggeritur. Chrysost. in. p. in●pers. cap. 7. the knowledge which proceedeth from reading only, cometh from the mouth: but that knowledge which is from the holy Ghost, proceedeth fro the heart,& therfore it is not only spoken, but felt: it is not onely taken from the word, but it is inspired into the heart. This sheweth, that Chrysostome maketh two kindes of knowledge; natural and spiritual. The knowledge which is more historical and natural moveth not, worketh not in us to salvation; but that which out of the Scriptures is suggested to the heart by the spirit of God. The eleventh Canon; In reading of the Scriptures and words of our great Prophet, all prejudice and affection must be set aside. It is the milk of the spirit, 1. Pet. 2.2. it must be received with simplicity. Sophistications, cavillations, wrestings of Scripture to make i● serve our turn, to enforce it to speak what it intendeth not, is the greatest blasphemy that can bee committed. Deut. 16.19. Moses therefore commandeth; (a) Wrest not the Law. The twelfth Canon; It is diligently to be observed in our reading of the word of God, that it must bee serious: wee must not come unto it as to a profane history, or a Poets elegy. The Scripture requireth to bee red with the same spirit, wherewith it was written. Bernard well saith, Fortuita enim& varia lectio,& quasi casu reperta, non adificat, said reddit ●nimum in●tabilē,& leviter admissa, lenit●r recedit à memoria. Ber. ad fratres de mentedei. casual reading of the word, and that which is by chance, doth nor edify, but makes the mind unconstant: lightly received, it lightly fals from us again. Wherefore to the reading of the word wee must come preparedly, advisedly, seriously. The thirteenth Canon; Wee must use the sentences of Scripture reverently and soberly. Many make stage-plays of the holy Histories: some ferch jests and merriments out of them, and apply the wisdom of GOD to their foolish sports. But of all these the spirit hath pronounced, Psal. 14.6. You haue made a mock at the counsel of the poor: and in Ezechiel; Ezech. 3●. 31. with their mouths they make jests. The fourteenth Canon; the simplicity of the Phrase of Scripture must not be changed. After one manner speaketh the Lord, after another manner the seruant: in one fashion a private man, in another a public person: an orator after one sort, after an other sort a judge. God speaketh not as Man speaketh, neither must his words bee judged by the rules of Donacus, or the Oratory of Quintilian. It was an observation long ago delivered by Theopompus to Demetrius Phalerius, that certain which went about to turn the native simplicity of Scriptures into the eloquence of Greece, fell besides themselves, and were by the severe castigation of God taught to know, how displeasing unto him is all such wantonnnesse. Z●zom. l. 1. cap. 11. It was a grave reprehension, which Spiridion that worthy Confessor used towards Tr●philus Bishop of Ledranum: who preaching before a synod in Cyprus, and taking the words of Christ for his theme; joh. 5.8. Tolle Grabatum tuum& ambuli, take up thy Couch and walk, refused the word Grabatum, which signified a Couch, and choose a finer and more eloquent term: which, when Spiridion heard, Art thou( saith he) better then Christ, which used the word Grabatum, or Couch? This Canon then must in handling the word of GOD bee duly observed, that we content ourselves with the simplicity of truth, and 2. Tim. 1.13. keep the true pattern of the wholesome words which thou hast heard of me; as Paul counseleth Timothy. The fifteenth Canon; When we come to the hearing, or reading of the word of this Prophet, wee must not trust to our own wisdom, but cast ourselves down in hearty prayer unto God, that he will vouchsafe, Apoc. 3.7. who hath the Key of david, and openeth, and no man shutteth, and no man openeth: who Apoc. 5.5. onely looseth the closed book, and openeth the seals thereof, to enlighten the darkness of our mindes, that we may understand the wondrous things of his Law. Let him then that will take profit by this learning, Mat. 7.7. knock, that it may bee opened, ask that he may obtain: for God will bee called vpon for his graces, And will be sought after of all that fear him. The sixteenth Canon; That is true doctrine and agreeable to the word of the great Prophet Christ, which seeketh the glory of God onely, and ascribeth onely unto him all the work of our salvation, justification, Sanctification and glorification: It is mans doctrine, which seeketh mans glory. This is the touchstone of all holy learning. For if in magnify God onely, if it aclowledge him onely, if it teach him only, if it worship him onely, without joining any other unto him, this is true doctrine, and none but this. Wherefore the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 2.2. esteemed not to haue known any thing, but Iesus Christ, and him crucified. The seventeenth Canon; The scripture is the best judge of the Scripture. Wherefore Act. 17.11. the Boroeans examined the doctrine of Paul, comparing it with the Scriptures. No synods nor councils haue power to judge the Word of God given to them. In civil governments the greater part of voices judge their constitutions: but in the church of Christ, if millions and myriad of Prelates interpret the word contrary to the word, wee must not cast in our lot with the multitude. The eighteen Canon; We may not pretend a private spirit in ourselves in expounding the Scripture: but the spirit which doth truly expound the Scripture, is it which doth animate and quicken the whole Church of God universally, and every member thereof particularly: and this spirit doth not teach us to expound the word, but according to the word. For the spirit of God and the word of God are not divided. jo. 16.13. He shall not speak of himself( saith our saviour) but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak. And again, Ibid. ver. 14. He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, and show it unto you. Wee must flee then the private spirit, the spirit of Sectaries, which interpret the word against the word. Ezekiel sheweth, that it is one spirit, that speaketh in all Scripture; Ezech. 1.20. For the spirit of the Beasts( saith he) was in the wheels. If the true spirit of God then teach us to interpret, we shall observe the golden concord of Scriptures, and interpret the word according to the word. For the Spirit doth not teach by internal motion. onely, but coniunctiuely, by the inward working, and the outward rule of the word. CHAP. V. Antichrist opposeth himself against Christ, by making himself a Magistrate over the word of God: so that without him the holy word hath neither life, power, nor authority. THe Apostle Paul teacheth, 2. Thes. 2 4. that it is the evident mark of Antichrist, To exalt himself against all that is called God, and that is worshipped,& to sit in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Augustine interpreteth this prophesy, of Antichrist sitting Aug. de civit. dei lib. 20 cap. 19. in Templum, not in Templo, that is, over the Temple, or over the whole house of God, which is his Church. Hierom understands this of Antichrist Vid. Hier. in Mithean. tom. 6. c. 7. altering the laws and ceremonies of Christ, and casting all religion under his own power. Origen saith, Orig. hom. 29. in Mat. the holy volumes of the old and new Testament are the Temple, wherein Antichrist shall sit, and extol himself above every word that is called the word of God. According to these expositions, to none the title of Antichrist doth so well agree, as unto the Ro. Bishop, who takes unto himself to be the only judge of Scriptures, and Censour of the holy Volumes, both to decree which are canonical, and to decide concerning the interpretation of them. Eckius saith, Eck. Enchir. loc. c●m de ecclesia& eius author. impres. Paris. p. Huillier. an 1572. The Scripture is not authentic but by the authority of the Church: And for so saying the Printer in the margin claps him on the back, and calls him, The Achilles of catholics. Hosius saith, that Hoss. de e●p. Dei verb. edit. jo. Stalsii Antwerp. an 1561 Scripture against the Tenet of the Church, is the express word of the divell. Bellarmine dares not in words justify these blasphemies: Nā, etiam si scriptura dicat, l bros Prophetarum, et Apostol●rum esse diuin●s, tamen non certo id credā nisi prius credidero scripturam, quam hoc dicit, esse divinam: nam etiam in Alcorano Mahumeti, passim legimus ipsum Alcoranum de c●l● a Deo m ssum. de verb. Dei no● script. lib. 4. verbo quarto necesse est. cap. 4. but that which he teacheth, is in sense and force of reason all one. For first, he doth not admit, that in the word of God there is any such splendour or excellence, by which it may declare itself to be the word of God: Nay, the diabolical friar shameth not to compare it with the Turkish Alcoran. For, although( saith he) the Scripture call the books of Prophets and Apostles divine, yet I should not beleeue it to bee so, except I first beleeue the Scripture, which so saith, to be divine: For in Mahomets Alcoran we red, that the same Alcoran was from heaven and from God. In the colloquy at Ratisbone a jesuit said, The Scripture was the fountain of alhaeresie. Tannerus a jesuit said, Nulli, nulla, nulle unquam haeresis fuit quae ex sola scriptura sufficienter refutari potuit. hurnius in tract col. Ratis. pag. 28. There was never, never, never any heresy, which could sufficiently out of the Scripture alone be refuted. Gretserus proceedeth further, and in the Colloquy of Ratis. openly said, david Rungius scrip. col. Ratis. that neither the Scripture alone as it is the word of the spirit of God: nor the holy spirit itself as it speaks by the Scripture, is the supreme and infallible judge of controversies of religion. sylvester Prierias saith, Cont. Luth. Indulgences were not made known unto us by the authority of Scripture, but by the a●thoritie of the Romish Church, and the Roman Bishops, which is greater. Secondly, Bellarmine saith, that Bell de verbo dei l. 1. c. 10 The Pope hath power to declare, which are canonical books, out of the testimony of the ancients, out of the conformity of the books, out of the common sense and mind of the Church: but this is a more collusion. For the Pope is neither bound to harken unto the ancient Fathers: nor to the conformity of the writings: nor to the sense and mind of the Church: nor to the opinion of other Bishops, or to the determination of general councells. They say indeed, that the councils or Bishops are the representative Church: but yet, that all Bishops and Councells are in the Pope by fullness of knowledge, it is amongst them an infallible conclusion. The Canonist saith; Authoritatius pse solus est ille spiritualis homo, qui judicat omnia. By authority the Pope is the onely spiritual man, which iudgeth all things. And again, Non est, qui ei dicat, cur ita facis? extrau. jo. Tit. 4. c. 2 ad apostolatus nostri in Glossa. There is none that may say to him, Why dost thou thus? Ipse enim potest supraius dispensare, et de iniustitia facere justitiam, corrigendo i●ra et mutando; nam plenitudinem obtinet potestatis. in c. 4. de trans ep. Tit. 7. in gloss. vid. He. Bull. in come. in 1. Thess. He hath power to dispense with the lawe, and of unrighteousness to make righteousness, by correcting the laws and changing them; for he hath fullness of power. And again, Si totus mudus sententiare● in alique negotio contra Paepa, videtur quod senteetia Papae standum esset. Extr●u de elec significasti. ex Hen. Bulling. in 2. Thess. 2. If the whole world should judge against the Pope, it seemeth wee must yet stand to the Popes opinion. With one voice they teach, that Christ therefore gave one groat for himself, another for Peter, because as in Christ, so in Peter all are contained: that Christ gave his name and his office unto Peter, and made him companion of his death: that Christ said to Peter; I go again to bee crucified at Rome, when Peter should be crucified, meaning that himself and his Vicar were one. Wherefore, what is done to Peter( saith he) is done to Christ, whom God hath made Lord of his house, and Prince of all his possessions: And whatsoever is spoken of Peter, is spoken of the Pope; For Peter liveth and ruleth in his own seat, and doth yield to every one the truth of faith. In Ex Barth. Carāz. in conc. Chalced. ex noua trans. act. 2. the council therefore of Chalcedon, when the suggestions of lo the Pope of Rome were red, they all cried out; Peter hath spoken to us by lo: and therefore they subscribed thereto, as unto apostolical doctrine. council. Chalc. apud Bart. Carāz. act. 2. Iulius himself doth witness, that Peter dwells in the Pope. To conclude, the Pope hath no need to expect the iudgement of Fathers, the coherence of Scriptures, nor the opinion of the Church; who is a Lord and master like Christ: so that none dare say unto him, Why sayest thou or dost thou thus? The Roman seat is the firmament of all Councells. All other seats were founded by man, but the papal by God himself; even by that word, which in the beginning made heaven and earth. Wherefore when Eckius had taught, that the Scripture is not authentical without the authority of the Church, he sheweth whom he meant by the Church, even the Pope himself. For he allegeth the commandement of God, in difficult questions to repair unto the high Priest: and he concludeth; See the power of the Priest of the Lawe. How great then, think you, is the power of the Priest of the gospel? Christ( saith he) Christus dedit c●aues non vu●, said vnitati. gave the keys not to one, but to the unity: so, Ita Petrus gessit personam ecclesia, v● Imperator Germ. Eck. de primatu sedis apost. et Petrò. Peter bears the person of the Church, as the Emperour bears the person of all Germany. Bellarmine therefore concludes, Bell. l. 4. de Ponc. R●. ●. 1. verbo in evangelio nihil. that to Peter onely it was said, Feed my sheep, yea, all his sheep: so that the Apostles themselves were not excluded. Now it cannot bee doubted( saith he) but that amongst the dueties of a shepherd this is one, to discern the good pastures from the evil. There is none, I think, now so blind, but doth see, that all the authority of the Church is in the Bishops and Councells by representation, and all the authority of Bishops and Councells is in the Pope by fullness of power. Thus doth he exalt Esay 14.13.& Ezec. 28.2 his Throne beside the stars of God: he sitteth in the seat of God in the midst of the Sea. Th. Aq. 2●. 2●. q. 1. art. 10. ●● sic cell. a Ben John. cap. de fide. To whose authority( Thomas Aquinas saith) onely pertaineth the setting forth of a Creed, and to determine finally of the matters of faith. And the Canon witnesseth, that the Roman Bishop hath all laws human and divine in the closet of his breast. And again, The Pope can do all that Christ can do. CHAP. VI. The Romish Church challengeth unto the pop● sole power to interpret the holy word. OF the illumination of his whole Church& al the members thereof, the Lord witnesseth by the Prophet jeremy; jer. 31.33. I will put my law in their inward parts, and writ it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And of this perspicuity of the word Moses himself bears witness; Deut. 30.11. This commandement, which I haue commanded thee this day, is not hide from thee, neither is it far off. Yet notwithstanding, as though all other men were blocks and stocks in respect of their Capitoline jupiter; to the Roman Bishop, all his vassals reserve the interpretation of Scriptures, and construction of difficult places unto him alone, as unto the mind of the Holy Ghost, the lamb of the Mount Sion, which hath the key of david, to shut and open, without all others. A Canonist therefore saith; Non videretur dominus discretus, nisi talem vnum post se in terris reliquisset. Pet. Ber. in Gloss. The Lord should seem to haue wante● discretion, except he had left some such behind him. And Eckius saith, that Eckius de primat. Pet. verbo ratio suadet. Christ had not provided for his Church, except there were such a supreme moderator. Bellarmine therefore refers unto the idol of Rome all the authority in expounding of Scriptures. For out of the second of Aggee, and the second of Malachy he concludeth, that Bel. l. 3. de verb● Dei. c. 4. it belongeth not to private men to judge of the understanding of the lawe of the LORD, but to the Priest, who is the angel of God,& is his messenger, to whom by his office it doth appertain to expound the mind of God. And in the fift chapter of the same book he saith, that Bell. l. 3. de verbo dei. c. 5. in ipso prin. to Peter & his successors are given the keys, that is, not onely power to bind& loose sins, but all other impediments which hinder the entrance into the heavenly kingdom. For Christ doth not say, What man soever, but what thing soever thou dost loose, shall bee loosed: so that thereby we may understand the losing of all bonds of laws by dispensation: and of all sins by relaxation: and of all doctrines and controversies by explication. And again, God was not ignorant( saieth he) that in his Church should arise many difficulties touching faith, wherefore he ought to appoint some ecclesiastical judge to provide for the Church: Bel. l. 3. de verbo dei. c. 9. in prin. cap. but this judge cannot be the Scripture itself, nor any private spirit of revelation, nor any Secular Prince; therefore it must needs be some ecclesiastical Prince, either alone, or with the consent of Bishops. As for the evasion which they pretend, that the Pope with the council expounds Scriptures, or with the opinion of Bishops; it is an idle sophistication. For they account Bishops and Councells but second iudges, who without the Popes consent can do nothing. Gelasius the first pronounceth, Quacūque cuiuscumq synodi acta, nisi per R●. pontiff. confirmentur, nullum habeant robur, totum( tuquit) in sidis apostolica, positum est potestare▪ ex Bart. Cara●z. in sum. decret. G●las. That all acts of any Synod, except they be confirmed by the Roman Bishop, haue no force at all; for all consists in the power of the apostolical Sea. Innocent saith, Ex Gratian● cau. 14. q. 1. cap. quotiens ratio fidei. All questions must be referred to Peter, that is, to the heir of his name& his honour. The Bishops and Prelates interpret the Scriptures, as doctors and Preachers: Aliud est quaestionem de fide motam terminari quod nulli praeterquam Rō. sedi permittitur Grat cause. 24. q. 1. quotiens fides. in Glos The Pope onely doth define& pronounce as judge. Bell. l. 3. de verb● dei. c. 10. verb. respond aliud est. Other teachers do not propose their opinion necessary to be followed, as the judge doth. again, Bell. ibid. Between the Pope and all other men, in all Councells gathered without the Popes authority, there is great odds, say they: for Summus Pontisex cum totam ecclesiam docet, in his queen ad fidem pertinent nullo casu errare potest. Bel. de Ro. pontiff. l. 4. c. 3 in titulo et per totum caput. the Pope teaching out of the chair cannot err: all other may err. So irrefragably and without contradiction the doctrine and iudgement of the Pope must be received, that no man may say, why dost thou so? his doctrine must be entertained without examination. Nay, if the Pope should err, Si Papa erraret, praecipiendo vinae, vel prohibendo virtutes, teneretur ecclesia credere vitia esse bona, et virtutes malas, nisi velvet contra conscientiam peccare. Bell. l. 4. de Ro. pontiff. c. 5. verbo secundo quia tunc necessar. in commanding 'vice, and forbidding virtue, the Church were bound to beleeue virtue to be evil, and 'vice to be good, except it would sin against the conscience; for the Church must rest vpon the iudgement of the chief Bishop. This is the Hierarchy, which the Romish Nimrod exerciseth over the word of God. First, none can judge what is canonical but he: then, none can interpret but he: whom, whatsoever he teach and pronounceth, we must obediently receive, and humbly obey without examination, and without contradiction. And yet in this chair some haue been, that sacrificed to Idols: maintained the heresy of Arrius: counted lawful marriage pollution: denied two natures in Christ: taught, that Christ delivered us from actual sin onely: maintained the Monothelitan heresy: professed, that baptism in the name of Christ onely, without the name of the Father and the holy Ghost, is sufficient: published, that the lawe of Moses is not abrogated: taught, that heresy dissolved Matrimony: that the souls of men sleep and behold not God, till the resurrection: came in by Simony, practised Nicromancy, lived in Adultery. If you object any of these Monsters unto them, either impudently they deny the histories of the times, or else( forsooth) they erred as writers, not as Popes: it was their opinion, not their doctrines they spake as private men, not as the heads of the Church. O tortuose Serpens! CHAP. VII. That the Romish Church offereth wrong to the prophetical Office of Iesus Christ, by obtruding and enforcing the translation of the Scriptures, called the vulgar translation, necessary to be received of all the Church, which is in many places improper and faulty. ALthough there were many versions of the Scripture among the Iewes; as, that of the Septuagint, the Chalde,& the greek: it appeareth yet, that every godly Teacher had power to use what translation to him seemed to come nearest to the truth of the original. Wherefore our saviour Christ sometimes spake after one, sometimes after another translation. Vpon the cross he alleged the words after the Syriack or Chalde interpretation. The Apostles for the most part used the greek interpretation: and so the Eunuch of queen Candace did red the prophesy of Esay in the greek. Saint Luke( as Genebrard doth witness) rehearseth the genealogy of Christ according to the seventy interpreters. jerome witnesseth, Tot enim sunt exemp●aria pene, quot 〈◇〉. Hi●rom. in pro●mie in 4. evang. ad Damasc. that there were almost as many sundry latin versions, as there were books of the New Testament. Therefore he wisheth every man to return Sin antem veritas est quaerenda de pluribus, cur non ad. Gracā or●ginem reuertentes ea qua v●l à vitiosis interpretibu● male edita●vel à presumptoribus imperitis emendatu peruersio: vel à Librarijs dormitantibus aut addita sunt, aut mutata, corrigimus? Ibid. to the original greek; and by it to amend, what evil interpreters had corrupted. But such is the lordliness of the Romish chair, that it commandeth and enjoineth all men to receive the old vulgar latin Sess. 2. in decret● de nu●●ratione sacrorum. l. Sacrosā●. ●●cume●ica& generalis Tridentina. translation as authentic, in public Lectures, Disputations, Sermons, and Expositions: and that no man bee bold vpon any pretext to reject the same. And yet the same translation since this Tridentine Decree hath been oftentimes reviewed and corrected by the Popes themselves, as by Sixtus Quintus Anno 1519. and by Clement the eight Anno 1592. and sundry others. They call it the old version: but Augustine saith, that Aug. de d●ct. Christ. l. 2. c. 11. Sic c●tat●r à Mart. C●●●ni●. the latin versions cannot be numbered. Who can then tell that this is the old? They Ibid. attribute this version which is called the vulgar, to Saint jerome: but it doth not agree with Ieromes versions in his Hebrew questions, neither doth Ieromes translation of the psalms and Ecclesiastes agree with this. Hereto add wee the negligence and error of the Scribes, by which it may bee, that some things therein are absolutely changed from the true sense: so that to be bound to every sentence, that the vulgar latin doth render, were an unreasonable yoke. It may not be forgotten also that diuers Fathers alleging sundry places of Scriptures do not follow the vulgar latin; as it appeareth by Tertullian, Cyprian, Arnobius, hilary, Ambrose, and others. Lastly, no man can deny, that the vulgar latin text is in many places corrupted. I will onely show thee, good Reader, what errors that famous learned man Martin Chemnicius recordeth, with some few other by diuers learned observed. The vulgar latin maketh Quibus tertius Machaba●●ū liber paucissimis cognitur iam recens accesiit. edit. Collo. anno domini 1527. per Petr. Quentell. three books of maccabees: but in the ancient copies of the Scripture there are but two: And he confesseth, this book is known but to few, being newly added. In the book of the son of sirach there are many whole sentences in the vulgar latin translation, which are not to be found in the greek copies: And there are diuers places falsely rendered; Dedit praecepta ad cor. for, dedit illi coram praecepta. ex Bell. confessione de verb. dei. l. 2. c. 11 verb. primo quand●. as, that he gave his precepts to his heart: for, he gave him the commandements, before his face. In the ninth of Genesis the Text is, Fatetur Bell in l. 2. de verb. dei. c. 12. He that sheddeth the blood of Man, his blood by Man shall be shed: the vulgar leaveth out, by Man. In matthew the ninth an excellent sentence is maimed; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance: The vulgar latin leaveth out, Repentance. romans the first; the later end of the Chapter is changed in the vulgar latin, which readeth, Non cognouerunt, they had not known: the Rhemists red quiter contrary, They knew the iustice of God. In the book of wisdom they horribly corrupt the Scripture, which saith; Thinking it unseemly for thy power to condemn him, that hath not deserved to be punished: they red; Ipsum quoque qui non debet puniri, condemnat. in edit. Coloniensi. 1. joh. 5.13. Thou condemnest him, which ought not to be punished. I haue written unto you, which beleeue in the name of the son of God, that you may know, that you haue eternal life, and that you may beleeue in the name of the son of God: The latin rendereth it thus; Bellarmine confesseth it to bee otherwise in the greek Copies, then in their common translation: de verb. dei. l. 2. c. 14 That you may know, that you haue life eternal, which do beleeue in the name of the son of God. Where the Apostle saith, that Abraham was not justified by works: the latin translation addeth, By works of the Law; as though the Apostle did speak onely of ceremonial works. In the eleventh to the romans, the saying, If it bee of works, then it is now no grace, &c. the vulgar latin leaveth out: yet it is in the greek Copies. In the place likewise in the sixth to the Ephesians; Take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may bee able to resist in the evil day, and having finished all things, to stand fast: having finished all things, is left out in the vulgar. In the eleventh to the Hebrewes, the verse twenty one is corrupted most shamefully: where the vulgar readeth, Adored the top of his Rod: for worshipped toward the top of his sceptre; as q. 162. in Gen. Augustine witnesseth, Vid. Will. Fulk. in Heb. 11. sect. 9. ad Rhemist. and the Syriack interpreter also. Bellarmine saith, that the words of the seventeenth of deuteronomy, verse the tenth, According to all that they inform thee, are in no other Copies but the common: and therefore doth except against the same. I omit the sundry false translations of the psalms, observed by Caluin: and the errors noted by Vall●, Stapulensis, and Erasmus. Yet such is the imperiositie of the Romish Church, that no man may red, expound, interpret, but after the rule of this vulgar latin. I doubt not but the vulgar latin, whosoever did it, doth in many things translate very sincerely and truly: and I assure myself, if there were no other translation, yet Popery should fall down before it, 1. Sam. 5. as Dagon at the presence of the ark of God. But to restrain the gift of God to that interpreter only: or in the excellent knowledge of tongues, which in this age aboundeth by the singular gift of God, to take all power from the seruants of Christ, to red any other ways then their latin Text affordeth, is to tyramnize over the Church of God: and to reign over the consciences of men: and to force it to swallow all errors they thrust vpon it. It is also a great wrong to the prophetical office of Christ; as though neither in the original H●brew, nor in the greek, God had preserved the truth of Doctrine, till their latin translation came up; as the author of the Complutense edition is not ashamed most blasphemously to say, that Ex Do. Fulk● in Apoc. 13. he placed the latin version betwixt the Gr●eke and the Hebrew, as Christ vpon the cross between two Theeues. CHAP. VIII. The violence which the Romish Church offereth to our great Prophet, ly denying his word unto the people. ALthough no translation may be used but such as themselves do approve, yet that also is denied unto the people: neither may any red it but by permission: nor may it be rendered in any other tongue, but latin, greek, Vid. Bell. l. 2. de verb. dei. cap. 2. or Hebrew. Now the greek and the Hebrew copies( say they) are all vicious and full of errors. Therefore it remaineth, that God must speak onely in the latin tongue: his spirit must bee confined, so that it may neither come, nor speak unto simplo souls hungering and thirsting after righteousness, in any other language. As a savage and raging lion is shut up in grates, lest wheresoever he cometh death and destruction should ensue: so the sweet and sacred mouth of Christ is stopped, and his grace in an unknown Idiom, imprisoned, lest his words should kill, and his voice impoison every ear it enters into. Wherefore the ma●ters of the assembly of Trent took order, Index l. prohib. regula. 4.— that the holy scripture( though truly and Catholiquely translated) yet may not be indifferently red of all men, nor of any other then such, as haue express licence thereto. And to this purpose the Rhemists apply the doctrine of our saviour touching the Rhe●. in prafat. sect. 13. casting of pearls and holy things to dogges; as though there were any dogs worse then the swinish sect of the Iesuites. To colour their treachery in this behalf; First they say, Bell. de Miss. l. 2. c. 1●. et de verb. des non scrip. l. 4. c. 8. verbo acceda● pastrem●. The dignity of the Mysteries is so great, that it is not comely, that they should come to the ears of all men. And as for prayers, it is no matter( saith Bellarmine) Lib. 2. c. 11. de Miss. verbo quarto sacrificium. whether man understand them or not, since God understands them. The devotion of him that prayeth Eck. de Miss. latin non Germanic● dic●ndi●. is kindred by the many words of the Minister, saith Eckius. Secondly, they accuse the Scripture of hardness and difficulty of sense; as though he that made the tongue, could not speak: and he that ordained his word to teach, and endued the soul with understanding that it might learn, fashioned not his word unto the end, for which it was ordained; but overthrew his purpose in his spinositie. But above all, Bellarmine in this point exceeds in blasphemy; Who denieth Bell. de verbo dei non script. c. 12. verbo responde● ad maiorem. that the proper and chief end of Scriptures is, to bee the rule of faith. It is( saith he) a certain profitable instruction, to increase and nourish faith received by preaching. again, if the evangelists had meant to deliver doctrine in their books( saith he) Bell. l. 4. de verb. dei non scrip. c. 4. verbo ex quo manifeste colligitur. They would rather haue written catechisms, and not Histories, or Epistles. He saith, that Bell ibid. verb. primum verbo ex varijs. There was no necessity, that the Scripture should be written in books: contrary to that of our saviour, Apoc. 1.11. writ in a book, that thou seest, and sand it to the seven Churches: contrary to that of the Lord unto Ieremie● jer. 36.2. Take thee a roll or book, and writ therein all the words that I haue spoken to thee: contrary to the commandement of Daniel; Dan. 12.4. seal the book: Yea, contrary to the example of God himself, whose Exod. 31.18. laws in the table of ston were written with the finger of God. Thirdly he saith, De verbo dei non script. l. 4. c. 4. verb. primum pr●b● ex va●ijs atatibus. The Scripture is not necessary. For as the world stood two thousand yeeres without Scripture: so the doctrine of Christ also might haue been conserved for a thousand five hundred yeares. O friar! O Swite! I marvell thou didst miss the popedom, that canst so belch out blasphemy. Is there no odds between the infancy, and the perfection of the Church? Is God so present with the Church now in dreams and visions, in revelations, in signs and wonders, as he was then? Doth God speak now unto us mouth to mouth? and shall not the want of his visible presence bee supplied with his written word? And yet great ignorance it is in Bellarmine, if he did not know, that even before the time of Moses diuers holy patriarchs left precepts of faith and godliness in writing, which served till the coming of the Law. There was the book of Henoch, whereof Saint Iude makes mention: the book of the just and other, Iude 14. as it is very likely. But the Romish Church hateth the written word. Wherefore Eckius saith; Eckius▪ de authoritate ecclesiae. pag. 9. edit. Paris apud P. Huillier. Christ writ no books, nor commanded his Disciples, or Apostles to writ any. And Guilbertus Tornacensis saith; Guilb. Torn. in serm. de sacr. in general●. Ignorant laics are saved by their simplicity and the faith of others. Lastly, the more to increase the clouds of their darkness, and the night of their ignorance wherein they reign, they withdraw the affection of men from the holy Word of God, by reproaching it with all the spots of infamy they can devise. The Censure of Colen calleth it an Cens. Col. fol. 200 ex Charc●. cont. Camp.— Unperfect doctrine, maimed, lame, not containing all things necessary to faith and salvation: and again, Cens. Col. 11. ibid.— Cens. Col fol. 117. The reading of the holy Scripture is not onely not profitable, but many ways very hurtful to the Church. Bellarmine lib. 4. de verb. dei non script. cap. 4. saith, that neither the whole Scripture generally, nor any one book particularly, is sufficient for our instruction. Some call it Harding de scrip. ver leg. sect. 5. an occasion of ill thoughts, Ibid dangerous and hurtful: others call it Ex varijs blasphemat. vid I●. Iu●l. contr. Hard. a dead and dumb thing, mute Iudges, dead ink, a black gospel, ink divinity, a nose of wax, Hos●ius de expresso dei verbo. ed●r. ●ntwerp. in adibus lo. Stelsij anno 1561. the covering of satan, hard precepts, obscure: in which there is no divinity to bind us by any religion to beleeue it. Thus haue they cast darkness vpon the sun itself, and reproached heaven with their contumelies. Light they haue called darkness, and good evil. Arise O powerful lion of the Tribe of judah, set up thyself above the Heauens, and thy glory above all the world: let lying lips be put to silence, and take the protection of thine own cause unto thyself. CHAP. IX. The blasphemy of the roman Church, making their Decrees equal to the word of our great Prophet Iesus Christ. CHrist the begotten word is the uncreated image and wisdom of the Father. The Scripture and the written word of God is a created image, wherein the wisdom of God doth shine. Now to compare our laws with Gods Law, and our wisdom with his wisdom, what is it else but the intolerable tumour of Antichrist, Esay 14.13. Abdias 1.4. placing his Throne above beside the stars, and 2. Thes. 2 4. lifting himself above all that is called or worshipped as God. Austen long ago complained, Ad inquisitiones januarij. l. 2. c. 19. that the condition of the jewish Synagogue was much more tolerable, then of the Church of Christ. For the Iewes, though they knew not the time of liberty, yet they were onely subject to the burden of legal constitutions imposed by God himself; and not to the presumptions of men. Now had this godly ancient lived in these daies, and beholded the infinite number of Decrees and decretals, Canons and Constitutions, Traditions, Rules, Ceremonies, wherein the Church laboureth with more then Egyptiacall servitude; what would he haue said? And how would he haue bewailed the time, in which they that sit in the chair, teach not out of the chair? but in steede of the sweet and easy yoke of Christ, load the people with a world of superstitions, uncertain and senseless traditions. Vid. Es●y c. 3. every proud strumpet hath her ornaments, slippers, cawls, round tires, sweet balls, bracelets, bonnets, tires of the head, slops, head-bands, tablets, ear-rings, mufflers, costly apparel, biles, wymples, crisping pins, fine linen, glasses, whoods and lawns. Spiritual Babylon also hath her holy-water, oil, salt, cream, spittle, dayes, yeares, ashes, meats, confessions, penance, satisfactions, pardons, pilgrimage, purgatory, exorcisms, images, bells, altars, incense, candles, grains, medals, supererogations, oblations, dirges, trentals, and a thousand toys more, which I haue now no leisure to recount, for which there is no Scripture, nor warrant; but they are the devices of their own brains, and figments for their own lucres sake. Now these to obtrude unto the Church, they use four wicked and false pretences, the four wheels of the Chariot of Antichrist, or the four elements of his Constitution. The first pretence is, that the word of God doth not contain all things necessary unto salvation, as the Censure of Colen plainly speaketh; Cens. Col fol. 120 ex Charco cont. Camp. The want of the holy Scriptures must bee supplied, by peecing it out with traditions. This is the most execrable and devilish blasphemy of all that ever was invented. For it prepareth the way to all their superstitious will-worship: and it seemeth a reasonable colour to dig unto themselves other pits, since the fountain of the Gardens is dry, and the spring of Lebanon hath not water enough to eternal life. Bellarmine urgeth this aphorism to the full, and saith, In scriptures non contineri express necessariam totam doctrinam, siue de fide, siue de moribus. Bellarm. de verb. Dei non script. l. 4. cap. 3. in princep. In the Scriptures, all the doctrine is not expressly contained, which is necessary, either concerning faith or manners; wherefore besides the word written, the word unwritten is required. And again, Scripturae sine traditionibus nec sunt simpliciter necessariae, nec sufficiente●. ibid. cap. 4. in princip. The Scriptures without traditions are neither simply necessary, nor sufficient. And the Censure of Colen saith, Censura Colon. sol. 230. ex Char. cont. Camp. Traditions are of equal authority with the word of God: we must beleeue them, though they bee manifestly against the Scripture. Lyra saith, Lyra contra perfidiam Iudaorum. It cannot be proved by reasons infallible, and efficacious arguments out of the Scripture which cannot be contradicted, that Christ is God or man, or come in the flesh. Eckius saith, Eckius Euchi. cap. 4.— all things are not manifestly delivered in the holy Scriptures. The Rhemists say, In Heb. 6. annot. 2. The Scriptures could not treat so particularly of things, as was requisite. And again, Rhem. heb. 9. marg. not. 2. They contain not all necessary rites or truths. Carolus Sigonius saith, Ieruno adeo scriptus sit. Car. Seg. de Rep. ●eb. lib. 7. c. 2. The book of Iudges was so hungerly written, that it scarce setteth down their succession and their warres. Thus they openly confront the Apostle Paul, 2. Tim. 3. who saith, That all Scripture is profitable to teach, to improve, to correct, and to instruct in righteousness, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect unto all good works. 1. Pet. 1. They despise Peter, who teacheth, that by the Word of God we are born anew. They openly contradict our great Prophet IESVS CHRIST himself, who to his Apostles denounced: Behold, I haue told you all things,; and unto the Iewes, that the commandement of the Father is life. But with the Romish generation the wisdom of God is not perfect to instruct; the light of the Sun is not clear: the womb of the Sea is without water: the bread of heaven is insufficient to feed those that hunger and thirst after righteousness. M●t. 5.6. Secondly, in the place of the Scripture of God, and to supply the defects thereof, they enforce the Church to receive uncertain superstitions, and vain frivolous traditions, which they also call The unwritten word of God. So speaketh the assembly of Trent; With the same reverence and equal devotion of holinesse, the sacred Synod receiveth the same traditions touching faith and manners, as delivered by the mouth of Christ, and pronounced by the holy Spirit, and consecrated by the continual succession of the catholic Church. And Bellarmine saith, Verbum ecclesiae, vel Pontificis docentis in Cat●edra non esse omnino verbum hoins, id est, verbum error obnoxium, said aliquo modo verbum Dei. Bellar. lib. 3. de verb. Dei. cap. 10. verbo respondeo verb. Ecclesiae. The word of the Church, or the pope teaching out of his chair, is not altogether the word of man: that is, a word subject to error; but after a manner, it is the word of God. And again, reckoning up the sundry manners, by which God speaketh to his Church, by Scripture and by inward motion, he saith, that Bellar. ibid. verbo respondeo loquitur. He speaketh most plainly by the mouth of his Vicars. The Canon Lawe saith, of the Pope and Christ there is one tribunal. Bellarmine saith, Eadem tribuitur author●tas legi scriptae,& censuetudini non scriptae. lib 4. de verb. Dei non script cap. 8. verbo nobiliss●mi Philosophorum. The same authority is attributed to the written lawe, and to the unwritten custom. Verectus saith, The determination of the Church is gospel. The Rhemists Rhem. 2. Cor 3. Sect. 1. comparing the unwritten word of God with the written, call Traditions the special and proper book of Christ, for that it is written in the heart: but the gospel is the book of ink and paper. And again, In Ep. jac. cap. 5. a●not. 11. Many things unwritten bee of equal truth with the things written: Mat. 25. sect. 3 nor any precepts of the holy Church are to be counted doctrines of men; because they are not made by human power, but by Christs warrant and authority, and by such as he hath placed in the Church to rule the same: they are made by the holy Ghost joining with our Pastors in th● regiment of the faithful. Eckius saith, Eckeus de orat.& hoar. ca●de. 7. They which reject the canonical houres, are like Naaman the Syrian, who refused to wash in jordan, thinking the Riuers of Damascus better then jordan: so( saith he) if the reading of the two Testaments be better, yet we must wash in the water, where the Masters of the Church appoint, that is, the seven canonical houres. Let them flatter themselves what they will, Mat. 15.9. They worship him in vain, that teach for doctrine the precepts of men. Salomon saith; Pro. 30.6. Put nothing unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. God saith in Moses; Deut. 12.32. Thou shalt put nothing thereto, nor take ought therefrom. Saint John saith; Apoc. 12.18. If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues, that are written in his book. But curse or blessing they regard not, who oppose the power of Christ in his Vicar, against the wisdom of Christ in his word. Thirdly, all their Traditions which are not found in Scripture, they command all men to think, that they are yet from the mouth of Christ himself, and from the holy Ghost, o● the Apostles in the first plantation of the Church. This A●dradius saith, Andrad apud Ch●m● de ●radit. part. 1. d●● decree. qu●ri soss. syn. tried. is a principle, beyond which there is none ought by inquisition to proceed. Tertullian saith, Lex, qua probare se non vult, suspecta est. tart apologes. aduersus gentes. The Lawe that will not suffer itself to be examined, is justly suspected. Like Mathematicians, their Traditions to prove, they will not be enforced, they must be confessed and granted unto them. And here behold their impudence; Bellarmine distinguisheth betwixt the apostolical precept, and the divine precept:* he can say, Quod apostolus praecipet non divinum said apostolicum. That which the Apostle commandeth, is not a divine, but an apostolical precept. And yet they fear not to say, that their own Traditions are of the divine learning and the word of God. lo saith, lo in ser. ●. de uiun Pentecost. in princip. ser. it may not be doubted that all Christian observance is of the divine learning; and whatsoever is received into the custom of devotion, doth proceed from the apostolical Tradition, and doctrine of the holy Ghost. Yea, the Rhemists in their annotations vpon the twelfth to the Romans shane not to affirm, that The holy Scriptures were written after the measure of unwritten traditions. Fourthly, they ascribe unto the Pope sole authority to judge, which are Apostolical Traditions, and which are not● to ordain also Traditions by his own power. And unto this decision every one is bound to obey, if he will be saved. Bellarmine saith, Bellar. lib. 4. de pontiff. Rom cap. 3. ●● p●incip. cap. The chief Bishop when he teacheth the whole Church, in things which belong to faith, cannot in any case err. And these are the four wheels,( as I haue said) of the Chariot of Antichrist, vpon which are brought in all abominations into the Church. The first, that Gods word containeth not all things sufficient to salvation; Secondly, the want which is in the Scripture, is supplied by traditions, which are of equal power with the Scriptures: Thirdly, it must be believed, that all the Romish Traditions are apostolical, from the mouth of Christ, from the Spirit of God, from the infancy of the Church: Lastly, if any man doubt hereof, the Pope is sole judge, and hath power to declare Traditions to be apostolical: and if they are not, by his absolute power to make them such. And now( christian Reader) I appeal to thy conscience, what may they not say? what may they not do? what may they not bring in, whose authority is so large, and whose power is so indefinite? CHAP. X. privileges and graces given to popish prayers and Traditions. THat I may show thee how their public worship agreeth with their private iudgement, and that in their solemn service of God they rather insist vpon their own devices, then any form of prayer delivered in the holy Scriptures or agreeable thereto: vouchsafe( godly Reader) to spend a little time in surveying this Tract ensuing; wherein it appeareth, that although unto the holy prayer which the Lord himself ordained, and to the repeating thereof they give no blessing at all, except it be conjoined with Aue Maries, and such like, after their own invention: yet on the prayers by themselves invented, who can recount the graces, the privileges, the blessings, the pardons that are bestowed? To all them which say to the worship of our blessed Lady, Eu. Lib. Suffra. the prayer, Gaude virgo matter Christi, the reverend Father, Laurence; Bishop of Aessauen hath granted forty dayes of pardon. Celestinus the Pope granted to all that devoutly say in honour and worship of our Lady the prayer, Aue mundi spes Maria, Aue mitis, Aue pia, 300. daies of pardon. The prayer, Aue Rosa sine spinis, tu quam Pater in divinis, &c. our Lady herself appearing to a devout person said, was most acceptable unto her; and in her appearing shee had this salutation and prayer written in letters of gold vpon her breast. Whoso saith the prayer, Aue Maria, Ancilla Sanctae Trinitatis, shall not depart out of this world without penance, and the holy Sacraments; which was shewed to Bernard by an angel. To them that devoutly say the prayer, Aue Maria, alta stirps Lilij castitatis, Boniface the Pope of Rome hath granted one hundred dayes of pardon. Sixtus the Pope, at the request of Elizabeth, queen of England, wife to King Henry the seventh, unto every one which daily after three towlings of the Aue bell, shall say the whole salutation of our Lady( that is to say, at six of the clock in the morning; at twelve of the clock at noon; at six of the clock in the evening) for every time 30. daies of pardon out of the treasure of the Church, Toties, quoties. Of the prayer, Aue Maria, Ancilla Trinitatis humillima, it was shewed to Bernard, that as gold excelleth all other metal: so this prayer exceedeth all other prayers. Pope Boniface hath granted to all them, that say the Contemplation of our Lady, Stabat matter dolorosa, iuxta crucem lachrimosa, seven yeares of pardon, and forty Lents: And Pope John also the 22. 300. daies of pardon. To all them, that being in the state of grace devoutly daily say the prayer, Obsecro te, Domina Sancta matter Maria, our blessed lady of pity, will show her gracious visage, and warn them the day and hour of their death; and in their last end the Angels of God shall yield their souls to heaven: and he shall obtain five hundred yeeres, and so many Lents of pardon, granted by five holy Fathers Popes of Rome. The epistle is nothing but a recital of the praise of the cross, with this figure at every word, Crux. ✚ The Epistle of our saviour, Crux ✚ Christi sit mecum, Crux ✚ est, quam semper adoro, &c. Pope lo sent to Carolus Magnus the Emperour; which blessing whoso beareth vpon him, and saith it once a day, shall obtain forty yeares of pardon, and 80. Lentings, and shall not perish with sudden death. Innocentius granted seven yeares of pardon, to all them that devoutly say the Orison, salve lux mundi, at the elevation. John the third, Pope of Rome, to all them that before the Image of our Lord crucified, saith the prayers, Pater noster, Aue Maria, precor te amantissime Domine Iesu christ, as many daies of pardon, as there were wounds in the body of our Lord in the time of his passion, which were 5465. The prayer, Deus propitius esto mihi, was shewed unto Saint Austin, by revelation of the holy Ghost: and whoso saith it devoutly, or heareth it, or beareth the same about him, shall not perish in fire, nor water, nor in iudgement, nor in battle, nor shall die of sudden death, and no venom shall poison him that day. Beda made the prayer, Domine Iesu christ, qui septem verba: and who saith it kneeling devoutly, neither the divell, nor wicked men shall hurt him, neither shall he die without confession. Gregory made five prayers. The first, beginning, Aue manus dextra Christi: The second, Aue plaga Iesu leua: The third, Aue latus lanceatum: The fourth, Aue vulnus dextri pedis: The fift, Aue plaga laeua planta: and whoso devoutly say them with five Pater nosters, five Auemaries, and a Credo in Deum, shall haue 500. yeares of pardon. The prayer, salve sancta facies nostri Redemptoris, in qua nitet, &c. Pope John the 22. made, and hath granted to all them that say the same, beholding the glorious visage or vernacle of our Lord 10000. daies of pardon: and they that cannot say it, let them say five Pater nosters, five Aue Maries, and five Credo in Deum. Pope Innocentius hath granted to him that devoutly saith the prayer, Aue facies praeclara, to the blessed Vernacle of our Lord, three yeares of pardon. Boniface the 8. hath granted to all thē that devoutly say the prayer, Deus, qui voluisti pro redemptione, 30. daies continually once a day, remission of all their sins, being contrite, and having good mind to be truly confessed. Innocentius the 2. to him that saith the prayer, Aue vulnus lateris, to the worship of the wound in Christs side, hath granted 4000. daies of pardon. Whoso saith the prayer of Bern. O bone Iesu, if he be in the stare of eternal damnation, his pain shall bee changed into the temporal pain of purgatory: and if he hath deserved the pain of purgatory, it shall bee forgotten and forgiven. To him that devoutly saith the three prayers, Domine Iesu christ, fili Dei vivi, and Auxilientur nobis pie, Ex Miss. star. de Cant. Kyrielis. and Domine Deus de Deo, lumen de lumine, many pardons are granted. To all them that say the prayer, Anima Christi sanctifica me, after elevation, 3000. daies of pardon for deadly sins are granted by Pope John 22. Who devoutly beholdeth the arms of our Lord& saviour IESVS CHRIST, shall obtain 6000. yeares of pardon of our holy father, Saint Peter, first Pope of Rome, and of 30. other Popes his successors. And Pope John the 22. hath granted to all that say the devout prayers following, in commemoration of the bitter passion of Christ, being contrite and truly confessed, 3000. yeares of pardon for deadly sins, and 3000. for venial sins, and say first a Pater noster, an Aue Maria, dirupisti domine &c. John the 12. Pope of Rome granted to all, that going through the Churchyard say the prayer, Auete omnes ainae, so many yeares of pardon, as be bodies butted in the same. Sixtus the fourth, to him that devoutly saith before the Image of our Lady, the prayer, Aue sanctissima Maria, matter Dei, hath granted 11000. yeares of pardon. every one that saith devoutly the prayer, Aue Domina Sancta Maria, matter Dei, deserveth 11000. yeares of pardon, and shall so many daies see the blessed virgin before he die, as he hath said this prayer yeeres. Bonifacius sextus to every one that between the elevation of our Lord, and the three Agnus Dei, saith the prayer, Domine Iesu christ, qui hanc &c. ten thousand yeares of pardon. To all that devoutly say five Pater nosters, five aves, and a Credo before the Image of pity, pitteously beholding the arms of Christs passion, are granted 32755. yeares of pardon: And Sixtus again hath added thereto certain praie●● and doubled his foresaid pardon. Three prayers, whereof the first beginneth, Domine Iesu christ, ego miser peccator, are written in the chapel of the cross in Rome, called Sacellum Sanctae Crucis septem Romanorum: who devoutly say them, shall obtain ten hundred thousand yeeres of pardon for deadly sins, by the grant of Pope John 22. The 15. Oes of Saint Bridget, which she every day said before the rood in the Church of Saint Paul at Rome, whoso shall say a whole year, shall deliver 15. souls out of Purgatory of his next kindred,& convert 15. sinners to good life: and other 15. righteous persons of his kind shall persevere in good life: and what he desires of God to the salvation of his soul, he shall haue it. Which of them ever gave to the Lords prayer: to the prayer and thanksgiving of Moses: to the psalms of david: to the song and the prayers of Salomon, of jonas, of Abacuc, Manasses, or any other contained in the Scriptures, the least privilege, pre-eminence, or pardon? but their own devices want neither bulls, nor Diplomes, indulgences, nor grants. Amongst the rest of them that equalize their own devices with the word of God, there is one Alanus de Rupe, whose tract is annexed to the Epitome of Dionise Carthus. vpon the books of the first and second Testament printed at Colen, an. 1532. with grace and privilege: who shameth not to teach, that whosouer will say for 15. yeares together in the honour of the blood of Christ, every day 15. Pater-nosters, and 15. Auces, shall in the space of the said 15. yeares salute every drop of the blood of Christ with a several Pater-noster, and Aue Maria: and he that shall do so, obtaineth 5. graces. The first, that 3. souls of his nearest kin, who were appointed to the damnation of hell, shall be made partakers of eternal salvation: The second, he that thus doth say, Dominus noster Iesus Christus euidā sibi deuoto revelavit, ficut legi, et pox ●a● plurima operatus est miracula in diversis Anglia partibus, prout in dom● Carthusia prope Londinum plenius habetur. Beatissimus vero johannes Euangelista custos virginis Maria dignissimus nocte vna ista revelavit praedicta tribus personis, affirmando ista esse vera, sicut illud evangelium quod scripsit: In principio erat verbum shall bee made as clean from all sin, as he was in baptism,& cleaner also, because more full of grace: The third, he shall haue so much reward in heaven, as though himself had poured out all his blood for the catholic faith: The fourth, this prayer may be said with so great devotion and ferventness for the souls in Purgatory, that the Lord will release all souls from thence for the same, as it once happened to Saint dominic: The fift grace is, if one begin these prayers, and die in the first year or month, yet he shall bee partaker of all the former graces, as though he had finished the whole 15. yeares in this service. These foresaid graces Iesus Christ himself revealed to a certain devout person, as I haue red( saieth the author) who wrought thereby many miracles; as you may see more at large in the house of the Carthusians by London: and the blessed evangelist Saint John, the most worthy keeper of the holy virgin, revealed in a night these things to three persons; affirming that this was as true, as the gospel he wrote: In the beginning was the word. CHAP. XI. The Church of Rome doth violate the office of our great Prophet Iesus Christ, by ordaining other Prophets, which illuminate the Church, and poure light into the hearts of men by inward and secret inspiration. OF our high and great Prophet Iesus Christ it is( as wee haue said) a special prerogative, that he shineth into our hearts by the light of his spirit, and doth illuminate our understanding, and inwardly move us to consent unto the truth. Wherefore Bernard saith, Sermo 3. in vigil. natiu. ad finem fere. verb●, ●t atten, God hath made three mixtures, or conjunctions most wonderful; such as haue not been made before, nor shall be again. God and Man: a Mother and a Virgin: faith and the heart of man together joined. And in respect of this sanctifying of our hearts by faith, he is called Num. 24.17. the star of jacob, luke. 2.32 a light, Zech. 13.1. a fountain, 1 Cor. 10.3.4 spiritual meat and drink; for that he doth invisibly and inwardly communicate himself, by the infusion of grace into the soul of man, through the operation of the Holy Ghost. And surely this is the greatest honour of Christs prophetical office. Yet the same manner of working and inspiration the Romish Church blusheth not to attribute unto her Saints. unto the virgin they say; Aue Maria, magistra euangelistarum: aue Maria, doctrix. Apostol●rum, in orat. Ber. ab angelu reuelat. quam qui dicit singular obtinebit proemium. All hail Mary, mistris of evangelists: all hail Mary, teacher of the Apostles: And in the mass of Sarisbury, all the works of the spirit of God concerning illumination, and instruction are plainly ascribed to her. She is called Sedens in dextra virtus, lampas, et Sophia in nat. virg. him. Aue coeleste. the star of the sea, the lantern of heaven, the power, the lamp, the wisdom. Wherefore the missal of Hereford calleth her A fulgore huius Sydirisn● auertu oculo●, si non vis obtui procellis, in lec. 3. in seru. v●rg. the star of jacob, whose beam doth illuminate the whole world, shineth in heaven, pierceth the hell, lighteneth the earth, warming rather the mind then the body, cherishing virtue, purging offences: turn not then thy eyes from the brightness of this Star. Another confesseth to the virgin; Nā vt clara lux dici solis datur lumine: sic tu facis orbē verae tuc pacis resplendere plenitudine in orat. Gaude flor● virginal. As the clear light of the day is given by the brightness of the sun: so the virgin maketh the whole world shine by the fullness of her light. bonaventure saith; Accedite ad eā in tentationibus ve●s s●ris, et stabilie● v● serenitas vultus illius. Ps. 2. Come unto her in your temptations, and the brightness of her countenance shall establish you: And in the fift psalm; So●ritus enim tuus supper mell dulcu, et haereditas tua supra mell et fauum. Thy spirit is sweeter then honey, and thine heritage above the honey and the hony comb. Which is spoken, as though the holy Ghost proceeded from the virgin, and that the virgin could communicate her spirit, and give the taste thereof unto us, and that eternal life were an heritage by the virgin bestowed on mankind. Finally, of the inspiration of the virgins grace he saith; Tuo tactu leuissim● sanantur infirmi: tu● odour rosea mortus reuiuiscunt. Ps. 13. et 18. By thy gentle touching, the sick are cured: by thy rosy smell, the dead live again. And in the 18. psalm; Stillabit vobis gratiam suam, our Lady shall instil her grace into you. And in the 26. psalm; Domina illuminatio mea sit, The Lady is my light. The Legend of Lombardy saith of her; Sic et tufons veri luminis, i●consumptus vita thesaurus: licet quodā brevi temporis interualle corporaliter morti sit addita, tamen copiosè nobis infundi● indeficientis luminis claritatem Leg. Lomb. in assump. Ma. virg. fol. 10●. par. 1. col. 1. ex jo. Damas. Thou art the fountain of tru● light, the unconsumed treasury of life: Although for a little season thou didst endure corporal death, yet thou dost most plentifully poure into us the brightness of uncessant light. The same praise the Rosary giveth unto her also, and saith; Lighten my heart, O bright star. Neither is this virtue attributed only unto the blessed virgin, but the Legend calleth Bartholomew the sun of the world, which enlighteneth all things. The Roman breviary doth attribute to John the Baptist, that he is able to open our lips, and give us power to praise him; Vt queant la●● res●nare fitru mira gestorum samule cu●rum, solve polluti labij reatum. S. johannes Ro. bred in nat. Bap. That with free bowels thy seruants may Thy woondrous works abroad display, Loose thou the guilt of their polluted lips, O holy John. That John Baptist did communicate his spirit to Elizabeth his Mother, as Christ did his spirit to the Virgin Mary, in plain terms they confess. Wherefore it is said, Duplicique miraculo prophetarint matres spiritu paruulorum. R●. Br●. in fest. visit. Mariae. lect. 6. voice prior. With a double miracle the mothers did prophecy, by the spirit of the children. edmond Archbishop of Canterbury in his Orison, O intemerata, prayeth to Mary and John; Od●ae coelestes gēm●, Mar. et jo. O dvo l●minaria diuin●tus ante Deum. in orat. O intemerat. O two heavenly gems, Mary and John: O two lights of divinity standing before God. To Saint Thomas of Hereford they pray; Bre. Heref. in fest. S. Tho. Heres. atque mentibus deuotis confer lumen grati●e. O father of holinesse, O jewel of Prelates, O candle of brightness lightning the world: And again to the same Saint; On our devout mindes confer the light of grace. But above all blasphemies is that prayer that beginneth; Certus enim sum, quia sicut per filii gratiam ea potui accipere: sic eadem per matris merita possim reciper●. ex Ch●̄. Te matter illuminationis: wherein they pray; hear O Lady, hear O most powerful, that the corruption of my mind may be changed, which as by thy sons grace I may receive: so, I am sure, I may also do by the merits of the mother. Awake at last, awake out of the slumber of thy senseless superstition, O shameless Babylon. For if thou canst by the power of the virgin bee illuminated, as by the grace of the son of God, is not now the virgin thy Prophet, as the Son is thy Prophet? Sundry other such testimonies I could lay open to your view: but I avoid prolixity. For it can bee now to no man, that readeth these their blasphemies, unknown, that the greatest excellence of our high Prophet Iesus Christ, which is to inspire life and light into his members, is ascribed unto the Saints. As for us let us aclowledge( Christian Reader) that there is but one sun or soul of the Church, which poureth grace and understanding into it, according to the saying of the Prophet jeremy; jer. 3.23 In vain is health hoped for from the hills, be they never so many: but the health of Israell stands onely vpon God our Lord. CHAP. XII. That the Romish Church offereth wrong to the prophetical office of Iesus Christ, by wresting the Scripture unto a strange& foreign sense, contrary to the mind of the holy Ghost. IT is most true, that the son of mirach teacheth; Ecclus. 19.14 There is a certain subtlety that is fine, but it is unrighteous. This is it which the Romanists do glory in: to turn the Scripture like an Image of wax to what purpose it pleaseth them. By which it cometh to pass, that they cause Malac. 2.8 many to fall by the Law, and blind the eyes of the ignorant with authority of the Scripture, altogether abusively interpreting it from the ttue intent thereof. This was the manner of Sathans alleging Scripture, Mat. 4.1. when he tempted our saviour: And the same rule his Emissaries still retain. So that though the Tabernacle of that wicked Dan. 11.45. bee placed in the holy mountain, and they say, jer. 8 8. The Law of the Lord is with us: yet certainly it is most true of them, what the Prophet Ezechiel foreshoweth; Ezech. 13.6. They haue seen vanity and lying divination, saying: the Lord saith it, and the Lord hath not sent them. Of all Impostors in this kind I know none, that with the Romish bethaven can compare. Who to set up Idolatry, and to maintain false worship, haue wrested, perverted, forced the Scripture to speak what it speaketh not, and to teach what it intendeth not. I will set a few amongst many examples before thine eyes( Christian Reader) that thou mayst consider this generation, and see how deceitful they are vpon the Balance, and how guilefully they use the Word of God, the Scriptures of our salvation. Let us begin with the public service and worship in the church. Ex Chema. qui citat specul. Rosar. Alani. dominic invented for the celebrity of the Virgin the first use of Rosaries, that, As God hath his prescript form of adoration, so the Virgin might haue a special form of service also. A Rosary consisteth of fifty Aue Maries, and five Pater nosters: so that to ten Salutations of the Virgin, one Lords prayer must be always added. For this purpose, and that the number might bee duly observed, he ordained fifty five Beads, after such sort, as betwixt every ten smaller, one great ston should be placed. Out of the Rosaries afterward they began to frame the Ladies Psalter. For, repeating three Rosaries at a time, they heap up a hundred and fifty salutations, which is the just number of the psalms in the canonical volume. Then was added to every Salutation a prayer. And the Carthusians brought the Salutation into verse, to be sung after every one of Dauids psalms; as we use to say, Glory bee to the Father, &c. After this, to the repetition of the Ladies Psalter, sundry Pardons, by sundry Popes were added. And to fill up the cup of abomination to the brim, the seraphical Doctor cardinal bonaventure turned all the psalms of david, with the Praises, Confessions and Prophesies, which therein express the honour of God, and his son Christ Iesus, unto the Virgin Mother; as in the sixth psalm, O Lady, suffer me not to be rebuked in his anger. The seventh psalm; Lady, in thee haue I trusted. The twelfth psalm, How long, O Lady, wilt thou forget me. The twenty eight Psalm, Ascribe unto our Lady, ascribe unto our Lady, worship and praise. The psalm forty fift, Thou, O Lady, art our refuge. The sixty fourth psalm, O Lady, thou art to be praised in Sion. The nineteenth Psalm, The heauens declare thy glory, O Lady. Others also corrupted the Hymns& prayers of the church: Wee praise thee O God: blessed bee the Lord God of Israel: and turned them into We praise thee Lady, and blessed be the Lady: yea, the creed of Athanasius they perverted; whosoever will be saved, it is necessary that he hold the faith concerning our Lady. From these precedents every one took courage to apply the Scriptures, even such places, as were peculiar praises of Christ himself, unto Saints, unto Martyrs, unto Confessors. Insomuch that there is nothing in them left proper and singular unto God, but is wrested and appropriated unto Saints. Ex Aloy. lip. p. ●. fol. 222. Bernard saith; Thou shalt ascend up ●n high( O Virgin) and she shall give gifts unto men. The Legend of jacob de Voragine, Legend. aurea. Lomb. in assump. virg. ser. 114. applieth to the Virgin, that which is plainly spoken of Christ Iesus; Behold I come: In the beginning of the book it is written of me, Psal. 40.7. that I should do thy will, O God: seek ye Psal. 27.8. ex Ber. supper salve Regina. my face. Thy face Lady( saith Bernard) will I seek. Germanus in Metaphrastes to the Virgin prayeth; Ex Aloy. lip. Let deceitful lips be put to silence, which against thee the righteous speak iniquity in their pride and contempt: The 19. verse of the 73. psalm perverted. Let their image bee banished out of the city, that they may bee ashamed, and perish, and know, that thy The 33. verse of the 6. chapter of the second of Chronicles perverted. name is the Lady. And in the same author we red Aloy lip p. 1. fol. 263. Let us blow the Trumpets in Sion: Take Ioel 2. ●. perverted. the psaltery, Psal. 81.2. verse perverted. and the Lute, and sing unto the Mother of God, all the kindreds of the earth. Of the Sepulchre of the Virgin jo. Monach. Damasc. saith; Vid. Aloy lip. p. ●. fol. 278. Come you that are thirsty to the water. Esay biddeth The ●. verse of the 55. of Esay perverted. mak● hast which haue no money, buy without price, I proclaim it Euangelically. again Bernard saith; 73. Psal. verse 1. perverted. Ber. supper Salus regina. How good is the Lady unto Israel, even unto such as are of a clean heart. Quid Domini facient, ausint cum talia fures? If the tail of Antichrist, monks, Friers, Legendaries, dare thus presume, what shall the platformers of their public worship do in their holy Missals? What can be looked for from them, but wrestings, corruptions, peruersions, wrong applications of Scriptures? All therefore, all that the spirit of God in the Canticles of Salomon speaketh of the church, they construe of the Virgin Mother, and the rest of the Virgins: that thereby they may raise admiration, and draw men to Idolatry and superstition. Cant. 1.4. I am black, O ye daughters of jerusalem, but yet faire: The Cant. 1.3. King brought me into his Chamber: As the Cant. 2.2. lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters: Thou Cant. 1.14. Diuers places of the Canticles perverted in Ro. Br●. art faire, my love, thou art faire, thy eyes be as doves eyes, thy lips, my spouse, drop as honey combs: the smell of thy garments is, as the smell of Frankincense▪ with sundry other. All which they misconstrue, and turn to the virgin, and other Saints. To every Martyr the roman breviary Ro. Bre. in come. v●ius Martyr. Resp. post lect. 5. coronata. attributeth that which is spoken of the glorious regality and kingdom of Christ; The 2. verse of the 2●. psalm perverted. Thou hast given him his hearts desire, and hast not denied him the request of his lips: Thou hast put a crown of very precious ston vpon his head: And again, The 21. psalm verse 4.5. perverted. Glory and great worship shalt thou lay vpon him: And likewise, he asked life of thee, and thou gavest him a long life, even for ever and ever. again, The 11. verse of the third of the Canticles perverted. The shameless missal perverteth that which is spoken of Christ. Come forth ye daughters of jerusalem, and see the Martyr with the crown, wherewith God crwoned him in the day of his solemnity and gladness. So they corrupt also the words of the Psalmist; Psalm 89. verse 20. perverted. I haue laid help vpon one that is mighty: I haue exalted one chosen out of the people; attributing this to Saints, which was spoken onely of Christ, and david his type. That which is spoken of Christs Priesthood, is ascribed to every Confessor; Psalm 110. verse 4. perverted. Ro. breviary in come. confess. The Lord swore and will not repent, thou art a Priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedech. Of Christ the spirit witnesseth; The 25. verse of the 89 psalm perverted. Miss. star. in Miss. Sanc. Rochi. My truth and mercy shall be with him: in my name shall his horn be exalted. This they give unto Saint rock. The Psalmist, of the superabundant unction of Christ, of his holinesse, of his wisdom and his grace, foreshoweth; The 8. verse of the 45. psalm perverted. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity: wherefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellowes: And again, The 21. verse of the 89. psalm perverted. I haue found david my seruant, with my holy oil haue I anointed him: And again; full of grace are thy lips: and 110. psalm verse 1. Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thy enemies thy footstool. These places they attribute Vid. Ro. Bre. passim in confess.& Pont. to the Virgin, to the Saints and Martyrs. Of the salvation by Christ, freely, generally, and fully granted to all believers, the Scripture speaketh; Cant. 1.2. Thy name is an ointment poured out, come. unius virg. Mart. therefore do the maidens love thee: They give it to every Ro. Bre. in assump. virg. lect. 1. Osculetur me. Virgin Martyr, and to the Virgin Mary. Of the prosperity of the kingdom of CHRIST the Psalmist saith The 5. verse of the 45. psalm perverted. ; Good lucke haue thou with thine honour: they red it in the Virgins In come. Virg. An. Worship, as of her to bee understood. The sovereignty and superiority, which God hath given unto mankind over all his creatures, the missal applieth to their Saints, corrupting the words of the Text; How admirable is thy name O Lord, in all the earth: with glory and honour hast thou The 6. verse of the 8. psalm perverted. In Rom. Bre. in con. conf. Pont. crwoned thy Saint, and set him over the works of thy hands. To their holy water most impudently they apply the prophesy of Ezekiel; Ezek. 47. verse 9. perverted. in the Miss. of Sarum. every thing shall live, whither the river cometh: And again, to it they apply most perversely that of the psalm; In quot exer. impr. per Arnold. Conings anno 1599 Thou shalt sprinkle me with Hyssop, and I shall bee clean: thou shalt wash me, and I shall bee whiter then snow. Of every Confessor Bishop; Benedictione omnium gentium ded●t illi,& testamentum suum confirmanit supper caput eius. The 22. verse of the 44 chapter of Ecclus. perverted. Ro. Bre. in con. confess pont. post lect. 2. oportet An. The blessing of all Nations he gave unto him, and continued his testament vpon his head. Which words are spoken of isaac, but typically do set forth Christ. I will no longer be unto thee tedious, good Reader: thou seest what integrity, what faith they use. Nay, what falsehood( I should say) what treachery toward the holy Oracles of God almighty. What truth canst thou expect from them, who dare lie unto the holy Ghost? and even in the sight of God: in the great congregation before men and Angels: before the Altars and Sacraments: in their public worship, in their holy vestures, in their priestly office( contrary to the known truth) corrupt, pervert, bely the Scriptures of God himself? CHAP. XIII. Of the additions, which the Missals and Legends put unto the word of God, out of more imagination and supposition. THe holy word of God is delivered to us by the spirit of wisdom, as it were in weight and measure: not one jot is therein redundant or superfluous: not a word wanting, nor a clause defective, which any man need by his wisdom to add unto. Yet such is, the the temeritie, shall I say? or the impudency of spiritual Babylon, that shee must needs mix the pure wine with her dregs, and imp her owls feathers into the Eagles wings? job 13.7. Hath God any need of your lies? or will ye speak vnrighteously for him? Surely Salomon saith, Prou. 12.22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly, are his delight. Let us come then to their additions unto the Scriptures out of mere imagination and supposition? Osee 11.1. Ex Egypto vocaui filium meum, veniet, vt saluet populum suum. infra hebd. 1. Adu●n. ad An. of which the New and old Missals, the gross, and the reformed, are all alike guilty. The Prophet Osee saith; Out of Egypt haue I called my son: They add, He shall come, that he may save my people. To the second verse of the forty fourth Chapter of Ezekiel, where it is said, The Lord God of Israel hath entred by it, and it shall be shut: they add of their own invention; Resp. post lect. 2& irruet, infra hebd. 1. advent. Hath ●ntred by it for the salvation of the world. The evangelist Saint John in the two and twentieth of the revelation saith; the angel shewed me a well of the water of life: the roman missal addeth, Ostendit mihi Angelus fontem aqua viuae,& dixit ad ●ne, hic deum adora 3. hebd. post ●ctau. edict. and said unto me, hallelujah, worship God here. The missal of Sarisbury repeateth the saying of Ezechiel; every thing shall live, whither the river cometh: but out of his own forge he coineth an addition, Et dicent ●●●nes All●luia, Alleluia, Mis. star. in aspers. aqua benedict. They shall all say, Petrus beatus Cat●narum laqueos, Christo jubente, rupit mirabiliter. Ro. Br●. infest. Sanc. Pet. ad vincula in him. hallelujah, hallelujah. No less shamefully deal they with the History of Peter; Blessed Peter at Christs command, broke the chains of his fetters wondrously. The Scripture witnesseth, The chains fell from his hands: they imagine Peter did break the chains wondrously. The Scripture saith, Act 12.7& verse 9. Luke 1.13. It was done by the angel: they attribute it to Peter. The like falsification is in the festival of the Baptist; Ro. Breu in fest. jo. Baptist. Baptist added. The angel descended unto zachary, saying: receive a child in thy old age, and his name shall be John Baptist. In the hymn, Vexilla Regis prodeunt, they say, Psal. 95. Ro Bre. that God should on a three possess his reign. But Clicthouius Clicht. in him. togegether with Iacobus Stapulensis confesseth, that this is a plain corruption and addition to the Text. I know, some ancient Fathers red, regnavit è ligno Deus: but in the public worship they should be more careful not to vary from the truth of the Scriptures. Wherefore let them excuse me, if out of their own authors I tell them of their errors. The additions to the words of the evangelist in the Canon of the mass are no less evident then abominable; where they red, H●c est enim Calix sangu●nis mei nous& aeterni testamenti, mysterium fidei. in Can Miss. This is the cup of my blood of the New and eternal Testament, the mystery of faith, which is shed for you and for many &c. Neither let them blame me for noting this corruption since Manipulus Curatorum is witness, that Manip. Curat. de for. Cons. sang. c. 4. edit. per Iaques Forrestier. The Pope seeth the s●ule, but ●endeth it not. long since a Bishop of their own observed the fault, and unraveling who was so audacious to add unto the evangelical Text, complained thereof unto the Pope: who reproved it not, but commended his just exception. To the tenth verse of the first of the Acts of the Apostles they falsely add of their own invention, Cumque intueremtu● in coeluus euntem illum, dixerunt Alleluia. Bre. star. in Ascen. domini. While they looked toward heaven, as he went, they said hallelujah. In the Canon of the mass they red; Et eleuatu oculis in coelum ad te deum patrem suumm omnipotentem, tibi gratias agens benedixit, fregis. in Can. Miss. star. Lifting up his eyes into heaven to thee, O God, his everlasting Father. That Christ at the benediction of the sacramental bread lift up his eyes to heaven, no evangelist declareth: it is onely their own supposition. To the words, This is my body, This is my blood, they add the particle, Enim addit. in Can. M ss. Enim, For. Hoc est enim: for this is my body. The Legend of Lombardy addeth to the evangelists, and saith; Et dedit mihi istud signum cruci● dicens hoc portans ambula in Paradisum,& si non dimiserit te angelus ingredi custos Paradisi, estende illi sign●on crucis,& dices ad illum quod Christus, qui nunc cruc●fixas est, transmisit me &c. in resurrec. domini ad finem. cap. 52. Christ gave unto the thief on the cross the sign of the same, saying, bear this and walk into Paradise, and if the angel keeper of Paradise refuse to let thee enter, show him this sign, and say unto him, that Christ which now is crucified, sent me hither: Thus doing, presently he was let in. Of the epiphany they feign; Ro. Bre. intra octa Epiph. An. interrogabat. Herod asked the Wise men, What sign haue you seen concerning the King that is born? They answered; Wee haue seen his star shining, whose brightness doth lighten the world. Of Iacobs lamentation for his sons they say, In dom. 3. quadrag. et post lect. 9. ipse autem. jacob lamented for his two sons, wailing; Woe is me I am heavy for joseph that is lost, and v●ry sorrowful for benjamin lead away for food: I beseech the heavenly King, that he will grant me the most sorrowful, that I may see them. again, jacob prostrating himself vpon the earth, vehemently with tears worshipped, saying: I beseech the heavenly King &c. The Portuis of Sarisbury, In 1. dom. ad●en●. Resp. post lect. 3. et Ro Bre. dom. 1. advent. post. lect. 3. and the roman breviary, both say, The angel was sent to Mary the Virgin espoused to joseph, delivering to her the word, and the Virgin was afraid of the light. Saint Luke indeed saith, that she was troubled at the Angels saying: but that with the light she was terrified, it is their forgery. To the narration of the Baptists reverence in refusing to baptize Christ, they add, The Baptist trembled, Baptista contremit,& non audet tangere sanctum dei verticē, said clamat cum tremore, sanctificae me, salvator. Bre. star. in Hillar. ep.& Confess. in laudibus An. verb. veterem hominem. and durst not touch the holy head of God, but crieth out with fear, sanctify me, O saviour. With the same strong power of conceit they corrupt the words of Christ in the Garden; Tristis est anima mea vsque ad mortem, sustinete hic, et vigilate mecum, nunc videbitis turbam, quae circumdabit me, vos fugam caepietis, et ego vadam immolari pro vobis. Ro. Bre. feria 5. in coenae domini Resp. tristis, &c. My soul is heavy unto the death, abide you here a little, and watch with me, you shall now see the multitude compass me about, but you shall flee, and I will go to be crucified for you. Could Vna hora non potuistis vigilare mecum, qui exhortabami●i meri pro me? vel Iudā non videtis, quomodo non dormis, said festinat tradere me Iudeis ● Ro. Bre. in coena dō. portif. star. in dies Pass. you not watch one hour with me, which are exhorted to die for me? You see Iudas how he sleepeth not, but hasteneth to deliver me to the Iewes. Of the same kind are these also that follow. I prayed my Father, Alleluia, and he gave me the nations, Alleluia, to my inheritance. Alleluia. The angel said to them; do not fear; Et vita hominum resurrexit cum eo, Alleluia. Br. star. in feria 3: hebd. Pasc. for I say unto you, the dead man, whom you seek, is risen, and the life of men is risen with him. go item in orbē vniuersum,& predicate, dicentes Alleluia. Pertif. star. in craft. Ascen. domini. into all the world, and preach, saying, Alleluia. When the Lord was born, the quires of Angels sung, saying; salvation be unto our God, which sitteth vpon the Throne, and to the lamb. With his hands lift up he was carried into heaven, and he blessed them, Alleluia. I haue Portif. star. in Andr. Apos, Resp post. lect. 7. ●ndist. Fratres. stretched out my hands all the day long vpon the cross, unto a people that believeth not, but speaketh against me. All Nam ad illam sunt nuncia olim facta Angelica; Aue Maria gratia dei plena per s●cula. in hy●●o, hac clara die turma. hail Mary, full of the grace of God throughout all ages. Portif. star. in virg. Circumc. ad Compl. Looking Aspiciens à long, ecce video dei potentiam venientem,& nebulam totam terram tegen● eus; item obuiam ei,& dicite, nuncia n●bis, si tu es ipse qui regnaturus es in popul● Israel. Dom. 1. advent. in Resp. aspiciens. a far off, Behold, I see the power of God coming, and a cloud covering the whole earth, go to meet it, and say, tell us whether thou bee he indeed, Eleuatis manibus ●erebatur in coelum, et benedixit eis, Alleluia. in die Asc. domini in laudibus. An. that is to reign over the people Israel. Thus doth adulterous Israell Ezek. 43.8. set their Thresholds by his Thresholds, and their posts by his posts: they join their wisdom unto Gods wisdom, and their words unto his words, peecing the skin of the lion with the skin of the fox; and by this means they set stumbling blocks before the feet of the weak. For what can more deter the Iewes and Turks, and all Infidels from the gospel of Christ, then when they see it corrupted with false and perfidious additions? The Lord give them the light of his Spirit, that they may see and be ashamed, and turn from their errors: And the Lord bless us, that profess the gospel, that we may handle the word with all sincerity: Hos. 11.12. though Ephraim compass him about with lies, and the house of Israell with deceit, yet let judah rule with God, and be faithful with his Saints. CHAP. XIIII. Of malicious falsifications and additions unto Scripture, by which the Romish Antichrist wrongeth the prophetical Office of Christ Iesus, to maintain their own errors. malicious falsifications I call them, which are of purpose done, to maintain some points of their erroneous doctrine, whereof in Scriptures truly and rightly alleged there is no ground. Of this kind, there are examples not a few amongst them. We will begin with that, which in the conception of the virgin is sung. Dixit aeternus ad vetere●●, Deus ad serpentem, inimicitias ponam inter te& mulierem,& seemen tuum,& seemen eius, ipsa contere● caput tuum. Portif. star. in concep. virg. lect. 4. propositionem itaque. The everlasting said to the old, God to the Serpent; I will put enmity betwixt thee and the woman: thy seed and her seed, and she shall bruise the head of the Serpent. herein the honour due unto Christ, is most deceitfully to the virgin given, that they may haue some colour for the blasphemous doctrine of the Virgins power to take away sin, by her intercession unto God for vs. After the like manner the Roman breviary maketh Christ thus to salute Saint Peter; Simon Petre, antequam de navi vocarem te, nous te,& supper plebem meam principeus te constitui,& claves regni coelorum tradidi tibi. Ro. Breu. in fest. S. Pet. Resp. lect. 1. Petrus autem& johannes. Simon Peter, before I called thee out of the ship, I knew thee; I constituted thee a Prince over my people, and haue given thee the keys of the kingdom of God. What is Scripture, but the word of God? And what is this but a malicious fiction, depraving the word, and belying IESVS CHRIST, that they may magnify the idol of Rome above all the house of God? The like addition there is to the words of the angel. Acts 12. For thus they sing: Surge Petre,& iudu● te vestimentis ●uis, accipe fort●tudinem ad saluandas gentes, quia cec darunt catenae de m●nibus tuis. Ro. Breu. in sest Pet.& Pauli Resp. post. lect. ●asti sunt. Arise Peter, put on thy garments, receive strength to save the nations, for the chains are fallen from thy hands. The missal of Sarum useth the same falsehood to exalt the power of the virgin Cels●● nunciat Gabriel noua gaudia, aeterni regis exortum in terra: Mitrem queen eius ita salutat, Aue Maria, Domini mei matter alma, coelica plena gratia, tu benedicta regem in secula paries, effecta orbis Regina. Miss. star. in assump. virg. Sequen. aurea virga prima Matris Euae. . High Gabriel brought new joys, The eternal Kings nativity on earth: And thus the Mother he saluted then; hail Mother of my Lord so bright, Thou blessed shalt a King bring forth for ay, Being made the queen of heaven. Is it not enough( O first begotten of satan) to commit idolatry with the virgin, to make her queen of heaven, as God is the King thereof: but thou must also so shamelessly corrupt the words of the angel in his salutation? What truth can you keep with men, that thus bely both God and Angels? Here you haue wresting, addition, falsification of Scripture together, a Chaos of blasphemy. But what is it which shall not bee defended by them, who cannot blushy? Of the Philosophers some said, the snow was black: some imagined, that there were Cities in the moon: some, that the earth doth move, and not the heaven. There is nothing so absurd, but some will dote in the defence thereof. The Luk. 1. Salutation of the virgin they chop and change into as many forms, as there are colours in the Rain-bowe, adding to it what words and clauses they please. unto the Baptist they sing, falsifying the Angels message; Apparensque Zacharia Gabriel ripr●misit, quod tuam celebrarens obsequijs natiuitatem. Miss. star. in die Sanct. jo. Bap. sequen●. Gabriel appearing unto zachary did promise, that men should celebrate thy nativity with obsequies. Of Saint Michael the archangel a most malicious addition they haue, which is solemnly chanted in his annual festivity; Dum sacrum mysterium cerneret johannes Archang. Michael tuba cecinet, ignosce Domine Deus noster, qui aperis librum,& seluis signacula 〈◇〉, Alleluia. Ro. Brou. in fest. dedic. Sancti Mich. ad mag. An. While John saw his mystery, Michael sounded the Trumpet, pardon us, O Lord our God, which dost open the book, and loose the seals thereof, Alleluia. Another figment the same missal hath of the archangel Michael; Rom. Bre. pos● lec. 5. O archangel Michael, I haue made thee prince over all souls to be received. The two and twentieth of the revelation is with the same Craft corrupted. For they add unto the text; Et supper muros eius angelorum custodi● Portif. star. ser. 3. et 4. post octau. 2 pasc. Resp. vid. portam Upon the walls a guard of Angels. I will no longer detain thee( Christian Reader) in this argument. Thou hast seen plentiful testimony of their malicious falsehood, who stick not to add unto Gods word for their advantage, even as in their Calendars of expurgation they blot out of the works of Fathers& holy writers, whatsoever doth make against them: so that in them is verified the saying of jeremy; jer. 6.13. From the Prophet even unto the Priest they all deal falsely. Blessed Spirit of GOD take the covering from their eyes, and grant them to bee ashamed of the lies of their own ignorance. CHAP. XV. Of the plain untruths and falshoods in the Missals of the Church of Rome, delivered to the people instead of the true doctrine of our great Prophet Iesus Christ. OF the Prophets jer. 23.30. which haue stolen the word, every man from his neighbour, and applied it to a strange sense contrary to the mind of the Spirit of God: and of those, Apoc. ult. 18 which add unto the sayings of the prophesy of this book; partly job. 38.2 to darken his Counsels by words without knowledge: and partly to Ro. 18 with-hould the truth in unrighteousness, and with their malicious falshoods to blemish the light of the gospel of Iesus Christ, we haue spoken already. Now we are to entreat of manifest falshoods, which without any colour or authority of Scriptures they chant in their missals, and public worship; the visions of their own heart, not out of the mouth of the Lord. I will begin with that blasphemous Ceremony solemnized in the missal of Sarum, touching the annual sepulture of Christ. In the acting whereof putting the body of Christ& the cross together into the sepulchre; Ip●e tibi, queen ismus domine sancta pateram, i●otens Deus, sacrificium nostrum reddat acceptum, quo disc●pulis suis in sui commemorat●onem hoc fieri hodierna traditione monstrauit, Christu d●minus, in ser ●. in coe●dons. pest office. lex. r● Domini. Vid. simile in Rom. Bec. Dom. 1. quadrag orat. Deus, qui ecclesiam. Let him( say they) O holy Father and omnipotent God, make our sacrifice to bee accepted, who shewed unto his disciples in this daies tradition, this to do. A most stupendious lye; it is their own fabulous invention, Christ never commanded the observance of any such tradition. Of the crown of thorns they say; H●c pugnantis galea, triumphantu laurea, tiara p●ntificis, primum. n●t spinea, postmodum. fit aurea. tactu sancti verucis, spina●um aculeos virtus fecit aureos. in Miss star. This Helmet of the souldi●r, Garland of the triumphant, and mitre of the Priest, was at the first of thorn, afterward it was gold, the touching of the holy head made the pricks of the thorns golden. This is most false whether it be understood of the matter of the crown, or of the power. Cum sisteres humani generis, loqui prace dignior cateris, Val●d. cit regina atheris, cuius seeds manet in superis, Vale sancta sanct●rum omnium; laus et ho●or, decus fidelium, aula Christi, domus, palatium, deitatis redinatorium. M●ss. star. in Mis. Arch●ng. Gab. prosa, proloquium alium. No less fabulous is this feigned Farewell to the virgin; When the worthiest herald of mankind ended his speech, he bade the heavenly queen farewell, whose seat in heaven doth abide, farewell thou holy of all holies; The praise, the honour, and the worship of all believers, Christs Hall, his House, his Palace, the resting place of the Godhead. The Roman breviary abuseth you with the like falsification. Ma●iad xi●, quali● est ista salutatio? quia conturbata est a● mamea, et qua paritura sunt regem, qui claustrum virginitatis m●● non violabis in aduen. Ana. Mary said; what kind of salutation, think you, is this? because my soul is troubled within me, and because I am to bring forth the King, which shall not violate the Cloister of my virginity. If in this there be any truth, judge yourselves, ye Papists, that haue any fear of God. Of the virgin Mary they say; that Miss. Heros. infr. octau. ●eat virg. lect. 4. prima●ius virius. she gloried in her humility in the Gospells. In the Homily of the 2. Ferie in the first week of Lent they say, that In terreus cogitatione in tiatum, said c●●lesti male●●ati praceptum. Port. star. jer. 2. hebd. 1. quadrag. It was commanded of the heavenly majesty, that Lent should be kept. again, Haec non eā praecepta Sacerdotum quam des sunt. ibid. These things( meaning the Lent fast) is not so much the precept of men, as of God. They say also; Et quos ab escis carnalib●●, pracipi● abstinere, a noxij● quoque vitiis cessar● concede. in f●r. 4. hebd. 2. quam et Ro. Br●. whom thou dost command to abstain from meats of flesh, make them to abstain from faults and offences. In another place; Iesu the commander of Lenten abstinence, which for the health of souls ordainedst this fast. I proclaim unto you, all the generation of Romish falsaries; Priests, monks, Friers, and the fire-brands of all states and policies, Iudaising jesuits, if you can prove out of the Scriptures, that Christ our Lord and saviour did ever command, ordain, institute, or teach to keep this fast of Lent, I will give you the bucklers, and say your night is day, and your black is white. With the same falsehood the Roman breviary in the feast of Peter and Paul cometh unto the everliving God, and saith; In ●rat. Deus qui hod●erna. O God, which hast consecrated this day unto the martyrdom of the apostles Peter and Paul. Let them now show where God ever consecrated day to man, or gave us authority any such to consecrate. The Portuis of Sarum saith; audivi vocē de coelo venientem, venite omnes sapientissime virgines, ol●um recondire in vasis vestris, dum sponsus adueneris. Miss. star. in come. plu. virg. Resp. post lect. 1. interrogatus dominus I h●ard a voice from heaven saying; Come all ye wisest virgins; put oil into your vessels, till the bridegroom come. Who ever heard this voice? where was it proclaimed? unto the virgin they sing; Gaude Maria virgo, cunctas hareses sola inter●misti t● vniuerso mundo. in office beat. virg. Ang●o● at et passim in Ro. Bre. rejoice virgin Mary, thou alone hast overthrown all heresies in the universal world. If the divell himself the Father of lies, Beelzebub, Verrin, Asmond, the jesuits companions, with all the rabble of diuelles were brought together, I think none so shameless, that durst maintain this falsehood. Of the wooden cross they say; Ro Miss. in se●t. inuens. Sar●cu. et in Miss. star. quae sola fuestiduna f●stinere regem ec●lorum. Thou onely wast worthy to bear the King of heaven. This is false two maner of ways. For first, the cross was not worthy to bear Christ, of whom the holy Baptist more excellent then the cross, doth confess; Luke 3.16 that he was not worthy to loose the latchet of his show. Secondly, the three of the cross onely was not worthy to bear Christ. For Christ was born of Mary, after a more excellent manner, and entred into sundry ships, and was born in them with greater ease and more facility, then on the cross. The Roman breviary saith; Vide speciosam sicu● co●uba ascen●entem ●●supe● riu●s, cuu●● incitemabilis odour erat ninos● in vestimentis eiu●. Ro. Bre. Resp. post ●sculetur me. I saw the beautiful ascending vpon the riuers like a dove, the inestimal Iesmel of her garments was exceeding sweet. But where is this in Scripture to be found? Of the invocation of Saints they say; In Miss. Sanc. reach. cunctis ad eorum patrocinia confugientibu●sue petitionis salutarem pra●ta● eff●ctum. unto all that flee to their defence, thou givest healthful effect of their petitions. I will once again be bold to provoke all the Iefuiticall brood, to tell, if they can, where God ever promised to grant all their requests, which fly to the succour of Saints: where he ever commanded us so to do: where ever he threateneth us, if we do it not. Thus the weightiest point of their religion hath neither commandement, nor promise, nor threatening in all the holy Canon of Scriptures to confirm it. Another falsehood the breviary of Sarum proclaimeth; Vidi angelum Dei volantem per medium coeli voice magn● clamantem, et dicentem; ●●te sunt sancti viri, facti amic● dei B●e. star. in come. apost. extra tempus pasc. post. vid. coniunctos viros. I saw an Angel of God flying through the midst of heaven, crying with a great voice, and saying; These are holy men, made the friends of God. Of the cross they fain; Deparentis pretoplasti fraud facta c●ndolens, quando pomin●xialis morts morsu corruit, ipse lignum tunc notavit, damna signi vt solueret. Ro. Br. in Dom. in pass in him. pang lingua. The fraud on our first father wrought condoling, When by tasting of the hurtful fruit he died, himself then marked the three, that it should salve The hurt the three haddon. herein the missal seemeth to allude to the Legend history, in which it is falsely imagined that an angel took a sprig of the wood of Paradise, and planted it in Libanon, of which sprung the three whereof the cross was made. As this is a mere feigned untruth: so also, that God ever appointed the wood of the cross to discharge the detriment, which came by tasting of the fruit of the forbidden three, is a false and ungodly figment. Yet the Roman breviary itself, as refined as it is, cannot leave it out, but saith, Miss. inven. Sanct. crucis. Maij. 3. Resp. 3. haec est arbour dignissime in Paradisi medio situata. &c. Ex Pet. Lomb. This is the most worthy three placed in the midst of Paradise. It is true, that the ancient Father teacheth, that God would not haue man put his hand to the three of life and death, from thence to get remedy unto his evil; Ne per arborem, said hominem vitae, lest man should be saved by the three of life, and not by the man of life. The Roman breviary, of the blessed virgin saith; Et videntes eā filiae S●on beatissimam pradicantrunt, d●centes, unguentum effusum nomen tuum. in fest. S. Mar. ad nines. Resp. post lect. 6. qui●● solenn. The daughters of Sion seeing her, declared her blessed, saying; thy name is an ointment poured out. speak shameless jesuits, and bring forth if you can, what daughters of Sion, where and when, ever did so worship and magnify the blessed virgin. But you care not with what falshoods ye delude the people. With the like untruths the missal of Sarum saith, that In sest. S. Aug. Augustine of Rome was the first teacher of true religion in England: And the Roman breviary, Cuius cerebre respersum est totius templi pau●mentum. Rom. Bre. in Tho. Cant. lect. 6. ex qua regis. ad finem. that the pavement of the whole Church was sprinkled over with the brains of Becket. Thus you see, Babylon hath an harlots brow, lye she can, she cannot blushy. O merciful God, cleanse the Church from these Impostors, and give them grace( if it be thy will) to see their sin, and to eschew it. But what hope is there, when they profess, that Mihi certe videtur ecclesiae errorem( si t●mē ●rra●illa) ●erendum esse potius, et quasi iniuriam accipiendam, quam ab institutis illius recedendum. Barth. Lato. in ep. adu. Bucerum. The errors of the Church are rather to bee born with then amended? CHAP. XVI. Of the uncertain and doubtful stories, which the Romish Church instead of the true and infallible word of God, doth thrust vpon the people in their divine worship, contrary to the rule of our great Prophet; Search the Scriptures, for in them you think to haue eternal life. IT is the most miserable servitude of the soul, instead of the Oracles and undoubted statutes and promises of God the true bread of life, to bee fed with wind, to bee carried with clouds, mists and dreams of uncertain opinions. This is the punishment, which God long ago threatened to backsliding Israel the type of the Church; Esay 3.1 The Lord God of Hosts will take from jerusalem and judah the stay and the strength, even all the stay of bread, and the stay of water. Surely the stay of bread, and the stay of water by a fit allegory may be interpnted the stability of Gods word, which for our sins he suffereth us to bee deprived of: so that the Masters of the Church in place thereof haue put uncertain stories, doubtful narrations, speaking the things they haue not seen. Let us begin with the feast of Saint Andrew. Much talk the missal of Sarum bringeth in betwixt Egeas the proconsul and Andrew; but the roman breviary omitteth the greatest part thereof. They of Sarisbury say, Bre. star. in Sanc. Andr 3. noct. An. occedentes e●●●fices. Andrew was bound with cords to the cross: the roman breviary makes it doubtful, and saith, Cruci affixus est Ro. Bre. in Sanc. Andr lect. 6. igitur paulo post. He was fastened to the cross: Which may bee understood either of binding or nailing. But Bellarmine in plain terms saith, Bell. de imag. Sanc. l. 2. c. 27. verbo, iam vero modus. Andrew was not bound, but nailed to the cross. So their worship, which the Church for many yeeres served God with, was a plain lie and untruth. Of Peter they of Sarisbury red, how he Portif. star. in Cath. Sanc. Pet. lect. 3.& lect. 6. tunc infra septem. prepared himself a seat in the highest part of the city of Antioch: and that Theophilus the chief man of the city turned his house into a Church, wherein he placed the chair of Peter. This the roman breviary omitteth, and speaketh no word thereof. As uncertain is that of Gregory, Ro. Bre. infest. Greg. lect. 5. Romā rediens. who being ordained Bishop fled, and hide himself three daies, and was discovered by a great beam of light shining over him. That the cobbler who Bre. star. in Sanc. Marc lect. ●. beatus Marcus. mended Saint marks shoe at Alexandria, having thrust his awl thorough his hand, after he had confessed there is one God, was healed by the evangelist with earth and spittle laid thereon: And that this cobbler was afterward Bishop of Alexandria, is no less doubtful. The like is to be thought of these that follow. Bre. star. in Phil. lect. 3. post passionem domini. A great Dragon crept out from under an image, when Philip was lead into the temple to offer sacrifice, which Dragon slay the Priests son, and two Tribunes with him. That the Angels sung; Bre. star. in Dunstan. lect. 2. bea●us vero. Peace bee to the English Church in the birth of this child( meaning Edgar) and of our Dunstane. Of hilary, In mem. Hilla. ep.& confess. lect. ●. beatus autem hilarius. in Bre. star. that in the island of Hens he set bounds with his staff in the earth, how far the Serpents should haue power to go. That whosoever had Bre. star. in Sanct. Blasio. lect. 3. praesentat●q, d●xit. a bone in his throat, and called vpon God, thinking on Saint blaze, should be del●uered from his grief. That a voice came unto Thomas Aquinas praying before the crucifix at Naples, saying; bred Ro. in fest. Th. Aqu n. l●c. 5. emissus è c●stro. Thou hast well written of me Thomas. That Bre. R●. in fest. Matth. lect. 5. eo miraculo Mary Magdalene went into a vast cave of an high hill, and there lived thirty yeares without company of man, and was every day taken up by Angels to hear the lauds of the heauens. That Saint From Cod●us the last Atheman King, who lived in the year of the world 3106. to Gyles, who lived anno Mundi 4829 was the space of seventeen hundred yeeres, a long time to deduct a Pedigree, in so many mutations of Athens. vid. Genebr. Cron. Giles, descended from the Kings of Athens, was fed in France by the milk of an hind that came unto him to his cave at set houres. roman breviary. What should I speak of the destruction Portif. star in joh. Apost. lect. 3. interfecto antem.& in feruentis.& lect. 4. viduam qu●que ●● of the Temple of Diana at Ephesus by Saint John? or that he was cast into boiling oil? which neither Eusebius, nor jerome doth speak of: or that he turned branches of trees into gold, or stones into pearls? Or that Idem in sylvest. papa lect. 8. dixerū● ei pagani. every degree is twenty leagues, and every league three miles. sylvester with his fellowes went into a cave of the earth three hundred sixty five degrees toward Hell, and killed a Dragon? Or Ro. Bre. in fest. Pes. ad vincula lec. 5 cum igitur Pontifex. the comparing of the two chains one with another, commonwealth Peter was bound at jerusalem and at Rome, which knit so one to another, as though they had been but one chain? Of Paul Ro. Bre. in Paulo Heremi●. lect. ● post coru●. the hermit, that he was fed three score yeares by a crow, with half a loaf of bread, but when Anthony came to visit him, the Crow brought an whole loaf. Of the invention of the cross the Lomb. Legend saith, that the narration Legend. L●mb. in inuenti●●● Crucis c. 64. verbo, hac igitur historia de invent. which is found in the ecclesiastical Histories, to whom the Chronicles do agree, is more authentical, then that which is recited in Churches. For it is plain( saith he) that many things are in the history red in the Church, which haue no consonance with the truth. Yea, the authors of the mass of Sarisbury themselves confess, how willing they are to deliver Apocrifé fables to the people: where they say in the conception of the Virgin; This day peculiarly it doth seem, that the book which is of her conception and life should be red, if the ancient Fathers had not judged it to be Apocrife. The Legend of Lombardie having rehearsed a story of Thomas saith; Utrum illa vera an ficta narratio, nihil me nunc interest. de Sanct. Tho. Apost Legend. Lombard. Whether this history be true or not, it makes no matter. Wherefore the roman breviary for the most part citeth also uncertain, obscure, superstitious, creditlesse authors: as Aloysius Lypomanus. Clychtouius. The History of the exaltation of the cross. Ado in his martyrologue. Hincmarus. bonaventure. Damas. pontifical. Hildwinus. Gesta Patrum condemned as Apocrife by Gelasius the Pope himself. The decretals. severus. Liber Pontificalis. Simeon Metaphrastes. Surius. John Garson. John Diaconus. Platina. These, and diuers other such liars, and Friers, monks, and superstitious wretches, are the authors of the greatest part of their Histories and Lectures red in their divine service. Thus of them is verified what the spirit of God foreshoweth, 1. Tim. 4.1. That in the later times some shall depart from the faith, and shall give heed unto spirits of error, and doctrine of divels, waves of the sea carried about with every blast of vain doctrine, Iam. 1. who instead of the body of truth, embrace the fantastic shadows of vain illusion. But hereof more in the following Chapter let us speak. CHAP. XVII. Of the superstitious imaginations beside all ground of Scripture, which the Romish Church useth in her public worship; as though there were not sufficient motives in the word of truth to stir up our devotion. DIscoursing of the strong imaginations, wherewith dreaming they delight themselves, as men in Platoes cave, or some Trophonian den, possessed with a strong apprehension of fantastic idols, and creations of their own conceit, I will begin with the frivolous Dialogues, Prosopopoeiaes, confabulations and suppositions, which without any ground of Scripture they feign, concerning the person of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. First, touching the conception of Iesus Christ, with a foolish Dialogue they come to the Virgin; as though Christ were anew to be conceived; Suscipe verbum virgo Maria, quod tibi à domino per angelum transmissum est; concipies per aurem, deum paries& hominem. Bre. star. in Annun. virg. Resp. post. lect. ●. vere etenim. receive, O Virgin Mary, the message sent unto thee from the Lord by the angel: thou shalt conceive by the ear. This is an impious fiction, which openeth the passage to sundry Heresies. I know, the manner how the Virgin conceived is ineffable, neither can they utter it, which the very Angels haue not wisdom to express. But certain it is, Christ was there conceived, where he took his flesh, even in the womb of the holy Virgin: and of her sanctified and purified seed, the purer part of her blood, did Christ take flesh by the wondrous operation of the Holy Ghost. The roman breviary is ashamed of these absurdities, and leaveth out in this Responsory the words, Per aurem, by the ear. And this not without good cause haue they done, lest there should bee warres of ignorance, and fiction against fiction. For in another place they bring in the Virgin saying; Congratulemius mihi omnes qui diligitis dominum, quiae cum essem paruula placu● altissimo,& de meis ●●sceribus genui deum& hominem Ro. Bre. post lect. 4. in Circumcis. domini. rejoice with me all which love the Lord, because when I was little, I pleased the highest, and of my bowels I begat God and Man. They imagine, that Nec erat ille dei filius in utere suo incarnatus sibi on●ros●●s et grauit, said om●ino agilis& levit, Breu Heref. in visit. Beat. Maria virg. lect. 5. nec erat illo dei filius Dominica infra octau. visit. beat. Mar. virg. Christ, being in the womb of the Virgin, was no burden unto her at all, but he was light and nimble within her. Of the scourging of Iesus Christ they suppose, that In the method to meditate on the Rosary printed at antwerp anno 1598. Med. 1. after being whipped he had with great difficulty clothed himself again, they plucked off his garments,( which had cloven fast to the wounds of the stripes,) and the very skin withall. And again; In the Mysteries of the Rosary printed at Antwerp. anno, 1598 A plaited crown of poynant thorns, Vpon his head they strain, Which drawing blood doth pierce the flesh, And pass unto the brain. They say 5. Dolor. Med. 1. At calvary they took his crown of thorns from his head, which placing on again, made as many new wounds as he had before. Wherefore one is bold to tell us Author cui●● s●am libri anonymi de suffragijs in praef. ante erat precor te amantissime. the just and precise number of these wounds, and prickings of our saviour Iesus Christ: they were( saith he) five thousand four hundred sixty five. Another takes vpon him to define, how many drops of blood trickled from Christ vpon the cross: And the sum is by computation about sixty five thousand. Of these things what authority, what warrant haue they? Surely that which Horace speaketh of; Pictoribus atqu● poets quidlibet audendi semper fuit aequa potestas. Poets and Painters haue authority to invent and imagine what they please. Of the manner of his leading to death they feign, that Miss. star. in Miss. de 5. vulneribus sequent. coenam cum discip. when Christ went through the midst of the city bearing the cross vpon his shoulders, all the people ran to the doors and porches of their houses. They also say, 4. Dol. mist. printed at Antw. 1598. how the Iewes not moved with any compassion towards Christ, tied a rope about his middle, and drew him like a dog, and when they saw he fainted, they hired Simon Cyren to carry the hinder part of his cross; not for any desire they had to ease him, but of malice to hasten his death. Another feigneth how being all faint and feeble and overladen method to meditate on the Rosary in 4. mist. dolor. B●r●● Who knoweth this to be true. with the huge burden of so weighty cross laid vpon his tender skinlesse back, and shoulders, he undertook the toil most willingly, though his back bended and plied, his knees doubled, and feet stumbled therewith: so as he had many a grievous fall, and left blood so plentifully on the ground, as he might haue been traced by it. Of all this there is no word out of the solidity of truth the Scriptures of God to be proved. Of his crucifying they dream, Ibid. in 5. dol. mist. Med. 1. that they nailed first his l●ft hand, being next to the heart, to satisfy for Euas hand stretched out to take of the forbidden fruit, and then racked out the other hand. Of the manner of his nailing they say; Ibid. forget not how the stroke of the hammer missing sometimes, lighted on his tender hands and fingers. They likewise say, In the 15. 00●. of Saint Bridget an Suffrag. that Christ on the cross was all to torn and broken in all his limbs, so that there was no limb abiding in his right joint: and that his body was so pierced with a Knights spear, that therein was not left one drop of blood nor of water. Of his Mothers sorrow when he hanged on the cross, they opinionate, that, Quotie● Maria oculos ad crucem leuabat, totios, non dico lachrymas, said aquarum inundantium fluuies emittebat. Bre. Her. ser. pleno de beat. Mar. virg. lect. 2. ubi ergo. as oft as she looked on the cross, shee did not shed tears, but Riuers of flowing waters. That when she Et quia hoc diu prae angustia simul aspicere non posset ad terram oculos interdā deflectebat. ibid. ad finem lect. saw his head bloody with the crown of of thorns, and his face besprinkled with the same, she could not endure to look vpon it long, but somewhiles was compelled by grief to cast down her eyes to the ground. After he was taken down from the cross they imagine, with what action his mother entertained his dead body. Extincti funeris in gremio tenet exuu●as, omnia per errat stigmata, locaque cruenta clauerum, nec non& plagas singular: videt spinoso praecincta tempora fert●& in later patents corduianuas. Miss. star. in compass. beata Virg. sequen. moest. parents. Of the dead corps the spoils in lap she bears, And searcheth all the bloody places of the Nailes, And every wound she views: his brows also With thorny Garland gird, And the wide opened wounds unto his heart. again, Nati quondam speciosae membra, modo liuida tractas matter, inter manu● teneras amplexatur, osculaetur ora facta pallida propter poenas atque plagas asperas, m●nu● extorquen● exclamauis, ste●uque cor●us irrigauit. Miss. star. in Copass. virg Mariae. The Mother handleth the late beautiful members of her son now pale with death, and betwixt her tender hands she embraceth and kisseth his face become pale with punishment and cruel stripes, and wringing her hands she crieth out, and washeth all the body with tears. They imagine that the Virgin said to the cross; In Aloy. lip pag. 203. lin. ●. part. 1. edit. Ve●hessalt. in Lament. v●rg. per Ephrem. Bow down, holy cross, thou blessed wood, That I may kiss the wounds of my son, and my God, To comfort my own child. matter cernent ta●ta suppl●cia, flet discerpens pectas et vbera● heu me clamat, heu me congeminat, plorant trictis quam saepe replicat, fili dulciss●me, ever ista pateris? ever confixus incruce mortris, ac sirens fuisses sceleris, cum nihil unquam mali commiseris? heu me clamans dat alta suspiri●, dicens, ever vita sic durat anxia? cur non moriar, mor● aut cur mihi parci●? queen matter unquam, quaeue puerpera nati dilecti canta supplicia videre simul,& vltra viu●re posset? est istan● gratia, quam sic mihi retulisti. Gabriel, dicens, Aue Maria, gratia pl●na? sunt mihi contraria, qua prius promisisti, cum mihi nunc pro gratia sunt dolor& poena. i● Miss. comp. beat. virg. Sequent. Moesta parinus. Another like fiction of the same argument there is, but much more full of impatience and infidelity, which they deliver, as though it had proceeded from the Virgin. ( u) The Mother seeing his punishment so great, weeps, and doth tear her breasts: Woe me she cries, and woe again she doubleth, Weeping and sorrowful she oft replies, My sweetest son, why dost thou suffer thus? Why crucified, didst thou die on the cross, As thou wert guilty of some heinous crime, Where thou didst never any such commit? Woe me she crieth, and deep sighs doth fetch, Why die I not, or why doth death me spare? What Mother ever, or what child-bearer Could of her loved son such torments see, And yet remain alive? Gabriel, is this the grace thou broughtest to me, Saying, hail Mary, full of grace? These things are contrary to thy first promise, Sin●e I haue grief and punishment for grace. Either the missal is false, or the Virgin is not free from infirmity, contrary to the Romish Tenet: for, to wish for death out of womanly passion is no virtue: Lewis de Granada in his memorial of sins at confession, placeth the desire of ones own death in a rage, among the number of sins. and to distrust the Angels message confirmed with so many miracles is no work of faith. The Houres of the Virgin printed by John Wayland anno 1557. at London say, Heu dollar fleruitur lut● platearum, in hora●. illa sicum centies reddit ●ulatum. hora 6. Cadit tunc in extasin, dolor sternit stantem. in hora 9. The Lady fell down in the dirt, when shee saw Christ carrying his cross, and when he was vpon the cross nailed thereon: she cried out an hundred times, and that shee fell into a swoon, or a trance, when shee saw him in the ninth hour give up the Ghost. Of the resurrection of Christ a foolish dialogue they make with an angel; Die nobis quibus è terris noua cuncta mundo nuncians gaudiā nostram rursus visitas patriam▪ respondent placito vulen cl●● voice dixit Allelu●●, Angelus nubi de Christo &c. mox ergo p●nnas volveris vacuas dirigen● la●a per auras redijs fa●●lis. &c. Miss. star. in feria 5. post. pass. Sequen. dic nobis. Tell us from what Coasts now coming, To all the world new joys thou bringest: Visiting our coasts again: Answering with cheer to me Of Christ the angel, Alleluia, said: &c. And by and by his piercing feathers he Through the empty air gladly doth direct, And to the seruants eke he came and said; The old Law is abolished, the new grace reigns. All these are idle webs of their own weaving, of their own invention; so that leaving the certainty of Narrations in holy Scriptures taught, they build the house of faith vpon the uncertain and slippery sands of vain supposals. Of the Assumption of the Virgin their opinionatiue portents are no less monstrous. The thing itself is not certain, that her body was incorruptible: that she was assumpted into heaven, or that Iesus& ipse festivus tibi matri cum angels occurrem side paterna secum locauit in secula. in assump. Miss. star. Christ went to meet her with his Angels, and placed her with himself in his fathers Throne. Yet thereto Gasper Loart hath added, mist. glor. 4. Her most sweet son descended from heaven associated with the celestial powers, and entred into that blessed house where shee lay, and beholding her with those his amiable eyes, spake that with a most sweet voice to her, which the husband saith to the spouse in the Canticles; Thou art all faire my friend, and there is no blemish in thee at all: Come from Libanon, my Spouse, come from Libanon, and crwoned shalt thou be. And in another place; mist. glor● 5. when she with her most beautiful& glittering body ascended into heaven in so great a majesty, what store of musical instruments yielded forth a most melodious harmony. And again, Much music and many instruments at the Virgins assumption. mist. gloss. 4. these and like words maiest thou according to thy devotion meditate, to haue been spoken unto her, sithence there is no gospel, nor other sacred writ, whereout we may gather the certain story of her departure. The roman breviary saith, 3. Diei infra octau nat. Virg. lect. dignum plan●. Who can esteem the jewels: who can name the stars which in the kingly diadem of Mary are compacted? Thus you see, they not only without all authority coin leasings and fictions themselves, but invite all others thereunto, as though the scripture did not comprehend matter enough for our consolation. The same breviary also buildeth the like Castles in the air, and in a frivolous dialogue is bold to examine the virgin of the matter; Virgo prudentissima, quo progrederis, quasi aurora valde rutilans. infest. assump. beat. virg. ad magnificat. An. whither goest thou( O thou most wise) like the bright shining morning? So likewise in her nativity they make a minstrel of the holy Virgin; Plaud●t nunc Organis Maria,& inter veloces articulos Tympana puerperae concrepeut. Ro. Bre. in fest. natiu. virg. lect. 6. plaudat nunc. Let Mary on the Organs play, And twixt her nimble joints, Let the child-bearers Timbrel sound. Of holy Innocents with a flourish of lusty rhetoric the mass of Sarisbury saith; Celsa pueri concrepent melodia, Eia, Innocentum canentes tripudia. in Sequens, celsa pueri. Miss. star. Let children chant high melody, Hey, singing the dance of Innocents. No less frivolous is that which followeth; Inter vbera lac. effundit, antequam sanguinis fierent coagula. in celsa pueri. ibid. The wicked captain troops of men collects, And in their tender members sheaths his blade, Among the wounds the milk flows out, Before the blood together was congeald. And again; Paruorum trucidantur millia, membris ex teneris manant lactis flumina. ibid. Of children young thousands are slain, And from their tender parts The floods of milk do train. In the hymn, Saluete flores Martyrum, they haue a fine conceit, wherewith Clichtouius is not a little delighted; Arā ante ipsam simplices Palma& Corona luditis. de Innocentibus. Before the Altar itself simply, With the Garland and the crown ye play. As though they were children still, being now glorified Saints in heaven. Such wanton conceits become not the gravity of Christian worship: they are fitter for Poets, and for Stage-players. again, of the same they say; The younglings played with the sword. Whence learned they this? or what evangelist doth writ any such matter? In the memory of the Baptist; Intuere Rex acerbissime tuo spectacula digna conuiuto: porrige dexteram, nequid s●curtiae tuae d●sit, vt i●ter digitor tu●s 〈◇〉 destuant sacri cruoris:& quoniam non exaturar● epulis fames, non restingui poculis petu●t inaudita sauitia sitis, bi●● sanguinem, scaturientique adhuc venis, execti capitis profluentem. Ro. Bro. lect. 6. in decol. Sanc. jo. Bap. int●ere, Behold cruel King( say they) sights fit for thy banquet: stretch out thy right hand, that to thy cruelty nothing be wanting, and let the streams of the holy blood run through thy fingers: and because thy hunger cannot be satisfied with banquets, nor thy vnheard-of thirsting cruelty with cups, drink now the blood flowing from the veins of the head cut off: Flourishing rhetoric borrowed from Tomyris the Messaget queen, when shee threw the head of that great conqueror Cyrus into a vessel of blood. But what use is there of such inventions in the service of God, to call vpon a Tyrant that is dead so many hundred yeares since, to wash his hands in blood, and to drink thereof? Canina facundia, currish rhetoric, and barbarous exclamations are these, unworthy of the service of God, and of his Saints. On the feast of Saint Michael in the person of Christ they sing; Archangele Michael, constitus te principem supper omnes animas suscipieudas. Ro. Bre. in fest. Sanc. Mich. ad lauds Ana, O archangel Michael, I haue made thee prince over all souls to be received into heaven. Of Martin they feign ( n); The choir of Saints proclaimeth, The Troope of Virgins inviteth, Chorus Sanctorum proclamat, turba virginum inuitat, mane nobiscum in aternum Ro. Bre. in fest. Mart. ad magnificat. An. O beat. virum. Stay with us for ever. I could rehearse Centuries of this kind out of their Missals and Legends. The end of all which is, to put their fancies in the place of Gods Scriptures, their uncertainties in the place of his truth, their Traditions in the place of his precepts, and to sell us north-wind: fables, shadows, instead of the milk of the word, the true food of the soul, the heavenly Manna. God be blessed, who hath called us out of this fearful darkness unto the happy light of the sun of righteousness. CHAP. XVIII. Of poetical, Heathenish, and Idolatrous fictions, wherewith the Romish Church worshippeth God in their Missals, contrary to the rule of our great Prophet, who teacheth, that God is to be worshipped in spirit and truth. NOthing is more vehemently urged in Scriptures then to Iosua 24.14. fear the Lord, and to serve him in vprightenesse and in truth. Therefore the Apostle counseleth his Ephesians to stand, having their loins Ephes. 6.14. gird about with verity. And the same is it that God required at the hands of the children of david; 1. Reg. 2.4. to walk before him in truth. But our Romish soothsayers Zech. 10.2. love to see lies, and their dreamers to tell a vain thing; as of the jewish Idolatry in his time the Prophet Zecharie witnesseth. Wherefore, after they haue wearied themselves with wresting and perverting of the Scripture with Theatricall and imaginary dotage of their own brains, they fall at last to Poets fictions, and worship God with the fables of Idolatry, the rags of paganism, the superstition of divels: that it may be verified in them, what of backsliding Israel Ezekiel forespake; Ezech. 11.12. Ye haue done after the manners of the Heathen, which were round about you. When they are occasioned to speak of Hell, what words use they rather, then the poetical figments of tartarous, Phlegeton, Styx, Orcus,& such like; shunning the words which in the Scripture are to be found? Benedicta sit celso Regina illa, generans Regem spoliantem Tartar●. Mess. star. in ille Sanc. P●sc. sequē. sulgens praeel●●a. As, blessed be the high Queen, which bare the King that hath spoiled Tartara: In Mis. ●ro desm●ctis l●bera eas de ore lemum. ne absorbeat eas tartarous. in Bre. star. deliver them from the mouth of the lions, lest tartarous devour them. Q●am deuorarat improbus praeden resudit tartarous. in Bren star. The wicked tartarous, which it had devoured, The pray casts up again. tartarous is a poetical fiction: and although it be taken for the place of the damned, yet it is by Hesiod reckoned among the divine powers; For he saith, Hesiod in Theog. tartarous came from the confused Chaos, and that it was compassed about with a wall of brass. Homer saith, Homer. Iliad. the floor thereof was brass. So in the hymn, Dedit Ecclesiae jerusalem& Sion; Des quanta triplex potentia, Tangens coelum, terram& Stygia▪ How great a gift is the threefold power, Which doth touch heaven, earth, and the Stygian? And in the mass of Sarum; Miss. star. in far. a post Pasc. in sequent. Let all the world rejoice, despising The flood of Phlegeton. And Clichtouius saith; Clich, in him. ●●t redemisti Phlegetentis amne him. nunc pias aures. Thou hast delivered us from the river of Phlegeton. Styx and Phlegeton are two poetical Idols, and are said to be the Riuers which compass hell. Styx was married to Pallans Arpinas, and brought forth to him Hydra, and had a child by Acheron called Victory. This was the river, by which all the false Gods did swear. Phlegeton was also an idol, an Heathen fiction, and from it they will haue CHRIST to redeem vs. Of Cocytus the Poets fain, that it is a river also compassing hell, and that it had a daughter, which Proserpina queen of Hell taking with her husband Pluto, turned into an herb called mint. Now they feign, that about these Riuers, Styx, Acheron, Phlegeton and Cocytus, the departed ghosts weeping and wailing do walk, till Charon in his boat fetch them over the Riuers, either in hell to bee tormented, or in the Elysian fields to live in ioy. With this fiction the missal of Sarum is not ashamed to come unto God, and saith; Hac iusolita morantes perdita Cocyti confinia aspectant lumina, intrante illo vitam beatam, &c. In premecasta concio Cantica. ser 3. post. Pasc. They which the damned banks of Cocytus haunt, do see these vnaccustom'd lights, while Christ entereth into eternal life: With terror stricken the strong people Of divels trembleth, and doth groan. In the Purification of the blessed Virgin they say; Hac clara die turma festiua dat praeconia, Mariam con●repando Symphonia Nectaria. Mis. star. in fest. purif. in Sequen hac clara die. This day the multitude giveth festival praise, Sounding forth Mary with music Nectariall. Nectar the Idolatrous Heathens believed to be the drink which their Gods did swill. But why should this seem much? when Simeon Metaphrastes, and Aloysius Lypomanus teach, Vid. ●oy. hip. 1. part pag. 225. that the blessed Virgin was fed with Ambrosia in the Temple by an angel, in her childhood. I know that Ambrosia is the name of an herb called Caper Syluaticus, brotis, or apis Rusticus: but that the Virgin was fed therewith, I think none is so gross to imagine. Wherefore it must needs bee, that Aloysius and his Master meant the poetical and Idolatrous figment of Ambrosia, which in greek signifieth immortality, and was said to be the food of Gods: whereof marshal speaketh; jupiter Ambrosia satur est& Nectare vivit. jove with Ambrosia is full, and doth by Nectar live. In the prose which beginneth, Peter the chief shepherd of Christ, the two Apostles Peter and Paul are said, Victis ●mnibus Barbaris, ad arcem summi pergitis cul●●lnis, G●rmanos discords sub jugo Christi coacturi. in prosa Petr. sum Christi pastor. apud Clichteuium. having overcome all Barbarians, to go to the tower of highest dignity, to bring together the disagreeing brethren under the yoke of Christ. The tower of highest dignity is Rome: the disagreeing brethren by Clichtouius are expounded to bee Romulus and Remus, of whom many fabulous things the Poets did invent; That they were the sons of Mars, the God of war, and Ilia the vestal Virgin: that they were nursed by a whore, or by a wolf: that Romulus after his death was adored as a God. But any thing will serve to shuffle up a mass withall; truth or falsehood: verity or fables: uncertainties or certainties, all is one. Wherefore one Hymn saith; nuntius celso veniens Olymp●. Ro. Bre. in fest. jo. Bap. in him. vt queant laxis. A messenger from high Olympus comes. And another; Tu christ, nostrum gaudium mane●●. Olympo praditum. Br. Sarandie Ascē. in him. tu christ. Thou Christ our ioy, which dost remain in Olympus. I know, Olympus was an high hill in Thessalia, and is by Poets taken for heaven. But it was so called by an Idolatrous and fabulous invention, in the memory of Olympus the schoolmaster of jupiter the great God of paganism. And why Christ should rather in our divine worship bee said to dwell in Olympus, then to fit at the right hand of his Father in heaven, all the shaven crownes in Rome can yield no reason. jury Stupent Iudea● haec, inquit, execrant da concte: ista v●●oq repleta, Mustique crapula, Bacebo plenes d●putat repletos gratia, feria. 2. post penned. in Miss. star. saith this cursed company is full of wine and gluttony, and of sweet drink: they think them full of Bacchus, that were replenished with the Spirit. The Iewes dreamed not of Bacchus, as bad as they were: they hated Idols, which our Massing Poet must needs grace. So of the heavenly Saints they say; Potentes excelsa poli sydera, alacres decantant noua Cantica in Cithara Threicia. Portif. Sa●● in not. unius Mart. sequē. Organich. Going to the stars of the Pole, merrily they sing New songs vpon the Thracian harp. They haue forgotten Dauids harp, and thereof they make no mention: And yet were it much fitter to bee remembered in the worship of God, then the Thracian harp, which was the harp of Orpheus, of whom the old Idolaters did fain, that he was so cunning on his harp, that the Riuers, Woods, and Birds did harken unto him. Therefore his Harp was placed after his death amongst the stars, and every one of the nine Muses put a star unto it, in thankful remembrance of the praises, which thereon were so often sounded unto them. And this is the jolly harp, whereon they will haue the Saints of God to give praise unto him. Was this the same, do you think, that the sweet singer of Israel mentioned; Psal. 108.2. Awake Lute and harp, I myself will awake right early? No surely, he would haue said, Psal. 71.16. I will make mention of thy righteousness onely: or( as it is in another place) Ps. 119.113. I hate them that imagine evil things, but thy Law do I love. Of another kind is the Romish zeal; the fat. bulls of Basan make sport and play of all Religion. Wherefore, Ante Thronum huius Virginis, frequentare nobis ductia Cantica dramatis in come. vn●●s virg.& Mart. in primo noct. An. Before the throne of this Virgine, frequent to us the pleasant verses of a Stage play. For Drama is an Act, or representation of a fable, in which the Poet speaketh not in his own person. again, Organa subnectens Hypod●rica Regi claustra Deo Tartarea rumpenti. in feria 3. post. pas● in sequen. promo casta. Hypodoricall organs must sound to the King, which breaketh the Tartarian Cell. In stead of psalms they come with Odas in hac die latas christ cauit omnis aetas. Odes to Christ: Their vows are performed on the M●ss. S●r. in Fest. Micha. sequen. ad Celebres. Imperlyricall harp; with plenty of such other toys, fit for the theatre, unworthy of the Church, or the gravity of Christian worship. But why should they hereof be ashamed, who call vpon the Muses, and invocate the help of the nine fabulous Sisters in the worship of their Christ. Eia Musa, die,( queso) praclira Chorea sequen. in seria. 3. post Pentecosten. O my Muse, speak, I beseech thee, gallant choir. In another place; Christi hod●erna celebramus natali tia, coelica resone●t clear camoenas agmina, in hy●●. Christi hodierna. infra octau. nat. Christi ●● Miss. Saris. Let the heavenly armies resound the Muses aloud, celebrating to day the birth of Christ. If Musa may be taken for a song, as well as for an idol, yet Camoenae were never taken but for false Gods, the daughters of jupiter and Mercury. They answer perhaps, that the Scripture itself allegeth the sayings of Poets; Aratus, Epimenides and Maenander. I reply; It is one thing by way of teaching, or reprehension, to repeat the sentence of a Poet to reprove and testify against themselves, that they may be with their own weapons beaten down: and another thing to worship God with their Idolatry and poetical figments. The spirit of God by the mouth of the Apostle hath forbidden all such impious usage; 1 Ephes. 4.29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths, but that ●hich is good to edify withall. And he exhorteth Timothy to 1. Tim. 4.7. Cast away profane and old wives fables. And again, 2. Tim. 1.13. Keep the true pattern of wholesome words, which thou hast heard of me. And to the romans he saith; Rom. 12.6. Let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith. 1. Pet. 4.11. If any speak( saith Peter) let him talk as the words of God. What though the word Musa, or Camoena, should, in a wrested improper construction signify a song? Is it not as great an offence to use words separate unto Idols in our divine worship, as to eat meat sacrificed unto Idols out of divine worship, when we are bidden to a feast? 1. Cor. 8.4. ibid. vers. 6.7. I know, an idol is nothing, and that there is none other God but one, to us there is but one God: but every man hath not knowledge, and some haue conscience of the Idols, even to this day. Nadab and Abihu lieu. 10.1. might not offer strange fire: May Christians offer strange fictions to God in his holy worship? May not a Priest shave himself, or powle himself after the manner of the Heathens? and may he pray to his God, and worship him after the manner of the Heathen? May a man say, O Baal, hear us, because Baal signifieth a Lord? Or may he say; Come jupiter help us, because jupiter is an helping father? No surely. The Prophet foreshoweth; Osee 2.16.17 Thou shalt call me no more Baal: for I will take the names of Baalim out of thy mouth. Gods service must be free from all show of Idolatry: Gloss. ordin. i● 1. joh. vltin●. which their own ordinary gloss expoundeth of the relics of superstition. Great cause then had the English Church to come out of Babylon, and to fly from this execrable Idolatry: and great cause there is, that all Ministers of the gospel should lift up their voices like Trumpets against this spiritual jericho, and these spiritual Achans, with their Babylonish garments; lest our Israel turn again into Egypt, and revolt to the former errors: that it be not one day laid to their charge; ye haue not stood in the gap for the house of Israel. CHAP. XIX. Sundry ridiculous toys of the mass, wherewith the ears and eyes of the people are possessed; the truth of Christs gospel our great Prophet the while being neglected. AMongst the Grecians, the jonians; and amongst the Barbarians, the Sibarites were infamous for their laughter, their wantonness and mimical apishnesse: the Megareans are reproved for mirth out of season. The Poet saith; Laughter out of time is a great evil. But above all mirth, that of the Sardonians was most intolerable; who would even then laugh, when they should haue wept, and made sport at their parents death. I know not to whom the Romish Church may better be compared then to those, who in their divine worship, when they should bring broken hearts and sorrowful spirits as sacrifices unto God, make sport of their religious worship: offer up mows and mocks vpon the Altar of the highest; with ridiculous songs, and comical gesticulations. Is it not a sweet fiction, and a jolly service of God( Christian Reader) when a choir of shavelings, in all their accoutrements make a long hymn in the praise of a Cock? Pra●● die●●ant sonnet, noctu profunde peruegil, nocturna lu● vtantibus, à noct● noctem segregans; hoc excitatus Lucifer soluit polum caligine. Ro. Breu. in him. aterut vtium conditor. Let the Daies crier, the Nights watchman crow, The nightly light of travelers, Night from the Night dividing; By whom Lucifer awaked, The heaven doth from dark discharge. Is this humiliation for sins? Is this a morning sacrifice, to pray to God, that the Cock may crow? and with a foolish poetical conceit, to imagine that the Cock doth awake the stars? It is a pleasant poesy surely, when they should confess unto God, then to aclowledge to a Cock. Hoc omnis errorum chorus vl●m nocendi deserit: hoc uanta vires colligit, pontique mitescunt freta. By this all evil companies the hurtful way forsake: By this the sailor doth collect his force, and raging seas grow calm. And a little after; Gallo canence, spe●redit, egris salus refunditur, mucro latr●ni● condicur, lapsis fides revertitur, &c. Rom. Breu. in after. rerum. When Cock doth crow hope doth return, and health is powred in. The Robbers sword is sheathed, and faith doth come again to those that fell. But of all Ridicles there can be none more ridiculous( at which Heraclitus himself could not choose but laugh, if he were alive) then to see a Mitred choir of monks fall down before a block of wood and say; Flecto ramo● arbour al●a, &c. O bend thy boughs, high three, Let thy tough ribs relent, And let thy native rigour mildly fall, That thou the members of the heavenly King Mayst on thy mild stock gently bear. Is Christ now to be born on the cross? Doth the block hear their prayers? Are not these Amos 8.3. the songs of the Temple, which shall be houlings in the day to come? To the nails they say; Beati clavi, qui sancta illo membra penetratum. blessed be the nails, that those blessed members did pierce. I verily assure myself that Christ did not rejoice in them; neither did he give any blessing to the engines of his torment. The like foolishness is in the Salutation of the cross. salve Crux sancta, arbour digna. Breu star. in Miss. sanc. Cruc. God save thee holy cross, o worthy three. It is holy worship to praise a three, to speak to a three: what could the Poet more do to his wooden Hercules? I may not forget with what zeal of prayer: Suscipe saint pater, incensi huius sacrificium vesperitrum, quod tibi in hac cerei oblatione solemni per Ministrorum manus de operibus Apum sacro sancta reddit ecclesia. Miss. star. in Sab. sanct. Pasc. in him. with what flourishing and flaunting rhetoric they commend unto God the waxed taper, and the incense; receive, O Lord, the evening sacrifice of this incense, which in the holy offering of the Taper, the holy Church by the hands of the Ministers, of the work of the Bees doth yield an holy of holies unto thee. And again, Now of this pillar we know the praise, which in honour of God said lam columnae huius praeconia novimus, quam in honorem Dei rutilans ignis accendit; qui licit diuisus in partes mutuati luminu detrimenta non novit, alitur liquentibus ceris, quas in substantiam preciosa huius lampadis matter Apis eduxit. Miss. star. in him. sab. sanc. pascha. the sparkling fire doth kindle; which though it be divided into parts, it knoweth not the hurt of borrowed light: it is fed with melting wax, which the Mother Bee brought forth, for the substance of this precious lamp. What shall I say of the hymn, inventor rutili? of which the cheifestend is, to tell God how they make Candles. Pinga●io quos olei roar madentibus Lychuis ac facibus pascinuis arid●●; quin& fila fa●i● scirpea floreis, press● mill prius colita singimus. Which with the dew of fa●●yle dropping down By the dry Wicks and towe we nourish, And threads of Bul-rush steeped in floury combs, The Honey first crushed out we form together. No less ridiculous is it, that they pray Ad noctis huius caliginem destruendam indeficiens perseueret, flammas eius Lucifer ma●utinus inuenias: Ibid. The Candle may never go out, but burn all night long, to drive away the darkness thereof; Let the day star find him burning. Weighty points I assure you, and such as make much to the glory of God, to the comfort of a weak conscience, and to the edification of the ignorant, to hear wasps and Hornets chant the praise of the mother Bee, and disclose the secrets of the Chandry. Another idle and ridiculous labour there is in the mass, of the Lords crown, touching the kingdom of France and Paris; where they say the crown of thorns is kept. Thesauro tam nobili, tam desider● bili, dives es eff●ct●, terra carens simili, carem comparabili, Deo predilecta tria priuilegia regna tibi alta subdunt in honore; fides& militia, vnctioque regia, quarum stores store, tibi O urbi inclyta omni laud prae ●lla, matter studorum, est corona tradita,& in terepofite, &c. Miss. Ser. in fest. Coren. Domini. sequent si vis vere gloriari. With such a noble treasure, and so expetible enriched thou art, O Land, which hast no peer: O Land, which art incomparable, of God beloved before all other. In three privileges all other Lands to thee yield honour: that is, Faith, War, and the Kings anointing: In the flower whereof thou flourishest, O noble city, with all praise endued, Mother of studies: to thee is the crown delivered, and in thee laid up, O city of Paris. Haue you leisure then, when the soul should power out itself in throbs and sighs to God, to sport yourselves with the privilege of Countries, with their arms and ensigns, with their Kings ceremonies, their warres, the smoky vanities of mens inventions? For the honour of the noble kingdom of France, I will not dispute how true this is: but sure I am, it is a vain excursion, and a mere mockery, to run from the praise of God into the admiration of Countries and Cities, to shear an ass for woll, and instead of wholesome doctrine, to propose such fruitless dreams unto the people. The like you haue in the Feast of S. Thomas of canterbury, where they sing that the bishopric thereof is the seat of Saints, and that it either receives the Bishops holy, or it makes them holy, or else it quickly spews them out. here I might speak of their corporal gesticulations in the office of the mass, their crossing, crouching, kissing, lifting, turning, putting out, and pulling in of fingers: their masking vestments, copes, albes, corporals, chesubles, holy water, suppings, washings, and such like: fitter for a theatre then a Church: for a jewish Synagogue, then a Christian Congregation. But I would be loathe to spend good houres in foolish things, and to detain the godly Reader from better studies, with a tedious discourse of their idle traditions. CHAP. XX. Of the superstition of the Romish Church in their divine worship. SVperstition is an opposite unto true Religion, either giuing divine worship unto things, to which it is not due; and then it is called Idolatry: or else worshipping God after such manner as he hath not ordained; and then it is called will-worship, putting Religion in such things, wherein it should not be put. And of this kind I am now to entreat. Of all the particular examples, which the Romish Church doth administer unto us in this kind, I purpose not to discourse; Ex noua Leg. Ang. how Wolstane would not haue his gown furd with Cat skin, but with a Lamb skin, because he never heard sung, Cat of God, but lamb of God: Or of Log. Lomb. Macarius, who because he had killed a fly, did penance six Moneths naked in the wilderness, tearing wilfully his whole body with thorns: Ibid. in vita Fran. * or how Saint Francis would not touch the Candle, lest his fingers should infect it: or how he did always tread with reverence vpon the rock, Pet. the Apostle. in remembrance of him who was surnamed the rock: Or how he would gather worms out of the high way, and gently lay them aside, lest travelers should tread on them. Infinite are the examples, which Monkery of this kind affordeth. My purpose is onely to show, that their Missals and public worship is a shop of superstition, and instead of the true and holy worship of God, teacheth men to place religion, in vain, and superstitious observations, Of this kind is that cautel touching the saying of Collects, In caut. Miss. S● ris. that the vneuen numbers must be always observed: Either it must be one Collect for the unity of the Godhead, or else three Collects for the Trinity of persons: or five Collects in respect of the fiue-fold passion: or seven, in respect of the sevenfold grace of the holy Ghost. But above seven Collects may not be said. Is this to worship in the Spirit? To pray in the Spirit? Or is it not rather with Heathen superstition, like the Poet, to imagine Numere Deus impair gauds. God is delighted with an vneuen number? Such were the spells of Medea the sorceress; Verbaque ter dix●● placidos faci●nt a sor●●s. ovid. Metam. 7. Her words she speaketh thrice, Which pleasant sleep procure. Amongst the excellencies of the mass, the Compendium of theological Verity recounteth; Lib. 6. cap. 18. that it must be celebrated with candle light; yea, if a thousand suins did shine. This indeed with many other Ceremonies was the fashion of the Pagans, when they thought their Gods were offended, to light a candle in the midst of the day, In lib. de beata vita. as Seneca doth witness: And yet to the wiser Heathen themselves it seemed a senseless superstition. Wherefore into a proverb it grew, Vid. Eras. adag, Chiliad. 2. Cennt. 4. to light a candle before the sun, when they would note an idle and unnecessary labour. Quintilian saith, to prove by arguments things openly evident, is as foolish, as to set the mortal light of a candle before the clear Sun. Such is their superstition on the Feast of the virgins purification, putting their trust in Tapers, as though no fiend nor divell the light of an hallowed candle could endure. The consecration whereof must bee either by the Bishop, or the Priest solemnly in a silken cap with other priestly ornaments, standing on the highest step of the Altar, turning himself into the East, and saying; Miss. star. in purif. beat. Mar. virg. bless we beseech thee ✚ O Christ, this waxed creature at our supplication, and poure into it by virtue of the holy cross, thy heavenly blessing. No pharisaical superstition doth exceed this Romish dotage. For that God should bless candles with heavenly virtue, and that he should bless them by the sign of the cross, is is more then gentle magic. The Deacon Deinde Diaconus iudutus dalmatica albi coloris accipit arūdinē cum tribus candelisin summitate illius, triangulo distinctis, procedit th●rif●rarius cum Acolythe deferente in vase, 5. grana incensi. Ro. Mess in sib samct. after this in a white surplice, forsooth, must take a Reed, or a shaft, with three candles burning on the top thereof, in form Triangular; and with the Acolyte, who carrieth five grains of incense in a vessel, goes forth to sense. never did Pilate, nor the pharisees, from whom Pilat learned it, more superstitiously wash their hands, then the Massing Priest doth in preparing himself to celebrate. Whom the missal requireth not onely Miss. star. in ordinat. Missa. that he wash his hands, but in washing to say; Cleanse me, O Lord, from all iniquity both of body and soul, that being clean I may perform the holy work of God; as though the washing of his hands were a cleansing in the sight of God: or that washing joined with prayer were a service to the Lord acceptable. The like superstition there is in their kissing; Ibid. receive the kiss of peace and love, that ye may bee sit for the holy Altar to perform the divine offices; as though a Priests kiss were of power to sanctify the receiver. At the solemnization of Matrimony; In ordine spons. If it bee a maid, she must put forth her bare hand to the husband: if a widow, her hand must be covered: gold and silver must be laid on the book; for the tinkling thereof doth signify inward love: Ibid. so likewise the woman must be set on the left hand of the man in the Church, because Eua was taken out of the left side of Adam: The ring, if it were not blessed before, must be blessed with a cross: it must be sprinkled with holy water: the husband must receive it with the third singer of his right hand: he must offer it first to the wives thumb, saying; In the name of the Father: then to the second finger, saying; And of the son: thirdly, to the next; In the name of the holy Ghost: lastly, vpon the fourth finger it must be put, and left, saying; Amen: because from that finger there is a vein, which goeth to the heart. odour thuris benedicti nūquā datur in ecclesia sponso& sponsa: ind est, quod oblato thure benedicto supper altar si descendat thuribulum ad clericos vel ad laicos, aliud thus est opponendum, it clericis vel laici● offerēdū. Misi. star. in Miss. spensa. The smell of holy frankincense is never given in the Church to the Bride and bridegroom: lest if the Censar should come down to the Priests, or Laity, new frankincense must be put in; as though the frankincense were polluted by touching the new married couple. After the mass is ended, Bread and Wine, or some good drink must be blessed, and drunk in the Name of the Lord, saying; Ibid. Dominus &c. The Roman missal ordaineth, that after the Priest hath finished the benediction of the Incense, both the Incense and the holy fire must bee sprinkled with holy water: Interim omnia luminaria ecclesia extinguuntur, vt de igne benedicto postmodum accendantur. Ro Miss. in bened. incens. cer. ignis sa●. And while the Incense is burning, all the candles must bee put out in the Church, that they may be again kindled at the blessed fire. Of the same superstition it is, that Benedict●o mulierum post partum, ante estium ecclesia. in M●ss. star. The woman must bee sprinkled with holy water, and blessed with certain prayers before shee enter into the Church to bee purified; as though Christian women were now to be esteemed unclean, as heretofore the jewish were till their purification. In the mass for those that are in prison, with most preposterous superstition, because Peter hath the power of binding and losing offences, they suppose, that he can also deliver poor prisoners from the fetters. solve, jubente deo, terrarum, Petre, caetenas, qui facis vt pateant coelestia regnae beatis in Miss. pro eo, qui in vinculis tenetur. Loose, Peter, by the Lords command, the earthly chains, Which heavenly gates unto the blessed dost open wide. What should I speak of cleansing the dead corps at burials? or of the mass against mortality, devised by Pope Clement with the college of cardinals? To all the confessed and penitent hearers whereof for five daies together holding a burning In Miss. contra mortalitatem. candle in their hands, and kneeling all the while, 260. daies of pardon are granted, and that sudden death shall not hurt them: and this, they say, is certain and proved. As the missals are nothing else but vain& empty clouds, instead of religion stuffed with superstition: so the examples also and histories of the lives of Saints, which they red in the church, are almost nothing else but encouragements, and provocations unto the same. Cedda they praise, Bre. star. in Cedda. An. pugnant contra vitia. because he ware armor of iron vpon his naked body: and for that, when he would pray, he did go into a bath of cold water. Hillarion they commend, for that Ro. Bre. in sanct. Hilar. in lect. Hilar. ortus Tabathae. he never washed, nor changed his shirt. Nicholas is praised, for that In Bre. star. lect. 9. cum igitur hi●. when he died, he signed himself with the sign of the cross. Wolstane, for that Bre. star. in Welstano. lect. 3 supper gradus. he slept before the Altar with his book under his head. Francis, for that Ro. Bre. in sancto Francisc●. he went barefoot without shoes, and with one coat, and for that he fasted forty daies to the honor of St. Michael: and sundry other of this kind, wherewith their Missals are stuffed full. Blessed Lord open the eyes of the people of this kingdom, lest, neglecting the precious Manna of thy gospel, they turn again to the flesh-pots of Egypt, the heathenish superstition of the Romish Synagogue; even for thy Christ our saviour. Amen. CHAP. XXI. Of mocking and deluding the people with vain words to no purpose in the missals. THe Apostle of himself and his fellow workmen witnesseth to the 2. Cor. 4.2 Corinthians, that they walked not in craftiness, neither handled the word of God deceitfully: but in declaration of the truth they approve themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God. And indeed of the Ministers of Iesus Christ it is the greatest praise, in simplicity of al truth and holinesse to seek the edification of the flock committed to them. But to mock, when they should feed, and to play the iuglers, setting Tantalian feasts before the people, which none can touch, none can taste, nor put into his mouth: and yet to bid them go to, and eat, and drink, is satanical and devilish imposture. Yet this is the guise of the Romish shepherds, who call vpon the people to hear, to harken, to consider, to remember, to lay up in their hearts, when all the while their doctrine is like the feast, which the Crane made unto the Fox in a pot of a narrow mouth, whereof, be he never so crafty, he cannot taste. In reading the passion of Christ they distinguish Miss. sec. vsum star. dominic. in ramis. Palm. the gospel into the words of the Iewes, noted with the letter A. and into the words of Christ, noted with the letter B. lastly, the words of the evangelists, noted with the letter M. The Iewes words must be pronounced with a loud voice: the words of Christ with a base voice: but the words of the evangelists must be pronounced with a mean voice. O notable mockery! What needs this distinction of voices? this notation of words? these sundry tunes to make an idle noise, which no man understandeth? In the feast of the dedication of the Church Portif star. et Ro. Bre. in lect. 4. quot●● es●ū●, fratres. es sic d●mcep●. they make a long narration of the form thereof, and how it is performed: whereof the people understand not a word. In Dominic. Septuages. lect. 7. Portif. star. in dom. septuag. lect. 7 in explanatione. This lecture( say they requireth many things to bee spoken for the explanation thereof: which I will briefly run over, if I can; lest a long exposition, and a prolix proceeding should be burdensome unto you. In the feast of the Epiphany( say they) Bre. star. in octau. Epiph. lect. 1. festiuitatis. That we may probably solemnize the celebrity of this festiuitie, wee ought to know the reason thereof. The Epiphany which wee observe, according to the greek appellation, doth in our language signify manifestation, or declaration. But is not this ignotum per ignotius? For what doth the ignorant hearer more understand in latin, then in greek? O that they had a forehead which could blushy, and he ashamed of this hypocrisy, this falsehood, and this impudency! For how can they call it Exposition and Explanation, when the Comment is as hard as the Text, and both are unaccessible to the hearers? So in the same feast; Lect. audistis in portif. star. You haue heard dear brethren, the lecture of this daies Gospell●: you haue heard how Christ came secretly into the world. O shameless impostors! how dare you thus delude both God and Man? How often do they proclaim? Alta consideratione pertim●s●●a hoc quod ex ore veritatis sonat. d●m. in pas. lect. 9. harken, O my people, to my Law: And again; Audi Israel pracepta domini,& ea in cord tuo quasi in libro scrib●. portif. star. dom. 4. Q●a. drag. in Resp. hear, O Israel, the precepts of the Lord thy God, and writ them in thy heart, as in a book, incline your ears; when all the while they themselves forbid the heart and the mind of man to taste the sweetness of the Lord in his holy word: and yet are not ashamed to say; Quicquid in nobis imperitia nocentis: inesse deprehendimus, crebra illius verbi auditione tergaemus. Bre. star. in dom. 4. quad. lect. 9. h●t ergo omnes. whatsoever hurtful ignorance we find in ourselves, we must cleanse by the often hearing of the word. In the 5. far. of the Supper of the Lord thus they red; Bre. star. in far. 5. in Coena domini 〈◇〉 e●aud. d●us. Your Holinesse must know, that our Lord Iesus Christ is your head, and that al which cleave unto him are the members of that body. Now you haue his voice most plainly known unto you, for because he speaketh unto you, not onely from his head, but from his body. How long will the scorners delight in scorning, and the unwise bee enemies to knowledge? do you not seal up the book? do you not take away the key of knowledge? Doth any man understand? And yet ye shane not in the sight of God and Angels to tell the people, whom you haue blinded: to whom you deny the Scriptures, and the understanding thereof, that they receive knowledge both from the head, and from the body of Christ. In the roman Tridentine breviary set out by pus Quintus; Audistis, fratres charissimi, quod ad unius iusit●u● v●cē, Petrus& Andr. relectis retibus secuti sunt redemptorem. hom. 5. post lect. 7. in fest. Andr. You haue heard most well-beloved brethren, that at the voice of one command, Peter and Andrew forsaking their nets, followed the Redeemer. And in the feast of Saint Thomas; Quid fratres charist. quid inter hac ammaduertitis. in Ro. Bre. What think you, dearly beloved, was it by chance that the elect Disciple was away? So in the feast of the conversion of Paul; Hod●e dil●ctistim●, nobis lectio de Actib●● Apostol●rum haec pronunciata est. in Rom. Bre. lect. 4. This day, beloved, we haue this lesson pronounced out of the Acts of the Apostles. What shall I say? or what hope can we haue in them? since in their most reformed worship, set forth by authority of so many Mytered Fathers, in such a council as they reckon Trent to be, privileged by pus Quintus, a Pope of so great renown, yet such mockeries deluding and deceiving of the people are found. Their excuse is, that in all these exhortatory sentences they speak to the learned, and such as understand the Mysteries of religion. But they might answer themselves, if they would put their hearts into their ways, that of sundry their Hymns, Responds, and Lectures, the intricate obscurity and difficulty is such, that of no man which is not more then ordinarily learned, they can be understood. For proof whereof I refer the Reader to the hymn; Quem terra, Pontus, aethera, splendour patris& figura, Alma Chorus vna laudum, Nunc luke alma splendescit, Aurea virga primae Matris, Alle coeleste, nec non& perenne luia, Ad celebres, rex coelice, lauds, clear Sanctorum senatus, Sivis verè gloriari, Resonet sacrata iam turma Diua Symphonia; Nuncium vobis fero de supernis. A Dictionary is added at the end of the great Misfall of Sarum, to teach Priests to pronounce. And diuers such other Hymns, which would, I think, pose a priest himself vpon a sudden to interpret without a Lexicon; especially if he be no better scholar, then that he must haue a Dictionary at the end of the missal, to teach the pronunciation of hard words. CHAP. XXII. The blasphemous violence, which the Romish Church offereth to our great Prophet Iesus Christ, by forbidding what he commandeth, and commanding what he forbiddeth, and dispensing with his precepts. OF the great adversary of Iesus Christ, the Prophet Daniel doth foreshow, that Dan. 9 26.27. The abomination of desolation shall destroy the city and the Sanctuary: And our saviour saith, Math. 24.15. It shall stand in the holy place. And the Apostle Paul, 2. Thes. 2.4. He is an adversary, and exalteth himself against all that is called God, or that is worshipped: so that he doth sit as God in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God. Now this cannot be better understood then of the changing of the laws and ordinances of God, exauctorating of his precepts, repealing of his judgements, and placing their own decrees instead thereof. This is to show himself a God, though he call not himself a God. wherefore the temple wherein Antichrist shall sit, some not unaptly haue said to be the holy Scriptures: for that Antichrist taketh authority over them, and reigneth as it were in them, taking to himself power to change, and leave out: to add unto it what pleaseth him. Hereof in the Romish Church wee haue examples over plentiful. In all their catechisms, and editions of the ten Commandements, because they see the second commandement is a strong witness out of the mouth of God himself against idolatry, therefore they utterly leave it out: and to fill up the number of the words of God, they divide one Commandement into two. But hereof God willing in the Chapters following I will more fully discourse. The same violence they offer the law in Deut; Mat 4.10. Deut 6.13. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,& him only shalt thou serve, when they decree; Veneramur etiam& aderamus imaginem despair,& d●m●nae nostra irreprehensibilu, immaculat●,& inexplicitae casistatis Matri● quae illum peperit: quitati●m Sanctorum Apostolorum, ●●opbetarum, et ViHorum Martyrum, Sanctorumque& b●otorum quoddle amicerum de● imagines col●mus gener●●l. Conci Nic 2 act. 3 ex summa council. per. Barth. Carāzā. We worship also& adore the Image of the god-bearer our irreprehensible Lady, of unblemished& vnexplicable chastity, who brought him forth:& also the images of all holy Apostles, Prophets, conquering Martyrs, blessed Saints and the friends of God. The impietic tried. council. Sess. 6.& supper petitione concesionis calicis. concerning that holy institution of CHRIST, The cup of the New Testament in his blood, of which the Lord ordained; drink ye all of this, may not be past over. For what abomination can be greater, then with so many contradictory Decrees& constitutions to oppress the holy ordinance of the Son of God? This, the council of Constance first began, Item praecip●mus sub poena excō. quod nulius prae●biter communicet populum siob veraque specit pa●●& v●ni. Sess. 13. which commandeth under pain of excommunication, that no Priest give the Communion to the people in both kindes. The council of Trent confirmeth this, and saith, Si quis d●xerit, ex dei praecepto, vel necess●tate saluti● omnes& singules Christi fidele. vtrumque speciem sanctis●●mi Eucharisti●e Sacraments sum●re del●re, Arathemo sit. Sess. 5. die. 16. ill. 1562. Can. 1. whosoever shall affirm, that by Gods commandement it is of the necessity of salvation for all and singular the faithful of Christ, to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kinds, cursed be he. again, Si qu● d●xerit, sanctam ecclesiam Catholicā non justis causis& rationibus adductam fuisse,& Laico● atque etiam cl●ricos non ●oficiēie● sub pan● tantummodo specit communicaret, aut meo errasse, ●na●th. sit abid. Can. 2. If any man shal say, that the holy catholic Church was not moved with just causes and reasons, to communicate lay-men, and Priests also which themselves do not make( you must understand the body of Christ) under the kind of bread onely, or that it erred therein, Cursed be he. Luke having delivered the institution of Christ touching the first part of the Sacrament, viz. the bread, saith; Luke 12.20. Similiter, Likewise he took the Cup: noting thereby, that with the same authority, the same commandement, the same power, Christ ordained the receiving of the Cup, as of the bread. S. matthew proceeds further,& shows an absolute injunction to all, to receive the cup. For though when he delivered the bread, he said; Take, eat, this is my body: yet when he came to the Cup, foreknowing, no doubt, the violence& injurious abuse, which the Synagogue of Satan should offer unto this blessed Sacrament, that he might establish his Church for ever in the right observation of his institution, and arm them before against this incursion, he saith not simply, as before; Take Mat. 26, 27. eat: but drink ye all of it. So that, if wee should insist vpon the outward letter, wee may reasonably say, that all are more precisely and literally bound to the receiving of the Cup, then of the Bread. For of the Cup he said; drink all of it: of the Bread he onely said, Take and eat. But the truth is, that the receiving both of the bread and wine are by Christs institution necessary. The Apostle confirmeth the same. For first, speaking of the institution he saith; 1. Cor. 11.25 After the same manner also when he had supped, he took the Cup, and commending the reverent receiving of the Cup to the people, he saith; Let a man therefore examine himself, and so let him eat of this bread, and drink of this cup. And in the six and twentieth verse he sheweth, Ibid. that this institution of receiving the wine must continue in the Church till the appearing of Christ. For he saith; As often as ye shall eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye show the Lords death till he come. Now these words ( Till he come) what do they teach, but that the use of the Bread, and of the Cup ought still to continue in the Eucharist, till IESVS CHRIST appear again in his glory? even as he himself hath commanded, do this in remembrance of me. In all these things appeareth the impudency of the Scarlet strumpet, who nurseth bitterly, and sheddeth the blood of the sheepfold of Christ unmercifully, for receiving and believing the very voice of the true shepherd himself: which the evangelists most carefully, and with words exacting obedience haue set down. Insomuch that her contumacy can never be excused, though the old Serpent himself use all his wil●ss, and summon all his Arts together to extenuate the same. Hereto let us add the Vow of chastity, imposed vpon archbishopric men and women, contrary to the doctrine of the Apostle: the cause of many temptations: the occasion of many filthy and forbidden lusts. The prohibiting of marriage in the degreees of consanguinity, which in Scripture are not forbidden; As betwixt the God-father and God-mother, or those, betwixt whom the Font-stone( as they say) hath made spiritual kindred, which yet indeed is none at all. Let us add also the dispensations of the Pope to mary in degrees prohibited; such as he granted to Henry the eight, to mary with his own brothers wife: And to Philip the second, King of spain, to mary with his own sisters daughter, expressly against the word of God and the Scriptures of salvation. But above all, most horrible was the impiety of Pope Sixtus Sixtus 4. , Wesselus Croningens. in tract. de indul. Papalibus ex Szeiedino. who dispensed with the cardinal of the title of Saint Lucy, and his whole family, to commit the horrible sin of sodom in the hot months of june, july, and August: yea, and himself erected both Male and Female stews in Rome. The Apostle Paul precisely ordaineth, 1. Cor. 14.14.16. that prayer and thanksgiving be in a known tongue: but they as precisely forbid it, and with horrible curses and execrations( the ordinary vomit of the Romish strumpet) they deturpate all, that in a known tongue edify the congregation with Hymns and Prayers. The impudent separation of Man and Wife, when out of blinded devotion they agree to enter into religious orders, as also vpon other causes besides adultery and Fornication, none can defend, being against the express commandement of God, and the institution of matrimony. Against the institution it is, to divorce for any other cause then for wedlocke-breaking. For GOD himself saith; Gen. 2.18. It is not good for Man to bee alone: And Adam acknowledgeth Gen. 2.23. This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh, that is, the woman and I are one: from her I cannot be separated, she is my bone, and my flesh. And our saviour saith, Math. 19.6. They are no more twain but one flesh. Against the commandement it is also. For our saviour saith, that Ibid. ver. 5. Man shall cleave unto his wife: And Vid. Gen. 2. verse 20.21. mark 10. Let no man put asunder, that which God hath coupled together. And surely the first and principal cause of Marriage expressed in Genesis, is not carnal copulation, but help and society. Our saviour CHRIST in his gospel M●t. 5.34 35.36. forbiddeth swearing by creatures: and so doth Saint james* the Apostle. jac. 5.12. the Romish Church alloweth Causa 22 cap.& iuralunt. in gloss. to swear by the evangelical books, as Gratian witnesseth. And Peter Lombard saith; Dist. 39. cap. 2. The weak may not swear by creatures: but the godly that worship the Creator in the creature may swear by the creature. So doth Secundi secunda q. 90. art. 3, Aquinas also teach: likewise earth. in 5. Mat. Carthusianus saith; that as it is lawful to swear by the creator, so it is by the creature. To these I might add the forbidding of meats, the forbidding of lawful Marriage: but I defer the further handling of this argument unto the third book, wherein I shall entreat of the regal office of Christ our saviour. Now I will hast to their Image worshipping. ANTI-   christus. ecclesiastical Eckius de humaenis constitutionibus. in 2. axi●mat. Ceremonies, customs and Rites must be equally observed, as the laws of God. 1 IN vain they worship me, teaching for doctrine mens precepts. Math. 15.9. Scriptures Rh●m. in Heb. 6. Annot. 2. could not treat of things so particularly as was requisite for the teaching of all necessary grounds. 2 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable to doctrine, to reprove, to correction, to instruction which is in righteousness, that the man of God may bee perfect, instructed unto all good works. 2. Tim. 3. ver. 16.& 17. Though Eckins in l●cu come. Tit. de hori● Canonic●. the reading of the two Testaments be better, yet we must wash in the water, wherein the Masters of the Church command us; even the seven canonical houres. 3 Stand in the ways and behold, and ask for the old way, which is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. jer. 6.16. It seemeth council. tried. Sess. sexta. cap. 8. expedient to the Fathers, that the mass should not be celebrated in a vulgar tongue. 4 If the Trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle? 1. Cor. 14.8. Cursed council. tried Sess. 6. Can. 9. de Sacr. Miss. be he that saith, the mass must bee celebrated in a vulgar tongue. 5 I had rather in the Church to speak five words with mine understanding, that I might also instruct others, then ten thousand words in a strange tongue. 1. Cor. 14.19. The Eckius de Miss. ●on germanice decend. holy spirit speaketh& inspireth the heart, whatsoever the tongue be. 6 If I pray in a strange tongue, my spirit prayeth, but mine understanding is without fruit. 1. Cor. 14.14. The Eckins ibid. 3. hearing of the Mass is not unprofitable, although the words thereof bee not understood. 7 Thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. 1. Cor. 14.17. If the Eckius ibid. 4. etiansi mysteria. Mysteries of the most holy mass be not in a known tongue understood, it is enough that in preaching they bee explained to the people. 8 I will pray with the spirit, and will pray with the understanding. 1. Cor. 14.15. It Eckius ibid. 3. sc●pus Missa ad finem. is manifest, the devotion of him that prayeth is many times hindered by much attention to the word. 9 I will sing with the spirit, and sing with the understanding also. 1. Cor. 14.15. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Rom. 10.17. I think Barth. Latomus in ep. aduer. Bucerum. the error of the Church( if it do err) is to be born with, and the injuries to bee endured, rather then that wee should depart from her ordinance. 10 Will ye speak wickedly for Gods defence, and talk deceitfully for his cause? job 13. verse 7. will you make a lie for him, as one lieth for a Man? verse 9. The Hossius de expresso dei verbo. express word of God may bee the express word of the divell in a diuers sense. 11 These are not the words of him that hath a divell: can the divell open the eyes of the blind? joh. 10.21. In Andrad. lib. 3. defence. council. tried. those books, wherein the holy Mysteries are written, there is no divinity, which by any religion can bind us to beleeue. 12 The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of myself, but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doth the works. joh. 14.10. The divinae tamen bonitati visi●n est no● sufficere. Guil. Scripture seemed not unto God sufficient. 13 The holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto salvation. 2. Tim. 3.15. CHAP. XXIII. Of the Idolatry of the Romish Church: what an Image is? whethere be any difference betwixt an Image, and an idol? what the worship and adoration of an Image is? THe makers of Images had sundry ends for which they formed the same. Some ordained Images to be memorials and representations of such as they loved and honoured: others for lucre and gain became makers of Images and Pictures: some made them for ornament, and to deck their houses: some also set them up for oblectation and delight, being pleased with the fineness of the skill, and the liveliness of the Art. Yea, the making of Images seemeth to be an imitation of God himself: For whereas God hath created all things of nothing, Man though he could not so do, thought yet to imitate his Creator, as far as he might, and by production to resemble creation, making the likeness, when he could not make the substance, and forming or fashioning one matter out of another: for out of nothing he could not do it. An Image then is the forming or fashioning of any likeness, either for imitation, love, reverence, ornament, delight, or what cause else soever the maker thereof proposeth to himself. And it is in Hebrew called Temuna, Tselim, and some say, Teraphim: Which words signify forms or Images. Vid. Pet. Mart. de 2. precept. in princip. tract. Now the greek word 〈◇〉( as Tertullian well observeth) comes 〈◇〉, which is as much as Species in latin, or a fashion or resemblance in English. In latin the word is Simulachrum, a similitude or likeness: And it is derived of the latin word Simulo, which is as much as to feign, to lie, or to counterfeit. And surely the Vid. Lact. lib. instit. 2. cap. 19.& Plin. lib. 34. cap. 4. ex H. Bulling. de orig. error. circa simulachra cap. 29. Images of God the Father, God the son, and God the Holy Ghost, of the blessed Trinity, and glorious unity, are of all figments and lies the most fallacious. Wherefore they are sins and evils against nature: they witness God to be finite, who is infinite: corporal, who is most spiritual, and of all other farthest removed from a body: and that God doth consist of parts, who is the most simplo Essence vndiuided. Therefore when they form an image unto God, they should say, such he is not, contrary to this, and not the like. God hath neither sex nor age; body nor parts; affections within, nor colours without: He is that he is: and what he is, eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither can the heart of man conceive. The matter of every Image is earth, ston, wood, silver, gold, metal, or the composition of these. The form of an Image is a likeness of that which the maker doth either see, hear, or imagine, and nothing else. He neither gives it life that formeth it, nor sense, nor motion, nor understanding, nor holinesse, nor power: but dead and dumb things are all Portraits whatsoever; as the Psalmist witnesseth; Psal. 115.5. mouths haue they and speak not, eyes haue they, and see not, they haue ears and hear not, neither is there any breath in their nostrils. Wherefore Lactantius concludeth well, that Lact. lib. 2. justi. cap. 19. an Image cannot be a thing religious, because it is altogether earthly. Vid. H. Bullinger de orig. error. c. 29. The matter thereof is earthly, and the form earthly, and he that made it, earth itself. Sap. 15.16. Man made them( saith wisdom,) and he that hath but a borrowed spirit, fashioned them. Let us now come to the question, whether an idol and an Image be all one? For the better discussing of which question, let us first consider the beginning of Images. Much ado there is, and great variety of opinions amongst ancient Writers, who was the first author of Images. Some refer the invention thereof unto Prometheus the son of Iapetus: others to Hercules: some beleeue the Athenians first erected Statues to Harmodius, and Aristogoton, by whose means they were delivered from the cruelty of Tyrants. Pl●● lib. 35. cap. 12. Pliny is doubtful: but of Images in plaster( he saith) Dibutades the Si●yonian by the means of his daughter was the author: for she took the proportion of a young man, whom she loved, shining by candle light vpon a wall: which her father afterward tempering day and other things together, did express more lively, hardening it with fire for endurance. Berosus saith, that Ninus first built Temples, and erected Images to his father Belus, to his mother juno, to his grandmother Rhea in Babylon. Cyrillus in his third book against Iuli●n saith, there was no Idolatry before the flood of Noah, but that afterward it began in Babylon: yet Tertullian is of contrary opinion. Epiphanius fetcheth the beginning of Images from the time of the Patriarch Saruch, which name signifieth imitation. Heb. in Bereschit. Rabba. Suides Genebrard. And certain it is, that Saruch was the father of Nachor, the father of there, the father of Abraham: and this there was a maker of Images. Now Belus reigned much about the time of Saruch, and Ninus about the time of there. The book of wisdom, of the beginning of Images saith; Sap. 14. ver. 14.15. When a father mourned grievously for his son that was taken away suddenly, he made an Image for him that was once dead, whom now he worshipped as a god; and ordained to his seruants ceremonies and sacrifices. Thus by process of time this wicked custom prevailed, and was kept as a Law, and Idols were worshipped by the commandement of Tyrants. The same Cyprian also sheweth, that Idols are not Gods, Quod Idola d●j non sunt,& quod vnus deut sis,& quod credentibus datum s●t Deu non ass quos colit vulgus. Hinc notum est, Reges o●im fuerunt, qui ob regalem memoriam cols apud suon, post modum etiam in morte c●peru●t. ind illis institu●a Templ●● ind ad defunctorum videns per imaginem detinendos expressa s●mulachra: Cyp. Tract. 4. de vani●. idolerum. in ini●lo. and that there is but one God, and that to the faithful it is given to know, that they are not Gods which the people worship. It is manifest they were once Kings, which after death for their regal memory were worshipped of their vassals. For which cause Temples were raised up; and to keep the image of the countenance of the dead, similitudes were made. It appeareth now most plainly, that if there be any difference betwixt Images and Idols, Images were the more ancient. And by the testimony of Siracides and Cyprian, Sap. c. 14.15. an Image being worshipped becomes an idol. Wherefore it is an idle distinction of the Romish Church, that an Image is the representation of a true and real substance: an idol but of an imaginary conception, which was never in being, like the Poets Cerberus and Chimara. For the ancient Fathers haue indifferently used the words Image and idol, for one and the same thing. The Idols which Hieron. in heb. trad●t. Rabel stolen from her father, Aquila calleth 〈◇〉, Images or Similitudes. The words, 〈◇〉, Hierom and Athanasius thus render; the Images of the Nations are silver. And jerome in his fift Tome vpon Daniel, vpon the words; Cap. 3. s●ne statuam, vt Symachus sine imaginem aurea●s, vt cater● transtulerunt, volucrimus legere, cuhoret Dei ●am adorar● non debeut. Known be it to thee, o King, that we worship not thy God, &c. Thus saith; whether we read the Statue with Symachus, or the golden Image( as others haue translated) the worshippers of God may not adore it. Athanasius doth plainly confirm the same also. For he saith, Athan. in lib. cont. gentes in princip ser. they feigned Images, thinking the things to be, that are not. again, jerome in his Comment vpon the 11. of Esay, doth witness Idols are the Images of dead men. Tertullian in his book of the Souldiers crown, saith, johannis, f●lio li● inquit, custodite vo● ab idolis, id est, ab effigy deorum. tart. de Corona militis. paulo post medium. John commandeth; Babes, keep yourselves from Idols: not from Idolatry as from the office: but from Idols, that is, from the Image of the Gods. jerome translateth the same place; Babes keep yourselves from Images. Nicholas de Lyra confoundeth the words also, and expoundeth the place thus; Filioli. custodies vos a simulachr●●, id est, a cu●in idololatriae. loca in gloss. in 1. ep. joh. cap. 5. Babes keep yourselves from Images, that is, from the worship of Idolatry. The ordinary gloss saith; Custodite vos a doctrinis Hereticorum, qui speciem sanctitatis fili assumm● qui praui● dogmatibus. gloriam. D●● incorruptibilis in similitudinem corruptibili●m rerum 〈◇〉 aut. keep yourselves from doctrines of heretics, which haue a show of godliness, which with false doctrine changeth the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of corruptible things. Lastly, the Lord our God himself forbidding this sin, useth the word Similitudinem, Exod. 10. Vid. v●r● lib. impr. Colon. per Petrum Quantel. an. Do●. 25 27. likeness or image. Wherefore howsoever Summa. 7. gen. council. Nic. act. 7. the second Nicen Assembly most blasphemously thunder out their curses against them that apply the places, which are against Idols in the Scripture, to the beating down of Images also: yet it is most certain, that an Idol and an Image are all one in Scripture: And God, when he forbiddeth the worshipping of Idols, forbiddeth the worship of Images also. In the last place we must now consider, what Adoration and Worship is. And surely these words haue a very large signification: for they signify both civil and divine Honour. In the 23. of Genesis, Abraham bowed to the people of the Land, Vid. Trem. tum assurgens Abraham incurnauit se coram p●pulo eius regionis. and this bowing was in Honorem, to the worship of the people of the Land, as in Tremelius translation you may see. And the impression of Colen, Anno Dom. 1527. readeth Surrexis Abrah.& adorauis populum terrae. Abraham arose and worshipped the people of the Land. So jacob, when Adoranit pronus in terram septies. Gen. 33.3. he bowed himself seven times to the ground before his brother Esau, is said, To worship him towards the earth seven times: And this worship we are forbidden to give unto any Image; Non adorabis ea, neque colos. Exod, 20. for the words are; Thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them. Religious and divine worship is, to bring into the Temple the most reverent house of devotion, and there to place it: to set it before or on the Altar; as jeroboam did his golden calves in Bethel and Dan. Where the Scripture insisteth vpon the word; 1. Reg. 12.28.29. Set the one in Bethel, and set the other in Dan: As though to set up in a Temple, vpon an Altar, in a place of public adoration, were worship of Idols. Religious worship is; to paint, to gilled, to trim, to adorn with jewels, with gold, with silver, the Images which we ordain to be set up in Churches: and for this the Lord reproveth Israel in the Prophet Ezechiel; Ezech. 16.17. Thou hast also taken the faire jewels made of my gold and of my silver which I had given thee, and madest to thyself Images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them. The same we may say of lighting Candles, burning Incense, bringing gifts, falling down and praying, and whipping themselves before Images; for all these are Religious worships, and not civil. Babes( saith John) beware of Idols: he saith not, beware of worshipping Idols. For thou canst not set up an Image in the Temple, but thou dost worship it. Therefore jerome in his 5. Tome vpon Daniel, Cap. 3. saith, Notanta proprietas: Deos col●, imaginem aedorari dicunt: quod vtrūque servis Dei non convenit. ex vni●. diss. The propriety of the word is to be marked: they say, Gods are worshipped, Images adored; but neither of these are agreeable to the seruants of God. And it is specially to be observed, that forbidding the worship of images, God doth use two words: the one expressing outward and civil honour; Thou shalt not bow down to them: the other prohibiting divine service; nor worship them. The latin word, Adoro, is sometimes taken for to speak afore. Ex Amb. Caelep. Wherefore Apuleius lib. 2. Infusa aquae populum sic adorat. pouring water thus he spake afore the people. Priscian will haue the word to come from ador, which was the wheat that they used in sacrifices. The signification of the word will tell us then, what is forbidden, namely, to bring any ceremony or gift before an image: to speak or pray before it. To conclude, Hugo Cardinalis making a distinction betwixt the two words, WORSHIP and ADORE, saith; to Hug. carded. in 20. Exod. in verb. Non adorabu nec cole●. worship, is with all study and affection to serve: and to adore, is to crouch& to flatter, as men do unto Kings and Princes: but he saith, the Lord cutteth off both, that thou neither worship them in thine affection, nor adore them in outward show. CHAP. XXIIII. All worship of Images is unlawful. THat in our holy exercises& religious worship there may be no use of images, diuers reasons make it most plain and evident unto vs. The first argument is the voice and lawe of God himself, who hath to all his people proclaimed; Exod. 20.4.5. Thou shalt make thee no graven image, neither any similitude of things that are in heaven above, neither that are in the earth beneath, nor that are in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, neither serve them. Concerning this law it is to be considered: first, that it is no ceremonial or judicial law, and therefore it is not abrogated by the coming of Iesus Christ. This is proved many ways. First, by the testimony of the prophetical, evangelical,& apostolical writings it is proved. Esay speaking of the kingdom of Christ saith; Esay 2.18 The Idols will he utterly destroy. again, Ibid. ver. 20 At that day shall man cast away his silver idols,& hi● golden idols, which they had made themselves to worship them, to the moules and to the bats. And Zechary also prophesying of the kingdom of Christ doth witness; Z●ch. 13.2. In that day( saith the Lord of Hostes) I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered. The Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 10.20.22. forbiddeth all communication with idols, even to eat of the meats unto them sacrificed: and in the same chapter; 1. Cor. 10.14. My brethren flee from idolatry: And again; Ibid. ver. 28. If any man say unto you, this is sacrificed unto idols, eat it not &c. And John in his canonical Epistle saith; 1 jo. 5.21. Babes keep yourselves from idols. In the revelation Ap●c. 21.15. idolaters are reckoned amongst the reprobates. To the Galathians Gal. 5.20. Idolatry is ranked amog the works of the flesh. And Saint james ordaineth, that the Church should abstain Act. 15.20. from the filthiness of Idols: And this term the Apostle learned out of the mouth of God himself; D●ut. 7.16 Bring not therefore abomination into thy house, lest thou be accursed like it, but utterly abhor it, and count it most abominable, for it is accursed. A second reason to prove that this precept is not a ceremonial statute to endure for a season, I take from the ancient Fathers of the Church. Augustine saith, Aug. ad Ian de ritibu● ecclesiae. ep. ●●●. Pet. Mart. in 8. precept. Among all the precepts of the Lawe, that, touching the Sabbath, ONELY is ceremonial. Origen against Celsus saith; Nos simul●crorum fund●t●ones igitur des●iniu●, qui●, ubi per I●su doctrinam comper●mus quo modo colendus sit deus, ea n●● euitamus, queen sub 〈◇〉 pr●textu et opinione quadā im●ios redda● l. 8 cri C●lsum. We therefore flee the making of images, because, when wee found by the doctrine of Iesus how God is to be worshipped, we do flee from those things, which under the pretext and opinion of piety make us impious. Lactantius also saith; Lect l. 2. instit. c. 19. ad initium cap. fear non est di●●ium quin religio nulla sit, ubi est simul●●ium It is certain there is no religion, where is an image. Cyprian repeateth the lawe against image worshippers, as yet in force; Non f●cie● tibi idolis, nec ex●usqu●m sim●●itudinē. Cyp l. 3 ad Q●●r●. c. 59. ad finem. Thou shalt make to thyself neither idol, nor similitude of any thing. And Clemens Alexandrinus in Paraeneti●o saith; Nobis apertè vetitu est artem falle●ē exercere. ex them. It is openly forbidden unto us to exercise a false art: for it is written; Thou shalt not make to thyself the likeness of any thing. It being then evident, Papists blot the 2 commandement out of all their catechisms and decalogues. that the law against images is not ceremonial, but a moral, an eternal, an inviolable law, to continue to the dissolution of the world: What fury? what madness? what impiety hath moved the masters of the Romish Church to take away, and blot the voice of God himself out of the Decalogue, which he hath with his Exod. 31.18 own finger written in tables of ston, to be a law unto all generations to come? For whether it bee a precept of itself, or an explication of the first precept, the lawe it is,& Gods it is: man then hath no authority to repeal or cancel it. Austine indeed is alleged in the 71. question vpon Exodus. And Clemens Alexandrinus storm. libro 6. that they make but three commandements of the first table, and understand this second to bee the exposition of the first. But yet in the questions of the old and new testament, Austen remembreth four words of the first table, and six of the second table: and Origen in the eight Homily vpon Exod. saith; Simul nonnulli putant primum et secundum mandatum, quod s● ita putetur, non complebitur numerus 10. mandatorum, et ubi iam erit veritas decalogi? many count the first and second commandement together.. Which if they should bee so accounted, the number of the ten commandements will not be complete, and where is then the verity of the Decalogue? Athanasius in Synopsi saith; Hen. Bull. de orig. cult. c. 29. The second commandement is that which forbids images. jerome is of the same mind vpon the sixth to the Ephesians: and Ambrose also. But( as I haue said) whether it be part of the first commandement, or else the second precept itself, it is from God our maker: it is to us his creatures: it is an everlasting covenant of Salt, which he hath made with his church for ever. And that wicked one is he, whosoever taketh vpon him to exauctorate and change this law of God. In the second place let us consider the words of the lawe, and the things which are prohibited therein. Thou shalt make thee no graven image, neither any similitude of things that are in heaven, neither that are in the earth beneath, nor that are in the waters under the earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, neither serve them. The first place name in this precept forbids the making of the image of God, of Angels, of heavenly powers, of those holy souls that are now with God: as also of the sun, the moon, the Stars, the firmament, and all that is in the glorious circled of heaven. The second place name in the precept doth prohibit the likeness of Man, Beasts, birds, worms and Serpents, Plants, Trees, herbs: and generally all that is in, or vpon the earth, to bee made, and to bee worshipped, or set up in our Temples, or in our houses to bee feared, and religiously served. The third place in the precept doth forbid the making& worshipping of the similitude of any of the creatures, whether living or dead, within the vast womb of the sea, or which in any other water above, or under the earth are contained: it forbiddeth also the image of divels and wicked spirits, and of all kind of infernal ghosts and satanical powers to be formed and reverenced. But since it seemeth a question of great difficulty, whether that the image of the holy, divine, incomprehensible essence itself may be made, or worshipped, wee will especially examine that point. There is no doubt, but of all other things the likeness may bee made, so it bee not worshipped: but of GOD the likeness or image may not be made, though we do not worship it. The first reason against the images of the essence of God is this. No man knoweth what the likeness of God is; therefore no man can make a likeness unto him. The proposition is sufficiently proved. For Esay saith; Esay 40.18 To whom will ye liken God? or what similitude will ye set up unto him? Iesus Christ himself teacheth us, jo. 4.24. that God is a spirit. Now of a spirit who can make any likeness? For it hath neither parts, nor shape. John teacheth us; 1. jo. 4.12 No Man hath seen God at any time. Paul saith; 1 Tim. 6.16. He dwelleth in the light that none can attain unto: whom never man saw, neither can see: But whereof wee cannot see the substance, the picture wee cannot make. God then can by no similitudes bee expressed. This hath made the Papists after sundry manners in images to express the Trinity, whereof if one bee a true likeness, the other must needs be false. The second reason against the image of Gods essence is this; God is not onely invisible, but also incomprehensible: the tongue cannot speak of him, the ear cannot hear of him, the heart cannot understand of him as he is; Therefore of his incomprehensible essence there can be no image made. For the image doth import a determination, and description of the thing whose image it is: But God cannot be determined, or described; Eph. 4.6. 1 Cor 8.6 He is above all and in all: jer. 23.24. he filleth heaven and earth. heaven is his seat, the earth is his footstool. Nay, the heaven of heauens cannot contain him, yet they will measure him with an idol of an inch. The third reason against the images of the Trinity,& the essence of God, is the peril of idolatry. And this, Moses sheweth to be the cause why the Deut. 4.15 Israelites saw no image in the day that the Lord spake unto them in Horeb out of the midst of the fire. The wise man is a clear witness in this point, who saith, that Sap. 15.5 the sight of images stirs up the desire of the ignorant, so that he coveteth the form of the dead image that hath in life. The Scripture calls images stumbling blocks, offences and provocations. And indeed the Perioch, or dictichon of the second council of Nice sheweth plainly, that in making of the images of God, all Romanists are Idolatours: who thus do versify; Nā d●us est quod image decet said non deus ipsa. banc videas, said mitec●las, quod c●●na in ipsa. Perioche decxreti Nic. council. 2. ex Is. Bu●ling. de orig. cult. duio. c. 30. et Pet. Mart. in 2 praco●● For that is God the image doth declare, although itself be yet no God at all: look vpon this, but worship that thou seest in this. If they worship that which is in the image to be seen, they worship an idol. For there is no such God, no such divine power: for God is not circumscribed in one place as the image is. again, the image declareth a thing absent: but God is each where present: the image sheweth a thing finite, comprehensible, consisting of parts, having a body without life, without understanding, without motion, without power, setting candles before him as though he wanted light: but God is infinite, incomprehensible, filling all things, simplo, spiritual, living, and of life and light the fountain: who seeth and understandeth all things: who ever moveth and worketh in all things. Ambrose therefore saith; Gentiles lignum adorant, qui● des imaginem putant: said inuisi ●i●● dei image non in eo est quod videtur, said in eo vtique quod non videtur. Tom. 4. in Psal. 118. in undone Diss. The Gentiles worship the three, because they think it to be the image of God; but the image of the invisible God is not in that which is seen, but in that which is not seen. The fourth reason against the making of the images of God, is the continual iudgement of the Church from the beginning, even unto this day. For it being an assured ground in religion that God is a spirit, all holy men haue evermore worshipped God, not in corporal figure, but with inward and spiritual acknowledgement. At the first indeed the divell had his Church, and as Abel did truly and religiously worship God: so Cain did the same hypocritically and falsely. And after the death of Abel, it seemeth, the Caynites perverted all true worship, till the daies of Enos the son of Sheth. Gen. 4.26. For then( as Moses witnesseth) Men began to call vpon the Name of the Lord. And in this family of Sheth and Enos the true worship of the Lord continued without any images till the flood of Noah, when all the Caynits that generation of the wicked murderer were destroyed in the flood. After the flood, religion was preserved in the family of Noah, and the true worship was still, of God alone in Spirit, without any image or similitude, until the daies of there the father of Abraham, when about three hundred yeares after the flood, Idols found means again to creep into the place of worship. And this, Iosua noteth as a blemish in the Fathers of the house of Israel; Iosua 24.2. Your fathers dwelled beyond the flood in old time, even Terah the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor, and served other gods. But Abraham, Isaac, jacob, and the patriarches reformed religion again: amongst whom there was not an image. Nay, when as through his idolatrous wives children and their attendants, the worship of God began in Iacobs house to be corrupted, he commandeth presently unto his household, and all that were with him, to put away the strange Gods. Now if you desire to know what the strange Gods were, the thirty one chapter of Genesis sheweth, that Gen. 31.30& 34. Rachel had taken her fathers Idols, and Laban calleth them his Gods. After this, God raised up Moses and Aaron to led the people out of Egypt, and by the ministery of Moses the Law was given unto them. This law prohibited all kind of images for worship, and was so strictly and severely observed, that all Idolaters and enticers to Idolatry were censured with death. josuah, when he perceived the abomination of Idols to be crept in amongst them, endured it not, but like a godly Magistrate calleth vpon them, and sheweth that the worship of God and Idols could not stand together; Ios. ult. verse 22.& 23. ye are witnesses against yourselves, that you haue chosen the Lord to serve him: then put away now the strange gods that are amongst you. The like example we haue in Ezechiah, 2. Reg. 18.4. who broke the Image of the brazen Serpent, a precious remembrance of Gods great work, and the figure of Christ to come, when he saw the people pervert the use to which it was ordained, and fall down and worship it. And indeed, whensoever the people fell to the worship of Idols, the Prophets always cried out, and lifted up their voices against it: and their continual preaching so prevailed at last, that Origen Origen. against Celsus doth witness; in the commonwealth of the Iewes there was no carver, nor maker of Images or Statues, whom the law did not drive away, lest there should bee any occasion of making Images. And thus also continued religion without images during the government of the maccabees, till the coming of Iesus Christ himself and his Apostles: of whom we do not find one that ever worshipped, or prayed before an image. But the Apostle Paul of all image worshippers saith, Ro. 1.22.23. When they professed themselves to be wise, they became fools. For they turned the glory of the incorruptible God, to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of Birds, and four-footed beasts, and of creeping things. And in the Acts; Act. 17.25. God is not worshipped with mens hands, that is, with those things which the hands of men do form. Thus was the worship of God continued in the church without the images of God, Quasi s●cientium ●um, saith the gloss inter-linea●●. or any other in all the Apostles time, and for many yeares after, till the Christians borrowed this abomination from the Gentiles; as Eusebius plainly witnesseth, Euseb. Eccles. hist. l. 7. c. 17. ad finem ca. speaking of the Images of Christ, the Apostles, Paul and Peter, that it seemed unto him to be usurped out of the custom of the Heathen. Let us examine what the Romish church can say for herself in defence of the images, either of the divine Essence, or any other. Ob. First, they contend that God himself is the author of Images. Bell. l 2. de imag. c. 7. verb. second. probatur. Similiter. Andrad. For he appeared in the similitude of a Man. Gen. 22. Esay 6. Dan. 7. Now these similitudes were the Image of the incarnation of Christ. So likewise God appeared in the fire, Exod. 3. in the form of a cloud, and a pillar of fire, Exod. 13. in the figure of a dove, Math. 3. And in diuers other forms. So that God( say they) shewed first to man the use and worship of Images. Sol. To this the Church of Christ doth answer; The end why God appeared in these forms, was not for that he would be worshipped in these forms: but because man was not able to behold God in the glory of his Essence, therefore in great humility God vouchsafed after a manner, to exhibit himself in these forms to the Fathers, and so to reveal the incarnation, and the benefits of Christs appearing in the world. But yet he never allowed, Nay, he most severely forbade any to worship him in these forms. The strange Gods which there the Father of Abraham did worship, questionless was that Ur, or fire of the Chaldeans: for so the word ur doth signify. And it is very likely, that the place wherein God was worshipped in the form of fire, thereof took his appellation. But to our purpose; there is reckoned for an Idolater: for that in fire he presented to himself the divine Essence to be worshipped. The children of Israel worshipped the true God, presented to them in the form of a calf. For Aaron saith. To m●rrow shall be the holy day Le Iehouah, of the Lord God. The word Iehouah is still the proper name, by which the true God and the onely God is known. In the second of Iudges; judge. 2.11.13 Israel serveth Baal. But in the second of Osee the Prophet sheweth, that in the image of Baal they did worship the true God; Osee 2 16. And shall call me no more Baali. So the Lord God reproved the Israelites, for that they worshipped him their true God in these devices. In the seventeenth of the Iudges judge. 17.3. the mother of Micha doth not dedicate her silver to a false God, but Lo Iehouah, to the only& true God, to the Lord. And Micha made it a Teraphim, that is, the image of a Man, in which God hath appeared. Gen. 32. Yea, and Micha further procured judge. 17.13. a levite to be his Priest, according to Gods own ordinance, to serve before the image in an holy Ephod. And therefore said; Now I know that the Lord will be good unto me, seeing I haue a levite unto my Priest. Here were all the advantages that might be: an Image made to the true God, as he had revealed himself: a Priest according to the Law to serve: and Micha putteth his trust in the true God: and the Priest asketh counsel of God in an holy Ephod. Yet for all this, the Tribe of Dan, who afterward took this image, set it up, and made Priests unto it, were counted idolaters: and the vulgar latin translates it, Lib. impr. Colen. apud Pet. Que●t●l. anno 15 27. Idolum Michae, the idol of Micha. You see, the Idolatry was not any whit the less, because they worshipped the true God in an image. But all these images are called Idols and false gods: neither can they prove, that God did allow himself to bee worshipped in any of the forms he appeared in. They object the making of the image of the Brazen Serpent, Numb. 21. the golden Cherubins, Exod. 25. Ob. En Eck. And Iosua set up a great ston under an oak. So did Salomon make the Images of Cherubins of Oxen, of lions, lilies and Pomgranats. These were all made for ornament, or for remembrance, Sol. not for worship. civil use of images the Church denieth not. Christ himself reproved not the printing of Caesars image in coin: but to place images in Temples vpon Alt●r●, to light Candles, to burn Incense, to fall down before them, is plain Idolatry: which God hath in sundry places expressly forbidden. Ob. Ex Bellar. The Image of a King or an Emperour is to be honoured; therefore the image of God and Saints. This is a more fallacy, and ignorance of the state of the question. Sol. Ex Bellar. For if civil honour may be given to the image of a King, it is no argument, that therefore Images may be worshipped with religious worship. No man honoureth a Kings image with religious worship, except flatterers and Parasites, such as those riches were in the third of Daniel, who adored the golden Image that Nabuchadnezzar set up: And in the sixth they establish a Decree, that no man should ask a Petition of any God or Man for thirty daies, but of King Darius alone. Ob. Ex Bellar. We worship a man, because he is the image of God; therfore we may worship images set up in Churches also. The same is the fallacy in this, and in the precedent reasons. Sol. Though Man be the living image of God, yet Man is not honoured with divine or religious worship, but only with civil honour. No man setteth up a man vpon the Altar in the Temple, offereth incense or prayer to him there: no more may it be done to an image. Ob. Ex Bellar. An image( they say) is capable of the injury of the Saint it representeth; therefore of the honour. Sol. It is onely civil injury that an image may be said to bee capable of, as it is also of civil honour. And indeed, when we say an image is capable of the injury or honour of him, who is in it represented, we speak unproperly. For properly there is no injury done to an unsensible image. Ob. They object; That many miracles are done to confirm the religious worship of images. Ex Bellar. Sol. Those miracles for the most part are false, being fabulous inventions of monks and Friers for filthy lucres sake: Secondly, admit they are true, yet miracles onely, are not a sufficient warrant unto any kind of doctrine, except the Word of GOD teach the same. Miracles are many times wrought by the power of satan, who is permitted to blind the reprobate; as appeareth. 2. Thes. 2. verse 9. Apoc. 16. verse 14. They object the opinion of diuers Fathers, Ob. Ex Belar. which maintain the hovering of images. We may not harken to any men, Sol. bee they of never so great antiquity, against the commandement of the Ancient of daies: And yet there is not any Father before the year seven hundreth and eighty, Secundum F. Barth▪ Caranz. in summa 7. gen. council. when the second Nicene synod was solemnized, which did hold or teach, that Images ought to be placed in the Church to be worshipped. They object against us diuers Idolatricall councils; Ob. Ex Bellar. the second council of Nice: the sixth council: a synod under Gregory the third: and another under Stephen the third. All which were blind idolaters, and Antichristian Synagogues. Against all these councils we oppose that first catholic and honourable council, Sol. held by the Apostles and Disciples themselves in jerusalem, which was celebrated in the true fear of God, and confirmed by his holy Spirit. In which the blessed council commandeth us Acts 15.29. to abstain from meate sacrificed to Idols: much more( then) from idols themselves: And Saint james persuading this law, calleth it the filthiness of idols, as is aforesaid. We oppose also the Eliberin council celebrated by many reverend Prelates, in the thirty sixth Canon. Whereof thus we red; Placuit in Ecclesijs imagines esse non debere, ne quod colitur et adoratur, in parietibus depingatur. Con. Elib. Can. 36. vt coll. à Bar. Caranz. It pleaseth us, that there be no images in Churches, lest that which is worshipped, be painted on the walls. We oppose also the Counsels under the Emperours lo 3. and Constantine, with that under Charles the great, at Frankeford; All decreeing against the placing of images in Churches, and the honour of them. To conclude, the saying of Abacuc the Prophet is most true; both in the similitudes of God, and of the Saints Abac. 2.18. The image is a teacher of lies: No man hath seen God at any time: What likeness can be then made of him? The souls of the Saints cannot be expressed by corporal similitude, the bodies are earth and rottenness, neither doth the carver know what was their proportion. CHAP. XXV. The bringing in, and increase of Idolatry, or Image worship, is much alike with the Gentiles and the Romanists. THere is a certain natural shamefastness against the spiritual whoredom of Idols in the hearts of all men, both Gentiles, and those who would be counted Christians; Insomuch that Idolatry hath rather crept into the world, then invaded it: craftily stolen, then violently broken into the Temples and Churches. Long time it was ere any man was so senseless, and so base, as to fall down before a block, and to worship the figment of his own hands. Cornelius Tacitus is witness, Cor. Tac. in lib. de moribus Germ. verbo caeterum nec cohibere. that the ancient germans were wont not to shut up their Gods within walls, or to paint them like to any similitude of our human proportion. Plutarch saith, Plut. i● vita Nume Pompil. vul. Bulling. de orig. e●●. cap. 10. that the ordinance of Numa Pompilius concerning the images of the Gods, was altogether like the doctrine of Pythaegoras. For, the first beginning he thought to be a mind invisible and vncreate, subject neither to sense nor perturbation: he did therefore prohibit the romans to think, that the likeness of God might be resembled, either by the fashion of a Man, or by the form of any thing living. Wherefore there was neither counterfeited, nor painted likeness of God amongst them: but in the first hundred and seuentie yeares they built temples and holy chapels unto them, but made no bodily image of them. Varro( as Austen writeth) doth writ, Quod si adhuc( inquis) mansisset, castius d●j obserua rentur. Au●. decitur. dei. l. 4. c. 31. That the romans did worship Gods a hundred and seventy yeares without images: which( saith he) if it had continued still, the Gods should haue been more purely served. Eusebius is witness, Vid. Bull. de orig. er●or. circ. ●●mulach. cap. 10. that the people called ceres by an established law provided that none should worship Images, The ancient Persians( as Herodotus and Strabo witness) were enemies not onely to images, but to Temples and Altars: thinking( as Xerxes also did) Cic. l. 2. de leg. that it was not lawful to immure the Gods, and imprison them in houses. Wherefore Natales Comes, a man most exercised in these studies, calleth the worship of Gods without images, not come. Myth. lib. 1. c. 7. Priscā Theologiam, old theology. After this there were Images made of gods, Plin. l. 34. c. 4.& ibid. c. 7. far. ad princip. first either in wood or day( for gods of silver and gold came not into Rome before the overcoming of Asia) and then were only the ancient authors of some public benefits set vpon rude vnpolisht stones, pillars& stocks, for the sign of their Gods. The same beginning, the same progress, had the images of the Christians. For, at the first in Christian Churches were neither images, nor pictures of God, or of his Saints. And if out of the custom of Gentiles such were made, the impiety by wholesome laws and industry of godly Doctors was presently opposed; as wee see in the constitution of valemce and Theodosius, who prohibited all men to paint, or carve in colours, in ston, or in any other matter, the image of our saviour Christ: and wheresoever pictures should bee found, they commanded them to bee taken away, chastising with most grievous punishment, those that should resist their decrees and commandements herein. Epiphanius writeth of himself in his Epistle to jo. Hirosol. by Saint jerome translated, that he cut in pieces a certain vail or curtain hanging before the door of the chapel at Anablatha, wherein was the picture of Christ, Contr authoritat. script. or of some Saint: which( he saith) he did, because it did hang there against the authority of Scripture. Many things in this history are worthy noting. Epiphanius remembered not certainly, whether it were the picture of Christ, or of a Saint; therfore little reverence it is like he gave thereto,& no difference did he make, whether it were the picture of Christ, or Saints: against Religion it was, and against Scripture it was: he found it hanging but before the door, and in a curtain. What would he haue said, if it had been placed vpon the Altar, Tapers and lights before it, adorned with jewels, perfumed with incense, sprinkled with holy water? But, as amongst Pagans, so amongst Christians, in tract of time Images crept into the Church, not to be kneeled unto, or to pray before them, or to be sought to in Pilgrimage: but to express the noble acts of famous Martyrs, and worthy teachers in the Church. Such was the Picture of Cassianus that famous schoolmaster, and Martyr, in the Temple of Forum Sempronij, full of wounds, with a thousand stripes over all his body, which were given unto him by his own Schollers, who were pictured cutting, lancing, and stabbing the members of their Christian master with Penkniues and gaddes, by the permission of the persecuting Tyrant. Which picture Prudentius recordeth himself to haue beholded. Such was the picture of Christ, which Tertullian tart. lib. de pudicetia verbo procedant ipsae picturae. speaketh of in his time to be graven about the cups, in the habit of a shepherd bringing home the wandring sheep vpon his shoulders. Cyprian saith; Ad de functorum vultus per imaginem detinendos expressa sunt simulacra: ind posteris facta sunt sacra, qua primitus fuerant assumpta solatia, de Idol. vanit. tract. 4. in ipso princip. Images were made to keep the countenance of the dead in a picture: afterward those became holy things, which at the first onely were consolations. Paulinus saith, Paulinus Bishop of Nola. pictures were placed in the Church of Nola, that when the people came to celebrate the nativity of S. Foelix, and did banquet in the Church, being occupied in the contemplation of the pictures, they might eat more temperately, and feed more soberly. Gregory set up Images in Churches, not to be worshipped, but to be Lay-mens books: yet Serenus Bishop of Marsillia broke the Images set up in his city, because he saw the people did worship them. Et quidem quia eas ad●rari vetuisset, omnino laudamas: fregisse vero reprehendimut. Greg. in Regist. part. 10. epist. 4. Gregory reproved him for breaking the Images: but allowed him, in that he forbade them to be worshipped. The Heathens from making of Images, and curious trimming of them fell to worship them. Tully witnesseth, Cic. lib. 3. office. that to Caius Marius in all highways Statues were set up, and frankincense and lights burnt before them. So the image of juno was set up with a sceptre, and a Diadem vpon her head, as the queen of the heavenly powers. And Adrian Ex Nat. Come. Myth lib. 2. cap. 4. the Emperour to her image in Euboea, did dedicate a golden peacock whose train was full of precious stones, with a Crown and a Pall of gold, in which was graven the marriage of Hercules and Hebe. Apelles Ibid. lib. Myth. 7 cap. 16. made the picture of Venus out of the Sea, whose proportion he took out of his Paramour Phrynes face, and set it up in the great feast of Ceres, for all the Grecians to gaze vpon, with her garments loose, and hair dissheueled. Many thousands may be recited of this kind; Hab. 2.19. for then the Heathens said unto the wood, Awake: and to the dumb ston, Rise up. The like progress was in the Idolatry of the Romish Church: for Images became necessary in the Church. Insomuch that one Isidorus, a Bishop, in the second council of Nice, saith, Ergo Templum nihili valet, quod non sit imaginibus infertum. Con. Nice. 2. a●t. 1. eu Incl. That he held the Church nothing worth without Images. The council of Senon saith; A man may learn more out of an Image in a little time, then out of the Scriptures in a long season. From hence then received Bellarmine the poison which he vomiteth: ubi melius ponentur imagines sanctorum quam in domibus ipsorum. Bellar. de imag. sanc. lib. 2. cap. 9. verbo qu●rto probatur ratione. Where( saith he) shall the Images of Saints better be placed, then in their houses, that is, their Oratories, where their relics do rest? So likewise he saith, The Temple is the Image of heaven; wherefore their Images ought there to be placed whose souls are above in heaven. And again, Nusquam melus asser●●●● quam in templis, imagines sanctorum cell-cari. ibid. We avouch that the images of Saints are no where better placed, then in the Temples. Now hence springeth the beautifying of Christian Images with the most curious cunning, and all the wit of man. whatsoever Art, hand or colour, gold or silver, could bring to their adoration, it was performed: Their garments most costly, the Rings, the Spangs, the Aiglets, the Brooches, the pearls, the precious Stones vpon them, were of the greatest price. Thomas Arundel Arch-bishop of Canterbury in the examination of William Thorpe, Ex jo. Foxi. all.& M●nn. in reg. He●. 4. commendeth the manner of Image-makers; who, when they shall carve, cast in mould, or paint any Images, go first unto a Priest, and shrieue then, as clean as if they should then die: and take penance, and make some certain vow of fasting, or of praying, or pilgrimage doing: praying the Priest specially to pray for him, that he may haue grace to make a faire and devout image. The Heathens at the first formed their Images gravely, covered them with pitch: or( as Pliny witnesseth) in long gowns they were honestly attired: but afterward they were made wanton, obscene, naked. The same progress hath Idolatry in the Church also. For at the first they were onely painted( as is said) modestly, to bee representations of the history of Saints: but now they are made so, that they can bow, and beck, and roll the eyes, and salute, and bid welcome unto those that visit the Church; as sundry examples testify. The Image Legend. Lomb. in hist. de invent. sand. Crucis. of the crucifix in a Church of Saint Sophia, when a certain Notary together with his Master entred into the Church and prayed, seemed to fix his eyes vpon the Notary: which his Master observing, caused the Notary to stand at his right hand: but the Image rolled the eye to the right hand. Wherefore he commanded the Notary to go on the left hand, and the Image turned the eye and beholded him then on the left hand. Whereat the Master maruaiuelling, and inquiring the cause, the Notary answered, that he knew no merit in himself, but that being once tempted by the divell to renounce God, he would not do it. Luitiprandus witnesseth the like of the bones of Formesus; Luitipr. lib. 1● c 8. de rebus Europae. that when they were brought into the Church of S. Peter, all the Images did bow. The Heathens had some Images Ex Cent. 9. cap. 13. de miraculis. of their own making, and some that came down from heaven, and were sent unto them( as they say) by their gods themselves. Such they esteemed the Image of Diana at Ephesus; as we read in Act. 19.35. the Acts. The Romish Church doth equalize the Heathens in this device also. For they speak of the Image of Iesus most lively impressed into a handkerchief by the Lord himself, and sent to Agbarus: and they tell us of a picture of Christ, made by the evangelist Luke, and sent unto Veronica: and of another, made by Nicodemus; and of the picture of S. Stephen, Vid. Bellar. lib. 2. de imag. cap. 10. made by an angel. And Surius in his Comment witnesseth, Comment. rer. in ●rbe gest. in fol. 537. impr. Col. au. 1374. that in the daies of queen Elizabeth, a woman of good account in Kent found a cross, not formed in colours by any man, nor made by needle; E coelesti quodā influxu nata cernaebatur. but it appeared to be made by an heavenly influence. But all these are fables, destitute of any true authority or credible witness, whose testimonies might move us to beleeue such fooleries. The ancient Heathens for the authority of their Images Vid Lact. lib. justit 2. cap. 8.& 9. pleaded the miracles, that were wrought by them. And the same argument the Romish Church useth for her Images also. But it is the punishment of God both vpon the one, and vpon the other: who suffereth men for their superstition, to be lead away by the illusions of satan; according to that in the Thessalonians, where the Apostle witnesseth, that 2. Thess. 2.9. the coming of the wicked man, is by the working of satan, with all power and signs, and lying wonders. In the Images of the Heathen sometimes satan wrought to blind the Priests, as Lact. lib. instit. 2. cap. 8. when the ship stuck fast, which carried the Idean mother, and could by no force of men be removed: yet by the girdle of Clnudia it was towed out: Sometimes the Priests wrought to blind the people; as in the History of Bell and the Dragon, we find. So in Popery also, some miracles are wrought at the Images of Saints by the divell, to infatuate both Priest& people; as when the Crucifix spake to Thomas Aquinas; been scripsisti de me Tho in Breu. Ro. Thou hast written well of me Thomas: And the Image, of which in the life of Dunstane, the English Legend speaketh: who concerning the restoring of married Priests into their places, openly and audibly pronounced; Absit hoc vt siat, absit hoc vt siat. Let it not be so, let it not be so. Some Images wrought miracles by the falsehood of Priests, and Monks, and Friers. And so Bernard esteemed of that voice which the Image of the virgin uttered, saluting him, and welcoming him into the Church; your ladyship( saith he) is to blame, the Apostle Paul permitteth not a woman to speak in the Church. Out of that which hath been spoken it is now plain, that jerusalem and Samaria, Aholiah and Aholibah, the spiritual and the Worldly Babylon, are sisters: The beginning, the progress, the continuance, the height of their Idolatry alike. CHAP. XXVI. Of the Limitations, with which the Romish, Church maketh it lawful to worship Images of God, and of Saints, and other dead and senseless stocks and stones. MAlachy of the jewish Priests bitterly complaineth; Malach. 2.8. ye haue caused many to fall by the Law: ye haue corrupted the covenant of levi. To cause men by the Law to fall, is when they wrest the Law by sophistication, and subtle distinctions, so that the true intent and purpose thereof cannot take place. This in the question of Images the Romish Church daily practiseth, enforcing, that The Lawe forbiddeth not Images of Saints, but Idols of Heathens; not the pictures of true things, but of poetical fictions. Some pretend, They worship not an Image, but before an image, by whose contemplation their zeal is kindled within them: Others excuse the matter, that though Images were not commanded by God, yet they are ordained by the Church, the pillar of truth, to whose voice every man must harken. But Abak. 2.19. Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake: and to the dumb ston, Rise up. Bellarmine, their Atlas, assigneth three limitations, with which it is lawful to worship Images and Crosses, the works of the hands of men. The first limitation is, Bellar. de imag. Sanct. lib. 2. cap. 1●. ex Sest. 25. Con. tried. That no man put trust in any senseless thing. The second, That no man ask any thing of any dead stock. The third, That no man think that there is any divinity in an Image. Thomas Harding concerning the adoration of Images, against the reverend jewel of Sarisbury, assigneth this limitation; De adorat. im●g. ar●ic. ●4. sect. 22. that latriae, or divine worship is proper unto God: But that the Images haue a certain inferior kind of worship due unto them: and this limitation Bellar. de imag. sanct. lib. 2. cap. 22. Bellarmine also agrees unto. Which though it be contained in the other three, yet for perspicuities sake wee will handle it severally. For the truth is, the Romish Church doth not observe any of these limitations; they are onely nets of Sophistication: they are false and deceitful bayts, painted sepulchers, pits covered with rushes, in whom there is no truth nor integrity at all. When Ezechiel complained of his misery, Ezech. 4.15. that he was compelled to eat mans dung instead of food; to change his condition, a little Bullocks dung was given him in place of Mans dung: So in the Church, for idols of Heathen men, are set up idols of Christian men. Small is the difference betwixt the dung of men, and the dung of Oxen: betwixt Heathen, and Christian Images; both are dung, both are vanity. CHAP. XXVII. Of the first limitation, in which they pretend, that an Image may be worshipped, so that no trust nor confidence be placed in the Image: and that the Romish Church putteth full trust in Images. NOthing at all doth the Romish Church herein differ from the Heathens. How many Gentiles are there, which utterly disclaimed to put trust in the Images they worshipped. Diagoras threatened the Image of Hercules, that if he must every day provide meat for himself, the Image should be hewn in pieces to roast the same. Dionysius cut off Esculapius golden beard, because his Father Apollo was without a beard, saying; It was not meet that the son should haue a beard before the father: he took off Iupiters golden coat also, saying; it was too heavy for Summer, too could for Winter. Did he( think you) put any confidence in the Images whom he thus scoffed? Plautus in his Prooeme of the comedy of amphitryo saith; jupiter jupiter non minus quam nostrum quivis sormidat malum, humana master natus humano patre. Nat. come. Myth. l●b. 1. cap. 9. fears evil no less then any of us, being born of a human father, and of an human mother. This sheweth what trust Plautus reposed in Iupiters Image, who put so little trust in jupiter himself. Lactantius witnesseth, that it was wont to be the apology of Heathens for their Image-worshipping; Non ipsa( inquiunt O●ntes) timemus, said eos, ad quorum imaginem facta sunt,& quorum nominibus consecrata. Lact. de instit. lib. 2. c. 2. in princip. we fear not them, but those to whose image they are formed, and to whose names they are consecrate. Wherefore not without contempt Pompey in Lucan speaketh of the Image of osiris: Et tectum ligno spargam per vulgus Osyrim. ex Lact. lib. 1. cap. 21. osiris clothed in wood, Ile weal throw among the multitude.— Another saith Nec pietas vlla est velatum saepe videri vertere se ad lapidem. It is no holinesse at all to see a man covered with a veil, to turn himself often towards a ston. Horace scoffeth at the Image of Priapus, and saith; Olim trancus eram ficulnus, inutile lignum, cum saeber incertus scamnum saceretue Priapum, maluit esse Deum. Hor. Sat. At first I was a fig three stock, unprofitable wood, Untill the workman doubting what to make, A stool or Priap, did at last think good, That I a God should be— And Persius derideth both the Luxury of Heathen Priests in their divine service, and their Images also, comparing them together. Dicite Pontifices, in sacris quid facit aurum, nempe hoc, quid Veneri dicata à virgin pupae. Pers. Sat. Say Priests, in holy things what gold doth get, As much as Puppet pictures maids, to Venus set. Lactantius in his institutions reproveth Tully; Video te terrena,& manu facta venerari: vana esse intelligis,& tamen eadem facis, quae faciuut ipsi quos ipse stultissimos confiteris. Lact. instit. lib. 2. cap. 3. for that he did worship earthly things made with hands, which yet he himself understood to be vain. And Tully himself witnesseth, Lib. 1. de divinat. that Caius Flaminius, when his horse and himself stumbling fell down before the Image of jupiter stator, he despised yet the portent, and proceeded to the battle. Demonax being advised by his friend to go into the Church of Esculapius, and pray for the health of his son, answered: Do you think the gods so deaf, that they cannot hear but in a Temple? Diogenes being demanded why he did pray so often unto Images? answered: that I may accustom myself not to be offended, when I do not obtain of men. What was this but a plain confession, that he had no confidence to obtain any thing from an Image? All these examples do plainly show, that the wiser Heathen did never place any trust in the Image itself, which they thus contemned and despised. But all their honour of Images, was either for fashions sake, to keep the public Ceremonies, or else because the Images did represent unto them the forms, in which their gods had appeared, or the benefits they brought unto mankind. Wee haue spoken of the confidence, which Heathens in their Idols, or Images reposed: let us now compare the Romish worship therewith. It is manifest, that the Romish Church putteth trust and confidence in the very Image. This to prove, let it not bee omitted, that they make the worshipping of Images an Article of their faith; as in the Nicen council; Haec est fides Apostolorum: haec est fides patrum: haec est fides Orthodoxorum: haec fides orbem terrarum confirmavit: credentes in vnum Deum in Trinitate laudatum, venerandas Imagines amplexantur. Qui secus agunt, Anathemate percelluntur: qui sic non sentiunt, ab Ecclesia depelluntur. ex Summa. 2. council. Nicen. in definite Sancta imagines,& universalis in Nicen. Synod. 2a This is the apostolic faith of Fathers: this is the Orthodox faith: this faith hath confirmed the whole world: believing in one God in trinity wee embrace worshipful images; who do not so, are accursed; who think not so, are driven from the Church. And in the confession of Trent; Firmissimè assero, imagines Christi& semper deifera virginis, nec non aeliorum sanctorum habendas,& retinendas esse, atque eis debitum bonorem ac venerationem esse impertiendā. Symb. tried. apud Fr. Cost. lib. 5. instit. in professio. fidei I do( say they) firmly avouch, that the Images of Christ, and the God-bearing always Virgin, and also of other Saints are to be had& retained, and due honor and worship to them to be given. Although this directly prove not, that they put confidence in Images; yet since they make it part of their faith to worship Images, it seems to be a most essential part of their religion. Bellarmine their great Rabbi witnesseth Imagines Christi& Sanctorum venerandae sunt non solum per accident, vel improprè, said etiam per se& propriè: ita vt ipsae terminent venerationem, vt in se considerantur,& non solum vt vicem gerunt eximplaris. Bellar. cap. 21. de imag. The images of Christ and of Saints are not to be worshipped accidentally, but properly and by themselves: so that they terminate the worship as they are in themselves considered. Let me cry out with the Prophet; harken O heauens, hear O earth, a shameless friar to blind the eyes of the simplo saith; No confidence must bee put in an Image: yet he himself pronounceth; An Image must not be worshipped accidentally, that is, for any thing but for itself: it must bee worshipped properly; Nay, the worship must bee ended in the Image itself, as it is considered in itself, not as it stands in place of the thing, which is pictured. The meaning hereof is, that the worship must not be referred to any thing beyond the image, whether it be to God, or to the Saints. Wherefore here behold their falsehood. For when a man doth properly worship an image, and cries to it, and refers the worship to nothing but to the image, doth he not now put trust in the image? Rom. 10 14. How shall they call vpon him, on whom they haue not believed? saith the Apostle Paul. One Bishop therefore in the second council of Nice openly professed; Imagines persecte adoro. council. Nic. 2. act. 2. I do perfectly worship an image. Another saith; Vicarii Adriani Papae. in Syn. Nic. 2 I do openly worship an image. Surely it cannot be called perfect, and open, or plain worship, which is without confidence and trust. Summa Angelica saith, that Considerando prout est imago Christi tunc quia idem metus est in imagine et in imaginato. in Tit. de ador. When wee consider whose the image is, there is the same motion toward the image, and the thing presented: but in all motion towards God, or towards Christ, hope and trust is required; wherefore by this rule of the Sum. wee must haue motion of confidence towards the image also. Costerus saith; that Instit. l. 4. c. 3 the sign of the cross is a certain conjuration, to drive away devils; and that by the making of the cross, faith and confidence are stirred up. Let us in few words make the matter manifest out of their Missals and public worship, which they cannot deny. unto the picture of the cross do they not every day sing? O crux aut, spes unica hoc passionnis tempore. Port. star. in dom. pass. et. Ro. Br. in codem festo. O cross all hail, Onely hope in this time of passion. They call the cross, In orat. Deus qui in praecla. vitale lignum, living wood. And again; Satan unico sanctissime crucis signo debilitatus, ausugit. Ro. Br. in Antonia. lect. 6. itaque contulit. Satan by the onely sign of the most holy cross being weakened doth flee away. The Portiffe of Sarum again witnesseth; Horrificum tu et semper signum inimici●, crux sancta, quam mors panet, infernusque timet. poor. star. in Miss. de sacr. erus. in sequent. Saluc crux. Thou art a dreadful sign, O cross, unto the cruel enemies, whom death feareth, and hell doth dread. Hence come all their Crosses& signs, made on the forehead, breast, and body: whereof there is none other end, but by that sign to defend themselves from the invasion of the enemy. For so their own words are; Per signum crucis de inimicis nostris libera no●, deus noster. Ro. Br. in office. sanc. crucis. ad lau. et per horas Ana. By the sign of the cross deliver us from our enemies, O God. Damascen saith; Adorandum est igitur signum Christ●● ubi enim fuerit signum eius, illic et ipse eris. apud Aloy. lip. part. 1 an laud. sanc. et v●nif. crucu. The sign of the cross is to be worshipped: for where the sign of Christ is, there is Christ himself: and again of the cross; Ipsa est scutum,& armae, et trophaeum adverse. diabolum. ibid. This is the shield, the armor, and the Trophe against the divell. And Bellarmine saith, that Est autem obseruandum, tribus modis operari crucis signum in demonibus terrondis: 1. ex appprehensione ipsorum demonum 2. ex deuotione hominum 3. et posissimum, ex institutione dei; atque ideo ex opere operato. l. 2. c. 30. de imag. diuers maner of ways the sign of the cross doth work, to terrify the devils: first, by the apprehension of the divels themselves: secondly, by a mans devotion: thirdly, and chiefly, by Gods institution. again; Deinde vim habet Crux ex opere operantu. Ibid. By the working of him that maketh the cross, and by the work itself when it is done. Also he saith; that the Heathens many times were delivered by the sign of the cross, when they had neither faith nor devotion. Wherefore Costerus bringeth in one Andreas Furscius thus versifying; Non ita, said virtus dono diuina subhaeret, fidentesque animes insinuata safeconduct. Cost. unto the gift virtue divine doth cleave, And inwardly inspired doth help all faithful mindes. To prove the matter by history, simeon Metaphrastes saith, that Deinde ingressi civitatem cum Psalmo ●i●s et hymnis sublimibus, et canticis spiritualibus, et infin●te lumine lampadum publicā celebrantes deductionem iter sac ebant per mediam civitatem, credits illaesamque& in expugnabilem esse in aternum conseruandanax Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 93. edit. Verhessalt. the image of Christ sent to Agbarus, was carried through the city of Constantinople, with psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, and infinite store of torches, believing that by it their city was partaker of sanctification, and strength, and that it should be kept safe and vnexpugnable for ever. Who knoweth not how some haue committed the keeping of their gods to images? some haue carried images about the streets in time of pestilence to purge the air. How they carry them about in iourneis and peregrinations: yea, they carry the image of the Crucifix always about them. They are taught every morning Cum mane surgis muniens te signo sancto cru●es. dic. in exercitio quo ad. impr. per are Coning. to arm themselves with the sign of the cross. Finally, the practise of their Church maketh the matter evident. For in the pontifical the peculiar form of consecration of Images and Crosses doth show the same; Digneres benedicere hoc lignum crucis, vt sit remedium salutare generi humano, sit soliditas fidei, bonorum operum prosectus, et redemptio animarum, tu●ela contra saua iacula inimicorum. Port. vt testatur them. in pontiff. praxi de ador. imag. Vouchsafe to bless this wood of the cross, that it may bee an wholesome remedy to mankind, the soundness of faith, the increase of good works, the redemption of souls, the defence against the cruel darts of the enemy. The form of the blessing of the image of the virgin is; Sanctifica, deus hānsormulā beatae virginis, vt tuis fidelibus salutaris cuxilij openserat, to ●itru● aut sulmina, si inualuerins nocentia, celereus expellantur: pluutarum quique inundatio, atque ciuilium bellorum commotio, seu Pagano●ū denasta ti●, ad praesentiam eius comprimatur. ibid. ex codem. bless O Lord, this image of the blessed virgin, that it may bring help and aid to thy faithful: if hurtful lightning and thunder increase: if there be inundations of rain, or civil commotions of war, or devastation by Pagans, at the presence hereof let them all be suppressed. The blessing of Saint Iohns image saith; Sit haec imago damonum sancta expulsio, angelorum aduocatio, fidelium protectio, eiusque in hoc loco potenter vigeat intercessio. ib. in cod. Let this image be the holy expulsion of divels, the advocation of Angells, the protection of the faithful, and in this place let the intercession therof mightily flourish. The prayer unto the Veronicall image of Christ is; Salus sancta facies impressa pann●culo, nos ab omni macula purga vitiorum, a●● nos consortio tongue beatorum, nos perduc ad patriam, O foelix figura, ad videndum faciem, queen est Christi, pura, esto nobis( quaesumus) tutum adiu●amē, dulce refrigerium atque consolame, vt noldis non noceat hostile grauamē, sid fruamur requis, omnes dicant Amen. ibid. Chemn. All hail, holy face printed in a cloth, cleanse us from all the spots of vices, join us to the company, and bring us to the country of the blessed: O happy figure, to see the face of Christ, bee thou, wee beseech thee, unto us a safe aid, a sweet refreshing and comfort, that the vexation of the enemy hurt us not, but that we may enjoy our rest, let all men say, Amen. And unto the same Veronicall image, the papal prayer of Pope John the two and twentieth,( beginning, salve rebur fidei nostra Christiana, destruens haretico●, qu● sunt mentis vana illius offigie, qui rex fit eu pane in suffra. salve Sancta facies nostri redemptoris) saith, All hail, strength of our christian faith, destroying the heretics, which are of a vain mind, increase their merit which trust in thee soundly, being his picture, which is, a king made of bread. After all these things, is there now any jesuit so senseless or so graceless, which will impudently contend, that they place not confidence in images and in stocks? perhaps there is. For God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they shall not see, ears that they shall not hear. Lord for thy infinite goodness sake, take away the veil of their understanding, and give them grace to fear the Lord, and to serve him in uprightness and truth. CHAP. XXVIII. Of the second Limitation, that the Romish Church doth ask of images and pray unto them. WHen the Princes of Babylon, to flatter their new king Darius, and to pick matter against the good Prophet Daniel, would instead of regal worship ascribe divine honour unto the king, they desired that it might be enacted, that Dan. 6.7 whosoever should ask a petition of any god or man for thirty daies save of the king, should be cast into the lions Den. Surely, whom with religious prayer wee worship, him we make a god; for unto him we attribute power,& goodness; power that he is able: and goodness that he is willing to give unto vs. Bellarmine therefore not without good cause adds this limitation. For if prayer be acknowledged to be due unto images, divinity also cannot bee denied unto them. The Panther covers his grisly face which would terrify the beasts, and allureth them into his paws by the sweetness of his smell: so our Sinon discovereth not plainly the hell of his abominable idolatry, but with a mild and faire mitigation would fain draw the world into his perdition. Constantius Bishop of Constantia( as that worthy jewel of Sarisbury truly recordeth) in the second council of Nice doth plainly profess; Ex lib. Carol. Mag. apud jewel. de adorat. imag. ad sect. 12. Hard. I do give the same worship of honour to the images, which is due unto the holy Trinity, and if there be any which refuseth so to do, I do excommunicate him as a Marcionist, or a Manichee. Now to the holy Trinity, I trust, no man denies that prayer and supplication is due. By this rule then it is due to images also, or else why go they to pray to the virgin mother, rather at Loretto, at Walsingham, or at Worcester, then in another Church? why to Saint james at Compostella? to St. mark at Venice, since the Saints are present every where by their providence, if it be not to pray to their images? Bellarmine acknowledgeth, that Aliquando image accipatur pro ipso exemplari, et ea, qua fierent circa ipsum exemplar, si adeffet present, fiunt circa imeginē, mente tamō defixa in exemplari. c. 23. de imag. an image may be taken for the exemplar, and for the thing itself which it doth present, and then the same which should be done to the exemplar, if it were present, may be done to the image, the mind being fastened to the exemplar. Wherefore Sic concionatores alloquuntur imaginem crucifixi eique dicunt, tunos redemists, tu nos patri reconciliasti de imag. sanc. c. 23. verb. ad pri. quod. the preachers many times speak unto the image of the Crucifix, and say; Thou hast redeemed us, thou hast reconciled us to the father. These things( saith he) are not spoken to the image as it is wood, or as it is a picture, but as it is taken in the place of the exemplar. never did any Heathen more idolatrize then this brazen faced friar. For, to take an image in the place of God, and in the place of the exemplar, what is it but to make a god of an image? and to say with the Israelites, These are thy gods, O Israel. Exod. 32.4. Arnobius is witness that Arnob. l. 6. contr. Gentes. the Gentiles said, they neither worshipped stones nor wood, but the presence of the Gods exhibited by the images unto men. Austine of the Gentiles saith, Videntur purgatioris esse religionis, qui d●cunt, simulacrum non celo. said per offigiē corporalem eius rei signum intucor, quam colere debeo. Aug. Ps. ● 13. ex H. Bull. de orig. c. 29 they would seem to be of the more pure religion, which say, they do not worship images, but by the corporal statue, I do behold the image of the thing which I ought to worship. You see how superstition daily increaseth in the Romish Church. At the first it was like to the idolatry of the Nations. Nā deus est quod imago docet, said non deus ipsa: hac videas, said mente colas, quod cernis in ipsa. ex H. Bulling. de orig. cult. For God it is the image shows, but itself is not God: look thou thereon, but worship it thou seest ther●in. But now saith Bellarmine, the image stands in the place of God: and as it so stands, it is lawful by the friers own confession, To pray unto it. Bellarmine again teacheth, that images are no where better placed then in the Temples: and all men know, that no meaner place in the Temple doth serve their turn, but the very altar, whither all the vows, prayers, lauds, offerings and gifts are brought. But why do I not grapple with them hand to hand, and bring their own missals to witness against them? For no where else doth their idolatry more plainly, or more openly display itself. do they not pray unto the wooden cross? Grace to the good increase, To sinners give release. Ro. Bre. in him. vexilla Regis. All hail holy cross, our onely hope in this time of passion, increase righteousness to the godly, to the sinners give release. Is not this the same Arnobius did, when he was an idolater? whereof himself makes report; Tanquam mosses vis praesens adulabar, affabar,& beneficia poscebā. Arnob. l. 1. cont. Gent. ex Bell. c. 1. de imag. sanc. as though there were present power in them, I did flatter, I did speak unto them, I required benefits of them. Of the image of the Crucifix they again say; salve lignum vite, dignum far mundi pretium confer ●●i plebi Christ● Crucis beneficium Bre. star. in invent. Cruc. God save the three, worthy to bear the price of the world, give unto this people the benefit of the passion. Here I am sure, it is no small matter which they ask of an image, but the greatest bliss that may bee, even that it give Christ unto them: and yet the shameless brow of our Babylonish harlot dares deny her whoredom, so often, so openly committed in the sight of all the world, although every day she sing; Dulce lignum, dulces clauos, dulcia ferens pondera, salua praesentem catiruā, in tuis hody laudibus congregatam. Bre. Ro. in fest. invent. Crucis ad magnif. Antiph. Sweet wood, bearing the sweet nailes, and the sweet burden, save this present company gathered in thy praise. And in another place; O crucis victoria,& admirabile signum, in coelesti curia fac n●s captare triumphum. Ro. Bre. in 2. noct. Antip. exal. cru. O victory of the cross, thou admirable sign, make us to triumph in the heavenly Court. They cannot here say, that there is the same motion to the sign, and to the thing signified; for, here are two distinct motions. First to the thing itself, the victory of Christ vpon the cross: and then secondly, to the sign or image of the cross, and to both they pray; Make us to triumph in the Court of heaven. In the hymn lauds Crucis, to the very image of the cross they pray; O Crux, signum triumphal. ex Mis. star. in exalt. Cruc. O cross, triumphant sign, that which human force cannot do, is done in thy name. unto the Veronicall Image John the 22. that could not err( for he was Pope) nor would not err( for it was his form of papal prayer) thus speaketh and prayeth; Nos deduc ad propria, O foelix figura, ad videndum faciem, quae est Christi pura. Bring us to thy own, O blessed figure, To see the face of Christ which is so pure. And in the same prayer again; esto nobis( quesumus) scutum, et iuu●men, dulce refrigerium, atque consolamē, vt nobis non noceat host●um grauamē, said fruamur requiem coeli ●ecum in orat. Papae jo. 22. salve sanc. facies. in Suffrag. Bee thou to us, wee pray, our shield, and our help, our sweet refreshing and comfort, that no enemies hurt us, but that wee may attain the rest of heaven with thee. Therefore Summa Angelica doth truly confess, as the matter is indeed; Crucē alloquimur,& deprecamur tanquam ipsum Christum. Summa Angel. in Tit Adorationis. We speak and pray unto the cross as to Christ himself. CHAP. XXIX. That the Romish Church attributeth divinity unto Images; contrary to the third Limitation. A Great difference the Romish Synagogue maketh betwixt her idols,& the idols of the Heathen. For out of the Scripture they prove, that the Gentiles did verily worship& esteem their images as Gods, having divinity in themselves. This is proved every where in the scripture, say they: In Exod. Exod. 32.1. the people spake to Aaron, up make us Gods to go before us, when they meant Images: and when they were made, they worshipped them, saying; Ibid. ver. 4. These are thy gods, O Israel. So of his golden calves jeroboam also said; 1. Reg. 12.28. Behold O Israel, these are the gods which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. The Psalmist witnesseth the same; Psal. 106.20. They turned their glory into the similitude of a bullock that eateth grass. These places with diuers others are so demonstrative, that they irrefragably evince, the Heathen images to haue been esteemed of them as gods and divine powers. Against the light of truth none may contend. The Gentiles did take their images to bee Gods, but it was onely, 〈◇〉, equivocally. They called them Gods, because they represented their gods unto them: because their Gods by them, or through them, did give Oracles and answers, did grant their petitions, did work wonders. even as a painted man, is called a man, though he is not believed to bee such: So an image is called God, though it bee known to bee a stock: the Rites, the representation, the adoration give name unto it: not a proper name, but a borrowed name: not that the Heathens did verily account them such as they called them, but called them such as they esteemed those, to whom they were dedicate. I need not labour to prove this which the Scripture itself doth witness. The herald who proclaimed unto the people, that they should adore Nabuchadnezzers figment, plainly calleth it Dan. 3.5. The image: but the accusers of Daniel call it Dan. 3.12. the Kings gods, and the Kings image also. By which it doth appear, that though they gave the appellation of God unto it, calling the sign by the appellation of the thing signified: yet in substance they esteemed it an image. Tully, in his second book de legibus, sheweth the cause of erecting images, and bringing Gods into the Cities to bee, Et quod Thalos, qui sapientissimus inter septem fuit homines existimare op●rtere, Deos omnia ceruere, deorum omnia esse plena, sore enim omnes castiores, quoddle quo infans esset maxim religiosus; est enim quadam opinione species deorum in oculis, non solum in mentibus. de leg. l. 2. that men should think the Gods see all things, and that all places are full of Gods, and so all men should be the more holy, and, as an infant, most religious. For by a certain opinion there is a resemblance of God to the eyes, and not onely in the mind. Out of this appeareth how Tully esteemed of images, and what use the Heathens made of them in that time. I haue recited Arnobius in the former Chapters, and here also his testimony cometh in good season. For he saith, the Gentiles adored Images; not that the gold, the brass, the silver, or any other matter, or substance of Images, are Gods: but because the presence of the gods( which otherwise is invisible) is exhibited by an Image, and for that in them the Gods, or the power of the Gods doth dwell. Cicero confesseth, that jupiter the ston is not jupiter. What child( saith Austen) Aug. in Psa. 115. being asked doth not answer? The Images haue mouths, and speak not, eyes and see not. The sum of these things is, that the Romanists do not esteem their Images as Gods: The Heathens did no otherwise. Therefore the Papists worship Images as the Heathen did. The Heathens unproperly called their Images Gods: so doth the Church of Rome also. For Bellarmine saith, Image est ipsum exemplar Analogice, et secundum quid. Bell. de Imag. Sanc. lib. 2. cap. 25. The Image is the very exemplar Analogically, in some sort and respect. Nay, which never any Heathens presumed to do, by a solemn sanction and law the second council of Nice Si quu has non saelutauerit in nomine domini,& sanctorum eius, Anathema sit. ex Summa Gen. 2. conc. Nice Col per Barth. Carant. doth excommunicate, and curse all them which do not salute the Images in the name of God and of Saints: And in the fourth action they approve the title of an Image, Hoc est Christus, this is Christ. Thus by Tertullians doom they are plain Idolaters: for he saith, Cecidit igitur in Idolatriā, qui Idolum nomine dei honorauerit. Ter. lib. de Idol. He is fallen into Idolatry whosoever doth worship an Idol by the name of God. The common inscription of Images falsely fathered jerome recording Lactantius works speaketh nothing of that poem. vpon Lactantius cleareth this point; wherein the Image takes vpon it the name, the office, and the benefits of CHRIST, and saith; Quisquis ades medij subu in limina Templi, siste parum, ins●ntimq. tuo pro crimine passum respice ad me, conde animo. Stay while, look on me that did innocently suffer for thy fault, haue me in thy mind. Aloysius Lypomanus out of Gregory Turonensis telleth, Aloy. lip. ver. Sanc. Hist. part. 1. ex vitae domini nostri Iesu Christi per beat. Greg. Archiepisc. Turō scriptam. that there was an Image of Christ in the old church at Narbon all naked, saving that it was gird about, as it were, with a linen cloth: which picture the people daily beholding and worshipping, a terrible person appeared to one Basil a Priest, and said; all you are attired with change of garments, but you look on me naked: go thy way quickly and cover me with a vestment. Basil not understanding the vision did nothing therein at all; wherefore the vision offered itself the second time, Me uudum aspiciti● Vade,& cooperi me vestim●●to. and the second time Basil despised it also. But after the third day he was well beaten with stripes, and it was said unto him; Did I not bid thee go and cover me with a vestment, Vt cooperires me vestimento. Ne cernerer nudus. that I might not be seen naked, and thou hast done nothing therein? Go, I say, and cover that picture with a linen cloth, in which I appear crucified, lest sudden destruction come vpon thee. harken O shameless Babylon, harken, I say, unto the blasphemy of thy graceless Prelates, who so plainly, so often in one short speech, call the Image Christ, and contrary to their own rule, make a god of the work of their hands. The Lombard History in the life of Francis saith, Imago Christi cum miraculose alloquitur; vade, repara domum meam. Leg. Lomb. in Franc. vit. that the Image of Christ miraculously spake unto Francis, and said; go and repair my house, which as thou seest is destroyed. The same author tells us of a jew Plaga ingutture C●risti, i● fertur, adhuc ternitur. ibid. exal Cruc. that wounded the Image of Christ in the throat, and the image he also calleth Christ. The wound is yet seen in the throat of Christ. The second council of Nice saith, the blood of Christ, which is found among many men, is that which flowed out of the Image of Christ crucified at Berytus, and no other. Let me not pass over the old wife and her tale, so much in the Lombard history magnified, who prayed to the Virgin before her Image, that the blessed Mother of Christ would vouchsafe to deliver her son out of prison wherein he lay fettered: But being in this her prayer unregarded, the miserable woman thus spake unto the Saint; blessed Virgin, I haue often importuned thee for my sons deliverance, and thou hast not heard his miserable Mother, neither haue I found any help from thee. Wherefore as my Igitur sicut filius meus ablatus est mihi, sic ego filium tuum tibi auferam. son is taken from me, so I will take thy son from thee, and I will keep him in hostage for my son. This said, she went and took the Image of the child which the Virgin had in her lap, and carried it home, laying up the same in a very clean cloath, and locked it safe in a Chest. The next night the blessed Virgin appeared to the poor womans son in prison, and opening the gates thereof, bade him go forth, and pray thy Mother( saith she) to bring home unto me my son again. The young man obeied, Matri tuae fili, dices vt meum mihi reddat filium ex quo reddidi sibi suum. Nunc veb● vestram filium reddo. ●eg. Lomb. in Nat. beat. Virg. and his Mother filled with ioy carried back the Image of the child to the church, and said; I thank thee Lady, that thou hast restored to me my onely son again, and now I restore to you your son also. Tell me now ingenuously, if any spark of shamefastness bee left in you ye Romanists, whether this History doth not give the name of Christ unto a stock, and his person also? The Heathens did think that some divine power was in their Images. Arnobius witnesseth, how they taught that Images are purged by consecration and dedication, and so the virtue of God is adjoined to them. The same the Romish Church believeth concerning the Images also. For Bellarmine saith, that Imago Christi ipsum Christum hypostasin divinam carne vestitam reprasentat. de imag. Sanc. cap. 21. The image doth represent unto us the very substance of the godhead of Christ, clothed with human flesh. again he saith, In ipsa imagine vere in est aliquid sacrum, si●ilitude ad rem sacram,& ipsa dedicat o siue consecratio d●uino cultuis ergo ipsa in se,& non solum vt protetyp● vicem gerunt, honore dignae sunt▪ ibid. In the image itself there is verily some holy thing, that is, the likeness unto the holy thing it represents, and the dedication or consecration to the divine worship. Wherefore they are worthy of honour in themselves, and not onely as they stand in the place of the exemplar: He saith, that Cap. 18. verb. tertia causa est. some images are more holy then others, and more religious: And in another place he saith, that Aliquando Imago accipitur pro ipso exemplari. ibid c. 23 An image sometime is taken for the exemplar itself. Did ever Heathen more praise his Idols? how can it stand for God, except the name and power of the divinity be attributed to it? Wherefore the impudent friar is at last driven to say, that Tunc idem motus est in imaginem& in exemplar, quando exemplar consideratur vt obiective relucet in Imagine. cap. 23. verbo quod autem, quasi vestitum imagine veneramu●. Ibid. There is one motion in the worshipper towards the Image and the exemplar, when the exemplar is considered obiectiuely, to shine in the Image, and to be clothed with the image. Let us leave further to crush the egg of this Coccatrice; for the Serpent already shows itself. God shineth in the image, the image is clothed with the brightness of God. Now the shining of God is his glory and his mercy, wherewith he communicates himself to men; therfore these dwell in the image. The Legend writers by thousands of examples make this most plain, namely, that the divine power of Gods and Saints dwelleth in Images. The New English Legend witnesseth of Godrick the hermit, Noua Leg. Ang. in merely. Godrico servo dei& Here●●a. that he saw the Crucifix come down from the stock wherein it stood, and descend vpon the Altar, and afterward to lay itself down vpon the pavement of ston, and so at the last to the lowest greeces, where it lay down, and moved as having life: at the last it returned again, and placed itself in the mortesse of the stock as before. Another time he saw a young Child come out of the side of the Crucifix, putting forth first his head, then the shoulders, and so all the parts after other in order. Which child being very beautiful and faire clothed with white garments, first sate vpon the Altar, and then walked about the chapel. At the last he came to Godrick and blessed him with the sign of the cross: which being done he retired himself into the Image again, in the same order he came forth. Thus all sense of understanding, of reason, of life, of motion they attribute to their Images as fully as ever any Heathen did. What should I speak of the oil that hath flowed from Images? Of the blood which Images haue shed being wounded by enemies? How Christ Nunc autem in sancta tua imagine, crucifigeris, domine iterum fictus. Athan. in Psal. domini Iesu Christi. was crucified in his Image at Berythus, water and blood flowing out of the side, which the Iewes pierced with a spear, the heaven also was abashed, and the powers thereof moved. The image Leg. Lomb. in vitae Nich. cap. 3. lit. of Saint Nicholas being beaten by a jew, for that he suffered the goods committed to his custody to bee taken away by theeues. To whom Nicholas afterwards appeared with wounds and blood pitifully covered, threatening them to restore the goods, or the heavy wrath of God shall fall vpon them. I omit also the talk betwixt the Image of Christ, and Henry the hermit: and how the crucifix resaluted Saint Bartholomew the monk, and did embrace him: with sundry others. I will conclude with the sentence of two Iesuites in this business, Andreas Frusius, and Fran. Costerus, who repeateth this verse of the Image, or Agnus dei of Christ in the form of a lamb. Nec conspicta monet solummodo quid sit agendum. Hoc etiam quodā num●ne plena movet. Quid mihi numen, au, memoras? mihi cerea vivit, Vimque aspectanti spirat imago suam: Non ita, said virtus d●no diuina subhaeret, Fid●nt●sque animos insinuata safeconduct. Nor doth it onely in beholding tell what should be done, Full of a certain power it doth move withall: What dost thou speak of power? the wax to me doth live, The Image breaths his force int men which look thereon: Not so, but to the gift virtue divine doth cleave, Which closely entering faithful hearts doth save. Two things I haue in this tract, I trust, plainly proved. The first, that as equivocally the Heathens gave the title, and name, and appellation of their Gods to their idols: So the Romish Church doth also to her Images of God and the Saints. Secondly, as the Heathens: so the Romanists to Images attribute an holy power and working, with a miraculous presence of God in them. What is this Limitation then, but a more imposture and false pretence? For the defence whereof, Zech. 7.12. They haue made their hearts as an Adamant, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of Hosts sent in his spirit. CHAP. XXX. Of the fourth Limitation, that the Romish Church worshippeth Images with divine worship. AFter the most learned labours of that thrice famous and renowned Bishop and Gem of Sarisbury John jewel, it is a needless travell for my harsh vnpolisht pen to labour itself in this argument. Wherefore though in respect of the method of my treatise I may not wholly pass it over: yet I will bee very short, knowing how unfit it is to set up my poor scarce twinkling Candle in the presence of his glorious Torch, and farre-light casting beams. Of the idle distinction betwixt 〈◇〉 and 〈◇〉, I haue formerly discoursed and shewed, that both kindes of honour are forbidden to Images: and I haue declared what divine and religious worship is; namely, to set up in churches or Altars, to paint, to adorn them with jewels, with gold and silver, to burn incense before them, to bow the knee, to fall down and worship before them. All these things are signs of divine honour: but all these the Romanists do uno their Images. Therefore if the Babylonish strumpet had the face of a woman, or forehead that could blushy, she would not deny that divine honour is by her vassals yielded unto Images. For Augustine saith Nam et illi quod numen haebeant,& pro numine accipiant illam statuam, Ara testatur. Quid i●lie faciat Ara, si illud non habetur pro numine● Aug. du. verb. domini secundum Math. Ser. 6. paulo post med. The Altar doth witness, that they esteem it a God, and haue it in place of a God. What doth the Altar there, if it bee not esteemed as God? Thus speaketh Austen of the gentle Images. Hereto let me add, that their doctrine is, that unto the humanity of CHRIST as it is considered by itself, LATRIA, that is, divine worship is not,( nor ought to be) given: and yet unto Th. 3. sent. dist. 9. q. 1. art. 2.& sic ●●llig. Ber. B●n joan. t●r. par. cap. 25. Opus aureum, ornat. omni lapide, in ser. s●p. dam. 3. quadrag. the cross, far inferior to the humanity of Christ, LATRIA, or divine worship is given. What madness is this, worthy to be purged with the strongest Helleborus? If just scandal and causes of offence ought of all Christians to bee avoided, lest the Heathens should reply; ( c) why ought we to leave our gods, Quare nos relinqu●mu● deos, quos Christiani ipsi nobiscum colunt. Aug. in Ser. 6. in evang. secundum. Math●ū. which Christians do worship with us? Then surely this abomination of Images, the Romish church, even in tender compassion of the weak members of IESVS CHRIST, should utterly abandon, since the greatest and most learned Fathers and leaders of their Church, haue openly professed, that they give the same worship to the Image, which is due to the exemplar. In this rank foremost is the Father of schoolmen Alex. 3. part q. 30. artic. ult. Alexander. And his eminent Parallel Th. Th. Aq. 3. part. q. 25. art. 3. Aquinas, and cajetan, and bonaventure, Marsilius, Almain, Carthusianus, Capreolus, Henry quod. lib. 10. q. 6. Who also saith, that Ex ipso. Bell. etiam de Imag l. 2. c. 20. verbo secunda opinio est. the picture must be honoured with the same worship that the exemplar is reverenced with. But herein he dissents from the rest, for that he saith, the Image represents ONLY the humanity of Christ, and not the divinity. Wherefore, it is to be worshipped with that civil service which he terms, 〈◇〉, and not with divine worship. How easy then is it for the ignorant to be deceived, and in the simplicity of their iudgement to be carried away unto evil, when the masters in Israel, the rabbins be thus besotted? We see, that though in the second Nicene council the Canons utterly prohibit divine service to be given unto Images, Et si facimus hominum priorum similitudines, non tamen ea siunt, vt adorenrur vt dei. act. 5. apud Bar. Carāz. saying; Images are not to be worshipped as gods: And again, Non idem deum et Imaginem dicimus. ibid. Wee do not say the image and God are one: yet the Bishops and Doctors, though they were learned and pretended great zeal, could not be restrained, but with open mouth they gave immoderate worship to images; even in the very presence and face of the council. Yea, the whole body of that synod acknowledgeth, Non sunt duae aedorationes, said vna adoratio imaginis et primi exemplaris, cuius est imago. Con. Nice. 2. act. 4. that there are not two adorations, but one adoration of the Image& the first exemplar. Which to say, what is it else, but to worship the similitude with the same worship which is due to the Prototypon? Come wee now to the later age. johannes de Payua saith; Non tamen inficiamur hac nos Latriae adoratione Christi praclarissimam crucem colere et vene●ari. jac. Payu. lib. 9. Wee deny not, that wee worship the most excellent cross of CHRIST with LATRIA or divine worship. So saith Nauclatus Pro●ter quod, si illud haebet adorari Latria, illa habet adorari Latria. in ep. Ro. cap. 1. Not onely before an image( as some cautiously speak) but the image itself without all doubt. So that, if the exemplar be to bee worshipped with divine worship, the image hath the same. Summa Angelica saith Considerando eā pro vt est quadāres, se nullus honor ●i debetur, sicut nec alicui lapidi vel lign●: said considerando pro vt est imago Christi, tunc quia idem motus est ●● imagine& in imaginato, et proptere▪ cum Christus Latria adoretur, sic et eius imago. in Tit. de adoratione. that an image considered as it is a substance, or a thing, no honour is due unto it: but being considered as it is the image of Christ, the same motion is towards the image, and that which is in the image set forth; and therefore if he ought to be worshipped with divine worship, so must his image also. Of the Image of the cross he saith, Adoratione eadem cum Christo. scilicet, Latrie ibid. that it must bee worshipped with the same Adoration as Christ, that is, divine worship. Bellarmine, although for fashions sake he saith, that Non est dicendum imagines vllas adorari debere Latria. l. 2. de sanc. Imag. cap. 12. animage is not to bee worshipped with divine worship, yet the unconstant Man by and by falleth from his Tenet, and by false distinctions he makes God of his Idols. One distinction is, that there are two kinds of worship. The first by itself, the other by accident. Imagines Christi et sancto●um veneram da sunt non solum per accidence vel improprie, said etiam per se& proprie: ita vt ipsae terminent venerationem, vt in se considerantur. l. 1. de Sanc. imag. c. 11. The Images of Christ and Saints( saith he) are to be worshipped, not onely by accident or improperly, but properly and by themselves: so as they end the worship as they are considered in themselves, and not onely as they stand in stead of the exemplar. A second distinction he hath, that there is Proper, and Improper worship. That is proper worship, which is yielded to one in respect of himself, as the King is honoured for himself: but Improper worship is, when any one thing is worshipped instead of another, as a Kings Legate is many times worshipped for the King. Now he saith, that Admitti potest imagines posse col● improprie vel per accidence. de Sanc. Imag. l. 2. c. 23. eodem genere cultus quo exemplarit sum colitur. de imag. sanc. l. 2. c. 23. in princip. The image may be worshipped with the very honour of the exemplar, improperly and by accident: by and by, that, Quod autem ●ossit imago adorari adoratione ipsius exemplaris. proprie quidem, said per accidence probatur. an Image may bee worshipped properly also, although by accident, with the honour due to the exemplar. And this he proveth, Consideramus exemplar vt obiectiu● relucet in imagine,& ipsum sic repraesentatum& quasi vestitum imagine veneramur, tunc autem necessario adoramus imaginem eodem cultu, quo ipsum exemplar, said per acciden●. ibid. for that many times we consider the exemplar as it obiectiuely shineth in the image: so we worship him represented and clothed with the Image: and then of necessity wee adore the Image with the same honour as the exemplar, but by accident. This agreeth with that of Simeon Metaphrastes, recorded in Aloysius Lypomanus, who saith, that Tanquam non satis esse existimans, nisi etiam per imaginem& typum versaretar cum his, quos desiderabat. part. 1. in vit. Sanc. Lucae. God converseth with men by his Image. You see how well these impostors observe the Limitations, which they prescribe unto themselves, and with what false pretences they led captive simplo souls. The greatest part say, an Image is to be worshipped with divine worship. They which would seem most free from Idolatry, worship an image in itself properly, but yet accidentally, with the very worship of the exemplar. May I not well apply unto them the saying of the Prophet; jer. 2, 22. Though thou wash thyself with Nitrus, and make thyself to savour with that sweet smelling herb of boreth, yet in my sight thou art stained with thy wickedness. CHAP. XXXI. Of the worship of the cross, the Nailes, the Virgins Sepulchre, the Lords swathband, the Ladies Girdle, and such like relics. IT hath been ever the cunning of that old crooked Serpent, to draw away the seruants of the Lord from the surer worship of God in spirit and truth, to corporal and outward exercise which nothing profiteth. So unto the children of Israel the instruments of the grace and power of God were always more precious then the grace and power itself; the Brazen Serpent, the Material Temple, their Father Abraham. Such things were still more religious unto them, then the mercy and goodness of their God, which wrought by these organs, and used them as instruments of his love. Like to the preposterous love of these carnal Israelites is the gross hearted zeal of our Romish generation, with whom the Garment, the Swathband, the Girdle, the Cradle, the wooden cross, the Nailes of Iron, are more esteemed then the infinite merits, the precious innocence, the satisfying righteousness, the meek humiliation of our saviour Christ. Gal. 6.14. True it is, the Apostle Paul (a) reioyced in nothing but in the cross of Christ. But this cross was passively understood, for the agony, the affliction, the death he sustained: but popery rejoiceth in the cross materially, and actively understood, that is, in the instrument that tormented him; in the Nailes that pierced him, in the spear that wounded him: the things that were his great sorrow, are their ioy; As though whatsoever touched Christ, were sanctified by him. Let us consider, to these unsensible things what honour and worship they attribute. The first is in gesture, the second in words, as psalms and Hymns, and spiritual songs, Deinde deponit calceamenta, et accedit ad adorandum Crucem ter genua flecten●, ante de●sculationē crucis. Ro. Mis. far. 6. in Parasceue. In their gesture the shoes must bee put off, and the Priest must thrice bow the knees, before he come to the worship and kissing of the cross. The missal of Sarum teacheth Feria 6. die Parasce. Mis. star. no less solemnity in the carrying of the cross, when as though Christ himself were present in the flesh, there is such curchie, kneeling, kissing, attendance of Priests, bowing of the whole choir, until the chiefest Clerkes first proceed barefooted to the adoration of the cross. Then it is carried through the midst of the choir, where the people may worship it before an Altar. His finitis, d●portetur Crux per medium Chori à praedictis duobus Sacerdotibus, ubi à populo adoretur ante aliquod altar. ibid. Afterward it must bee carried with the same reverence to the high Altar, where all the Priests assembling, and the Minister putting on his ornament, after confession and Hymns, and prayers, they must lay the sacrifice vpon the Altar, being first with incense perfumed. To conclude, Ro. Bre. in part. astiua in Sancto Dida●● lec. 6. cum autem. Didacus in the roman breviary is set out for an example, to teach with what solemnity the sign of the cross is to bee worshipped. For being ready to die, he took the cross which was at his head, with singular ioy and devotion, fastened his eyes vpon it, and with deep affection saying the hymn, O sweet wood, bearing the sweet nailes, and the sweet burden, he gave up the Ghost. You see their dotage, who instead of recommending themselves to God, spend the last act of their life, and the extreme breath, in worshipping and adoring senseless blocks, the figment of the hands of men. Next to the honour in gesture, is the honour of praise, which in Hymns and Anthems they give to stocks& stones, clothes and garments. The missal of Sarum saith of that bitter crown of thorns, which scornfully was set vpon the glorious head of the son of GOD to grieve and dishonour him; Tuā coronam adoramus, dom ne Diadema spineum veneramur hody, cuius per aculeum sertum datur gloriae. in fest. Coro. domini Thy crown, O Lord, we worship, The thorny Diadem to day, we honour, By whose sharp prick the garland of glory is conferred. They proceed further also and say; ( If thou wilt glory indeed, and be crwoned of God with honour and glory, endeavour to worship this crown. Si vis vere gl●riari,& à deo Coronari honore &c. ibid. in Miss. The roman breviary in the praise of the cross saith; Ro. Bre. Antiph. O crux benedicta. O blessed cross, thou wast worthy ONLY to bear the King of glory. every man knoweth this is no less false, then blasphemous. For the Sea, the Ships, the ass, the earth, bare Christ, and bare him with more ease, then ever the cross, that spiteful engine of Romish tyranny, and jewish hatred did sustain him. Why then do they not kiss the earth, the Sea, the Ships, and all the Asses that they see? In the praises of the Virgins girdle Aloysius Lypomanus saith; to day is the girdle honoured, wherewith the most praise-worthy god-bearing Virgin was compassed: And in the same oration he calleth the girdle a mystery which cannot be expressed. Of the feast of Peters chain Simeon Metaphrastes in Lypomanus saith; Haec dies venerandas eius Catenas ostendit& ●arum adorationem proponit. Aloy. lip. in part. 1. pag. 324. edit. Verhessalt. This day sheweth openly the venerable fetters, and proposeth the worship of them. And the roman breviary calleth it, In urbe sanctorum vinculorum religio est propogata. in Sanc. Pet. ad vinc. lec. 6. quo ex tempore. The religion of Peters fetters: the religion of the chains is propagated in the city. Wherefore in Lypomanus again; Benedictum est lignum, per quod benedict●e sunt Gente●. Andr. Archi●p. Cretens. apud Sym. Metaph. pag. 197. p. 1. Blessed is the wood by which the Nations are blessed. And again, Omnia igitur, deo quae adi acu●run●, adoramu● pag. 210. ex jo. Damasc. Wee worship all things which were about Christ. CHAP. XXXII. Vertue and divine power ascribed to senseless things. IT is vain and idle labour to worship the thing, whereof wee are persuaded that there is no force nor virtue in it worthy of respect and reverence. Wherefore to magnify the worship of stocks and stones, it must necessary be, that they should first attribute great and wondrous virtue, yea, very divine operation unto them. Of the cross the Roman breviary saith; O Crux venerabil●s, quae salutem attulisti miseris, quibus te efferam praconijs, quo●tam vitam nobis coelitem praeparasti. in eualt. Cruc. Ant. in primo nocturno.& in Per. star. O worshipful cross, which hast brought salvation unto men, with what praises shall I extol thee, for thou hast prepared for us eternal life? And again, O Crux benedicta, queen sola suist● digna portare regem coel●rum. in invent. Cruc. ex Bre. star. et in pox. Heres et in Ro. Bre. in exalt. Cruc. O blessed cross, which wast worthy alone to bear the King of heaven. A pair of monstrous blasphemies. The first attributeth the praise of saving mercy, and of providence, in preparing eternal life, to a piece of wood: the last gives worthiness unto it, to bear the son of God. The word Sola, Alone, doth import a superexcellence in this three above all other trees: The word Digna, Worthy, reporteth in the subject an equality with the predicate. So that thereby they place an excellence in the cross, by which it was fit and equivalent in proportion of worthiness to bear the King of heaven. Wherefore in the invention of the cross on the third day of May, they call it the health bringing cross: And in another place; O Crux splendidi●r cunctis as●ris, mundo celebris, hominibus multum amabil●, sanctior vniuersis: qua sola fi●sti digna portare talentum mundi Ro. Br. in sest. ●nuen Cruc. ad magnif. Ant. O cross more beautiful then all the stars, famous in the world, amiable to men, more holy then all things: which onely wast worthy to bear the Talent of the world: And, Bre. star in inven. Cruc. Resp. O Crux viride lignum. O precious Gem which didst deserve to sustain Christ. The missal of Sarisbury singeth in honour of the cross; Dicant omnes& dicant singuli, Aue sal●s ●●a●is populi arbour salutis●ra in seq. laud. Cru●is. Let all and every one now say, blessed be the health of people all, Health-bearing three. To excuse their Idolatry, one pretendeth, Non quod cruce, quantum ad crucē pertinet, aliud quam cruciatum inesse intelligam● said quia cruciatu crucis mihi salutem, et ignom●nia gloriam,& morte gloriam,& morte crucis vitam mihi datam intelligā. that this honour and power is not ascribed to the timber and substance of the Engine, nor to the cross, as it is a cross in which is understood nothing but affliction and torment: but because that by his passion on the cross, salvation to men was given, &c. Another saith; Non materiam( absis enim) said figuram. Aloy. Lys. par. 1. fol. 210. ad finem pag. ex jo. Damasc. not the matter( God forbid) but the figure we worship. But this is as deceitful as all the rest. For both unto the figure, and the matter of their Crosses they attribute honour and virtue. Of the figure, Bellarmine out of Minutius Foelix and Ambrose contendeth that Bell. l. 2 de imag. sanc. c. 27. verbo addunt M●nutius. Excellent arguments. The figure of the cross is naturally heal●hfull. For the bide cannot fly, if the wings, and the body resemble not the sign of the cross: The Ships move not in the water, except the Mast and the yard whereon the sails do hang express the figure of the cross. Yea, the very heaven itself, if you imagine two lines from the East to the West, from the North to the South to bee drawn, is a very cross. Lastly, the Husbandman cannot till the land, except inform of the cross the plough be framed. Others say, the very substance of the wood is full of virtue and honour: and to this opinion the Missals and Legends do incline. The mass of Sarisbury saith; Dulce liguum dulci dignum credimus melodiae. in ex. Cruc. lauds Crucis. We think the sweet wood Worthy of sweet melody. Aloysius Lypomanus, out of an History fathered on Paulinus saith, Crux in materia insensata vim vivam tenens. part. 2 pag. ● 27. ad finem. the cross in the unsensible matter holdeth living power. The Roman missal saith, Ro Bre. in Fest. exalt. Cruc. in prin●. noct. Antiph. nobise l●gnum exaltatur. The noble wood is exalted. Aloy. lip. calls it In la dem Sanc.& vi● fica●rucis. pa●t. 1 fol. 210. The holy and the lively or quickening wood. The Portuis of Sarum, Dulce Lignum, In invent. C●uc. sweet wood and precious wood. Nay, the dotage thereof is such that it attributeth in plain terms divine power to the woodden block. Quod non valet vis humana, fit 〈◇〉 tuo nomine. in exalt. C●uc. in seq. lauds Cruc●s in Miss. star. That which mans force cannot perform, In thy name in done. And of the excellent virtue thereof in another place; arbour dicora& fulgida, ornata regis purpura, electa digno stipite an dem. pas●et Ro. Bre. ibid. in him. vexilla regis. O three comely and bright, With the Kings purple trimmed, Chosen from a worthy stock. This alludeth no doubt to the Legend History, which deriveth with a long Pedigree the descent of the cross, even from the three that grew in the midst of Paradise, and saieth, that Michael the archangel caused Sheth the son of Adam to plant the same on his fathers grave: which grew up there to a goodly three, and was afterward by Salomon thrown down, to serve in his building: but the artificers found it either too long, or too short for every purpose; therefore they laid it as a bridge over a brook, vpon which when the queen of Saba passed, shee prophesied that on it should bee hanged the saviour of the world. Wherefore Salomon took it up, and butted it very deep in the ground; Non solum ex descesu angeli, said etiam ex virtute ipsius ligni traditur ibi fieri &c. Leg. Lomb. ex evang. Nich. et jo. Beleth. et scholast. hist. invent. crucis. so that over it was made the pool of Siloe, which not onely by the descending of an angel, but also by the virtue of the wood did great cures. Let us now proceed, and consider what divinity and supreme power they attribute to other relics. Of the nailes which pierced the body of Peter they sing; Beat, clavi, qui sancta illa membra penetrarunt. Ro. Br. in 6. die infr. octau. Apost. Pet. et Paul. lec. 5. gaudeas Petre. Blessed bee the nailes which pierced those holy members. Of the girdle of the blessed virgin Andreas Cret. Archiep. in Lypomanus saith; O zona, quae eis qui ad te consugiunt dat lumborum quidem mortificationem ad vitiae, animi autem fortitudinem ad virtutum operationem part. 1. fol. 182. It giveth mortification of the loins towards sin, unto all those that flee to it for succour, and strength of mind to follow the works of virtue. And the Glossator in the margin addeth; Vult peti posse a sacrae zona purgationem anima et corporis. ibid. His meaning is, that from the holy girdle may be desired the cleansing both of body and soul. To the same girdle he again confesseth; O zona, queen nostra naturae imbecillitatem astringes& r●boras, et inim: cos nostros, tam qui sub aspectum cadunt, quam qui non cadunt, impedit. ibid. O girdle, which bindest and strengthenest the imbecility of our nature, and dost stop the violence of our visible and invisible enemies. Of the swathband of the Lord, wherewith the flesh of his tender infancy was wrapped, they say; O sascia, queen liberatorem dominum inuoluistis, et nostrorum peccatorum ca●enas dissolustis. ib. O ye swathebands which wrapped the Lord our deliverer about, and dissolved the bands of our sins. Gregory Archbishop of Turon of the cross, Nailes, spear, Coat and images of Christ saith; Fides retineat omne quod sacrosanctum corpus attigit, esse sacratum. a●. Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 158. Faith doth hold, all that touched the holy body to be holy. Euthymius the monk of the virgins girdle saith; that Fraudulentissimum draconem per eā suffocauit, primi des ministri licet non videantur, eā adorant. Euth. Monach. apud Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 285. edit, Verhes. with it she strangled the old crafty serpent: that the angells, though they cannot be seen, do honour it: that the air thereby is sanctified, the heauens made most respendent, the Sun& moon illustrated beyond their nature, and the whole world, which consisteth in four parts, is renewed and made bright: that it ( x) surmounteth the heauens in divine virtue. To Saint Peters chains no less virtue is ascribed. Simeon Metaphrastes teacheth; Quae diuina virtute coelos superat. ibid. fol. 286. These chains of power the prince of darkness doth tremble at: the multitude of airy spirites do fly from. Non enim serre potest spiritus sancti gratiam has ipsas caetenas obūbrast, neque scintillas ex divino illarum igne exilientis sustinet. part. 1. pag. 329. For they cannot abide the grace of the spirit of God, which ouershadoweth these chains, nor yet the sparks of divine fire, which leap out of them: Lastly, these chains bind captive the wicked spirits, and the very prince of this world himself. The virgins garment Metaphrastes calleth Vestē plane divinam et sum venerandam, ad eā quidem vere laudandam nulla sufficie oratio. Aloy. lip. part. 1 pag. ●45 a divine vesture, to the praise whereof no speech sufficeth. Of the virgins tomb the Roman missal out of the same author pronounceth; Ego cuafi officina medicinae aegrotantibus: ego sum sons perennis curationum: ego remedium aduersus daemons: ego civitas resugij omnibus ad me confugientibus. tertia die ●fr. assump. vir. lec. 6. quid quaeritis? I am become the shop of medicine to the sick: I am the fountain of continual cure: I the remedy against devils: I the city of refuge unto all that flee unto me. The Legend of Lombardy is author, that unto those that esteemed the garments of Saint John the evangelist vile and base relics, to show the dignity of them, Leg. Lomb. in sanct. Greg. fol. 39. pag. 2. col. 1. steque quod pretiosa essent reliquiae, divinitus est estensum. Gregory having prayed took a knife, and did prick in diuers places the vestment, out of which presently blood did issue. Thus was it shewed from heaven that relics were precious. I need no longer weary my pen in this business; it is to every one by that which hath been spoken, apparent, that to dead and senseless blocks and stocks, the miraculous and divine power of saving, preserving, and sanctifying mankind, is attributed. The LORD grant them Pro. 3.7 not to bee wise in their own conceits: nor to learn after the wisdom of the earth, but to flee unto the Lord Iesus to sanctify them with the Spirit of his grace. CHAP. XXXIII. Of hope, trust and confidence reposed in senseless stocks and dead relics by the Romish Church, and of prayers to the same directed. jerusalem that wicked and ungracious city, the Lord compareth to a boiling pot, Ezech. 24.6.& ver. 12. whose filthiness is melted in it: she hath wearied herself with lies, but her great skumme went not cut of her. Nothing is more odious unto God, then when being deprehended in our sin, in stead of repentance and casting out of the skumme of wickedness, wee seek evasions and subtleties, whereby to animate and encourage our hearts in our ungodliness. Let us now examine the skum of the roman furnace, whose obstinate heat burneth to maintain, not to cast out her filthiness. Of relics, Bellarmine saith; Nos enim Reliquias honoranius& osculamur, vt sacra pignora patro●orum nostrorum. lib. 2. cap. 2. de Reliquiis. verbo at quis. We worship them, and honour, and kiss them as the pledges of our holy patrons. The false Serpent lurketh commonly in the fairest flowers: and heresy hath evermore words of oil and smooth pretences to beguile; for the truth is, in stocks and relics, graues and garments, they place their hope and their confidence, which ought only through Iesus Christ to be fastened on the God of their salvation. Of Peters bonds Sym: Metaphrastes saith, Hae diuina haereditatis terminos ciugeu●es,& undique ●●●ientes faciunt ut ab hostibus▪ expugnari possint. Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 329. ad finem. that They compassing about the limits of the divine heritage, and every where strengthening them, make that men cannot be overcome of the enemy: And of the same Apostles sword he saith, Coelestem enim gratiam confert, variarum curationum copiam suppeditat, sui cultores salutariter custodit, seque amplectentes erigit, animas ipsorum eletians. ibid. 231. it conferreth heavenly grace, it yieldeth variety of cures, it keeps them healthful that worship it, and lifteth up those who embrace it, raising up their souls within them. The missal of Sarum saith, Nulla salus est in doom, nisi cruce manit homo, him. laud. cruc. quod non valet uti humana, fit in tuo no●in●. Miss. star. in exalt. Cruc. There is no health in the house, except a man defend it with the cross. Who can now blame them to put confidence, and repose trust in the things, which are so full of that power which is proper only unto God? Lanbertus Daxaeus that excellent learned man reporteth, that in the Procession of the Abbey of fountain, they were used to pray; Lamb. Dan. in resp. ad cap. 29. con. ob. 7. Bellarmins. O holy handkerchief of God pray for us: And again, saint Sudari ora pro nobis; O holy napkin pray for us: And Sudarium Christi liberet nos à peste; let the Napkin of Christ deliver us from the plague. I know the religious learned man, if he were living, could render a just account of this report. Howbeit since he is now with his God in rest and happiness; with their own daily service enjoined by authority, set down in their missals( such as I hope, they haue no faces to deny) I will press them. O Crux aue, spit unica hoc passionnis tempore, auge pijs justitiam, reisque dona ventim. him.& Ro. Br. ibid. All hail, O cross, our special hope, Now at this present passion time, uprightness in the good increase, And quit the guilty of their crime. again, In prosa Crux fidelis. God save the wood of life, worthy the worlds price to bear: give to this people of Christ the benefit of the cross. O Crux, signum triumphal, mundi vera salus, vale: inter ligna nullum tale, frond, floor, germino; medicina Christiana, salua sanos, egros sana, in exalt crucis. ●n sequen. laud Crucis. in Miss. star. O cross, the triumphant sign, the very salvation of the world farewell: amongst all trees there is none such as thou, in the branch, in the blossom, and in the fruit: O medicine of Christians, save them that are sound, heal them that are sick. Now to stir us up by example to this idolatry( for much do the works of worthy men excite) they feign, that this superstition hath warrant from Andrew the Apostle, who going on to be crucified, thus prayed to the wooden Engine; O bona Crux, quae decorem& pulchritudinem de membris Domini suscepists, accipe ●●o ab hominibus,& tedda me Magistro m●●. Ro. Bre. in fest. Audr. O good cross, which didst take beauty and comeliness from the members of our Lord, receive me from men, and give me to my Master: Nay, blessed Andrew( say they) Beat. Andr. expansis manibus ad coe●um erabat, sal●a me bona crux. ibid. stretching abroad his hands, prayed: save me, O holy cross. But the futility of this figment many things bewray. First, Andrew was not crucified on the same cross whereon Christ was crucified; therefore to the cross that Andrew was crucified on, Christs members gave no comeliness: Secondly, Andrew was not crucified on a cross of the same fashion which Christs cross was of: the one was like the letter T, the other like the letter X, if their own pictures haue any credit; wherefore they were not engines of one fashion. Bellar. cap. 27. lib. de imag. sanc. 2. verbo illud autem non est ignoran. Christ was nailed: Extendentes sunibus totum corpus ●ius, sicut eu iussum fuerat, suspenderunt. portif. star. in Beat. Andrew. Andrew( the missal saith) was bound on the cross; wherefore Andrew had no cause to pray to the cross, which was neither the same substance, nor the same sign, that is, of the same fashion with the cross of Christ. again, the History is destitute of all good authority. Hier. in catalogue. script. jerome writing the life of Andrew speaks not a word hereof: nor Dorotheus Bishop of Tyre. The book attributed to Cyprian de duplici Martyrio, of Andrew witnesseth, that he went rejoicing to the cross, but of this prayer he makes no mention. Bellarmine hath another shift to creep out of the curse, which is poured vpon the head of Idolaters; that in all these prayers the figure Prosopopoeia is used, by which we speak to one thing in another, as Moses doth Deut. 32.1. harken ye heauens, and I will speak, and let the earth hear the words of my mouth. And the Psalmist; Psal. 98, 8. Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord. To this there is no need to labour for an answer, it is plain and at hand. Bellarmine cannot forget, that in another place he saith, Per si& proprie. Bellar. de Imag. sanct. lib. 2. cap. 21. in ipso pri●. cap. Images are to be worshipped properly, and in themselves; and not onely as they haue the place of the exemplar. Wherefore, he cannot now claim the benefit of this idle distinction, since he teacheth, that Images are to bee worshipped in themselves. Secondly, though Moses naming the heauens, and david the Hills and the Seas, spake by the figure Prosopopoeia, to the powers in heaven, and the inhabitants of the earth and Sea: yet the popish Orison doth not so; for it saith; Dulce liguum, dulcos clanos, dulcia ferone p●nd●ra, salua praesunt●● cat●rnam. Ro. Bre. in invent. Cruc. ad Magnif. 〈◇〉. Sweet wood, bearing the sweet nails, and the sweet burden, save this present company. This is a discretiue speech, and a plain distinction of things, naming the burden and the wood, but directing the prayer to the wood, as where also they say; Nobis pronum sac patronum, quem tulisti Dominum. in prosa, Crux fidelis. Make favourable that Patron unto us, The Lord wh●m thou didst bear. This is no Prosopopoeia: but plainly, simply, distinctly they beseech the wood, to mediate to the son of God whom it did bear. Thirdly, Moses and david did neither pray to the Heauens nor to the Hills. Do you think it lawful to blaspheme God by figures, and to commit idolatry by figures? It is cursed rhetoric, which robbeth God of his honour. After all this open idolatry of the missals, Bellarmine spareth not yet to avouch; Quis unquam auditus est in precibus, aut litanijs daeisse, Sanctae reliquiae orate pro me? de Reliq. sanc cap. 2. lib. 2. ad finem. Who was ever heard in prayer or litanies to say; Holy relics pray for us? Against this I opppose Germanus the Patriarch of Constantinople, who of the Virgins girdle saith; Nec existimet aeliquis hoc esse absurdum ex iis qui lubenter reprehendunt, si ea tanquam animata alloquamur,& ea bonis verbu,& laudibus prosequamur. Aloy. lip part. 1. fol. 282. edit. verbo haec autem omnia. Let no man of those which love to reprehend, think it absurd, that we speak unto it, as a living thing, and that wee present it with good words and prayers. What shall wee say of the girdle; Quae propinqua fuit animato Dei verbi habitaculo. ibid. Non occurrimus? non supplices humipr●cidemus? non purgationem anime& corporis ab ea postulabinu●? omnino. ibid. which was near unto the living habitation of the word of God? Shall we not meet it? Shall we not fall suppliant on the ground? Shall wee not desire the purging of body and soul from it? Yes altogether. Wherefore he prayeth; O swath-band of Christ, and blessed girdle of the Virgine, give sanctification, and strength, and expiation, to those which with faith come to your holy Temple, and earnestly desire your worship, and adore you. Ibidem. again, O veneranda zona sum venerande Dei Matris, accing● lumbos nostres veritate, iustitia,& mansuetudine: fac nos haredes aeterna& beatae vitae. ib. pag. 282. O venerable girdle of the most venerable Mother of God, compass about our loins with truth, righteousness and meekness, and make us partakers of the eternal and blessed life. O thou undefiled girdle of the undefiled virgin, Tuam hareditatem, tuum populum, O iutimtratae zona, conserua, ibid. preserve thy heritage and thy people. And johannes Monachus Damascenus thus maketh the Sepulchre of the blessed virgin itself to speak, Fide populi accòdite,& tanquam en flunio haurite charismata, fidem habentes non haefitantem. ex Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 278. Come hither ye people with faith, and suck graces as from a river, having faith without wavering. And a little after; Qui sitit m●rborum medicinariā à perturbationibus animi liberationem, peccatorum abstersionem &c. ad me fide veniat. lip. ibid. whosoever thirsteth the curing of his sickness, the delivering of his soul from perturbations, the washing away of his sins, freedom from all kind of assaults, the rest of the heavenly kingdom, let him come to me with faith, and drink of the river of grace. By all these proofs I haue now made, it is plain and clearly evident, that they put their trust and confidence; they offer their prayers and petitions to dead relics: And their lies haue caused them to err after that their fathers haue walked. Amos 2.4. Blessed Lord, if it bee thy pleasure, haue mercy vpon them: bring them home, and give them grace to come out of their own Babylon: and in the Sion of the holy Church to worship thee in spirit and truth. Amen, Amen, Lord Iesus. CHAP. XXXIIII. Of the form and figure of the cross, and that the Romish Church doth not certainly know the true fashion thereof, but doth worship a doubtful figure, to which they haue put additions of their own; wherefore they are very Idolaters, because their figure of the cross is a false figment of mans invention. AS the body of Moses Deut. 34.6. was therefore taken away, and butted in the mountain, that no man knoweth of his Sepulchre unto this day, lest perhaps the Israelites should haue committed Idolatry therewith: And as the tongues Gen. 11.7. of the builders of Babylon were confounded, lest the city of pride should rise up to the very Heauens: So it seemeth not without the special providence and wisdom of God, to be brought to pass, that the Church should haue no certain knowledge of the true form of the cross; thereby to give checke-mate to Idolatry, and to take from men superstitious and vain worship of an unprofitable thing. Beda is author, that the cross was made of four kinds of wood. Beda in suis collectancis. Cedar, pine, cypress, and box: But this saith Bellarmine is not probable, The Legend of Lombardy saith, Ligna crucis Palma, Cedrus, Cypressus, Ol●ua. in invert. Crucit. fol. 60. col. 1. circa medium. it was made of palm, cypress, olive, and Cedar: and for his authority he allegeth an old verse. Bellarmine saith, Se●endum igitur, crucē ex tribus signis factum esse, quorum vnum erat longum, cvi corpus adhaerebat, alteruntransu●rsum, superpositum longo, quibus affigebantur manus &c. l. de imag. Sanc. c. 27. in princip. cap. it was made of three pieces of wood, whereof one was long, to which the body did adhere: the second transverse or a cross piece, put vpon the long shaft, to which the depiction of a cross hands were fastened with Nailes: the third wood was fastened in the long shaft, that vpon it the feet of the crucified might stand. So that according to Bellarmines description, the cross bare the figure here noted. Iacobus de Voragine in the Legend of Lombardie saith with no less confidence, that there was in the cross a depiction of a cross fourfold difference of timber; that is to say, a long or erect piece, a cross piece; a table set under the feet, and a stock into which the cross was put. Wherefore by this description, the form of the cross should be like the adjoined pattern. This writer for his authority referreth himself unto the Apostle Paul, Ephesians 3.18. and to Saint Austen. Neither of these descriptions agree with the form of the cross which Constantine saw in the heaven, for ought can be gathered out of Eusebius and Socrates. For Socrates mentioneth onely a Pillar of bright shining light in the heaven after the form of a cross, in which was written in letters OVERCOME in THIS. And Eusebius, to whom Constantine himself did relate the vision, neither speaketh of the table for the feet, nor the stock wherein the shaft was placed; but saith, the figure which Constantine made, Erat autem tali figura fabricatae; hastile oblongum erectūque auro vndique obductum fuit, quod cornu habuit transuersum ad foreman crucis constructum supra in fastigio ipsius operis Corona affixa, lapidibus preciosis,& auro politè circumtexta, in ea salutaris appellationis seruatoris nota inscripta, du●bus solum expressa elements; id est, duaebus primis literis nominis Christi( erat enim. R. litera in ipso medio litera X. curiose et subtiliter inserta) quae totum Christi nomen perspicue significarunt. Quas quidem literas deinceps semper Imperator in galea gestare consuevit. ad eorum illius particulae, quae ex transuerso erat per hastin le traiecta, velam●quod dampertenus appensum adhaesit, Regalis( viz.) et magnifica textura, mirabili varietate lapidum preciosorum artificio se coniu●ctorum, lucisque sua claritate pulchre resplendescentium depicta, et multo auro iutertexta: et paulo pos; t. istud igitur vt lamen ad cornis affixum, longitudinis laetitudinisque cruci● mensuram p●●itus exaequ●uit. Euseb. de vita Constant. l. 1. c. 25. was a long spear upright, covered with gold, which had a transverse horn, after the maner of a cross: on the top whereof was a crown of precious stones most curiously wrought, and in it the healthful note of the name of our saviour, expressed onely in the two first letters. For the letter P. was curiously and subtly placed in the midst of the letter X. which letters the Emperour did ever after bear in his Helmet. At the end of that part which was transverse, over the spear hung a thin veil, very royal and magnificent in the workmanship, with wondrous variety of precious stones artificially joined together, fairly shining in their light, painted and wouen-in with much gold. And he saith after, that this veil fastened to the end or horn of the transverse, did altogether equalize the length and breadth of the depiction of a cross cross, according to the portrait here set down. Eusebius in the beginning of these words( as you perceive) calleth the whole transverse an horn, and takes his Metaphor from the yard of a Ship, on which the sail depends. Now, that in latin is called Antenna, and the ends of the same are called Cornua Antennae, the Horns of the yard. Irenaeus saith, Ipsi habitus crucis finet et summitares habuit ●. duos in longitudinem, duos in latitudinem, et vnum in medio, ubi requiescit qui clavis affigitur. iron. con. haeres. Val●nt. l. 2. c. 42. in princ. sere. the cross had five ends and summities: depiction of a cross two ends in length: and two in breadth: and one in the middle, on which he restend that was to bee nailed. To this, Austine Aug. epist. 120. ex Bell. lib. de Imag. ●. 27. agrees, who saith, that the long erected piece did appear above the transverse. By this testimony, the fashion of the across differs from al the figures we haue formerly spoken of, and seemeth to be like to this which is here set down. justinus Martyr a very ancient and worthy doctor saith, depiction of a cross that the Vnicornes horn doth resemble the fashion of the cross. His words are these; Vnus stipes in rectum surgit, in quo summo ceu cornis prominet, quando transut●sum lignum additur, uni cornui ad●unctu vtrinque cornibus medius quoque stipes refert cornu prominuli speciem quo sustinenatur crucifixt, et ipse cum reliquis duobu● cornibus coaptatus, paeriterque rigidus. justin. One stock riseth up strait, in the top whereof appeareth as an horn, when the transverse piece is thereto added: unto which horn on both sides other horns are joined. The middle of the stock resembleth an horn standing out, vpon which the crucified are sustained: and the same is fitted to the two horns being of like strength. If justine bee true, then here behold the figure of the cross. Ambrosius Calepin, a man skilful in the propriety of speech, rendereth the word, Crux, by the word, Furca, and makes them of one signification, and saith, it is called, Crux, of the greek word, 〈◇〉, which is to break or bruise; according to that of the evangelist: then came the souldiers and broke the legs of the first and the second. Carolus Sigonius a Bishop of the Popish Church calleth the gallows, on which josuah hanged the kings of ay, a across: and saith, the greek interpreter renders it, geminum lignum, a double wood. But whether this double wood were a cross, as Papists picture it, or a fork, they declare not at all. In this digladiation& doubtfulness of opinions, wherein writers agree not what was the figure of the cross, how can any Romanist tell, whether they worship the right sign, or not? And surely to worship that which is not the true sign of the cross of Christ, is plain idolatry; because his body touched no such, nor died on no such, but on one perhaps of a far different kind. The Romish Synagogue frameth Crosses differing from all these in proportion, making the shaft like a shepherds crooke in the top, to express the letter P. but so was not Christs cross, nor any other that we red of. Then they put two little pieces to the fashion of Saint Andrews cross. X. so that by abbreuiation the two letters signify the whole name of Christ. They put then a transverse piece, vpon which doth hang over the whole breadth a flag or a veil. The shaft of their cross hath for the fitness of carriage, an handstall to bear the same withall, according to this figure. depiction of a cross But the cross which Christ died on was not so. Wherefore the cross after the Romish edition,& with the accoutrement they thereto add, is an idol: a thing which never was; like the poets Centaurs, or the Egyptians Serapis: and when they worship it thus, they are unexcusable idolaters. For they worship the plain imagination of their own brains. But if any shall reply that they worship not the shepherds crooke, the letters, the veil, the hand-stall: I then reioyn, they are yet wicked Balamites, which set snares and stumbling blocks before their brethren, and do not withall teach, what is to bee worshipped, and what is not to be worshipped in their Hieroglyphical figment. having discoursed of the idolatry which the Romish church useth toward the sign of the cross, yet one thing remaines wherein to satisfy the doubtful reader. The fathers are found in many places to speak reverently of this badge of christianity, and report many miracles thereby wrought. Athanasius saith, Sign● crucis magica ●mnis pellitur art. in lib. de incarnatione verbi. By the sign of the cross all magical works are abolished. Euseb. de vita Constant. l. 1. c. 33. Constantine calls it, salutare signum, a wholesome sign. And it cannot be denied, but that at every going forth and coming in: tertul. lib. de Coron. Mili●. when they clothed or shooed themselves: when they washed: when they ate: when they lighted candles, christians in old time, did make the sign of the cross. To all this I reply, first, that in the primitive infancy of the Church, God to magnify his son Iesus Christ, did work great wonders and maruels, by the figure of the cross: but now because there is no need of miracles,( the whole world almost being brought unto Christ) there is no such power in the sign of the cross, and where the virtue of the ceremony doth cease, the ceremony should also cease; as Ezechia broke in pieces the brazen Serpent, when he saw it was honoured without use. Secondly, great was the reproach of the cross in the beginning of the Church. And what greater contumely did the Heathens cast out against Christ, but that he was an hanged God, a crucified saviour? Now to show openly unto the world, that this extreme humiliation of our saviour, his shameful death, his lamentable bloodshedding, was the satisfaction unto God for our sins, our victory over sin, death& hell; therfore the old christians every where triumphed in the sign of the cross, protesting that they were not ashamed of Christ crucified, who is the power of God unto salvation. But now that this reproach of the cross is ceased, and the whole world almost glorieth in the comfortable name of Iesus, there is no need nor use of the sign of the cross, to distinguish us from Heathens, not to express the profit of the death of Christ. every tongue confesseth that Christ is the Lord to the glory of God. Thirdly, although in respect of the Heathen the ancient christians did esteem reverently of the sign of the across: yet no man did give divine honour unto it: no man did pray unto it: no man did burn incense before it, nor offer Sacrifice unto it. Wherefore the reverence which the ancient Fathers of the primitive Church gave to the sign of the across, was not such, as the Romish Synagogue superstitiously& wickedly ascribeth thereunto. merciful God, the Father of our onely great and glorious everlasting Prophet Iesus Christ, magnify the name, and the office of thine only begotten son: Let all harts know and feel, that he is the onely truth, the only way, the only light of all that come into this world, unto eternal salvation. Grant us grace therefore to follow him as our guide: to give heed unto him as our teacher: to abide in him as our life; that he may also confess our names before thee, and aclowledge us to be the plants of his garden, still nourished by his spirit, the sheep of his fold, which haue not harkened to a strangers call. This grant, O Father of lights, through the mediation of thy dear Son our holy Prophet Iesus Christ, by the inspiration and operation of the blessed spirit. To thee one God, and three persons, bee all praise and glory world without end. Amen. ANTI-   christus. THe Co●. Nice. 2. act. 3. 〈◇〉 B●●th. Car●●z. images of holy Apostles, Prophets, and conquering Martyrs, and Saints, and blessed, as the friends of God we worship. 1 THou shalt make thee no graven image, nor any similitude of things, that are in heaven above, nor that are in the earth beneath, nor that are in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, neither serve them. Exo. 20.4.& 5. ver. The Imagines porr● Christi et dei●. &c. ex Con. tried. images of Christ also, and the blessed God-bearing virgin, and of other Saints we allow to bee had, and retained in Churches, and due honour and worship to be given unto them. 2 Ye shall make you none idols, nor graven image, neither rear ye up any pillar, neither shall ye set any image of ston in your land, to bow down to it: for I am the Lord your God. Leuit. 26.1. Cursed Ibid. be he that shall teach or beleeue the contrary. 3 Confounded be all they that serve graven images, and that glory in idols. Psal. 97.7. I Ex Con. ●. Nice. act. 4. do openly worship the histories of images,& adore them. 4 Babes keep yourselves from idols. 1. jo. 5. ver. ult. Much Conc. tried. fruit comes from all holy images. 5 What profiteth the image? Abac. 2.18. The Si●. Metap. apud Aloy. lip. part. 1. in ad●rat. vin. Cater. Pet. holy celebrity of the day of St. Peters chains conferreth the grace of the holy ghost, and light unto the souls. 6 If ye bee dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why as though living in the world are ye lead with traditions? Col. 2.20. Let Sancti Leon●s Conf. tui atque pontiff. quaesumus domin●, ●ttiua s●lennit at pietati tua nos reddat acceptos. Ro. Miss. the annual solemnity of lo thy confessor make us acceptable to thee. 7 My soul hateth your new moons, and your appointed feasts: they are a burden unto me, I am weary to bear them. Esay 1.14. Let Ro. Bre. in nat. virg. in sest. sept. 〈◇〉 ●t a● fa●. tuis. the solemnity of her holy day give us the increase of peace. 8 I cannot suffer your new moons, nor Sabbaths, nor solemn daies, it is iniquity. Esa. ibid. ver. 13. Let Ro. Bre. in vigil. Mat. sept. 10. erat. de qua sumus omnipote●t. the worshipful solemnity of St. matthew increase our devotion,& our salvation. 9 Ye observe daies and months, and times, and yeares: I am in fear of you, lest I haue bestowed on you labour in vain. Gal. 4. ver. 10.& 11. The Aloy. lip. in scholi● 7. in S●m. Metaph. ●uc●m. m●●es dexora Sanc. ●y▪ pr●●●●s. grace of the Spirit of God dwells in relics. 10 Let none bee found among you that asketh counsel at the dead. Deut. 18.10.11. The grace of God is given you in Iesus Christ. 1. Cor. 1. ver. 4. THE THIRD book OF THE KINGLY Office of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. COR VNVM VIA VNA printer's device of Humphrey Lownes AT LONDON, Printed by H.L. for matthew Lownes. 1618. TO THE RIGHT honourable Francis Lord Verulam, Lord High Chancellor of England, and one of his majesties most honourable privy counsel, grace, peace, and mercy from GOD the Father, and his son IESVS CHRIST our Lord, by the operation of the holy Ghost. YOur Honour may perhaps demand of me, as once Antigonus the great Prince did of Bias a poor philosopher, Whence and Who? since uncouth and unknown I presume to present the harsh and unpleasing lines of my rude labour unto your patronage. To this, my apology is, If your Lordships facility had been less, my presumption would not haue been so great: But now as the long wandring Pinnasse desireth to put into the fairest haven, and Souldiers evermore choose the most defensible shield: so I am bold with all humility to dedicate unto your Honour these poor endeavours of mine against the common enemy; both in regard of your gracious disposition, as also your great autho itie: of which the one doth promise me good acceptance, and the other assured protection. Surely if the blasphemy of the Romish Antichristian Synagogue were like unto other heretics, whereof, one denieth the Manhood, as Ebion: another the Godhead as Arius: some the distinction of his Person from the Father, as Sabellius: others his human soul, as Apolinaris, or the truth of his Passion, as Manicheus; The confutation of their impiety would be more easy: but confessing the natures, Papistry overthroweth the offices, not openly& plainly as other heretics but craftily and secretly. So that under the name of Christ, as Cyprian saith, they confounded the Religion of Christ; and as Tully reporteth of Epicurus that he left gods unto the people in words, but took them away in deeds: So the Romish school hath the form of godliness, but denieth the power therof. And though they outwardly confess Christ, yet they spoil him of all the offices to which by the eternal counsel of God, for the reparation of mankind he is ordained. To this end therefore should all Ministers employ their Studies, all States their Policy, all Magistrates their Power, all commonweals their wisdom, that these wolves disguised in Lambe-skins, these Messengers of Satan in the habit of Angels of light might bee unmasked, and the mystery of iniquity which walketh in the darkness discovered to every eye, and so all Israel should flee from Babylon, and every simplo sheep understand the collusion of the Foxes. Of the Priestly and prophetical parts in the former books I haue entreated; in this I show what violence, what treachery they use toward the supreme King of Kings and Lord of Lords; and withall against worldly Potentates and Princes, whom God hath ordained to be his Vice-gerents, and under him to exercise power in the earth. unto your worthiness therefore I offer this last book, wherein according to the talent given unto me, I defend the dignity and majesty of the regal power against the wicked usurpation of the Romish Bishop. First, because I know how deere and precious unto you the honour and dignity of our most royal sovereign is: and secondly, if from your great wisdom and learned censure these simplo leaves shall receive any approbation, I shall little regard the venomous aspersions of detracting tongues, or the poisoned teeth of any zoilus whatsoever. The Lord God of all power and might bless your Honour in your high place of Iustice and of government so happily begun, that your brightness and your light may increase more and more until the day be full; And at last as full of honours as of dayes you may be gathered to your Fathers in peace, and to the bosom of Abraham replenished with everlasting ioy and glory: Which the Lord grant unto you, thorough Iesus Christ our onely mediator and advocate. seavern Stoke in Worcester-shire, Your Honours most humble Orator, R. FOWNS. OF THE KINGLY Office of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. CHAP. I. IN the third place we are now to speak of the great and glorious kingdom of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. And seeing of his Priestly and prophetical functions, which are but Offices of service and Ministration, wee found ourselves too weak and unworthy to discourse: How shall wee dare to speak of the King of kings, the Lord of lords, being but dust and ashes? Who shall open my infant tongue, and give power to my vnpolisht pen, to speak of him Psal. 18.10. that sitteth above the Cherubins, and rideth vpon the wings of the wind? Of him, Apo●. 19.12. whose eyes are as a flamme of fire; and on his head are many crownes? O be thou the argument and the Author( King no less of Mercy then of majesty) shed of thy sweet Spirit the smallest spark into my heart: open thou my mouth, and I shall speak: direct my quill, and I shall writ: led me, O led me in thy truth, lest I job. 38.2. darken thy counsel by words without knowledge; so shall thy weakest creature glorify thy name, and thy power shall be perfected in my infirmity. Grant this, O supreme King of eternal glory Iesus Christ, son of the everliving God, to whom with his blessed Father, and the holy Spirit bee ascribed all power, might and majesty for ever and ever. It was agreeable to the proportion of the love which God did bear unto the world, that he should not sand a messenger, nor a ministering spirit, nor a mere creature for our deliverance: but his own onely begotten son, who by his divine power might perform what Angells and Archangels could not do; namely, overcome all force of our spiritual Egypt, and by the omnipotence of his divinity Heb. 4.12 pierce into the Spirits and souls of men, and dwell therein. Many irrefragable and demonstrative arguments there are, which witness unto us the incomparable regality, and super-excellent dominion of IESVS CHRIST over all things, in heaven above, in the earth beneath, and things under the earth. The first reason is taken from the necessity of the generation: for it is impossible that the everlasting, infinite, perfect Father, should beget a son not in all things like himself, since among the worms of the earth, Man and Beast, every thing that begetteth, doth beget his like. Wherefore, God being the Father, must needs haue God to be the son: The everlasting being Father, the everlasting must bee the son: The Father being King, the son must be King also. And this necessity of generation John pointeth unto in the beginning of his gospel; for he saith, jo. 1.1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was that Word. And the Apostle Paul pointeth to it, in calling him Col. 1.15 The Image of the invisible God, and Heb. 1.3. the brightness of the glory, and the engraved form of his person. Then if the person of the Father be Psa. 24.10.& 1. Cor. 2.8. the King of glory, the person of the Son, and 1. jo. 5.7 of the holy Ghost also, who proceedeth from both, is King of glory. For whatsoever is substantially of God, is God. The second reason to prove the kingdom of our Christ, is the plentiful record which God himself in the Scripture giveth of his son. In the 2. psalm it is witnessed; Ps. 2.7.8.9. Thou art my son, this day haue I begotten thee: Desire of me, and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession: Thou shalt crush them with a sceptre of Iron, and break them in pieces like a Potters vessel. And in another psalm; Psa. 110.1.2 The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool: The Lord shall sand the rod of thy power out of Sion: be thou Ruler in the midst of thine enemies. Esay prophesieth also of his dominion; Esa. 32.1, 2 Behold a King shall reign in iustice, and the Princes shall rule in iudgement: And that man shall he as an hiding place from the wind, and as a refuge from the tempest, as riuers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. Of this dominion jeremy also foreshoweth; for having spoken of the delivery of Israel from captivity, from the yoke and from bonds, he addeth; jer 30.8.9. They shall serve the Lord their God, and david their King, whom I will raise up unto them. And in another place; 23.5, 6 Behold, I will raise unto david a righteous branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shal execute iudgement and iustice in the earth: In his dayes shall judah be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is the name whereby they shall call him, The Lord our righteousness. Ezechiel saith; Eze. 34.23.24 I will set up a shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my seruant david; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd, and I the Lord will be their God, and my seruant david shall be the Prince among them. Hosea prophesieth, that Hos. 3.4. This cannot be understood of the natural man david, for he was dead long before any of these prophecies. Israel shall remain many dayes without a King, and without a Prince, without an offering, and without an image, without an Ephod, and without Teraphim: afterward shall the children of Israel convert, and seek the Lord their God, and david their King. Micha calleth him, Mich. 5.2. the ruler in Israel, whose goings forth haue been from the beginning, and from everlasting. Zechary saith, Zech. 14.9. The Lord shall be King over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name shall be one. Such as the Prophets in the old time foreshowed him, the holy men in the new Testament received him. Nathanael confesseth; jo. 1.49. Rabbi thou art the son of God, thou art the King of Israel. The Apostle Paul saith, that Heb. 1.2.3. God hath made him heir of all things, and that he sitteth at the right hand of the majesty in the highest places. Thomas the Apostle after no little obstinacy and stubborness, yet at last confessed; jo. 20.28. Thou art my Lord, and my God. Finally, the angel; Luke 2. Zachary the father of the Baptist; Luke 1. The wisemen out of the East; Math. 2. and sundry others, which for brevity I pass over, aclowledge Christ to be a Lord and a King: yea, such a Lord( saith the Apostle) Phil. 2.9. To whom God hdth given a name above every name, that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow. Wherefore let all the world confess unto him; Apoc. 5.12. Worthy is the lamb that was killed, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, strength, and honour, and glory, and praise. The third proof of the imperial and kingly power of the Christ of God, is his wondrous works and miracles; as, curing of all diseases, healing of all maladies, raising of the dead to life, commanding both the winds and the seas, casting out of divels, Luke 7.22. and mastering all power of elements; all these things wrought only by his word, what doth it teach else, but that he is the King of Kings, to whom all creatures bow and obey. Hereunto let me add that notable token of his omnipotent power which himself speaketh of, jo. 10.18. that he had power to lay down his own life, and power to take it again: so in that he prevented the cruelty of the tormentors, Vid. Cyp. in tract. de vani●. idol. ad finem verb. nam& cruci six●●. and gave up the Ghost when he would, it sheweth him to bee of infinite and unlimited command. Fourthly, if there were no other testimony of his dominion, his very humiliation and death declares it. For what meaneth it, that the sun is darkened, the powers of the heaven moved, the stones do rend into pieces, the earth doth quake and tremble, Math. 27. the dead bodies rise out of the graues again at his departure, but that all the household of the world is abashed to see the master thereof die? the Lord of the family to suffer destruction? Fiftly, all his enemies are cast under his feet,& aclowledge his supereminent authority. The divell saith; Luke 4.34. Art thou come to destroy us? I know who thou art, even the holy One of God. Pilate writeth, and from what he writeth he cannot be removed; joh. 19.19. Mat. 27.37. This is Iesus, the King of the Iewes. Lastly, death and the grave confess their weakness, and his dominion, they cannot keep him in: they haue devoured, but they must spew him out again: darkness cannot suffer light, Luke 24.5. death cannot bear life, the grave cannot brook his new come guest. They all confess; we are weary of our prey: They all hasten with the Whale to cast up jonas. jonah. 2. Such an intolerable burden, such a bitter morsel, such an vncaptiuable captivity they haue gotten as they would fain be rid of. They travell like a woman with child: they urge and hasten his departure, as Exod. 12.33. the Egyptians forced Israel, to sand them out of the land in hast; for they said, we bee all but dead men. Wherefore let this seem no light argument to thee of Christs dominion( godly Reader) since even by death he hath spoiled death, Col. 2.15. and all principalities and powers by his suffering. What is his power, whose infirmity is so potent? What a Lord in life is he, that in death is such a conqueror? And here is now the greatest miracle and wonder that ever God hath wrought; namely, to beget a Son equal to himself, that infinity of power, might, majesty and dominion should be conjoined unto extreme humility, lowliness, infirmity and misery in one person. For he that in his divine nature is Lord of Angels, in Heb. 2.9. his human nature is not onely made inferior to Angels for a while, but to the basest man vpon the earth, Gal. 3.13. when he was cursed and strike of God for sin, and had all sins appearing and punished in his body vpon the cross. Exod. 28. At which time he not onely bare our sins, but our names before God; so that now he is made the Ocean of sins, Christ who never sinned beareth all the sins of his elect. or the body of all sinners. O love passing all understanding! Let every one lay his hand vpon his mouth, for no tongue can utter it: Let every knee bow, and every heart confess: Let every mountain fall down, and every high Hill humble itself at the feet of this immensity so small; this greatness so little; this power so weak, A sinner by imputation onely, not by committing sin. this life so mortal, this King a seruant, this God a Man, this righteous a sinner, this beloved accursed, Apoc. 13.8. this lamb, this lion which was slain from the beginning of the world, Apoc. 11.17. which was, which is, and which is to come; Apoc. 3.7. Esay 22.22. who hath the keys of david, and shutteth, and no man openeth, and openeth and no man shutteth: Who hath Apoc. 1.18. the keys likewise of death, and of Hell: our God, our King, and our Redeemer; whose incomparable power is such, 1. Cor. 15. that he not onely governeth all things, but is all in all. CHAP. II. Canons and Rules concerning the glorious kingdom of the Lord Iesus, the Christ of God. THe diversity of natures in the person of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ while some haue not rightly understood, they haue erred in their opinion concerning the kingdom of the son of God. The Arrians feigned, that even in his Godhead he was inferior unto the Father. Samosatenus believed, that Christ was onely a more natural man. Berillus taught, that Christ before he was man had no proper divinity of his own, but such as he had in his Father. Sundry such there were, who either denied Christ to be God, or else his divinity to be equal to the Father. But all his members and his elect, must firmly beleeue, that Christ because he is the brightness of the eternal light, is also eternal brightness; for since the light is eternal, the brightness is also eternal. Christ as he is the son of God the Father, hath a name above all names, from everlasting and before all time: Heb. 1. Phil. 2. but unto the manhood this power was given and manifested in time. The will and power of Christ( considering his divinity) is the will and power of God: Neither hath the son any thing less then the Father. For he is the invisible Image of the Father, having the same power, the same knowledge, the same will, and worketh with the Father: yet Christ joh. 5.30. in his human nature can do nothing of himself, but as he heareth from the Father, to whom he is joined in the unity of the person of the son; according to that of Cyril, Nunquā suscipiet creatura ea, qua su●s infinitae potetestatu. Cyril. The creature can never receive the attributes of infinite power. unto others it is given to bee the children of God, and heires of the kingdom by participation and influence of grace: Rom. 8. but Christ in his divinity is the son and heir of God by nature, and not by participation: in his humanity by coniunction of kindes, not by influence of grace onely: by grace of union, and not of adoption. Christ is said, when he took flesh, to haue descended from the equality of the Godhead: not that Christ was then in the Godhead unequal to the Father; but that his manhood, unto which the Godhead did knit itself, was inferior to the Father. Secondly also he is said to haue descended; because Christ( who was before the incarnation the invisible image of God hidden from all eyes) by assuming flesh appeared manifestly and visibly amongst men. Christ is called a Lord, Pet. Lomb. 1. sent dist. 30. for his eternal power before all time, but the Lord and God of the world and of his church, after the creation and redemption therof: there is no change or new thing in God; but as the coin of silver without any change in substance beginneth to bee the price of that is bought: So Christ is Lord of his creatures; not by any change in the Deity, but the newness, the change, is in the creature: his humanity is Lord of all creatures by the personal union to the Godhead, and the right of his merit. As the Godhead is omnipotent: so the manhood is called omnipotent; not as though there were one omnipotency of the Godhead, another of the manhood; but because the Manhood and the Godhead are one person. For whatsoever the son of God by nature can do, the son of Man can do by the union of person, unto whom all power is given; as he saith, Mat. 26.64. ye shall see the son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power of God. When we say God the son hath received from God the Father, we do not thereby imply any defect, want, or imperfection, in the divinity of the son; the begetting is the imparting. And therefore whose generation is everlasting and infinite, his perfection is everlasting and infinite. When Christ saith, Math. 10.23. To sit at my right hand, and at my left, is not mine to give, but it shall bee given unto them, for whom it is prepared of my Father, Vid. The. lib. 14. cont. gent. cap. 8. Lyrae in hunc locum. he intendeth not, that the son hath not power to distribute the sundry seats and degrees of glory, but that the Disciples in that ambition of theirs were uncapable of such glory: therefore it should bee given of his Father to such as were truly humbled and prepared by God thereto through due sanctification. Some understand the words, it is not mine to give, as an absolute negative; Vid. Theoph. in hunc locum verb. ait illis. that none sitteth at the right hand of God, which is the glory of his majesty, but the son onely. For unto which of the Angels said he at any time, Sit thou at my right hand? Christs kingdom shall never cease nor bee taken away, but it shall endure for ever and ever. The Apostle Paul saith, 1. Cor. 15.24. he shall deliver up the kingdom to God the Father: but this place intendeth not, that Christ shall be without dominion and kingly power. For( as Ambrose Ambrose. well observeth) the name of God is common to the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost. hilarius Hillar. excellently teacheth, that the yielding up of the kingdom to God the Father, is not the loss of the kingdom unto Christ the son. For Christ himself saith; Mat. 28.18. All power is given unto me. As God the Father did never want, nor was never without power, when he gave it to God the son: So when the son yeeldeth up all power to the Father, yet he shall still haue all power in himself. Where it is said, that the son himself shall be subject, 1. Cor. 15. it is to be understood of the humanity onely; which though in respect of the union to the Godhead, it shall reign for ever over the house of jacob: yet in that it is a creature, it is subject to God. The subiection argueth not infirmity, but sheweth the diversity of two natures in Christ, which yet being knit together in one person, he is King of Kings, and lord of Lords, and of his kingdom shall bee none end: Luke 1.33. the Manhood by communication of properties, by the grace of union hath dominion; not by real effusion of the essential omnipotence of the Godhead into the Manhood. The kingdom of the son is common with the Father and the Holy Ghost: one and the same. Wherefore( as Athanasius well confesseth) Symbol. Athan. though every person bee God and Lord, wee do not yet say, there be three Gods, or three Lords. The form of a seruant, if it be taken for the substance of the nature, ceaseth not to be in Christ after his resurrection: but the form of a seruant, as it is taken for misery and affliction which our sins brought him to, is ceased in Christ after his resurrection. The kingdom of CHRIST, the natural son of God, is not communicated to any of the sons by adoption and grace, as though they should sit vpon twelve seats, judicially and imperiously to confer the degrees of glory in the heavenly kingdom: but by sitting on the twelve seats, is understood the fullness of glory: and to judge the Tribes, is to bee witnesses against them in iudgement; as for the kingdom of dominion, God will give it to none other. The crown and kingdom of the elect, is the glory wherewith Christ their head filleth them: the pure reins of righteousness, wherewith he clotheth them: the heavenly Manna of all ioy, commonwealth he everlastingly feedeth them: the knitting of his whole body and all the members thereof to himself, in bonds of eternal and unspeakable love. Christ though he bee the high and supreme King of Kings, 1. Tim. 6.15. and Lord of Lords, God equal with his Father: yet he can do nothing contrary to his own power, will, word, nature, glory, goodness, truth. He cannot lie, he cannot be unrighteous, Tit. 1.2. Heb. 6.18. Deut. 32.4. he cannot die, he cannot be without wisdom, goodness, mercy, power, truth. He is almighty, yet opposites and contradictories to himself are not done by him, neither is this any impotency of his power, but stability of his counsels: it intimateth not defect or weakness, but declareth the will and power of God to be one and the same. To Christs Kingly office it doth singularly belong to forgive sins. Wherefore the power and keys of the Church are no otherwise committed to any Minister or Vicar of Christ, but according to the prescript rule of the gospel to pronounce forgiveness to the penitent, to pronounce iudgement to the obstinate in the name of Iesus Christ: but to dispose of the merits of Christ, to give, translate and apply them to men by a lordly power and So●eraigne imperiositie, is no where given to any of his Apostles, he challengeth it as Peculiar to himself. joh. 10.28. I give unto them eternal life. Wherefore it is evident, there are three manners of forgiving of sins. Vid. Musc. in locis con. de remiss. peccat. The first is, to forgive by power and authority. Of this the Iewes witnessed; Luke 5.21. Who can forgive sins but God onely? The second is the ministerial forgiveness, which is by preaching forgiveness according to the words and promises of Christ; whereof he said, joh. 20.23. Whosoeuers sins ye do remit, they are remitted unto them: and whosoeuers sins ye do retain, they are retained. The third is brotherly forgiveness of debts and transgressions against us, so far as it concerneth our own right. Of the fullness of the regality of Christ, we must assure ourselves that it is absolutely sufficient for the glorifying of all his members fully: of power to beate down, and to take vengeance of all his enemies. His power is uncreated, unlimited, incorruptible, infinite, incomprehensible, Symb. Athan. Rom. 1.23. Psal. 145. ●. unspeakable. To the regality of Christ it doth belong and to none but him, to give laws to his church, to reign in the conscience, Mat. 28.19.20. to appoint subordinate offices in his church, to distribute the gifts of grace and of glory, Act. 10.42. to judge the quick and the dead. To him therefore be praise for ever and ever. To conclude, some things in Christ we must imitate, and some things we must worship. The works of virtue and holinesse which Christ did; as his humility, charity, alms deeds, Iustice, Patience; all his moral works we must follow: but the authority, the Power, the omnipotency, the regality of Christ, no man may arrogate unto himself. Esay 42.8. For my glory( saith he) will I give unto none other. CHAP. III. That the Romish Church giveth the power of distributing the degrees of glory, and seats of the eternal kingdom, unto Saints. OF Redemption, justification, Sanctification and Illumination that the power is placed in Saints by the Romish church, we haue sufficiently before proved: but lest any angle of Christs pre-eminence should be vnransackt, or any office remain inviolably proper to himself, the power of glorifying his elect, which is the most excellent attribute of his supreme regality, is transferred, communicated and ascribed to the Saints. The roman breviary of Peter saith; Ro. Bre. in januarij 18. in Fest Cath. Pet. him. quodcunque vinclis. In the end of the world, thou Shalt be judge of the world. unto Andrew the Portuis of Sarum confesseth; Imitator Christi sub crucis patibulo, nos Andrea fac consorts coeli contuberni●. O Andrew imitator of Christ on the Crosses suffering, Make us thy companions in the habitation of heaven. Maximus Episcopus Taurinensis in Aloysius Lypomanus saith, clavis enim coeli lingua est Pety●, quia singulorum merita censendo Apostolus vnicuique regnum coelorum aut claudit, aut aperit. fol. 290. 1. par. et in gloss. vnicuique Apostolus Petrus secundum merita claudit, aut aperit regnum coelorum. The tongue of Peter is the Key of heaven, because by reckoning up every mans merits the Apostle doth either open, or shut the kingdom of heaven to every one. And this doctrine the marginal note applauding saith; To every one according to his merit the Apostle Peter doth open and shut the kingdom of heaven. unto the Virgin they sing; In office. beat. virg. him. Memento s●lutis. save, and defend us from our foe, receive us when we hence do go. Of Martin they say, In orat. quae incipit, Martinus quo●jam; apud Chemn. he giveth golden garlands powdered with shining stars: but because that which is spoken in the forty third Chapter of the first book may clear this point unto the full, I refer the Christian Reader to the same, and proceed now unto the next. CHAP. IIII. That the Saints are made defenders and Gouernours of the Militant Church, and do distribute the diversity of graces unto the same. THe truth of Christian Religion teacheth, that IESVS CHRIST doth rule and govern his Church, pouring the influence of grace into all the body, as the head is the ruler of the natural man, and doth direct and order the parts. But Antichrist maketh the Church of Christ a Monster, not having a double head like Ianus, nor a triple head like geryon or Cerberus, but thousands of heads like Hydra. So many Saints, so many heads; even as of adulterous Israel the Prophet speaketh; jer. 3.6. Hast thou seen what this rebel Israel hath done? For shee hath gone up vpon every high mountain, and under every green three, and there played the Harlot. bonaventure calleth on the Virgin; judica, domina, ●ecentes me, et contra eos exurge, defend, et vindica causam meam. Psal. 34. judge( O Lady) them that hurt me, defend and reuenge my cause. ostend potentiam tuam contra inimicos nostros, vt sanctificeris in nationibus. procul, in irae flammae tu● mergantur in infernum, et qui conturbant sernos tuos, inueniant perditionem: miserere sernorum tuorum, supper quos inuocatum est nomen tuum, et ne sinat august●●i eos in tentationibus suu. Psal. 69. show thy power against our enemies, that thou mayst bee sanctified in the Nations far off, in the anger of thy flamme let them bee drowned in Hell, and who afflict thy seruants, let them find destruction: haue mercy on thy seruants, over whom thy name is called, and suffer not them to be pressed down in their temptations. In the breviary of Sarum they say, Beatus Nicholaus iam triumph● poittus, novit suis famulus praebere coelestia commodae. Blessed Nicholas now enjoying his triumph, knoweth how to yield heavenly things to his seruants. unto Saint Cedda; Pie pastor, et pater ovium Mercierum, gregis solatium, contra mundum, carnem, et Damonium, assit nobis per te remedium. in Fest. Sanc. Cedda. Holy Pastor, and father of the sheep of Mercia, the comfort of the flock, against the world, the flesh, and the divell, let there be present remedy to us from thee. Of the Virgin the missal of Sarum saith, Terrae tuam sanctificationem habebunt. in Mis. recol. fest. B. Mar. that the earth shall haue her sanctification. Wherefore they pray to her; Vitā praesta puram, iter para tutum: vt videntes jesum semper collaetemur. Bre. star. in Annun. B. Mar. Virg. Make our life pure, dispose our way safely, That beholding Iesus we may rejoice together. Of Saint rock they sing; Vir— coll●catus in coelesti curia v●to, voice veneretur, et per ipsum nobis detur vera f●● gloria. star Bre. The man placed in the Court celestial, With voice and vows be also worshipped, That by him to us it may be given, To enjoy the true glory. I will detain thee no longer( Christian Reader) in an argument so manifest, but will conclude with the Idolatry of the roman breviary, which doth ascribe to all Confessors and Bishops the praise due unto the son of God onely; Ro. Bre. in come. Confess. With glory and honour hast thou crwoned him, and set him over the works of thy hands. As though now the Confessors had the governance, disposition, moderation and rule over the house of the faithful, the flock which Iesus Christ hath bought unto himself with the bitter effusion of his incomparably holy, and innocent blood. CHAP. V. That Saints are made Gods in the Romish Church. THe high and supreme title of God is after sundry ways attributed. First, substantially; and so the three persons, that is, the Trinity in unity is onely capable of this name: Secondly, by Nuncupation, appellation, or abusive vsurpat●●●● so sometime wicked men, and divels haue taken unto 〈◇〉 ●he sovereign title: Thirdly, by way of adoption, and participation of blessedness; as Saints: Lastly, by participation of authority; as Princes, Iudges, Magistrates are entitled Gods. For so we read in the Psalmist; Psal. 82.6. I haue said, ye are Gods, and ye all are Children of the most highest. whereupon Iunil. vid. Cent. 5. cap. 4. Iunilius saith, the Scripture useth eight names to express the divine Essence: the first, God: the second, the Lord: the third, the Lord God, conioining both names together: the fourth, Adonay: the fift, Sabbaoth: the sixth, Heli: the seventh. Heloi: the eight, I am. Of these names( saith he) two onely are communicated unto men, the other six are never given but to God himself. By this, I think, he meaneth, that those names of God onely, which impart authority and government, are communicable to men: but the names which import the infinity and omnipotence of God, cannot bee communicated unto men, unto Saints, nor Magistrates. For, the essential attributes, the individual properties of the God of nature, must be singular to himself for ever. Wherefore to make the Saints of unlimited power, every where present, attending the infinite requests of thousand thousand petitioners, so far and wide distant and dispersed thorough every clyme and region of the world: to make the Saints full of all things in themselves, and wanting nothing: to esteem them to be such as sustain all things without labour, intend to all things without weariness, as fill all things without inclusion, as know all things without searching, as are called vpon by all without oppressing, as search all things without appearing; What is it but to ascribe unto them the very natural, essential, and singular properties of the great, infinite, incomprehensible and eternal GOD? Wherefore let us now examine whether the Romish Church may bee justly charged with this impiety, and whether there bee an Apotheosis, or Deification of Saints amongst them. The first cause, for which wee avouch that the Romish church maketh Gods of her Saints, is the ambition of Titles, the supremacy of Appellations which they give unto them; even as great as unto God himself. Agnes is called Ro. Bre. in Agu●te Fest. Resp. The most holy Virgin: every Confessor Obtentu huius optimi. Ro. Bre. in Iesu Corona celsur. is termed by the name of the best Confessor: and of every Confessor they say; Ro. Bre. in confess. pontiff. Antiph. non est in●entus similis ille. The like to him is not to be found. Now either these superlative Titles are given them in respect of the fullness of absolute excellence in them, and then they are Gods: or in way of comparison with other Saints, and then here appeareth the intolerable hypocrisy and falsehood of the Romish church, who flatter every Saint, and call him the most holy, the most glorious, the best, who hath none like unto him; which they know, if it be true in one of them, it is false in another; For a superlative title is always singular and individual. And thus thou seest( Christian Reader) what Sinons, what Gnatoes, what Parasites, what open liars they are even in their public worship. simplo seduced Papist, whosoever thou art, so simplo thou canst not be, but that thou knowest our worship and adoration must be in truth, not in flattery: joh. 4.24. in verity, not in adulation: in sincerity, not in imposture, not in guile, craft, fraud, or lying. O then dwell no longer in Babylon, separate thyself from this Adulterous generation. Of Michael in Simeon Metaphrastes and Aloysius lip. Pantaleon the Deacon saith, Michael, omnium suprema, ignemque fere●s Lampas diuinita●●●. lip. part. 1. Michael is the highest of all, and the fire-bearing lamp of divinity. unto Bartholomew they attribute, that L●●●omb. in Barth. he is the blessed of blesseds, thrice blessed, the splendour of the divine light, the sun of the world enlightening all things, the fiery tongue of God. To Peter they ascribe, that Petrus suprema et antiquissima Theologorum summitas. Ro. Bre. 4. di● infra octau. assump. virg. he is the supreme and most ancient height of divines. And lo the Pope saith, Hunc enim in cons●rtium indiuidua unitatis assump. &c. Peter was assumed into the fellowship of the vndiuided unity. This, Bellarmine much commendeth: and the gloss of the Chapter Fundamenta, commenting thereof, saith, Vid. Bell. de Ro. Pont. l. 1 c. 17. ipse erat Sanc. Pet. iuxta id, Petra erat Christus Christ was Saint Peter; according to the saying, The rock was Christ. The Legend of Lombardie calleth the Apostle Paul, In Leg. Lomb. hist. divi Pauli cap. 85. the Image and similitude of the deity. The Virgin Mary is called the Gas Loart. in 4. glori●. mist. holy of holies, more holy and worthy then all. A manuel of prayers calleth her The manuel of prayers to the blessed mother of God: the prayer begins, hail Mary full of grace. fol. 47. The orient white lily of the trinity. In the same manuel shee is called The keeper of Gods privities in heaven. In Aloy. lip. She is called Aloy. lip. hist. part. 1. pag. 268. the queen of nature, and the queen of all human nature. She is enstiled also Ex A●d. Archie. Cret. et Sim. Metap. Lady of Lords. Francis Costerus calleth her Cost. in epist ded. l. 5. instit. The common queen and Lady of the world. The office of the Virgin calleth her O gl●riosa domina, excelsa supper sydera. Ro. Br. in Mis. v●rg. the glorious queen of the world: the glorious Lady queen of heaven, high above the Stars, Lady of Angels: Vos secli justi judices. And all the Apostles are called the just iudges of the world. The Legend of Lombardie calleth John the Baptist, Leg. Lomb. in decol. jo. bap fol. 112. Medius Trinitatis. The midst of the trinity. Let us now know what can bee more done or said by audacious blasphemy, to introduce the heathenish multiplicity of gods into the world again. Wherefore no marvel that they call their Saints divos& diuas, gods and goddesses; a name whereof Ego nūquā probaui vocē dinu● vel diua, cum de Sanctu agitur. ex Lita●. Nic. Serar. Iesuita. l. ●. q. 6. paragr. 3. verb. ●euerend. Bellarmine himself is ashamed, and thinks that it cannot be given to any Saint; both because the ancient latin Fathers never used it, and for that the Heathens attributed that name onely to their gods. Yet herein Serarius the jesuit alloweth not the opinion of Bellarmine; D●us nomen Sanctis si rectè intelligitur non m●lè tributtur. ib. ad finem qu●st. for he saith it is lawful to transfer the word diuus from a profane to an holy use: and he further teacheth, if the name diuus, or god, bee well understood, it may bee attributed to Saints. Wherefore he confesseth, that many catholics haue called the virgin, goddesse; and the Saints, deos tutelares, defensive gods, either for the verse sake, or for to observe the purity of the latin tongue. No marvel then if Papists so commonly, and amongst them, Paulus divinus in hist. sui temp. l. 2●.& in vita Leonis 10. et ●. 27. in orat. C●po●● et passim. Paulus divinus speaking of Saints, use the phrase, dij immortales, immortal gods: And Puteolanus in his epistle to Iacobus Antiquarius before Cornelius Tacitus useth the same: and Iacobus de Bruxellis in his preface in secundam secundae Thomae Aquinat. saith, the 2. of Thomas Aquinas In deorum car●●●●rij● opu● consumit. is spent in discoursing on the ceremonies of the gods. To these let me add the missal, which calleth the virgin, goddesse; Diuae mis●u● ita reddit effa●a. Bre. star. in him. hac clara die turma. Miss. qu●t d●●a bea. vir. Thus to the goddesse he speaks: and the jesuit Costerus saith, In quibus deipara virgo vim numēqua suum multis miraculis magno gentis illius commodo et utilitate declarauit. Cost. in ep. d●d. edit. 5. l. just. The virgin shewed her divine power by many miracles. I know the Name of God is in some sort communicated to Saints, but it must be warily done; for it is in respect only of the participation of the joys and felicity of God. But thereupon to invocate them as gods: to adore and honour them as gods, or communicating the name, to communicate also the infinite power, the incomprehensible wisdom, the mercy, the praise of God unto them, is intolerable idolatry. Whereof let us now entreat. The second proof which convinceth that the Romish Church maketh gods of her Saints, is the attributing the omnipotent power, which is onely essential and proper unto God, to the Saints. Infinite are the examples of this kind. Of Thomas Becket they say; Thomae cedunt& parent omnia; pests, morbi, mores, dae m●nia, ignu, ●er, tellus et Maria, port. star. in Th. Cant. Resp. 〈◇〉 All things bow and obey to Thomas; plagues, sickness, manners, devils, fire, air, earth& the seas. Of the virgin they say; Nihil tua resistit potentia: nihil repugnat tuis viribus: omnia cedunt tu● inffui: ●mnia tu● obediunt imperio: omnia tuae potestati s●ruiunt. in Aloy lip. part. 1. fol. 230. Nothing resisteth thy power: nothing can stand against thy strength: all things yield to thy commandement: all things serve thy power. Wherefore shee is called also in plain terms domina oimpotens, the omnipotent lady. For concerning the omnipotency of her power Biel saith; Gabr. Biel. supper ●an. Miss. ex Mart. them. God hath given to the virgin the one half of his kingdom: and that( saith he) was typified, when Ahasuerus promised the one half of his kingdom to the queen Hester. Wilt thou hear yet farther( Christian Reader) of this blasphemy, at which every ear should tingle, and every heart rend in pieces? they not onely lift up the virgin to the equality of the Godhead, but above Christ, above the Lord, above all that is called God. The Compendium of the theological verity saith; Filius specialiter obsequatur n●●tri. con. Theol l. 4 c. 23. The son doth specially obey the Mother. And for this cause it is, that they so often call vpon her, Monstra te esse Matrem, show thyself to bee the Mother. And the missal saith; Bre. star. in Au● maris stella. hear us, for thy son heareth thee, denying nothing unto thee. Discipulus de Tempore saith, that Mary is most powerful, because Habet potestatem supper filium suum Iesun Christum propter materna authoritatis imp●rium. ser. de Sanc. 34. in verba sapientia ad●ficauit. she hath power over her son Iesus Christ himself by the command of Motherly authority: and that vpon a time, when the virgin kneeled before him to pray for a sinner, Christ took her up, and said: It is ordained by the divine law, that the Son should honour the Mother. The same author to prove this more fully saith; Ipsa enim habet ad●●uandi posse, quia est matter omnipotentiae. Vnde Bernardus; data est tibi omnis potesta● in coelo& terra,& omnia quaecunque volueru valeas impetrare. ser. 161. She hath the power of helping, for shee is Mother of omnipotency; according to that of Bernard; To thee is given all power in heaven and in earth, and all things thou wilt thou maiest obtain. Since the son of God himself is subject to the virgin, I marvel the less that omnipotent power is given to the rest of the Saints. For unto Saint rock they say; Qui pote●s es, deificè, à cunctis pestem pe●tere. in horis impr. per. jac. Kerner an. 1570. which art able, quibbling like GOD, to drive away the plague from every one. And of Cyprian; Omnia potest Cyprianus,& pulvis cum fide. Aloy. lip. part. 2. fol. 56. Cyprian being now dust can do all things to those that come with faith. Of Cosmus and Damianus another saith; Omnibus facti estis omnia ad Dei imitationem: sustentatis quidem eos qui c●●el●●●t: erigti● eos qui sunt confracti. ibid. in Cos.& Damian●. pag. 146. edit. Verhessals. ye are made all things to all men after the manner of God: ye sustain them that fall: ye raise up them that are broken. To this let me add that which bonaventure writeth of the virgin; Psal. 118. By thy disposition the world doth continue, which thou together with God didst found in the beginning, And to this the missal giveth aid, who applieth to the virgin that of Ecclus. 24. Ro. Bre. in Miss. Beat. Mar. Virg. in ipso initi●. He created me from the beginning, and before the world, and I shall never fail. My third reason is the identity and union of will, which the Romanists say is betwixt the Saints and God. I know that in the kingdom of glory all his Saints shall bee so knit unto him, that Gods will shall be their will: they shall seek nothing, intend nothing, desire nothing but Gods will to be done. Yet heerehence wee must not infer, that the will of the Saints, or of any of them, is a law unto Gods will, or the rule of Gods will, or that there is any disposition of things in heaven or earth caused by the will of Saints. For when such identity of will is said to be in God and Saints, it is to make Saints gods, as one saith of the virgin; In C●●tie. proph.& apud Che●●ie. qu●m vis ipsa. s●l●●● erit: à quo auert●● vultum, perib●●. Whom thou wilt, shall be saved: from whom thou turnest thy face, he goes into destruction. bonaventure saith also of the virgin; Psal. 99 From whom thou turnest thy face, there is no hope for him. The like blasphemy is in the missal; Cum nato omnia decernes Mis. star. in him. alle●●lest. Thou with thy son shalt decree all things. Wherefore the whole office and dignity of the holy Ghost is also translated unto the virgin in this union of her unto the Son of God. By Iuxta filium pos●●● sodes de●ita; virtus, lā●a●, et soph. ●. ibid. thy Son placed thou sittest on the right hand; the virtue, the lamp, the wisdom. Francis Costerus saith; Nihil enim rex coeli nisi de voluntate ●enetricis sua r●gina mundi nebes●ū agit. instit. l. 5. in expos. Au● Mar. The king of heaven doth nothing with us but according to the will of his Mother the queen of heaven. Nay, he shameth not to say, that Caeterae virgineti● coelis sequuntur agnum: tibi autem adest agnus ille sil●● tuu●, nihil alienum sactens a tuae voluntate. ib. in verb. dominus ●ecum. the other virgins in heaven follow the lamb whither soever he goeth: but unto thee the Lamb is always present, doing nothing against thy will. My fourth reason is, because they make the Saints infinite, incomprehensible, above nature, who cannot be sufficiently praised. One saith of the virgin; Alti●r● coelo, terra latior, stellis purior est hec dominae: ex them. This Lady is higher then the heauens, broader then the earth, purer then the stars. The missal saith; Laus summa non habens terminum him. prolequ●ū altum. The virgin is the highest praise, not having end. bonaventure saith; Clementia illius nullam habebit. finem. Ps. 146. Great is her power, and her grace: her mercy hath no end. Boniface the Pope gave an hundred daies of pardon to him that saith the prayer, in which to the virgin it is said; Aue abyssalis fons omnis gratiae& misericordiae; All hail bottomless fountain of all grace and mercy. anselm saith; Omnia tibi sicum possibili. esse il●nauit. Ansel apud B●l. l. 1 de Sanc. b●●. c. 19 he hath given to thee, that all things are unto thee possible with himself. Wherefore in her own litany the virgin is enstiled queen of the powers of heaven. And in the litany in Canisius manuel; In litan. Ma. virg. quae incipit kiriel●●s queen of Angels, queen of patriarches, queen of Prophets, queen of Apostles, queen of Martyrs, queen of Virgins, queen of Saints. And again; Port. star in s●rube●● virg. lec. 2. opere prenum. Tanta est, vt quanta sit, non posset enarrari. si omnia nostra membra verterentur in lingua●, eā laudaret suffic●ret nullus. She is so great, shee cannot bee expressed. If Ibid. all our members were turned into tongues, none can sufficiently praise her. What should I longer stay on this point, since it is given to every virgin Martyr? of whom the missal saith; Quis enim posset eā human● ingeni● comprehendere, quam nec natura s●●● inclusit legibus? Miss. star. in come▪ v●ius virg.& Mart. lect. 2. Quis enim. Who can by mans wit comprehend her, whom nature hath not included in her laws. The Romish missal saith of the virgin; In octau. nat. lect. te adiutrice. Who can declare thy praises? Now, if the Saints bee infinite, unspeakable, such as mans wit cannot comprehend, it must needs be, that they are gods. The fift reason is, for that they give the same degrees of honour to the Saints, as unto God himself. Of the virgin Mary they say; Ex them. in orat. Tibi omnes Chor●. Thou with thy son sittest in the glory of the father. So in the Houres of the Lady according to the use of Sarum; Sancta et indiuiduae Trinitati, Iesu Christi crucifix▪ humanitati, gloriosa Mari● vngini, sit sempiterna gloria ab omni creatura per infinita saeculorum saecula amen. in horis beat. Mar. virg. in vsum insig eccles. Sir. impr. cum. priuel. per jo Wayland. an. Dom. 1557. To the holy and vndiuided Trinity, to the humanity of Christ crucified, to the glorious virgin Mary, be everlasting glory from every creature in infinite age of ages, or for ever and ever. And again, Benedictum sit nomen Domini nostri Iesu Christi, et gloriosae Maria virg. Matris eius in auum et vltra. Blessed be the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, and of his glorious Mother Mary, for ever and beyond all eternity. The Roman breviary saith; Ro. Bre. in assump. vir. lec. dignam plan●. Who can estimate the gems, or name the stars, of which the princely diadem of Mary is compacted? Blessed Lord, for thy dear sons sake, who died for his Church, and sitteth at thy right hand to make intercession for the same, give them new hearts, and poure thy grace into them, that they may bee ashamed of their errors, and seek thy face in truth and righteousness: that they may know, that thou onely art the Lord: thou only art God, the father, the son, and the holy Ghost. Amen. ANTI-   christus. THe Bembus ad Carol. 5. Emp. Virgin our Lady and Goddesse. 1 THou shalt haue none other Gods in my presence. Deut. 5.7. Thou Ex M●ss. art the queen of heaven. 2 hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is Lord onely. Deut. 6.4. The Amb. catarrh. in orat. ad C●n. tried. Virgin is Gods most faithful fellow. 3 See now how that I am God, and there is none but I. I kill, and will make alive, I wound and will heal. Deut. 32.39. The Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 296. keys of the kingdom of heaven is the tongue of Peter; who reckoning up every mans works doth either open or shut it to every one. 4 God shall judge the secrets of men according to my gospel by Iesus Christ. Rom. 2.16. Who Fran Cost. in praes. ad 5. lib. Instit. doth not know that the Mother of the King is queen of the universal world? 5 I am the Lord, and this is my name, and my glory will I give to none other. Esay 42.8. All Gerin. Episcopas Constant. Aloy lip. p. 1. fol. 230. things obey Maries power. 6 All power is given unto me in heaven and in Earth. Math. 28.18. Thou Cum ●at● omnia decernis. Miss. star. in Nat. virg. Alle c●leste. with thy son decreest all things. 7 The Father hath committed all iudgement unto the son. joh. 5.22. To Peter. In R●. Bre. in him. quod cunque vincu●●. the end of the world thou shalt be judge thereof. 8 He( meaning God) hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world by that man whom he hath appointed. Acts 17.31. The Thomas mundum repleuit gloria: mund●s Thoma praestet obsequia. Bre. star. world Thomas hath filled with glory: let the world to Thomas yield obedience. 9 Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever, Amen. Math. 6.13. Wee Ro. Miss. orat. in Sancta Ag●●●a sicund●. worship Saint Agnes by duty. 10 Bee not ye the seruants of men. 1. Cor. 7.23. CHAP. VI. That the Bishop of Rome maketh himself the sole Monarch, and supreme Magistrate over the Church of Christ, without calling, warrant, or any authority from Christ. THe Ecclus 10.13. beginning of mans pride( saith Siracides) is, to fall from God, and to turn away his heart from his Maker. Wee need then to seek no further, from what fountain this Luciferian elation of the Romish Prelate proceedeth, since the Wise man telleth us, that apostasy from God and from our Maker is the spring and beginning of all ambition. Let us first consider, what kind of Primacy it is the Romish Bishop arrogateth to himself. Secondly, what reasons the Church of God hath, why they deny such principality and sovereignty as the Romish Prelate doth challenge. Thirdly, let us show the vanity of the sophistical arguments, whereby they would persuade the world to submit itself unto the power of their usurper. Lastly, what perdition this Romish primacy bringeth to the Church, and how injurious it is to the kingdom of Iesus Christ. The Ex jac. Herbrand in disp. de Primat. Ro. Vid ●●llar. lib. 5. c. 4. de pontiff. Ro. supremacy of the Pope they make two-fold; one ordinary and direct, which he hath only in spiritual things: the other indirect and casual, which he hath over temporal matters, as they must bee ordered towards the attaining of things spiritual; even as an Horse-rider and a saddler are two sundry professions, for they haue sundry actions, and sundry subiects: yet because the end of the one is subordained to the end of the other; Excellent divinity. the Horse-rider is the Sadlers commander, and doth prescribe rules unto him: Or, since this similitude Ex Bell. ibid c. 6, is not altogether current by their own confession, Ex Bell. ibid. as the spirit is the ruler of the flesh, so the Pope is over all temporal kingdoms and Dominions the chief spiritual Prince. His jo. Andr. authority is greater( they say) then that of Moses, and of all the Saints, Sigism. Leofridus apud jac. H●●br. and God ratifyeth all that he decreeth. To appeal from his iudgement to any synod or general council, it is not lawful. For all such assemblies haue authority from the Pope, to whom God hath subjecteth all laws. The Symachus. seat of Saint Peter hath such power, that it makes all them holy that are thereto elected duly. Wherefore the Popes direction is such, to which men may safely subject themselves; for he cannot err. Though he walk not after the manners and conversation of Peter, council Constan. cont. jo, Hus ex jac. Hereb. de prim. Ro. dist. 40. si Papa in texin. yet he is his true successor, and a Bishop. Though he neither be mindful of his own salvation, nor of the salvation of his brethren, so that he daily by his example carrieth innumerable souls to hell and to destruction, yet no man may say unto him, Why dost thou thus? This is the unlimited and unbridled sovereignty of the Romish nabuchadnezzar which he exerciseth; the lands job 40. job 41. Ibid. ver. ult. Behemoth, and the seas leviathan, Tyrant both of the Church and common-wealth, King over all the children of pride. Arguments and reasons against his usurpation are plentiful every where. I will onely take a few out of many, from the whole forest a branch, or from the full Sea a drop. We dispute not now whether there ought to bee degrees of honour and superiority in the orders of the Church. For we know, and do confess, that the Church is a politic body, which hath both head and feet, members of greater and of lesser dignity, both of use and of honour: the church may not be orderlesse, it must haue gouernours and degrees. Neither do we strive concerning words or appellations, so that they agree with the truth of Scripture: although the title Pope, be not found in the holy Canon, yet if the office be there, let them take what name they will. Wee contend not, whether the Pope ought by his own Dioces to be obeied in spiritual things, so long as he teacheth true doctrine, and doth administer the Sacraments sincerely, and according to the institution thereof. But the question is, whether that fullness of power, which his Canonists give unto him over the whole church of God, be agreeable to the Scriptures, and ordained in the Testament of Iesus Christ. Secondly, if he haue such authority in Scriptures, whether he haue any authority over Scriptures, to teach and command that which is in the word forbidden: And whether in such things the church is bound to follow their blind leader, even into the Pit. Amongst the Reasons against the supremacy of the Romish Bishop, it may worthily bee esteemed as the principal, that a matter of such weight, which every one is bound to beleeue that will be saved, hath no ground, no proof, no authority in the Scripture; Neither by plain words, as all the Articles of the faith in the common Creed contained: nor by necessity of consequence, as the word trinity, the baptism of Infants, the word Sacrament, and such like. Would God( think you) haue hidden from his Church a matter so important, of so high nature? Which whoso knoweth not, believeth not, is out of the faith, out of the church, and must needs perish with perdition everlasting. joh. 15.15. Our God is no such, he hath revealed all his counsels concerning our salvation by his son Iesus Christ. How should he in this one point conceal himself from us? Christ indeed Ephes. 4.11. gave Apostles, Prophets, evangelists, Pastors and teachers, for the gathering together of the Saints: for the work of the ministery; but Pope he gave none, universal Bishop he gave none. Wherefore such orders as Christ and his Apostles left unto the church, such wee retain in the church, other wee know not, we receive not. The second proof. Iesus Christ in his last Will and Testament the holy gospel of truth, hath not onely not given, but denied all such supremacy to his Disciples; Mat. 20.26. whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your seruant. Which words take not from the Apostles the degree and dignity apostolical, but from any one superiority over all the rest. For so he saith; He that will be great among you, that is, he that will domineer and rule over his brethren, making himself the Apostle of Apostles, and the Bishop of Bishops, let him bee your seruant. Yea, herein our saviour plainly testifieth, that the government of the Church is altogether diuers from the civil and political government. Mat. 10 42, 43. For in the common wealth they that be great among them, exercise authority over them, but it shall not be so among you. No mans greatness, no mans gifts, must make him the Lord of the flock, the Prince of Priests, the Monarch over the house of God. The words do not onely forbid ambition, but they ordain equality among the Apostles. For Luke saith; Luk. 22.24.26 There arose a strife among them, which should bee the greatest. This strife Christ doth moderate and decide; Kings of the earth reign over them, but ye shall not be so. In which words he maketh, first, all his Apostles and their successors subject to Princes: and secondly, themselves equal among themselves. Thirdly, it is very uncertain, neither can it be well and undoubtedly proved, that Peter the Apostle was ever at Rome: as for the time how long he sate there, themselves are doubtful. Genebrard saith, Geneb secul●. l. 3. verb. Martyr Petr. He sate four& twenty yeeres, five months and twelve daies. Bellarmine saith, Bell. de Ro pontiff. l. 2. c. 6. verbo non tamen. Luke being at Rome speaks not of Peters being there. He sate five and twenty yeeres. For the first point, the Acts of the Apostles speaketh much of the labours, preaching, miracles, imprisonment of Peter, and of his being at Ioppa, at caesarea, at jerusalem, and Samaria: but of his being at Rome no word speaks Saint Luke, who yet was there himself. From Rome the Apostle Paul writeth sundry Epistles, wherein he rehearseth his fellow prisoners, and his fellow labourers in the gospel. Had Peter been there, would he haue neglected such and so great an Apostle? To the Colossians he reciteth a few also, and saith, Col. 4.10.11. that they onely were his worke-fellowes unto the kingdom of God: all the rest belike did forsake him, or else were not there. Now it is more charity( the matter being doubtful) to think that Peter was not at Rome, then that he assisted not the Apostle Paul. Nay, unto Timothy he sheweth, that of the chief labourers some forsook him, as 1. Tim. 4.10, 11. Demas: some went into other countreys to preach, as Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia, so that Luke onely was with him. If Luke onely were with him, Peter was not with him. But if at the time of writing the Epistle, Peter( as Bellarmine feigneth) were gone from Rome to jerusalem, why doth not Paul mention his departure, as well as the departure of others? Hereto may be added, that the Apostle Paul writing Rom. 16. per totum. from Corinth to Rome, saluted many private and common persons that had received the faith: But Peter the Prince of all the Church he saluteth not. He Acts ult. disputeth also before the Iewes, as soon as he came to Rome, concerning Iesus Christ,& salvation through him: But of any preceding travails of Saint Peter at Rome, or any foundation of a Church there by him begun, Paul doth not make any mention. Fourthly, the Apostle Paul witnesseth, that Gal. 1.9. the charge of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, was by agreement committed to himself and Barnabas: but unto the Iewes Peter, james and John did preach. Wherefore he saith, Ibid. ver. 7. The gospel over the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel over the circumcision was unto Peter. By this it seemeth, that Peter and the other Apostles laboured chiefly among the Iewes, and Paul among the Gentiles. And if Peter had any special charge, he had it doubtless over the Iewes. 1. Pet. 1.1. Therfore to the dispersed Iewes throughout Pontus, Galatia, Capadocia, Asia, and Bithinia, he sendeth his Epistle. Betwixt Bishops Vid. Act. 11.12& cap. 15.16& 9.6.& 18.9. Gal. 2.2 and Apostles this was a special difference, that Bishops, as Timothy, Titus, and such other, were bound to residence in their charges, from which they went not but at the calling of the Apostle, whom they followed. But the Apostles were not bound to any certain place; they went whither the spirit sent them, and there they laboured. Wherefore the Apostle Paul saith, 2. Cor. 11.28. that he had the care of all the Churches. It follows then: if Peter were a Bishop, he lost the office of an Apostle, which is most absurd to imagine. A fift reason against Peters being at Rome, ariseth from the uncertainty of the authors touching his thither coming. Orosius saith, he came in the beginning of the Emperour Claudius daies. Hieron. in ●at. script. eccles. jerome saith, in the 2. of Claudius. Fasciculus Temporum, in the 4. Marianus Scotus with passionale de vitis Sanctorum saith, he came in the 13. year of Claudius. To salve this sore, Bellarmine saith, The Scriptures witness the death of Christ: yet the Fathers differ concerning the age of Christ, and the time of his suffering. I reply to Bellarmine; We beleeue that Christ suffered, because the Scriptures, the very Oracles of God, do teach the same, neither doth mans scrupulosity detract from Gods verity. But of Peters being at Rome men only are the witnesses; who, if they agree not with themselves, we may well condemn them, as Daniel did the Elders which accused Susanna. Bellarmine Bell. d● Ro. Pont. l. 2 c. 6. verb. non t●men. taketh vpon him peremptorily to define, that Peter sate at Rome five and twenty yeares. But Eusebius Circa finem vita Roma constitutus, capite demiss● cruci est affixus. eccle. hist. l. 3. c. 1 saith, that placed at Rome in the end of his daies, he was crucified with his head downward. Whom shal we beleeue? for if he were placed at Rome in the end of his daies, how did he sit five and twenty yeares? They agree not touching the successor of Peter. Some say it was Clement: some Linus: and then Cletus with Anacletus. Such a sure foundation hath this prime article of their faith. Neither let it move any man, that the Hier. cont. Vigilant. sepulchre of Peter is shewed at Rome. So are the sepulchers of Andrew the Apostle and John the Baptist to be seen at Constantinople, where they themselves never were. Many of the Romish Church affirm, that the bodies of Peter and Paul were cast into a pit in the City called Centum Cellae. Therefore it should seem racher, that he lived there, then at Rome. Durandus confesseth, that it is uncertain, Durand. l. 7. Enchirid. c. 15. whether the bones and the bodies which are seen at Rome, are the Apostles or no. Vid. Lamb. Dan●●̄ ad 3. cont. c. 3 And in the life of Cornelius the Pope it is recorded, that those bones were from another place brought to Rome. The Roman breviary out of Maximus saith, Sexta die insr. ●ctau. apost. Pet.& Paul. ●ect. 4 Peter and Paul suffered in one day at one place: but Gregory the great faith, they died in sundry daies. And their own fabulous Abdias saith, Abd. apud. Aloy. lip. Metap. ex Euseb. Pamph. Paul suffered two yeares after the death of Peter in the third call. july. Metaphrastes saith, Paul laboured in preaching of the gospel five and thirty yeares. Then he could not dy the same time with Peter, who began to preach one year after Peter, for Peter himself preached but thirty five yeares. howsoever it be, and whether Peter were at Rome or not, the Apostle Paul witnesseth, that at Antioch Gal. 2.11. he resisted Peter to the face. Which sheweth, that Paul did not esteem of Peter as his superior, or as his governor which could not err, and whose voice he was bound to obey, being the Vicar of Christ on earth. Wherefore oftentimes also doth the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.12.& 3.22.& 9.1. 2 Co. 11.22.23 Paul make himself equal to Peter, and compareth with him. The Apostle Peter never exercised such authority as the Romish prelate now usurpeth. He neither called, nor moderated council: he gave not his rob unto Bishops for a Pall: he granted neither pardon, nor dispensation: he had neither crown nor mitre, Cope nor Crosier: he sealed not with bulls of led: he confirmed not Bishops. Paul biddeth not Timothy, or Titus, to sand the Bishops they ordered to be consecrated, or allowed by Peter. No, he cited not other bishops to appear before him: he did neither suspend, nor degrade, neither made decretals, nor Decrees, Extrauagants, nor papal Constitutions: he knew not the Maranna, nor heard of cases reserved: he never dreamed of auditor nor chancellor, cardinal nor inquisitor, Notary nor Protonotary. No man kissed his feet: no man did him fealty, nor swore to him canonical obedience: he was without lands or signories, and acknowledgeth himself 1 Pet. ult. 1 Combresbiter, a fellow elder. The supremacy neither of order, nor of power was given unto Peter. In the first Christian council at jerusalem diuers spake and disputed before him, and james last concluded after all the rest. The office of an Apostle or a Bishop is not hereditary, but personal. Wherefore, if Peter had this supremacy, who gave it to the Bishop of Rome that followed him, with what words did our saviour consecrate them to this high Priesthood? It was wittily answered by Thomas Aquinas to the Pope bringing him into his alms-house, and boasting of his heaps of money, Ex jac. Her●rand. in disp de prim. Ro. Pont. behold Thomas( saith he) I cannot say as Peter did; Gold and silver haue I none. No Sir( saith Aquinas) neither can you say to the lame, Arise and walk. God never promised that the spirit of Peter, the power of his working, his zeal, his holinesse, should rest on the Romish Bishops. Degenerate wretches will they haue his honours, whose virtues they haue not? Ob. Let us in a word speak of the arguments they bring for their papal supremacy. The first of which is taken out of matthew; Mat. 16.18.19. Thou art Peter, and vpon this rock will I build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it: and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind in earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Sol. I answer; Glossa supper cap. Considerandum, and abbess supper cap. Significasti are clear, that in this place the keys are not given, but promised to Peter. But the truth is, they were not herein promised alone to him, but to him and the other Apostles. The confession which Peter made, was the confession of all the Apostles. For he demandeth; Mat. 16.15 Whom say ye that I am? Peter in the name of the rest answered; Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. And this confession of Peter was that rock whereon Christ promised to build his Church. And that this interpretation agreeth with his intent, our saviour himself maketh it evident in matthew, where he gives to all the Apostles, what he gave to Peter; Mat. 18.18. whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall bee bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. So in the twentieth of John jo. 20.22.& 23. he breathed alike on them all: he gave the holy Ghost alike to all: the same gift, the same commission, the same authority; Whosoeuers sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whosoeuers sins ye retain, they are retained. The like you haue also in the last of mark; where the efficacy of power is given to all the Apostles generally. wherefore, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Apostle Paul commanding them Heb. 13.7 to remember those that had the oversight of thē, shows thereby, that the government of the Church was aristocratical, and not monarchical: the government of many, not of one. To this let me add, that the words, Mat. 16.19 To thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven, were spoken long before the decision of the question of Mat. 20 Mar. 10 Luke 22 superiority. The Apostles therefore would never haue made question which should be the greatest, if Christ had before given that regality to Peter. Nay, Christ would not haue said, It shall not be so among you: he would rather haue replied; I haue given you a master, him you shall obey. But admit in these words Peter were instituted head of the Church; what is that to the Pope? how can he hence derive a title to himself, who hath nothing of Peter in him, but that he denied his master. Christ Obiectio ex I●. 21 15, 16. 17. three times demandeth of Peter, whether he loved him, and commandeth him to feed his sheep: but this commandement was given onely to Peter, and by his sheep is meant the whole Church: therefore Peter is head of the Church. When Peter by denying Christ was fallen from the apostolical dignity, our saviour here receiveth him to mercy: Sol. and to give him comfort& assurance that he was no reprobate, having declared towards him sundry tokens of love, in these words he restoreth him to the office of Apostleship. Secondly, I answer; If by these words the primacy of the whole Church were given unto Peter, why did he afterward become Bishop of a particular Church Ro. Br. in cathed. Sanc. Pet. sic et Hier. tes●atur in vit. Pet. apud Aloy. lip. part. 1. pag. 320. at Antioch? why did he not begin his Prelacy at Rome, if there were the place, where the head of the Church was to reside? Thirdly, that Christ three times asked Peter, whether he loved him, and three times bade him feed his sheep, it was done, that unto Peters threefold denial his three-fold confession should be answerable; and thereupon him he restored to the office of an Apostle by a commission thrice repeated, that he might bee perfectly certified of forgiveness. The word Feed doth not signify any Primacy of government, but power of teaching; to which though the government of them we teach be annexed, yet there is no lordly or imperious sovereignty over the flock of Christ. But by the word Feed, the Scripture commonly understandeth the preaching of the word, and instruction of doctrine; as ye haue 2 Cor. 1.24 in the second epistle to the Corinths. So Peter himself wisheth 1 Pet. 5.2.3 the Elders to feed the flock. But lest that by feeding they should think he meant domineering, and lording, he addeth; Not as though ye were lords over Gods heritage. Lastly, if by the word Feeding be understood supremacy of rule, then the Apostle Peter in the alleged text maketh all Elders supreme Primates; for to all Elders he commandeth; Feed the flock. Bellarmine laboureth to prove the supremacy of Peter by eight and twenty prerogatives, which Peter above all other Apostles had. But a thousand such will not serve to place the Pope, his Capitoline jove, in the seat of supremacy; such is his ignorance of the question, the non-consequence of his arguments. I will onely reply to the prerogatives which he taketh out of the Scripture, since the Scripture onely is the foundation of our religion. The first prerogative of Peter is the changing of his name. Simon by the Lord is called Peter; therefore he is head of the Church. Resp. Bardicuculated friar, where was thy understanding? where thy sense in the spinning of such a ridiculous web? asyllogisticall vnconcluding mockery. Doth not mark show, that Christ changed the names of james and John as well as of Peter, Mar. 3.17. and called them Boanarges, sons of thunder, and that at the same time, and in the same manner? For so it is written, he name Simon, Peter: and james and John he called Boanarges. What hath Peter here more then james and John? Peter in the rehearsing of the Catalogue of the Apostles is name first; Ergo Peter is head of the Church. Mar. 3. And mark insisteth in the word, The first Simon; Ergo, Peter is the head of the Church. There is no child so ignorant, Resp. if he haue but once red the rules of logic, who knoweth not the fallacy of this argument, which doth conclude à non causa from no enforcing Antecedent. One must of necessity be numbered first, all cannot be together. In the first of Exodus, reuben, Simeon, levi, Exod. 1.2. Gen. 49.8. are reckoned before Iudas. Yet in 49. of Genesis the excellency over all his brethren is given unto Iudas. The Apostle Paul Gal. 2.9. nameth james before Peter: and in another place he putteth 1. Cor. 1.12. himself and Apollos before Peter; Nay, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians he is bold to place Peter after 1. Cor. 9.5. all the Apostles. To conclude, lest jesuits should think wee swallow this equivocation, and feel it not, Let them know, that there is precedence of order, or of number, and there is precedence of dignity. If Peter be first in number, it followeth not therefore, he was first and above all in power and in government. To this may bee added, that Peter is sometimes name Ex W. Fulke in Marc. 16. nota. Marg. 1. for his very infirmity; as in the sixteenth of mark, lest after his denial he should haue despaired. The third prerogative; Peter walked on the Sea, which no other Apostle did; Ergo, Peter is head of the Church. This was Peters temeritie, not his virtue, Resp. who did strive to walk on the Sea like Christ, and had perished in the weakness of his faith, if Christ had not sustained him: this is no proof of his supremacy. The fourth prerogative is, that he confessed CHRIST to be the son of GOD. The fift, that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his faith herein; Ergo, Peter is head of the Church. These gifts of God were common unto Peter with all the rest of the Apostles: the question was proposed to them all; Resp. Whom do you say that I am? Peter in the name of the rest confessed; thou art Christ the son of the everliving God: the gates of hell shall never prevail against this faith: but this is nothing to Peters supremacy. Christ paid tribute for himself and Peter; therefore Peter is head of the Church. Resp. The payment of Tribute is not a sign of primacy, Rom. 13.7. but of subiection. Christ himself extorteth confession hereof out of Peters own mouth, matthew 17.25. And he sheweth the cause( why he payed his Tribute for himself and Peter, to be) not that he thereby made him head of the church, but Ibid. ver. 27. least Caesars officers should take offence against them. again, by this example he taught Peter and all his successors to bee subject to civil Magistrates, as to Gods ordinance. The seventh prerogative is the miracle recorded which Christ wrought in Peters fishing. Luke 5.6. joh. 21.6. For having fished all night and taken nothing, at Christs commandement he launched into the deep, and let down his net, and enclosed a great multitude of fishes. The like was done in the one and twentieth of John; Ergo, Peter is head of the Church. Resp. he hath neither head nor heart, reason nor sense, that maketh such conclusion. These miracles prove Onely the omnipotency of Christ: they help nothing towards Peters supremacy. Christ saith unto Peter; Luk. 22.31.32. Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to winnow you as wheat, But I haue prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: therefore, when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren. Resp. These words point onely unto Peters fall and his denial, they intimate not principality, nor sovereignty at all: onely he is admonished after his conversion to labour in his Apostleship, being mindful of the mercy extended to him. Christ first shewed himself to Peter after his resurrection, before he did appear to any other man; Ergo, Peter is the head of the church. Resp. It cannot be proved out of the Scripture, that Christ first appeared to Peter. The contrary is apparent in Luke; Luke 24.13. who very carefully setteth down the manner of Christs appearing, but he speaketh first of his showing himself to his Disciples going to Emmaus: the Marc. 16.12. same is the maner of Marks narration also. But howsoever, this is a fallacy, Ab ignoratione Elenchi,& à non consequenti. Christ first washed Peters feet, and to him onely foreshowed his death: Ergo, Peter is the head of the church. The Consequence of both propositions is false: Resp. it is a shane for Bellarmine that he spent good houres in such foolish toys. Peter was baptized by Christ himself, so no other Apostle; Ergo, Peter is head of the church. The Antecedent is false; no scripture, Resp. no canonical volume teacheth us so. The twelfth prerogative is, that Peter as the Father of the flock, doth congregate and gather them together, and doth propose unto them, that one must bee chosen into the place of Iudas, which was fallen from the dignity of an Apostle. Peter did not collect together the household of the faithful. Act. 1. Luke in the first of the Acts speaketh no such thing: Resp. but the Brethren coming together into the Chamber where the Apostles were, Peter according to the Scripture moved them to choose an Apostle into the place of Iudas. This proveth no supremacy. For, if Peter had been endued with such unlimited power as the Man of Rome challengeth to himself, he might by his authority haue nominated and appointed an Apostle in Iudas room. Peter first of after the coming of the holy Ghost did preach the gospel, and did the first miracle; Ergo, Peter is head of the Church. I am ashamed to spend time in answering of these fooleries. The argument is nothing to the purpose. Resp. This shows the diligence and power of faith: It shows not the primacy of Peter. GOD bee praised, that their arguments are no stronger, whereupon the Tower of their Babel standeth. Peter pronounced sentence of death vpon Ananias and Saphyra; Ergo, Peter is head of the Church. Act ● 5. They might better reason; Peter raised up the dead to life; Resp. Act. 9.40. therefore he is the head of the Church. Surely the worthiness of the gospel is seen in the salvation, not in the destruction of men. Act. 59. What Peter did to Ananias, he did by the suggestion of the Spirit of God: neither did he condemn Ananias and Saphira to death, but God struck Ananias, so that at the reproof of Peter he fell down and gave up the Ghost: as for Saphira also, Peter did not pronounce a judicial sentence to condemn her, but did prophesy of her near destruction. Peter walked throughout all quarters, and he first preached to the Gentiles; Ergo, Peter is the head of the Church. Resp. By this rule Paul and Barnabas were heads of the Church. For they went through Acts 14. Iconium, Lystra, Pisidia, Pamphilia, Perga, Attalia, and so to Antiochia, preaching to the Gentiles. Paul Acts 9.29. preached to the Grecians, and Philip Act. 8.35.40. to the Eunuch a gentle, before Peter preached to them. And he also walked to and fro, preaching in all the Cities, till he came to caesarea; but what is this to the primacy? The spirit said to Peter; up Peter, kill and eat, but it is the office of the head to eat; Acts 10. Ergo, Peter is the head of the Church. Resp. Spectatum admissi, O friar, O cardinal! Many prayers were made for Peter being in prison, but were not for Stephen or james; Ergo, Peter is the head of the Church. Resp. If to bee prayed for by the Church make a Primate, the Church often prayed for the Apostle Paul in his imprisonment; 2. Cor. 1.11. Rom. 15.30. therefore Paul was Primate. Peter spake first in the assembly. Acts 15. Paul went up to jerusalem to see Peter; Ergo, Peter is head of the Church. Resp. more Sophistications unworthy of an answer. Yet lest he should be wise in his own conceit, I say to the first, That in councils commonly the greatest person speaketh last: and it seemeth, james was chief in the council( if any were) for he concludeth and determineth the business, whose decision all the council followed. As for Pauls visiting of Peter, it was Christian charity, love and brotherly kindness, it was neither obedience, nor subiection. It remaineth now to show how this Popish Empire is opposite unto the Kingly office of Iesus Christ. First, it is the Symbol and very badge of Antichrist, to call himself universal Bishop, by the testimony of ancient Popes themselves. Pelagius the second, who was chosen Pope anno 580. saith; Quia si summus Patriarcha vniuersalis dicitur, Patriarcharum nomen caeteris derogant. dist. 99. cap. nullus Nec etiam Ro. Pontifix vniuersalis est appellandus. Let none of the patriarchs use the word universal. For if the chiefest Patriarch be called universal, The name of Patriarch is taken from the rest: but far bee it from any man, that he should desire to arrogate unto himself the honour of others. The Title of this Chapter in Gracian is; The roman Bishop may not be called universal. Gregorius surnamed the Great, Bishop of Rome saith, Ego autem fidenter d●co, quia si quisqui se vniuersalem sacerdot●m vocar, vel vocari desiderat in elatione sua, Antichristum praeuenit. &c. lib. 4 epist. 34. that to agree unto this wicked appellation( universal Bishop) is nothing else but to lose our faith. again he saith; I speak it boldly, whosoever calleth himself universal Bishop, or doth so desire to be called in his pride, doth forerunne Antichrist, because by pride he setteth himself before others. The fullness therefore of this great power in the Pope, the Apostle maketh to bee a mark and sign of Antichrist. 2. Thess. 2. namely, that he shall sit in the Temple of God, that is, rule and govern in the Church of Christ, showing himself as though he were God, dispensing, derogating, abrogating, reserving, releasing, absolving, declaring, constituting, providing, adnihilating, adnullating, reuersing, approving, confirming, and all at his pleasure, without rule, without law, without Canon, without control. Secondly, it is a great wrong unto the Spirit of God to bind it to one seat and one Person, as the divell was wont to be unto the Tripodes of his Pythonesses: Whereas we know that joh 3.8. the spirit breatheth where it listeth. Christ sent the promise of his Father vpon all Apostles, and concerning their true successors he saith; Math. 28.20. I am with you always to the end of the world. Thirdly, it is unto the Kingly Office of Iesus Christ a great dishonour, to think, that except one visible head of the flock be constituted on the earth, Christ cannot govern his Church by his word, and by his spirit. Ephes. 4.7, 8. Christ ascending vpon high, and now sitting at the right hand of the Father, hath given from time to time gifts unto his own body, which is the church: He stirreth up Prophets, and Pastors, teachers and expounders of the word; so that we need not run to Rome, or any other place for explication and construction of scriptures; since in every place, and in every Region our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ hath multiplied his gifts vpon many excellent Teachers, to the edifying of his church. Fourthly, to say that the Romish Bishop hath all laws divine and human in the chest or closet of his breast, is blasphemous violation of Christs Kingly Office, who hath only that power: Apoc. 3.7. to whom is committed the Key of david, who shutteth and no man openeth: who onely is the wisdom of the Father: the word which giveth laws out of the bosom of the Father: Esay 9.7. The lawgiver which sitteth vpon Throne of david to stablish it with iudgement and with iustice. As for his subordinate officers, God hath not made any one the treasure house of all laws, knowledge, and graces. 1. Cor. 12.8. But to one is given the word of wisdom, to another of knowledge, to another of faith, to another of healing, to another operation of great works, to another of prophesy, to another the discerning of spirits, to another the diversity of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues: The body is not one member, neither hath one member all offices. Fiftly, this Lordship of the Romish Bishop is altogether contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles. In the primitive Church Peter commandeth the Elders to feed the flock; 1. Pet. 5.3. Not as though ye were Lords over Gods heritage. Paul of himself and all the rest of Apostles saith; 2. Cor. 1.24. Ibid. cap. 10.4. Not that wee haue dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your ioy. And again, the weapons of our warfare are not carnalls but mighty thorough God. Whereupon Isidore saith; Let a Bishop know, that he is the the fellow seruant, not the Lord of the people. sixthly, it is derogatory to the dignity of Christ, to make Peter, or any successor of his, the foundation of the Church. For the Apostle Paul doth witness; 1. Co●. 3.11. Other foundation can no man lay, then that which is laid, which is Iesus Christ. Thus haue you seen, that the Romish elation is after sundry ways derogation, detraction, and injury to the supremacy of Christs sovereign dominion. For thy sons sake( O blessed God) teach them to know themselves, that they are but men, and that the smoky glory of the world is but a flower of the field; so that every knee may to thee bow, and every tongue to thee confess; Not unto us O Lord, Psal. 115. not unto us, but unto thy name give the glory. CHAP. VII. Of ecclesiastical offices ordained in the Church by the authority of Iesus Christ. THat there were sundry kindes of officers in the Church appointed by the Spirit of God and the Apostles of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ, according to the necessity and occasion of the Church, there is no man so impudent as to deny. The Apostles when the multitude of believers increased every day, so that themselves sufficed not to dispense the word and the Sacraments, and to distribute also the alms of the Church, did therefore choose Act. 6.2, 3, 4, 5. seven Deacons to minister to serve the tables, that they themselves might the better endure the work of preaching, prayer, and government of the flock, without let or disturbance. Of these Deacons, those which were approved in their calling, were taken to the office of teaching and preaching, as it is in Stephen and Philip to be seen. Wherefore in this inferior order of Ministers, it seemeth they were tried and proved who were fit to be admitted to the higher offices in the Church, according to that of the Apostle; 1. Tim. 3.10. Let them first be proved, and then let them minister, if they be found blameless. And again, 1. Tim 3.13. Th●y that haue ministered well, get themselves a good degree, and great liberty in the faith, which is in Christ Iesus. Other gifts and ministrations were also in the Church, as Act. 13.1. Prophets and Teachers. Of Prophets some foreshowed things to come, as Agabus, & 11.28.& 21.9. and the daughters of Philip, and diuers other: Some did 1 Cor. 14.27. expound the hard and difficult places of Scripture. The Heb. 5.12. teachers did instruct the people in the rudiments and principles of Religion: Ex Theod. Bez. in 4. Ephes. they governed also the schools. So Paul and Barnabas took mark with them, not onely to minister in bodily service unto them. But to help also, no doubt, in the ministration of the gospel. In the Church of Ephesus Ephes. 4.11. there were Apostles, Prophets, evangelists, Pastors, Doctors or Teachers, for the gathering together of the Saints: for the work of the ministery: and for the edification of the body of Christ. The difference betwixt the ministrations is easily seen. What the Apostles were. Act. 1. Apostles were they properly, which ministered unto our saviour Christ, when he conversed on the earth: and Mathias taken by lot into the place of the traitor Iudas. Others also Vid. Euseb. hist. ocel. l. 1. c. 13. ad finem. for their excellent gifts and labours were honoured with that title; as Act. 14.14. Paul and Barnabas. Such were also Epaphroditus, Andronicus and Iunius. unto Apostles was given not a particular charge, but general over the universal Church: they were endued with a greater measure of Gods spirit then the others; therefore to their rule and judgements all the rest were subject. evangelists and their office. Of the evangelists there were two kindes; Some that by writing delivered the Acts and history of Iesus Christ, as matthew, mark, Luke, and John: Another kind of evangelists was sent from place to place for the preaching of the gospel, and to lay the foundation of doctrine and religion. Such were Act. 21. Ephes. 6, 21. 2. Thes. 1.1. Pastors and their office. Philip, Tichicus, Siluanus, and others. These were not Apostles, yet had they no particular charge, but went from church to church as necessity required. Pastors were set over particular churches, every one in his charge: these were also called Elders, to whom Peter enjoineth, that they feed 1. Pet. 5.2. the flock committed to their charge. Of this kind are all Rectors of several parishes in our Church of England. We find that these Pastors had superiors or Bishops over them; such as Titus Tit. 1.5. was over them of Creet, and Timothy 1. Tim. 1.2.3. of Ephesus. unto Doctors the chief charge and superintendency over Churches was not committed: Doctors and their office. but yet they taught the people, and laboured to instruct in their place. Into their room the Catechists succeeded afterward; and these are in some sort resembled to the preachers in our daies, which assist the Pastors or Parsons of parishes in their charges. Of these also the Apostle seemeth to speak in his Epistle to the Hebrews; Heb. 5.12. When as concerning the time ye ought to be teachers, yet haue ye need again that we teach you. In the Church of Corinth the Apostle saith there were diversity of administrations, and diversity of operations. 1. Cor. 12.5, 6. It is very likely, that, by administrations, he meaneth degrees and offices in the Church: and by operations, the gifts and graces given unto those officers. Wherefore he saith, 1. Cor. 12.28. there were Apostles, Prophets, Teachers: workers of miracles, they that had the gift of healing, helpers, gouernours, diversity of tongues. All these served to the ministration of the word and of the Sacraments. But either all these churches had not the same number, nor kindes of offices, or else the gift of healing, helpers, gouernours, diversity of tongues, were not several offices in the Church, but gifts and graces bestowed vpon the offices and orders of the Church by the spirit of God. Surely, of healers, helpers, Gouernours, and diversity of tongues, in his Epistle to the Ephesians he speaketh not a word. All the degrees then and orders of the Church in the New Testament, the canonical writings comprehend sometime generally under one name of the Ministers of the gospel: or else under three titles, Apostles, Bishops, and Deacons. Bishops and Priests are but one degree, although of them some were set over the rest, as Bishops and chief gouernours in the church; as we red of Titus, that the Apostle Paul Tit. 1.5. gave him authority to redress the things that remain, and ordain Elders in every city. The word Vid Gratiā dist. 21. cap. ●leros. 〈◇〉 is as much to say, as an Elder. From whence the word, Priest, is derived: but the word, Sacerdos, which is a sacrificing Priest, is no where in the Scripture given to the Ministers of the gospel. The office of Apostleship, together with the gifts and operations, were to endure but for a time in the church, as the gift of healing, speaking with diuers tongues, and working of wonders, even until the church was established and confirmed. From which time forward the church is instructed and edified by those degrees of Elders and Deacons onely. Therefore Phil. 1.1. in the Church of Philippians the Apostle mentioneth no degrees but Bishops, and Deacons. And jo. de Comb. reciting the orders of the church, jo. de Comb. l 6. de sac. virt. cap. 36. makes no mention of Bishops, as being comprehended under the degree of Priesthood. P. Lombard likewise saith, Apud veteres ijdem Episcopi et Pre●b. fuerunt. sent. l. 4. dist. 24. Among the ancients, Priests and Bishops were all one. And further he saith, Diaconatus et presbyteratus, quia hos solos primitiua Ecclesia logitur habuisse, et de his solis praeceptum Apostoli habemu●. ibid ad finem cap. 8. that the primitive Church had onely Priests and Deacons. Wherefore concerning them onely the Apostle giveth precept, in the third chapter of his first Epistle to Timothy. Bishops, and Priests or Elders differ not in order, but in the office of government: yet the words, Bishops, Elders, Pastors, Ministers, are used sometime in the Scripture promiscuously, for one and the same thing. All degrees in the Church were by divine authority Onely, and from no other. The Apostle therefore reckoning up the orders of the Church of Ephesus faith, Ephe. 4 8.11. He ascended up on high, and gave gifts unto men; as though of his regal power it came that he assigned offices to his Church. He gave some to be Apostles, and some Prophets: And in the Church of Corinth he saith, 1. Cor. 12.5. There are diversities of administrations, but the same Lord; as though he should say, there is one supreme power, by which all degrees are ordained in the church. In the first of Titus he saith; Tit. 1.7. A Bishop is as Gods Steward: and he calleth himself 1. Tim. 1.1. an Apostle, by the commandement of God our saviour. again, 1. Cor. 4.1. Let a man so esteem of us as the Ministers of Christ, and disposers of the secrets of God. Out of all these places it appeareth, that the degrees and orders constituted in the Church were ordained by GOD himself, and by no other. If any man object, that the office of Deacons was ordained by Act. 6.2. a synod of the Church: I answer; this synod had the direction of the spirit of God for their warrant, which in a more extraordinary manner wrought in the Apostles then it doth in these daies. For of them wee may truly say( as Eusebius speaketh of Attalus and Alciabiades) Euseb. eccles. hist. lib. ●. cap. 3. iuxta med●um. they were not destitute of the grace of God: they had the holy spirit their counselor. To conclude, the Papists say, Order is a Sacrament: but all Sacraments are of Christs own institution; therefore orders are by the authority of Christ instituted in the Church. having shewed all the degrees which in the primitive Church served for the edification of the body of CHRIST, and that they were reduced unto two perpetual orders of Deacons and Priests, or Elders, which were not ordained without the special appointment of God himself; Let us now examine the sundry orders of the Romish church, besides all authority of Christ, without warrant, without commission, brought into the Church of CHRIST: of whom, together with the Sultan of Rome, I fear, he will one day say; Osee 8.4. They haue set up a King, but not by me: they haue made Princes, and I knew it not. CHAP. 8. Of ecclesiastical offices ordained in the Church without the authority of Iesus Christ, and injurious to his regal power: and first of Subdeacons. SO doubtful they are how many orders should bee in the Church, that some, Vid. Grat. dist. 21. cap. Cleros in Glos. vid. etiam addit. Hen. de Vrimar. in 4. Scot. dist. 24. cap. 1. according to the nine orders of Angells, will haue as many also of their Prelates: Pet. Lomb. 4. Sent. dist. 24. cap. 1. others are contented with seven orders, according to the seauenfold gifts of the holy Ghost: and they also, which will haue nine orders, contend not a little among themselves, what those orders are. Some say, Vid. Grat. dist. 21. cap. cleros. in gloss. clerkly censure is the first order, and the Episcopal degree the last: diuers shutting out clerical shaving, make up the number with the dignity Archiepiscopal, Isidore makes 2 orders; of Lectors,& Psalmists: Vid Conc. Cart●a. 4 Can. 8.& 10. the fourth council of Carthage seems also to do the same. For they say, the Lector, or Reader, is ordained by the Bishop: the singer, or psalmist, by a priest; yet, under a certain prescript form of words. Wherefore they seem to be sundry orders. Here, while they constitute seven orders in the Church, they do plainly multiply the number of Sacraments, from seven unto thirteen. For if according to their own definition, that be properly a Sacrament, Sacramenta propriè dicuntur illa quae ●dh●bibantur a dei cultoribus ad quandam consecrationem, per quam deputabantur qu●dā modo ad cultum dei. Tho. Aq. q 102. et sic collig. a Bōlon. comp. 1. par. 2. c. 102. which is used of the seruants of God, for consecration, or sanctifying of the receiver, by which he is designed to the service of God: or if a Sacrament be 4. sent. c. 1. Belan li. de sacr. second. the visible form of invisible grace; then why should not every several order be a several Sacrament, since they haue several forms, several matters, several signs, several graces, several characters, several functions, offices, and ends in every order? Bellar. saith, bishopric is a Sacrament, Deconry a Sacrament, Subdeaconry a Sacrament, the lesser orders Sacraments. All these differ from other, yet he will haue but 7 sacraments. Let us first entreat of their Subdeacons, an office, of which Gratian plainly pronounceth, in the Apostles time, it seemeth, Dist. 21. cap. Decret●s in glossa. there were no Subdeacons: if they were, yet Subdeaconry then was no holy order. Dionysius Dionys. c. 5. Hi●rer. ex Ch●m. in his Hierarchy expressly maketh mention onely of three orders. Ambrose, Ambr. in ●. ad Eph. ex them. reckoning up the orders of the Church in his time, speaketh not of Subdeacons. To these testimonies Bellarmine answereth, Bel. l. de cleric. c. 11. verbo ad locum Dionysit. that Dionysius did not describe the number of orders, but of Hierarchies, which are onely three; Bishops, Priests, and Deacons: these( saith he) are as Princes and Prelates over the people, the other orders be but Ministers unto the three Hierarchies. O friar, forsaken of all truth and shamefastness! doth not 1 Pet. 5.2.3 Peter expressly charge the Elders, that they feed the flock, not as though they were lords over Gods heritage? Doth not the Apostle Paul to his Corinthians witness; 1 Cor. 3.5 Who is Paul? who is Apollos, but the Ministers by whom ye believed? Doth he not every where call his office, 2 Cor. 3, 6.8.9. ministration and service? and himself 1 Cor. 9.19 a seruant to al men for Christ his sake? And is any man so shameless, as to turn Ministry into Principality? we know, that of Leuiticall Priests the Lord himself pronounceth; Numb. 18. ● I haue made your priests office an office of service. And all degrees of holy offices the Apostle Col. 1 1 Thes. 3. 2 Cor. 3. Eph. 3. comprehends under the name of seruants. But by a false distinction to cast a mist before our eyes, the Cardinal dreameth of orders of principality, and orders of ministration. So he plays also with the authority of Ambr.& saith, that he spake onely of five degrees in the Church, because the Apostle mentioneth but five degrees amongst the Ephesians. But for this you must take his own word only, proof he hath none at all. To conclude, howsoever in process of time Subdeacons haue been ordained in the Church, certain it is, that from the beginning it was not so, neither haue they any warrant in the canonical scripture. The Romish Church maintaineth yet this order,& with much solemnity createth subdeacons, Ex Pet. Lomb. l. 4. dist. 24. c. 6. de Subdiaconis. to receive the offering at the hands of the people: and to bring the Patten and Chalice to the Altar: to wait vpon the Deacons: to hold the ewer and the towel to the Bishop, and priests,& Deacons, when they wash at the Altar: to make clean the altar cloths& the vestments. Wherfore, when they are ordained, the bishop delivers them the Patten, and the Chalice: the Archdeacon the water pot, and towel: all this is done to imitate the jewish Leuiticall Ceremonies, and the Vid. Car. Sigon. de Rep. Heb. l. 5. c. 7 in prin. fear. Nathynayens of the Temple: and to magnify the sacrificing priests, that with greater pomp they may offer Christ vpon the Altar, being attended by such sacred persons, and so many officers of sundry degrees in their prelacy. Subdeaconry then is an office in the Church, without the ordinance of Christ, presumptuously set up to maintain Idolatry and superstition, to revive the jewish Ceremonies, to maintain the pride and vain glory of men, to dishonour IESVS CHRIST; as though he were every day to be offered on Altars, and had not with one sufficient perfect oblation vpon the cross reconciled us unto God: It detracteth from Christs power, as though any had authority to ordain and constitute orders in his Church without his rule and direction: It detracteth from the wisdom of our great King, as though in his holy word he had not left a a sufficient discipline and form of government, with fit offices and degrees for the edifying of his Church: It detracteth from the goodness and bounty of our great King, who hath kept from us an office of such necessity and importance, concealing it from the Apostles and Disciples, until such time as our Romish Prometheus stolen this fire from heaven, and found out an office fit and comely in the Church, which Christ never found. CHAP. IX. Of doorkeepers, and Acolytes. doorkeepers are instituted to the 1 Chron. 26. imitation of the jewish ceremony, which ordained Porters for the Gates of the Temple. And if these bee holy orders, the Parish clerk and Sexton are holy orders, to whom the keys of their Cathedrall and Parish churches are committed: neither is there any use of this order in their church in these daies, but onely that it may make up the superstitious number. For this office is executed by boyes and more babes. Of this office the ground is taken from the words of our saviour; joh. 10.9. Pet. Lomb. seut. l. 4. dist. ●4. c. 2. I am the door, by me if any man enter, he shall be saved. From hence they conclude, that the doorkeeper is an holy office; as though the wooden church door were Christ, or entering through the material gates were entering through Christ. I know, in the ancient church of GOD there were doorkeepers, who kept the house of prayer, and did put out the excommunicate persons, Heathenish, Idolatrous, heretics, and such as were not perfectly instructed in reliligion, when the holy mysteries were to be solemnized; but these were never accounted holy officers: neither were they reckoned amongst the orders and degrees of the church: they were more human ordinances, disciplinary services: corporal, not spiritual, nor religious, nor for the edification of the body of Christ. Acolytes the Scripture makes no mention of, Ex Amb. Calep. by any such name. indeed amongst the Philosophers the stoics were called Acolyts, because they always followed their opinion, and did with obstinate pertinacitie cleave to their doctrine, and counted it a shane to forsake the same. The Apostles had Ministers, who gave attendance on them; as Onesimus, Philemon 10. 1. Pet. 5.13. Act. 19.22. Col. 4. 1. Cor. 16. Marcus, Timotheus, and Erastus, unto Paul. These being trained up by the Apostle became at last fellow-labourers, and fellow workmen with him in the ministry of the gospel: but these followers, or Acolytes, the Romish church hath turned into Torch-bearers. Wherefore from the Archdeacon at their consecration they receive a Taper, with a candlestick and an empty pot: and because, when in time of persecution Christians for fear of their enemies met secretly in the night, and therefore had some whose duty it was to light Candles, both for necessity and comeliness, therefore now also we must haue Acolytes, at noon daies to carry Tapers; for it is so, Quia c●l●bratur accenso lumine, etiansi mill soles lucerent supper terram. Comp. Theol. verit. lib. 6. cap. 18. That if a thousand suins did shine vpon the earth, yet there must be Candle light, when the mass is celebrated. The cause of the institution of this order Peter Lombard confesseth to be, not for the illuminating of the air with Cressets and Candles: but under the type of this bodily light, to show that light of which it is written; joh. 1.9. That was the true light, which lighteneth every man that cometh into the world. Now herein how absurd are they, that suppose a tallow Candle, or perhaps one made of Wax, doth better resemble Iesus Christ, then the glorious orb of the bright shining Sun, which poureth light into every Star,& by them together with his faire beams, yieldeth joyful light unto every corner of the world? The authority of this order is taken chiefly from Christ, who of himself doth witness; jo. 8.12. I am the light of the world; he that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness. Therefore there must needs be Acolytes in the Church, to bear Tapers about at noon daies. I appeal even to every child that hath in an university talked of the rudiments of logic, whether this be a good and Dialecticall conclusion? The second cause of the institution of this order Ex Pet. Lomb. l. 4. dist. 24 c 5. Exod 27.20. Leuit. 6.13 Exod. ult. 25. is borrowed from the Iewes. For this office( saith Peter Lombard) they did sustain, which made the lights for the candlestick, and did kindle them with the heavenly fire, to' llluminate the darkness in the Temple: But from the jewish right this order can take no authority. For first, the Numb. 8.2. Exod. 25.37. Iewes had the commandement of GOD for this office of theirs: Secondly, Leuit. 6.12.& 9.24. the lights of the Temple and the Altar continued the memory of the heavenly fire, which God sent from above: Thirdly, Lib. 4. dist. 24. c. 5 by Lombards own confession, the torches and lights of the Temple were ordained, to bee a remedy against darkness by night in the Temple; But the Popish Acolytes, like mad men, burn Candles at noon daies. Thou seest Christian reader, how injurious these ridiculous orders are unto the sovereign dominion of IESVS CHRIST; which, as they are set up without his authority, so they are Scenicall and Heathenish mockeries: they revive judaism, and legal ceremonies, abolished by the coming of Christ: they are made Sacraments& seals of grace without his appointment, who is the onely author of grace. All these things are treacheries intolerable against the crown and dignity of the son of God. CHAP. X. Of Exorcists, another Popish Order, and the wrong that is offered thereby to the regal dignity of Christ. I do not place the Popish orders after the same manner as they are conferred in their church. For Exorcists with them is the third Order; I haue here placed it last, as the most injurious, and traitorous abomination against the supreme regality of our saviour Christ. Ex Pet. Lomb. l. 4. dist. 24 c 4. These take their name and appellation from adjuring and rebuking: whose office it is, to command the unclean spirits, and divels to depart out of the bodies and souls of them which are to bee baptitized, and also out of the water of baptism: to appease tempests: to quiet the fury of winds, of thunder, and lightning. These are ordained by receiving a book of conjurations or exorcisms at the hand of the Bishop, who saith; receive power to lay your hands vpon the possessed, and vpon new converts. The beginning of their office( some say) was from Salomon, of whom they falsely say, that he was the first Author of exorcism. Exorcists Act. 8.9.& 13.8.& 19.13. there were among the Iewes; but they were Witches, conjurers, Vagabonds, such as Simon Magus, Elymas, and the sons of Sceua: they were not instituted by the Law, nor by the gospel: they were very enemies unto Iesus Christ, and his kingdom; and such are they also, whom the Romish church hath ordained to bee their successors. No man can deny, but that our saviour Christ, sending forth his Apostles, gave them power Math. 10.8. to cast out divels; and of the miraculous faith of some he saith, Mar. ult. 17. that in his name they shall cast out divels: but this was a gift, not an order in the church. And that doth evidently appear, because he saith not, that the Apostles, or Deacons, or they that are constituted in the holy orders of the church, shall be Exorcists; but these tokens shall follow them that beleeue. Wherefore, though Bellar. lib de cleric. c. 13. Bellarmine doth miserrably vex and labour himself, to prove that Exorcists are an holy order; yet out of the book of God, and the canonical Scriptures, he cannot bring one syllable or letter, to prove the same. The gift of casting out of divels was for a time, to show the glory and godhead of Iesus Christ, in whose name divels and unclean spirits were subdued and overcome. Now, that power is either ceased, or else is not commonly conferred, either by imposition of hands, or any other ceremony: therefore to retain an idle& useless imagination in the church: to pretend that they give power over Apostata spirits unto men, by delivering a book full of spells and Crosses into their hands; What is it else but to tempt the Lord? to lie unto the holy Ghost? to mock and delude the ignorant? to scandalise them that are within? and to set stumbling blocks before them that are without? Yea, by certain Rites and solemn ceremonies with blowing, Crosses, Characters, Words, to turn bread into flesh: to bring down the body of Christ from heaven: to sanctify and give divine virtue unto salt, oil, water, herbs, clothes, Candles, and such like; what is it else but very magic, such as the Poet speaketh of? Carmina vel coelo possunt deducere lunam. Carminibus Circa socios mutauit Vlyssis. Frigidus in praetis ca●tando rupitur anguis. Virg. ●glog 8. Verses from heaven can bring down the moon. By Verses Circe changed Vlysses mates, By Verse the could Snake in the field is burst. There is no doubt, but the creatures which they consecrate, in their own nature are good for the uses to which they were ordained: but to turn them from their appointed end unto superstitious purposes, is Heathenish impiety. And since these things haue no such power as they attribute unto them, neither by their own nature, nor by Gods ordinance, or any witness of his word, therefore it is very devilish and impious magic, and blasphemy, by words and crosses to seek to give such power unto them. Wee are no where in Scripture taught to use the name of the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost, to transubstantiate his creatures: to consecrate herbs, salt, water, candles unto holy and religious uses. Wherefore so to do, is merely unlawful and abominable. Lastly, for all their orders they fetch example from Iesus Christ, saying; jo. de Comb. in comp. Theol. verit. l. 6. c. 36. ad finem. He was a doorkeeper, when he cast the buyers and sellers out of the Temple: A Reader, when in the midst of the Elders he opened the book of Esay, and red therein: An Exorcist, when he cast out divels. An Acolyte, when he said, I am the light of the world: A Subdeacon, when girding himself with a towel he washed his Apostles feet: A Deacon, when in his last Supper he distributed his body and blood unto his Disciples: A Priest, when on the Altar of the cross he offered himself up for the sins of the world, unto God the Father. Thus with impudent faces they contend for their superstition, and fear not to sport and play with the sacred person of the son of God; Psal. 30.11. Thou thoughtest wickedly( saith he) that I am even such a one as thyself, but I will reprove thee, and set before thee the things that thou hast done. CHAP. XI. Of diuers other officers ordained in the Church, besides the institution and Testament of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. TWo notes of distinction ecclesiastical persons haue in the Romish church. The outward, is tonsure or shaving of the hair: The inward, is the Character or calling, and seal of God: but howsoever their doorkeepers, Readers, Exorcists, Acolytes, Subdeacons, monks, Friers, hermits, Nunnes, may be partakers of the external ceremony: yet Character they haue none, nor inward calling from GOD; who of them all, I doubt not, pronounceth; Hosea 8.4. They haue made Princes, and I knew it not. Hugo de Sancto Victore defineth Order, to be a certain sealing, in which spiritual power and office is conferred vpon them that are ordered: this definition is too short. For he should haue said rather, that it is a calling or office ordained by Christ in his Church for the edification thereof. But against all these offices of the Romish Synagogue diuers reasons may be brought. First, Ex doct. ssimo& ornatissimo Mattheo Sutliueo. in lib. de vera Christi Ecclesia:& Lamb. Daneo ad 5. controu. parts prima alt. they haue no authority in the Scripture; no constitution, no warrant, neither by express commandement, nor yet by example: never any man found monk or friar, Iesuite or cardinal, hermit or nun, in the Scripture: Christ and his Apostles never ordained any such: they never knew them: they never heard of them. Ephes. 4.11. God gave some Apostles, some Prophets, some evangelists, some Pastors, and Teachers: but he never gave these Popish Orders for the work of the ministry, and for the edification of the body of Christ. So likewise in 1. Cor. 12. the first to the Corinthians the twelfth chapter, sundry gifts and states of men in the church are rehearsed: But of these papistical orders and divisions not one word is found. Secondly, our saviour, nor his Apostles never did ordain that men should wholly fly from their lawful possessions, or that they should forswear lawful marriage, or hid themselves in cloisters, or make vows, or ordain new evangelical rules and laws; Nay, CHRIST telleth us, Math. 15.13. that every plant his heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted out. These are none of his Plants, none of his Orders: their ceremonies their traditions he never approved. Thirdly, all Gal. 6 6. 1. Cor. 9.7. Heb. 13.7. Christs Disciples are either teachers, or hearers, as it appeareth in sundry places of Scripture: but monks, Friers, and hermits are neither preachers nor hearers; Preachers they are not, for they succeed not the Apostles: Hearers they are not, for they dwell either in cloisters, or Deserts, where there is no preaching. And though of late times some friarly orders haue taken vpon them to preach, yet it is altogether against their monastical Order? For( as jerome saith) Monachus enim non d●centis, said plangentis habet officium. Ep. ad Rep..& Desiderium. a monk hath not the office of a teacher, but of a mourner. It were the Apostles onely and their successors, to whom the Lord said; Mar. 18.18. whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. Gregory Nemo& interdicimus 16. q. 1. therefore and other Popes haue forbidden Monks to be preachers: and the chap. iuxta Chalcedonensis saith; A praedicatione populorum omnino cessare censiumus. Wee adjudge that they altogether cease from preaching to the people. Fourthly, the Apostle forbiddeth all men to live idly, and commandeth 2. Thes. 3.10. That he which will not labour, should not eat. But the Monkish orders live of the sweat of other mens brows, without order, without calling, without labour. Fiftly, if they haue their institution from Christ and his Apostles, why from Benedict are they called Benedictines? From Francis Franciscans? From Dominick Dominicans? And why haue they from these their Fathers received such rules, forms, and institutions as Christ did never command? sixthly, no fraternity may be allowed, but such as haue authority from the Pope: such as the ruler of the Romish church approveth; but if they had their institution from Christ, they needed no more to bee confirmed by the Pope, then Priesthood, and Deaconry are. seventhly, if monks and Friers with such like, were ordained by Christ, the Pope could not at his pleasure dissolve their order; as Gregory the tenth destroyed diuers sorts of them in Concilio Lugdun: And Clement the fift, the order of Templaries; and pus Quintus, the order of the Humiliat●rs. Eightly, Paul the theban and Anthony were the first parents of Monkish Orders. Ruffinus Lib. 1. hist. cap. 8 calleth Anthony the first inhabitour of the wilderness: And jerome to Eustochium saith, of this life Paul was the author, and Anthony the illustrator. He addeth also, that John the Baptist was the Prince of them, because he shewed example of austerity; not for that he gave precepts of Monkish life. For certain it is, there were no monks before Paul, and Anthony, in the church of Christ, as by sundry reasons it may be shewed. First, because in the old or new Testament there is no mention of Monks, before this Paul the theban and Anthony. Corn lius Agrippa saith, Quibus vetus lex omnino caruit, caruit etiam Ecclesiae eo tempore, quo fuit optima, nec tot Ce●emoniarum Ritibu● implicita de va●it. scient. c. 62. the old law altogether was without them, and the church also at that time, when it was best, and not encumbered with such abundance of Ceremonies. jerome saith, that jerom. in vitae Pauli Eremitae. Amathas and Macarius the Disciples of Anthony affirm, that Paul the theban was the Prince of Monkery. The roman breviary itself calleth Paul In lect 4. in fest. Pauli Erem. the first Eremite, the author and master of Eremites. To this Vincentius in spec. lib. 17. cap. 54. Sabellicus, Polidorus Virgil. lib. de invent. rer. give their testimony also. Ninthly, jerome Ad Mo●t●um desertae confugiens, cum persecutionis finem praest●taretur, necessitatem vertit in vol●ntatem. in the life of Paul doth witness, that the cause of his solitary life was persecution. The cause of our monastical orders is no such; they live at ease and in wantonness; not in a cave, as Paul did: not fed with bread and water, as he was; but with delicates, with wine, and dainties Implentur veteris Bacchi pinguisque ferina. The Monkery then of these later times began neither from Moses, nor Christ; No, nor from Paul, nor Anthony; but Polid. Virgil l 7. de inven. rerum. from Benedict, who first brought the solitary Monks that lived alone in Caues and Rocks, into Cloisters and abbeys. The monks of our time are not the schollers of these reverend abstainers, but of Epicurus, and Philoxenes: of Sardanapalus, and Heliogabalus: luxurious, abdominous, gluttons, and graues of meate. having shewed that these orders of the Romish church are not from God the Father, nor his son Christ: from Prophets, or Apostles; No, nor yet from Paulus, and Antonius the first hermits, Let us examine the arguments, which they use in defence of this serpentine brood, this generation of Vipers, these crawling Locusts, the burden of Church and Commonwealth. Bellarmine saith, that in the law of nature there was a shadow of Monkish orders: in the law of Moses a greater show of them; but that their perfection was declared in the time of the Apostles. The truth of this brag the ensuing discourse will examine. Ob. Of Enos it is said in the fourth of Genesis; This man began to call on the name of the Lord; therefore Enos was a monk. Sol. every one that calleth on the name of God, is not a Monk; but the Hebrew text is; Gen. 4 26. Sic Rabin. Then men began to call on the Name of the Lord. And some interpret; Then men began to blaspheme the name of the Lord. But admit that Enos alone did call on the name of the Lord; Enos was no Votary, he was not shaved: he was a married man, he possessed his own proper substance, wife, and children: Is this any sign of monkery? Ob. The institution of Nazarites, Numb. 6. is brought as a proof for monastical orders. For they did separate themselves unto the Lord: and by their example Origen saith, many did consecrate, or vow themselves wholly unto the service of God. The Nazarites did not abstain from lawful marriage: Sol. Numb. 6.5. they were not shaven, but did nourish their hair all the time of their abstinence: They did not forsake their possessions: They lived not in Cloisters, neither did they bind themselves to perpetual vows. What agreement is betwixt monks and Nazarites? jerome Ex ep. Hier. ad Paulinum& Rusticum. calleth Elias and Elizeus with the children of the Prophets, monks and Captaines of monks. Ob. They lived in the wilderness: they built them Cottages by the banks of jordan: they lived on wild herbs and pottage. jerome speaketh this by way of amplification: Sol. for properly he maketh Paul and Anthony the first of this Order. Genebrard saith, Paul first began to dwell in the wilderness: Geneb. l. 3. a●ns 267. hence was the beginning of Eremites. But to speak the truth; Elias, Elizeus, and the children of Prophets, haue no conformity with our Romish monks. For Heb. 11.37, 38. the Prophets fled into the deserts because of persecution, being destitute, afflicted, and tormented. This later brood of monks are not so; Helias, Elizeus, and the children of the Prophets, dwelled in the society of men in Rama, Hierico, Ramoth Gilead, Gilgal, Bethel, and such other great Cities: and if they dwelled by the banks of jordan, 2. Reg. 6.1.2. it was because the place wherein they lived together was too narrow and too little for them, as they themselves said unto Elizeus. The Prophets and their children were married, our monks are not: the Prophets and their children fed on pottage and herbs, our Monks feed on flesh, and some on dainty fish: The children of the ProProphets drank water, the Monks drink wine at the full. They are not of the Prophets children, nor like them in life and conversation. The Rechabites built not houses, drank no wine, Ob. sowed no fields, planted no vineyards, lived austerely; therfore they were monks. The Rechabites descended from jethro the father in law of Moses: Sol. they were shepherds and feeders of cattle by profession; wherefore they had no certain habitation, nor built any houses: but they were married, they had lawful children, they had proper goods; therefore the Rechabites were no monks. again, the monks drink wine, build houses, plant vineyards and orchards, live merrily and at ease; therefore the monks are no Rechabites. Ob. John the Baptist is made the Father of monks by many of the ancient Doctors of the church. For he dwelled in the wilderness, and was clothed in vile apparel. Sol. The monks haue nothing like unto John the Baptist: He was in the wilderness by the appointment of God. For of him Esay foreshoweth, Esay 40.3. A voice crieth in the wilderness: And Luke saith, that Luke 1.80. he was in the wilderness, till the day came that he should show himself unto Israel. But the Monks can show no such calling, no such warrant, for their solitariness. Again, John preached and baptized in the wilderness, Monks do not so: John left the wilderness when his time came of preaching, monks may not leave their Cloisters: John had neither Cloister, nor Abbey: John gave no special rule, or distinction of meats, or apparel, to his Disciples more then he did to all other: John made no vow of virginity, nor renunciation of his Fathers possessions: Math. 3.4. John did eat Locusts and wild Hony, monks are fed with better dishes: John was clothed with Camels hair, monks for the most part haue softer raiment. Bellarmine bringeth many reasons, to enforce that Monks were in the Church of God before the year 300. but they are rather weak and wavering shadows of opinion, then solid arguments of a good disputer. Ob. First, out of Athanasius in the life of Anthony he saith, that Anthony found many monks in the wilderness. Sol. The treatise which is now extant under the name of Athanasius, is a doubtful suspected story, lately added to his books, full of many childish toys, not fitting the gravity of so reverend a Father. It is thought indeed that Athanasius wrote the life of Anthony, but this foolish Pamphlet is suborned, no doubt, and thrust vpon us instead of the true work of that godly ancient. Dama●us saith, Ob. that Dionysius of a monk was made Bishop of Rome. This cannot be true; Sol. for by the opinion of the most and best writers, Monkery came not into Italy before the year three hundreth and fifty. again, this writing which goeth under the name of Damasus, hath neither credit amongst us, nor our aduersaries. Damasus himself was a man very superstitious; but howsoever, if Damasus were a monk, his order had no ground in Scripture. We are not to follow the superstition of men, but the truth of God. Tertullian and Cyprian are brought by Bellarmine, Ob. as strong witnesses on his behalf; of whom the one speaketh of the covering of Virgins: the other of the habit of Virgins; Ergo, these were Nunnes. He might as well conclude, Sol. Eua the wife of Adam made a covering to hid her nakedness; Ergo, Eua was a nun. The Virgins which Cyprian and Tertullian speak of, were neither shut up in Cells, nor Nunneries, but lived in their own houses: not bound by a perpetual vow, but were virgins so long as it seemed good unto them not to mary: they had not all things in common: they had no peculiar rule, nor order. Dionysius called Areopagita, Ob. is produced in witness for monastical orders. This Dionysius was not the Areopagite, Sol. but a false and fabulous Impostor, reproved Basil. ep. 41. ad Max. Phil qua incip●t Imagines animarum. by Valla and Erasmus: not allowed by Basil the great. he lived three hundreth yeares after Christ. Philo judeus commendeth monks, and reporteth, Ob. that he saw them. Philo speaketh of the Essees; Sol. Ios●ph. de Bel Iud. l. 2. c. 12. H●er●m epit. ad Eustochium. as it is manifest both out of Iosephus and out of jerome also. Now Eusebius and Epiphanius affirm, that the Essees were heretics: and Philo judeus himself saith, they were Hemerobaptists, that is, such as baptized themselves every day a new. Bellarmine is not ashamed to bring in the example of the Ob. Apostles, and to say that they were the first Monks; for they had all things in common: to which purpose he allegeth Austen, Euseb. eccl hist. lib. 2 Hieron de viris illust. in Philone. Aug. de vit. clear. communi. ser. 2. who saith, they bound themselves in vows: And diuers Fathers, who witness, that religious orders came from the Apostles; as Eusebius, jerome and Augustine. Sol. The Apostles followed no rule but that of the gospel: they never forswore the lawful use of Marriage: they did never vow to haue no goods of their own: Vid. jo. 21. When they followed Christ, they kept their ships, their nets, their houses, though they kept not their affection towards them, but did forsake them in preferring Christ before them. So in Acts the fourth the brethren were not bound by vow to give away their goods, but of all the multitude there was Acts 4.32. one heart, and one mind. The cause of the community of goods amongst them was charity onely, and not any vow. For charity it was that none of them said, Ibid. any thing of that which he possessed was his own: For charity it was, that they sold their houses and lands, and brought the price to the Apostles feet. It is plain, that when they entred into the profession of Christs religion, they made no vow to forsake their goods. For to Ananias Peter saith; Acts 5.4. whiles it remained, appertained it not to thee? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? But if Ananias had been a Votary at his entrance into religion, his possession had not appertained unto him, neither had it been in his own power. Wherefore Ananias was punished as an Hypocrite, who pretended to bring all the price, and brought but a part: this was falsehood and lying, even against the holy Ghost. The brethren, of whom Luke speaketh in the Acts, had no name called over them, but that blessed name of Christ only. The later monks of Dominicus are called Dominicans: of Francis Franciscans: of Austen Augustines: of bennet Benedictines: rather schismatics then Christians. again, Luke witnesseth, Acts 4.32. That all the company of the believers made their goods common. If this were Monkery, all the Church were monks. Furthermore, all men know, this community of goods lasted but a while in the Church: neither did the bretheren give their goods to Monasteries: neither had they an Abbot or Prior over them: neither did they call their followers by their names: neither did any of them vow to feed on fish onely, or to live in desert, or cloister: but they went abroad preaching the gospel throughout the world. As for the Fathers which think the Apostles to bee the first Fathers of Monkish orders, it is a plain error in those Fathers, while too much enamoured with that kind of life, they wrest all that may be, to the honour thereof. jerome plainly saith, Nec quisquam monachum ante S. Hilarionē in Syria nouerat. Hier. in vita Hilarion. There was no monk in Palestine before Hilarion. Ex doctiss Mat. Sutliuio. Cassianus saith; The first monks were Paul and Anthony: And the same The Romish missal itself doth witness, as I haue already shewed. CHAP. XII. The monks of these later times are not the children of the ancient monks, Ex doctis. et clariss. Mat. Sutli. de insti. monach. et Lamb. Danco. ad 5. contr. Bell. neither agree with them in manners and conversation. THe degenerate brood of base and fleshly Israelites the Prophet reproveth, saying; Ose 9.10. I saw your fathers as the first ripe in the figtree at her first time, but they went away to Baal Peor, and separated themselves unto that shane: Of our late drones in Abbeies and Cloisters we may say the same. For of ancient monks Aug. de mor. ●cel. cath. c. 31. Augustine witnesseth, that they were modest, shamefast, peaceable, burdensome to no man: but these of later times are shameless, immodest, fire-brands of dissension, importable to christian common wealths. The first monks( Zozo. lib. hist. 1. c. 13. as Zozomen and Nicephorus do witness) by the tempest of persecutions were compelled to this kind of life. Otho Frisingensis is witness, Lib. 8. cap. 39. that Paul Thebeus flying the persecution of Decius, hide himself in the caues. Cassiodorus agreeth with him. Wherefore the first parent of monks is not like unto the Epicures of our time, whom ease, pleasure and banqueting maketh shavelings; which order when they haue once taken vpon them, Non audet Scygius Pluto ●entare, quod audet infamis monachus, plenaque fraudis anu● versus P●● 2. Papa Ro. The Stygian Pluto dares not that attempt, Infamous monks and Beldams old will do. Secondly, the ancient Monks did labour with their hands. Epiphanius saith, Artis tenuet sibi ips●● excogitau●runt, ne otiosa unam degant, ●ut panem grauitum edant. in comd●c cath They found out slender arts, lest they should live idly, or eat bread at other mens charge. Hierom in his epistle to Eustochium saith, They did work their daily task, which being shewed to the dean, was delivered to the Steward. Augustine witnesseth the D. mor. eccl eath. c. 33. ex Mat. Suiliui●. same; They labour with their hands, the things wherewith their bodies may bee sustained. And in his book of the De ep, monac. c. 17 labour of monks, he denies it to bee lawful unto a monk to live vpon another mans goods, though he doth give himself to prayer and contemplation. Chrys. hom. 37. in Mat. 23. hereof Chrysostome is witness, and Theod. in Lausiaca hist. But of the Monks in these daies Bellarmine blussheth not to say; De mon c. 42. Nos numerus sumus, fruges consumere nati. Hor. ep. 2. monks are no more bound to labour with their hands, then secular Priests. Wherefore these are swine of Epicurus pigs-coate: a multitude born to eat and drink: locusts and caterpillars, whom other mens labours must sustain. Thirdly, the first monks distributed their goods to the poor, as Anthony and all other his followers. Therefore Hierom Ep ad Heliod. to Heliodorus the monk saith; It is not lawful for thee to haue any thing of thine own, or proper unto thee. Cassianus teacheth, Ne vsibus quidem coe ●eb●j profitur is suscipere ab eo pecunias acquiescunt. insta. mon. l. 4. c. 4. that anciently they brought nothing into the Monasteries, nor took any thing for the use of their covent. But monks in these daies are hardly admitted except they bring with them: and if they haue nothing of their own, Mon●chu habe●s obolum, no● valet ob●lum. Greg. they become beggars; with shameless and impudent petacity, wresting from widows, and by fraud getting from poor men that which should sustain their families, their wives, and children; pretending to make them partakers of the privileges of their brotherhoods, and of their prayers. Of whom I would gladly learn, what that prayer is worth which is made for temporal mead, and reward of men. Fourthly, the ancient monks were lay-men, inferior to the Deacons of the Church: neither might they take vpon them the degrees of Priest or Deacon. Wherefore Dionys. in epist. ad Demo●h. Dionysius commonly called Arcopagita accounteth Bishops superiors to Priests, and Priests to Deacons, and Deacons to monks: and a monk that presumeth to meddle with the holy Ministration, he calleth a crafty enemy, a wolf clothed in a sheeps skin, and not a Priest. Gratian saith, It was ordained Placu●t omnibus ●● Nic. Synod. in the Nicen council, that a Monk should not enjoin penance to any man. Nay, abbess abbi●i monachus in omni lo. ● repraesentet obsequium dist. 93. ca. subdi●co ●● usque. he maketh Abbots inferior to the door keeper. lo also decreeth ●x Mat. Sut●●. that a monk should not preach. Cap d. ●onach. quam i●●. But Gregory saith, they cannot devoutly continue in the monastical rule, and serve also in the Church offices. And Austine saith, Aug ep. 27. ad Aurel●●num. cap. iuxta Ch●lcedonens. that it is a great wrong unto the clergy, when they that forsake their cloisters, are admitted to the clergy. Hierom In ep●●t Heliodorum et R●●. of himself being a monk saith; One is the cause of the monk, another of the clerk; The clerk feedeth the flock, I am fed. And the council of Chalcedon decreed, that Monks should not meddle with the ecclesiastical office. Fiftly, the first monks dwelled in the wilderness, in woods, in caues, in rocks: they withdrew themselves from the frequency of men, and therefore they were called Monachi, or living alone. jerome Hier. ep. ad Paulinum. to Paulinus saith; If thou desire to be that which thou art called, a Monk, that is, one living alone, what dost thou in the cities which are not the habitation of solitary men, but of many? Now the monks of later yeares live not onely in villages, but in the most frequent and pleasant cities. sixthly, monks in ancient time were not wanderers abroad, they contained themselves in their cells. cause. 16. q. 1. cap. placu●t commu. And Eugenius saith; Let a monk be contented with his cloister. For as a fish without water wanteth life: so a Monk without the Monastery. Let him therefore sit solitary and silent, for he is dead to the world. But the monks in our daies like the Egyptian Frogs, creep even into the Kings chambers: they run through the world like Knights errand, seeking where they may do mischief. eleventhly, the ancient monks meddled not with secular business, but gave over the world, that they might yield themselves wholly to the service of God. Wherefore the Synod of Chalcedon forbade all monks to meddle with ecclesiastical or secular business. Pelagius saith, cause. 16.7. 1. cap. de prasentium portitere. To a Monk belongeth rest, and prayer, and labour of hands. The Moguntine Can. 12. Synod inhibiteth them from handling secular judgements. Hier. ad Rustic. vidi ego quosdam. Hierom is so far from permitting Monks to haue to do in political affairs, that he thinketh they ought not to take care for their own houses. But now monks and Friers are principal workmen in the government of kingdoms, Cities and Nations: they intromitte themselves into all business: they haunt the Courts of Princes; nay, they become counsellors unto Kings, Captaines of Armies, troubling all the world with their ambition. What dangers haue they bread in England, Ireland, France, spain, Peter Heremita et alij. muscovy, of late yeares, by their state-shaking plots: by their pragmatical studies: by the officiosity of their unquiet spirits? Finally, what discord between Princes? what wars and effusion of blood in christendom haue they not been authors of? Eightly, the ancient monks were truly poor indeed; both poor in spirit, and poor in worldly substance; their houses, garments, food, all was poor: but these later Monks dwell in gorgeous Palaces, they are ambitious of honours and preferments, making vows of poverty: they covet bishoprics, strive to bee cardinals; even in England here they got almost the Vid. jo. Fox in Acts et Monum. third part of the land in their possession. Ninthly, the ancient monks had no other rule but the gospel of Christ. It is said of Anthony, that when his disciples came to him, praying him to give them a rule and directory of conversation, he offered them the gospel of Christ. The Romanists can produce no monastical rule more ancient then that of Basil; which yet seemeth not to bee Basils. For neither is the phrase of speech like unto that of Basil in his other works, neither doth Nazianzen speak thereof, who yet diligently registered all the books and writings of Basil. Zozomen ascribeth this rule to Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia. Tenthly, the ancient monks had no certain form of garments: they used much abstinence: they bound not themselves by oath to the obedience of any superior: they were not consecrated: they were not of sundry orders or rules: All which in these new monks is to bee found; of whom Paling●nius himself saith, Duntaxat ventri, veneri. sōnoque vacantes Pali●g. l 9. sab finem. That they are seruants onely to their belly, lust, and sleep. The ancient monks prayed for Kings and Princes: they were obedient unto them whensoever occasion was of their service; but these monks are not onely exempted from the obedience of civil Magistrates, but of Bishops also: They are unto Princes, mortal enemies: They are murtherers, poisoners, authors of conspiracy: so that it is hard to find a treason in all christendom, whereof monks and Friers haue not been contrivers. Mat. Paru. in Hen. 3. pag. 5●5. Franciscans sent from the Romish Bishop stirred up all Germany against the Emperour: monks of Saint Valeri conspired with the enemies of King Richard in Normandy: monks they were specially, that troubled the realm of England in the reign of King John: monks they were, that stirred up the people against Henry the eighth in Yo●k-shire and Lincoln-shire: against the King and his laws opposed themselves the monks of Durham, Winc●ester, and Ca●terbury, in the time of Henry the third. A dominic friar poisoned Henry Luciaburg the Emperor in the Sacrament: A Monk of Swynste●d poisoned King John of England: A dominic monk stabbed Henry the 3. King of France with a knife: monks were the counsellors, by whose instigation the Prince of Aurenge was slain: by jesuits, Parry, Williams, york, Patri●k, C●llens, sundry persons at sundry times were suborned to murder the late incomparable queen Elizabeth: by Varalius the jesuit Barrier was moved to slay Henry the fourth, King of France: by the jesuits was castle also taught to haue done the same: Of that horrible examplelesse Gunpowder treason in England, who were the approuers and abettors but jesuits? Amongst whom what is more familiar, then to teach that a King by the Pope excommunicate may be of his subiects forsaken lawfully, deposed, and murdered? Nay, they haue not spared the Popes themselves. Victor by a monk was poisoned in the Chalice: Hild●brand the monk poisoned diuers Popes, and got at last into the chair himself. Ruffinus l. 1. c. 25. Lastly, they are no less intolerable unto the Church, then unto the Commonwealth. Monks were the chiefest Promoters of the Macedonian heresy: Niceph. l. 13. c. 10. The Monks attempted to poison Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria, a good and godly man, because he opposed himself against the Audean heresy: Secrat. l. 1. hist. c. 9. Monks in Egypt addicted themselves to the Meletian and Samaritan madness: Monks were the first parents of the Pelagian, Eutichean, Messalian, Euthusian, Timothean heresies. Yea, by the counsel of a monk the Alcoran was framed: and now Angels they worship with the Angelicans: Images with the Simoneans: they rail against marriage with the Tatians. Timotheus Arturus the monk slay Proterius Bis●op of Alexandria in the very Baptisterie. Or place of baptism. Brasimas the Monk in that thievish council of Ephesus was the chief Promoter of the heresy of Eutiches, openly crying out; tear him in pieces, whosoever saith there are two natures in Christ: Diog. Cyzic. in Act. 4. council. Chalced. and by his special procurement Flauian was slain. Of the bloody murder of that army of godly monks at Banchor, Augustine the Romish monk, whom they falsely call the Apostle of England, was the workman. Vid. God. de Font. What troubles did they raise in Paris about the year 1352. and 1353? How was the ecclesiastical state pestered with them in France? I pass over the vexation which they procured to Baldwinus, Richard the great, John Peccam, and John Stratford, as also to edmond Archbishops of Canterbury. Nay, Monks with Monks could never agree; such a viperous generation they are, troublesone to others& to themselves. The contentions betwixt the Monks of Rochester& Canterbury, for the election of the Archbishop of Canterbury: betwixt the old and young Monks there, for the election of Reignold: The warres betwixt Dominicans and Franciscans, Scotists& Thomists, whole volumes cannot contain. CHAP. XIII. How opposite the Monkish order is unto the kingdom of Iesus Christ. THe kingdom of Christ and his supreme regality by this brood of traitorous Hypocrites, is violated, wronged, impugned, and opposed; so that of them it may be truly verified what is prophesied by Paul; 2. Tim. 3.4. In the later times shall be traitors, heady, high minded, louers of pleasure more then louers of God. First, they are blindly superstitious, maintainers of Traditions, and idle Ceremonies, by which the grace and gospel of Christ is obscured. Nay, they are plain enemies to the word of life, while they chiefly teach and persuade against the publishing of the mysteries of salvation in a known tongue, by which the ignorant might bee edified, and weak consciences quieted. Ex Math. Paris. They so much malign the gospel of Christ, that about the year 1254 they made a new gospel, the figment of their own heads, which they called the eternal gospel, or the gospel of the spirit of God, stuffed full of abominable errors and lies, by which the gospel of Iesus Christ was utterly defaced. For they openly professed therein, that the canonical Gospels, in respect of their gospel, were no more then the Shell to the kernel, or darkness to light. They affirmed also, that the gospel of Christ should be preached but fifty yeares more: But their gospel was eternal, and should endure for ever to rule the Church. Lastly, they boasted, that whatsoever the Bible contained, was in their gospel to bee found. Knowledge hereof came unto the ears of the Pope, who committed this Monkish gospel to the examination of six learned men●; Guil. de Sanct. amore, Christianus Canonicus Beluac. Odo de Doace, Nicholaus de Bano, johannes de sicca Villa, johannes Belin. These after much pains taken found out the falshoods, and refuted the heresies of this devilish gospel; so that though in favour of his Friers he would not publicly, The magician or the book of the dispossessing of Ma●dalen de Palud. yet privately the Pope himself condemned it. We may adjoin unto this the late device of the Friers of France, of whom it may bee truly said; Flectere si nequeant superos, Acheronta mouebunt: If the Heauens will not bend, The Hell they'l make to bow. For, finding that they haue no sufficient ground or foundation in the book of God for their superstition, they haue composed a book of divels, taking proof out of Hell to maintain their Popery. Which, if the divell himself author of lies had not been their Father, and Antichrist his first begotten son their Master, in whose kingdom of darkness lies are in place of light, and strong illusions their best conclusions, they never durst to haue attempted. Secondly, the very foundations of their abbeys and Cloisters were erected vpon flagitious and heinous murders, bloudsheds, and other horrible crimes; so that their erecting, for the most part, was not from good, but from evil. Thirdly, the victory and conquest of our great King of Kings, Iesus Christ, who by his death hath destroyed death, and triumphed over all the power of hell, is most shamefully in the erection of abbeys dishonoured. Pro remedio anim●, pro remissione peccatorum, pro redemptione peccatorum, pro salute Regnorum, quique mio subiacent regimini populorum: in honorem gloriosae Virginis. For they were built for the remedy of souls, for the remission of sins, for the redemption of sins, for the health of kingdoms, and to the honour of the blessed Virgin and Saints, as intercessors. All which detract from the glorious crown and sovereign sceptre of our eternal King. Fourthly, against the dignity of our heavenly King and captain it is, to take any names vpon us, but his only. Esay speaking of the prosperity of Christs Church saith; Esay 52.6. My people shall know my name: they shall know in that day, that I am he that doth speak. Daniel saith; Dan. 9 19. Thy name is called vpon thy city, and vpon thy people. But in this generation, as though they had better Patrons to trust in then God, some are called Augustinians, Ambrosians, Ieremites, Gregorians, Gulihelmits, and such like. The Apostle Paul reproveth his Corinthians, because some said, I am of Paul; others, I am of Apollo, 1. Cor. 1.11. I am of Cephas: but the friarly orders glory, of Benedict to be called Benedictins: of Dominick Dominicans: of Francis Franciscans. The Father hath set the name of CHRIST Ephes. 1.11. far above every name that is name, not onely in this world, but also in the world to come: But monks prefer other names before the name of Christ; wherefore to him they are enemies and traitors. Fiftly, whereas CHRIST Esay. 49.23. the glorious head of his Church hath subordained under himself Kings, to bee the nursing Fathers, and queens, to be the nursing Mothers of the church, and by his own example hath ordained that all should pay tribute unto them, Rom. 13.1. and that every soul should be subject unto the higher powers; which in Titus 3.1. the Apost●●●imselfe sheweth to be meant of Kings and Princes, as Peter also teacheth 1. Pet. 2.13.14. Submit yourselves unto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake; whether it bee unto the King as unto the superior: or unto the gouernours; These Wasps will suck the honey, and not obey the order of the hive: they pled exemption from Kings, privilege against the command of Caesar: neither will they be obedient to Prince, nor Potentate: They aclowledge not with the Wiseman, that Wisd. 6.3. Rule is given of the Lord, and power by the most High. Gen. 23.7. Abraham honoured the Magistrates of the Hittites: these honour no man, nor bow to any ruler; Therefore they are not the sons of Abraham. The children of Israel bowed unto Pharaoh, and called themselves his seruants: These neither bow, nor serve King, nor Kesar, therefore they are not Israelites. Saint Augustine teacheth; Nolite dicer●, quid mihi et Regi? quid tibi& possession●? Aug. supper jo. do not say, what haue I to do with the King? For then what hast thou to do with possessions? but these will bee protected by him in their riches, whom they despise in his commandements. sixthly, Iesus Christ the sovereign of his flock, hath ordained Apostles in his church: and their successors, Ministers of the gospel, to the gathering together of the Saints, and for the edification of his church. But by falsehood of these wolves it is come to pass, that the Ministers whom Christ ordained, are called secular Priests: The Monkish and friarly orders only will be called religious; as though Christs institution were worldly, they onely spiritual: Christs order were profane, Theirs onely holy: Christs officers were base, weak, fleshly, in respect of their seraphical, perfect, intellectual fraternities. Wherefore, what troubles were raised both in this realm of England, and other places also, while superstitious Bishops, to the dishonour of Christ and his institution, laboured to thrust Priests or Ministers out of the Cathedrall and Collegiat Churches, Popes& Bishops that expulsed Priests to bring in Monks. and to bring in Monks and Friers; You may see in the Histories of Honorius 3. Gregory 9. Alexander 4. Clement 4. Boniface 8. Clem. 5. Dunstan, Oswald, Ethelwold, and Edgar the King, who by the instigation of Pope John the 13. voided clearly the Priests out of all Cathedrall Churches, and placed Monks therein. Thus are their chambers Esay 13.21, 22. full of Ohim, Zijm lodge there, and limb cry in their palaces: Dragons, Ostriches and satires do there dance. Psal. 137.8, 9. O daughter of Babylon wasted with misery! happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us: Blessed shall he be, that taketh thy children, and dasheth them against the stones. Lastly, in every age wise and godly men haue observed this serpentine brood to be the enemies of CHRIST, the plague of his Church, the confusion of States, the ruin of Religion. De relic. domibus. Innocentius the third Pope of Rome of them saith; The diversity of religions bringeth confusion into the Church. Petrus de Aliaco saith, That it were necessary that religious orders of Mendicants should bee diminished. De Reform. Ecclesiae verb. primo videtur For they are so many, that they are burdens to men, hurtful to poor lazars and Hospitals, and other that are truly and miserable poor: And if the matter be well weighed, they are prejudicial to all ecclesiastical States. Polid. Vir●il. lib. 7. de inven. rerum. Polidorus Virgilius of them saith; It were very fit to beate down, to cut off, to burn these dregs of men, unprofitable members of Christs body, that they may no longer blemish the beauty of our divine service with their filthiness. The Poet well saith; Prob pudor! ho● tolerare potest Ecclesia po●cos, Du●t xas ventri ve●eri, som●oque vacantes? Paling. O shane! how can the Church these Swine support, Who onely live, to eat, to sleep, to sport? Egbert himself an Abbot saith, In Ep. ad Colon. Episcopum. * I saw the Cloisters of virgins, which might better be called the Bird-lime, or fowling of Satan. Behold, strange fire devoured all: the lilies of chastity were dried up, and lamentable destructions of souls every where appeared. Petrus Blesensis saith; In ep ad ●fficial. cuiusdam. Ep. Gifts pervert all things at Rome, and thereby all things to the Monks are lawful: yea, all fleshly lusts, which they redeem with pensions: Their filthiness is declared in the Tents of Gath, and in the Cellars of Ascalon. Honorius Augustadunensis saith; In dial. de pred. et lib. Behold the habitation of Nunnes, and thou shalt see in them the chamber of the beast prepared; for from their young yeares they learn uncleanness, &c. Arnoldus de Villa noua saith, In Colloq. Am●ried. Reg. sicily. that Monks burst out into such libidinous madness, that they feared not to teach, That when man with man ( Pudet loqui) yet the sin of the flesh is not committed. To these witnesses let us add Palingenius once more; Quis non Moectatur? mists, vafrique cuculsi, Quos casto● decet esse palam cum pellicibus vel Furim cum pueris, matronis, virginil usque Nocte dieque &c. lib. 9. Who whoreth not? the mystical false cowl, Which should be chast, is shameless, fowle: For queans and boys, Matrons and Virgins eke, By day and night they theeuishly do seek. I might here record the testimony of Mantuan, Agricola, Ariosto, uspergensis, Bernard, and others in this behalf. For even the holiest Fathers of their sort haue been buggers, whoremongers, effeminate, wanton. Dunstan loved Alfgina, and in the mass wept to think vpon her, which the people imagined had been for zeal. S. Bertelline the eremite stolen away the Kings daughter of Ireland, got her with child: which mother and child were afterward devoured of wolves. Some say, Oswald was taken in this sin and duckt well in water. Therefore Petrus Palmerius& Volateranus. Lombardus, Comestor, and Gratian, the famous lights of the Romish church, were the bastards of a nun; which was so proud of them, that she said, Shee could not repent her of bearing them. Beuerus the monk was Father unto a Bastard called Leporius. Pros. agri.& flores hist. Saint Patrick, whom the Irish men so much boast of, begot Benignus of Modwen a nun. Of Nunnes( as Capgraue witnesseth) were born Bubrucius, Ranulph in Polichron. l. 4. c. 29.& Capgrau. in Patric. Chentigernus, david Meneuensis, Maglocuntes, who of a monk was made King of britain. I will conclude with that of the Poet; O Monachi, vestri stomachi sunt Amphora Bacchi: Vos estis, deus est testis, teterrima pestis. O ye Monks, your bellies are trunks, good wine to swill: Ye are I trow, as God doth know, a pestilent ill. CHAP. XIIII. Of Priesthood, or the ministery of the gospel itself, the holy Institution of IESVS CHRIST, how it is by the Romish Church profaned, contrary to the majesty of the Institutor. MAnifold are the injuries, wherewith the Man of sin hath disgraced, corrupted, and violated the holy office of the ministery of the gospel by IESVS CHRIST ordained. They affirm, that in Priesthood an indelible Character, and such as can never bee abolished nor taken away, is imprinted. So that, bee a Priest never so much suspended, excommunicated, degraded, yet he hath still power to make the body of Christ, to bind and to loose. Notwithstanding, what is more common with the Pope, then both by his Censures to suspend, and by his dispensation to take away this inextinguishable Character, and to make a lay-man of a Priest, and a common person of an holy. The office of the Priest they somewhiles so extol, that the Angels in heaven dare not aspire unto that function: That the Virgin Mary herself could not take it vpon her: That she with eight words conceived Christ once: These with five words every day do make him: Dist. 96. that Cherubs and Seraphins dare not execute the ministry. Wherefore they say, that Priests are Fathers and masters of Kings and Princes; yet at other times they prefer Monks before Priests. Insomuch, that their friarly orders onely are Vid. Summa Angel. in Tit. religiosus. accounted properly religious. The ministery that Christ ordained, is properly Secular, but in a large signification may be termed religious. The Ministers in their own Cures must give place to Friers, and permit them to hear Vid. etiam Bell c. 1. de Monach. verb● ex quo sequitur. confessions: or enjoin penance, and absolve from sins. ( c) Bellarmine calleth the monastical life the straightest and highest kind of life. In praefat. ad libros de Monach. Ibid. So that their Cloisters are preferred before kingdoms, and Empires, Paradise, and heaven itself. The name and title of a Priest they altogether abuse. For, whereas the name doth signify an Elder, Priest in English is but the contract of Presby●er in latin. Vid Summa Angel. Tit. Sacerdos. from the greek word 〈◇〉, they confounded it with the word 〈◇〉, and the latin Sacerdos. Yea, from them also by common use of speech we haue learned to translate the word Sacerdos, Priest: whereas indeed it is rather a word that signifieth a Maker, and giver of the holy ceremonies, then a Priest. For the word Priest in his proper signification, is as much to say as an Elder, who ministereth in the gospel; not Sacrificulus, not, 〈◇〉, neither a confectionary of holy things, nor a Master of Enchantments and Mysteries, but a Preacher of the gospel, an ambassador of Christ. The office of the Ministers of the Gospel they most shamelessly turn from the first institution, which was to preach the gospel, into power of consecrating, and offering up the body and blood of Christ. The Apostle saith, 1 Tim. 3.2.6. A Bishop or Elder must be apt to teach; not a young scholar, but such a one as holdeth fast the faithful word: Titus 1.9. able to exhort with wholesome doctrine, and to improve them that say against it. Peter also exhorteth the Elders to feed the flock of God. Vid. ult. cap. Mat.& mark. Wherefore it is manifest, that the office of a Minister of the gospel consisteth chiefly in preaching, teaching, instructing the inheritance purchased by the blood of Christ. But the onely and the chiefest end of the Priesthood in the Romish Church, is Vid council. tried. de sac. second. to make the body and blood of Christ, and to sacrifice it unto God the Father. For Summa Angelica defineth Cuius officium est sacramentum corpoporis& sanguinis domini conficere, orationes dicere,& benedicere don● des, in verb. sacerdos. Lomb. dist. 24 l. 4. cap. de Presb. the office, that it is to mak● the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ, to say prayers, to bless the gifts of God. Likewise John de Combis Lib. 6. cap. 36. makes the principal act of a Priest to stand in consecrating Christs body: and the second in binding and losing. Here is no mention of preaching the word, and feeding of the flock of Christ. wherefore no marvell if by their law, Praesbytero sufficit, q●od sciat Canones poenitentiales. Summa Ang. in●it. Clericus. Vid dist. 38. cap. nulli Sacerdotum. unto a Priest it sufficeth to know the penitential Canons, though he know no more. For in the thirty eight distinction Dist. 38. cap. qu● ipsis in textu& in Gl●ssa. cap. qu●e ipsis, Wee find, that to a Priest the knowledge of the mass book, The book of Lectures, The book of Antiphons, of baptism, The almanac, The penitential Canons, The Psalter, and the Homilies of the year, is sufficient. whereupon these old verses were long since framed; Qui been con, been can, been le, Clericus esse de. he that can construe well, sing well, red well, may bee a Priest. And John de Combis saith, Competenter quamuis non eminenter literatus. l. 6. c. 37. de qualitate ordinandorum. A Priest must bee competently, though not eminently, learned. Wherefore Manipulus Cutatorum, recounting all the ends for which the seven orders clerical are ordained, speaketh not one word of preaching the gospel; onely of Lecturers( saith he) Manip. Curat in tract. 5. c. 2. quot sunt ordines ad finem cap. It is the office, to red the Prophecies concerning Christ, which are contained in the Old Testament. Innocent saith, Cum in cunctis de elect. apud Summa Angel. that one of little learning may be admitted, if there bee hope of his further increase in knowledge. Yea, the impudence of the roman Church hath herein so far proceeded, that they haue not been ashamed to Vid. Manip. curat. ibid. c. 5. quae req●iruntur in suscipiente ordines. admit boyes and children to the order of Priesthood, unto bishoprics, and to the proud honour of the Purple Hat. For what cannot the unbridled power of the Romish Prelate dispense withall? seeing Imperfectum scientiae supple● perfectum charitat. de renunc. cap nisicum pridem pro de●ectu Summa Angel. The imperfection of Knowledge is supplied by the perfection of charity. To the ordering of a Priest many things are required; shaving Ezech. 44.20. of the crown, forbidden of GOD unto his Priests: anointing with chrism, saying of a mass, receiving of those instruments, in whose delivering the Character consisteth; Vid. Pet Lomb. dist. 24 cap. 8. de Pres●yteris. as the stolen, the Chalice, with the Wine, the Patten, the Hosts: They must profess chastity by solemn vow; and diuers other. For all which there is neither example, nor commandement in the word of salvation and gospel of IESVS CHRIST. The Popish Priesthood non● of Christs ordinance. Wherefore this office of their Priesthood is no institution of Iesus Christ, Neither a plant which his heavenly Father hath planted. It remaineth therefore, that it bee rooted out. I speak not, as though I disallowed with Anapaptists all Sacraments or orders of the Church, that I would bring ataxy and confusion into the Church of Christ: or that I would haue every man thrust himself into the ministerial function. I know, God is the God of order, according to whose word I would haue Ministers in the church ordained, and their office to be unto such end as Christ hath appointed. But this corrupting and perverting of the Lords institution, is a capital and heinous treachery against the great King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. CHAP. XV. Apotheosis, or the exalting of the Romish Bishop above all that is called God. having spoken of the injuries offered unto the son of GOD by the Romish Synagogue, who permitting him not to bee Lord over his own house, thrust officers into his Church, such as he never ordained nor knew: Now let us examine whether the Lucifer of Rome lift not up himself above all that is called God. And surely two things there are which make this our assertion evident to every one that will considerately look into the business. The first is the ambitious Titles of insolent and intolerable arrogancy which he taketh to himself: The second is the absolute, unlimited, and lawless power which he usurpeth. This power and sovereign majesty which he doth exercise, is twofold. The one spiritual: The other temporal. The spiritual power he claimeth is fourfold: The power of expounding and discerning Scriptures: Power of decreeing: Power of judging: and power of Pardoning. The temporal power which he exerciseth, standeth in direction, and in destruction. The first is to prescribe and teach Kings and Princes, States and People what they shall do, and how they shall govern: The second consisteth in the power destructive of their authority, and in the power destructive of their persons, by excommunicating and deposing: by murdering and slaying of Princes: by discharging subiects from their oath and obedience to them. To these ends and purposes tendeth all the power of our Nebuchadnezar: all the thundering Decrees and Decretals, bulls and Constitutions which he sendeth forth. To this end onely are all his Friers and Iesuites employed in every kingdom and province, in every part and angle of christendom, judge. 9.15. That the Bramble may bee made King, and that all the trees may put their trust under his shadow: and if not, the fire shall come out of the Bramble, and consume the Cedars of Libanus. CHAP. XVI. Of the titles of Pride taken by the Romish Bishop. THe windy titles of ridiculous and vain ambition, even among the Heathen and profanest Gentiles, they which had any spark of iudgement, or any feeling of human infirmity, haue always blamed. Wherefore Domitian, who gave unto himself the title of Lord and God: and Caius, who would bee saluted by the name of jupiter the great: And Sapores the Persian, who enstiled himself King of Kings, partaker with the stars, brother of the sun and of the moon: Hanno of Carthage, who by the tongues of Birds proclaimed himself a God: Alexander the great, who would bee called the son of jupiter Hammon, all sober men haue esteemed as Monsters and intolerable burdens of the earth. How much more abominable is it, that in the Church of Christ the mild and humble shepherd, the gentle and lowly saviour, Esay 42.3. who breaketh not a bruised reede, and quencheth not the smoking flax: Phil. 2.7. who made himself of no reputation, and took on him the form of a seruant, there should arise an Idol, puffed up with vanity and ventosity, Ezech. 28.13. in whose garment is every precious ston; the Ruby, the topaz, the Diamond, the Chrysolite, the Onyx, the jasper and the sapphire? To the making up of whose ambitious style, all terms of honour, all appellations of dignity, all words of sovereignty must be sought for. Bellarmine hath Bell. de Ro. Pont. lib. 2. cap. 31. fifteen names to express the greatness of this Roman jupiter; The Pope, the Father of Fathers, the Priest of Christians, the high Priest, the Prince of Priests, the Vicar of Christ, the head of the body of the Church, the foundation of the building of the Church, the shepherd of the Lords flock, the Father and doctor of all the faithful, the governor of the house of God, the Keeper of the vineyard of God, the Husband of the Church, the Prelate of the apostolical Sea, the universal Bishop: Et quae per plurima graias nomina liber habes. With all these may he bee clad, or with any of them at his pleasure, Seu tu juno mauis, seu tu Lucina. Some of these names import most audacious blasphemy against the son of God; as when he is called the high Priest, the prince of Priests, the bridegroom of the Church, the head of the body, the foundation. These high and holy titles are due unto none but Christ. The Apostle Paul saith; 1 Cor. 3, 11. Other foundation can no man lay, then that which is laid, which is Iesus Christ. How came the Pope then to bee the foundation? again he saith; Eph. 1.22. God appointed Christ over all things to be the head of the Church. Who gave any such power to the Pope? Peter calleth Christ 1 Pet. 5.4. the chief shepherd. And Christ himself plainly distinguisheth between the bridegroom and the bridegroomes friend; joh. 3. The bridegroom is he that hath the bride. Hath any man the Church but Christ? then none can be the husband of the Church but he onely. Greg. l. 4 ep 34. The name, universal Bishop, Gregory himself, who sate in the chair of Rome, saith, is agreeable onely to the forerunner of Antichrist. Yea, Pr●ma sedis episcopus non appelletur princeps sacerdotum, vel summus sacerdot, vel al●qu●d huiusmod. dist. 99. the african council plainly forbiddeth, that the Romish Bishop should be called Prince of Priests, or high Priest, or such like. The rest of the names, as the Vicar of Christ, Father of Fathers, keeper of the vineyard, governor of the house of GOD, do no more belong to the Pope, then to any other Bishop. Wherefore it is robbery, falsehood, ambition, covetousness, to engross unto himself only, the titles which Iesus Christ hath given unto all his Ministers. Let us in a word consider the sundry plumes of Pride, wherewith his Canonists and schoolmen haue adorned the Romish crow, the ornaments which they haue stolen even from heaven itself to deck this Idol with. Of every Extrais jo cap. sanc Rō. in di●. 40. cap. non nos. in gloss. one, he must be called and accounted holy: and howsoever he behave himself, he is always presumed to be apostolical. Q●. dā Papa ex actionibu● improbis, simo●ijs, et turpiloqu●js ex tran come. l. ●. cap. dudum in glos●. Nay, though all his deeds bee detestable, his entrance Simoniacal, his government exaction& rapine, his words filthy, and such as defile the Church: yet for all these, he must not be said to bee of evil memory; for you must not regard what he did, but what he should haue done. An evil Prelate Malus prael●tu●, etsi non habet diadema sanctitatis, tamen habet diadema dignitatis, quāobrē ex se, nec de se peccavit licet suppos tum, cvi dignitas in●rat, male egerit extrau. con. de schism. dudum. bonae memoriae. in gloss. though he haue not the crown of holinesse, he hath the crown of dignity. Wherefore he sinneth not of himself, nor from himself, although the person in whom the dignity is, do evil. As in arithmetic a small penny stands for a thousand pounds: so an evil man in government of the whole world stands for a very good man. De maioris.& ob. cap. unam sanct●m. in gloss. Wherefore, though many be more spiritual, and mo●e holy then the Pope, yet none can be called so holy in his state. The word Papa hath many significations, it is as much to say as Father. For which not only many Christian Bishops haue been called Popes: but the Bithinians name their god jupiter. It is also as much to say as wonderful, of the interjection pape: wherefore he is called stupor mundi, the admiration of the world, the greatest of all things, neither God nor man, prologue. C●ē in glos but a Neuter between both: Sex. Dec l 5. c. 5. foeli●is. in gloss. The Bishop of the whole world: Dec. l. 5. c. authoritate. in gloss. The Diocesan of all exempt places: Dec. 1. cap. fundame●ta. in gloss. no man, but the vicar of Christ; Cum enim prius esset purus homo, runc vicē vers dei geri● in terris. in prologue. Bonif. in gloss. who, though before his election he were a more man, yet now he stands in the place of the true God vpon the earth: who, Ibid. although he sometime call himself seruant of the seruants of God, it is out of his too too great humility. Papa summus est inter omnes. Sum. Angel. in ver. Papa. But he is the highest of all: Ibid. the general Commissary of God, taken up into the fullness of power: Pet. Cluniaecens. apud Cent. 12. c. 7. fol. 1085. the apostolical majesty: most holy: most blessed: the lord of Gods house: the Prince Rebuffus in prax. Benif. in cap. de ferma signaturae. simpprouis. of all his possessions: Conc. vasens. can. 6 the lord Pope: Barth. carāz. in Conc. chalc. non. transl. the immediate judge after God. Others entitle him sixth. decre●. l. 3. cap. periculoso. the Prince of the world: the successor of Peter: Prince of the Apostles: Father and doctor of all christians: rector of the universal church: director of the universal flock: Bonif. 8. in pro●m sixth. 6. chief magistrate of the world: sixth. decret. l. 1. cap. arbitris. in glos. a living law in the earth: the steward, overseer, chief seruant and ruler of Christs household; Taperus in orat. 3 contr. Melanct, of whom is spoken whatsoever is spoken of Peter. Intolerable is this arrogancey, unspeakable the pride: but yet impleri safeconduct maiore monstro. This is not enough unto him, Dan. 11.37. which magnifieth himself above all, but he must say also; Ezec ●8. 2. I am God, I sit in the seat of God. Wherefore that of the psalmist; Psa. 82.6 I haue said, ye are gods: and that of Exod. 22.28. Exodus; Thou shalt not rail vpon the gods, neither blaspheme the ruler of the people, they challenge to themselves, as proper to their glorious Cardinals and Bishops. And as the vassals of the Pope, affirm, that he is in primacy, Abel; in government of the ark, Noah; in patriarchdome, Abraham; &c. So, they say, in his unction he is Christ. The gloss vpon the Extrau. Cum inter, feareth not to say; Credere autem deum nostrum Papā non potuisse statuere pro vt statuit, haereticum censeretur. extrau. lo. 22. cap. cum inter in gloss. To beleeue that our Lord God the Pope cannot decree as he doth decree, is heretical. Thus Cornelius a Bishop in the council of Trent said; Cornel episcopus Bitont. in orat. ad Synod. tried. The Pope the light was come into the world. And Pope Nicholas out of the mouth of Constantine in plain words calls Satis evidenter ostenditur, a seculari potestate nec solui prorsus, nec ligari pontificem, quem constat a pio principe Constantino, quem long superius memirauinius, deum appellatum, cum noc posse deum ab hominibus judicari manifestum sit. dist. 96 c satis evidenter. the Pope( that is, himself) God. And thereupon concludeth, That he can of no man be judged, because God can be judged of none. So in the decretal de trans. Ep. Cap. 4. it is said, that no man but God dissolveth or separateth, where the Popes dissolve or separate; wherefore he is called all, and above al, In Conc. Lateran. sub jul. ex jo. Iuel. another God in the earth. Simon Begnius Conc. Later. sess. 6. pag 601. saluteth Pope lo, calling him the lion of the Tribe of Iuda, the root of david: we look for thee the saviour, O blessed lo. Innocent the third calls the Pope, the Christ of God, the Lord of pharaoh, the mediator betwixt God and man. Hugo carded. applies the words; Hug. carded. in ep. ad Gal. ex jo. Iuel. a●t 4 Thou shalt not appear empty before the Lord, to bishops visiting the pope. Of Peter they say, that E●irau. de elect. et elect. potest cap. fundamenta. he was taken into the fellowship of the vndiuided Trinity: but Ep. Sixti 2. Peter dwelleth in every Pope. So by this is every Pope of the fellowship of the vndiuided Trinity. Wherefore treading vpon the neck of the Emperour, Pope Alexander the third pronounceth of himself, that which the Scripture giveth unto Christ only; Psal. 91. 1●. Thou shalt walk vpon the Adder and basilisk: the young Lion, and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet. Paulus Emilius in Phil 3. Reg. edit. Basihsens. per Sixtum Henrici Petri. And Martin the Pope suffered himself, by the Panormitan Legates out of Sicily to be with these words adored; Thou which takest away the sins of the world, haue mercy on us: thou which takest away the sins of the world, give peace unto vs. Panorm. extra. de trans. prae. cap. quant. And to declare the identity of the Pope with Christ, they affirm, that CHRIST and the Pope haue but one consistory, or one iudgement seat. Dost thou not now( Christian Reader) behold plainly the abomination of desolation mentioned by the Prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place? Is not this 2 Thes. 2.4. he that exalteth himself against all that is called God? doth he not Ibid. now sit in the Temple of God, showing himself that he is God? doth he Dan 11.36 not speak marvelous things against the God of gods? doth he regard the God of his Fathers? This is the onely comfort that remaineth unto the Church, Ibid. He shall prosper till the wrath be accomplished, for the determination is made. God hath appointed him his time, and how long his wickedness shall endure: the day is at hand when the sins of the great whore shall come up unto heaven, and God will remember her iniquities: For strong is the Lord Apoc. 18.8 God, that will condemn her. CHAP. XVII. Of the Popes spiritual power in decreeing and promulging laws, by which he bindeth and reigneth in the consciences of men. THe spiritual power of the Pope I haue formerly said to consist in four things; namely, discerning and judging of Scriptures: decreeing and promulging laws: power of binding, judging and condemning: power of losing and pardoning. Of the first of these four powers I haue entreated in the prophetical office. Now therefore let us begin with the second, which is the lordliness and sovereignty he challengeth to himself, in thundering out Decrees and Constitutions, in giuing laws and commandements, which bind every conscience, and constrain every soul that will not run into open heresy; the disobeying whereof is followed with temporal and eternal death: with the wrath of God, with the high displeasure of the Apostles Peter& Paul. Thus is our Domitian with fire both from hell and purgatory, with curses also from earth and heaven, armed. That the papal decrees do bind every conscience to obedience, it is an assured axiom amongst them. Wherefore Gregory saith, Nulli f●t est vel velle vel posse transgredi apostolicae sed●s praecipta, n●c nostre dispositionis ministerium. dist 19 c●p. nulli fas It is not lawful for any either to haue will, or power to transgress the precepts of the apostolical Sea, nor the ministration of our disposition. Agatho decreeth, Sic omnes sancti●nes apostolicae sedis accip emdae sunt tanquam ipsius diuina voice Petri firmatae dist. 19. c. sic omnes.. that all sanctions of the apostolical seat are to bee received, as though they were confirmed by the very divine voice of Peter. This is the Seat, Ibid. cap. in memoriam. which is the mother both of dignity and magistracy: wherefore humility must bee kept with meekness: And although the yoke which that Seat imposeth be scarce to be endured, yet wee must bear it, and with holy devotion suffer it. whatsoever the Pope Dist. 19. si Romanorum. alloweth or attacks, we must allow and reprove. The Lord Dist. 19. cap. ita Dominus. hath principally placed the Sacrament of apostolical dignity in Peter, that from him as from the head, the gifts should be divided into all the body; that he might know himself to be without the divine Ministry, who presumeth to depart from the solidity of Peter. This high and imperial power the Pope never learned out of the lawe of God, nor yet out of the gospel of Iesus Christ. Peter writeth epistles unto the Church: but in them is not found, Statuimu●, ordinamus, decernimus, m●●damu, pr●cipimu, intuug●aus, determinamus. wee appoint, ordain, decree, command, enjoin, determine. But instead of these proud thunders of speech he mildly saith; 2 Pet. 1.12. I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance; 1 Pet. 2.11. dearly beloved, I beseech you: 1 Pet. 5.1. The Elders which are among you I beseech which am also an Elder: 2 Pet. 3.1 This second Epistle I writ to you, beloved, commonwealth I stir up, and warn your pure mindes: Ibid. ver 8. dearly beloved, bee not ignorant of this one thing. 1 Cor. ult. 1. Paul indeed saith, he ordained concerning the gathering for the Saints in the Church of Galatia: but what that ordinance was in Acts 11. it appeareth. For at the prophesy of Agabus, the brethren sent succour to the Elders in judaea by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. But the Apostle Paul was far from this domination of the Romish chair. For unto his Corinthians he saith; 2. Cor. 10.1. I beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ: And to his Philippians; Phil. 1.9. This I pray you. The truth is, Peter plainly chargeth his successors, 1. Pet. 5.3. not to behave themselves as though they were Lords over Gods heritage: And Paul requireth Timothy, 2. Tim. 4.2. to improu●, rebuk, and exhort with all long suffering and doctrine: And Titus, to put them in remembrance that they be subject to principalities. This manner of teaching and governing much differeth from that Pompous style of the Romish Court. Vniuorsitati igitur vestrae per Apostolica scripta mandamus. in proe●m. Sex. decr. Bon●f. ad dect.& scola● Bononiens in proem. Sexti. By our Aposticall writing we command your university. By sixth. Decret. l. 1. cap. Statutum. this present constitution which we command without contradiction to be observed. It shall Nulli ergo hominum liceat hanc paginam nostrae declarationis. &c. sixth. Decret. l. 5. de Signif. vos. cap. exist. not be lawful to any man to infringe, or by rash and audacious boldness to go against this page. of our declaration, ordinance, grant, disposition, supply, approbation, confirmation; which whosoever shal presume to attempt, let him know that he incurreth the displeasure of God omnipotent, and the Apostles Peter and Paul. Yet if the Romish ambition had with this imperiositie been contented, we might with more patience haue suffered their yoke, and submitted ourselves unto the bondage. But like Arachne with her Diana, and Midas with his Apollo, our great Prelate will strive for Mastery, even with God himself, and contend that his laws are nothing inferior to the voice and laws of the GOD of Gods; who with lightning, thunder, and earthquake, in Mount Sinai gave statutes unto Moses. Wherefore his sentence not onely is to bee preferred to the sentence of all other Bishops, Nam etiam erro● Principi 〈◇〉 facit. Dist. 4. cap. in istis, in gloss. whose very error is a law; Nay, who is so directed by the spirit of God, that teaching Papally, out of the chair, he cannot err. They say also, the Pope and Christ haue one tribunal: And whereas the sentences of councils and all other Doctrines may be examined, Ex diversis Cananistu. yet the sentence and iudgement of the Pope must stand, and not bee examined: No man may say unto him, Why dost thou so? Now sin●e these are the prerogatives of the son of God, onely proper unto himself; First, that he cannot err: Secondly, that his doctrine must bee received without examination; it is evident, that giuing these two properties to the Pope, they make his Sanctions equal to the laws and commandements of Iesus Christ. Another proof, that the laws of the Pope are equivalent with the laws of Christ in the Romish church, is taken from the power of dispensing, which they arrogate to themselves. For, if they haue power to annihilate, and make voided the commandements of God by their Dispensations, then their Decrees are equal; Nay, they are superior to the laws of God. That they dispense with all the words and Commandements of God, it is evident. First, against the Law they dispense. For, whereas Christ the faithful expounder of the Law alloweth not any divorce, Math. 5.32. but onely for adultery, The papal decrees allow diuers causes of divorce, infirmity of body, Frigiditie, Religion, and others: he giveth also dispensation to mary within degrees prohibited. And although he cannot dispense with the whole law of the second Table, absolutely to take it away; Si occurreret casus particularis in quo deficeret ratio legis propter causas speciales impedientes, obseruationem praeceptorum legis ex applicatione ipsorum ad diversas materias tum Papa posset dispensare. Summa Ang. in ver. Papa. yet he can in any particular case dispense: And what he may do in the precepts of the second Table, the same he may do also in all the law of the New and Old Testament. Wherefore Pope Martin 5. dispensed with one to mary Ibid. his own Sister. With Henry the eight King of England it was dispensed to mary his brothers wife; a thing forbidden both in the Law, and the gospel: and such dispensations many there haue been. For it is a maxim amongst the Canonists, Papa potest declarare, interpretare, limitare,& distinguere ius divinum. ibid. that the Pope may declare, interpret, limit, and divide the Scriptures. Martin therefore dispensed and gave leave to commit usury. sixth. decret. cap. dilecto. lib. 5. Innocentius gave liberty to expel force with force: Alexander the sixth Vid. Szegidine in spec. P●nti●. dispensed with Petrus Mendoza, when an army of Concubines with a queen herself could not content him, to use his own base son, the marquis of Zaneth, as his wife: Ibid. ex Wesclo Kr. ningensi. Sixtus 4. gave licence to the whole family of the cardinal of Saint Lucy, in the three hote moneths, of june, july, August, to commit the sin of Sodomy. Some Popes haue dissolved marriages; and some haue licenced to mary within degrees prohibited: Ruard. Tapp. orat. 10. con. cap. cons. to conclude; in Rome they dispense with such things for which Christ himself never dispensed, as Tapperus doth confess. Lastly, their Canonists are full of these Positions, That the Pope can do almost all that God can do: Ex Sum. case. frat. Bapt. Fox. Bul. jac. Andr. That he is able to change the nature of things: Dist. 34. cap. lector. in gloss. That he is of power to dispense against the Apostle, Baptist de salis. and to dispense against the whole state of the church: That he can dispense against the commandement of God, cause. 16. q. 1. ca. quicunque in gloss. against the law of nature: that cause. 15. q 6. cap. authoritatem in gloss. he may take from one, and give to another: De renunciatione c quontam in gloss. That he hath the office of God so cleaving to his bones, that he cannot lay it aside: That where he doth confirm, no man may reverse. Ibid. in gloss. That he hath all laws in his breast: That all things are put under his feet: ( l) That he hath fullness of power: That he is subject to no man; No, not unto himself, except he please: That otherwise God had Rich. 1. dist. 38 ibid. not been a good governor of his household, except he had ordained one such Pastor, that might take order concerning all occurrents: Neither could the Pope bee otherwise called the general Commissary of God taken up into the fullness of power. What is this, but to say, Ezech. 28.29. I am God? and I sit in the seat of God? But thou shalt be a man, and no God, in the hands of him that slayeth thee. CHAP. XVIII. Of the power of binding, judging, and condemning, which the Pope taketh to himself: and of the excommunication practised in the Romish Church. THe Apostle Paul speaking of the virtue and authority of his office saith; 2. Cor. 13.10. The power which the Lord gave him was to edification, and not to destruction. Smaraeg. in Epis. evang. Luk. 5. in Dom. 6. post Pentecost. Smaragdus the Abbot therfore observeth, that Christ our saviour though he said of Peter, that he should catch men, yet he did not say, thou shalt kill men. 1. King. 3. For the iudgement of Salomon giveth unto her the child, as the true Mother, which spareth the life thereof. And our saviour saith, jo. 10.10. The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. The Apostles indeed confess they had Luke 22.38. two swords amongst them; and these two were enough, they had no more. The one doth signify the sword of the spirit, the word of God, which beateth down all high things exalted against the truth: The other the sword of Mortification, with which every man laboureth to roote sin and wickedness out of himself: but the material sword M●th. 26.52. whosoever striketh withall, and hath no power thereto, shall surely perish with the same. Yet notwithstanding every eye may see him that calleth himself the Vicar of the peaceable lamb of God, stand over the church like the 2. S●m. ult. 16. angel over jerusalem with a drawn sword in his hand: or indeed, like the Cherubin Gen. 3. ult. with the blade of a sword shaken, to keep the way, lest any man should approach unto the three of life Iesus Christ. The spiritual destructive sword of the Pope is exercised in interdictions, excommunications, suspensions, and such like; Of all which in the Romish church the abuse is intolerable. I know there is in the church a very necessary use of excommunication. First, when admonition taketh no place, it may be used towards offenders, even in very small sins. Secondly, against great and flagitious offences there is just use of excommunication; As Paul 1. Cor. 5.5. the Apostle used it against the incestuous person of Corinth. This iudgement of the church, soberly and holily exercised, our saviour Iesus Christ himself doth approve; Math. 18.17. Tell it unto the Church, And if he refuse to hear the Church also, let him be unto thee as an Heathen man, and a Publican. And lest any man should contemn this censure of the church, our saviour witnesseth, that what is here in such case done by the faithful vpon the earth, he himself will ratify in heaven; Ibid. ver. 18. whatsoever you bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. It may not therefore bee thought, that such an Institution as the Lord himself hath left necessary to the government of his Church, should be neglected, or despised. Of Excommunication there are three ends; First, the glory of God, lest Christians leading loose, and ungodly lives, the gospel should bee evil spoken of: and the Church of Christ, which is his own body, should seem to bee but a rabble of profane, dissolute, graceless, and disordered persons. Wherefore such are cut off as rotten members, and cast out as unprofitable branches, that the body of Christ and his Vineyard may bee faire and beautiful; Cant. 6.9. Faire as the moon, pure as the sun, terri●le as an army with Banners: and this is the cause, why Ministers ought also carefully to reject them from the Communion, whom they know to walk inordinately, and to bee an open scandal to the Church. The second use or end of Excommunication is, lest by the continual company and conversation of the wicked the godly should be perverted: and this end of Excommunication the Apostle speaketh of where he saith; 1. Cor. 5.6. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? And unto Timothy; 1. Tim. 5.20. Them that sin rebuk openly, that the rest may fear. The third end of Excommunication is, that the offender himself may be ashamed of his sin, and flee from the same. Hereof the Apostle speaketh to the Thessalonians; 2. Thes. 3.14. If any man obey not our sayings, note him by a letter, and haue no company with him, that he may be ashamed. And this was the end of the excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian also, that 1. Cor. 5.5. such one by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ be delivered to satan for the destruction of the flesh, That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Iesus. And therefore he is said to be delivered to satan, Because all that is out of the church, is under the tyranny of the divell. Of Hymenaeus and Alexander the Apostle witnesseth; 1. Tim. 1.20. I delivered them to satan, that they should learn not to blaspheme: And to his Thessalonians he writeth, 2. Thes. 3.14. that they should haue no company with disobedient persons, that they may be ashamed. The rules and Canons which in the primitive church they observed in Excommunication were sundry, and all good and holy orders. First, they never used this binding Key of the church, but against them Math. 18.17. that were open sinners, or such with whom admonishment could not prevail. For God is ready to receive sinners that repent. The Church therefore must not cast away such, but embrace them. All the Apostles and Ministers had the same power and authority of binding and losing: Neither did any one herein lift up himself above other. Christ said alike unto all; joh. 20.23. Whosoeuers sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoeuers sins ye retain, they are retained. Wherefore the Apostle Paul speaking of himself and all other Apostles, and Ministers of of the gospel saith, 1. Cor. 10.6. that they haue ready vengeance against all disobedience. This appeareth by the doctrine of our saviour, who to all of them giveth the same Commission; Math. 18.18. whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. Although this power were given to all Apostles and Ministers, yet they did not execute the same but with the assistance of the church, according to our saviours rule; Math. 18.17. Tell it to the Church. Wherefore the Apostle concerning the incestuous Corinthian saith; 1. Cor. 5.4.5. When ye are gathered together, and my spirit in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ, that such a one, I say, by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ be delivered unto satan. So Timothy is enjoined 1. Tim. 5.20. to rebuk them openly that sin. As in Tit. 1.5. ordaining Ministers the power was chiefly in the Apostles and principal Bishops, yet they thereto called the assembly: So the keys of the church were in the chief Elders; yet I do not find that they did exercise them tyrannically and alone, but together with the church, that is, in an open assembly of the brethren, with whose approbation they did bind and loose; as appeareth by that which the Apostle Paul writeth to the church of Corinth, 2. Cor. 2.7.8.19. desiring their favour towards the incestuous person being now penitent. The severity of punishment was exercised with the spirit of meekness, lest the offender should be swallowed up of despair, and so the remedy should become the destruction of sinners. Ambrose saith, Ambr. the part which is putrefied hath long labour bestowed vpon it, that it may be cured: which if it succeed not, it is cut off with sorrow. Proudly, imperiously, tyrannically, this Key of the Church may not bee used. Brethren( saith the Apostle) Gal. 6.1. If any man be fallen by occasion into any fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one with the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Tiberius Caesar, when he proscribed any man to death, or banishment, was wont to say; I would I knew not how to writ. If any Heathen Prince was so loth to punish, and did it with such unwillingness; Shall not the church of Christ imitate their God, Ioel 2.13. Ezech. 18. who is slow to wrath, long suffering, and desireth not the death of him that death? Excommunication herein differeth from Cursing; Cursing condemns the person: Excommunication, the fault. Chrys. Chrysostome saith, Cursing should not be used towards living or dead. Of the living we must hope well: the dead haue received their iudgement: I think in these words Chrysostome did not contend that Arathem●tisation should never bee used; but very sparing, and with great long suffering. mildness then must bee shewed in the punishment of sinners. For which cause the church had a lesser Excommunication, which forbade the participation of Sacra●ents onely: And a greater Excommunication, in which from all religious exercise of the faithful they were suspended. There are that make five kinds of Excommunication; Some might not so much as hear: Some might not see the religious Acts: Some might not pray with the Church: Some might not offer: Some might not communicate of the Sacraments. The Ministers of the gospel must not use Excommunication against innocents for their private gain, or in their own quarrel, or for their own particular ends. Urbanus Vrba. saith, The Excommunication of a Prelate is greatly to bee feared, whether it be justly, or unjustly inflicted. But I assure myself, the Minister above all other may fear the Excommunication which he pronounceth unjustly, Lest God not onely bless when he nurseth: but poure down also the viol of his wrath vpon such as throw out their curses like Domitians thunder, every where, and against every man; having no other cause but their own lucre and ambition. Of Theodosius the Emperour wee red, that he was so much troubled with an Excommunication, which a saucy Monk pronounced against him, because he had rejected a malapert petition of his, that he would neither eat nor drink till by the same monk he were absolved again, although the chief Pastor of the Church sent him word, that the Excommunication of the monk was vain and frivolous. This was a needless fear, unworthy so great a Prince. For every unjust, rash and vain curse causelessly by malicious or brainsick Priests cast out, is not to bee esteemed as the weighty censure of the Church established by Christ. whosoever were desirous to return to the Church, and gave testimony of their true repentance, were always received again. Euscb. Ec. hist. lib. 3. cap. 20. So Saint John( as Eusebius out of Clement Alexand. witnesseth) brought home the young man that was fallen into the company of theeues. iron l. 1. cont. Haer. Valen. cap. 9. Irenaeus witnesseth, that a woman whom Marcus the heretic had corrupted both in body and soul, was received into the Church vpon her confession. Sozom Ec. hist. lib. 7. cap. 24. Theodosius also after his pitiless destruction of the Antiochians,( when he had prostrated himself in the Church, and laying away his princely ornaments and ensigns, humbled himself with that saying of david; Psal. 119.24. My soul cleaveth to the dust, O quicken thou me according to thy word) was received into the church. Sweno King of denmark, coming barefoot and penitently into the Church, was embraced of the Bishop. This is according to the Apostles rule; Gal. 6.1. Restore such a one, in the spirit of meekness. Here I must protest, submitting myself to better opinions, that I think it not lawful for any ecclesiastical subject to excommunicate his Prince, being a power superior unto him, and ordained by God; to whom only he is accountant, and by him to be judged. Without humiliation, and repentance no man ought of the Church to be received, who hath been for his notorious public offences, and contumacy excommunicated. Eusebius Euseb l. 3. de v●ē. Const. c. 64. ad fin is witness, that heretics returning to the church were proved for some space by the gouernours of the church, and then received. Cyprian doth bitterly inveigh against those, Lib 3. Epist. 15.& 16.& Epist. 14. that to please the vulgar people, received such as had not finished their repentance, nor were sufficiently catechised and admonished. For this cause it seemeth, that they were not at once after great offences received into the Church, but by steps and and degrees. This out of the Nicene council may bee collected, wherein mention is made Ex Pet. Mart. in de Excom. of some, that were admitted to hear the word onely: Some, that had leave onely to prostrate themselves vpon the pavement of the Church: Others were allowed to hear the prayers of the congregation, and so by degrees to communicate also. Excommunication and Absolution was pronounced in the Name of GOD onely, not in the name of any of the Saints. Hereof the Apostle Paul shall bee witness, who to the excommunication of the incestuous person inuocateth neither the blessed Virgin, nor the Apostle Peter, nor any other: 1. Cor. 5.4 5. But in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ( saith he) and by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ, deliver such a one unto Satan. It is sin and hard-heartedness in the gouernours of the Church, if they connive at profane and ungodly persons which will not be reformed, and refuse to excommunicate them. Wherefore Saint Paul as well chargeth Timothy before God 2. Tim. 4.1.2 to improve and rebuk, as to exhort: And to his romans; R●m. 16.17. mark them diligently that cause division, and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye haue learned, and avoid them. And John saith; 2. joh. 10, 11. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not to house, whither bid him God speed; For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his evil deeds. When they had excommunicate any man in one Church, they did certify the same to other Churches, that he which was here rejected, might not be there received. Notwithstanding that the company of the excommunicate, men were forbidden to use, yet there are certain duties which may not be denied to the excommunicate; as to give him meat, drink, and raiment. Yea, there are some degrees also, which may not deny their service, aid, and obedience, to the excommunicate: and the debtor must not pretend his creditor to bee excommunicated, and therefore refuse to pay him his due. Finally, the Romanists themselves set down five occasions, veil lex, humile, res ignorata, necesse. for which a man may without danger converse with the excommunicate. Profit; as when we hope to convert him: or use his company for the public good of the Church: or to our own private spiritual good, which elsewhere wee cannot haue. The law; for such persons may not refuse the society of the excommunicate, whose duty stands in serving them; as subiects to their Prince, wives to their husbands, husbands likewise to their wives. Ignorance; when we do not know that such a one is excommunicate. Humility; when our condition of subiection bindeth us to converse with the excommunicate; as seruants with the master, children with parents. Necessity; when it cannot otherwise be but we must converse with the excommunicate. having shewed the right use of excommunication, and the order which the primitive Church according to the Scriptures used therein, let us now see, how this holy institution, which the sovereign of the Church Iesus Christ hath ordained to be the bridle and the scourge of inordinate and profane persons in his house, hath been abused, violated, and corrupted by our Romanists, and their Antichristian Prelate. Violation of the first Canon, The Romish tyranny hath exercised this key of excommunication against such as were no notorious offenders, but merely innocent. Vid Cent. 11. So Hildebrand the Pope excommunicated the Emperour Henry: Innocentius the third did excommunicate the Emperour, for going about Ex flal●o de act. Rom. pontiff. l 5. to recover his own right, and ancient patrimony. The Popes Legate did excommunicate Naueler. vol. 2. Andrew King of Hungary, for that he forsook the war in Palestina, without the consent of the other Princes his confederates. Ex Cent. 13 Paschalis the second did excommunicate Henricus the 5. Emperour. Fredericke the Emperour was excommunicated by Hadrian the fourth. Philip the son of Fredericke, by Innocent the third. Fredericke the second, by Gregory the ninth. Conradus the fourth, by Innocent the fourth. To these wee may add John King of England, excommunicated by the Pope also. These Princes, because they defended their own rights, and challenged unto Caesar that which was due unto Caesar, were most unjustly by the Pope excommunicated. All is one to them whether innocent, or nocent if against the tyranny& ambitious Empiredome of the man of Rome, thou stand to be excommunicated. For proof hereof, let Henry the fourth Emperour, Henry the fift, Fredericke, and Philip his son, of whom I haue spoken, be witnesses: to whom I may well adjoin our late renowned queen Elizabeth, whose public form of religion and service in the church, Sacraments and Bible, pus 5. By the relation of diuers honourable Iudges of this kingdom on the bench, and out of the treatise of doctor carrier to the most excellent majesty of King james. pag. 45. l. antepenuli. edit. 1613. the Pope offered to approve as good: and would allow it without changing any part thereof, so that her majesty would receive it from him as the Pope and Vicar of Christ: and take it by his allowance; which because shee refused to do, he presently excommunicated her. Clement the sixth openly protested that he would never pardon Lewes the Emperour, except abandoning his Empire, he would commit himself and his children, his goods and all, into his papal hands. Against the second Canon, Violat. Can. 2. the Pope unjustly usurpeth unto himself the supreme power of excommunicating, and saith, that God gave this key unto Peter: and from Peter& his successors( in whom it still is by fullness of power) it is derived to other Bishops( as Alexander saith) Alexand. opinio ex Cent 13. c. 14. extrau. con l 5 le poenit. et remiss. cap. etsi dominici. The power of losing, and key of binding is first in Peter, afterwards in other Apostles, and that is the reason why in diuers cases he reserveth to himself; only the relaxation of this binding knot, miserable tormenting thereby the penitent sinner, who many times must despair of pardon, which is no where gotten but from Rome. Violat. Can. 3. cause. 2. quaest. 1 Neme in gloss. The Pope neglecteth any consent of the Church in excommunicating, he doth it of himself, whether by word or by writing; yea, every simplo priest( they say) may excommunicate. Violat. Can. 4. All tyranny they use in their excommunications: no man must converse with him, whom the Romish thunderbolte doth light vpon. Vid Cent. 11. c 6 Hildebrand the pope therefore thrusteth all Bishops which did adhere to Henry the Emperour, into sundry cells, where they might speak with no man, but were fed with course and hard diet, unfit for their dignities and persons. Violat. Can. 6. Whereas the Church like a merciful mother, is ready always to receive them that return with tears into her lap; imitating the good father of the prodigal child; Luke 15.20. who, when he was yet a great way off, saw him, and had compassion, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: The Romish generation enjoineth many daies, and months, and yeares of punishment, before a sinner wearied with his burden, affrighted in his conscience, may come home again. They enjoin penance sometimes for seven yeares: sometimes for ten or twenty: or during the whole course of a mans life. This they do, that they may insult vpon the miseries of poor sinners, and dismay the weak conscience of their wounded bretheren; far unlike unto him that saith; Mat. 11.28. Come unto me all ye that labour sore, and are heavy loaden, and I will ease you. Violat. Can. 7. As their ordinary consistorial excommunications they flash out like brutish lightning, vpon every trifle, and for every toy: so they neither stay, nor expect mature and solemn repentance; but rashly, and for money, absolutions are sold as common as any other merchandise. And for this purpose they haue known rates for all kindes of dispensations; Musculus of Pope merchandise for wilful murder, for necessary murder, for murder by chance, for parricide, for the murder of a prince, for murder of a mans wife, for murder of an infant, for witchcraft, heresy, theft, sacrilege, simony, perjury, fornication, incest, sodomy, and diuers other. above all other abominations and abuses touching the binding key of the Church, it may not be forgotten, Violat. Can 8. that in excommunication they use the names and authority of the blessed virgin: of Peter and Paul, and the Apostles, as well as of Iesus Christ. Platina O sanctae Petre prin●eps Apostolorum. So Pope Hildebrand beginneth and endeth his excommunication against Henricus the Emperour: Extrau. come. l. 5. de sent. excom. after the same manner by the authority of Peter and Paul Boniface the eight doth excommunicate. Contraie to the ninth Canon and rule which the ancient Fathers observed, the papal transgress, Violat. Can 9. when they not only connive and wink at the adulteries, and fleshliness of their cardinals, Bishops, Priests: but also give dispensations, and leave unto them to commit horrible, impious, unnatural beastliness, as hath been formerly shewed. having entreated of the papal power in binding& judging, wee must now descend to his power in absolving and pardoning by his lordly Indulgences: which before I handle, it is meet first to consider the whole Tenet of the Romish church concerning penance, and all the parts thereof. And first of confession. CHAP. XIX. Of Confession. ABsolution of offenders necessary requireth repentance: of repentance the Romish Church maketh three parts; Contrition of the heart before God; Confession of sins unto a Priest; and Satisfaction. Contrition differeth from attrition; For attrition is but a light distaste and mislike of sin: but Contrition doth rent the heart, Gemitus dicitur quasi gemi●atus luctus. it is a double affliction of a man in his own conscience. Therefore it is the arraigning of ourselves in ourselves before God: It is no partial, nor light glancing over our thoughts; but a serious inquisition, a severe condemning of our wickedness, with an earnest detestation of the same. Confession is also an internal part of repentance, without which repentance is no repentance; For God abhorreth the scarifying& covering of sin. The physician requireth his Patient to lay the Malady open. The counselor will haue his client to manifest the truth of his cause. And God, though to his piercing eyes the day and night are both alike: though he search the heart and the reins: Psal. 139. though nothing be hide from his presence, who knoweth our thoughts long before; yet such humiliation he expecteth from sinners, that we should lay open our wounds, and our filthiness, as the son of sirach teacheth; Ecclus. 4.26. Bee not ashamed to confess thy sins, and resist not the course of the river. As though it were as natural to the poor burdened soul to hast unto God with acknowledgement of sin, as for the river to run down in discharging and paying his swelling waters unto the Sea. Wherefore the law requireth both men and women Leuit. 5.5. to confess their sin. And the gospel promiseth; 1. joh. 1 9. If wee knowledge our sins, he is faith●ull and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Wee find in the Scripture Three kindes of Confession: The one judicial, Three kinds of Confession. such as josuah required of Achan; Ios. 7.19. My son, I beseech thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him, and show me now what thou hast done, hid it nrt from me. This kind of Confession belongeth to all offenders who are brought before any Magistrate in causes criminal, and to all them which haue matters of controversy depending before any human tribunal, to confess sincerely the truth of the business, even as in the sight of GOD; For hereto are they bound in Conscience. A second kind of Confession there is in Scripture, which is called brotherly Confession. And hereof two kindes are found; the one for our own sakes, and the other for our brethren. Of the first Saint james speaketh; Iam. 5.16. aclowledge your faults one to another, and pray one for another. Surely, of this kind of Confession there is great and good use in the Church. For when the conscience is affrighted with the horror of offences, and feeleth a wavering distrust and doubtfulness in itself, what can be better done then to choose some godly and wise brother either of the Ministers of Christ, or of the laics, to whom wee may unfold our dangers, and of whom we may desire advice and comfort according to the word of God. Seneca Seneca. doth well observe, that all offences are the lighter, when they are imparted to others. In truth( saith he) as to tell the dream, is a token that wee are awake: So to aclowledge our sins, is a sign that wee desire to amend. A second kind of private and brotherly Confession there is, when unto our brother whom wee haue offended, wee aclowledge the offence, seeking to reconcile ourselves unto him. This our saviour commandeth, Math. 5.24. Go thy way; first, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. The third kind of confession is unto God, and this is of two kindes also. The first confession is of praise, either privately in the closet of our own heart, or openly in the Congregation. Hereof the Psalmist speaketh; Consitebimur tibi deus. Psal. 75.1. unto thee, O God, even unto thee, do wee give thanks. Ioel saith, Ioel ●. 3. Tell your children of it, and let your children show it to their children, and their children to another generation. And the Prophet david again saith; Psal. 149.1. Let his praise be heard in the congregation of the Saints. The second is the Confession of sins unto God, when a wounded conscience layeth open itself unto him willingly, from whom it cannot be hide, and casteth down his burden at the footstool of his mercy. This the Prophet Esay persuadeth; Count, that thou mayst be justified. Osee saith, O●ee 14.3. Take unto you words, and turn unto the Lord, In the Prophet jeremy the Lord saith; jer. 2.35. I will enter with thee into iudgement, because thou saist, I haue not sinned. Thus did all holy men, when they had provoked the dreadful majesty of God, humble themselves in confessing their offences, and their transgressions; as in job, david, Manasses, Daniel, Esay, Peter, and sundry others, we haue example. This Confession of sins unto God is three-fold; private in our secret meditations, whereof david speaketh; Psal. 6.6. every night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my tears: public of the whole congregation, to which Ioel exhorteth; Ioel 2.17. Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage into reproach. To this purpose were many excellent psalms of david compiled, even to aclowledge in the Temple publicly, the transgression of the people. As the twelfth, the seuentie ninth, the hundreth forty& third Psalm, and sundry other. The third kind of Confession is of private persons in the public congregation. Hereof also wee haue example in the children of Israel, N●hem. 9.2. who confessed their sins in the open congregation. For when they brought their Sacrifices to the Altar, and laid their hands on the head therof, they did aclowledge their faults, though they did not make a special recital of every offence. psal. 51. A psalm of Confession. The Psalmist david confesseth his transgressions to the Prophet Nathan: but he did not deliver every circumstance thereof; and for this purpose he made the fifty one psalm a public acknowledgement of his sin, and committed it to the excellent Musicians. Thus the Luke 18.13. Publican also stood a far off in the Temple and confessed his sin. And to the imitation hereof the Church hath always used disciplinarie confession of sins, to bee done by flagitious and scandalous persons openly in the Church, to humble them before GOD; to make them the more to abhor their sin: to satisfy the congregation and to deter others from the like wickedness. But in all these kinds of Confession, the Popish Auricular shriuing of a man to the Priest is not found. We must understand, that when Confession is either privately, or publicly made unto God, by an heart which hath a true and earnest feeling of the intolerable burden of his offences, in a lively faith, laying hold on the promises of God through IESVS CHRIST, God is faithful 1. joh. 1.9. and just to forgive us our sins, as John witnesseth: And hereof as trophies of his glorious mercy, The Lord hath set up diuers testimonies unto himself. What promises? What consolations had Gen. 16.10, 11. Hagar after she had confessed her fault? david saith; Psal. 32.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, neither hide I my iniquity, for I thought I will confess against myself my wickedness unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the punishment of my sin. The ninivites jonas 3. wailing and lamenting before him, though the sentence were come forth, and the iudgement pronounced against them: yet the Lord repented of his wrath, and turned from his fierce displeasure. In the New Testament, Mat. 3.6. confessing their sins the people were baptized of John; which was the symbol of salvation. The same in the parable of the prodigal son is demonstrated also; who had no sooner confessed; Luke 15.21, 22, 23. Father I haue sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son; but presently his Father said, Bring forth the best rob, and put it on him, and put a Ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring the fat calf, and kill him, and let us eat, and be merry. Neither did the Lord require, in any of these, enumeration of their sins. We see in Luke the seventh, The woman which was a sinner, confessed onely by her tears, washing, kissing, anointing his feet, without speech or any words at all: yet the Lord washeth the washer, and poureth the dew of his mercy vpon the shower of her tears: Her sweet oil with far sweeter balsam was repaid; Luke 7.48. Thy sins are forgiven thee. So also he dealt with him that was sick of the palsy; For knowing his faith, his desire, his earnestness, he saith; Math. 9.2. son bee of good comfort, thy sins are forgiven thee. As our saviour Christ gave example; so also his Apostles practised: For Paul speaking of Iohns baptism saith, Act. 19.4. that John baptized with the baptism of Repentance, saying unto the people, that they should beleeue in him which should come after him, that is, in Christ Iesus. In these words the Apostle doth intimate, that the Baptist required only repentance and faith. So in the Acts, Act. 2.41. They that gladly received the word, were baptized. In place of godly and Christian Confession taught in the Scripture, and practised by holy men, both in the law, and the gospel, the Romish Church, to reign over the Consciences of men: to lay the tyrannicall yoke of slavish servitude vpon the neck of the children of grace, haue brought in their auricular confession; wherein all and every sin with the Circumstance and the manner thereof, must particularly under pain of damnation, as far as they can bee called to remembrance, be confessed to the Priest, taking vpon him a Censorious power to remit, or to retain: to forgive, or to chastise, according to his discretion. If you desire to know what insolent commander first prepared this torturing Rack for the poor conscience: What Cham first exacted, that men should lay open their privities, and their shane unto the eyes of other; It was Pope Innocent the third, by a Decree in the Lateran Ex Barth. Carā●. in summa cove. Laeteran. council. Can, 21 council, about the year of our Lord 1215. In which it is ordained, that the Priest shall inquire after all sins with their circumstances. I am not ignorant, the Tridentine council affirmeth, that council. tried. de confess. Can. 5. verbo ex institutione Sacram poenitentiae. in ipso princip. Can. the Church always did understand, how full Confession of sins was instituted of the Lord himself: and after baptism to be by the Law of God necessary. But surely against their own conscience, and learning, they haue thus pronounced. For they could not bee ignorant that Zozomen sheweth the beginning of Auricular confession in the Greek church: and how, Zozo. l. 7. c. 16. because a Matron was deflowered in the Temple, therefore Nectarius did abrogate the necessity of confession, and made it free to every one, whether he would confess or not, before the receiving of the Communion. Now, if Auricular Confession had been the institution of the Lord, Nectarius with the rest of the Bishops of the eastern Church, would never haue presumed to exauctorate the same. As for Confession in the western, and especially the roman church, rehearsing the Rite and Order, he speaketh no word of any necessary Auricular confession: but only that the Penitents did prostrate themselves in an appointed place in the Church, with tears and lamentation; whom the Bishop himself first rising up lifteth from the ground, praying for them, and then doth dismiss them: but they after did privily afflict themselves with such fasting and washing as were enjoined them; And at the last he addeth, Haec Romani sacerdotes ab ipso ind exordio etiam ad nostram vsque memoriam custodi●nt. Zozo. ib that the roman Priests haue observed these things from the beginning, even till our memory. So that of the form of Confession then used he maketh not the word of God, but custom, to be the author. Gratian the compiler of the Decrees saith, There are sundry opinions concerning Confession by the mouth, whether it be necessary or no, or how it first came up? Some say it began in Paradise, when God inquired of Adam, Where art thou? Others say it began in the Law, and others in the gospel. But Gratian thinketh it better to say, said melius dicitur, eā institutam fuisse à quadā vniversali ecclesiae traditione. de poen. dict. 5. cap. in poen. in gloss. that it began from an universal tradition of the Church. The author of the supplement saith, Suppl. 3. part. q. 6 artic. 6. that the institution of Confession was from God, although the express ordinance thereof bee not red. Thus it is true that Tertullian speaketh; said credunt sine scriptures, vt credant aduersus scripturas. tart. de praescrip. adverse. haeres. fer● in medio. They beleeue without Scripture, that they may beleeue against scripture. howsoever uncertain the authority bee, yet it is of such urgent necessity, sup. 3. part. c. 6. art. 6. that the Pope can no more dispense that a man may be saved without Confession, then that he may bee saved without baptism. And Peter Lombard saith, Indubitanter ostc̄aditur, op●rtere deo primum, et deinde sacerdoti offerri consessionem: nec aliter posse perueniri ad ingressum paradise, fi assit facultas. 4. sent. dist. 17. art 2. It is undoubtedly declared, that Confession ought to be made first unto God, then unto the Priest if we may; for otherwise there is no entering into Paradise. Tanta itaque vis confessionis est, vt si dost sacerdos, confiteatur proxime, de poen. dist. 1. cap. quem poenitet. Yea, such necessity there is of Confession, that if he cannot haue a Priest, he must confess to his neighbour: and the more Priests he confesseth to, the greater is the hope of Pardon, because Ibid. his shane is the greater, and he obligeth the more Priests to pray for him. Yet a man may not divide his Confession, laying open some sins unto one,& some to another; For one sin with another compared may aggravate the penance. Here is yet to be noted, that though a man wanting a Priest may confess to his neighbour: yet sacramental Confession is onely to a Priest, because he only hath power over the body of Christ: 3 part. sum q. 3. art. 1.&. art. 5.& 6. And it must be done once a year at least, by the order of the Church, and instantly also without delay; if he communicate, if he bee in danger of death, if his conscience move him thereto, or if he haue any doubt in his mind as some think. every Priest hath power indifferent by the keys of the Church over all men, and over all sins: Ibid. q 8. but that every Priest cannot absolve every one, and from all sins, it is because by the ordinance of the Church he hath a limited jurisdiction. The Priest Vid. Pet. Lomb. 4. S●nc. dist. 19. cap. 3. must be discreet and just, otherwise he killeth the souls which he should quicken, and giveth life to them which should die. The force 3. part. S●●. art. 6. cap. ad. 3. of Sanctification of the Sacrament of penance, consisteth in the Sanctification of the Priest. To Ligare et solvere non significant denunciare, vel declarare, said reipsa vincula inijcere, aut demere. Bel. l. 3. de poen. cap. 2. bind and loose, doth not signify the denunciation and declaration of forgiveness of sin: but verily to hamper in bonds, or to release, saith Bellarmine. Remission Negatur remissio illis, quibus noluerint Sacerdotes remittere. ibid. is denied unto them to whom the priests will not remit; for to what purpose were it, to haue the keys of the house, if a man might go into the house without the keys? Without the iudgement of the Priest none can bee reconciled to God. If men could be absolved from sin without the sentence of the Priest, then the promise of Christ were not true; Whose sins you bind in earth, shall bee bound in heaven. Ibid. verb. quarto colligitur ex illa 'vice. God hath not given eternal life to all, but to certain, whom the Priests shall think worthy to be absolved. Concerning Supplem. 3. par. q. 11. artic. 1. ad primum. the seal of the priests secrecy, when he knoweth thy offences, that which in Confession is known, is not known; For the Priest doth not know it as a man, but as God. Wherefore no power can compel, or licence the Priest, to reveal the secrets in the Sacrament revealed. The fruit of Confession Vid. Syn. tried. Can. 5. is so great, that it delivers both from fault, and punishment. venial sins, Ibid. ( because by them wee are not excluded from the grace of GOD, and may bee by many ways cleansed,) may in confession be concealed without fault. Confession Ex Comp. Theol. very. l. 6, c. 25. ad finem. must be made by a mans own mouth, 3. part q. 9. art. 3. verb. confessio vt est. as baptism may not be but with water. So sacramental confession hath a determinate act, even the proper words of the penitent: neither is it lawful by signs, or writing, or any other way, to manifest the sin, except a man be dumb, or of a strange language, which the Priest understandeth not. Comp. Theol. ver. ihid. The notable circumstances also which aggravate the offence, must be uttered. Confession must be made to a Priest, Conp. Theol. ver. ib qaniuis peccata. though he know thy fault already; for it must be known to the Priest, not as a private person, but as a judge, that hath power to censure, and to bind or loose. Confession as it is a part of the Sacrament, Sup. 3. part. q. 9 art. 1. may bee in him that is not contrite, nor hath any charity, neither intendeth to amend his life: but as it is an act of virtue, it cannot be without charity. moreover, in their confession they make the virgin Mary, and all other Saints eternal Priests; For thus they say; Conf●theo● deo, beatae Mariae, omnibu● sanctis. Bre. star. in praep. ante Miss. I confess unto God, the virgin Mary, and all Saints. Confession must be of the same sin again reiterated, if the Priest haue not the key of power to absolve from the sin confessed: or if he haue not the key of wisdom to discern. Comp. Theol, Likewise, when a man hath confessed part of his sin to one Priest, and part to another, he must in such case confess anew. Lastly, when a man hath wilfully neglected to satisfy and perform his penance; in all these cases he must confess the same sins again. You haue seen with what small authority is brought into the Church this Bull of Perillus, and what blasphemies to maintain it they fall into; that without it is no salvation. And yet every Priest cannot administer it, but according to his rules, and in such measure as the Church( that is, the Popish Canons) hath given unto him: that the holinesse thereof standeth in the cleannesse of the Priest: that the very power of binding and losing is in the Priest: that without the pleasure of Priests none can be saved. To all this what shall we reply? but with that of the Prophet; jer. 3 23 The hope of the hills is but vain, nor the multitude of mountaines, but in the Lord our God is the health of Israel. The reasons they bring out of Scripture for all this business, are few and miserable. Wherefore I blame not the Tridentine Fathers to put their chiefest defence in malediction; Siquis dixerit in catholica ecclesia poenitentiam non esse verè et propriè sacramentum, pro fidelibus, quoties post baptismum in peccaca labuntur ipsi, deo reconciliandis, a Christo domino nostro institutum, anathema sit. de poen. can. 1 Cursed bee he that saith, the Sacrament of penance was not ordained of CHRIST, to reconcile the faithful unto God after baptism. Bellarmine saith, Bell. l. 3. de poen. c. 3. verb. prima agitur, confession is figured in the beginning of the old Testament, when the Lord inquired of the transgressions of Adam and Cain, Genesis the third and fourth. And he saith, that in these two examples the special acknowledgement both of the fault, and circumstance was required. To this I answer, that Panormitan himself acknowledgeth, that confession is not of Gods lawe, but of mans lawe. And Gratian saith, Traditione potius, quam ex novo vel ve; teri testamento. de poen dist. 5. in poen. autem in gloss. It is rather from Tradition, then either from the old or new Testament. The truth is, God with Adam and Cain doth severally expostulate concerning their sin: but Adam and Cain did not Sacramentally confess: neither was it a Priest, but the Lord God that spake unto Adam and Cain. Bellarmine might better haue concluded; Adam and Cain confessed to the Lord; therefore to the Lord should we confess. It is apparent also, that the confession of Adam and Cain was not sacramental. Confessio sacramentalis est, per quam morbus latens spe veniae aperitur. vid. Conp. Theol. ver. l. 6. c. 25. in principio. For by Austen confession sacramental is described to be that, when the hidden offence is revealed in hope of pardon; but here was no such matter. For Adam ran away from God: and Gen. 4 13.14 Cain plainly cast off all hope of remission. jo. de Combis therefore truly and ingenuously doth witness, that Non est de jure naturali, said euangelico. l. 6. c. 25. vocal confession of a man to a man, is not from the law of nature, but from the gospel. And the council of Trent plainly saith, Can. 1. de poenit. necessit. et instit. The Sacrament of Penance was not before Christ. Christ hath ordained the Priests to be iudges Ex Synod. tried. Can 5. de confess.& Bellar. vpon the earth: But Priests cannot judge, except they know the faults; therefore Confession is necessary. I answer to this sophistication; that where the premises are false, the inference, or illation is not necessary true. Now the Proposition is most untrue, for Christ never ordained his Ministers to be Iudges, but Preachers. The soul of man knoweth no judge but the Lord, to whose eyes onely it is open: as for your Lordly Prelacy, it reigneth, but not by him: it hath from God neither precept, nor privilege, to tyramnize over the souls and spirits of men. Christ in the sixteenth of matthew gave the keys to Peter, and in the eighteen of matthew, and the twentieth of John to all the Disciples he imparteth authority for binding and losing; Math. 18.18. joh. 20.23. Whosoeuers sins ye remit, they are remitted, and whosoeuers sins ye do retain, they are retained: Therefore Auricular confession is necessary. The council of Trent De necessitate& institutione Sac. Poenit. Can. 1. to prove confession maketh no mention out of matthew the eighteen, and confesseth, that Christ did joh. 20. then chiefly institute this Sacrament, when he rose from the dead, and breathed on his Disciples, saying; receive ye the holy Ghost, &c. Thom. Aquinas saith, that surely the Sacrament of Penance was instituted of God, False: for the scripture saith their sins, but doth not say they confessed to john. although the institution therof be not expressly found. There is a certain prefiguration thereof( saith he) in that they confessed their sins to John, and in that Christ sent their Lepers to the Priest. Scotus teacheth, That if any place in Scripture avail to prove confession, it is the twentieth of John. To it therefore I answer; The Ministers haue faculty to remit sins, not judicial and Potestatiue: but ministerial by preaching the gospel, which requireth not numbering of sins, and declaration of them to the Priest, but to God. The Apostle Paul sheweth how he forgave sins to his Corinthians; 1 Cor. 4.15. In Christ Iesus I haue begotten you through the gospel: And speaking of his authority, he testifieth, That Tit. 1.3. the preaching of the word was committed unto him, according to the commandement of God our saviour: As for iudgement, he saith, That wee shall appear before the iudgement seat of Christ: And of Confession; Ro. 14.11.12 I live( saith the Lord) and every knee shall bow to me, and all tongues shall confess unto God; So then every one of us shall give accounts of himself to God. james commandeth; confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed; Ergo, there is Auricular confession instituted. John de Combis saith, jo de Comb. in Comp. T●eol. l. 6. de sac. virtute. c. 25. Christ instituted the Sacrament of Confession secretly: but the Apostles did openly Promulge the same, and expressly, as in the fift of james. It seemeth therefore, that there is in their own opinion no other direct and plain sentence of Scripture to prove sacramental Confession, but this onely out of the Epistle of Saint james. To answer the which, I say, that james speaketh not a word of Auricular Confession in secret, Nor of sacramental Confession to a Priest: But onely of confession one to another, which is brotherly confession. Many Acts 19.18 that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their works; Ergo, Auricular confession hath ground in Scripture. All the jesuits in the world cannot out of this proposition Syllogistically conclude, That Auricular confession hath ground in Scripture. For it is not said, that they confessed to a Priest, or that they confessed every particular sin: But onely that they acknowledged their former ways to be wicked; and therefore they confessed their works and brought the books of curious Arts, and burned them before all men. This is rather open, then Auricular confession. having answered their arguments which haue any marrow in them, Let us now at last see how this yoke of Babylonish bondage is injurious to the freedom of our jerusalem, and King thereof Iesus Christ. First, it is imposed vpon the church under pain of damnation; which is directly no where delivered, or commanded in the Scripture. For in the holy word auricular confession hath no promise if we do it, nor threatening at all if we do it not. Wherefore in such cases, wherein the Scripture hath not decreed, there to urge with such violence their own traditions, is most injurious to Christs supreme regality. Secondly, in stead of free justification in the blood of Christ, The ceremony of confession maketh the enumeration of our sins to deserve remission of sins, diminution of punishment, opening the gates of Paradise, hope of salvation, and such like. Wherefore it turneth the gospel into the law, making grace no grace, and forgiveness no forgiveness. Thirdly, it bringeth the conscience into doubt, and doth deprive the soul of all hope and comfort. For who can tell, whether whom he chooseth to confess unto, bee a Priest? Whether he hath the Key of Power? Whether he hath the Key of knowledge? or, since the sanctification of the Sacrament consisteth in the sanctification of the Priest, Whether the Sacrament be available or not? Whether wee haue duly numbered all our offences? Whether he enjoin sufficient penance? Fourthly, it wresteth the power of remission and salvation out of the hand of Christ, and giveth it unto men, while they teach, that forgiveness is denied unto them, whom the Priest will not forgive. What is this but to bind Iesus Christ the son of God, the King of glory, to the pleasure of a Priest? They shane not to profess, that Priests haue power over the body of Christ in the Sacrament: but herein they give power Bell. l. 3. de poenit. c 2 verbo tertio colligitur. to an ignorant Priest over the soul and the will of Iesus Christ. Fiftly, they give a tyrannicall power unto Priests over the spirits and consciences of men in their confession; Insomuch that the old proverb witnesseth; to meet a Priest in the Lent is no less valour, then to encounter a wolf, Aeneas silvius i● quibusdam poeniatibu● suis. when she engendereth. This Chrysostome perceived, and giveth counsel; Chrysost. Let God alone hear thee confessing, who casteth not in the teeth, but saveth him that doth confess. sixthly, their confession is full of superstition. For it must not bee done but by the mouth: he that confesseth by writing or otherwise, doth nothing Sacramentally; as though God more accepted the confession which is by word, then that which is by writing. seventhly, their Confession is the increasing of hypocrisy also, in that they teach, the sacramental act thereof may be without love, then it is also without God; and an evil act may be part of a Sacrament. Lastly, infinite are the questions which out of this their feigned Sacrament do arise. Whether Confession deliver from the guilt of sin? Whether confession deliver from the punishment of sin? Whether the seal of confession be an essential part of the Sacrament? Whether the seal of confession bee of the law of nature? Whether a Priest may reveal confession, if the Confitent give him leave? Whether, if the Priest in confession know a man to be Excommunicate, he is bound to avoid him? If the Priest in confession know that a man hath deflowered a woman in the Church, whether may he reveal it to the Bishop? Whether an Abbot or such Prelate may remove a man from his office for the fault he knoweth in confession? Whether a Priest that in confession knoweth a lawful impediment of matrimony, may reveal it? These with diuers other snares and wrangling contentions follow their sacramental whispering, the onely end whereof is to magnify themselves, to increase the honour of their prelacy, and to make their power dreadful to all men Eccles. 8.9. . But is there not a time when man ruleth over man to his own hurt? Thus much be of their confession spoken. CHAP. XX. Of the manner of forgiveness of sin, whether God having pardodoned the fault, doth nevertheless retain the punishment. INconstancy of doctrine which hath not one colour sheweth the leprosy and uncleanness of the mind, saith Aug. de verb. Apost. ser. 10. ad finem. Augustine. But surely there can be no leprosy comparable unto theirs, who give, and take away: attribute, and again deny mercy to be in God. And hereof the Romish Church is of all other most guilty: who lest they should altogether deny godliness itself, aclowledge that Christ is merciful, a saviour: But the power of this godliness they wholly impugn, when they haue so many exceptions, and restrictions, against the free forgiveness of sins unto all believers by the blood of IESVS CHRIST. Let us therfore in a word or two defend the truth of our religion, against the impious slander wherewith the Romanists blaspheme the free Iubiley of that gracious pardon, which God hath given us in his onely son. Our arguments shall begin from the end and purpose of the incarnation of our saviour Christ, and of his coming; Taken from the causes of Christs coming. The final cause whereof was the salvation of mankind. For so the Apostle witnesseth; 1. Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying, and by all means to be received, that IESVS CHRIST came into the world to save sinners. Math. 1.21. The angel also saith, he shall save his people from their sins. Wherefore he is called Iesus, a saviour. Now to this salvation there are many things needful; First, Man had a law given unto him; this law must of necessity bee fulfilled; else, Psal. 95. Heb. 4.3. he hath sworn in his wrath, they shall not enter into my rest: and this law being fulfilled by Man, God hath not for what to condemn Man. Rom. 10.5. For Moses witnesseth; The man which doth these things shall live by them. But Iesus Christ for all his members hath absolutely and perfectly fulfilled the law, as the Apostle every where testifieth; Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all that beleeue. And again, Rom. 6.15. We are not under the law: And to his Galathians; Gal 3.13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for vs. To the Ephesians also he saith; Eph. 2.15. That Christ hath taken away the law of commandements contained in ordinances: And in the eighth to the romans; Rom. 8.2. The law of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus, hath freed me from the law of sin and death: And to conclude, unto the Colossians he saith, that Col. 2.14. Christ hath blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against vs. Vpon these testimonies I infer, that since the law is perfectly fulfilled, and wee from it delivered, The law f●lfilled by Christ. the strength of our sin is taken away, the instrument of our condemnation canceled, all is done by us that God requireth, all performed by us in Iesus Christ: who much more communicateth his obedience of the law unto us, then Adam did his disobedience. Therefore the law being performed, fulfilled, observed, canceled, abrogated, the punishment thereof God cannot inflict vpon us; Gen. 18.25 Shall not the judge of all the world do according to right? Secondly, as God doth require full obedience to his law, which we haue performed thorough Christ: So since the natural man many ways hath broken the holy laws of the highest, The second cause of Christs coming. God requireth also satisfaction for such transgression, and this satisfaction Christ hath fully made unto GOD. This is proved( as I haue else where made manifest) because the satisfaction is infinitely infinite above the offence: because the person that satisfieth, Satisfaction for all sin by Christ. is more acceptable to God, then all the fault is unto him odious. And if the satisfaction which Christ hath made, be not sufficient to pacify God, both concerning the guilt of sin, and the punishment, then let man never think that he can satisfy for that which Christ hath not satisfied. To say that either Saints, or ourselves do satisfy for sin, is to tread under foot the blood of the son of God, and to debase that unspeakable grace in which Christ appeareth before the Father for vs. Lastly, it taketh the honour from Christ, to give it unto men. After the fulfilling of the Law, and perfect satisfaction made by Christ, followeth, of necessity. Emundation and cleansing from sin; Col. 2.10. For we are complete in him. This Christ also hath done for us, not onely 1. Pet. 1.19. washing us clean from all spots( as Peter and John 1. joh. 2.2 bear witness) but lest any thing should be wanting to perfect cleanness, Apoc. 3.5. Ibid. 18. he clotheth us with his own righteousness, and decketh us with the jewels of his own excellency, by imputing all the merits of his holy humanity unto vs. Thus washed, Cleansing of sin by Christ. thus beautified, what is the deformity in us which God with satisfactory punishment should scourge? Lastly, there remaineth reconciliation to God; The third cause of Christs coming. and that also wee haue found in Iesus Christ. For the Apostle Paul saith, Col. 1.20. Reconciliation by Christ. That by him God reconciled all things unto himself, since he hath set at peace thorough the blood of his cross, by him both the things in earth, and the things in heaven. And again: Ibid. ver. 21. you which were sometime strangers and enemies by cogitation, in evil works, hath he now yet reconciled. unto the Ephesians he saith; Ephes. 2.13.& 14. ye which sometime were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ; For he is our peace which hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall that was a stop between vs. To this the Apostle addeth, that Verse 16. Christ hath reconciled both, that is, jew& gentle, in one body thorough his cross, and slay hatred thereby. By this it is manifest, that Christ hath not so reconciled us to God, as Hypocrites are one reconciled to another, retaining still a mind to punish and reuenge when opportunity serveth: But he hath sincerely and truly reconciled us to God, taking our sins from us, and Gods wrath and punishment from him. O peace passing all understanding! O dove without any gaule! why should wretched man, to his own wrong, clip thy Pardons, and abbreviate the amplitude of thy great love? The second argument I take from the ordinary phrases of the Scripture. Which when it speaketh of forgiveness of sins, useth most ample and liberal terms joh. 1.29. of taking away, Luke 3.17. thoroughly purging, Tit. 2.14. redemption from all unrighteousness, 1. Cor. 6.11. Washings, Col. 2.14. blottings out, Col. 1.13. deliverance, taking out of the way, breaking the yoke of the burden, Col. 2.14. Pacification. All these forms of speech declare, that God so putteth out our sins, Esay 9.3. that he remembreth them no more: Esay 42.1. but that he casteth them behind his back. They are so slain in the death, butted in the burial, and abolished in the bloodshedding of Christ, that as a millstone thrown into the bottom of the Sea, they shal never arise in iudgement before God against us hereafter. The third argument I take from the sundry persuasions of the Apostle concerning charity, derived even from the example of Iesus Christ. Wherein he exhorteth every private Ephes. 5.25. person to love his wife, as Christ loved his Church, and gave himself for it, to sanctify it, when he had cleansed it in the fountain of water in the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing. again he saith, Col. 3.13. forgiving one another, if any haue a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, even so also do ye. But there is no sober man will think the Apostle Paul would haue a man forgive his brother the fault, and heap on the punishment. No, but as Christ forgiveth, and casteth no man in the teeth: forgiveth and presents us faultless to himself, that is, esteemeth us as innocent, and therefore not to bee punished: So also must every man forgive his brother. Fourthly, the Apostle Peter of the cleansing of sins through Iesus Christ saith; Act. 10.43.44. To him give all the Prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remission of sins: and while Peter spake these words, the holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word. Here are many things to be considered. First, the universality and the antiquity of this doctrine of free forgiveness which we find in these words, All the Prophets: Then the person of him that preacheth, Peter; whom the Romish church challengeth for the first founder of their chair. So that this doctrine is universal, ancient, prophetical, and apostolical. Next, you see the substance of the doctrine to be, that remission of sins is through the mercy of CHRIST. Lastly, this doctrine is confirmed and sealed from heaven, out of the bosom of the glorious Trinity itself; for the holy Ghost fell on them that heard the word. Let all Iesuites and Friers, monks and mass Priests, show such universality, antiquity, Prophets and Apostles to preach, and the holy Ghost to confirm satisfaction by human works, Et Phyllida solus habeto; the Church is theirs for ever, and their successors. To conclude, the last argument I take from the testimony of diuers excellent Fathers and Teachers of the Church. Of Satisfactions by mans works. Augustine, if the Sermons ad fratres in eremo bee truly ascribed to him, saith of the punishments in this life, Aug. ad fra. in eremo. ser. 6. O monk, if thou wouldest consider thy misery, and the works of God towards thee, thou shouldst find nothing but mercy; For it is mercy, if he scourge thee, that he may amend thee: It is mercy, if by tribulation he deliver from sin: if he permit tyrants and hypocrites to reign; all these things he doth desiring to give us eternal life. Basil saith, Bas. in psa. 33. Not in human power, nor wisdom, but in the grace of God, is our salvation. Bernard saith, Ber. ser. 38. in Cā●in ipso principio. Thy sins are very great and very many: such and so great they are, that if thou strip thyself out of thy skin, thou canst not suffice to satisfy. Of Christs Satisfaction. There is no doubt but the death of Christ is more powerful to good, then our sins to evil Ber. ser. 1. de annunciat. . Thou perhaps dost fear, lest the purging of sin, which he came to make, shall be done with burning, cutting, and dashing the bones and the marrow of the bones together: lest he should inflict sorrows vpon them heavier then death. Ber. ser. nat. jo. Bap. ad finem. harken then; He is a lamb in mildness, he comes with wool, and with milk, justifying the unrighteous with his word; speak the word, and my seruant shall be whole. Ber. in ser. 11. in Cant. Remember man, though thou wert made of nothing, thou wast not redeemed with nothing. Ambr. l 9. ep. 71. ex Cent. ●. c. 4. Christ Iesus coming hath forgiven sins to all men, which they could not avoid: and hath blotted out our hand writing with his blood. Pet. Cluniacen. in l. 1. Cent. I●. There is no detraction from iustice, when for the eternal punishment of man, the temporal punishment of God and Man: and for the eternal death of man, the death of God and Man is offered. Hildebereus ep 3. Cent. 12. I am once redeemed by the death of Christ, I seek not to be again redeemed: that blood is my redemption, that blood is my price. It were an unworthy thing, if I should be redeemed by a price, whose redemption is beyond all price. Besides, it is shameful redemption, by which the liberty of the Church is lost, and servitude doth fall vpon vs. The Ric. de Emanuele in c. 11. supreme Trinity, one God, hath so divided the work of mans salvation, that one and the same offence of man, the Father hath punished: the Son hath expiated: and the holy Ghost hath forgiven. Lastly, Alb. in praef. supper Lucam. Cent. 12. Albert saith, Christ hath perfected our salvation. Answer to the objections of the Romish Church. Let us now in a word consider the arguments, which they bring for the maintenance of this blasphemy. Ob. david, after he had obtained pardon for the murder of Urias, and adultery with Bethsabe, was notwithstanding punished with the loss of the child. Sol. I answer; Nathan threatened david with temporal punishment for his sin: 2, Sam. 12. and vpon Dauids repentance this punishment is not altogether remitted, but qualified; for so the text beareth witness; The Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die: howbeit, the child that is born unto thee, shall surely die. Nathan sheweth, that as concerning david himself, the sin is taken away, that is, the punishment is forgiven: but not wholly, for the child shall die. Bellarmine is deceived by the ignorance of the Elench; Thy sin is taken away, that is,( saith he) the guilt of thy sin is taken away. But the meaning of the Prophet is not so; but thy sin is taken away, that is, God will not punish thy sin in such severity as I threatened thee. Lastly, I say as before, the punishment and reuenge is ever forgiven, when the guilt is forgiven: that which is after inflicted, is but fatherly discipline, and correction of God in love, not in anger; to teach us to weigh the foulness of our sins, and that wee may bee admonished thereby, to fly from such offences as provoke the wrath of God. Ob. david after the numbering of the people repented, and was received into the favour of God: yet the forgiveness of the fault did not take away the punishment, but he hath choice given him of war, Hunger, or Pestilence, which he would sustain. There was no reconciliation, Sol. nor peace from God with david before the punishment. God said not; 2. Sam. 24. Thy sin is done away, as Nathan of the former offence spake: he beginneth his speech with punishment, he sheweth that some discipline and admonishment God would lay vpon david and the people. Bellarmine doth not see, that the wrath of the Lord towards the people for their sin, was the cause why God suffered david their King to fall into this offence, and to number the people. The punishment therefore was chiefly inflicted vpon the people themselves, who did not repent as david did: and though this pestilence were a punishment to the impenitent people, it was a warning and admonition to david. The aduersaries( saith Bellarmine) do not deny, Ob. but that death is the wages of original sin, which yet( they say) is forgiven in baptism. Wee know that original and actual sins are taken away in baptism by the bloodshedding of Iesus Christ, Sol. neither shall they be punished eternally in the elect: but the merits and death of Iesus Christ taketh not away the temporal affliction, with which in this life he fatherly and mercifully chastiseth sin: nor yet makes vain the eternal counsel of God, who hath ordained by the law of nature, that the natural man must taste of natural death the wages of his sin, and through it pass unto life. Albeit the guilt of sin God now looketh not on in his elect, to punish it everlastingly: yet he looketh vpon it as concerning temporal chastisement for amendment: neither is it so taken away, but that in this life with temporal affliction it shall be scourged. But yet be the afflictions never so great which are laid vpon us, we cannot satisfy God sufficiently thereby, either concerning the temporal, or eternal punishment. Ob. God himself doth witness, that he was reconciled unto his people Israell, Exod. 32. and forgave them the offence of the golden calves, at the intercession of Moses: yet many thousands of men were destroyed for the same. Sol. When the children of Israel had provoked the Lord with their golden calf, Exod. 32.10. his wrath was so hot against them, that he would haue consumed them: Moses prayeth for them, but it doth not appear that God at Moses intercession did forgive the fault, as Bellarmine falsely saith. The LORD indeed changed his mind from the evil which he threatened to do unto his people, that is, from the universal destruction of the whole people: but that the fault was wholly remitted, the text doth no where show. It appears by Moses own words, that he did not intend, that the whole people should be pardonned, Ibid. 28. but that the whole should not be destroyed. Where-himselfe appointed the levites to do execution vpon their brethren; so that there fell of the people three thousand. Lastly, Ibid. 30. I say, that the Lords wrath was not yet at that time pacified, nor he then reconciled to the people; for Moses, after all this punishment vpon them laid, saith, I will go up unto the Lord, if I may pacify him. I am ashamed that any which professeth the Name of Christ, should so impudently falsify the Scripture. Ob. All the Israelites murmured, and at Moses intercession were absolved; Num. 14. yet for this fault and punishment thereof, all the Israelites died, except Caleb and josuah, in the desert, before they came to the promised land. The Lord in this place also threatened an universal general destruction of the whole people as of one man. This Moses prayed against, that their sin might not be punished with a general overthrow, by which the name of Israel should be altogether blotted out; But as thou hast forgiven the people since their going out of Egypt until now: Numb. 14. So now also be merciful, saith he. The history will show, that God was ever before content with the destruction of some for the whole. The same mercy Moses now prayeth for, and the Lord answered him; Numb. 14.20. I haue forgiven it according to thy request: that is, thou hast requested I should not utterly destroy the name and posterity of Israel, that they should be no more a people; this I haue granted: But of all these that haue thus tempted me, not one shall see the land whereof I swore unto their fathers. For the same fault Aaron and Moses died also: Ob. yet they were reconciled to God. Numb. 20. Moses and Aaron died for their murmuring before they entred into the land of promise, Sol. though they were reconciled as touching the eternal death due to sin. The temporal death as it was of natural necessity: So it was the chastisement of themselves, and the admonishment of others also, and the passage to a better life. God chastiseth all his elect, though his covenant he will not utterly take away. This is nothing to the purpose. For you must still remember, That the afflictions of the godly are the seals of the love, not of the wrath of God: They are instructions, not destructions: They are passages to salvation and eternal life. Bellarmine himself saith, by their papal Indulgences we are not delivered from natural evils& punishments. So may I say, Christs suffering was to deliver us from eternal, not temporal, death. The Apostle saith, Ob. Many of the Corinthians for unworthy receiving the Sacrament of the Lords body were weak, 1. Cor. 11. and many slept: yet these no doubt were reconciled unto God before their death. Wherefore after reconciliation remaineth punishment. Many of the Corinthians were weak, and some slept, Sol. because they abused the holy Communion in not discerning the Lords body: God preventing their further sin sent vpon them weakness and death. For true it is that Peter saith; he that is afflicted ceaseth from sin. 1 Pet. 4.1. And wisdom saith Wisd. 4. he was taken away lest maliciousness should change his understanding. This was mercy in God towards them, not wrath or anger; though the Corinthians perhaps were loth to suffer, loth to be visited. Heb. 12.11. For no affliction to a man seemeth sweet for the present: Yet it doth indeed bring afterward the quiet fruit of righteousness. Ob. The old Prophet, which for his sin was slain of the lion in the way, 3. Reg. 13. no doubt repented him, being forewarned of that punishment: and yet he suffered death by the lion, being reconciled to God. Sol. The old Prophet broken the Commandement of God, was punished for the same with death: We hope well of his reconciliation unto God through Christ, though of his repentance the Scripture speaketh not a word. Wherefore, whether he stand or fall, we leave it to God, who with his day may do as pleaseth him. This is an idle argument, standing vpon conjectures and supposals. CHAP. XXI. Of Satisfactions by every man in this life to be performed for his own sins. THere is nothing can more impugn the supreme majesty of our eternal& most glorious King Iesus Christ, then when in his priestly office he himself having satisfied for our sins, yet our Romish fervours Censor-like enjoin their penitential Canons, laws of satisfaction, by which every man must beleeue, that Vid. Pet. Lomb. l. ●. Sen●. dist. 16. c. 4. he satisfieth God for his own offences committed, both venial, and mortal. In the primitive church, I confess, there were penitential Canons or rules how to receive those that were for their heinous enormities cast out of the same: but these were not esteemed as satisfactions unto God, but unto men: Not unto the heavenly eyes of the Lord of all spirits and powers, but they were onely satisfactions to the offended brethren, and did testify the repentance of him that was to bee absolved. This discipline in itself was good and godly, and I could wish it might be restored again. These satisfactions used in the ancient church were yet but human constitutions; and therefore they could not satisfy God, nor sanctify sinners in his sight, Much less the foolish and superstitious whippings, Hayre-cloth, Fastings, numbering of Prayers, enjoined by the Romish prelacy. Nothing can satisfy for the breach of the law, but the penalty the lawgiver appointeth. even amongst men, temporal Princes would think themselves mocked, if a man should commit murder, and then choose unto himself a penance of barefoot wandring, or by the favour of an inferior judge undergo some lighter pain, then that which against murder is by the law inflicted. Against all these Romish satisfactions wee may justly object, they haue no authority nor example for any such in the holy word. Christ never gave power to his Ministers to enjoin men to say prayers by number: to fast two or three daies a week with bread and water. He never ordained any man to whip himself: to wear a shirt of hayre-cloth: to go barefoot on Pilgrimage: to visit the dead bones and relics of Saints. Wherefore it is without authority, whatsoever is done in this manner; yea, against the royalty of the son of God they most traitorously offend, who torture his people, burden his church, afflict his members with this tyranny, having received no such power, no such commandement. My method in entreating on this point shall be, first, to show the Popish position touching their Plenary Satisfactions: Secondly, to answer the arguments they bring in defence of them: Lastly, I will show, how injurious they are to the regal power of our Lord and saviour Iesus Christ. Summa Angelica▪ saith, In Tit satan ipso princip. Satisfaction is sometimes taken for reconciliation, and so it containeth in itself all the parts of Penance: but it is otherwise taken for the payment of the due pain, and fulfilling of the punishment deserved. And he saith, Ibid. That with the help of God, that is, the merit and passion of Christ conjoined, a man may satisfy for his sins unto God, that is( saith Granatensis) Granat. in memoria de satisfactione. for venial sins, and the guilt of temporal pain, and not for the guilt of everlasting pain. John de Combis saith, jo de Comb. de sac. virt. l. 6. c. 29. that as in warres and other controversies; when peace and friendship is made, yet recompense of the wrong is not presently had: So after the forgiveness of the fault, whether in contrition, or confession, the debt of satisfaction of punishment doth still remain. Now the Priest that giveth penance( he saith) enjoineth some things as the foundation of Sanctification; jo. de Comb. ibid. Namely, to restore that which is unjustly taken away, to abstain from sin hereafter: Some things are enjoined for the better expedition of Satisfaction; as to avoid the company of the evil: Some things he enjoineth as the substance of Satisfaction; as to fast, to watch, to give alms, to go on Pilgrimáge, and such like: Some things he enjoineth as the perfection of Satisfaction; as the works of supererogation. Now he saith, satisfaction must be answerable to the fault in three things; in Number, in Weight, in Measure: but these three are not necessary required, but by way of convenience. Of Satisfaction Ex eodem cap. 30 there are three principal parts; Prayer, Fasting, and alms. The other are secondary means; as Watching, Pilgrimage, and Disciplining. To Fasting belong all works of afflicting the flesh: To Prayer all spiritual works: To alms all works of mercy. The sufficiency of these satisfactions is diuers ways perceived. First, by the points from whence, and whither they move. In fasting, we remove from the Concupiscence of the flesh to good ordering of ourselves: In Prayer, from Pride of life to the service of God: In alms, from the concupiscence of the eyes to the relief of our neighbour; Secondly, by the matter itself. alms satisfieth by our external goods: Prayer satisfieth by the powers of the mind: Fasting by the powers of the body: Thirdly, Satisfaction is made three manner of ways; by Punishment, by Redemption, by Supplication. The first is done in Fasting: The second in alms: The third in Prayer. Three effects also de Combis maketh of Satisfaction; obtaining grace: Remission of the fault: taking away of the relics of sin. Bellarmine defineth Satisfaction to be, Satisfaction●m nih l aliud esse nisi actiorem, qua is qu● alterum lesit, tantum facit quantum satis est ad iniuriam compensandam. siue qu●●tum i● qui las●s est, just exigit. Bell. de poenit. l. 4. de satisfac. cap. 1. in ipso limine verbo vt igitur. When one that hath done injury, again worketh so much as sufficeth to recompense for the wrong done: or so much as he which is wronged, doth justly require. Satisfaction( he saith) is of two kindes, according as Iustice is also; One, that absolutely and perfectly performeth what is due: Ibid. verb. iam igitur. An other, that consisteth in imperfect equality; as when he that is wronged to the sum of ten thousand Talents, is satisfied with all the substance a man hath, though it amount not to any such value. Now God( he saith) cannot bee satisfied according to perfect and equal satisfaction, but unperfect and unequal, by his own acceptation. The reasons which Bellarmine bringeth to prove that Man may satisfy God for sin, are few, and wretched. Ob. The first is; Ex 2. Chro. 7.13. If I shut the heaven, that there be no rain: or if I command the grasshopper to devour the land: or if I sand a pestilence among my people; If my people, among whom my name is called vpon, do humble themselves, and pray, and seek my presence, and turn from their wicked ways; Then will I hear in heaven, and be merciful to their sin, and heal their land. Here is no mention of Satisfaction; if his people repent, Sol. God promiseth mercy. Now where full Satisfaction is made, there iustice healeth the land, not mercy: But God here promiseth to bee merciful to them, if they turn unto him. Which sufficiently sheweth, that our turning to GOD is no sufficient recompense unto him, or satisfaction. Where was the Friers logic, when he imagined this to be an argument? All the jesuits in christendom cannot make a concluding syllogism of this proposition in mood and form. I will jer. 18.7, 8. speak suddenly against a nation, Ob. or against a kingdom, to pluck it up, and to roote it out, and to destroy it. But if this nation against whom I haue pronounced, turn from their wickedness, I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them. For example hereof niniveh is set out. Sol. here still is mercy from God, no merit, nor Satisfaction from men. He doth not say, men satisfy in repenting, or men merit favour: but as man repents of sin, so God will repent of his wrath; What is this to merits or satisfaction? The prodigal time-spender may bee ashamed thus to abuse the eyes and ears of men. Ob. Let my Ex Dan. 4.24 counsel bee acceptable unto thee, and redeem thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by mercy towards the poor; saith Daniel to the King. Ergo, our works satisfy God. Sol. Daniel here counseleth Nabuchadnezzar to redeem his sins, whether towards GOD, or Man, with repentance. Wherefore it is plain, that the words of the Prophet are not to be construed as they literally sound. The best interpreters, according to the propriety of the Hebrew word, rather render this place; break off thy sins, then redeem thy sins. howsoever, Daniel herein doth not seek to breath pharisaical pride into the Kings heart, as though with all his wealth( which what is it, but dust and ashes?) God could be satisfied: Vid Theod. in hunc locum orat. 4. in Dan. But the Prophet meaneth, that Nabuchadnezzar should show true fruits of repentance by alms and deeds of charity, humbling himself under the hand of God, if so be that God, seeing his new obedience and contrition, will forgive the punishment of his sin, out of his more mercy. job well sheweth, that for all our sins we are not able to yield any thing to God. Wherefore he saith; I job 7.20.& 9.20. haue sinned, what shall I do unto thee, O thou preserver of men? And again, If I should justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me. Ob, Toby saith, Toby 4.10. alms delivereth from all sin, and from death. Sol. The book of Tobit is not canonical: therefore no argument can be taken out of it concerning controversies of faith. Yet I answer; alms deliver from sin and death, not efficiently, but declaringly; they are witnesses and signs that God is satisfied for our sins by Iesus Christ, they are not the satisfaction itself. The council of Trent bringeth two arguments to prove satisfaction by our own works. The first; Ob. wee are made conformable to the passions of Christ; Ergo, our works do satisfy as Christs did. The Apostle Peter 1. Pet. 2.21. sheweth wherein this conformity doth consist; He suffered, leaving us an ensample; Sol, Not to satisfy for sin as he satisfied: but to follow his innocency and his patience, as much as we can. Wherefore Paul saith not, that our works made us like: but that he foresaw, and predestinated us to bee made like to the image of his son; But Predestination is of free grace, not of works. The Apostle Paul saith; I can do all things in him that comforteth me; therefore our works in Christ may satisfy. Ob. By this reason Paul might redeem the world, Sol. destroy death, bring us to life. If this be granted, there shall bee no difference in power between the head and the members of the Church. The meaning of the place is, that Paul by the grace of God was made able to endure afflictions. What is this to satisfaction? You haue heard what weak shadows of arguments are brought by the adversary for these satisfactions of mens works. Now let us consider, whether they derogate from our King of Kings Iesus Christ. First, note, good reader, the wicked fallacitie and falsification practised by the Romish church. The ancient Fathers indeed had a certain brotherly satisfaction, by which notorious offenders did satisfy with certain disciplinary humiliation the scandalised congregation. This they haue turned into satisfaction before God himself for sin: They haue also perverted the order of the primitive Church. For the ancient Church, vpon public satisfaction, absolved the offender: The Popish church absolveth first, and then enjoineth penance and satisfaction after. Secondly, Popish satisfactions detract from the conquest of our triumphant King Iesus Christ, as though Christ were not a sufficient saviour: as though he had not sufficiently cleansed: as though he were a Redeemer in part onely. But he pronounceth of the taking away of the punishment, as well as of the guilt; Ose 13.14. O death, I will bee thy death. And Paul saith; 1. Cor. 15.57. We haue victory over death by Iesus Christ. he joh. 11.26. that liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Therefore Bellarmine most impiously saith, Bell. l. 2. de Indul. ca●. 1. verb. merita Christi partim. That after reconciliation obtained a man doth not necessary need Christs merits, that his guilt should be forgiven: he perhaps requireth not so great libersalitie, being content with his own labours and punishment, in this life, or in Purgatory: Satisfactio per ●●fficientiam tantum non meretur nomen ●●tisfactionis, nec redempt o, nec reconcil●atio persufficientia●n merentur 〈◇〉 nomina. Ruard. Tap. Sic concludi● artic. 6. and Ruardus Tapperus saith, the satisfaction redemption and reconciliation of Christ in the sufficiency thereof deserveth not the name of satisfaction, redemption or reconciliation. Thirdly, these satisfactions are injurious unto the infinite, supreme, and dreadful majesty of God, when wee suppose that our beggarly base rags, our weakness, our poverty, can bring forth any work worthy of his favour, condign to his love, answerable to his righteousness, satisfactory to his majesty: or that is able to stand, or to appear before God to answer him. Fourthly, Iesus Christ hath no where in his gospel left any authority to his Ministers, to enjoin unto men any kind of punishment, by which they should satisfy for sin. Wherefore it is perfidious treachery against the son of GOD, thus to belie him, and to bear men in hand, that they haue received power from CHRIST to enjoin such penance. Fiftly, it is Luciferian pride to say, I●wes of Granada in his memo●iall of satisfaction. that by our merits, and the passion and satisfaction of Christ conjoined and united( as Granatensis speaketh) wee may satisfy God; as though any man might dare to make mention of his own righteousness with the righteousness of CHRIST: or that any soul should be so forsaken of shamefastness, as to say; I come to thee, O Lord, in the righteousness of Christ, and of myself. sixthly, most derogatory it is unto CHRIST, to devise works, such as God hath not commanded; as the wearing of iron and of haircloth vpon the naked flesh: building of abbeys: going on Pilgrimage to satisfy for sin, seeing the works that Christ himself commandeth, haue no such power; When ye haue done all these things say, Luke 17. We are unprofitable seruants. How knoweth a Priest what will satisfy God for sin? How knoweth he, whether God require so much fasting, beating, and punishing of a contrite heart, as he enjoineth? What examples hath he in the Scriptures of truth, to sit like Rhadamanthus, and weigh mens offences in a balance, and here and there dispose plagues of his own device, according to that he thinketh and conceiveth. seventhly, by this opinion of satisfaction through our own works, they haue taught men to exercise cruelty on their own bodies; as Olaus King of Sueuia, who on a Sunday cutting sticks off a Rod that he held in his hand, being admonished it was the Sabbath day, gathered up the chips,& burned them in his own hand to ashes. Bernard In vita Ber. ca. 8. verb. quid autem. ad finem fear. complaineth of himself, that with extreme fasting, and such like austerity, he had destroyed his own body, and made it notable to serve God in his vocation. Esay 59.5, 6. Thus they hatch Cockatrices eggs, and wave the Spiders web, but their webs shall bee no garment, neither shall they cover themselves with their labours. Eightly, they are wicked iudges, and falsely wrest the Law contrary to the mind of the giver thereof, when the words of our saviour; whatsoever ye bind on earth, shall bee bound in heaven, they for lucres sake interpret, not onely of Excommunication, whereof Christ indeed spake, but of the intolerable burdens, the tortures of penance which themselves excarnificate the flock of Christ withall; as though, to bind on earth, were to whip, to burn, to famish. If this were true, they might enjoin a man to kill himself: to cut off his hands or legs; For in the Priests discretion is the Penance, and as much authority haue they in the Scripture for the one, as for the other. Ninthly, herein vnspeakeably do they wrong the dignity of our saviour Iesus Christ, to fain, that he hath not cleansed sufficiently from the punishment of sin, and yet we ourselves haue such store of satisfactory works, that they suffice to content God for other mens sins together with the merits of Christ; as though Christs works alone do not cleanse, but Christs and ours together do cleanse, not onely ourselves, but our brethren also: as though for us Christs works in his own person were not sufficient, but the works which are partly his by infusion of grace, and partly our own by the motion of free-will, were a superabundant satisfaction. The tenth dishonour to Christ in this assertion of satisfaction by our own works, is, that they say, council. tried. Can. 8. de satisfac. necessitate. Wee by satisfying suffer for our own sins, as Christ by suffering satisfied for sin. This is altogether contrary to the doctrine of the Prophet; Esay 53.5. He was wounded for our transgressions, and broken for our iniquities. It is against the Apostles doctrine also, who saith, 1. Pet. 2 21. Christ suffered for us: And again, Verse 24. His own self bare our sins in his body on the three. The eleventh, under pretence of these satisfactions they exercise intolerable cruelty vpon the poor members of Iesus Christ. Petrus Damianus is witness, Pet. Dam. in Ep. ad Parelium. Cer●bros. that some Bishops caused them to be whipped in their sight: some were compelled to bear twenty, some thirty, some fifty, some a hundred, some two hundred, three hundred stripes; beyond the extremity of the Mosaical law itself. Ranulph. l. 5. c. 30. ex cent. cap. 6. For their offence some did wear Iron on their bodies, some fetters, some beat their hands against the earth, some their head. Gerard Bishop Vid. cent. 11. c. 6. of Flanders for playing at chess was enjoined by Petrus Damianus, not onely to say the Psalter thrice over, but to wash the feet of twelve poor people, giuing also to every one a piece of money. Is this the easy yoke of Christ? Did Christ ever enjoin any penance, but joh. 8.11. go and sin no more? Math. 23.4. but these lay heavy burdens on men, which themselves touch not with the lest finger. Twelfthly, things utterly unlawful are enjoined for satisfaction of sins; As Ex de● Innocen. 3. ap●d Ce●t. 13. c. 6. Innocentius amongst other satisfactions enjoined those that killed Conradus Bishop of Herbipolis, after the death of their wives never to mary again, and that they should never receive the Communion till their death. Lastly, this false opinion, that the Priest may enjoin penance satisfactory to God, hath filled the Church with frivolous and ungodly questions, which obscure the benefit of Christs passion: torment the poor soul of man with diuers doubts and uncertainties: and blemish the Article of our Christian faith concerning forgiveness of sin; such are these underneath mentioned. Whether one man may satisfy for another? Whether he, Ex Summa Ange●●ca,& a●●js. for whom another hath undertaken to satisfy, shall presently vpon death go to heaven? Whether in satisfying for another, a man doth also satisfy for himself? Whether satisfaction made in mortal sin availeth? Whether stripes from GOD and Man are satisfactions? Which of the three; Prayer, alms, or Fasting, are most satisfactorious? Whether to restore things wrongfully taken away be part of satisfaction? What sin it is which is forgiven in contrition and Confession? What is taken away by Satisfaction? Whether a man may be enjoined to give alms? Ex Man. Curat. Whether a mans wife may bee enjoined to give alms? Whether the intention suffice for the work? Whether the same work may be meritorious, and satisfactorious? This is the bird-lime of our Romish avarice, with which poor souls are ensnared: The more they strive, the more they are wrapped and entangled. O blessed, Apoc. 5.5. for ever blessed be the lamb, which hath opened the Sealed book without danger and difficulty, and hath loosed the seals thereof: giuing salvation without demurrers: pardoning our offences without Sophistry or disputation. To him bee praise for ever and ever. CHAP. XXII. Of the last part of the Popes spiritual power, which doth consist in Indulgences, and granting Pardons. OF Pardons though the absolute power be in the Pope, yet from him it is derived unto all other Priests and Pardoners in the Romish church. Wherefore I will first entreat of the ordinary absolutions and remissions given by Priests: And then of the power above all power, which the Pope in his own person exerciseth touching remission of sins, in cases to him onely reserved: In his jubilees, and other Indulgences. The method in handling the Pardons and absolutions of every Priest and Confessor shall be; first to set down the true doctrine of the gospel of Iesus Christ touching forgiveness of sin: And then I will show, what the Popish Tenet is concerning their absolutions, with the answer to their arguments: Lastly, I will make known, how injurious to our great King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the Romanists are in the false affectation of the sovereign power of the glorious lion of the Tribe of Iuda. But because it is the Nugatorious guise of the Romish church, to enforce many things beside the question, and to bring the cause of religion into hatred by scandalous imputations which the reformed church is no way justly to be charged with; certain rules therefore and Canons, in this question of Indulgences, seem necessary to be premitted, that wee may thereby take away matter of cavil and unjust taxation. First, it is plain, if after baptism wee commit offences against our conscience, against Gods Law, and the Apostolical doctrine, we therein fall from faith: we quench in ourselves the spirit of Christ: wee make shipwreck of our justification and salvation, as much as in us is, so far as concerneth our own works, and ourselves. And this is proved out of that of Saint John; 1 joh. 3.8 he that committeth sin, is of the divell: And Paul saith; Gal. 5.21 They that commit such things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Repentance is not to bee denied, nor yet absolution, to sinners that are contrite and heavy loaden: which hate their sin earnestly, and earnestly turn to God with tears and sorrow. We utterly therefore condemn the unnatural and stoical rigidity of the Nouatians. For the Lord himself doth witness; Ezec. 18.23 Haue I any desire that the wicked should die, or shall he not live, if he return from his ways? No man can bee reconciled unto God, and obtain forgiveness of sin, except he repent of his sins. For Rom. 2.5 a heart which is hard, and cannot repent, heapeth unto itself wrath against the day of wrath: and our saviour saith; Luke 13 3 Except ye amend your lives, ye shall all likewise perish. No man must frame unto himself a peculiar plot form of repentance according to his own fancy, thinking with his will-worship to reconcile himself to God, or to satisfy for his sin. jer. 2.13 My people( saith jeremy) haue committed two evils; they haue forsaken me the fountain of living waters, to dig themselves pits, even broken pits, that can hold no water: and in another place; jer. 10.23 The way of man is not in himself, neither is it in man to walk and direct his steps. God hath ordained certain means and ways, by which after repentance sinners receive pardon. Most damnable are those Epicures and Enthusiasts, which do imagine, that God giveth remission of sins without use of his word: or his Ministers, without repentance, without faith. Wee say, the lawe must bee laid before sinners, to teach them rightly to weigh their offences: and then the promises out of the gospel must bee applied to such as truly repent. To Hist. Tripart. l. 1 c. 13. Acesius rejecting the Ministry of the gospel, as of no use in remission of sins, Constantine well said; Make then a ladder Acesius, and climb up thyself to heaven. All Satisfaction for sin is made unto God by the merits of Iesus Christ in his own person; which being by him performed, he hath obtained full pardon from God both of fault and punishment. And of this pardon the Word and Sacraments are outward seals: and the spirit of God is the inward seal of assurance; who like the Gen. 8. dove bringeth the olive branch of peace in his mouth, unto the ark, the Church of God, and all that are therein. For proof hereof we haue the testimony of the Baptist; jo. 1.29 Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world: And John saith; 1 jo. 1.7. The blood of Iesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all sin. Neither let any man say, Christ took away onely the guilt: for he bare the punishment also of our sin, and took it away; as the Prophet Esay plainly witnesseth; Esay 53.5 He was wounded for our transgressions, he was broken for our iniquities. The Scripture every where witnesseth, Luke 24.26.46 that Christ suffered for vs. To suffer for us, is to endure our pains, and our stripes, as Paul witnesseth, Rom. 10.4. Christ is the end of the law. The power of remitting sins is not so in the Ministers of the gospel, or Priests, as though GOD had wholly renounced to haue to do therewith, or that he now meddled not therein, but did altogether leave and permit it to his Ministers: The efficacy and power of forgiveness is in God alone, the Ministry is in men: we must seek for it altogether from God by the merits of Christ: men testify and witness the same unto us out of the word and promises of God. This is easily proved out of Scripture; 1 Cor. 3.5.7. Who is Paul? who is Apollos, but the Ministers by whom ye believed? neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. Wherefore in the second to the Corinthians he saith; 2 Cor. 5.18 God hath reconciled us unto himself by Iesus Christ: Ibid. 20 as for men, they are but ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech through them: They pray in Christs stead, that ye be reconciled unto God. Aug. Austen well distinguished betwixt the power, and the ministry of baptism; whosoever is the instrument, the power is in CHRIST: and so may wee say of the forgiveness of sin. We must not onely historically repeat or hear the word and promises of God, when wee handle the business of Absolution: but the word must bee delivered and received in faith, and applied to the conscience: Luke 10.34. The wine and oil must be poured into our wounds: his word must bee hide within our hearts, and of his promises we must lay up a spiritual treasure to ourselves. Bodily chastising, and afflicting of ourselves, may help forward to repentance: but it availeth not to satisfaction for sin; job. 9 3. for who can answer one of a thousand? These things being thus before understood, let us come unto the authority which Christ gave unto all his Apostles and their successors, to forgive sins. Such is our corruption and infirmity, and wee are so constrained by Rom. 7. the law of sin which dwelleth in us, that Pro. 24 the just man falleth seven times. In this our horrible depravation, man that is ouer-loaden with fear and sorrow, cannot but fall down under the burden of his sins, and be swallowed up of despair, except our merciful GOD had provided a remedy, a precious balm, against these wounds of conscience. We see the tender love of God toward mankind at the fall of Adam; where the promise of recovery, namely, Gen. 3.15. The seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent, is given vpon the very expostulation with Adam, even before his curse and punishment was pronounced: and this tenderness of God towards all repentant sinners wee may every where observe in the Scriptures. No sooner had david confessed his wickedness, but Nathan the Prophet answers him with comfort, 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. The like you may see in Ahab; though a most wicked abominable person, yet as soon as he rent his clothes, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, the word of the Lord came unto Elias; 1 Reg. 21.29. Seest thou how Ahab is humbled before me? because he submitteth himself before me, I will not bring evil in his daies. Wherefore this love& compassion of God towards miserable man hath caused him both in the time of the Law, and in the gospel, to give power to his Ministers to pronounce out of his word forgiveness of all sins, unto those that do repent. In the time of the law sundry testimonies we haue to this purpose. Esay saith; Esay 40.2. speak comfortably unto jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardonned. Yea, Peter witnesseth, that the end and scope of all Prophets is to give witness unto CHRIST; Act. 10.43 That through his name, all that beleeue in him, shall receive remission of sins. In the gospel our saviour Christ gave unto his Apostles and their successors the same authority; joh. 20. Whose sins ye do remit, they are remitted, and whose sins ye do retain, they are retained. And to bring the greater comfort unto the conscience loaden and terrified with the contemplation of sin, he himself remitteth sin, not in the future, but in the present tense; Mat. 9.2 Thy sins are forgiven thee: And unto his Ministers he also saith; Whose sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. Vpon which Gerson Gerson. noteth that all absolutions ought to be pronounced in the Indicatiue mood, not in the optative. This commission yet of forgiving sins, which is given to the Apostles, our saviour himself declareth how he would haue to be understood; namely, Luke 24.47. That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name. By which it is clear, that Christ gave not a judicial, but a ministerial power of forgiving sins unto his Apostles, not by giuing, but by preaching: not by despotike authority, but by dispensation of the word; jo. 20.21.22. For as my Father sent me,( saith he) so sand I you; and when he said that, he breathed on them, and said unto them; receive the holy Ghost; whosoeuers sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them, and whosoeuers sins ye retain, they are retained. Christ, as God, forgiveth sins by power: and as Man, Christ himself forgiveth by preaching. By the coniunction of natures indeed in one person, effectually, and powerfully the manhood forgiveth sins: but of his human nature, considered by itself, his own testimony beareth witness; Esay. 61.1.2 He hath sent me to preach good tidings to the poor: to bind up the broken hearted: to preach liberty to the captives: and to them that are bound, the opening of the prison: to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. As Christ in his more manhood: so all his Ministers may be content to forgive by preaching, that is, to preach forgiveness. Concerning the applying, and dispensing of the merits of Christ and of Saints, by his Apostles to the Church, the scripture speaketh not. Ministers truly are required to be good and faithful stewards, to divide the word aright, pronouncing the judgements of God to the impenitent, and the mercies to penitent sinners: but to apply these things to the conscience of man, it is the office of our faith, directed by the spirit of God. If by applying the treasure of merits in the Church, bee understood giuing of such, or such measure, or number of supererrogatory works unto this, or that man, it is so far from the truth, that there is no mention hereof in the holy word. Therefore the Tridentine council is compelled to confess, Conc. tried. de instit. sac. poen. that the sacrament of Penance was not in the old law; nay, it was not in the gospel neither, till after the resurrection; as the same council of Trent confesseth, where it saith, that it was instituted at the time, when Christ breathing vpon his Apostles, said, receive ye the holy Ghost. But howsoever; the distributing of the treasure of the Church by a Priest, is no where found in Scripture: neither can any Prelate by the word of Christ, challenge power to take from one, that which is more then enough, and give to another to satisfy withall. Peter concerning merit and satisfaction, maketh the greatest Apostles equal to the whole multitude of the Church. For he saith; Act. 15.11 We beleeue, through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ to be saved, even as they do. Mat. 25. Eph. 2. The wise virgins haue no oil to spare: the Apostles look for salvation by grace and mercy, as others do. How came the Popish Prelacy then to this power of distributing merits, which the ancient Church had not? Wherefore, let us now come to the arguments which they bring for this authoritatiue remission of sins, and for this treasure of merits, whereof they make themselves Stewards. Ob. First they object, Christ said, joh 20. Whose sins ye do remit, they are remitted, and whose sins ye do retain, they are retained. Therefore his Ministers haue power to remit sins. Sol. I haue shewed before, it is not judicial, but ministerial power, which is in these words committed to his Apostles; Namely, to declare forgiveness of sins by preaching, not to give& grant at their pleasure. Ministers grant not Indulgences, as men give other gifts: here the chiefest effect of the gift standeth rather in the receiver, then the disposer. For( as Austin said of baptism) non quia dicitur, Aug. said quia creditur: So may wee esteem of remission of sins; it is effectual, not because the Priest pronounceth, but for that the penitent believeth. In God then is the power of forgiving: in the Minister, of pronouncing: in the receiver is power by the grace of the spirit to apply it to himself through faith. Ob, The Apostle Paul saith; 2. Cor. 12.15. I will most gladly bestow, and bee bestowed for your souls; Ergo, the works of one may bee applied to another for his satisfaction. Sol. The Apostle herein setteth out only his love unto the Corinthians, and his diligence, who desired to spend himself in teaching and edifying them: His meaning is not to give of the superfluity of his merits unto them. For in the verse before going Verse 7.8.9. he findeth infirmity and want of righteousness in himself, and is agonized, as it were, therefore: And in this conflict, his only comfort and hope is the grace of Christ. Ob. The Apostle again saith; Col. 1.14. I fulfil the afflictions( or that which wanteth) of Christ in my flesh, for his bodies sake, which is the Church; Ergo, the works of Saints may be applied to the whole Church for their salvation. Sol. I answer; The Romanists most maliciously pervert the true meaning of this place. The Apostle intendeth not, that there was any want or defect in the afflictions of Christ as concerning redemption. For he testified before, that Col. 1.14. wee haue redemption through his blood, that is, the remission of sins. The meaning of the Apostle is, that he supplied in his flesh, that which wanted of the afflictions of Christ. For Christ suffereth also in his members. And as the natural body of Christ suffered for the expiation of sin: So the spiritual body, which is the Church, suffereth for sundry causes: to glorify God, to witness his truth, to animate and encourage the weak, to win the Aduersaries. For the blood of the Martyrs is the seed of the Church: and all these afflictions of his members Christ accounteth his own afflictions. Now where Paul saith, that He doth this for the Church, he meaneth not to redeem, or to satisfy for the Church: but to edify the Church, to give example, to confirm their faith by all the means he could; as he himself expoundeth himself in the verses following, Col. 1.28. admonishing every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that wee may present every man perfect in Christ Iesus. Paul saith; 2. Tim. 2.10. I suffer all things for the Elects sake; Ergo, Ob. the passions of holy men are suffered, to satisfy for the whole Church. answer vt prius; Sol. Paul suffered not for the Redemption of the Church, but to glorify God in the Church, and to confirm the weak brethren by his example. unto 2 Cor. 2.10. whom you forgive any thing( saith the Apostle) I forgive also. Ob. Therefore the Minister hath power to forgive by application of the treasure of the Church. It is the ordinance of Christ, Sol. that public heinous sinners be excommunicate, and cast out of the Church, till they repent them of their sins; and then he will haue the church, and the Ministers thereof, to receive such again into the society of the whole body, after they haue given public testimony of their contrition and sorrow. This when the incestuous Corinthian had performed, the Apostle beseecheth the Corinthians every man to forgive and receive him, as much as was in them. For as God remitteth the sin and the punishment: So there is a certain interest, which every member of the Church hath, that is scandalised by an open stubborn offender. And this in brotherly charity the Apostle himself is ready, and persuadeth the Corinthians also to forgive, and receive the penitent offender into the church again. This is nothing to the forgiveness of punishment in foro Dei, in Gods tribunal: It is nothing also to the relaxation out of Purgatory, or such like pain. Ob. Our saviour saith, Luke 10.7. The workman is worthy of his reward; Ergo, wee may claim the kingdom of God by our satisfactory works. Sol. A most vain collection. Our saviour speaketh of the reward, which out of their temporal possessions men ought to give, unto those which sow spiritual things unto them: He speaketh not of any merit, by which we deserve reward from God, much less eternal life. Ob. There 2. Tim. 4.8. is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day; not to me onely, but to them also that haue loved his appearing; Ergo, our works merit forgiveness at the hands of God. Sol. This place proveth not the merit of our works. For God layeth up the crown of righteousness, not to works, but to faith; whose property it is to aclowledge, that we are saved freely, by the grace and goodness of God through Christ. The Apostle doth not say, that God oweth him a crown of righteousness: but that God shall give him a crown of righteousness. Gift is of free grace, debt is of desert. The greek word is, 〈◇〉, Retribuet, shall give or assign. Ob. every man 1. Cor. 3.8. shall receive his wages according to his labour; Ergo, our works merit at Gods hands. Sol. The Apostle Paul in the fourth to the romans teacheth, that To him that worketh, Rom. 4.4. the wages is not counted by favour, but by debt: But to him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Behold here is Scripture against Scripture. Is Paul contrary to himself? God forbid. Wherefore you must understand, as the words meriting and deserving the reward at Gods hand, are no where found in Scripture: So the word wages or reward hath relation to Gods promise, not to the worthiness of the work. The reward is due to our works, not in respect of any worthiness in them, but in respect of Gods own free and vndeserued promise. The word, 〈◇〉, signifieth a reward of more grace; as well as hire, of wages; For so the Apostle Paul useth the same word; In him that worketh, the wages is not counted by favour, but by debt. There is then Reward and Wages of love and favour, as well as of desert; and so it is always to understood, when the joys of heaven are called a reward. As for the slavish name of merit, it is not any where so termed. Herein the legal covenant differeth from the gospel; In the Law, life is promised to works: In the gospel, the reward is not to the work, but to the worker; not in respect of his own personal merit or worthiness, but for the person and merits of Christ. having answered the principal Arguments of the Romish church for their treasure of Saints merits, the satisfaction of their works; leaving thee, dear Christian, to seek the answer to their other objections in the works of these excellent learned men, joh. Caluin, Peter Martyr, Bullinger, Musculus, Lambert Danaeus, Fulke, Perkins, Willet, and such other, I will now set before thine eyes, First, the beginning of Popish Indulgences, and then, how blasphemous and derogatory they bee to the supreme dominion of Christ. CHAP. XXIII. The beginning and increase of Popish Indulgences. TOuching the original and increase of Indulgences in the Church, by the ancient ecclesiastical Histories it is manifest, that at the first, Indulgences were onely relaxations of those Mulcts and punishments, which by the penitential Canons were inflicted vpon public offenders. And yet in the ancient writers the word Indulgence is but very rare, and hardly found, though Moderation, Relaxation, Mitigation, and Remission of the asperity of penitential Canons, be often used. The eleventh Canon of Nicē. con. Can 11. the Nicene council saith, that they which without cause denied the faith, were accounted worthy of no mercy: yet the council showing humanity and compassion towards them, enjoineth ten yeares of penance. The Ancyran council, Can. 21. de Aucyr●. dealing more mercifully with women, who murdered their children, and were by the order of former times to do penance during their lives, was contented, that the penance of ten yeares should suffice them. To them Can. 22. ibid. that killed a man unwillingly, the former rule appointed seven yeares of penance: But the Ancyran council more mildly censuring, saith five yeares shall suffice. Them Conc. Agathen. Can. 37. et sic col. à Barth Caranz. that from the true faith fell into heresy, the ancient time hardly received again into the Church: But we( saith the Agathens council) abbreuiating the number of yeares, impose onely two yeares of penance. After the inflicting then of the penitential Satisfactions of the Church, yet many times, either by the intercession of godly persons, or of the people, such penance was Vid Euseb. l. 6. cap. 42. Vid. etiam. Cyp. l. 3. Ep. 15.16.18. sometime mitigated, and sometimes wholly forgiven: yea, the Bishops themselves often seeing signs of true and unfeigned repentance, did either moderate, or remit the Penance. And this authority both the fift Canon of the Nicen council, and the first Canon of the Ancyran giveth unto Bishops and Priests. Tract of time corrupted at last this godly order of the ancient Church, and inclined by little and little to superstition. For after the false opinion, that Penance did satisfy Gods iustice, began to spring up in the church, the burdens of satisfactions grew to be heavy and intolerable. Whereupon Redemptions and Commutations of those satisfactory punishments began to be in use. Burchardus out of the Roman penitential rehearseth many things touching the redemption of Satisfactions; as, for one day fasting with bread and water, to say fifty psalms kneeling, or seventy psalms standing, and to relieve one poor man. A rich man that cannot say psalms, Ex Chemnic. may redeem his Penance with three pence given in alms. The poor with a penny, or the feeding of three poor people. A weekes Penance is redeemed with three hundred psalms: one month, with a thousand& two hundred; and diuers such other in Burchardus you may see. Out of these Commutations grew sundry evils, but this especially: men being persuaded, that through them God was satisfied as concerning sin, they began to despise earnest repentance; yea, and to sin of purpose, that they might obtain remission. Burchardus reciteth a Canon of the Cabilonen council against them that sinned wilfully, for that by their alms deeds they promised themselves impunity: And of Priests( he saith) that they were negligent in good works, for that they took themselves to bee purged from sin, if they traveled to Rome, or Turon, or such like places. To all such jerome jerom. well saith; Not to haue seen jerusalem, but to haue lived godly at jerusalem, is praise-worthy. Another inclination and decay of penitential discipline ensued also. For, whereas at the first all penance was not commuted, but only part, it came to pass, that a man for money might redeem the whole penitential Satisfaction: And of the solemn public repentance the Romish church now hath scarce the shadow left; for it is all turned into plays and toys. In the beginning of Lent they sprinkle as well one as other with ashes: Some are hired to whip themselves. In Halberstat at the beginning of Lent, they hire one that must be cast out of the Church: and being clad in beggarly garments, shall walk about the town, and lie in the streets all night, being fed at mens doors as long as Lent endured; and this man they call Adam: he must wait daily before the doors of the Church, until the day of the Lords supper come; when the Archdeacon craving absolution for him of the Bishop, bringeth him into the church; where Indulgengence is granted to him. Thus the ancient discipline of the church is turned into masks and interludes. At last came up Pardons for sin, by authority of the Pope, about the yeeare 1100. And of the scholastical writers some feigned, that by them, and the satisfactions enjoined, the pain due unto sin was taken away: Other said, they took away both fault and punishment, Ru●rd. Tap. art. 6. Lon iu. è The. in 4. dist. 15. q. 1. Art. 1. et sic testatur Bell. l. 4. de poenit. cap. 1. verb. docet quidem. temporal and eternal; of Purgatory and of Hell. Antoninus taught, that the fault of sin was taken away by contrition and confession, and the punishment by Pardons. Some taught, that by them the eternal pain after due contrition was turned into temporal pain, and that the temporal pain also was in part by absolution remitted; and for that which remained, Satisfactions must be enjoined, and these Satisfactions by Indulgences remitted. To make the better Mart of their Pardons, they feigned, that the Satisfactions enjoined by a Priest, were not sufficient to take away the punishment of sin, without Purgatory. Wherefore Scotus saith, After the Priests absolution a man must fly either to purgatory, or to Pardons: and these Pardons( they say) do remit all Satisfactions enjoined as punishments for sin, or which might haue been enjoined, either by the Priest, or by the penitential Canons, or by the iustice of God: yet so, as the iustice of God must haue an equivalent satisfaction out of the treasure of the Church, which the Pope may dispose. johannes Angelus. Then began some to teach, That the souls in Purgatory were of the Popes jurisdiction, and that he might empty purgatory at once, if he pleased: That the souls to whom Indulgences were granted, went presently to heaven: That the Pope had power to command the Angels of God to receive them. Bull. Clem. 6. Finding the sweetness of gain, and as their wealth increased, their covetousness increasing, they invented jubilees also. Boniface ordained, that in every hundreth year the jubilee should be celebrated at Rome, and Pardons granted to all that repaired thither. Clement the sixth ordained, that because the time of mans life is short, therfore the jubilee should be kept every fiftieth year. Gregory the eleventh brought it to the thirtieth year. At last, Paul the second, with Sixtus the fourth, appointed the jubilee on every five and twentieth year. Because many impotent persons could nor travail to Rome( yet they which were weak in body, had perhaps strength in purse) of later yeares the Romish Prelates haue sent their legates through sundry provinces, with power to grant as plenary Indulgences, as if they had repaired themselves to Rome; yea, unto diuers Monasteries, convents, colleges, Chapters, Hospitals, with certain Limitations the like power hath been granted; for, dulcis odour lucri. Dulcis odour lucri. Many times Indulgences granted by preceding Popes, were revoked by their successors, that they might be brought anew, and with great sums obtained; yea, and the Monasteries, or Prelates, to whom power is granted of conferring Indulgences, are suspended often from this their power, either during the jubilee, or during the Popes pleasure, that the Monopoly of Rome may the better prosper. Confessionaries were also ordained, that if a man should hereafter commit any sin, he might haue power to choose his Confessor; who by the Bull had authority to absolve him once, or twice, or oftener in a year; yea, how oft soever, from his sin. The most cunning cosonage, and artificial trick is, in granting Indulgences to men in their death beds. For, if a man in his life time bought many Pardons, yet if he died not presently( they say) by new offences new guilt is contracted. Wherefore, that men might bee free from Purgatory, it was devised, that Pardons should bee granted on the death-bed; and these were so much the dearer, because they gave a ready& speedy passage into heaven. Of this kind Eugenius the fourth granted many about the year 1440; as Antony doth witness: and Gerson also before this time speaketh of the like: And because a Priest could not bee always had vpon the sudden, power was given vpon necessity that a lay-man might pronounce the absolution. Let me not overpass the Pardons in the Stations of the Churches in Rome. Stations were at the first the solemn festival daies of every Church; in which the people assembled to hear the word preached, and to communicate of the holy Eucharist; And of such Stations Gregory speaketh in his Homilies. But afterward it was turned into the visitation of certain Churches in Rome, which whoso did perform, of many pardons was partaker. Boniface the eighth gave this privilege to the Church of Saint Peter and Paul onely. Clement thereto added the Lateran Church. Sixtus the fourth the great Church of Saint Mary. But in tract of time the merchandise prospered so well, that the rest of the Churches of the city of Rome obtained this honour and privilege also. In the Lateran church is every day Indulgence for forty eight yeares, and so many Lents: and remission of the third part of a mans sins. Pope sylvester and Gregory, who consecrated it, gave so many Indulgences to it, as no man can reckon but God only. And Boniface saith; If any come to our seat of Lateran for devotion and prayers sake, he shall be absolved from all his sins. In the chapel which is called Sanctum Sanctorum, into which no woman may come, there are the stairs which stood before Pilats door in jerusalem, which consist of eight and and twenty steps. whosoever vpon devotion goeth up these steps, hath nine yeares of Pardon for every step, with so many Lents, and remission of the third part of his sins: And he that kneeling goeth up the said steps, delivereth a soul out of Purgatory, for which he prayeth. And in the day of the dedication of this Church, there is full remission of all sins, both from fault, and punishment; at the first granting of which Indulgence, the Angels in the presence of all the people said, Amen. When Gregory did dedicate this Church, he gave as many daies of pardon, as there be drops of rain, when it raineth three daies and nights together: And when Gregory himself feared, lest he had been too prodigal of grace, and had exhausted the treasure of the Church too much, Christ appearing to him gave him leave to grant more Pardons yet, for the people had need of them. I will not trouble thee, Christian reader, with the daies and yeares of Pardon, by hundreds and thousands granted to them that repair to the other churches in Rome. The unsatiable avarice of the Romish strumpet no pen can sufficiently set out, no tongue express; to whose greediness the world sufficeth not. CHAP. XXIIII. The wrong done to the kingdom of CHRIST by Popish Pardons. LEt us now at last consider, how this Mart of Indulgences is injurious to the kingdom of Iesus Christ, and what wrong their simoniacal merchandise of grace offereth to his regal power. First, it is horrible treason against the majesty of Christ, that they teach, Priests to be endued with power to enjoin works of Penance, which may take away sin. For it giveth such authority unto his Ministers, as Christ never gave them. certain it is, to enjoin Fastings, Pilgrimage, alms, for satisfaction, Christ never commanded. alms is to be done cheerfully, and in obedience to God; 2. Cor. 9.7. not coactedly, not as by compulsion, and by way of punishment. Secondly, it is a wicked derogation from the fullness of the satisfaction made by Christ, that the Priest should dispose the superfluity of the merits of Saints, to bee our Satisfaction; As though the temporal chastisement, which Christs merits could not satisfy for, the merits of Saints could take away: As though, what all the power and merits of Christ could not do, the very superfluity of Saints merits could do. Thirdly, they most shamefully pervert and misconstrue the institution of our saviour IESVS CHRIST; Whosoeuers sins you remit, they are remitted. For herein( they say) Ministers haue power onely to take away the punishment, but not the fault. But the words of Christ are general; Whose sins soever, not whose punishment soever. As in Excommunication, sin is retained both as concerning the fault, and the punishment: So in Absolution, the fault and punishment is forgiven, that is, by the warrant of the word the forgiveness is pronounced. Fourthly, if this authority of remitting the punishment of sin in Priests, be from God and by his law, Most impious are the Popes which abridge the same; as Innocentius the third, who in the Lateran council limited and restrained other Bishops, that they should not grant Indulgences but for one year. But if these Indulgences be not from Christ, they are false traitors that usurp the Regal power of Christ in pardoning sin, having thereto no Commission, but what they haue from the Man of Rome, to whom Christ no where giveth Commission from himself to poure authority into others of forgiving sins. Fiftly, this doctrine is a most dangerous doctrine, and breedeth despair. For, jo de Comb. Conp. l. 6. c. 29 they teach, that Satisfaction in punishment must be agreeable to the fault, in weight, in number, in measure. And Bellarmine saith, Bell. de indulge. l. 1. c. 12. It is the Position of all their divines, that an Indulgence is not firm and certain for the taking away of punishment, either in this world, or the world to come before God, except it bee given vpon a just cause. Now can any man tell, what is the due weight, number, and measure of sin, but he onely, job 28.25. ( who weigheth the wind, and measureth the waters? Or can any man declare, what cause God approveth as just and sufficient? themselves do not agree, what is a just cause of Indulgence, For Tho. Aquinas, Durandus, Paludanus, Antoninus, johannis de Turre Gremata, Glossis in extran. Bonifac●. 8. Antiquorum. Sylvester in Summa, verbo Indulgentia, johannes Tabiensis, Gregorius de Valentia, are of opinion, that proportion of Satisfaction is not required to make the cause of the Indulgence good: Others say, Ex Bell. ibid. that, to make the cause of the Indulgence sufficient, is required, not onely to enjoin a good and a wholesome work of Penance, but a work proportionable to the Pardon; so that a great and ample Pardon for a small cause is nothing worth. Of this mind are, bonaventure, Richardus, Augustinus de Anconae, Gerson, Gabriel. Pope Hadrian, cardinal Caietan, johannes Maior, Martinus Ledismius, Dominicus à Soto, Petrus à Soto, navarrus, and diuers others, the best and most famous schoolmen. Bellarmine saith, Ibid. verb. ●rim● ad causam justam. To make the cause of an Indulgence just is required, that the end thereof bee such as is more pleasing to God, then the penal Satisfaction is: secondly, that such the cause or the work be, for which the Indulgence is granted, as may attain unto the end that pleaseth God. Wherefore, to grant an Indulgence for the giuing of one penny towards the recovery of jerusalem: or for the saying of one Pater-noster for the conversion of all the heretics, are not( saith he) sufficient causes for the granting of a great Pardon; for that by one short prayer it is not likely all heretics can bee converted: nor by one small penny jerusalem recovered. O wretched and miserable Pardons, which give not rest, nor peace unto the soul, nor assurance to the poor conscience affrighted with sin, and labouring under the bondage thereof! sixthly, they say, Vid Guil. Torn. ser. de sac. poenit. Indulgences deliver not but from the pain due unto sin, not from the guilt; yet an Indulgence is by their own confession of larger ambit, then an absolution. Vid. Bell. lib. de indulge c. 5 verbo. prima propositio. For an Indulgence is a judiciary absolution, together with a solution of the debt, out of the treasure of the Church: now Dimissa culpa per cō●ritionē et absolutio●ē. de sa●is. in ipso principio. a simplo absolution taketh away the guilt of sin: for so Eckius confesseth in his tract of satisfaction, and the form of absolution sheweth the same. Wherefore they confounded& contradict themselves in their own imaginations& assertions. The schoolman saith, that Confessio ex vi absolutionis coniunct●e remittit cul●. ●̄. suppl. 3. par. q. 10. a●t. 1. confession by the power of absolution adjoined, forgives the fault. eleventhly, to say, Vid. Manip. Curat. qui sic collegit. c. 10. de potestate clauium. that God forgiveth not the punishment, when he forgiveth the fault, is an absurd and blind proposition, which striveth with itself; for the punishment is due unto the fault. But CHRIST hath taken away the fault; what is there then remaining to be punished? the fault being cleansed, it is not any more: if the fault be not, for what do they satisfy? Eighthly, they enjoin not for penance and satisfactions, any work required by God in his holy word, but such wil-worships as themselves devise; as, numbering of prayers, Pilgrimage, laws of fasting, Haire-clothes, and such like. Ninthly, if Indulgence bee granted vpon condition to satisfy, it is no longer Indulgence, but Commutation, and Grace is no more grace. Rom. 11.6 But the truth is, their Indulgences are very merchandise, buying and selling the sins of the people for money and rewards, given for the most part to their idle Abbeies, and wanton Nunneries. Herein they haue such confidence, that some haue not spared to say; No sooner doth the money jingle in the chest, but presently the soul flieth out of Purgatory to heaven. The tenth dishonour unto Christ is, that, whereas Christ to all his Ministers, without mention of Dioces or jurisdiction, hath given authority to absolve from sin, yet they so dispose the business, that con. tried. Can. 7. de casuum reseruatione. a Minister, or a Bishop must not absolve a poor penitent soul groaning under the burden of sin, except he be of his own Dioces, over whom he hath judiciary power derived from the Pope: all other remission is of no value. So that the saying of CHRIST, Whosoeuers sins ye remit, is to bee understood, Whosoeuers sins of your own diocese you remit, they are remited. The truth is, their lordliness turneth the ministerial work by Christ instituted, into a consistorial and judicial power: It is not by warrant of preaching the word, but of their Character, they forgive sins. Wherefore nothing can be more odious unto them, then when the Minister forgiveth sins by way of prayer; Vid Tho. Aq. part. 3. q. 84. art. ●. as, The Lord absolve thee: or, The Lord forgive thee. These words are not glorious enough, except they say, I forgive thee: nay, it is left to the pleasure of the Priest, whether he will say, By the passion of Christ, and in the name of the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost: or, Ibid. ad. 5. by the authority from God I forgive thy sins: but it is sufficient to say; I forgive thee. Lastly, multitudes of intricate questions arise also from this judiciary power of the Priest, to forgive sins. What penance is remitted by Indulgences? Whether any Priest may grant Indulgences besides Bishops? Whether a pardon be beneficial to himself that granteth it? For what time a Bishop may grant a pardon? Whether a pardon bee good after the death of the granter? Whether a Bishop being in deadly sin may grant a pardon? Whether they may grant pardons to them that are not of their diocese? These, and an hundred such like snares from hence are framed, to hold poor souls in suspense, and to darken the benefit of the passion of Iesus Christ, and the glory of his victory. O blessed saviour, deliver thy Church from these Marchants of grace, Caupones of mercy; who buy and sell to thirsty souls the Esay 55.1 wine and the milk, which thou hast ordained to be given freely without silver, and without money: the oil, which thou hast poured out plentifully in the gospel, into their own hands they engross, and having engrossed, their Monopoly is sold without shane and measure. CHAP. XXV. Of the jubilees and Indulgences granted from the Pope himself. AS the Sea, though it communicate of his flowings to the lesser riuers, yet hath the kingdom of waters still in itself: or, as the fullness of light is in the sun, although into the lesser stars it also poureth the same: so, though he give of his abundance a limited and determined faculty unto Bishops and legates, Vid. author. suppl. ●. 13. Th. Aq. yet in the Pope himself they fain there is all unmeasurable, transcending, and infinite power of pardoning. In the beginning, Indulgences were nothing else but the relaxation of penitential Canons, or the remitting of public penance: but of later yeares papal Indulgences haue gotten such power, and are esteemed of such force, As if a man( I tremble to report it) had deflowered the Mother of God her self, Fri●r Tesell apud Sl●d. l. 13. by these yet he might be set free. They haue taught, that the Ita Bell. in lib. de Indul l. 9 verbo, D●ni ●ue Indulgentia Indulgences papal are the plenary remission of all the pains due to sins; full, fuller, and most full. The full pardon taketh away the enjoined penance: the fuller takes away all penance, which might by the Canons be inflicted: and the most full delivereth from all that punishment, which GOD in his own iudgement can exact. For God hath( say they) subdued all things under the feet of the Pope; Psal. 8. sheep and oxen, and all cattle of the field, the birds of the heaven, and the fish of the sea, Anton. sum. maio. 3 part. dist. 22. that is, heretics, Iewes, Pagans, Christians, Princes, Prelates, and all others: the Angels and Powers of heaven, the souls in Purgatory; from whence all souls he may set free at once by his absolute jurisdiction, Aug. de Ancho. except onely infants vnbaptised, and men that haue onely the baptism of the spirit, and such as haue no friends to do for them, that wherefore Pardons be given. Yea, so lordly are their Indulgences, and so imperial, Bulla Clementis. that they command the Angels to convey presently the souls to heaven, to whom these Indulgences are granted. The angelical sum saith, Sum. Angel. in Tit. indulge. The soul which hath obtained such pardon, and doth die immediately without committing any more sin, fleeth presently into glory. And that he may show himself to haue not onely all the power of the gospel, but of the Law also, he grants yeares of jubilee, in which, Pardons flee our so liberally, and so full, Bell. de indulge. l. 1. c. 10. verbo. prima, fiquis tempore. that if a man do not perform the things which are requisite to the obtaining of Pardon, yet the Indulgence is good; for it hangeth not on any future condition: Bellar. ibid. verbo altera dubitatis.& Nauarius tract. de jubilee. notab. 34. num 4& 6. Cor. dubensis. q. 37. de indulge. yea, and if any man hoping or presuming on the jubilee to come, do wilfully run into any sin reserved unto the Popes dispensation, yet from the same by the Indulgence he may receive remission. Of all these Indulgences, Graces, and Pardons, the Monopoly is in the Pope: he onely hath the oil to sell: he onely granteth full, fuller, and most full Pardons: he onely proclaimeth the acceptable year of jubilee. Bel. lib. 1. indul. cap. 11. verbo primum igitur de concilio. Insomuch that the whole council, though it bee the representative body of Christ, cannot grant pardons unto any. This power the Pope hath, because he is the steward of the house of GOD, and in him it is to dispose the treasure of the Church, by applying the satisfactions of one to another: and he hath it so amply, that he can command the pains of hell not to touch them, which repair to Rome in that blessed jubilee to seek for Pardon. Clement. in Bulla Vien. inscri. priuileg. And this great authority which is in himself he can so communicate unto others, that they which take the holy cross vpon them, shall not onely deliver themselves, but 3 or 4 souls also, whensoever they will, out of Purgatory. Full pardons Summa Angel. in Tit. indulge. ( saith Summa Angelica) through the whole world the Pope onely can grant, who is assumed into the fullness of power. Thus to make good his pardons, they give unto the Pope that high and glorious attribute belonging unto CHRIST alone; Col. 1.19. that in him doth all fullness dwell. Their rule is, Indulgentia tantum dimittit quantum sonat. Aug. in Tit. Indul●. Pardons avail as they sound, and therefore every one should perform his penance, that will take benefit of Pardons; yet they haue an evasion, by which from all penance they may be discharged. For if they Cauitan. in tract. 10. de susc. Indul. q. 1. be pressed, that they are unworthy of Pardon, which observe not the condition thereof, they answer, that there is difference betwixt unworthy, and not worthy. Bellar. de indulge. lib. 1. c. 13. verbo respondemus. The Pope many times giveth Pardons to men not worthy, but never to the unworthy; And as in the common wealth, sometimes their debts vpon just cause are paid out of the common treasury that are able to pay it themselves: so in the Church, the Pope may apply the satisfaction of other mens works to him that is able to satisfy for himself. Thus they play fast and loose, juggling with their religion; so that a man is bound, and is not bound, to satisfy the condition of the Pardon. What knot will hold Proteus, or what bonds Vertumnus? The Pope Vid. Bell. l. 1 de Indul. c. 14. verb. vita igitur sententia est. ( they say) delivereth souls out of Purgatory, by offering for them unto God, out of the treasure of Satisfactions, so much as is necessary to their deliverance. But is there any Scripture that calleth the Pope to this office, to offer for one man anothers satisfactions to God? whence taketh he this authority? The Parable plainly sheweth, that Mat. 25.9. the wise virgins had not oil for themselves and their fellowes. But admit that they had; let all the Romish Court show one place out of Scripture, that the Pope hath power to take the wise virgins oil, and to offer to God for the foolish: let them show with what ceremony and solemn right he can so do. And if it were granted that the Pope may offer up other mens Satisfactions to God, doth he know how much is necessary, and what will serve for their expiation? O confused impiety, which hath neither authority nor reason, example nor rule for itself! God( they say) Vid Bell. l. 1. Indul. c. 14. in resp. ad 3. ques. verb. vita igitur sententia. accepting the satisfactions of one for another, of the living for the dead, communicated by the Pope unto the souls departed, doth deliver them from punishment. Now of this the word of God doth give no testimony: neither do wee find, that ever God was saitisfied towards sinners with any mans merits, but onely with the merits of Iesus Christ. joh. 10.9. I am the door,( saith he) by me if any man enter in, he shall be safe. Apoc. 5.3. No man in heaven nor in earth is able to open the book, neitther to look thereon, saith John in the revelation. As for the jubilees, which to the imitation of the mosaical law they haue instituted, all men know, the mosaical jubilee was a silent prophesy or figure of Christ to come. Wherefore CHRIST having already appeared in the flesh, there is no use of that Type any longer. The Popish jubilee much differeth from the mosaical. For that in the legal jubilee there was plentiful, free, easy, and open remission given: But in the Popish jubilee remission is sold, and is burdened with conditions of Penance, Satisfactions, and such like. The legal jubilee required not, lieu. 25.8. that men should travell to jerusalem, it was but once in fifty yeares, it was Gods own decree: The Romish jubilee requireth coming, sending, or contributing; it is every five and twenty year; it is not ordained by God, but a more tradition of men, full of superstition, drawing us to seek forgiveness in one place, more then in another, and to repair to the bones of dead men, for that, which in Iesus Christ onely is to be sought. Popish jubilees spring out of the unsatiable avarice of the Romish Prelates, to fill their purses by selling the treasure of the church, as they call it. Christs Pardons disburden the conscience: The Popish Pardons disburden the chest. And this filthy corruption the council of Trent itself complaineth of, and saith, Vnde plurima in Christiano populo abusuum causa fluxit. in decr. de indulge. that from hence hath sprung the cause of many great abuses to Christian people. Hereto let me add, that Popish jubilees and Pardons, when they enjoin satisfactions which may bee by money recovered, they make men sluggish towards good works, lyther in religious offices, and careless of all true and Christian service to God. They make formal instruments of Pardons in writing; sealed and confirmed with bulls in led, as though a sinner should deal with God by the Popes letters Patents. Did Peter or Paul forgive sins under seal? or is there any warrant for this in the holy Scripture. You see, 2. Sam. 16. how this Absolom of Rome is gotten into his fathers throne, into his house, into his bed; so that nothing is left to david which is not Absaloms. To speak more plainly, you see, 2. Thes. 2.4. how Antichrist lifteth up himself in the Temple& house of God: You see the Beast which speaketh Apoc. 13.11 like the Dragon, yet boasteth that his horns are the Lambs, and that to him as his successor and Vicar, the power of Christ concerning remission of sins is given; Not such poor and beggarly authority as is by the preaching of the gospel: but a supreme consistorial, praetorian, Iurisdictiarie forgiving, and disposing the treasure of the works of Christ and Saints at his pleasure. To this I will onely oppose the satisfactions of Christ, and so go to the temporal majesty of their papal jupiter. The Apostle Paul teacheth, that 1. Cor. 1. Christ onely was crucified for vs. John saith, 1. joh. 1. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. And in the seventh of the revelation; Apoc. 7.14. all the Saints wash& make white their long Robes in the blood of the lamb. Neither let Bellarmine think to elude these so plain, so evident, so perspicuous places, with an idle distinction, That Christ satisfieth only for the fault; seeing Paul unto the Hebrews witnesseth, that Heb. 10.14. Christ by one oblation hath consecrated for ever them that are sanctified: And that in such sort, As their sins and iniquities God will no more remember, that is, he will no more punish. And the whole drift of the seventh to the Hebrewes is, to show, that Heb. 7.11.18, 19.27. perfection was not by the Priesthood of the Law, but by the Priesthood of CHRIST. Now therefore, if Christs offering and suffering made us perfect, it hath delivered us as well from the punishment, as from the fault. Our saviour Christ himself doth witness, that Math. 26.28. his blood is shed for the remission of sins. And John saith; 1. joh. 2.2. He is the reconciliation for our sins; but without satisfaction there can be no reconciliation. Therefore, if Christ hath reconciled us to God, he hath also given for us satisfaction to God. And thus much of the Indulgences of the Man of Rome, who through covetousness and feigned words 2. Pet. 2. maketh merchandise of the bodies and souls of men, promising liberty unto others, and is himself the seruant of corruption. Good Lord purge thy Church from this deceitfulness of Satan, and make us know and feel, that the Key of power is in God, the Key of satisfaction is in Christ, the Key of ministration is in the Pastors of the church by true preaching of the holy word. Simile Gemma p●ed. in reparat. tract. 4. de indulge. punct. pri. ANTI-   christus. CHrist Bellar. lib. 3. de Poenit. cap. 2. verb. Propositio in libro. hath ordained the Priests iudges vpon the earth, with such power that without their sentence no man can be reconciled after baptism. 1 WIll ye hunt the souls of my people, and give life to the souls that come unto you? And will ye pollute me to my people, for handfuls of Barley, and pi●ces of bread, to kill the souls of them that die not, and promise life to them that live not? Ezek. 13.18.& 19. sins Ibid. verb. said hac obiectio. are causes which we haue with God—: they that are in the church having such causes, without the Priests iudgement cannot bee reconciled unto God. 2 I, even I am he, that comfort you. Who art thou, that thou shouldst fear a mortal man, and the son of man, which shall be made as grass? Isaiah cap. 51. verse 12. It Nicholas Papa. is well known, that the Pope of the godly Prince Constantine is called God. 3 Thou hast a proud heart, and hast said, I am a God, I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the Sea; whereas thou art but a man. Ezech. 28.2. The Cardillus pro Conc. tried. ex Iuello. Pope is an earthly God. 4 whereas thou art but a Man, and not God, in the hands of them that slay thee, die shalt thou the death of the uncircumcised. Ezek. 28.9.10. The Extrau conct. de Status Canonselinus. Pope hath Christ his Lieutenantship, not only over things in heaven, over things in earth, and over things in Hell, but also over the Angels both good and bad. 5 For so much as thou hast set thy heart as the heart of God, Behold, I will bring strangers vpon thee, even the terrible nations; they shall draw out their swords vpon the beauty of thy wisdom, and shall defile thy glory. Ezek. 28.6, 7. In Steph. Patriar. in council Later. sub lo. 10. ca jo. Iuell● the Pope is all manner of power above all power, as well of heaven, as of earth. 6 Who is like unto the Beast? who is able to war with him? there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things, and blasphemies. Apoc. 13.4.5. The Francis Z●barella ex ●od. Pope doth whatsoever he listeth, yea, although it be unlawful; and is more then God. 7 Which is an adversary, and is exalted above all that is called God, or that is worshipped. 2. Thes. 2.4. Christ Rhem. in 1. Pet. 2. Annot. 5. made one chief, placing Peter in the supremacy. 8 Ye shall not be so, but he that is greatest among you, shall be as the younger: and he that is chief, shall be as he that doth minister. Luke 22.26, 27. The Rhem. in joh. 21. in marg. Pope is Pastor over all Pastors. 9 Nothing was I inferior to the chief Apostles: when Peter came to Antioch, I withstood him to the face. 2. Cor. 12.11. Gal. 2.11. The Ab. Panorn. Extra. de transla. prelate. cap. quanto. Pope and Christ haue only one Consistory. 10 The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King, and he himself shall be our saviour. Esay 33.22. To Aloy. lip. in indice scholiar. no other Apostle was so great power given as to Peter, and in him to all his successors. 11 The gospel of uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of circumcision to Peter. Gal. 2.7. The Ille est proprius& ordinarius Minister Sacramentorum, qui habet potestatem supper corpus Christi verum. Mando. Curat. cap. 4. Priest hath power over the true body of Christ. 12 he shall speak marvelous things against the God of Gods. Dan. 11.36. The Sacerdos enim altier Regibus, felicier angels, creator sui creatoris. Discip. de Temp. in ser. 111. de Sacerdo. Priest is higher then Kings, happier then Angels, the Creator of his Creator. 13 Shall the Axe boast itself against him that heaweth therwith? or shall the saw make any bragging against him that ruleth it? Esay 10.15. CHAP. XXVI. Of the yoke of Traditions imposed by the Church of Rome, without the authority of Christ. I Haue heretofore spoken of Traditions wronging the prophetical office of Iesus Christ, whilst they are made equal to the doctrine of him our supreme Prophet. Now I must show, how they are opposite also to his sovereign Kingly dignity. For to impose taxes, and burdens, and laws, vpon the subiects of any Prince without his licence and without commission: and to require the same obedience to such usurpations, as unto the true and established laws of the kingdom, must needs be traitorous presumption. Many times the Scripture itself, and the doctrine of Sacraments therein contained, is called a Tradition. So, basil saith, Baptismus vero noster est iuxta ipsam domini traditionem. Basil. Cont. Apol. erro. l. 3. post med ū. verbo qui vero hoc. Our baptism is according to the Lords own Tradition. And Cyprian saith, that if we doubt in any thing, we must haue recourse unto the dominical and evangelical spring, and unto the apostolical Tradition; which by the words following we may perceive he understood to bee the canonical Scripture. The testimony also of the Church touching the receiving and faithful preservation of Scriptures from time to time, is a necessary Tradition. Yet thereby wee make not the Church of greater authority then the Scripture. But, although in the Scripture there is dignity and power enough to witness it to bee the word of God: Yet wee allow the testimony of the church from age to age, as a notable witness in this behalf. Traditions also may these points of doctrine bee called, which, although verbatim, and in very words, they are not found in Scriptures: yet by necessity of consequence they are undoubtedly approved; as the word trinity, when wee speak of the three persons: the baptism of Infants: the Sacraments: the apostolical Creed, and such like. These we also receive as the very Tradition of the spirit of God delivered in the Scripture. There is a fourth kind of Tradition touching the government of the church. For as ●●e Apostles delivered according to the state and occasion of every particular church a form of discipline: So afterwards other teachers that were the instruments of God for the planting of churches throughout the world, gave also several forms of discipline which seemed most convenient for the several nations converted. But in all such rules and plotformes of government it must bee diligently observed, that they be not repugnant to the gospel of IESVS CHRIST, and that they obscure not the benefits of the passion of Christ, either by their needless multitude, or blind superstition. It must also before all things be avoided, that these Traditions be not made equal to the sacred word and Scriptures of God. The fift kind of Traditions are those, which beside and against the Scriptures the Romish church doth not onely maintain, but contendeth to be apostolical, and to bee equal with the written Canon of the Sacred Scriptures. Of these Traditions wee must needs deem, that unto the glorious regality of Christ they are plainly opposite, since he himself hath so often complained of them, and reproved them in the pharisees, his professed enemies. Wherefore it is a meditation very profitable, to consider how the Popish and pharisaical Traditions agree, and proceed both out of one mint as it were. So that Hippocrates twins were never each to other more agreeable, then these among themselves. The purity of true Religion no man can deny to haue been most wickedly corrupted among the Iewes, although they had the word red and expounded every day amongst them. But the Mar. 7. Luke 11.& 18. Math. 23. cause of all corruption was, for that they magnified their own traditions, which were beside& without the word of Gnd, above all Scriptures, as in the whole course of the gospel we may see. In the first of the maccabees it appeareth manifestly, that there were three ways, by which all true religion was defaced among the Iewes. The first was the 1 Mach. 1.14 15.16. profane& heathenish learning openly taught and preferred before the word of God. The second was the contempt of the Verse 55.60. holy ceremo●●es, especially Circumcision, by which th● Iewes were discerned from other Nations. The third passage to their confusion, was, Ibid. that the Scriptutes and true religion grew odious unto them; yea, whosoever had a book of the Testament of the Lord found by him, was put to death. After the same manner under the tyrannous rule of Antichrist, first, their schoolmen joined Aristotle with scriptures, patching together a kind of theology out of the Scriptures and Philosophers, and made traditions equal to scriptures, getting them holy learning besides the word. Then they fell to hate the Scriptures; insomuch, that whosoever had but a new Testament found with him in the English tongue, he was put to death without compassion. We read, that for the defence of the doctrine, that the Scriptures and service of GOD ought to bee in a known tongue, Vid jo. Fox in hist horum Martyrum. Ardley, Simson and Hallingdale were put to death. Wherefore Fox. pag. 804. to certain Christians brought before D. Bennet chancellor to Fitziames B. of London it was objected, that vpon a night they red certain Chapters of the evangelists in English, containing in them diuers erroneous and damnable opinions and conclusions of heresy. In their Thalmud the pharisees feigned, that Moses in the Mount of Sinai received from God, not onely the things which were written, but some things by word of mouth, to be commended unto posterity, and to bee observed with the same reverence that the scriptures were observed; yea, they pretended also a glorious succession, by which these unwritten verities were continued, and delivered from hand to hand in their church. Moses( they say) gave them to Ely the Priest: Ely to Samuel the Prophet: Samuel to david: david to Ahias the Prophet: Ahias to Elias: Elias to Elizeus: and so from man to man, till the time of Esdras: and from Esdras also by just succession to Hillel, Simeon, and Gamali●l. Dost thou not now( Christian Reader) see the Romish Church in these Pharisees, as in a resplendent glass? dost thou not perceive who are the fathers of their Traditions, and from whom they borrowed their unwritten verities, left to the Church by the Apostles( as they say) and from one Pope to another, preserved still by the authority of the apostolical chair? Iewes and Papists both say, the Scripture is of itself unsufficient: both say, the unwritten verities are necessary: both say, they must be received with equal reverence as the holy Word: both pled Succession, and both authority of Elders. The Iewes were so obstinate, that whatsoever their Traditions taught, true or false, they bound themselves to the receiving thereof. Rab. Abraham rather will haue men by the rabbis opinions and Cabala to instruct themselves, then by the Scripture. Rab. Abraham Hispanus speaking of the opinions of the rabbins saith, Men ought to subscribe unto them, because they bee all the words of the Cabala. And we( saith he) like blind men grope for the wall to sustain ourselves by it. Lyra also is witness, that they received in all things the Hebrew gloss, whether it were true or false, right or wrong. The occasion of the jewish Talmud was, for that they saw many of their Nation converted unto Christ by the reading of the Scriptures, and that by the Scriptures it was evidently convinced, that Iesus was Christ; so that by the holy Word they could no longer maintain their wilful and obstinate error. Now therefore about the year of our Lord 150. they began their Talmud; that by Tradition, judaism might be maintained, which the Scriptures maintained not. In the primitive Church the Scriptures were amongst Christians, the Rule of faith, the judge of controversies, the Direction of doctrine, the Law of all mens belief. Wherefore they were public in known tongues, such as the people understood. But when Religion began to bee corrupted, and popery had turned all Religion into superstition, which out of the Word could not be proved, then they preached Traditions, detracted from the Scriptures, and denied them unto the people, Ezech. 16.45 Thou art thy Mothers own daughter, that hath cast off her husband and her children; yea, thou art the sister of thy sisters, which forsook their husbands and their children. If the pharisees with their Traditions were enemies to the kingdom of Christ, the Papists also with their burdens laid vpon the conscience of men are aduersaries. For whatsoever overthroweth or obscureth the doctrine of Redemption in the blood of Christ: onely justification by his merites: salvation by grace, are all enemies unto him: even as far forth as judaism, or Heathenish infidelity, which altogether denieth him. And this the learned man Gualt. in Matth. 16. hom. 203. Rodolpus Gualterus well observeth vpon the 16. of matthew, where Christ commandeth his Disciples to beware of the leaven of the pharisees and Sadduces; as well of Pharisees, that in their Traditions placed salvation and justification: as of the Sadduces, who altogether, by denying the Resurrection, took away Religion. Cyprian well saith, Cauenda sunt autem non solum qua sunt apart manifesta, said& astuta fraudis subtilitate fallentia. Cyp. de simple. praela●orum tract. 3. ●ere in prin. The things must be taken heed of, not onely which are openly repugnant, but these things also, which by the subtlety of cunning deceit beguile vs. Chrysostome saith, Qui autem hoc ausus est facere, se sapten● to●em putat quam Deum, Chrys. in op. impers. supper Math cap. 7. He that addeth or taketh away from the word of God, thinketh himself wiser then God. Austen saith, Sedendo enim supper Cathedram Moysis legem Dei docent, ergo per illos Deus deceti sua vero t●li si docere veliut, nolite audire, nolite facere; certe enim sales sua qu●runt, non quae I●sus Christi. Aug. 46. tract. in jo. in medio fear. If sitting vpon the chair of Moses they teach the Lawe of God, God then teacheth by them: But if they will teach their own precepts, hear them not, do not after them; surely such seek their own, not the things of Christ. And again, unto the Quamuis enim neque h●ec inveniri posunt, quomodo contra fidem sunt, ipsam tamen religionem quam paucissimis& manifestissimis celebrationum Sacramentis, misericordia Des esse liberam volvit. lib. 2. cap. 19. ad inquis. Ian. Inquisitions of januarius, he wisheth the multitudes of Institutions to bee taken away, if conveniently it may be done. For if it cannot bee found, that they are against the faith; yet the mercy of God would haue Religion to be free, with the fewest and plainest Sacraments of solemnity. The Apostle Paul for these Traditions therefore blameth his Colossians; Col. 2.20.21.22. If you be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye lead with Traditions; Touch not, taste not, handle not, all which be in corruption, in abusing after the commandements and doctrines of men? In the Scripture many times, the word Tradition is taken for delivering of doctrine, and it is construed both in the good, and evil part. But wheresoever Tradition in the Scripture speaketh of human constitutions, it is taken in the worst sense. In all the whole Scripture the holy Spirit never sendeth us unto the Traditions of the Elders, which are beside the authority of the Word. There were indeed apostolical Traditions in the Church, but those were contained in the written Word. As for doctrines besides Scripture, the Apostle Paul 2 Thes. 2.2 beseecheth his Thessalonians, that they bee not moved from their mind, nor troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as it were from vs. By which we see, that under pretence of Traditions, even in the time of the Apostles, Seducers went about to poison the true doctrine of Religion with human observations. Much more then may we now justly suspect, that the Traditions, which under the Apostles name are used in the Church, are not apostolical, nor truly fathered vpon them, seeing they are so much differing from the doctrine delivered in the evangelical and apostolical writings. I haue already spoken of some of their Traditions; as worshipping of Saints, Images, Purgatory, the service of God in an unknown tongue, Confirmation, Confession, Penance, and diuers other. I will now entreat of Tyrannicall burdens, unjustly and cruelly laid vpon men without all consent of Scriptures, by the Romish usurper; namely, the vow of Chastity, and the difference of meats, with their festivals and holidays. CHAP. XXVII. Of the vows of chastity enforced vpon all ecclesiastical persons in the Romish Church, contrary to the liberty of honest matrimony, which Christ the King left free unto his whole Church; and firct of Vowes in general. chastity, shamefastness, purity of conversation, cleanness, and holinesse, no man is so forsaken of the grace of God amongst them which are called Christians, as to doubt whether they are virtues fit for the professors of the honourable name of the Lord Iesus. The Apostle Paul saith; 1 Thes. 4.3.4 This is the will of God, even your holinesse, that ye should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in holinesse and honour: And his Ephesians he doth exhort Eph. 5.3. that fornication and all uncleanness bee not once name among them, as becometh Saints: So likewise among the Hebrewes, he will haue no fornicator, or unclean person. God is an holy, pure, and innocent Spirit; wherefore his seruants must be holy, pure, and innocent. The very Heathens consented hereunto; amongst whose laws Tully witnesseth, this was placed as the chief; Ad divos ad●unt● castè, pretatem adhibento. Cic. de leg. l. 2 that men should go chastely unto God, and add piety to their devotion. Plato saith, that a good man will not receive a gift from him that is evil, much less God from the polluted. And to this Pliny pointeth, where he saith; Manibus bonestis omnia laetius proueniunt. Plin. l. 18. c. 3 To honest Ghosts all things succeed happily. above all things then it is a necessary disquisition, to search out what be the things which corrupt our purity, and clean chastity, wherein we ought to appear before God in our service, and invocation of his Name. Which while some haue rashly inquired after, not giuing heed to the unfallible cynosure of Gods holy word, they haue contradiuided or opposed the conjugal custom, made lawful by the Lords own institution, against cleanness, and against chastity, notwithstanding the proclamation of the Apostle; Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled. martion said, the very commixtion of Man and Woman in lawful matrimony is sin; and therefore he admitted none to baptism, but those which renounced Marriage. There was also one Secundus, which said, the woman was wholly the work of the divell. Some affirmed, that there was no odds betwixt the custom with a wife, and with a whore; but that the divell devised a difference, covering filthiness under a faire and honest name of matrimony. Tatianus said, that married folkes served two Masters; God, and the divell. Wherefore the strict professors of his doctrine he would haue to refrain from Marriage. Montanus said, In the weaker, marriage may be endured, though it could not be without fault: But the perfect must either not contract matrimony, or else forsake it being contracted, but second Marriage he held to be plain fornication. The Manichees, though they did not absolutely condemn marriage, yet they permitted not their elect or perfect to haue any wives. This they did out of an imitation of the old Philosophers, of whom many judged marriage unclean, and many ttoublesome. unclean they deemed it; wherefore the Cybils Priests cut off their genitals with a sharp ston. And amongst the Philosophers of Athens, it was the fashion to take certain potions for the destroying the power of generation; yea the women also laid certain herbs in their beds to restrain lust. Wherefore Demosthenes Vid. Phil. Camerar. opere succiss. cap. 1. in his oration against Timocrates saith, that he that served the Gods in their holy Mysteries, ought to be chased, not a day or two, but all his life long. Nat. Comes mythel. in Diana. It was also the manner among the Platonists, before they married to sacrifice unto Diana, for that they persuaded themselves, that the Goddesse of chastity was enemy to marriage. As of the Philosophers some took marriage to bee of itself unclean: so others deemed it to be so troublesone, that none could give himself to the care of a family, and to the study of good Arts together. From Philosophers and heretics, too too many, even of the honourable Fathers of the Church, were poisoned with this error. Bellarm. de sacr. Matrimon. cap. 1. verb. candē haeresim. Bernard writeth of diuers apostolical men, which did think that Marriage was unlawful; yea, it seemeth, that among the Corinthians there were some, In detestationem fornicationis etiam Matrimontum contemnebant. Lyra in ●. Cor. 7. vid. Haymon. in 1. Cor. 7. who did reject Marriage as infamous and unprofitable, and demanded of the Apostle, whether they might converse with their wives, and fulfil the desire of women? Tertullian thus speaketh; Ergo inquu, tam& primat, id est. vn●s Nuptias dest●uis; nec immeritò, quoniam& ips●e ex eo c●nstant, quod est stuprum:& ideo optimum est homini multerē non tangere, qu●a ●hara est stupri ad finitate. in exhor. ad castitatem edit. Andoent paris. Thou saist the first Marriage is not without cause overthrown, for it consisteth of that which is whoredom; and therefore it is best for a man not to touch a woman, because she is beloved with that which hath affinity with whoredom. jerome saith, H●ron. vt citatur a Ch●mnie. this is the difference betwixt a whore and a wife; because it is more tolerable to be unto one, then unto many. Am●rose saith; In offensum exhibendum,& immaculatum Ministerium, nec ullo coniugali co●tu violandum. You know, the ministery must be without offence, and immaculate, and with no matrimonial act defiled. By this it is evident, that he esteemed the conjugal act to bee unclean, and such as by no means could stand with the ministerial office. The Canon of the Neocaesarian council saith, Praesbyterum conuiuio secundarum nuptiarum interest non debere, maximè cum praeciptatur secundunuptijs poenitentiam tribuere: quis ergo erit praesbyter, qui propter conuinium illis consentias nuptijs? Conc. Neoces. can. 7. that a Priest may not be present at the feast of a second Marriage, because it is commanded, that penance should be enjoined vpon the second Marriage. What Priest therefore for a Banquet will consent to such a Marriage? Much doth Bellarmine wrest himself Bellar. lib. 1. de Matrim. cap. 9. de unitate coniug●j. about this authority: for he saith the Canon was made concerning those which bestowed as great cost vpon the feast of the second Marriage, as of the first. What will not a shameless friar do and say to suppress the truth? But truth he cannot suppress. For the synod blameth not the Feast, but the Marriage, saying, that the second Marriage should haue penance enjoined, and that a Priest for a dinner should not consent unto such: And the Canons of this council were approved in the sixth synod of Constantinople in Trullo. ex Barthol. Caranza. The Ex ipso Bellar li. 1. de matrim cap. 9 author of the imperfect work, called Chrysostomes vpon Matthew, affirmeth second Marriage to bee commanded by the Apostles, because of incontinency, but indeed they are very whoredom. Yea Bellarmine himself, who seems strongly to maintain that Marriage in itself is not unlawful, saith, Actus coniugalis hominem totum reddit carnalem,& ineptum ad diuina Bellar. de clericis li. 1. cap. 11. verbo probatur primo. yet the conjugal act doth make a man altogether carnal, and unfit for divine offices. Alphonsus Ex Mart. them. the Spaniard saith, that married persons may haue the purity of the soul, but not of the body and soul. Here now it is most necessary to show, that chastity is not opposite unto honest Marriage, but unto forbidden, wandring, and unlawful lusts. And this by sundry Arguments is manifest. My first Reason I take from the Institution itself, which was from God, and blessed by him, even as concerning the conjugal copulation. For he saith; Gen. 1.28. Be fruitful and multiply. This Institution our saviour himself commendeth, saying; Math. 19.3.4. he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said; for this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall bee knit to his wife, and they two shall bee one flesh. From hence I conclude, since the Institution is from God, and to the purpose of copulation, neither the institution, nor the end, can be of themselves unclean, and opposite unto chastity. For the pure, holy, immaculate Spirit of God is author thereof. My second reason I take from the dignity of the thing, whereof it is a mystery. Psal. 45. Salom. Song per totum. For matrimony is a sign, and a resemblance of the spiritual coniunction, and happy union betwixt Christ& his Church; as in sundry places of Scripture it appeareth. A clean state of life therefore it is, under which Iesus Christ would figure his sweet and unseparable Marriage unto his Church; yea, this his love unto his Church, and his unity with her, Ezech. 16.8. 1. joh. 3.9. 1. Pet. 1.3. he compareth many times to the very conjugal act itself. This then shall be our second Argument; God never likeneth his grace, nor typifieth his favour under absolute sin, which is no way clean, no way holy: but under the matrimonial contract and work, God figureth his love to the Church; therefore the matrimonial contract and work are not altogether unclean, nor simply evil. The third proof I take from the witness of the Scripture; In which Marriage is accounted a chased, clean, and pure estate of life. The Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians saith; ( x) This is the will of God, even your holinesse, 1. Thess. 4.3. that ye should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in holinesse and honour, not in the lust of concupiscence, as the Gentiles which know not God. By this it is manifest, that whosoever abstaineth from fornication, and Heathenish lusts, keepeth his vessel in honour and holinesse; wherefore in honest matrimony the vessel is holy and honourable. The Apostle again commandeth; 1. Cor. 7.3.5. Let the husband give unto the wife due benevolence: likewise also the wife unto the husband, and defraud not the one the other, except it bee with your consents for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer: But to that which is simply unclean the Apostle would never haue exhorted; therefore the conjugal state is not uncleanness. The Ibid. ver. 14. vnheleeuing husband is sanctified by the wife, and the vnbeleeuing wife is sanctified by the husband, else were your children unclean, but now are they holy. This sheweth certainly, that the Matrimony of Christians is holy and pure, and the procreation of children clean, if it be not disordered by our own fault and filthiness. The Apostle Paul commandeth Titus Tit. 2.4.& s●a reddunt Rhemistae to exhort the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to bee discreet, chased, house-keepers. Therefore in Marriage, even though they be bearers of children, there is chastity. In the 13. to the Hebrewes, Heb. 13.4. Marriage and the undefiled bed are joined together, to show, that purity and cleanness may be in lawful matrimony. These, and diuers other places, with invincible demonstration, teach us, that in holy Matrimony there is piety, chastity, and cleanness pleasing God. I must confess, that as all the other states, offices, and actions of our life are corrupted, and by the frowardness of evil desires, and our sinful will, stained( insomuch, that our very prayer, worship of God, receiving of Sacraments, and such like, haue their corruption) so the honest and pure institution of Matrimony, and procreation of children, is full of foul lusts, and abominable filthiness many times: But it is no new thing with God, to approve the use, and pardon the abuse of things. If none but the clean may minister unto God. wee may well say with the Apostle, Who is fit for these things? For man hath sundry corruptions in all the course of his life, by which he is polluted before God. And the same God, which in Iesus Christ forgiveth our other enormities, and looketh on them no more, washeth away also the nuptial faults, if we call vpon him, and offer up our repenting prayer vpon the Altar of reconciliation, his onely son. CHAP. XXVIII. Of the Popish vows of continency. out of two persuasions; First, that there is vncleanness in the matrimonial state, more then in the single life: Secondly, that the conjugal order is troubled, and drawn away from the service of GOD to worldly cares; the Romish Church hath taken occasion to prohibit wives unto all ecclesiastical persons of higher orders. We haue answered the first position touching the surmised vncleanness in wedlock: and of the second hindrance we shall hereafter entreat. But now, whereas in matter of religion the seeming show of carnal sense must not define, neither must wee bee carried away by the wisdom of flesh and blood; Rom. 8. let us see, what authority the Church of Rome can pretend for this burden imposed vpon the clergy. Clicth●. Clicthouius handling this business, and inquiring of the authority of the ordinance, is very inconstant in his opinion. For he both saith, that it is from the law of God, that Priests should not marry: and also that Syricius ordained, he should be continent, who was a Priest. Thomas Aquinas saith, Tho. Aquin. 2. secunda q. 88. art. 11 The vow of ꝯtinence was annexed unto holy orders by the onely decree of the Church; and therefore it is dispensable. Gratian is confident, that Dict. 84. cum i● praterito. in Glossa. Syricius ordained that Priests and Deacons should led a single life. Bellarmine saith, Bell. declericis lib. 1. cap. 18. It cannot bee proved out of Scripture, that Priests should not be married. For in the old Testament they had wives, and in the new testament the Lord hath spoken nothing thereof. But he saith, it is a human decree, and apostolical, and that in the whole Church it hath been long observed. If the question bee proposed unto Bellarmine, how this vowed chastity is apostolical doctrine; he cannot say, it is found in the canonical Epistles. Why then it must needs be a Tradition: and of it we may truly say with Tertullian, Scriptura negat, quod non notat. Tertul. lib. de Monogam. The Scripture denieth what it doth not confirm. The conclusion then is; if the vow of chastity bee a more Tradition, it must be examined whether it bee agreeable to the holy volume of God, or not. For it is evident, that when a Tradition is repugnant to the word, we ought rather to follow the written word, then the received custom. For the more orderly and better discussing of this point, let us speak a word or two of vows in general, and then of the particular vow of Chastity. vows in the old Testament were of two sorts; moral, and ceremonial. A moral vow was, when a man either in contemplation of Gods mercy, or punishment towards him, or otherwise moved with any zeal, did vow to walk in the statutes of the Lord, to worship and serve the Lord God of Israell: this by the law every man was bound to do. But to bind themselves with the strictest obligation, to stir up their own zeal in themselves, and to make them the more earnest and diligent in performance of that with a good will, to which they were tied of necessity, they vowed either the performance of the whole lawe generally, or of some one point especially. hereof you haue sundry examples. Such was Iacobs vow; Gen. 28.21 The Lord shall bee my God. And, I haue sworn( saith david) Psal. 119. I am steadfastly purposed to keep thy commandements. In the book of Nehemiah, Neh. 9.38. the people make a covenant to serve the Lord; and to bind themselves the more closely unto the same, they writ it, and seal it with the seals of the principal Fathers of Israell. In the last of Esdras also, Ezra 10.19 The levites which had married strange wives, gave their hands to put them away; and this was a kind of vow. Now all these moral vows were made, the better to keep the law of God; therefore in them it was principally required, that they should bee made according to the law. The second kind of vows was ceremonial; to fast, to confess, to offer sacrifice, and such like. Whereof also the Psalmist speaketh; Ps. 116.16.14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the sight of all his people, in the courts of the Lords house, even in the midst of thee, O jerusalem. The ceremonial vows were but the pedagogy and school of the Law: they were significations of CHRIST to come: Esay 1.15.16.& 66.2.3.4. they were contestations of faith: they were excitations to the performance of the moral law: without which all the ceremonial vows were of no account with God. Concerning these vows many rules there were to be observed. First, they had certain Canons in the lawe of the Lord, what they should offer, and what they should not offer. Hereof you may find an absolute discourse in Leuit. 27 per totum. Leuiticus, concerning a mans own person, his cattle, or his field. The first born of the beasts might not be vowed to the Lord, because it was his by his own ordinance: Deut. 23.18 The hire of a whore, the price of a dog, might not bee brought into the house of the Lord in any manner of vow; yea, Mal. 1.14 Cursed is he( saith Malachy) that voweth a corrupt thing unto the Lord. Ecclesiastes witnesseth, that Eccles. 5.3 in foolish vows the LORD hath no pleasure; and such were all vows against, or beside the law of God. Wee see, that 2 Sam. 7 david, though out of a good mind, and a godly zeal, he vowed to build an house to the Lord, yet he was not permitted so to do. Secondly, we may observe, that vows were not necessary enjoined, but vncoacted; at every mans choice and election. Moses saith; Deut. 23.22 If thou leave vowing, it shall bee no sin. Wherefore in Leuiticus, Leuit. 7.16 a vow is called the offering of a mans own free-will. Thirdly, the vow when it was made, must of necessity be performed one way or other. Deu. 23.21.23 Num 30.3. When thou hast vowed a vow unto the Lord, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the Lord thy God will surely require it of thee, and it shall be sin in thee: And again, That which is gone out of thy lips, thou must keep. Fourthly, if the vow were impossible, no man was bound to the performance thereof. Wherefore Abraham requiring his seruant by oath, to take a wife unto his son Isaac out of his own kindred, addeth yet, Gen. 24.8. If the woman will not follow thee, then shalt thou be clear from this my oath. Fiftly, if the vow were vnconuenient, and could not bee fitly performed, Leuit. 27.8. a man might redeem his vow, and by a just commutation or price buy out the same, according to the law: and if the man were poor that vowed, the Priest had power to dispense with him, according as he was able to get; but where the vow was lawful, honest, possible, by all means men were bound to perform the same. sixthly, no vows contrary to the law, or beside it, might be performed: what could not be done but with sin, must not be done at all. Iud. 11. Therefore as the vow of Iepthah was rash in the making: so it was wicked in the performing, and not rehearsed in the Scripture as approved. Such also was Iud. 17.3 the vow of the mother of Michah, who dedicated her silver to the Lord, with a purpose of setting up Idolatry. Lastly, all this ceremonial worshipping of God by vows ordained in the lawe, is now altogether abrogate in the time of the gospel: it is taken away by the death and passion of Iesus Christ. Come we to vows in the New Testament; and surely of them wee cannot speak much, seeing through the whole course thereof, there is neither commandement, nor promise, nor example of them: neither can there be any addition to matters of faith beside Scripture in the Church of CHRIST, except we will run wilfully into that reprehension of our saviour; Math. 15.9. Ex Esay 29. In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines precepts of men. Yet notwithstanding, moral vows in the New Testament may haue place, so they be not done in opinion of meriting, satisfaction and justification, but onely by a straight bond to tie ourselves unto the performance of any part of our Christian duty, in humble obedience to the commandement of God; Neither doth this vow require any pomp, or solemnity of ceremonies, in the professing thereof: Nor yet are wee bound to circumstance of Time, Place, Person, or quantity, but so far as we can, and to the uttermost of our power, to live vnblameable in our religion. As a moral vow in the New Testament is not commanded: So if it be by us voluntarily undertaken, above all things we must observe, that it bee not against, nor repugnant to the word of God, but agreeable and conformable thereto. return we now again to the vow of chastity, which we haue formerly proved, neither to be found in the law, nor in the gospel: And let us see, whether it ought to be professed, in the Christian Church; The contrary whereof by diuers reasons is manifest. First, it is besides the Law and the gospel, as it is said already; Therefore the vow is unlawful, neither ought such a burdensome Tradition to be laid vpon the church being a free woman, Gal. 4. as was not imposed vpon the bond woman herself, I mean the jewish Synagogue. Secondly, the vow of Chastity is not possible to every one that taketh vpon him holy orders; Therefore it ought not to be imposed. The proposition is proved, first, by the testimony of our saviour himself, who saith, Mat. 19.11. All men cannot receive this: Secondly, by the testimony of the Apostle, who in the first to Timothy 5. 1. Tim. 5.11. commandeth to refuse the younger widows, for when they haue begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will mary: Lastly, it is proved by daily experience, that Priests and monks haue not the gift of chastity; no not the Pope himself; as without extreme impudency the Romish Church cannot deny. Thirdly, the papal vow of chastity doth not observe the Law of vows set down by Moses. It is not arbitrary, and of election, but of exaction and necessity: Leuit. 27. it is not to bee bought out, or redeemed, as the vows in the jewish state were; Therefore it is unlawful, and ought not to bee enforced. Fourthly, it is a snare wherein the conscience of the votary is entangled, and they carried headlong into innumerable lusts of concupiscence, to beastly filthiness, to unnatural abominations, in which they burn and defile themselves, as every man may see. Fiftly, it is evident in the gospel, that the Apostles themselves had wives, and dwelled with them after their ministery undertaken; as Peter, and other Disciples. Wherefore the Apostle Paul saith, 1. Cor. 9.5. Haue we not power to led about a Sister a wife, as well as other Apostles, and as the brethren of our Lord, and Cephas? sixthly, the Apostle alloweth, that 1. Tim. 3.2.12 a Bishop and Deacon be the husband of one wife, such as governeth well his own house and children; yea, he delivers this doctrine in maner of a commandement; A Bishop must be blameless, the husband of one wife. For though it be indifferent to him that can contain, whether he mary or not, or if it be better not to mary at all, unto those that are eunuchs themselves by nature: yet if a Bishop or Deacon cannot contain, it is necessary that such a one mary. Therefore unto the Hebrewes he saith, Heb. 13. Marriage is honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled. Surely, if it had been dishonourable for Ministers to mary, the Apostle would not haue set forth the praise of marriage in such a categorical, or general proposition. seventhly, forbidding of marriage the Apostle sheweth, 1. Tim. 4.1, 2, 3. to be the doctrine of them which depart from the faith, and of them which give heed to the spirits of error. The doctrine, I say, of divels, of false Hypocrites, and such as haue their conscience seared with a hote iron. Neither let the Romanists say, the Apostle speaketh of the Marcionists, the Tatians, the Montanists, and the Manichees; and not of them: for the Montanists, and the Manichees did not forbid all to mary absolutely, but onely the perfect, or their chosen men; as the Papists do now their religious persons, and their Priests. The Apostle speaking indifferently saith, 1. Tim. 4. To forbid marriage is the doctrine of divels. Wherefore he as well reproveth one Sect as other, of all them who restrain Christians from lawful wedlock. Lastly, marriage.( they say▪) is a Sacrament, and doth confer grace: but no men haue more need of grace then the Ministers themselves, who are always exercised about holy things; therefore to them of all men it should seem marriage doth chiefly belong. CHAP. XXIX. answer to the Popish arguments, which are brought for vowed chastity. BEcause many faire pretences and plausible arguments are by the Romanists alleged in defence of their vowed chastity, It shall not be vnconuenient now to examine their conclusions, and to discuss the reasons, which seem to make for them in this controversy. The first argument is, that chastity may bee obtained, and is possible unto all them which will call vpon God for it; Therefore it may be vowed. Sol. I answer to this sophism; That there are in the church general gifts, which are necessary unto the whole church; as forgiveness of sin, the grace of God, Faith, Hope, charity, perseverance, and such like. Of these Christ saith; joh. 16.23. whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, hae will give it you: There are also special gifts, such as are not needful to all the members of the Church; as the gift of healing, the gift of tongues, the gift of prophesy, the gift of the interpretation of tongues, the gift also of virginity. These he hath not promised to give unto every one that asketh, but the spirit of God Rom. 12. 1. Cor. 12. distributeth them according to his own good pleasure. The gifts without which a man cannot bee saved, God giveth to every one that asketh by a lively faith through Christ Iesus: But those gifts which tend onely to the glory of God, and haue particular use in the Church, are not bestowed vpon every one that seeketh for them. The Priests in the old law might not keep company with their wives, when they ministered before the Lord; Therefore the Priests of the new covenant may not haue wives, who daily sacrifice unto God. This argument is a weak and frivolous cavillation. Sol. The Priests in the Law were bound to many Ceremonies, which pointed unto Christ; amongst which this is one; For it foreshowed the virginity of Christ in all the course of his life. But Christ being now come in the flesh, there is no use of these Ceremonies, except wee shall still retain the judaical Priesthood: Neither yet doth it appear out of 1. Chron. 24. Nor out of Luke the first. Much less out of Exodus 19. that Priests abstained from their wives in the time of their ministration, as Bellarmine enforceth. Concerning the daily offering of the Popish Priests, it is a thing no less in question then their vowed chastity. Neither let Bellarmine think to beg the question of vs. For wee deny that the Priests of the new covenant do sacrifice every day: And wee say, he offereth not at all any other oblation then every Christian doth, which is of prayer and thanksgiving. Abimelech the Priest demandeth of david, whether the young men haue kept themselves from women, that they might eat of the hallowed bread. But it is not to be thought, that Abimelech would so basely deem of david, and his followers, as that they were keepers of neighbours. Therefore even the carnal knowledge of a wife maketh unclean. I must answer as before; This argument presseth not. Sol. For we live not under the Law, Rom. 6.14. as david and his followers did, but under the gospel: again, there were many pollutions in the Law, which might make them unclean by commixture with women; as their natural issue, Flux of blood, Child-bed, and such like. Leuit. 12. These did contaminate in the mosaical law, and not the lawful conjugal use. Lastly, though david himself were an holy man, yet he had his faults; and it was no blasphemy, to doubt whether he, or his followers were not polluted with strange women. The Apostle saith, a Bishop must be irreprehensible, the husband of one wife, Iuxta translat. Rhē. Tit. 1. sober, wise, chased, &c. but the word chased signifieth unmarried; therefore a Priest must not be married. Sol. I marvell what came into Bellarmines heart to bring this place in defence of his votiue chastity, then which nothing can be more opposite to his Axiom. For the Apostle in distinct and plain words saith, a Bishop must be the husband of one wife, that is, of one wife at one time. Hence Bellarmine concludeth, he must haue no wife at all. But perhaps he standeth vpon the word chased. understand therefore, Christian Reader, that the greek word 〈◇〉, signifieth chased, or sober, or sage. Bellarmine might hence well conclude; The Apostle requireth a Bishop to bee the husband of one wife, and chased; Therefore chastity and matrimony may dwell both together in one subject. The Apostle Paul commandeth, To abstain with consent for a time; Ex Bellar. l. 1. de clear. c. 9. verb. cont. hos errores ad finem Paragr. therefore Priests ought to abstain altogether. Who would haue thought such an impudent cavil could haue proceeded from a Mitred Prelate? First, he openly belieth the Text. Sol. Paul doth not command, but rather permit; for he absolutely in the verse following saith, I speak of favour, and not of commandement. Secondly; he permitteth for a time, not for ever: Not by vow of continual single life. Therefore this is nothing to the Votaries. Thirdly, he ordaineth, that they shall come together again, lest Satan tempt them. In which words it is evident, that the Apostle understandeth wilful abstinence from Marriage, which is the lawful remedy against sin, to be a means by which the Tempter prevaileth against vs. Another objection Bellarmine hath; No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life. Bellarmine fleeth to the second argument of Philosophers, which they used against wedlock. Out of this he concludeth, that wedlock is fetters, wherein a man cannot follow Christ; wherefore it must be eschewed by them that are in holy orders. I answer; Sol. By Marriage men are not carried wholly from Religion and the service of God, although the unmarried( perhaps) hath fewer impediments, and is less troubled with worldly auocations. Abraham and Sarah, Gen. 18.19. Luke 1. Zecharie and Elizabeth, were holy persons, and served God in the married life. But be it that in single life wee may better serve God; yet wee must consider our own strength, whether wee be able to live unmarried without the burning lusts of Concupiscence, which fight against the soul. For Rom. 3.8. evil must not be done, that good may come thereby: Neither must they refuse lawful wedlock who cannot contain, vpon pretence of the serving of God. In the nineteenth of Exodus Moses commandeth; Be you prepared against the third day, Exod. 19.15. and come not near unto your wives; Therefore in the church the Priests ought not to haue wives. First, this is a legal ceremony, Sol. it bindeth not us in the gospel: diuers things did pollute in the Law, which do not pollute in the Church of Christ. Secondly, this doth not prove, that Priests should abstain, more then lay-men. For the commandement in the nineteenth of Exodus was general unto all, that they should not touch their wives. Thirdly, this commandement did not bind with a constant vow for ever, but for a time; Therefore it is nothing to the Romish vows. In the twelfth of Exodus, The Israelites are enjoined to gird up their loins, when they eat the Passeouer: Exod. 12.11. Exod. 28.42. And in the twenty eight of Exodus, Aaron and his children are commanded to enter the Sanctuary with linen coverings on their thighs; And this signifieth chastity. Therefore every Priest ought to abstain from Marriage. No man doubteth but in wedlock all persons must restrain their unorderly lusts, Sol. using Marriage soberly and temperately, as it becometh the children of grace; yet these ceremonies did not bind the jewish Priests from Marriage, but taught them to haue wives, as though they had them not, in all sobriety: Much less can they bind the Ministers of Christ, on whom those legal Constitutions haue no power at all. Thus much shall suffice to be spoken of this yoke of servitude, unjustly,& tyrannously imposed vpon the Ministers of the Gospel of Iesus Christ by the Roman Prelate, without the Commission of our great King, without his approbation; Nay, contrary to his word and will. Blessed Lord, give them eyes to see, and ears to hear, and understanding hearts, that they may bee ashamed of the errors of their own invention, and turn to thee in truth and righteousness, even for thy dear sons sake, our onely Lord and saviour Iesus Christ the righteous. Amen. CHAP. XXX. Of the set Fasts, and difference of meats imposed vpon the Church by the Romish Prelate, contrary to the liberty, which Christ the sovereign King hath left unto all believers. WE haue to deal with subtle and Sophisticating calumniators; who contend, that of good things we absolutely take away the use, when we onely reform the abuse, and seek to amend what is amiss, according to the primitive institution. Therefore it is meet that it should to all the world be published and known, that the professors of the gospel deny not godly humiliation and mortification of the flesh in fasting and abstinence; But they commend, and approve, and exhort all men with fasting to tame the body: to bridle the lusts of the flesh: to subdue the concupiscence thereof: and to humble themselves before the Lord; yet so, that they superstitiously abuse not the same, nor usurp it contrary to the rules of Scripture, or constitute any false ends thereof, by which the cross of IESVS CHRIST should be made of none effect, or the virtue of his passion obscured. Three things therefore in this ensuing Tract shall be the subject of our discourse. First, I will show the orthodox and Christian doctrine concerning fasting: Secondly, I will lay open the errors of the Romish Church touching the same: And lastly, their chiefest arguments by Gods assistance shall be duly answered. The true and sober use of fasting hath foundation in the holy Scriptures of God, and may be easily proved out of the same. But you must understand that there are sundry kinds of Fasts. 1. The natural fast, which is for health. 2. The civil fast, ordained for political considerations. 3. The fast of sobriety, familiar to all good Christians. 4. The Miraculous fast. 5. The Coacted or constrained fast. 6. The Religious fast; which is used for the humiliation of ourselves, and the taming of the lusts of the flesh. And of this last kind wee now onely entreat; the which is divided into two kindes. The first private; whereof david witnesseth, that Psal. 69.10. he wept and chastened himself with fasting: And hereof also our saviour speaketh; Math. 6.16. When ye fast, be not of an heavy countenance, as the hypocrites are. The second kind is of public Fasts; whereof one was Leuit. 23.27. commanded by God himself unto the Iewes yearly vpon the day of reconciliation, the tenth day of the seventh month: and whatsoever soul humbled not, or afflicted not himself the same day, the Lord protesteth that he should die the death. A public Fast Ioel 1.14. Ioel also counseleth the Elders of judah to proclaim: jonah. 3.7. and the King of niniveh commandeth his people to perform; crying mightily unto God, turning also from their evil ways, and the wickedness that was in their hands. Many there are, which for the superstition and abuses of fasting in the Romish church, start back, and are offended at the very name of fasting; as if you talked to them of robbery, or murder. But there is no such cause; the use is laudable, though the abuse be shameful. Iud. 20.26. We find fasting used by the Israelites, after their lamentable overthrow by the Beniamites: 1. Sam. 31.13. So likewise after the death of Saul and jonathan seven dayes they fasted. ● Chro. 20.3. And jehoshaphat proclaimed a fa●t th●oughout all judah, when he heard that the Syrians came out against him; So did ●est. 4. Mordecai and Hester. Esdras also saith; ●●d 8.21. I proclaimed a fast, that wee might humble ourselves before God, and seek of him a right way for vs. As in the Law: so in the gospel Luke 2.37. Anna served God with fastings and prayers night and day. Acts 13.3. The Church also fasted and prayed, when they laid their hands on Barnabas and Saul. The same they used also at Lystra and Iconium, about the ordering of Elders by election in every church. 2. Cor. 6.6. 1. Cor. 7.5. The Apostle Paul did not onely use fasting often himself, but doth also commend it unto others. Abenezra a learned rabbi saith; wheresoever you find the word affliction in Scripture, you must thereby understand Fasting. having shewed that fasting hath commendation both in the first, and second Testament, Let us now inquire what fasting it is, which is in the holy volume approved. Fasting is called of the Greekes, 〈◇〉, or, 〈◇〉, without food: and of the latins, inedia: but the Hebrews sometime call it, Zom, ab emulgendo, vel exugendo, of emptying, and sucking out; perhaps, because the inward parts are made voided and empty: or( as some will haue it) of thirsting and dryness. They render it also by the word, Anah, which signifieth affliction; as in Deuteronomy, Moses witnesseth; Deut. 8.3. He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger. And Esay speaketh Esay 58.7. of dealing bread unto the hungry. Our saviour saith Math. 15.32. of the people who waited vpon him in the mountain, that having nothing to eat, he would not sand them away fasting. Now this emptiness, or not having food, is in a general term called Fasting: but thereof we do not inquire. Secondly, Fasting is taken sometime for abstinence from sin and committing iniquity; as when the Prophet Esay saith; Esay 58 6, 7. Doth not this fast rather please me; that thou loose the wicked bonds: that thou take off the over heavy burdens: that thou let the oppressed go free,& break all maner of yoke? And this is worthily called the great and perfect fast. Now this is not a proper, but a figurative understanding of the word. Lastly, according to the proper signification, fasting is voluntary abstinence from meat and drink; And this is exercised two manner of ways. First, when we use our meats soberly and abstemiously, that our souls and bodies be not surcharged with drunkenness and gluttony. And this virtue is properly called sobriety, frugality, or Temperance. And surely, a good conscience will abstain from venereous meats, which provoke lust and wantonness; such as many licentious Epicures procure to be made for themselves. Secondly, we abstain for a space altogether from food. This is properly called fasting. For abstinence ought to bee continual with us: but fasting is onely Christian physic, for a time. They used not in the holy fasts mentioned in the Scripture any choice, or difference of meats. There is a law indeed that from unclean things the Iewes should always abstain. But what meats they should use in their Fasts, the divine Canon doth not determine. When in fasting they did sustain themselves with any food, it was of the coursest kind; Esay 30.10. bread of trouble, and water of adversity, as Esay speaketh: or( as david) Psal. 42.3. My tears haue been my meat day and night: And in another place; Psal. 80.5. Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them plentiousnesse of tears to drink. again he saith; Psal. 102.9. I haue eaten ashes as it were bread, and mingled my drink with weeping. Of this kind of food ahab spake, when he ordained, that 1. Reg. 22.27. Michea the Prophet should be fed with the bread of affliction, and the waters of trouble. Such a kind of fast also is described unto the Prophet Ezekiel Ezech. 4. per totum. in that his mystical vision, wherein the misery of the Israelites, and their hunger, and scarcity of course bread is described. In all these examples there is no fast from flesh, and filling of themselves with delicate and luxurious fish; such as the roman Apicij used for wantonness,& to increase lust in themselves: Neither doth this fast consist of preserves, conserves, Suckets, Marmelads, jellies, Confects, spiced and sugared Banquets; such as a sober man ought to eschew, especially when he fasteth. The Ancients then in their fasts many times ate nothing at all during the time of their fast. Such was that of Hest. 4.16. Hester; in which they abstained from all food, meat,& drink, for three daies and nights: and thereto they add an humble abstinence from all other pleasures also, either of fine raiment, or women, or music, or any thing that might breed delight. david 2 Sam. 12.16.17. when he fasted, lay all night vpon the earth, and did eat no meat. Daniel Dan. 9.3 joined sackcloth and ashes to his fasting: Dan. 10 3. and of his fast of three weekes of daies he witnesseth; I ate no pleasant bread: as for flesh and wine, there came none within my mouth; no, I did not once anoint myself, till the whole three weeks of daies were fulfilled. So the ninth of Nehemiah sheweth, Nehem. 9.1 that when the children of Israel fasted, they did wear sackcloth, and put ashes vpon them. Such was Ahabs 1 Kin. 21.27. fast; he rent his clothes, he put sackcloth about his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went barefooted. Thus( you see) the true fasting was abstinence from all pleasing meats: from all delights of the flesh: from all that was delectable to the sense. Out of this which hath been spoken, diuers Corollaries and conclusions do arise. First, that the Christian Magistrates haue power and authority to ordain and proclaim public fasts, when there is just occasion; it being always seen unto, that they be not repugnant to the word of God: and they may also ordain political laws, forbidding meats and drinks, according as the necessity of the common wealth requireth. But in taxing the difference of meats brought into the Church by heretics, we haue not any thing to do with the laws which are established by godly Kings& Princes, prohibiting their subiects from any kind of meats vpon civil respect; Rom. 13.2. which whoso disobeieth, resisteth the ordinance of God: neither is abstinence in such a case a thing indifferent, since to resist the power that is from God, and the lawful ordinance thereof, is against religion, and against the law of God. Secondly, the ends, and right use of fasting do appear to be three fold. The first use is, that it should be a sign of our humiliation in any imminent danger or calamity. The second end of fasting is, to bridle the lusts of the flesh, and to tame the concupiscence thereof. The third use or end of fasting is, to make ourselves the fitter for prayer and adoration of God. To which in the Prophet jeremy, it seemeth, fasting is an excellent preparation; jer. 36.6 for the Lord commands him to red the words of this prophesy in the Temple vpon the fasting day. The first end, namely, the sign of humiliation, hath more frequent use in public, then in private fasts: but the other two ends ought to be observed, both in private, and public abstinence. Thirdly, it appeareth, that in our fasts wee haue three circumstances to observe; the time, the quality of the meate, and the quantity. The time must bee, during such space as the actions are in hand, to which our fasting is referred; as till we haue ended our deuotions of prayer, or thanksgiving; or till we feel the flesh humbled and chastised. The quality of the fast consisteth in this; that, when in our fast the body becomes weak, and must of necessity be sustained with food, it be the bread of sorrow, not of wantonness: the coursest diet and the vilest, but without superstition. Thirdly, concerning the quantity, even with the coursest meats we must not fill ourselves unto satiety, but onely take a little to sustain nature, not to pamper it. These things being thus handled, let us consider, what are those spots in our fasts, which corrupt and leaven a matter in nature itself good and commendable; and surely, this we shall best find out, if we seek what it is, that God blameth and reproveth in the use and custom of fasting. First, the Scriptures manifestly reprove them, who in their fast put difference between meats, accounting one clean, another unclean: one holy, another unholy. Our saviour CHRIST of all kind of meats alike pronounceth; Mat. 15.11 ( f) That which goeth into the mouth, defileth not a man. This was shewed unto Peter by a vision from heaven, when of all manner of four footed beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air, the voice from heaven witnessed; Act. 10.15 What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. The Apostle Paul saith; 1. Cor. 10.25 whatsoever is sold in the Market, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: And to his Colossians; Col. 2.16. Let no man judge you in meat or in drink: unto Timothy he witnesseth; 1 Tim 4.4 every creature of God is good, and nothing to bee refused, if it bee received with thanksgiving: Ibid. ver. 1.2.3 jo Ferus postil. ser. in Dom. quadra. And he calleth it a doctrine of devils, to command to abstain from meat. Wherefore jo. Ferus maketh three kindes of wicked fasts; the ethnic or Heathenish; which abstaineth for the health, or pleasure of his body: the heretical; which abstaineth from one kind of meat as evil in nature, and not from another: the hypocritical; which fasteth for vain glory; Mat. 6.16. disfiguring their faces, that it may appear unto men, how that they fast. Secondly, they are reproved in Scripture, which make the fasts of their own constitutions works of necessity, and impose them as a law to be observed, so as without them there is no salvation. 1 Sam. 14 Much like unto the fast of Saul in the first book of Samuel. The Iewes, who demanded, whether returned from exile, they should fast as they did when they were banished, the Lord reproveth, and saith; Zech. 7.5.6.9.10. When ye fasted and mourned the fift and the seventh month, now this threescore and ten yeares, did ye fast unto me: when ye did also eat and drink, did ye not eat and drink for your own selves? And he addeth; Execute true iudgement, show mercy and loving kindness every man to his brother &c. unto the disciples of John, which inquired of CHRIST, Why do wee and the Pharisees fast oft, Mat. 9.14.15. but thy disciples fast not? our saviour answereth; Can the children of the Bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the daies will come, when the bridegroom shall bee taken from them, then shall they fast. herein our saviour plainly declareth, fasting ought not to bee imposed as a necessity, but used as a remedy, when just occasion is administered. Thirdly, all those fasts are reproved in Scripture, which are done in opinion of merit, as though we were thereby sanctified, or justified in the sight of God. The Iewes stood vpon the merit of their fast; Esay. 58.3. Wherefore fast wee, and thou seest it not? And this trust in their fasts ex opere operato the Lord reproveth by the Prophet Zech. 7. Zechary in the place formerly alleged. The same our saviour also in the Mat. 6.16. sixth of matthew reprehendeth: And the Apostle Paul warneth his Colossians of Traditions; Col. 2.20.21. Touch not, taste not, handle not; which all bee in corruption, in abusing, after the commandements and doctrines of men. Of this it is, that jeremy speaketh; jer. 14.12. Though they fast, yet I will not hear their prayers. Fourthly, hypocritical fasts are reproved in Scripture; such as was that of jesabel, 1. Reg. 21.9. proclaiming a fast to murder Naboth. Such were the fasts of Pharisees; Esay 58.4. this is the fast unto strife and contention, a fast altogether displeasing to God. Fiftly, all the fasts which are without prayer, without purpose of amendment of life, without good works, are abominable to God. The LORD therefore reproveth Israel; Esay 58.4. When you fast, your lust remaineth still, for ye do no less violence to your debtors. think Verse 5. you( saith the Lord) this fast pleaseth me, that a man should chasten himself for a day, and hang down his head like a bulrush, or to ly vpon the earth in an hairy cloth? should that be called fasting, or a day that pleaseth the Lord? Doth Verse 6. not this fast rather please me, that thou loose the wicked bonds, that thou take off the ouer-heauy burdens, that thou let the oppressed go free, and break all manner of yoke? having spoken of the right use of fasting, and the corruption thereof in the jewish, and primitive Church, let us now see, what abuses the Romish Church hath committed and exercised concerning the same. The first abuse is, that the Deus qui ecclesiam tuam annua quadragesimali obseruatione purificas &c. Ro. Mis. in orat. quadragesimi. Dom. 2. Romish Church imposeth necessity of fasting, anniuersarie, and of course; not for political and civil consideration: but for religion, as a work commanded by God, and an observation, by which he doth purify the Church. Ecki. in locis come. I cannot here pass over Eckius blasphemy; who to the Protestants objection, that our saviour Christ hath left no laws of necessary fasting, replieth; Non refert, It is no matter, whether Christ forbade it or no; he was busied in matters more necessary to salvation. The second corruption in the Romish fast is; that they make it the expiation and cleansing of sin. But expiation of sin is the proper and peculiar work of the blood shedding of Iesus Christ. Their error the missal itself proclaimeth. For in the Orison before mentioned, they are bold to tell God himself, that An●u● quadragasim●●● obseruatione purificas. he purifieth the Church by the yearly observation of Lent: And in the Secret of the Station of S. Vitalis they pray; Da quaesumus omnipotent, vt, sacro nos purificante le●unio, sinceris mentibus, &c. feria 6. post Dom. 2. quadrag. in Rom. Miss. Grant omnipotent God, that the holy fast purifying us, thou mayst make us attain with sincere minds unto the holy things to come. Thirdly, they make their Fasts meritorious of eternal salvation. Wherefore, Nostra tibi( quesumus) sint acceptae itiunia, queen nos& expiando gratia tuae digno● efficiant,& ad remedia perducant aeterna. Statio ad Cirac. feria post Dom. pass. in Miss. Rom. Let our Fasts( say they) O Lord, bee accepted unto thee, so that by expiating us, they may make us worthy of thy grace, and may bring us to the eternal Medicine. Fourthly, they make their fasts satisfactorious to God, as it appeareth in Bellar. de poenit. lib. 4. cap. 6. Bellarmine: For the title of that Chapter is, that Prayer, Fasting and alms, are works to satisfy God. Fiftly, Bellar. de effectu Sacramentorum. li. 2. cap. 31. verbo aliae fuerunt postea. they observe difference of meats, and that so strictly, that whosoever do not the same, are adiudged heretics, as Bellarmine himself confesseth. The Cannon Law Consec. dist. 5. cap. carnem. forbiddeth all monks to taste flesh, or to eat it, and Nunnes 35. dist. in Palea vi●●lentum. to flee wine as poison. And these laws are so strict, that it is doubted, whether a Monk delivered from his order, and made a Bishop, may eat flesh. They forbid flesh to some men at all times, and to all men at sometimes: And howsoever they pretend, that they beleeue all creatures in their nature to be good, and therefore exempt themselves from the heresy of Manichees, Tatians, Aerians, and such like: yet the reasons they allege plainly show, that they esteem fish in the substance thereof more clean then flesh. For Durand saith; Durand. lib. 6. cap. de allj● se●●. ex F●lk in Math. c. 15. Annot. 5. The element of water is most worthy, which washeth away all filthiness, and vpon which the Spirit of the Lord was carried before the making of the world: but he cursed the earth in the work of man. Hereof it is, that it is not lawful in fasting to eat any kind of flesh which liveth on the earth; as four footed Beasts and Birds. In ivo ivo part. 15. cap. 97●& 100.& 118 ex doctiss. Fulk. in 1. Tim. 4. Annot. 6. you may see penance enjoined on such as did eat unclean Beasts; as, such as dyed alone, or were torn in pieces with wild Beasts, or strangled, or touched by unclean Beasts: And for eating that, wherein a Dog or a Cat hath lapped, or wherein a Mouse, or a weasel hath been drowned. Many pretend, that Christ ate no flesh, but onely fish. But Chemnicius telleth a pretty tale to answer this foolery. For on a time( saith he) when a Priest had preached, that Christ fed on fish, but used not to eat any flesh, one of his auditors said, not so sir; for Christ ate also the paschal lamb. The Priest replied; truth neighbour, but he had ill lucke after it: for he was cruelly buffeted, and put to death; wherefore I would counsel thee to abstain. And thus much shall suffice of the Popish abuse of fasting to be spoken. CHAP. XXXI. Of the Arguments which are brought in defence of their superstitious Fasts and difference of meats. THeir first Argument for their set Fasts is taken from the judaical fast yearly observed. Ob. To this the answer is easy; Sol. The legal Ceremonies of the Iewes do not bind the church of Christ, which is freed from them, having now a New covenant, new laws, and new Ordinances, the old being abrogated in the cross and passion of Iesus Christ. They object, that Moses and Elias fasted 40. daies; Ergo, Ob. the lenten fast must be used. Many things show the weakness of this Sophistication. Sol. First, this fast was miraculous, to approve and confirm the calling of Moses and Elias: Secondly, to assure themselves of the power of God in preserving them, walking holily in their Offices: Thirdly, Moses and Elias did not make an anniversary custom of this fast, neither did they enjoin the people to observe the same: Fourthly, the fast of Moses and Elias was from all kind of food; they did not choose fish, and reject flesh: Lastly, it was done in the time of the Law, and was a typical prophesy, and a pedagogy pointing unto Christ: wherefore the 40. daies fast of Moses and Elias helpeth nothing to prove the Popish lenten fast. Ob. They object, that Christ by his fast of 40. daies did dedicate, Vid. Rhem. in Math. 4. institute, and gave example of the lenten fast. Sol. Iesus Christ fasted, that he might bear the punishment of our epicurism, and swinish Gluttony: His fasting was the expiation of our fullness and wantonness; as all his other virtues satisfied, and were done for our sakes, that in them we might appear before God. To this I add; Christ fasted 40. dayes, to fulfil the types which went before him in Moses and Elias, and that he might declare himself by this miraculous fast, to be the Minister of the New covenant, as Moses by his fasting was approved and declared to bee the Mediator of the Old: Christ fasted, that the manner of the Redemption might be after the manner of the transgression: sin began in eating, and the Reparation began in fasting: Christ in fasting shewed himself to bee the son of God, who so miraculously, and above the limits and strength of nature fasted; But yet Christ ordained not, that his Disciples should imitate him therein: he did it but once: he did not abstain from some kind of meats, and eat of other. Wherefore the fast of Christ is no patronage for the Popish Lent. Chrysostome therefore saith, Chrisost. Hom. 47. in Math. verb. non enim dicit. our saviour did not command us to fast 40. daies, though he might haue so commanded. What then did he command? learn of me, for I am humble and meek: They will follow that which they are not commanded: but what they are commanded, they will not follow. Our saviour Christ sent forth his Disciples unto the Nations, Math. 28.20. not saying, teach them to observe that I do, but that I command. The Fast of Lent some refer to Telesphorus: some to a more ancient time. But certain it is, the observation thereof hath not been always, and after an uniform manner in the Church: neither is there any mention of it in Scriptures. Eleasarus; and the maccabees choose rather to die, Ob, then to eat Swynes flesh contrary to the Law. Ex Eckio. It hath been often answered, Sol. that Christians are not bound to judaical and legal observations. They cannot show, that in the moral Law, or in the gospel difference of meats was enjoined, it was a mere ceremonial Statute. The example of John Baptist is urged, Ob. who fed on Locusts and wild hony. John the Baptist lead an austere and sober life, Sol. and with these course cates which in that country abounded, he did content himself: but he neither commanded others to do the like, neither did he use this kind of fasting as to merit thereby, or to satisfy unto God. Thus much shall suffice to be spoken of the judaical servitude, which in their superstitious fasts they impose vpon the Church onely for their filthy lucre; Denarium potest dare, vt se r●d●mat a itiuni●. Gr●t dist. 82. cap. praesbyter. in Glossa. that fasts and abstinence immoderately imposed or vowed, might be redeemed with money; according to the rule of the Canonist: A man may give money to redeem his fast. CHAP. XXXII. Of the bondage of Romish Feasts and holidays. FOr diuers and sundry causes in the time of the Law, the infinite wisdom of the eternal God thought it fit, to establish sabbaths and holidays amongst the people of Israel his own inheritance. The first cause was, to keep in memory the sundry benefits bestowed vpon them; Exod. 20. Deut. 5.15. Leuit. 23. as, of their delivery from the bondage of Egypt: The preserving of the first born of the house of Israel: the fruits of the earth received: the reconciliation to God: and such like. The second cause was, to admonish them of the inward holinesse which they ought to exercise, by abstaining from the works of their own wicked will, and lusts of uncleanness; wherein the soul is no less wearied and burdened, then the body with all labours that can be imposed vpon it. Thirdly, Ezech. 20.12. that they should know, that it was God himself that sanctifieth them. Fourthly, to adumbrate and foreshow unto them the rest and quiet peace of conscience, which every labouring and burdened soul findeth in Iesus Christ. Fiftly, after any great deliverance, or other singular benefits obtained of the Lord, wee find also, that the godly Iewes themselves did many times ordain festival memorials. But the legal ceremonies( as we haue often said) haue received an end, and are all now abolished by the coming of the body and substance of felicity, Iesus Christ the righteous. Wherefore let us consider how and after what manner these festivities either stand, or are taken away. As in 1 Chron. 23.31, the old Testament, the people vpon sabbaths and festival daies did assemble to hear the Law and the Prophets red and expounded, 1. Chro. 25.1 and to serve the Lord with hymns and thanksgiving, and did spend the same in holy exercises, setting aside the care of worldly things, except in cases of necessity: So in the primitive Church, Christ Luk. 4.15.16. observed the sabbaths and other festivities, to fulfil the Law, that no lot thereof should pass unperformed. And after him, Act. 13.14.& 20.7. the Disciples for the moral end of Prayer, Act. 16. Preaching, 1. Cor. 11.& cap. 14. 1. Tim. 2. Apoc. 1.10. joh. 20.19. administering of Sacraments, and public liturgy, did also assemble vpon sabbaths and festival daies, especially the Lords day; which for the memory of the resurrection they did solemnize in stead of the sabbath. But all these holidays were observed with freedom from jewish servitude: neither did they place justification, or Sanctification in them. And of this the Apostle Paul warneth his Colossians, Col. 2.16. Gal. 4.9. that no man judge them in part of an holiday: And the Galathians also, that they be not again entangled in the yoke of bondage. For holidays, as they are ceremonial, were never observed in the Church of Christ. With the like godly liberty, free from superstition, did the purer age also which succeeded the Apostles, observe the Lords day, and other special Feasts, and did spend them, not in doing their own wils: but in reading and preaching of the Word, administration of Sacraments, alms deeds, and other holy exercises. Dionysius Bishop of Corinth, yeeldeth testimony for the celebrating of the day of the Lords resurrection, and saith; Apud Euseb. lib. 4. cap. 22. This day we haue celebrated the holy Lords day. Tertullian Tertul. lib. de Idolat. among the Christian festivities, doth principally remember the Lords day; and in his Apologue of the Christians, he describeth the manner of exercise used on that day, and other times of solemn assembly: We come together to the commemoration of the sacred Scriptures with holy words: we feed our faith: wee raise up our hope: Tertul. in Apol. adu. Gentes. wee establish our confidence: nevertheless, wee often commend discipline, by the inculcating of the Precept; There also we use exhortations and castigations, and separate by the divine Censure them from the society, who do offend, &c. justinus Martyr witnesseth also, justin. Apol. 2. ad finem. that on the Lords day were the assemblies of the Church, for that as on that day the world was created, and Iesus Christ rose again from the dead; And he sheweth the manner of their service of God in the Assembly. First, the prophetical and apostolical writings were red: Then the governor of the Assembly made a Monitory and Exhortatory Sermon, persuading them to follow the good thhgs which they had heard: Thirdly, the whole Assembly rose up to prayer: Fourthly, the communion of the holy Eucharist was celebrated: Lastly, alms were conferred for the relief of the poor, the Orphans, the sick, the banished. Ignatius reproving them which being Christians yet followed the jewish Ceremonies, saith; Ex Chim. in di th●●●●st. ●. Let every one that loveth Christ, celebrate the day which is notable for the Lords resurrection. This is the highest day● the queen of daies, in which death was overcome, and life rose up in Christ. Austen saith, Aug. 〈◇〉 ●9 The Lords day was declared unto the Christians, and began from thence to haue his festiuitie, because therein the Lord arose from the dead. And in another place; Aug. de civit. dei lib. 22. c. 30. The Lords day made holy by the resurrection of Christ, doth prefigure the eternal rest, not onely of the spirit, but of the body. They celebrated other Feasts, Euseb. lib 4. c. 22. as Easter, Aug. ep. 118. the Ascension, Tertul. de Idolo. whitsuntide, the nativity of Christ, which Basil calleth Indamus nomen nostro Theophania. Baesil. in sanc. Chri. Nat. the Theophany. And the truth is, in tract of time, superstition joining itself unto true Religion, hath brought in an harvest of solemnities, festival daies, commemorations, half double, and double Feasts, with their Vigils and octaves; and at last, the Church of Rome hath poisoned the whole Institution with her leaven of superstition and Idolatry. I will briefly rehearse some examples thereof. First, they teach, that there is a certain peculiar inherent holinesse in festival daies, more then other; as the Rhemists plainly avouch, Rheman Apoc. 1. Annot. 6. That God revealeth unto his Prophets rather vpon holidays, when men are exercised in contemplation and sacrifice, then on other profane daies. So you may see, that even in the very substance thereof, they esteem some daies holy, some profane. Secondly, they think the holy day to be profitable Ex opere operato, by the very celebrating thereof; therefore they pray, Sancti pracursorit jo. Baptista& Mart. tui, quasumus domine, veneranda festiuitat salutaris auxilij nobis praestet effectum, &c. orat Sancti Praecursoris in Ro. Miss. Let the venerable festivity of thy holy Praecursor Baptist and Martyr, yield unto us the effect of saving help: And of the nativity of the Virgin they pray; Rom. Miss. in nat. virg. Let the votiue solemnity of her nativity give us increase of peace. Thirdly, they seek by keeping an holiday to obtain sanctification, which is the gift of God, through Iesus Christ. The prayer on S. Matthewes day is a perfect witness hereof; for therein they desire, Veneranda solemnitas& deuotionem nobis augeat,& salutem. Rom. Bre. in vig. Math. orat. Da, quaesumus,& simile in fest. Remigij& Comom. Sanctorum. That the worshipful solemnity which they haue performed, may increase unto them devotion and health. Fourthly, by their Feasts also they think to obtain eternal life itself; for they pray, Rom. Breu. in Hebd. 3. advent. orat. prasta quaesumus oimpotens Deus, vt redempti. We beseech thee, O Lord, that the solemnity to come of our Redemption, may confer vpon us the helps of this present life, and the rewards of eternal blessedness. Wherefore the Prose Sancti Baptistae pronounceth; Apud Clycthou. Per hec Festa aeterna gaudia adipiscamur, Grant that wee may obtain eternal joys by these Feasts. Fiftly, their Legends and Missals do testify of much superstition, which was used with Lights, Candles, herbs, Stations, and diuers other beggarly rudiments, vpon their daies of holinesse and Festiuitie. sixthly, they haue sundry solemnities vpon dark and Apocriphe authority, without any substantial ground. Such are the Feasts of the Conception, Presentation, and Assumption of the Virgin, of Christopher, Katherine, George, and others. Lastly, whereas by the witness of Dionysius, Tertullian, justine, and the most ancient schoolmasters, it doth appear, that the Assemblies in the festivities of the primitive Church, were for the praising of God, for prayer and preaching of the Word to the edifying of men, the Papists haue turned all this into the shuffling up of an Idolatrous mass in an unknown tongue; wherein like Parats, crows, and Cranes, they chatter unto the auditory for an hour, or thereabouts, the Mysteries of darkness, which none doth understand, and all the day after is spent in lewd Bacchanalls, lascivious, and wanton dalliance. These are the spots in their feasts: these the corruptions of their solemn daies: with this leaven haue they infected the godly use of festival celebrities. God of his mercy, for his dear Sons sake, give them a true sense and understanding of their superstition, that they may eschew these ethnic impieties, and seek unto the Lord with right and holy worship, according to his Word. Amen. ANTI-   christus. whatsoever Bell de Monaeth. l. 2. c. 16. in princ. verbo vt igitur. is done by vow, although it bee not commanded of God, yet it is properly the worship of God. 1 whatsoever I command you, take heed ye do it: and put thou nought thereto, nor take ought therefrom. Deut. 12.32. A Priest Pigghius& Campeius. keeping a Concubine liveth more holily and more chastely, then a-Priest that hath a wife, and liveth in matrimony. 2 Marriage is honourable among all men, and the bed undefiled; but whoore-mongers and adulterers God will judge. Heb. 13.4. It Huldericus episc. Augustanus did writ thereof to Pope Nicholas almost 80●. yeres pall: the same Epistle is found in ancient record under the name of Volusianus Episc. Carthag. is an honester thing for a Priest to be entangled with many Concubines in secret, then openly and in the sight of the world to be joined in marriage with one wife. 3 Fornication and all uncleanness let it not bee once name among you. Ephes. 5.3. The Siric. Ep. 1. cap. 6. ex Bell l. 2. de Monach. cap. 26. public laws, the Ecclesiastical laws, do not permit by any means Monks or Nunnes to mary after their vow. 4 If they cannot abstain, let them mary, for it is better to mary then to burn. 1. Cor. 7.9. ꝯtinence Ex Bell. l. 2 de Monach. c. 16. verb. respondemus continentiam. is in the will and power of man. 5 All men cannot receive this thing, save they to whom it is given. Math. 19.11. Second Rhem. in 1. Tim. cap. 5. annot. 5. marriage not only after admission to the alms and service of the Church: but before also is disagreeable, and a sign of incontinency. 6 I will therefore that the younger women do mary to bear children, to guide the house. 1. Tim. 5.14. If Siquis non habet vxorem, et pro uxore Concubinaem habet; à communione non repellatur. Dist. 34. cap. is qui. any haue not a wife but a Concubine instead of a wife, let him not bee repelled from the Communion. 7 Now this I writ unto you not to company together; if any that is called a brother be a fornicator &c. with him. that is such, not to eat. 1. Cor. 5.11. They Rhem. in Math. 15. annot. 3.& in 1. Tim. 5. annot. 3. appointed Lent and Ember fasts, and other, as well to chastise the concupiscence of man, as to serve and please GOD thereby. 8 Meate doth not commend us to God: neither if wee eat haue wee the more, neither if we eat not haue wee the less. 1. Cor. 8.8. Flesh Durand. us Testatur jo. Fulk. in Marc. 7. is forbidden and Fish allowed because God did curse the earth, but not the Sea. 9 whatsoever is sold in the market that eat, asking no question for conscience sake. 1. Cor. 10.25. One Index Aloys. Lypom. in Tit. fest. dici. day is holier then another. 10 But now after that ye haue known God, yea rather are known of God; how turn ye again unto the weak and beggarly rudiments, whereunto again ye desire afresh to bee in bondage. Gal. 4.9. Fruits Rhem. in Luke 3. annot. 1. of penance be works satisfactory. 11 If thou be righteous what givest thou him? or what will he receive of thine hand? Behold I am vile, what shall I answer thee? job 35.7.& 39.37. The Non sufficer●t eligen●is gratia, nesi invigilaret Collaborantis industria. Aloys. lip. pars 1. de sancto jo. Ba●. fol. 106. grace of him that chooseth, is not sufficient, except the industry of him that laboureth with him be vigilant. 12 My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness, our sufficiency is of God. 2. Cor. 12.9.& 3.5. The Merita Christ, partem sunt omnibus necessaria, partam non necessaria, said vtilia. Bell. de indulge. l. 2. c. 1. merits of Christ are partly necessary to all; and partly not necessary, but profitable. 13 Kill& destroy both old men and young, maidens, children and women: but as for those that haue the mark on them, see that ye touch them not. Ezek. 9.6. CHAP. XXXIII. Of the institution of the regal and Priestly office: and that the Priestly function is in order inferior to the Kingly power, and ought to be subject thereunto. TO speak of the sovereignty of Kings, and their supreme power, after the matchless pen of our thrice renowned Monarch and religious King james, may justly seem a presumptuous and needless labour. The Popes power over Kings is double; directive to teach them what to do; destructive, of their government, and of their persons. Who can so learnedly defend, and so wisely pled the prerogative of Kings, as the Philosopher of Kings, and the King of Philosophers? whom long and long, greater then the greatest, God grant to sway the sceptre of our great britain. I will therefore, humbly gleaning after his abundant harvest, onely in a word or two point at the malice of the Behemoth of Rome against the lawful rule of Kings& Princes, the true& immediate Vicegerents of the Lord of Lords. five things there are, which abundantly declare the dignity and sovereignty of the regal function. The antiquity, and the authority of the institutor; The titles and appellations; The tribunal to which they are accountant; and the amplitude of their Commission. Of these let us first entreat, and so shall wee the better refel the usurped unjust ambition of the chair of Rome. The antiquity of the Kingly office is of so many yeares, and long descent, that I know not, whether any Institution, ordinance, and invention, bee more ancient. Let us begin from the very beginning of all. No sooner had God created the whole world, and disposed all things with unspeakable glorious order and comeliness; but seeing how dangerous, Anarchy, and want of government is, he immediately pronounced; Gen. 1.26. Let us make man in our own Image, and after our own likeness, and let them haue rule. Stat●m vt conditut●●, etiam princeps conditus et. Basil. hom. 10. Hexam. de hoins constructione. So was Adam created a man and a King together; and that domination, or government continued both among the godly and the ungodly posterity of Adam, for that Moses having in the fift Chapter reckoned up the excellent men of the first age, which flourished in the church, Gen. 6.4. speaketh also of mighty men, and men of renown among the Caynits, and calleth them giants, or( as some red) Tyrants. And it is a matter very worthy observation, Vid. D●. bless. de ver●t Christ. relic. c. ●6, that Eupolemon witnesseth, Enoch of the Gentill Greekes to bee called Atlas. Now ancient writers speak of three Kings so name; one in Italy, the second in armoniac: the third of Mauritania. But, as it is uncertain, whether any of these were the ancient Henoch, whom the Greekes called Atlas, or whether this were he, Vid. Geneb Cronol. l. 1. ae●ate prima. that fought the Atlantike war, of which Plato speaketh in his Critias: So it is certain out of the divine volume, Gen. 4.17. that Cain built a city, and called it Henoch after his sons name. But where is a city, there must also bee a ruler and governor: and where there is a common mind and purpose, there must of necessity be a director and moderator; Reason in the soul moderateth all the faculties: The head in the body, all the parts ● Vid Coeliam. l. antiq. lect. 24. c. 29. which even the very government of the natural man may declare unto us, in whom both the soul hath a superior power, directing all the faculties thereof, and the body hath a principal member, which ordereth all the rest. So in a city it cannot be, but that as every individual hath care of his own particular and for himself: So there must be one to oversee, order, and distribute the common good which belongeth to all. Let us proceed on; Concerning the antiquity of the office and rule of Kings Tully saith, Cic. in office.& si● citatu● ab Eneae Silu. in come. de gestis council. Bas. l. 1. c. in●●●● vt video. there was some time, wherein men lived without Kings: but after possessions began to be divided, then for executing of Iustice Kings were ordained. Gen. 4. But surely it appeareth in the book of Genesis, that in the very infancy of the world men had division of goods, since Cain by tillage, and Abel lived by keeping sheep. Some made Tents: some invented instruments: and others formed metals. Therefore it must needs be, if Kings came in with propriety and distinction of possessions, the office of a King was even from the beginning. Wherefore justine saith, Principio rerum, genteum, nationumque imperium penes Reges erat. just. hist. l. 1. c. 1. in ipso limine. In the very beginning of things the rule of people and nations was by Kings. As before the flood of Noah, it is evident that there was a kind of government and rule: So after the deluge, Noah was no sooner out of the ark, but vpon Gen. 9. Chams impudent contempt toward him, he pronounced a prophetical curse, that he should be a seruant of seruants, that is, he and his posterity should be in subiection to the rule of his brethren. We see, that as soon as mankind was a little multiplied, they did disperse themselves into sundry provinces and Territories, where they lived under Kings and Princes. For Gen, 10. Moses reckoneth up diuers Cities built, and ascribeth still the founding of them to some one principal man, who no doubt governed the rest; as unto Assur the building of niniveh, and Rehoboth, and Calah, and Resen: and of the strong hunter, or tyrant Nymrod he saith, Gen, 10.10. The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Calneh, in the land of Sinar. All this while wee find no mention of any Priest in the Scriptures, during the first two ages of the world, but every man was Priest unto God for himself, and offered their own sacrifices; as Gen. 4.& 8. Cain, Abel, Noah, and the rest. Yea, though in the dayes of Enos Gen. 4.26. the son of Seth, the son of Adam, men began to call vpon the Name of Lord, yet of an established Priesthood in these daies we do not red. Sand. de visib. Monarch. l. 2. c. 4. We see also the position of Sanders to be most false, who saith, that for three thousand yeares the world had no earthly King till the daies of Saul. jerome out of the Hebrew Tradition writeth, that from the time of Noah unto the daies of Aaron, all the first-borne of the stock of Noah were Priests. But I see no cause, why Hebrew Traditions so earnestly by the m●●●h of Iesus Christ himself condemned, should prevail with us, especially, seeing the Scripture, of many of the patriarchs descending from Noah, describeth not onely their Pedigree, the mutations, and memorable things falling out in their times, but their sciences and professions also; as Geneb. l. 1. 2. Act.& Epiph. in. op con. haer. vid. Bull. de orig. cult. S●m. c. 10. of there the father of Ahraham, that he was a maker of Images: would it then,( think you) haue past over in silence the holy office of Priesthood exercised by them? No surely. Of Abraham it evidently appeareth in Scripture, Gen. 14. that he was a Prince, or a Duke; who armed his exercised seruants, and made war in the behalf of the King of sodom, for the recovery of Lot his brothers son; and before this time we find not mention made in the Scripture of any solemn public Priest of the Lord. But now Melchizedech King of Salom, Priest of the most high God, the type and figure of Iesus Christ, Ibid. verse 18. brought forth bread and wine unto Abraham, and blessed him. This Melchizedech, I know, the idle Iewes dream to be Sem, the son of Noah. But the Scripture of God teacheth no such thing; and the jewish Traditions are inventions and lies of their own devising, pits of vanity, which will hold no water. Melchizedech was a Priest of special form and consecration: a Priest and a King together; the singular type of Iesus Christ; whose birth▪ whose death, whose parentage, is not mentioned in Scripture. Therefore no man can show, that in his function he had either predecessor, or successor. Surely the Scripture speaketh not of any Priest, who by solemn profession did exercise among the people of God that holy office, from the Creation of the world until the anointing of Aaron, but him onely. This, Genebrard, who striveth and wrestleth himself to prove a succession of Priesthood in the world from the beginning, yet granteth plainly, where he saith, that levi, Caaeth, etrum proninquis speciem quand●m futu●a Sacerdotij exhibentibus vsque ad Aaronem e● benedictione,& Testamento jacob l. 1. Chron. aetat. 3. levi, Caath and their successors, did exercise a certain show of the future Priesthood until Aaron, according to the Testament of jacob: But where, when, or how this was performed it cannot be declared: it was but his conceit, an imagination beside all authority. To conclude this point; The dignity and excellence of the Kingly office, by the honourable testimony of all antiquity▪ is commended, established,& ratified unto vs. Secondly, the sovereign rule of Kings and Princes is proved by the greatness of him, the almighty and eternal God; from whom their institution is, and by whose authothoritie they are established in the throne of majesty and government. For De verbo dei, l. 3. c. 9. verbo, ●que ●●●at. although Bellarmine impudently contendeth, that the ordinance of Kings is not immediately from God: Ibid verbo, quod a●tem. and that a Prince hath no authority, but such as the people can give: Domintum non descendit ex jure deuino, said ex iur● Gentium. Bell. l. 5. de Rom. Pont. c. 2. verb. quod ad primum. that Lordship proceedeth not from the divine, but the human law. De claue david. l. 5. c. 2. And Saunders saith, we do constantly affirm, that all Secular power, whether regal, or any other, is of Man: yet the divine oracles witness unto us, that the dignity and sceptres of Kings and Princes are from the Lord of Hosts, according to that worthy confession of Tertullian; Tertul. in. Apol. aduer. Gentes. verb. si quid ego. who unto the Heathens objecting, that the Christians did despise the Emperour, answereth, that it was a false calumniation: For the Emperour( saith he) is chiefly our Emperour, because he is ordained and constituted by our God. And this is diuers ways proved. First, by the testimony of the Scriptures. Sap. 6.3. Salomon of all Kings and Emperours saith; The rule is given you of the Lord, and power of the most high. The same teacheth Moses; Deut. 1.17. The iudgement is Gods. And the Apostle Paul saith; ( x) There is no power but of God, and the powers that bee, are ordained of God. Wherefore he calleth the King the Minister of God, and saith, He that resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God. Peter Rom. 13.1.4. 1. Pet. 2.13. also exhorting to submit themselves to all manner of ordinance of men for the Lords sake, What else doth he mean, but that their authority is from God, and therefore for Gods sake they should be obeied? Neither may it be said, that good and godly Kings are from the Lord; but Tyrants and evil rulers are from themselves, as from the fury of the headstrong multitude, thrusting them into the Throne of dignity. For unto Nabuchodonozer a wicked King, and an Idolater, Daniel yet saith; Dan. 2.37. Thou art a King of Kings, because the God of heaven hath given unto thee a kingdom, power, strength, and glory. To balthasar also he saith; Dan. 5.28. Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. If it bee demanded, who gave away his kingdom? What can else be answered, but the same God which numbered it, and brought it to an end? So, to give and take away kingdoms is the Lords. Our saviour Christ himself unto the most abominable of all Magistrates, Pilate, saith; joh. 19.11. Thou couldst haue no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. This plainly declareth out of the mouth of Iesus Christ himself, that all power of Princes over Subiects, and Iudges, and Rulers over men, is from the Lord, who sitteth above in the highest heauens. The third Argument is taken from the Titles and Appellations of honour given unto Princes in Scripture. For not onely doth God call jer. 25.9. Esay 44.28. Nabuchadnezar his seruant, and Cyrus his herdman: But Kings generally are called the children of the highest; Nay, to witness unto the world, and to assure us, that their authority is from himself and no other, the Lord imparteth his own name and Appellation unto them, and calleth them Exod. 22.28. Gods. The word Prince doth signify as much as Primum caput, The highest or chiefest head. As david of himself saith; 2. Sam. 22.44. Thou hast made me the head of the Nations. The word Rex cometh a Regendo; For that in the King the rule and direction of all is placed: and the word Emperour, of commanding; because to their command all the army was subject. These titles of rule, government, Headship, Command, show that there is no power to Kings, Princes, and Emperours, superior, except perhaps the Romish Prelacy will haue them called Reges, à non regendo, as a wood is called Lucus, à non Iucendo. The fourth proof of their authority is taken from the majesty and highest domination or tribunal, to whom onely they are accountable, and to no other. Wherefore when david saith, Psal. 51.4. Against thee onely haue I sinned; some interpret his meaning to bee, that none can control the sin of a King, but God alone. The Prophet describing the greatness of the Dominion of Christ saith, Psal. 72.10. The Kings of Tharsis, and the Isles, shall bring gifts: The Kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring presents, yea, all Kings shall worship him. Which is as much as though he should say, They whose necks are under no yoke, Kings and Princes, who aclowledge no superior, shall yet unto him submit themselves. Samuel speaking of the oppressions and violence, which their Kings should use towards the people, saith; 1. Sam. 8.18. ye shall cry at that day, because of your King whom you haue chosen, and the Lord will not hear you. This place sheweth, that there is none to judge of the King: none to punish him: none to deprive him, but God. For if either by force, or by consent the people might depose their lawfully constituted King, then they had not been remediless, neither needed they to haue cried to the Lord, when the power was in themselves. Ecclesiastes witnesseth; Eccles. 8.4. Where the word of the King is, there is power, and who shall say unto him, What dost thou? Can there bee any more evident argument? For in these words the Scripture plainly witnesseth, that the power and authority of the King is not to be controlled. Wherefore Pro. 19.12. The Kings wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but the Kings favour is like the dew vpon the grass; Most fearful, most sweet, most powerful, most necessary, to them that will live a godly and peaceable life. Elihu, though an ethnic, perceiveth this, and expostulateth with job; job 34.18.19 Wilt thou say unto a King, Thou art wicked; or to Princes ye are ungodly: how much less unto him that accepteth not the person of Princes? His meaning is, If thou mayst not presume to reprove a King, or a Prince, how darest thou contest with God? Therefore Peter Siue Regi quasi praecellenis. con. vers. 2. Pet. 13.17. calleth the King the superior, or most excellent, and placeth him next unto God, saying, fear God, Honour the King. Lastly, the amplitude of the unlimited, unbounded, absolute authority of Kings and Princes over their subiects, sheweth the greatness of their dignity, and their majesty. I confess, in respect of the account and reckoning they shal yield unto God, they ought to use their authority with greatest modesty. For Id facere laus est, quod decet, non quod licet. Senec. in Octauia. it becometh him that hath the highest power, to haue the most moderate affections. Salemon saith, Sap. 6.6. The mighty shall be mightily tormented, and for the mighty abideth the sorer trial. But as touching the power they haue over subiects, it is such, as by Gods Law we may not dispute of their prerogatives: Wee may not call their jurisdiction into question: But concerning temporal things, what they will they may. 1. Esd. 4.3. The King( saith the Sage Esdras) ruleth all things, and is Lord over them, so that they do all things which he commandeth them. If he bid them make war one against another, they do it: If he sand them out against the enemies, they go, and break down the mountaines, and walls, and towns: They kill, and are killed, and do not pass the commandement of the King: If they overcome, they bring all to the King, as well the spoils, as all other things: and those also which go not to war and battle, but till the earth, when they haue sown it, again they reap it, and bring to the King, and compel one another to pay tribute to the King, yet he is but one man: If he bid them kill, they kill: if he say spare, they spare: if he bid smite, they smite: If he bid make desolate, they make desolate: if he bid build, they build: if he bid cut off, they cut off: if he bid plant, they plant. So all his people, and all his armies obey one man. Nehem. cap. 9.37. The Kings( saith Nehemiah) n whom thou hast set over us because of our sins, haue dominion over our bodies and cattle, even as they will themselves. The same authority over the bodies and goods of subiects Samuel speaketh of in his Oration to the Israelites desiring a King. 1 Sam. 8.11. ad 17. This shall bee the manner, or Ius Regis, the right of your King that shall reign over you. he will take your sons, and appoint them to his Chariots, and to be his horsemen, and some shall run before his Chariot, and he will make them his Captaines over Thousands, and Captaines over Fifties, and to care his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make instruments of war, and the things that belong unto his Chariots▪ he will also take your daughters, and make them Apothecaries, Cookes, and Barbers: and he will take your Fields, and your Vineyards, and best olive trees, and give them to his seruants; and he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your Vineyards, and give it to his. eunuchs, and his seruants: and he will take your men seruants, and your maid seruants, and the chief of your young men, and your Asset, and put them to his work: He will take the tenth of your sheep, and you shall be his seruants. Let it not be thought, that my purpose is to flatten Kings or Princes in oppressing and grinding the faces of their subiects. No, tribute● and subsidies a●e the blood of the people, which they must not suck with greediness like the horseleach: but take away like Physicians, for the maintenance and health of the whole body. They 1 Sam. 29.9 2 Sam. 14.17. are as the angels of God; the fathers of the country. Therfore to them belongeth to execute iudgement, and righteousness, and not to devour and eat up, whom they should order and govern. I speak not therefore of the law of charity: but of the Ambit of authority. When I say, that all temporal possessions are in the power of the King; the prodigal hath right and power to spend his substance, yet unnecessary feasting is a fault. Many things are lawful by privilege, which are not expedient in practise. I know diuers expound this, not of lawful, but usurped right; and I confess, the moderate and godly Kings in Israel did never practise such immoderate power. And in the seventeenth of deuteronomy Deut 17.16.17. the Kings and Princes of Israel are commanded, not to multiply horses, nor wives, nor gold, nor silver to themselves. But I here speak of that, which the Kings might do by the largeness of their power, not of that which they ought to due. As Nehemias might haue taken the living of a Captain, or the Neh. 5.18. bread of a governor, but in respect of the peoples necessity he refused it, Carolus Sigonius Caral. Sig. l. 7. de Repub. Heb. c. 2. well observeth, there was great difference betwixt the government of Iudges in the Israelitish common wealth, and their Kings, which did not so much depend vpon the law, as vpon their own will and pleasure. For they understood the power of the king, as Aristotle doth, to be free from laws: a regiment of absolute authority. wherefore, when 1 Sam 5.8 the Children of Israell desired a King to judge them as well as other Nations, their meaning was, to Carol. Sig. ibid. ad medium fore. haue a King above laws, and one free from laws; not from the laws of God, but from all political constitutions of their own. So that themselves, their lives, their goods; should be in the power of the King: neither should it bee lawful to resist him, or to offer violence toward his person; for such were the Kings of the Nations. Our saviour Iesus Christ himself paid tribute to caesar. And although the Empiredome of a Roman Prince over Israel, being not of their brethren, were against the lawe, and plain tyranny: Mat. 22.21 yet Christ saith; give unto caesar, the things which are Cesars; intimating our earthly possessions and riches to be in the power of the King, after he hath once attained the kingdom, and is seated in it, though never so unjustly. To return to the Kings prerogative and jurisdiction, which may not bee questioned; 1 King. 47.& 12.4.14 Salomon imposed Tributes and Taxes vpon the people, and so did his son Roboam after him. But in the law of God we do not find, that any Taxation should, or ought be imposed vpon the people of Israell, but onely towards the use of the Temple. The amplitude of regal authority is both over all persons, and in all causes. Lib de clear. c. 28. verb. sit igitur prima propositio. For, though Bellarmine, and the rest of Libertines of the Romish Church teach, that in ecclesiastical causes the clergy is free from the power of Secular Princes by the law of God: And that Ibid. verbo, tertia propositio. of Secular Princes they cannot be judged, though they keep not their laws: Ibid. verbo, quar. propositio. and that the goods as well ecclesiastical as Secular are, and ought to bee free from the Tribute of Secular Princes; yet it is most certain, both by the Institution of the order of Priesthood, as also by example of the Scriptures, that clergy men are subject to Kings and Princes no less then other. This is proved, first, by the order of the Institution. When Moses and Aaron were called unto their offices, the Lord saith, that Aaron Exod. 4.16. should be instead of a mouth unto Moses: but thou( saith the Lord to Moses) shalt bee to him instead of God: what can better be gathered from hence, then that the Minister of the word is as the Kings tongue, to inform the people: and the King over the Minister is as God, to rule and govern. Therefore Le●it 9.1.2.& 8.2.& 10.19 Aaron evermore is directed, ordered, governed, and reproved by Moses. Now Moses the Scripture witnesseth directly, to haue been Deut. 33.5 King in Israel; not a Priest, as Bellarmine vntruely feigneth. Secondly, this is proved by the continual course of the Israelites government. 2 Chr. 24.5.6.8. joas reformed the abuse of the Priests, concerning the money offered for the repairing of the Temple: david 1 Chr 23.& 24. and Salomon distinguished the levites in their courses: Hezechia 2 Chron. 29.2.3.4.5 also compelleth the levites of his time to the service of God: Salomon 1 King. 2.27. deprived Abiathar the Priest of his office, with this Item; Thou art worthy of death, but I will not at this time kill thee, because thou barest the ark of the Lord before david my father. So in the hand of the King there was power to put the highest Priest to death, if he capitally offended. As Kings are rulers over all persons: so over all causes also. For this was the special duty of Kings Esay 49.13 and Princes, to be the nursing Fathers, and the nursing Mothers of the Church. david according to the word of the Lord, ordained some of the levites Chr. 23.30.31 to stand every day in the morning, to thank and praise the Lord, and at even also, and to offer all the whole burnt sacrifices unto the Lord, in the Sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the festival daies. Salomon in building the Temple, preparing the vessels, assembling and exhorting the people, sheweth, that it is the Kings office to advance& further religion, and to procure, that the people walk in the ways of God. 2 Chr. 14.3.4 Asa took away strange Altars, and the high places, broke the images, cut down the groves,& commanded Iuda to seek the Lord God of their Fathers, and to do according to the Law and the commandement. 2 Chron. 17 jehosaphat abolished Idolatry, and caused the people to bee instructed in the jaws of God. joas and Iotham, Hezekiah and josias, suppressed idols, established religion, purged the temple, propagated the law, as offices chiefly belonging to their regal dignity. Here also it must be understood, that Kings haue not any unbridled or unlimited authority to change the laws of God, or to forbid what the word commandeth, or yet to command what the word forbiddeth: but( as Siracides saith of Aaron) Ecclus. 45.17 that God gave him authority in his commandements, and in the covenant; not above the commandement, nor over the covenant: So I say, that all Kings and Princes haue authority in religion, to ordain, authorize, and command, that the word bee truly preached, and Sacraments sincerely ministered: that clergy and laics walk ordinately in their vocations. They haue power also to appoint Ceremonies, and orders of decency and comeliness in the Church: but to overthrow religion, to alter, to change, to make a new faith, new Scriptures, new Sacraments, they haue no power at all. They haue authority to edification and building up, none to destruction and devastation of religion. Wherefore no man approveth that usurped and wilful domination of Princes over the Church, which Cent. 12. cap. 9. pag. 1297. Nicetas blameth in Manuel Comnenus the Greekish Emperour. Most impudent is that slander of shameless Sanders, who saith, that Elizabeth queen of England did exercise the Priestly Sand. de visib. Monarch. l. 6. c. 4. act of preaching the gospel in England, with no less authority then CHRIST himself or Moses ever did. I haue shewed by the antiquity, by the authority of the Institutor, by the appellations, by the tribunal, to which onely they are accountant, and by the amplitude of their power, that Kings and Princes be the immediate vicegerents of God, above all other powers, estates and offices: And that of all their subiects, ecclesiastical and temporal, they ought truly and faithfully to be obeyed and served. Let us now prove, that they ought to be resisted by none, nor rebelled against. This appeareth plain, in that the scripture forbiddeth all kind of injury and contempt, which may be offered to Kings, and commandeth all kind of obedience both inward and outward. First, as concerning the very thought, Ecclesiasticus saith; Ecclus. 10.21 He that is a ruler among bretheren, is holden in honor among them: And Salomon saith; Eccles. 10.20 Wish the King no evil in thy thought: And david ranketh Psal. 18.45 those that dissemble with Kings, among the reprobates and aliens; for( he saith) Strange children shall dissemble with me. This is proved expressly out of the very words of the law. The first commandement of the second table saith; Honour thy Father and thy Mother. Now, though I dare not stretch this commandement so far as Hugo Cardinalis doth, who saith; Hugo in Exod. 20. By the name of Father and Mother is understood every neighbour: yet by good reason wee may extend it to Kings and Princes, who in the Scripture are often called Fathers; as in the forty ninth of Esay, Kings shall bee thy nursing Fathers: Gen. 10. And all the Kings of Gerar were called Abimilech, that is, my Father the King, Secondly, wee are taught not to speak dishonourably of the King. Moses saith; Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not rail vpon the Gods, neither blaspheme the ruler of the people. And Salomon 〈◇〉; Pro. 20.20 Whoso nurseth his Father, or his Mother, his light shall be put out in the depth of darkness. And Iude, Iude 8 amongst the rabble of wicked persons accounteth those, which despise rulers,& speak evil of them that are in authority. Thirdly, wee are taught in Scriptures to 1 Tim. 2.2 pray for Kings: Ios. 1.16.17. to be subject unto them: Mat. 17.16.17 to pay them tribute: Rom. 13.5 to obey thē for conscience sake. Neither is it here meant, that if a Prince will set up Idolatry, a christian ought to follow his Prince in Idolatry, no, but that we should yield our bodies to his will in such a case, and with all submission permit ourselves to punishment and persecution. For we haue no armor against Kings and Princes, but prayers and supplications; and those not against them neither, but for them; that Pro. 21. ● God in whose hand are all their hearts, would be pleased to turn them to his glory, and to the increase and furtherance, of the gospel. After all these so many and so open proofs of Scripture, shall the unclean spirits crawling like: Apoc. 16 frogs out of the mouth of the dragon, of the Beast, of the false Prophet, the very spirits of divels, the poison of all Christian states and kingdoms, lurking Iesuites, by intoxicating charms bewitching us to despise our King, the happy union of long divided Britanne, to set-light by the authority and power of God which shineth in him, to advance foreign jurisdiction above his glorious head, to poison, to stab, to blow him up. Psal. 2.2 The anointed, Esay 44.28 the heard man, 2 Sam. 14.17 the angel of the LORD, Lam. 5.16 the garland of our head, the breath of our mouth. Zech. 3.2. The Lord reprove thee satan: yea, the Lord, that hath chosen jerusalem, reprove thee. Is not this a brand taken out of the fire? CHAP. XXXIIII. Of the Secular Principality of the Pope; and whether he bee a King, a Prince, a Secular Potentate, or not. ESdras Esd. 4.14.15. excellently painteth out vain and successless ambition under the parable of the forest and the Sea. The t●●● devised, let us fight against the Sea, that it may depart away before us: The flood said, come let us fight against the trees, that we may make us another Country. O miserable greediness! when one member will be all members, not contenting itself within assigned limits. Our Babylon if it be the Apoc. 17. Sea, is a restless and rolling Ocean, an unsatiable grave, which will devour the forest: If it be the Wood, it is neither Lebanon nor Carmel, but either the thorny Sittim, or the Deut. 32.50. roaring wilderness, peopled neither with Oliues nor Figtrees, which abhor to leave their fatness, their sweetness, and their wine, wherewith God and man is served, to make themselves Kings of the trees; but that judge. 9.14.15. Briar, that insulting, usurping briar, which will haue all put trust under his shadow, if not, then fire cometh out from the briar, to consume even the Cedars of Lebanon. Let us now briefly contemplate and scan the elation of this high mounting Lucifer, this golden idol, this bloody angel, more terrible to look on, then he which at 2. Sam. 24.16 Araunaes barn was seen: for with one sword was that contented, but this is armed with two. Would he were satisfied with two: but every Princes sword in every Nation he extorteth to himself, unto whom if the matter were well weighed, there is none due at all. Austen Ipsum quip annuncians Dominus gloriam suam quaesiturum, non gloriam patris. trac. 29. in jo. ad fin. very truly observeth, that our saviour giveth this notable mark of Antichrist, that he shall seek his own glory, and not the glory of the Father. God surely ordained the Priests office to be an office of service and ministration: but the Romish Prelate must bee Virg. lib. 3. Aenead. Rex Annius Rex idem hominum Phoebique sacerdos. Bellarmine therefore to cury favour with his great Master, moveth every ston, wresteth, and straineth every string to prove that the Pope is both an ecclesiastical and political Prince together: which while he laboureth to show, what plain falshoods, what crafty sophistications, what unnecessary reasons, what toys, what vanities doth he heap together! I writ not this, as though I did deny that a Prelate of the Church may exercise temporal magistracy, or that I think they should altogether bee excluded from governing in temporal causes. Neither dare I go so far as Bernard doth with Eugenius the Pope: read these things, and then challenge if thou dare, being a Bishop, Lordship; or being a Lord, the bishopric. But herein doth Bellarmine mistake the question, for that it is not controverted, whether Bellar. lib. 5. de Rom. pont. cap. 9. it be against the word of God, that one man should be a Prince ecclesiastical and temporal: But it is in question whether any man may bee an ecclesiastical Prince, that is, a Prince over the whole Church. Secondly, whether, if it be granted that there be an ecclesiastical Prince, this Prince haue a supreme power also in temporal causes, because he is the supreme ecclesiastical Prince. Thirdly, it is controverted whether the donations of the Secular power and Principalities of the Pope in Italy, were good and lawful, or not: and of this last point we are now to speak. Surely, if the Pope haue any Secular Principality, he must either haue it by the Lawe of God, or by the laws of men: But kingdoms and Territories are neither given him by the laws of God, nor yet by the laws of men. Therefore the Popes kingdom which he exerciseth over diuers parts of Italy, and else where, is mere tyranny and wrongful usurpation. That the Pope hath not Signiories, nor Principality given him by Scripture it is evident: For first Iesus Christ himself had not where to rest his head; much less had he worldly Principality, or Secular signiory. I conclude therefore, since the seruant cannot be greater then the Master, nor the Vicegerent then the Head, the Pope can haue no worldly, no terrestrial kingdom from Christ, which Christ had not himself. Secondly, Christ doth put from himself all judiciary power in worldly tribunals, all Secular pomp and earthly Domination: Luk. 12. 1●. Man, who made me a judge, or a diuider over you? And again, joh. 18. My kingdom is not of this world: And he forbiddeth all his Apostles and Disciples the ambitious desire of rule: Mark. 10.44. Vos autem non sic: You shall not be so, whosoever of you will be chiefest he shall be the seruant of all. Wherefore Peter was no Prince, Paul was no Prince: From whom then is this King-Pope descended? Surely Bellarmine himself confesseth out of the Scriptures wee haue nothing given to the Pope, but the keys of the kingdom of heaven, Ex scriptures nihil habemus nisi datos Pontisici claeues regni coelorum: de clauibus regni terrarum nulla mentis sit. Bell. de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. c. 3. of the keys of an earthly kingdom there is no mention. Thirdly, it cannot be proved, that for the first 500. yeares of the Church, while it had any show of the ancient form, any spark of the primitive purity, the Bishop of Rome had jurisdiction, patrimony, or Lordship temporal: They laboured in the Word, they sought not after the smoky titles of vain ambition, nor yet were covetous of worldly principality. Now it remaineth to be discussed, whether jure humano, by mans Law, by any just title derived and taken from men, the Pope haue attained to the patrimony, Territories, and Principality he challengeth. Rom. 13. First, it is questionless that every King receiveth his power from God, and is ordained of God to be the Vice-gerent and Lieutenant of the Highest, to rule the people of the Lord with iustice and equity, to be the Noursing-Fathers of his Church, Psal. 78.72. to feed his people. No King, nor Prince therefore may decline this duty, or put it over and assign it to any other, except infirmity of body or mind make him unable to govern. But those Princes which gave their Dominions to the Pope, and endowed the papacy with their Principalities in Italy, by Bellarmines own confession were godly men, and excellent Princes; P● viri optimi Princ. lib 5. de Rom. Pont. cap. 9. therefore they could not forsake their charge, nor deliver it over to any other, which themselves received from God, and were endowed with worthy gifts to discharge. Secondly, no King may put his Land under tribute, nor make his nobility and people captive seruants to a foreign power. Wherefore when King John had yielded this realm of England tributary to the Pope, all the nobility of France in the presence of their King, protested that they would maintain to the uttermost effusion of their blood, that no Prince could give over his subiects to a foreign governor: For a most unreasonable thing it were, that men and people, nobility and gentry, laity and clergy, should be bought and sold, like beasts in a Market. Thirdly, the donation which is pretended to be given to the papal chair, from Constantine the first Christian Emperour, through which many great Territories, Dominions, Signiories and Principalites, are challenged by the Romish Prelate, is an impudent figment, a lying fable, a shameless falsehood; as in due place shall be declared. Fourthly, the Princes who did indeed give these Patrimonies and Principalities unto the Pope which he now enjoyeth, had no right so to do, they were themselves unjust intruders into other mens possessions, and what they gave was not their own. To make this point clear: There is no Romanist so impudent that can deny but that the great Lands and Territories the Pope holdeth in Italy, were since the time of Constantine the Great, belonging to, and in the possession of the Emperour: For Placidia, the Mother of Valentinian the third, governing the Empire in her sons minority, made R●uenna the seat or chair of the Empire: So Constance the Emperour, in the year 343. retired himself after he had quieted France, into Bononia; where, of the Bononians, all honours fit for an Emperour were done unto him. Charles the great was saluted Emperour in Rome of all the people together, with lo the Pope himself, Carol. Sigon. de occid. imp. lib. 12. in princ. and so entred into the city as his own, and was there crwoned. The truth is, while the Emperours were busied in Greece, and employed in the warres of the East, the roman State was invaded by diuers enemies, as Aistulphus and Desiderius, Kings of Lombardie; whom when the romans could not suppress, nor yet from the Emperour in Greece haue sufficient help, they were compelled to obtain aid of Pipinus and his son Carolus, then usurpers of the crown in France, for Martellus the father of Pipinus, most treacherously deprived Childerick his Master, the right King of France of his Dominion, by the means of zachary the Pope. Now Pipinus having overcome Aistulphus in Italy, gave the Exarchy of Rauenna to the Romish Bishop Stephen, and withall, the Cities of Rauenna, Fauentia, Caesena, Forum livij, Forum populi, Bononia, Rhegium, Parma, Placentia, although the Emperour did earnestly require to haue all these Cities and Territories, violently taken, to be restored to the imperial obedience again, according unto iustice. After this, Eudouicus pus son unto Charles the Great, in recompense of the friendship of lo tertius the Pope, who had received his father Charles into Rome and honoured him with the title of Emperour, gave unto that Sea the city of Rome, with the Principality, suburbs, Villages, Territories, by Land and by Sea, Coasts, Harboroughs, Cities, Castles, towns in Tuscia thereto belonging: All which of right belonged to the Empire, and not unto Lodowick. Thus you see, that neither from God nor men, this patrimony and Lordship of the Pope in Italy is justly taken: nor he himself a King, but a Tyrant; no Prince duly and orderly invested into his Dominions; but what he hath gotten by falsehood, he holds by force. CHAP. XXXV. Of the rebellion of the Romish prelacy against Iesus Christ the supreme King, by lifting up themselves above all Kings and Princes which are the immediate Vicegerents of God vpon the earth. THat of this teacherous usurpation wee may draw the more lively Anatomy; a method very convenient it seemeth to me, First, to show, what tyranny it is they affect over all powers and Principalities: Secondly, from whence they would persuade the world this authority to bee derived: And lastly, how they exercise the same, and with what moderation they drive on the glistering Chariot of pre-eminence. Out of a false persuasion that the power of all Kings and Princes, is merely earthly, and by human constitution onely: Petro a Domino concessum est. Dist. 22. Sacrosancta. but that the power of the Pope is from the bosom of the supreme deity; They lift up the one above the stars of heaven: but the other they depress and abase even unto the ground, Of their papal Ex ser. Bern ser. alterius in Synod. Rhemensi. Domination they boast, that it is greater then that of Moses, who had one people onely in subiection; whereas of the Pope the whole world is the diocese: That he is in dignity above Angels: For to which of them was it said, What thou dost bind in earth, is bound in heaven. After these great prerogatives and privileges of Priests supremacy, and Domination of the Pope, such base account of the Secular Prince is made, that they are rather Bellar. de Clericis cap. 7. Sheep and Subiects, then Lords; Bellar. lib. 5. de Pont. Rom. cap. 7. supper aspidem& Basiliscum ambulabis. Dist. 96. ques dubitet. furious rams, Adders, and lions, vpon whom the Pope must walk; Subiects and Vassals, children and seruants unto him: and not unto him onely be they in servitude, but even to Bellar. lib. 1. de pontiff. Ro. cap. 7. Bishops and Deacons. Si in pluribus Episcopatibus Imperaetor habet domicil●um, quilibet potest excommunicare. causa 11. q. 3 cap si autem, in Glossi. If the Emperour haue an house in any Bishops diocese, the same Bishop may excommunicate him. Nay surely, Nota, ●rincipem posse excommunicati etiam a quivis Episcopo. dist 96. cap. dvo sunt. in Gloss. every Bishop whosoever he be, may excommunicate a Prince. Thus you see Secular Potentates not onely inferior to the Pope, or to his Cardinals, but to every Bishop, in whose diocese whether they are, or not, yet the Bishops may excommunicate them. The whole clergy are every one shaved on the head in the form of a crown, for that every one of them is as a King; Neither may they swear fidelity Clerici non debent fidelitatem turare Laico dist. 63. porro scias. in Gloss. to any Lay-man, nor Alex. decret. quia non nulli. pay them any tribute; neither may Kings presume to exact any such: Qua●quam p●dig o●am. in gloss. l 3. decret. de sen●●bus exact.& dist. 96. si Imp rator. For by the divine Law the privilege of immunity is granted to the clergy, neither Bellar. de Clericis cap ●8. verb. secun. pro●ositio. are they subject to the Kings laws coactive, but directive: wherefore they are free from the sense and exactions of Princes. And this the Tridentine Fathers pronounce to bee given to the ecclesiastics, both by divine Ordinance, and the Sanctions of the Church; so far forth, that Bellar. de Cler●cis cap. 2●. verbo tertia propositio. a Secular ●udge cannot censure them, if they violate and transgress the civil Law of the kingdom; Sequitur, vt respectu Clericorum non sunt principes. Bell. de Clericis cap. 28. For Princes are not superior Powers in respect of clergymen. Though Christ himself paid Tribute, and his Apostles also: Though he proclaim, give unto Caesar that which is Caesars: Math. 22.21 And though Peter himself 1. Pet. 2.13. exhort to submit ourselves unto all manner Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake: yet Priests, who should to all others give example, may submit to no man, give tribute to no man. Neither can they be content that Priests onely enjoy a privilege no where given to them in Scripture: But every lazy and loitering monk, every hypocritical and begging friar, must also carry his head so high, that all yoke of servitude he must refuse. By this it followeth, that no kind of men constitute in holy Orders, nor yet monks, nor friars, nor their pompous Cardinals can by any means commit treason, do what they will: Though they stab, poison, murder the sacred person of a King; for Crimen Iesae Maiestatis non committitur per non sub ditum. Clem. lib. 2. cap. pastoralu. verb. non subsuit, in gloss. treason is not committed by him that is no subject. Exceptio Clericorum in rebus politicis, tum quoad personas, tum quoad bonae, introducta est jure humano, pariter& divino, But Bellarmine, though for fashions sake, in one place he say Clerks are subject to the laws of Secular Princes, which are not repugnant to the holy Canons and Priestly office: yet presently he teacheth, that all Eccclesiasticall persons are free both in body and goods from secular Princes, both by the Law of God and Man. It remaineth then, that Traytors they are none, for Subiects they are none. But return we again to the excommunicating of Kings and Princes. Perhaps you will say; For some dangerous and deep heresy: for stupendious blasphemy, a King or a Prince may with much circumstance and unwillingness be excommunicated. No, no: every contumacy is worthy of excommunication. And so much greater is the contumacy, by how much the matter itself, or the cause thereof is the smaller. For defending their regal right: for inuestiture of a bishopric they may be excommunicated. Statutis Papae non obedien; Haereticus est. dist. 22. cap. omne. All is heresy which standeth against the power of the Pope. Being excommunicate, the state of all Kings and Princes is most miserable: for their Subiects, ipso facto, are discharged from their obedience: absolved from their fidelity, and from the oath of obedience; so that they must refuse longer to do them service. And if perhaps any well affencted towards his Prince, moved either by the commandement of God, or in contemplation of the excellence and virtues of a King, in whom the Image of God so brightly shineth, shall in this time of excommunication persever to do him service, Et, ne sibi fidelitatem observe: omnib●● modis. prohibemus▪ causa 15. nos sanctorum. the Pope by solemn constitution terrifieth all such, and forbiddeth every man to observe fidelity towards a Prince excommunicated. Hence now from the seuenheaded beast of Rome comes it, that the many headed beast, the unconstant people murmureth, rebelleth, conspireth, tumultuateth against religious and godly Princes. jesuitical Foxes run not onely into our corn fields and houses, but into the very hearts of men, carrying firebrands with them: All things are brought into combustion and blood: Religion and Treason are mingled together: Pellitur è medio sapientia: vi geritur res; whom the pope excommunicateth, all men must hold as an heretic, and an infidel: Non tenentur Christiani, nec debent cum evident periculo relig●onis tolerare Regem ●nfidelem Bellar in lib. 5. de Pont c. 7. Christians are bound not to tolerate an infidel King, to the evident peril of religion. And again, Bellar. in eodem ca. If any Prince, of a sheep or a ram become a villeinage, that is, become an heretic, the shepherd of the Church may expel him by excommunication, and together command the people not to follow him; and therefore to deprive him from dominion over his Subiects. Where is now the obedience of Paul, Act. 25.10. that appealed unto Caesar, a Tyrant, a Monster, as unto the Minister of God for iustice, saying, By him I ought to bee judged? Where is now that obedience unto Kings and Princes professed enemies to the Church of God, whereof jeremy speaketh? jer. 27.8. That people and kingdom which will not serve Nabuchadnezer, and that people that will not put their necks under the yoke of the King of Babylon, the same people will I visit with the sword, and hunger, and pestilence, till I haue consumed them. Rom. 13.7. Where is that fear, to whom fear? That honour, to whom honour belongeth? 1. Tim. 2.1.2. Where are the prayers and supplications for all men, especially for Kings, and those that are in authority? In stead hereof you haue barbarous axioms; Bellar. de Pont. Rom. lib. 5. cap. 7. verb. alterum vero sit. The shepherd may separate, and shut up rams that are mad, and destroy the Sheepfold: He may shut them up, or put them down into the number of common sheep. The King Saud. de visib. Monarch. le. 2. c. 4. per totum caput. that will not enthrall himself to the popes authority, ought not to bee tolerated: but his subiects ought to give all diligence, that another may be chosen in his place as soon as may be. Neither is it to urge them with the example of Prophets or Apostles. Bellar. de Rom. Pont. lib. 5. cap. 7. For, that the Christians did not depose Nero and Dioclesian, it was onely because they had no power. But in the first epistle of the Corinthians, and the sixth chapter, the Apostle commandeth them to set up new Iudges amongst themselves. O false friar! 1. Cor. 6. The Apostle to avoid contentious wrangling of Christians before Heathen Iudges to the discredit and scandal of the gospel, wisheth them by wise and discrete Arbitrators among themselves, to compose their jars. Now our cardinal impudently saith, he commandeth them to set up new Iudges, and new Magistrates. Amongst the rest of rebellious practices I may not omit, that, because subiects in many places and Countries by solemn oath, haue bound themselves to the faithful service of their Princes, Three notable false shifts our Romanists haue found out to frustrate all fidelity, and so to loose the collar of Kings, which is the true and faithful obedience of subiects. The first is, that the Pope may absolve men from their oaths, and make the bond voided, which before God and men with the greatest protestation is vowed. The second, that a man may with mental reservation, and by equivocation swear one thing, and intend another thing; and so falsely lie unto the holy Ghost, and deceive both God and Man. The third, that the Pope is the head of the King, and hath the Extran jo 22. si fratrum in Gloss. Empire over all Kings and Princes committed unto him( as some say) both infidel and Christian. Of these let us speak in order. Concerning the discharging of Subiects from their oaths; it is common with them, as you may see in their Canons; Alius item, Nos Sanctorum, Iuratos Milites, and sundry other. Of this impiety is there any example in the Scripture? are these the keys of the Church? Did Iesus Christ, did his Apostles ever teach such doctrine? Was not 2. Sam. 21. King Saul with all his children plagued, for that he broke the oath which the children of the Israelites swore unto the Gibeonites? Did not 1. Reg. 2. the breaking of his oath bring deserved confusion vpon the head of Shimey? Surely, Exod. 20. God holdeth them not guiltless that take his Name in vain. For he commandeth Leuit. 19.12. ye shall not swear by my name falsely. Wherefore amongst the rest of the virtues of a good man the Psalmist reckoneth this, Psal. 15.4. That swearing to his neighbour he disappointeth him not, though it were to his own hindrance. If this duty of keeping an oath ought to be so religious towards every private person: how much more towards the anointed of the LORD, and the ruler of the people? Wee see how reverently Gen. 14.22.& 21.31. Ios. 6. the ancient holy men took oaths, and how religiously they were performed; as that of Abraham to Abimelech: his seruant unto Abraham: The Israelites to the Harlot Rachab: joseph unto his Father jacob: The* oath of the Princes to save the lives of the Gibeonites. Ios. 9. Yea, the Lord God himself, to teach us what reverence, what religion an oath requireth, sweareth himself, and by himself. And yet the man of sin boasteth, that he hath power to discharge subiects from their oath, their faith, their protestations, and all religious bonds of truth. The second way of destroying Kings and Princes, is their Mental reservation, and equivocation; the most abominable poison that ever satan shed into the Church. This taketh all truth, all sincerity, all honesty, all uprightness, from amongst the children of men; a most barbarous Axiom, which the very Lapithes, and centaurs, the Cyclops, the savage Nomads, the Getes, Man-eating monstrous Cannibals, would I think be ashamed to admit; to deceive in swearing: in swearing, to lie and to dissemble; yea, to make the seal of truth, the covering of all untruth. What atheism so impious? What heresy so dangerous? The Heb. 6.16. oath should bee the end of all strife; This maketh it the forge, and the beginning of Contention: The oath is the glass, wherein one man should see the heart of another; But with their equivocation it is clouded, and covered in darkness, that none can know anothers meaning. This was the poison of the Manichees; Iura, periura, Secretum prodere noli. ex ep. cuiusdam Anonym. ad Phil. Cam. swear, and forswear, but secrets never bewray. These be the daies the Psalmist did prophesy of; P●al. 12.2. They do but flatter with their lips, and dissemble with their double heart: These are Iude ver. 12.13. the clouds without water, the raging waves of the sea foreprophesied by Iude: This is that Iam. 3.6.10.11. tongue, a world of wickedness, of which Saint james doth speak: This the mouth, out of which cometh blessing and cursing: The fountain, that sendeth forth sour and sweet water at once. A more hellish plot could never be contrived, then to swear and not to swear: to promise, with a mind never to perform: to make a faire show, when our heart is fowle and full of bitterness. But yet this hath satan always practised by his instruments. Mat. 26 49. Iudas kisseth, and betrayeth: with, All hail Master, he delivereth him to death. But see his end; he afterward hanged himself, and his bowels gushed out. Arrius that blasphemous heretic, The g●shing out of the bowels, twice hath been the reward of mental reservation who denied the Coequality and Coeternitie of the Godhead of Christ, being brought to recant his error before the Emperour Constantine, and the whole Nicene council, did so indeed, and made a solemn speech, in which he renounced all his false opinions: but secretly he had into a written book digested his blasphemies; which he bare in his bosom closely covered under his garment. Now when he had finished his Oration, laying his hand vpon his breast, and the book there hidden, he did openly swear; This is my faith. The Emperour dismissed him with the synod; for they thought that he had sworn that his faith was according to his speech. But he falsely understood that to be his faith, which was hidden in his bosom; not that, which was uttered with his tongue. But let them which follow his falsehood behold his punishment also; Who shortly going to discharge his body, poured out his bowels withall. When Cent. 10. cap. ●. fol. 305. Henricus Auceps the Emperour had taken vpon him a solemn oath never to wear the crown vpon his head again; meaning thereby, that he would never more exercise the imperial power; The holy Father the Pope persuaded him not to give over, but to take vpon him the government again. To which when the Prince replied, how shall my oath bee then observed? The Pope answered; you shall not wear the crown vpon your head any more, but haue it born before you on a staff. The same perfidiousness and double dealing, which is practised among them, is publicly taught also by them. For if any desperate catiline, or Rustianly Clodius, in his confession to a Priest disclose a purpose he hath to murder a private man or a Magistrate, The Priest may not reveal his confession: but admit Summo Angel. in ult. Confess. verb. qu●d si interrogatur that it be suspected, that he hath delivered an heinous and bloody purpose to the Confessor, and there bee an oath tendered unto the Priest what was the tenor of the Confession, He must swear he neither heard, nor knoweth any thing to reveal: he must not be silent nor mute, but boldly avouch, he knoweth nothing, and heard nothing, meaning, nothing that may be uttered. Of the same mind is Manipulus Curatorum, a book written for the direction of all Priests in the executing of their office. For he saith; Man. Curat. If the Confessor be brought as witness, and compelled to swear, he ought to swear, that he knoweth nothing of the matter, neither doth he forswear. For though the confitent haue revealed such matter, yet the Confessor doth not know whether it be true or not. Therefore he may truly say, he knoweth nothing: And if the judge press him earnestly, yet he must still deny; For an oath was not ordaine● to bee the bond of impiety. Another saith, Extreu de Iurā. Calum. ex Manip. Curat. Ibid. the Priest may safely swear he knoweth nothing of the matter revealed in Confession. For he knoweth it not as Man, but as the lieutenant of GOD. Thus, while all treasons begin with Confession, and Confession must never be revealed, like innocent sheep, Kings and Princes are carried to the slaughter, and made the marks of every Traitourly and desperate Zimry. The third means and passage to the destruction of Kings and Princes, is; They persuade, Extrau. l●. 22. si fratrum in gloss. both the spiritual and Secular sword to be in the hand of the Pope; Gerson de p●testat. Ecclesie Consi. 12. part. 3. In whose thigh Christ himself hath written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. By this it then followeth, that if John King of England be murdered by a monk, or Henry the Emperour bee forsaken by his subiects: yet the imperial, or Kingly majesty is not violated, nor diminished; Vid. Bonif. 8 Constit. unam sanctam. For it dwelleth in the Pope, as in the fullness of power. Out of this also it comes to pass, that the De Pont. Ro. l. 5 c. 7. Pope may depose the Emperour; not onely if he be a wicked and ungodly Prince: a wolf, and a mad ram( as Bellarmine speaketh.) But Zacharias Regem Francorum non tam pro suis iniquitatibus, quam pro eo quod tanta potestati erat mutilis, à reign deposuit. cause. 15. q. 7. cap. alius. though he be not evil, yet if he be unfit and unprofitable in so great a government, the Pope may deprive him, and discharge the subiects from his obedience. The upshot is; Cum totius Ecclesiae vniuersalis, queen est unica, et bonorum eiusdem pl●naria dispositio● Papa esse noscatur. Extran. de off c. de leg. c. seeds Apostolica. that of the universal Church, and all the goods thereof, the plenary disposition is in the Pope. wherefore he may translate Empires, put down one, and set up another: yea, the lives of Kings and Potentates are in his hand also. For, Bellarmine not onely saith, that Per excom. aliasque commodas sationes. l. 5. de Ro. Po●t. c. 7. verbo tertium argumentum. a disordered King must be compelled by the Pope by Excommunication and other fit means: In rebus quae obsunt fiut s●●ituali, aut sunt ad eum consequendum necessar●a, spiritualis potestas potest et debet c●er●ere temporalem omni ratione& vta quae ad id nicessaria esse videbitur. Bell. de Ro. 'pon. l. 5. c. 6. verb. ita prorsus. But in those things which hinder the spiritual purpose or end; or in such cases, wherein the spiritual purpose may be furthered, the spiritual power may, and ought to bridle the temporal, by all means and ways which thereto shall be thought necessary. If then it be thought necessary to deprive him, Et simul jubere populo, ne sequantur. ●ell. l. 5. de Ro Pont. c. 7. verb. ergo triam. The Pope may command the people not to follow him: if to kill him, why omni ratione et via, by all ways and means, he may be restrained. And thus unto the throat of all Kings and Princes whom the Pope rejecteth, way is made for every Sicarious Ruffian and Traitor; At non tenentur Christiani, imo nec debent, cum evident ● periculo religionis tolerare Regem infidelem. de Ro. Pont. l. 5 c. 7. verb. at non. for Christians are not bound, Nay, they may not suffer an infidel King with the danger of religion, as is afore said. Let us now cast the reckoning of all, and sum it up together. Not the Pope onely, but every Bishop may excommunicate an Emperour, a King, a Prince, for contumacy in the smallest business; A King Excommunicate must not bee obeied: Priests are not subject to Magistrates; therefore, if they kill them, they are not Traitors. The Pope may discharge subiects from their oath: The subject himself may equivocate, and lie unto the King in his oath: The Pope is the King of Kings: He may deprive any Prince: he may restrain him by all means and ways; therefore, by conspiracy, by treachery, by murder, by blood: the gentle cardinal makes neither Limitation, nor exception. Lucretius. Tantum relligio potuit suadere malorum. Such mischief such religion can persuade. Let us descend unto the second point; which is, to consider from whence this their transcendent power, this imperiositie over all Kings and Princes is taken. In the former Chapter, I trust, it was sufficiently declared, that by the law of God the Kings power hath no superior vpon earth: therfore from the Scriptures the Pope can never prove this his Lordship over them. jo. de Turrecremata saith, Papa non sic est dicendus habere jurisdictionem in temporalibus jure Papatus, vt dicendus sit sotit●s orbu Dominus. lo. de Turrec l. 2. Suum. de Eccles cap. 113. The Pope is not to be said, so to haue jurisdiction in Temporalities by the right of his popedom, that he may be called Lord of the world. Hugo de Sanc. Victore saith, Terrena potestas caput habet Regem. l. 2. de sac. par. 2. c. 4 The head of the earthly power is the King. Driedo saith, Non simul illi dedit imperium temporale supper vniuersam Ecclesiam: neque enim abstulit imperatoribus& Regibus sua Reg●a▪ neque item v●luit, vt omnes potestas Regalis, ●r●nde ac Ecclesiastica debeat deriuari& descendere ex potestate Petri. Dried. lib. 2. de lib. Christ. cap. 2. Christ did not give unto the Pope temporal dominion over the Church: Neither did he take away their kingdoms from Princes: Neither would he, that all Kingly power should be derived and descend from Peter, as the ecclesiastical doth. Yea, Bellarmine himself confesseth; Ex scripturit nihil habemus, nisi datas Pontifici ●laues regni coelorum: de clauibus regni terrarum nulla mē●io fit. Bell. l. 5. de Pont. Ro. c. 5. verbo, tam vero. Wee haue nothing from the Scriptures but the keys of the kingdom of heaven given unto Peter: Of the keys of earthly kingdoms there is no mention. It is a thing worthy observation, that Bellarmine going about to prove the authority of the Pope over Kings, is compelled first to confess De Ro. Pont. l. 5. cap. 4. That he hath no direct power by the divine Law; But the temporal power he hath, is indirect, as it is ordinate to the good of the Church. And for this indirect temporal authority he allegeth no other place of Scripture but that one onely, jo. 21.15.16. Pasce oves, Feed my sheep. And surely, this place is unto them Pandorae Pyxis; it proveth every thing: it confirmeth every thing: it is ad omnia. But who is so simplo which doth not know, that our saviour in these words, Feed my sheep, restoreth Peter to the office of Apostleship, from whence by his perjury he was fallen? Neither doth the word feed, extend so far, as to rule and govern over all persons in all things. It is a fallacy, and a more sophism, Fallacia à non consequenti, ab ignorantia Elenchi. to make such conclusion; Christ bade Peter feed his sheep; Ergo, he may depose Kings and Princes. Better is that Collection which abbot Smaragdus maketh; In Vigil. Sanc. Petri supper Eu●ng. lo. cap. ult. verb. Contristatus est Petrus. Christ said to Peter, feed my sheep; not thine, but mine: seek my glory in them, my dominion, mine increase; not thy own gain. Bellarmine in this great want then, and penury of arguguments out of Scripture to be taken, is forced to repair unto other reasons. First he saith, that the civil power is subject to the ecclesiastical. Sol. But by that reason every Bishop hath as much authority over Princes, as the Pope; for they all challenge spiritual power. again he objecteth, Ob. that every temporal Magistrate ought to change the form of government, which hindereth the spiritual good; Therefore the temporal state is subject to the spiritual. I answer; Sol. All the Friers in the world cannot draw from hence a good conclusion, that the Pope may depose Princes. evil laws must be changed, and evil government reformed by the Kings themselves, by their Parliaments and Counsels of state; There is no cause to sand for the Pope unto the business. he objecteth, Ob. that one kingdom may compel another to depose their Prince, when they cannot otherwise defend themselves from his wrong doing. Therefore much more may the spiritual commonwealth command and compel the temporal, and depose their Kings. I marvell he is not ashamed to abuse the time, Sol. the eyes and ears of men with such cavilling untruths. Though warres be lawful by a Christian Prince to be taken in hand for his own defence, Gen. 14. 2. Sam. 21. and to calm the tyranny of an evil neighbour, doth it therefore follow, that a Priest hath power, by Censor-like authority to excommunicate and deprive Kings and Princes? The one hath warrant in Scripture: the other hath none at all. His fourth argument is; Ob. The people may not tolerate an infidel King, or an heretic which draweth the people to his heresy: But to the Pope it belongs to declare and determine who is an heretic, and whether a King draw men to heresy; Therefore to the Pope it pertains to judge Kings, and to depose, or not depose. From false grounds there can be no good conclusion. Sol. An heretical Prince cannot be deposed by the people; We haue neither commandement nor example for it in Scripture. Israel endured jeroboam, Ahab, Ahaz, Hosea, and others. 1. Kin. 12.& 16. 2. King. 16. Secondly, the Pope hath no more authority to declare what Prince is an heretic, or a persuader to heresy, then other men. Thirdly, he hath power to declare who is an heretic: it is common to him with all other Bishops; Neither doth it hence follow, that he may depose a King. Ob. An husband is at liberty to dwell, or not to dwell with: to keep, 1. Cor. 7.15. or to forsake an vnbeleeuing wife; Therfore the people may put away an vnbeleeuing King. Sol. I answer; the Apostle speaketh not of the duty of subiects towards Princes, but of Husbands and wives betwixt themselves; from which no Consequence can be taken, to prove that a subject may revolt from his Prince. Secondly, it is evident by the words of Saint Paul, that his meaning is not, that in such case of infidelity a man may choose a new wife, or a wife a new husband: Neither doth he allow a full separation, but onely as concerning the point of Idolatry; A brother or a sister is not in subiection in such things. Liberā habeat potestatem discedendi, tamen fideles non proijerat illam à s●. Haym●. in 1. Cor. 7. Thirdly, the Apostle doth not counsel the believing brother or Sister to expulse the vnbeleeuing yoakfellow: But if the vnbeleeuing will depart, let them depart. Hoc nihil ad Rhombum; What is this to the Popes supremacy? Ob. Lastly, Bellarmine endeavoureth by examples to illustrate the Monarchy of his papal Caesar and priestly Prince above all secular power. The Priests( he saith) did resist Uzziah attempting to burn incense to the Lord; being stricken with leprosy they cast him out of the Temple; And the same uzziah was compelled to depart the city, and to leave his kingdom to his son. Sol. Although we might justly answer him, that we live not by examples, Legibus vivitur, non exemplis. but by laws: yet I further say, uzziah was prohibited to offer Incense, and removed by the Priests out of the Temple; For which act the word of God was their warrant. But the Romanists haue no authority from the word to depose Kings or Princes: Neither doth it follow; the Priests had such authority in the Law; therefore they haue also the same in the gospel. Lastly, uzziah was not deposed from his kingdom by the High Priest; For he was King unto his death. But his son did administer the same under him being a Leper, 1. Chro. 26.21. because he could not come into any congregation of the people. Athalia the queen was put out of authority by jehoiada the High Priest. Ob. 2. Chro. 23.14. The Ministers of the gospel haue not the same judicial power in civil affairs, as the Priests in the Law had. Sol. The Priests and levites bare we●pons, sounded Trumpets, were the ordinary guard of the Temple: the Ministers of the gospel haue no such office. Hereto add, that jehoiada the Priest alone did not depose Athalia: but all the Princes of Israel, and the King himself was present at the doing thereof. Lastly, Athalia was no lawful queen; Shee was a murderer, and a usurper against joash the true and lawful King, who was present in person when Athalia was ordered to be slain. Of Ambrose he saith, that by him Theodosius the Emperour was excommunicated for the rash putting to death of so many Antiochians, and compelled to make a law against the hasty execution of any capital sentence, that none should be put to death till thirty daies after the iudgement pronounced. Ambrose Vid Zez●m l. 7. cap. 24. did not exercise any temporal authority over the Emperour Theodosius, but onely ecclesiastical, by the censures of the Church: Neither did he command the Emperour to make the above rehearsed law: but did perhaps aduise and counsel him so to do. Ruffinus saith, Ruf. quibus omnibus istud quoque inrabiliter a●biecit, lege sanx●t in posterum &c. Ruffinus l. 2. cap. 18. Qui& legem quo queen illis irrogauit &c. Zozom. l. 7. cap. 24. Apostoli de mortuis vivos faciebant, hi mortuos ex vivos tart. in. l. Praescrip. it was the Emperours own doing, and so doth Zozomen also. The rest of his examples are of the proud attempts of the vultures of that Church, after all corruption was crept into it; wherefore they prove nothing at all. Our last consideration is, How orderly, and with what moderation they use this sovereignty arrogated unto themselves over Kings and Princes. And surely, it is most true, that the Tumults, Warres, Treasons, murders, Destructions; by them in every nation and country practised, volumes of books cannot contain. Let Histories witness unto you the vexations offered to the Emperour Otho the fourth, by Innocent the third. Henry the fourth, by Gregory the seventh. Henry the fift, by Paschal the second. Frederick the first, by Hadrian the fourth. Philip the son of Frederick, by Innoeent the third. Philip the second, by Gregory the ninth. Conradus the fourth, by Innocent the fourth. John King of England, and sundry others. How many Emperours and Princes haue been brought, either out of blind devotion, or by insulting tyranny, to kiss their feet? justinian, the feet of Constantine. Crescentius Consul, the feet of John the seventeenth. Frederick the first, the feet of Alexander the third. Otho the first, the feet of John the seventeenth. Charles the Great, the feet of Pope lo. Henricus the fift, the feet of Gelasius the second. sigismond, the feet of Martin the fift, and of Eugenius. Carolus the fift, the feet of Clement the eight. John King of England kneeled at the feet of the Popes Legate, and kissed the feet of Stephen Langton Bishop of Canterbury. Of Emperours also and Princes deposed the number is not small. Greg. 1. in priuileg. Monast. Sanct. Med●r.& citatur ab ipso Bell. l. 5. de Ro. Pont. c 8. verbo quartum est. Gregory the first, in the privilege he granted to the monastery of Saint Medrad, depriveth all Kings, Rulers, Iudges, whosoever violate the decree of his command. Zacharias the Pope deprived Childerick King of France. lo the third translated the Empire from Greece to Germany. Innocent the third deposed Otho the fourth. Hugo earl of Italy by Urbanus was deprived. Clement the sixth deposed Lodowick the fourth: Other Potentates also haue been brought to the lowest dejection, and basest slavery that might be. Frederick Barbarossa was fain to submit his neck under the yoke of Alexander. Henry the fift was crwoned with the Popes foot, and with his foot the crown spurned off again. King John was constrained to yield up his crown to Pandulph the Popes Legate, and five daies to continue as a private person. Henry the fourth to wait three daies and three nights at the gate of Pope Gregory, together with his wife and child in the deep of Winter. Franciscus Dandalus to lie like a dog under the Popes table being Clement the fift, and there to gnaw bones to satisfy the papal fury. Henry the second King of England was constrained to go barefooted on Pilgrimage with bleeding feet to the tomb of Thomas of Canterbury, by Alexander the Pope. Frederick the Emperour to hold Pope Hadrians stirrup: and afterward was the same Emperour Excommunicate for putting his name before the Popes name. Paschalis the second caused Henry the Emperour to be taken out of his grave again. As they haue excommunicated, vexed, and deprived Emperours and Princes: many also they haue brought to death. Conradus, descended of the royal race of many Emperours, with the Duke of Austria, were both by the procurement of the Pope put to death. Alexander the third would haue betrayed Frederick the Emperour to the sultan, and writ letters to this purpose to that infidel Prince, who sent them again to the Emperour; by whose commandement the said Letters were openly red before the state of the Empire at Noremburge. Innocent the fourth, caused Frederick the second to be poisoned first, and then strangled by one Mansfredus. Innocent also excited Philip King of France, promising remission of all his sins if he would either kill or expel King John out of his kingdom. Many other Princes and Kings I might place in the same Catalogue, deposed, deprived, excommunicated, persecuted and vexed. O blessed Lord be merciful to thy Church, put thy hook into his nostrils, and thy bridle into his jaws, that the power of this destroyer prevail not against thine anointed: that thine own institution of Kings and Princes by thee also may be defended, and under the shadow of thy wings protected from the power of the dog, and the fury of the lion: that to thy name in all congregations, and to the King of Kings thy dear son Iesus Christ, with the holy Ghost, all power and glory may bee ascribed world without end. Amen. ANTI-   christus. THe Christus videlicet& Christi Vicarius, Petrus Petrique successor. de maior: et ob. cap. vnu●● sanctum. Pope is both Christ, and Christs Vicar; Peter, and Peters successor. 1 MAny shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. Math. 24.5. The Archidiac. de haeres. verb. et quia taunt. Pope is Lord of all temporal kingdoms. 2 Foxes haue holes, and the birds of the air haue nests, but the son of Man hath not where to rest his head. Math. 8.20. The sixth. decr. lib. 3. periculoso in gloss. Pope is Prince of the whole world. 3 Behold, wee haue forsaken all and followed thee. Math. 19.27. The Distinc. 96. cap. Satis evidenter. Pope is God. 4 See now how that I, I am God, and there is none but I. Deut. 32.39. The Non descendit de jure divino, said de jure gentium. Bell. de Pont. Ro. lib. 5. cap. 2. Lordship of Princes doth not descend from Gods Law, but from the Law of nations. 5 I haue laid help vpon one that is mighty, I haue exalted one chosen out of the people, I haue found david my seruant, with my holy oil haue I anointed him. Psal. 89. verse 20, 21. Although Rhem. in. 1. Pet. 2. annot. 5. all power bee of God, and Kings rule by him, that is no otherwise but by his ordinary concurrence and providence. 6 Samuel looked on Eliab and said, Surely the Lords anointed is before him; but the Lord said, look not on his fashion or on the height of his stature, because I haue refused him( but of david the Lord said) Arise, and anoint him, for this is he. 1. Sam. 16. verse 6.7.& 12. Kings Rhem. in 1. Pet. 2. annot. 6. and Emperours could not bee heads of the Church being Heathen men. 7 Thou art sent of the King and of his seven counsellors to visit Iuda and jerusalem, according to the Law of God which is in thy hand. 1. Esd. 7.14. The Rhem. in. 1. Pet. 2. ●●not. 6. Kings excellency of power is in respect of the nobility, and Lay-Magistrates under him. 8 david made the ordinances of the children of levi. 1. Chron. 23.6. First Rhem. ibidem. honour God, then the Bishop, then the King. 9 Submit yourselves unto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake; whether it be unto the King, as excelling. 1. Pet. 2. verse 13. Iuxta Rhem. Transla. Apostles, Rhem. in 1. Cor. 14. annot. 16. et in Mat. 22. annot. 3. Bishops, Prelates, are onely set by the holy Ghost to govern the Church: neither must temporal Princes exact, nor their subiects give to them ecclesiastical jurisdiction. 10 Kings shall bee thy nursing Fathers, and queens shall be thy nursing Mothers. Esay 49.23. God Rhem. in 1. Pet. 2. annot. 5. instituted the spiritual government in more excellent manner then the temporal. 11 Salomon set the sorts of Priests to their offices, as david his father had ordered them: and they omitted not the commandement of the King. 2. Chron. 8. verse 14.15. A tract concerning Antichrist. I Assure myself, that every one who readeth my former labours in this TRISAGION contained, will easily perceive my purpose to be, by the comparing of the doctrine of the gospel with the Popish blasphemies, to show, that the Romish Church is the Synagogue of Antichrist, the Tabernacle of that wicked one planted in the holy mountain. Now for that, to divert from themselves this imputation, and to cast mists of darkness before the eyes of men, they imagine that Antichrist shall be a jew of the Tribe of Dan, reign in the Temple, and perish in Mount olivet, I haue been bold to offer unto thee, zealous reader, these few tracts ensuing, concerning the PERSON, the SEAT, the BIRTH, GROWING up, and DOMINION: the marks, the CERTAINTY, the MANNER, and TIME of the destruction of Antichrist. CHAP. XXXVI. Of the Person of Antichrist. THat Antichrist the begotten of Satan, the opposite enemy of the gospel of Christ, is a body politic, a state, a kingdom of false teachers, obscuring the benefits of the passion of CHRIST, detracting from his offices, corrupting and perverting his word and Sacraments, persecuting his true Church; if with a serious consideration, and diligent eye, we search and perpend the Scriptures of God, it will bee plainly deprehended. First, the Apostle Paul calleth it a Mystery of iniquity: 2 Thes. 2.7 Mat. 24.15 and our saviour, abomination of desolation. Which form of speech rather importeth a kingdom, and a society of evil persons, then one particular person. Secondly, of this mystery of iniquity the Apostle Paul witnesseth, 2 Thes. 2.7.8 that it did work in that time, wherein he wrote his Epistle to the Thessalonians, and that it should bee destroyed by the brightness of the appearing of the Lord: but no one singular person can so long endure; therefore Antichrist is not one individual, or natural man. Thirdly, Daniel describing the four Monarchies, compareth them to beasts: and by the little horn rising among the ten horns Antichrist is prefigured; so that, as the other ten horns were states and kingdoms: so this was also a state and a kingdom. Wherefore, speaking of his eyes he saith; He had eyes like a man. Dan. 7.8. Which speech plainly doth distinguish him from a man; for that which is like, is not the same. Neither doth the reply of Bellarmine overthrow this argument, who saith, that in diuers places Daniel by one beast doth understand one particular King; as Alexander by the Goat, Darius by the ram. For in this place Daniel Dan. 8. calleth the Dan. 7.17 four beasts four Kings. By which he maketh it evident, that under the name of a King he doth understand a state, or monarchy. The fourth proof I take out of the words of the Apostle, in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and the second chapter, who saith; He that now letteth, will let, till he be taken out of the way, and then shall that wicked one be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall abolish with the brightness of his coming. From hence I reason; that by him which letteth, and must be taken away, sundry interpreters, as Tertullian, Tertul. lib. de resur. carait. Hier. ad Algasiam. q. 11. Hierom, Chrysostome, Ambrose, Austen, and the Rhemists in their marginal notes, understand the roman Empire. After the destruction whereof, immediately Antichrist must bee discovered, as the Apostles words import. Then I thus conclude: Antichrist appeareth after the dissolution of the Roman Empire, and endureth till he be abolished by the second coming of Christ: but this space of time containeth many ages, and hundreds of yeares; Therefore Antichrist cannot be a singular person, but must needs be a state, and a political body, which for the space of so many ages is to continue. For if we take the shortest account, and reckon the Roman Empire to haue ceased but at that time, when Lodowick the Emperour, son of Charles the great, yielded up Rome with all the jurisdiction thereof and the Territories about it, unto the Pope, it was about the year 817. almost 800 yeares since. Fiftly, Saint John acknowledgeth, that Antichrist is a body politic. For he saith, 1 joh. 4.1.3 There are many deceivers entered into the world, and every spirit which confesseth not Iesus Christ, that he is come in the flesh, is not of God, and the same is 〈◇〉, the Antichrist. In these words, first he speaketh of many, and at the last concludeth all of them in one person, 〈◇〉, this is Antichrist. sixthly, all heretics deny Iesus, when they teach falshods concerning him, and affirm him to be such as he is not. But above all other the Romish Church denies Iesus to be Christ; for they haue taken from him all the offices; of Priesthood, of prophesy, of Kingly power, to which he was anointed. eleventhly, John saith; 1 joh. 4.3 every spirit which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God; but this is the spirit of Antichrist, of whom you haue heard that he should come, and now already he is in the world. I shall need no further, I trust, to seek arguments in this question, since Saint John, who among all the holy writers is onely found to use the very word, Antichrist, doth plainly witness, that his spirit is in all them that deny Iesus Christ to bee comne in the flesh, and that he himself, whose coming they heard of and expected, was then in the world. The favourers of the Romish Church stand much vpon the Article ὁ, That Antichrist, or The Antichrist; as though thereby it were proved, that Antichrist should bee one natural man. But alas! this is a miserable shift. For as this Article is much used in the greek tongue: so it doth not always determine a singularity of number; as you may see in the fourth of Luke; Where the Greek readeth 〈◇〉, luke 4 4 Man or the Man shall not live by bread only. Mat. 2.27. Mat. 5.25. Mat. 12.35 So in the second of Mark, and matthew the twelfth, and matthew the fift, and sundry other places. In which though the Article ὁ bee used, yet it is no sign of singularity, nor of restriction to one particular person. They object also, that Christ opposeth the person of Antichrist against his own person; Ob. Bell. ex jo. 5.43 I am comne in my Fathers name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him will ye receive; therefore Antichrist shall bee a private person. It is plain enough, Sol. that Christ speaketh this of every adversary, which without authority sparseth abroad impious and ungodly errors. All which false teachers and false Prophets, as Theudas, Iudas, Galilaeus, Barcocabas, were better entertained among the Iewes, then Christ himself. Wee may as well argue; Mat. 24.11 Many false Prophets shall arise, and seduce many; Therefore Antichrist shall bee a politic body of heretics, seducing, deceiving, and leading into error. As for that which Bellarmine infereth, how Antichrist shall bee received of the Iewes instead of messiah, this place proves no such thing. The Iewes received many false teachers, whom yet they beleeue not to be the messiah. Ob. Daniel( they say) calleth Antichrist a King, not a kingdom; Therefore Antichrist shall be a singular man, not a State or kingdom. Sol. I answer, Daniel calleth the four Monarchies Beasts; and describeth every one, as one several beast: yet the Monarchies consisted of sundry Kings, and sundry Princes. And Daniel in his second chapter, speaking of the roman monarchy, calleth it a kingdom: yet presently he saith, Dan. 2.44 In the daies of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom. So that the Prophet sometime under the name of Kings, signifieth whole States and kingdoms. As by the ten horns many kingdoms are signified: So, under the figure of one Ram, Dan. 8.20. all the Kings of the Medes and Persians are typified. Thus much may suffice to be spoken of the Person of Antichrist, to show that it is no new opinion, that this mystery of iniquity, and abomination of desolation, is a Kingdom, not a King: a political, not a private person: not contained in one place, but a city dispersed throughout the whole world. CHAP. XXXVII. Of the seat of Antichrist. AS when Saul 1. Sam. 19.11. sent Messengers to slay david, his wife Michol took an Image and laid it in the bed, with a pillow of Goats hair under the head thereof, showing it unto the Messengers in stead of david: So the Masters of the Romish Church, following not the piety, but the fraud of Michol, when we inquire after Antichrist, and seek for him, offer unto us an idol of their own conceit, and an Image of fantastical opinion, in place of the substantial body of the man of sin: Or as the Lapwing, that she may deceive the pursuer, houereth always over the place where her young ones are not: So our Romanists lead us from the true seat of Antichrist, unto such places where they know well enough we shall never find him. But if we compare together the two Prophets, Daniel, and S. John in his revelation, it will very probably appear, that the little horn mentioned in Daniel, Dan. 7.8. which came up having eyes like a man, and a mouth speaking presumptuous things; who had a grimmer visage then his fellowes, and made battle with the Saints of God, and prevailed against them, And was of such presumption, that he did think that he might change times and laws; is all one with the second Beast Reu. 13.11. rising out of the earth in the revelation, which wrought such wonders, deceived them that dwell on the earth, compelling them all to receive the mark of the beast; And surely both these are the Images and Types of Antichrist. To prove that at Rome they must arise, and there sit, we shall need no other Arguments, then to attend unto the words of the two Prophets, Daniel and John. First, Dan. 7.8. for the little horn, it rose up( saith Daniel) among the ten horns of the fourth beast, that is, amongst the multitude of kingdoms belonging to the roman Monarch; for that is the fourth Beast. Yea, the standing up of the little horn after the fall of the ten Kings or horns, agreeth rightly with the papal domination, who after suppression and destruction of all the horns, Kings and kingdoms belonging to the roman State, doth now sit there as the sole Monarch, and Ruler of the world, according as his Canonist saith, Papa totius mundi obtiuet prine patum. De statu regulariam periculoso. in Gloss. Apoc 13. The Pope hath the principality of the whole world. Let us speak now of the beasts mentioned in the thirteenth of the revelation, whom John so describeth to sit in the chair of Rome, that more plainly he cannot speak, except he should name the place. In the Image and similitude of the first beast he painteth out the greatness and power of the ethnic Rome, having the likeness of the Leopard, the feet of the bear, the mouth of the lion, that is, all the power of the Three Beasts, or kingdoms, mentioned in the seventh of Daniel, swallowed up by him, who was unlike, and far surpassed all the other kingdoms. For the very Dragon or divell himself gave his power unto this Beast, that all the earth should worship him: Which cannot be verified, at the time wherein John did writ, of any State but of the roman Empire; for that onely then swayed the rule of the world, having every known kingdom and Nation; yea, the Iewes themselves in subiection. For the further explaining of the matter, least any man should doubt who this Beast should be, he describeth him doubly; Vid. Napier supper Apoc. by his Heads, and by his horns. His horns were ten, that is, many kingdoms and Principalities to him subject. For the number of ten often in the Scripture signifieth a great multitude, Palatinus, Coelius, Tarpeius, otherwise Capitolinus, Aueutinus, Quirinales, Veminalti, Esquilinus, are the 7. hills on which Rome standeth. the definite number being taken for an vndefinite. His Heads seven; for that the city itself was then seated on seven hills, as in the seventeenth chapter, the Spirit maketh it most manifest, saying, the seven Heads are seven hills, on which the woman sitteth. Secondly, the seven Heads are seven Kings, in respect of the sevenfold manner of government, which successively hath flourished in Rome; that is to say, Kings, Consuls, Dictators, Decemuirs, Tribunes, Emperours, Popes. Of these( saith the Spirit) five are fallen. For the first five kinds of rule were decayed: one is, that is, the imperial; and one is not yet come, that is, the papal. return we again to the Beasts; for in the end, the first beast, the ethnic Rome, receiveth a wound by the loss of her great power, though it lived still, that is, was not utterly destroyed. Apoc. 13.11. After this, a second Beast is described by John to come up out of the earth, because all his Religion consisteth in human and earthly Traditions; And this Beast hath the two horns of a lamb, that is, both Secular and spiritual power challenged from Christ. He doth also show great wonders; for the strongest pillar of the Popish government is lying and false miracles, wrought by the power of the divell, but received of them as though it were fire from heaven. This second Beast, by means of these signs which he doth in the sight of the first Beast, that is, openly in the Cities and Countries subject to the roman Monarch, deceiveth them that dwell on the earth: for by his means a general defection from the truth hath been seen every where. Now whereas the first Beast received a wound, and by the setting up of an imperial seat in Constantinople, was in her power divided and weakened, and left also to the oppression of her enemies; This second Beast causeth the Image of the wounded and miserable wretch to be made, who now onely retained life in herself without her antic honour: And to this Image he giveth spirit, that is, he continueth the life, and reviveth the power of Rome being almost dead, and without breath, and speechless. Insomuch, that for a while it began to be called Odoacria of Odoacer King of the Herulians, who conquered and overcame it. But the Image of the first Beast got life by the benefit of the second Beast again, the Caesarian majesty being turned into the papal majesty, an Image of their ancient soueraginety. For the Romish Church, in the place of the roman Empire, commandeth all: And the Pope standeth in the place of Caesar, and is worshipped of all, small and great, bond and free: they must all receive the mark, the Name, the number of the Beast, that is, the primacy, the Religion, every creature must be subject to the Pope vpon loss of salvation. Bo. 8. de maior& obedientia. cap. unam sanctam. the power of the Romish Church: which, whosoever acknowledgeth not, is excommunicated and cut off from the society of men, worse then an infidel, and a Publican, He may neither buy nor sell. Last of all, to make that which is plain, more plain, Saint John addeth; Reu. 13. ult. The number of the Beast is the number of a man, and his number is 666. And surely this number sundry ways belongeth to the Romish chair. First, it is found in the word Irenaus l. 5. cont. Valent. cap. venit. verbum. 〈◇〉, as Irenaeus acknowledgeth. Bellarmine striveth and wrastleth by all the means he can, to avoid the mark wherewith the Romish Church is so plainly branded; and therefore not onely the word Teitan, whereof of Irenaens maketh mention, burr sundry other, as 〈◇〉, and diuers others he heapeth up. But what is this, but to cast dust into the eyes of the Reader, that he may not discern the clearness of the light? Wherefore consider I pray you, that Saint John saith, Count the number of the Beast. Now the Beast was not a particular person, but a kingdom, a State, a government. Wherefore it must also be the name of a State, and a kingdom, not the name of a particular person, not of the sun, not of a conqueror or wicked captain Bellar. de Rom. Pont. l. 3. c. 10. VICARIVS GENERALIS DEI IN TERRIS ( as Bellarmine rehearseth;) Nor a fiction or wrested name,( as to disgrace Martin Luther, Genebrard inventeth Lulterus or Ludderus) but the name of a State or a government; which he also calleth, The number of a man, that we should not think he spake of unreasonable beasts, but of a multitude of men. To these testimonies I may justly adjoin the figure of Antichrist set forth in the seventeenth of the revelation; where in express words the holy Spirit unfoldeth himself, and saith; The woman which thou sawest, is that great city which reigneth over the Kings of the earth: But no city at the time of the revelation made, unto John, nor yet since, reigned over the Kings of the earth, but onely Rome; therefore Rome onely is the seat of that woman Babylon, drunken with the blood of the Saints. That this place also is understood of Rome, Tertullian is witness, who saith, Babylon apud johannem nostrum urbis Roma figura est. lib. 3. cont. Marcionem. Babylon in our John is a figure of the city of Rome; neither can the Romanists avoid us, by saying that ethnic Rome is understood by the woman Babylon, and not Christian Rome. For, as Daniel speaketh of a little horn rising up amongst the ten horns, by which he distinguisheth the two-fold government of the fourth monarchy, under Heathen Princes, and under Antichrist; and as Saint John in the thirteenth of the revelation maketh the same Rome to be two Beasts, in respect of the two-fold state under Emperours, and Popes: so in this seventeenth chapter he distinguisheth betwixt the Whore, and the Mother of whoredom: betwixt Heathenish Rome, when she was governed by Emperours, and Pseudochristian Rome, now that she is ruled by the Pope. The same city then is called an Whore, with whom the Kings of the earth committed fornication: and the woman sitting on a scarlet coloured beast. This is nothing else but a distinction betwixt Rome and Rome, under Heathen Princes, and under the Popish sovereignty. Before, in the time of the Heathens she was a Whore, and made Kings and Nations drunken, with whom she committed her fornications: But now the drunken Whore is on the back of the Beast, never so drunken, never so proud, as in the time of the papal Regiment. And if before time she were an Whore, now she is the very Mother of whoredom; but still the same Whore, the same city. Lastly, Math. 24.15. the abomination of desolation, the Man of sin, the adversary exalted above all that is called God, both by the testimony of our saviour, and the prophecy of Saint Paul, must stand in the holy place, or in the Temple of God: but the Temple of God is the Church, which the Papists say, is the catholic roman Society; for they haue restrained that name onely to the roman government, calling it the catholic roman Church; therefore therein must the mystery of iniquity sit. This interpretation, Austen witnesseth, in his time was of many received. For he saith, Rectinsque putant latin dici, sicut in Graeco est, non in Templo Dei, said in Templum Dei sedeat, tanquam ipsi fit Templum Dei. Aug. lib. 20. de Ciùit. Dei. cap. 19. Quod dicitur de Romana Ecclesia, intelligitur de summo Pontifico, ●●d. Schol. Aloys. lip. Papatus. 12. they will, and do think, that it is better rendered in latin, as it is in the greek, that Antichrist shall sit over the Temple, then in the Temple of God, as though himself were the Temple of God. And surely, the Romanists so restrain all power, all knowledge unto the Pope, that in fine they make him onely the Church; For, to stand to the determination of the Church, to be in the Church, what is it but to stand to the Popes iudgement, and to obey the Pope? Here they will say, that by this we make the Romish Church the true Church, when we affirm that Antichrist sitteth in the Church; and this Church is one, namely, the Roman. Not so; for Rom. 9.6. as they were not all Israelites, which were of Israel: Osee 2. 23. and as jerusalem was called his people, when they were not his people: So likewise the Romish Church is called the holy place, and the Temple, because it was so esteemed; and for that baptism, the Eucharist, and some outward Ceremonies of the Church are there still used, it is therefore called Christs Church, Analogicè, not Vniuocè, as Logicians distinguish. Thy name( saith Nomen tuum Christianum sonat, said facta Antichristum monstrant: sub nomine nomen impugnas, sub lege legem debellas, persequeris fidem, quam te profiteri simulis. Chrysost Hom. in Math. ●●. ex cent. 5. cap. 4 Vid. Targum Hieros apud Genebrard. an ancient Father) soundeth Christian, but thy deeds show thou art Antichristian; under the Name thou dost overthrow the Name, and by the Law thou ouerthrowest the Law; thou persecutest the faith, which thou dissemblingly professest. To conclude, the learned Iewes also did hold the same position with us concerning the seat of Antichrist: For the Targhum saith, Moses delivered the people out of Egypt, and CHRIST the King shall deliver them out of Rome. It is objected, that the Beast which cometh out of the bottomless pit, shall murder the two Witnesses in the streets of the great city, which spiritually is called sodom and Egypt; where also the Lord was crucified. Therefore it should seem, that in jerusalem Antichrist shall rather reign then in Rome. To this I answer; that jerusalem in the Scripture is never called sodom and Egypt; Heb. 12.22. Esay. 1.16. Gal. 4.26. Math. 5.35. but the city of the great King, the city of the living God, the righteous city, the faithful city, the Mother of us all: It is never the type of the malignant, but of the true Church: And the Lord also may be truly said to haue suffered in Rome, where his members are daily put to death, and by the authority of which city or Empire, Christ himself was also crucified. The Papists themselves writ, that when Peter was fleeing from the persecution at Rome, Christ met him, and Peter demanding, Lord whether goest thou p Christ answered, I go to suffer at Rome; by which Peter being admonished went back, Ex Bren. Rom. in fest. S. Pet. & was crucified. So, by their own confession, where his members suffered, Christ suffered. Gen. 49.17.27. As for the opinion that Antichrist should be of the Tribe of Dan; it is a very idle dream, and hath no authority in Scripture: For as of that Tribe jacob prophesied, that He should be a serpent in the way and an Adder in the path: So( he saith) benjamin shall johann as a wolf. The cruelty of the villeinage doth no less belong to Antichrist, then the subtlety and malice of the Serpent: Wherefore they might as well say, Antichrist should spring out of the Tribe of benjamin, as of Dan. Neither is it likely, that one person in so short a reign of three common yeares and an half, should achieve and attain so many and so great conquests over the whole earth, and the Inhabitants thereof; as Hentenius in prologue. translat. Arethe ex Fulk. in Apoc. 11. Marg. nota 1. Hentenius a Papist himself doth confess. Lastly, that Antichrist should sit in the Temple of God at jerusalem, no sober man can affirm, seeing our saviour himself prophesyeth of the Temple in jerusalem, Luke 21. that one ston shall not be there left vpon another. And to admit that Antichrist shall slay the two Witnesses in the streets of the holy city, it proveth not therefore, Cum tunc Antichris. vniu●rsa ubique contineat,& intu●,& foris,& in civitate,& in des●rto. Chrysost. Hom. 49. ex cap. 24. Math. that Antichrist shall dwell in jerusalem, or haue his seat there; as chrysostom well observeth; Not in one place, but in all the parts of the world, the persecution of Antichrist shall rage against the Church. CHAP. XXXVIII. Of the birth, growing up, and Dominion of Antichrist. OF the springing up of Antichrist in the Church sundry differing opinions there are. One saith, he shall bee born of ecclesiastical parents: Another saith, his Mother shall be of the children of Israel, and and his Father an Egyptian. Some( as I haue formerly said) dream that he shall descend from the Tribe of Dan. And there are who think, that Antichrist shall be the very son of the divell himself, begotten vpon a woman. The time of his coming also they will haue to be in the end of the world; that Gen. 15.12. as in the evening, at the going down of the sun the horror of sleep and fearful darkness fell vpon Abraham: So in the later age of the Church, the grievous fury of Antichrist, and terrible tempest of his tyranny, shall afflict the Sheepfold of Christ. The truth is; As the revealing and manifestation of Antichrist God in wisdom reserved to the later ends of the world: So ever since the very infancy of the Church, Antichrist hath been a working mystery, and a ( b) secret evil walking in the night; according to the saying of that ancient Christian Sage; tart. Apol. adu. gent. Truth began together with the hatred of itself. Wherefore the Apostle Paul saith, in his time 2. Thess. 2.7. the mystery of iniquity did already work: and John, speaking of the great Antichrist, saith; 1. joh. 4.3. Now already he is in the world. The chiefest purpose of Antichrist is, to overthrow the Offices of Christ, to which by God the Father, with the holy Ghost he hath been anointed. Now ever since the first time that our saviour made himself known unto the world, this hath been in doing. Wherefore, that from the beginning of his Church the mystery of Antichristian abomination hath wrought, it is no error to affirm. Let us look vpon the pharisees in the daies that Christ conversed bodily vpon the earth: Let us look vpon the Roman, the Corinthian, Laodicean, the Colossian, the Galathian Churches, with them at Philippos also; the Epistles written by Saint Paul unto all those Churches, do manifestly declare, that by the false Apostles, and Iudaizing hypocrites, the Articles of full Redemption through Christ: of free justification by his merites: of Sanctification: of Resurrection, were with all might and main impugned: The Ceremonies of the Law, worldly and fleshly holinesse, together with Traditions, were vehemently urged, magnified, and extolled, by all the means that satan could devise. This, when we see before our eyes, can wee deny, but that in those daies Gen. 49.17. Ex Centuria. 2.& 3. Clement. the Serpent was by the way, and the Adder in the path? Descend we a little lower to that age which succeeded the Apostles: Do we not find the works of the unregenerate magnified above measure? and unto the natural man a great deal more then is fit, ascribed? The justinus si author fuit Respons. q. 103. righteousness of works highly extolled? Ex eisd. Cent. The perfection of human iustice made equal with the angelical perfection? The next age added diuers corruptions of doctrine also. Orig. 2 lib. in joh& lib. 3. One saith, that, The holy Prophets and Saints were without sin: And again, Orig. 11. hom. in number. That Christ came to deliver from the Law of ceremonies, but not from the curse of the commandements, the testimony, and the iudgement: Me●hod. apud Epiphan. l. 2. Tom 1 Another, that wee are justified by keeping the Lawe of Nature, by the help of Christ. Will-worship then also crept into the Church, Adoration of Saints, Orig. sub finem l. 2. in job. reproving of lawful Marriage, Cypr. Tertul. lib. de ie●unio cont. psych. choice of meats, and satisfaction by abstinence. Some man perhaps will say, that by this means I make all the ancient Fathers members of Antichrist, reprobates, and wicked. Not so; for I aclowledge them the worthy instruments of God in his Church: Yet, as Aaron, whom God used as the Priest of holy things, the Exod. 32. divell also made his instrument to set up Idolatry; Or, as by the Serpent, which was an excellent creature of God, wiser then all other beasts, Satan spake unto eve, and brought destruction vpon her: So the divell taught these ancient Ezech. 18.2. Fathers to eat sour grapes, that the childrens teeth might be set on edge. None is free from error, but Christ onely. The Fathers were but men, and as men they were in many things deceived: yet, Apoc. 2.24. they knew not the deepness of Satan, nor were altogether drunken with the Babylonish cup, as they were which followed them. We know, S. Peter Gal. 2.12.13.14. himself, the blessed Apostle, and Barnabas, yielded too much to the Iewes in matter of legal ceremonies, and went not the right way in the truth of the gospel. And it seemeth, that this their dissimulation tended to the blemishing of the doctrine of Ver. 16. justification: yet is there any so impious, as to say, that Peter and Barnabas were members of the Antichristian and malignant church? God forbid▪ Satan doth many times take occasion to work by the weakenesse& imperfection of good and holy men. every one that hath been deceived with an Antichristian error, is not Antichristian. God giveth repentance to his seruants. 2. Reg. 14. Amazia, joas, Azaria, Iotham, were good and godly Kings,& yet somethings were amiss in their government. Apoc. 2. Ephesus, Pergamus, Thyatira, were excellent Churches: yet not in all things perfect. So the worthy Fathers of the Church, though it cannot be denied but that they tasted somewhat of Babylons golden cup, yet they held, no doubt, the foundation sure; and therefore are members of Christ and not of Antichrist. To say the truth, many things are by the Antichristian Prelates thrust into the books of the Fathers, which they never writ, spake, nor thought; Superstitions, Idolatry, Traditions; which if the Fathers were living, they would utterly disclaim, and deny to be theirs. And these subornations and falsifications are so many, that it is hard to say, what Father is come uncorrupted to our hands. Wherefore not now the Fathers themselves, but falsaries of the Roman Synagogue they are, that haue shed their poison into the wholesome waters, their vials of blood into the Riuers of the Church. After the two first ages of the Church, as every age succeeded other, so it brought more and more corruption with it: So that, even like the hairs of the head, which one after another turn, till at last all be as white as the Almond three: or as the leaven in the lump is so long hidden, till all become sour: or as darkness groweth over the body of the faire moon, till scarce any light be left; So the corruption of the Church by degrees and pauses increased, till at last all was confounded. And saving 1. King. 19.18 that the Lord left us a remnant which bowed not the knee to Baal, all fear of God, all truth and righteousness had perished out of the earth. Now may be verified that of Mich. 2.8. Micah; he that was yesterday my people, is risen up on the other side. And as Osee saith; Osee 4.7. As they increased, so they sinned against me. Ioel 1.4. That which the Palmer worm left, the grasshopper did eat up; the residue of the grasshopper, the Canker worm consumed; and the residue of the Canker worm, the caterpillar. schoolmen; and after schoolmen, Canonists;& after them, the Legendaries; and lastly, the infinite swarms of Monks, Friers, jesuits, haue profaned all Religion, and corrupted every Article of the faith, turning all into Ceremonies, Traditions, and fleshly rudiments. Come we from the depravation of doctrine to the ambition of the chair of Pestilence itself, the seat of the Roman Bishop. The Prophet Daniel foreshoweth, Dan. 7. that the little horn grew up at last to such height, that his mouth of blasphemy was opened wide against the God of heaven: and such power he took unto him, that he thought he could change both laws and Times, and that he sate in the Temple of God as God. For all this his Canonists profess of him; Lib. 1. decret. Greg 5. Tit. 7. The Pope hath an heavenly iudgement: Ibid. The Pope of nothing can make something: The Pope can dispense with the Law: Dist. 40. cap. non nos. in Gloss. The Pope is always presumed to be good though he be evil: His Ibid. doings must be excused as Sampsons murders, the Iewes robberies, and Iacobs adulteries. Dist. 34. cap. lector. in Gloss. He can dispense against the Apostle. There is as much difference between the Pope and the Emperour, as betwixt the sun and the moon. The Pope can be judged by no mortal man. sixth decr. de elect.& elect. potest. cap. fundamenta. in Gloss. The Pope is no man. Dist. 96. cap. satis evidenter. ex Szeged no. Hareditatem innocentiae reciptuns. The Pope is God. He hath the heritage of innocency. As Religion was corrupted by degrees: So the Popish Regality from small beginnings, is risen also up unto the crown of all excellence, and mounted above the stars. Let us in a word then, consider the steps and stairs, by which they haue climbed up, and ascended out of the very earth, to the highest pinnacle of all dignity and honour. Though it appeareth, The first step of ambitious Roman Bishops. Victor was Pope, anno 196. or as others say, an. 198. the Roman Bishop did very early and betimes meditate a monarchy, even in the daies of Victor the Pope, who thundered out his curses against the eastern Churches, because they kept not the Easter after his manner: pus 2. Ep. 301. yet it is evident, that before the Nicene council, there was no more respect had unto the Bishop of Rome, then to other Prelates. Before the Nicen council the name of Pope was common to him with other Bishops. Ex Fox. pag. 11 Eusebius Caesariensis doth witness, that the Roman Emperours did advance the Romish Bishop above other Bishops, and that the Nicen council gave this privilege to the Romish Bishop; that as above all other Kings the Roman is called Augustus: so the Romish Bishop above all other Bishops should be called Pope. The council of Chalcedon cap. 28. doth plainly show, that the first seat was granted to the Roman Bishop, because that City was the seat of the Roman Empire. Yet wee find after this the name of Pope attributed to sundry other Bishops; for Ex cap. 4.6. conc. Carthag. Aurelius the President in the sixth council of Carthage was called Pope. jerome Hier ad Chromat. idem ad Eustac. et Fabiolam. calleth Valerianus Pope, and so he calleth also Epiphanius blessed Pope; and( as Rhenanus witnesseth) Clodoueus Caesar, or Lodouicus, termeth a simplo Bishop, Pope. The same title was also given to Austen in the African council, and so is jerome enstiled by Boniface. Concerning the title of Dist. 99 prim● edis. universal Bishop, or Prince of Priests, their own Canon forbiddeth that such titles bee given to any, even to the Bishop of Rome. And Gregory himself doth witness, that no man ought to be called universal Bishop. And Pelagius Dist. 99. c. nullus the Roman Bishop doth decree, that no Patriarch should take the name of universality at any time. The council of Carthage Can 39. also ordaineth, that the Bishop of the first Sea shall not be called Prince of Priests, or the high Priest, or any such thing. And if it bee proved that any ancient Romish Bishops did take the same appellation to them, Haec ex jo. Foxo. fol. 12. 13. 14. 15 yet they alone had it not. For John Bishop of Constantinople arrogated the same to himself; and in the fift council of Constantinople, Menna is called Oecumenicus Patriarcharum; and in the same council johannes is called Oecumenicus Patriarcha; the one, the chief of patriarchs: the other, the chief Patriarch. In the Pontifices, quibus in sum sacerdotio constitutis. can. 5. et sic colligit Caran. in sum. council. council Agathense of all Bishops it is said, that they are constituted in the high Priesthood. So doth Urban Dist. 59. c. si officia. the Pope himself give the title Summus Pontifex to every Bishop; And so doth the seventh general council call the Bishops office Dist. 38. c. omnes the high Priesthood. Anaclet also in his second decretal Epistle calleth all Bishops Cum eiectione summorum sacerdotum sibi dominus reseruarit. Vid. Cara●z. in Anacleto. high Priests. I might allege Innocent the first, and Zosimus, to the same purpose. When the four chief seats and Patriarchees were in the first Synod of Nice established, their authority was so distinguished, that every one should govern in the Church of his limit: and the Canon saith, Mos antequus. Episcopo Romano partal●s mos est. Can. 6. the old custom endureth in Egypt, in Lybia, and Pentapolis, that the Bishop of Alexandria hath power over them all, and the Bishop of Rome also hath the like custom. Although in reckoning, the Roman Bishop was first name, because Rome was the seat of the Empire: and( as Eusebius Caesariensis witnesseth) the excellence of the Roman Empire exalted the popedom of the Roman church over other Bishops; yet within his own jurisdiction every Metrapolitan had power, neither might one invade the diocese of another Patriarch. So wee see, though for the honour of the Roman Empire, that bishopric had the first seat, yet neither in title, nor authority, Vid. Conc. Const. c. 36 was there betwixt him and other any odds. Let us now proceed on, The second step of the Roman ambition. and consider the next occasion which the Roman Bishops took, to advance themselves so high over other Bishops. In the East Church sundry Heresies, Contentions, and schisms arising, the Bishops thereof were glad many times to call for foreign help, and to adjoin unto their party what friends they could; strange, or domestical. Amongst the rest they sought unto the Romish Bishop also especially. One of the first of these was Achatius Bishop of Constantinople, and Timotheus, both Grecians, who desired Simplicius Bishop of Rome to condemn Peter Gnaphaeus Bishop of Antioch, and Peter Bishop of Alexandria, as Eutichian heretics. This thing of the Roman Prelates, willing to stretch their authority as far as might bee, was easily obtained, Vid. Euagrium liberatum. 2. Marianum Scotum,& Platinam. and Achatius himself became the executor of the Romish Bishops iudgement and sentence. Long after lived Achatius as it were devout unto that seat, and under their wing: but afterward growing more could toward them, and receiving again into his familiarity, and to their Ministry, the two Peters whom before he had so often complained against to the Roman Bishops, he was first by Simplicius the Pope reproved, and after by Felix the third, and Gelasius the first, his successor, excommunicated; The Popes pretending, that without the approbation of the Roman Sea Achatius ought not to haue received the two Peters,& that neither Achatius, nor the said Peter, could be absolved by any but by the apostolical chair. Note, that this was doing betwixt the yeares of our Lord 470. and 498. when in the year of the Lord 475. in Augustulus, the last of the Roman Caesars that Empire ceased: and so, according to the Apostle Paul in the second Epistle to the Thessalonians and the second chapter, The abomination of desolation began to appear vpon the taking away of that which hindered, Dan. 7 namely, the Roman monarchy. And this was the second step by which the little horn grew up. The third step. The third step to their Hierarchy was occasioned to the Romish Bishops by John Patriarch of Constantinople, who entitled himself ecumenical or universal Bishop, and therein was countenanced by Mauritius the Emperour, who wrote unto Gregory the first, Bishop of Rome, that he should subject himself to the Patriarch of Constantinople. With this so nettled was the Romish Prelate( who scarce endured any equal, much less a superior) that first he protested against all such smoky titles of vain glory, Circa annum 590. either in other, or in himself. Yet notwithstanding he putteth the Greekish Patriarch in mind, that unto Peter, the power of binding and losing was given by Iesus Christ, not unto the Constantinopolitan Bishops, by which he both arrogated to himself, and also put spirit into his successors, to claim sovereignty over all others. The fourth step. The fourth step unto Romish usurpation was by the murder of Mauritius the Emperour and his children, most treacherously slain by his subject and seruant Phooas. After which bloody fact, Vid. Platinā& Paulum diaconum in gestis Longobarder. that he might find favor with the Romish Prelate, being then of great estimation,& by him be received as Emperour, Phocas gave unto the Pope Bonifacius the third this pre-eminence, that the seat of Peter should be esteemed and honoured as the head of all Churches. Now was the window opened to all their glory, and the papal Monarchy prospered apace. The fift scale or round of their ladder, The fift step. by which they ascended, About the year 620. was the abiding all this time of the Roman Emperours in Greece, where they made Constantinople the chamber of the Empire. For while Mahomet the first Turkish Emperour against the Persians, Egyptians, and Greekes made war, and fought two and twenty battailes, Italy was neglected, and the Kings of France and Lombardie took opportunity to vex the Roman state, and so grew up to bee a terror to the Greekish Emperours. About the year 653. Then into the favour of the French and Lombards the Romish Bishops did creep by insinuation, and so began more and more to despise the Emperors. Insomuch that Eugenius the first took the secular sword into his hand. Geneb. Chron. l. 3. About the year 711. And Constantinus, the first Pope of that name, not long after presumed to give his feet to be kissed unto justinian the Emperour; his master. He also commanded the people not to receive Phillipicus the Emperour, Diac. l. 18. because he was an heretic. The sixth scale was the favour of the Emperour Constantinus, the son of Constance the Emperour, who, The sixth step. This Constan. began to reign about the year 670. moved with the holinesse of Pope Benedict the second, ordained, that whom the clergy, the people, and the Army elected Pope, him all men should receive as the Vicar of Christ, Sleid. l. 2. de quat. sum. imp. not expecting the confirmation either of Emperor, or Exarch of Italy. This being obtained, now the Pope boldly pulled his neck out of the obedience of the Emperour. The seventh step The seventh step. of Romish arrogance was occasioned by the good Emperour lo, who, Gregory was Pope an. 714. and sat 16. year& 9 months. Geneb. l. 3. in Chron. for that he abolished images out of Churches, and broke the same, was eagerly persecuted by Gregory the second, Bishop of Rome: and for this cause, the man of Rome and of sin, discharged his subiects from paying him tribute, and took from him all Hesperia, Ex Szeged. Aemilia, Liguria, and Italy; and brought to ruin the Empire of the Greeks. Platina ex Sigib. This example Gregory the third also followed, and did excommunicate the Emperour lo, and deposed him. The eighth means of the growing up of the little horn the Romish Babel, The eighth step. was the ambition of Luithprandus King of Lombardie. Who affecting to bee Emperour besieged Rome, Vid. Bull. in 2. Thes. 2. Rome refuseth the help of the Emperour. and raised much trouble in Italy. Which to resist, the roman Bishop Gregory refusing to seek help from the Emperour of Greece, sent unto Carolus Martellus a potent subject of France, and of great name, to aid and assist him against the rage of Luithprandus, which Martellus undertook, and by gentle persuasions withdrew Luithprandus from the walls of Rome. Thus the Pope was beholding now to Carolus Martellus, and endeavoured by all means to requited so great a benefit. Wherefore Pipinus the son of Carolus, a man full of ambition, and greedy of a kingdom, obtained of Zachary the Pope successor of Gregory, to depose his Master Chilpericus the lawful King of France from his royal seat, and to constitute him in his place. This the wicked Pope to bring to pass, pretended that it was metre, that Pipine should enjoy the crown, who cared for the government, then chilperic, who onely was King in name, neglecting the government. Vid Bullinger. in 2. Thes 2. Pipine thus now by treason and falsehood seated in his Maisters throne, and therein by the Pope approved, gratifieth the roman Bishop Stephen the second then sitting in that chair, by aiding him against Aystulphus the King of Lombardy; forcing the said King to yield up unto the Pope the Exarchy of Rauenna, with all that lieth between Padus and the apennine: from Placentia also to the Venetian lake, together with that which lieth within the river Isaurus, Testis huius historiae Platina et cause. 15. cap. allus. and all that lieth between the apennine, and the Hadriatik Sea, and whatsoever Aystulphus had amongst the Sabines and etrurians. Charles the great, son of Pipine, following his Fathers example, at the request of Adrian the Pope goeth into Italy with a great army against Desiderius the last King of Lombardie, overthroweth him, and casteth him out of his kingdom. And, as he gratified Adrian, so also he assisted Pope lo his successor, who was cast into prison, and accused of diuers crimes. But Charles the French King delivereth him from captivity: restoreth him to his dignity: banisheth Campulus and Paschalis his accusers: Circa annum 803. confirmeth his Fathers gift: honoureth the Popes chair. Now then to requited this great favour of Corolus Magnus, lo assembling the people into the Church of Saint Peter, after much solemnity declareth him Emperour. ever after this the roman Bishops challenged, unto themselves, the sole power to consecrate the Emperour, to anoint, and enthronize him. This interchange of favours betwixt the house of Pipine, and the Bishops of Rome, continued in the time of Paschalis the Pope, and Lodowick the son of Charles. For, as formerly the papal Sea gave the title of most Christian Kings to Pipine: So Lodowick was by them entitled godly. Pipinus Christianissimus: Lodouicus pus. Dist. 63. ego Lodouicus. Wherefore he also, to remunerate the roman Bishops, goeth beyond all Emperours, and endueth the chair of Pestilence, First, with power to choose and elect the Emperour: then with so many signories, provinces, and Countreys, that now his temporal state is grown up unto a great and mighty kingdom. For from this Lodouicus pus they receive the city of Rome with all her jurisdictions, Lands, Cities, Ports, havens, all the Sea coasts of Hetruriae, the old town Balneum Regium, Viterbium, Senna, Populania, Rosellae, Perusium, Maturanum, Sutrium. Towards Campania, Arania, Signia, Serentinum, Alatrum, Patricum, Fensinonum, Ex Ra●hael. Volaterano in gest. Pipi●● et Caroli l. 3. Geograph. with al the towns and villages about them: the Exarchate also of Rauenna; viz: Bouium Amiliani, Forum populi, Forum livij, Imola, Bononia, Ferraria, Comaclum, Adria, Ceruia. To these add Pisaurum, Fanum, Senogallia, Ancona, Anxinum, Numana, Esum, Forum Sempronij, Feretrum, Vrbinum, Territorium, Valmense, Callium, Luceoli, Egubium. In Campania, Sora, Arquireum, Arpinum, Vid Bulling. in 2. Thes. 2. et Sz●gedi. in spec. pontiff. Theonum, Capua. Likewise Primmonia, Beneuent, Salernitanum, Calabria, Naples, the Spoletan dukedom, Tuderotriculum, Neruia, and the Cities thereof: the islands of the lower Sea; Corsica, Sardinia, Sicilia. In all this grant of Lodouicus pus there is no mention of the donation of Constantine, Dist. 96. Constantinus. nor of any Lands or Territories by him given unto the Romish Church, howsoever the Romanists boast thereof. And surely, that Donation, whereof in his distinctions Gratian doth make mention, is a most false and impudent fiction. wherefore unto the Pope inquiring of their ambassador, how it came to pass that the Venetians got into their hands the tollage and custom of the adriatic Sea: The ambassador answered; they marveled that the Pope required them to show their privileges, whereof he himself had the keeping. For if it would please his holinesse to look on the backside of the instrument of the Donation of Constantine, there he should find this their dominion written in faire letters. pus secundus was wont to say, he marveled the miserable Canonists did so vex themselves in disputation concerning a thing that never was. To conclude therefore; so many haue by evident arguments overthrown this fiction, that Philippus Morneus saith, it is now onely believed of them that haue no learning. I remit the reader concerning this suborned and lying fiction, to the learned disputations of Laurentius Valla, Raphael, Volateranus, Andreas Alceatus, Huldericus Huttenus, John Fox, Philippus Camerarius. The last step which brought the Romish church to this Gigantean greatness, John the twelfth was made Pope anno 955. ex Geneb. lib. 4. said alij 958. is the translation of the Empire from France to Almain by Pope John the twelfth. Who after many successful battailes fought by Otho the German King, and the overthrowing of Berengarius in Italy, and diuers other worthy acts, crwoned, anointed, and entitled him Emperour of Germany. For which the Emperour again swore fealty to the Pope after this manner; To the Lord John Pope I King Otto do promise and swear by the Father, the son, and the holy Ghost, by the wood of the quickening cross, and by these relics of Saints, That if by the Lords permission I shall come to Rome, First Popes swore fidelity to Emperours and were chosen by them: now Emperours swear fidelity to Popes and are confirmed by them. Vide Sleid. lib. 3. de 4. Sim. imp. Dist. 63. tibi domino I will exalt the holy roman Church and the governor thereof: Neither shalt thou ever loose any member, life, or honour thou hast, by my counsel, procuring, or consent; and I will ordain nothing that belongeth unto thee, and the romans, without thy consent. All the lands of Saint Peter that I haue, I will restore, and to whomsoever I commit the government of Italy, I will make him swear, that he shall be an helper unto thee in defending the lands belonging to Saint Peter. Thus you see, by what degrees the roman Prelates haue mounted up unto the top of the Tower of Babel, and haue set their throne beside the stars of God. Es●y 14.13. So that now they presume to lift up, to throw down, to kill, to make alive, to bind, to loose, to excommunicate, release, and depose; yea, to murder both King and Emperour, whosoever standeth in their way, and is any hindrance to their ambition. Finally, they haue so brought it to pass, that there is no church but the roman: Papae est Episcopus totius orbu. l. 5. Sexti soelicis, in Gloss. no Bishop, no Lib. 3. sixth. Tit. 16.1. cap. periculos● in Gless. King, no Caesar, but the Pope; The Pope hath the principality of the whole world. wherefore Napier. 20. Apoc. vid. etiam. Sleid. de 4. Sim. imp. l. 3. ann. 1300 Boniface the eighth, who first after the rite of the old judaism ordained the first jubilee, was clothed one day in his Pope-like Pontifical, and the next day in the royal rob of an Emperour, having two swords carried before him. Here we see the prophecy of the binding up and losing of satan for a thousand yeares plainly fulfilled. For after Apoc. 13.5. the two and forty moneths, wherein power was given to the Heathen Tyrants of old Rome to shed the blood of Saints, were come to an end; which moneths being counted by Sabbaths of yeares, after the example of the sixty nine weekes in Daniel, and every month standing for seven yeares, amount to two hundreth ninety four yeares, being the time between the eighteen year of Tiberius, under whom Christ suffered, and the later end of Maxentius, subdued by Constantine the Great, with whom Heathen persecution ended. To this if you add the thousand yeares, wherein Satan was bound up, the full number of one thousand two hundred ninety four yeares ariseth; at what time Satan began again to bee loosed; Ottoman began his reign anno 1300 ex Genebr. but others say He began his reign anno 1296 vid. Napier. in Apoc. This account doth little differ from Master jo. Fox l. 5. act. constit. supper Cathedram. Ottoman the turk beginginning his reign much about this time. When also Boniface the eight( of whom wee haue spoken) playing Rex at Rome, made the sixth book of decretals, and gave unreasonable privileges to Friers, both against Bishops and Ministers. CHAP. XXXIX. Of the marks and tokens of Antichrist. THe corruption of the true doctrine of Iesus Christ, the most internal and essential mark of Antichrist, I haue in the former books already discoursed of. Now let us behold the outward and external tokens, whereby the Man of sin, the abominable desolation and mystery of iniquity, may be known. In which survey, omitting the hidden and darker signs of prophecy, I will onely gather together some of the plainest, readiest, and most open tokens of Antichrist which in the holy Scripture are delivered. Pride& ambition the first mark of Antichrist. First, that sin which was the beginning of sins both in Angels and proud men; proud and ambitious elation, is also the most eminent, and essential note of the first begotten of Satan, the Antichristian church. For of all pride what can be greater, then to challenge unto himself, that he hath the fullness of power, infallibility of understanding, and that he hath all Papa caeleste habet judicium l. 1. decr. Tit. 7 Can. qu●niam de renunctatione. heavenly judgements in himself; So that if the whole world judge against him, yet Cans. 9. q. 3. cap. nemo. to his sentence we must stand? as also to suffer himself to bee called Pontifex Ro. deus est. dist. 96. cap. satis evidenter. God and Christ? This mark our saviour Christ gave of his great enemy; Aug. tract. 29. in joh. versus finem. He that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory. Such doth abacuch describe the Chaldeans or Babylonians to be, Abac. 1.7. a nation terrible and fearful; their iudgement and their dignity shall proceed of themselves: Such doth Zephany describe niniveh, Zeph. 2.15. a rejoicing city, that dwelleth carelessly, and saith in her heart; I am, and there is none beside me: Such is Pharaoh the proud Egyptian portrayed in Ezechiel; Ezech. 29.3. The great Dragon that lieth in the midst of his riuers, Esay. 23.7. Ezech. 26.12. which hath said; The river is mine, and I haue made it for myself: Such doth Esay also and Ezechiel describe Tyre to be, a glorious city, and rich. As the types which went before: so is the spiritual Babylon herself. The roman Church, by the Lords disposition( saith one) is the Mother of all Churches: Another saith, What the branches are to the stock, what the members to the head, what the beams to the sun, the same all other Churches ought to yield to the pre-eminence of the Romish. Let me then conclude with jerome, Hier. in. q. 11. ad Algasiam. In the forehead of the purple whore there is written a name of blasphemy, eternal Rome. The second outward mark of Antichrist is his covetousness: covetousness the second mark of Antichrist. for such is the King of Assur described in the Prophet Esay; Esay 10.13. I haue removed the borders of the people, and haue spoiled their treasures. abacuch saith; Aba●. 1.9. They come all to spoil. In the revelation also, of the marvelous riches of the great whore the spiritual Babylon, the holy Ghost witnesseth, reckoning up Apoc. 18.12, 13. the ware of gold, of silver, of precious stones, of pearl, and of fine linen: of purple, and of silk, and of scarlet; and of all manner of thine wood, and vessels of ivory, and all vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and of Marble; and of Cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and Frankincense, and Wine, and oil, and fine flower, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and Chariots, and souls of men. Whom doth he point at, think you? Whom doth he describe, but the Romish church, which hath spoiled all other churches, to deck herself with their feathers? Of prive an English King they obtained, that every fiery house in his dominion should pay a penny. Which custom long time endured, and was called by name of Romescot, or Peterpence. This Tribute was after by Ethelwolph a Monarch of England given a new unto Rome, and the whole nation made tributary. And although a reasonable man would think this were a sufficient pension out of one province: yet the unsatiable covetousness of the Romish Sea could not so give over, but they must haue Tenths, Taxes, Collations, reservations, Relaxations, Procurations, first fruits, Math. Paris. in jo. fox. from the clergy also. Insomuch that Gregory the Pope in the time of Henry the third King of England, required at one time the fift part of the goods of all the English Clergy. Not long after the third part of the goods of all ecclesiastical persons, under pain of his curse: And another time, the Tenth of all movable goods, of ecclesiastical, and Lay persons, in England and Wales, the unsatiable Sea required. In the time of Simon Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury, he gate in one year sixty thousand Florens from the Clergy in England. Math. Paris fol. 23. ex jo. fox. What should I speak of his barns of corn? his usurers and banks of money, the yearly fruit of vacant benefice demanded in England? What should I rehearse the miserable spoiling of France and Germany by his intolerable exactions, Rents, revenues, Pardons, Palls? In the year 1246. the Pope decreed, that the goods and money of all Bishops and Priests deceased in England vntestate should be taken to his use. It is impossible to express the infinite increase which doth arise to them. In the year one thousand five hundred thirty eight, the Popes first fruits out of Europe came to the sum of 2468043. Florens, A Floren is an Italian crown, four shilling● six pence English. Ex Theatro Monarchia Papales Anglice scripto. & 900000. Florens, which he made of Elections, Dispensations, Pluralities, Tolerations, Bulls,& such like. In the daies of Martin the fift, 9000000. of gold( which amounteth to the sum of nine times a thousand thousand crownes) came to his Coffers out of France. Of Pope John the two and twentieth it is storied, that he left behind him five and twenty millions of crownes. One of their own Church, of them hath testified; Bern. Clunia●. Si tibi debt sua, non repleat tua guttura Croesus. If Croesus give thee all he hath, Thy throat will not be full. Va●alia n●bis templa, Sacerdotes, Altaria, sacra, coroner Ignes, Thura▪ pr●ces c●li●m est vanal●, Deusque. And Baptista Mantuanus himself a monk, saith; With us the Temples, Priests, Altars, holy things, Crownes, Fire, Frankincense, Prayers, heaven, and God himself, are to bee sold for money. Cruelty the third mark of Antichrist. The third mark of Antichrist is Cruelty. jeremy calleth Babylon a destroying mountain. In the seventh of Daniel, The little horn that grew up, shall destroy the Saints: And in the eighth, he shall tread the Host of heaven, and the stars under foot. And in the revelation; Apoc. 17.6. John saw the woman drunken with the blood of the Saints, and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus. Of the second Beast also it is witnessed by the Apoc. 13.15. spirit, That he should cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast, to be killed. And Daniel foreshoweth, that after the setting up of the abominable desolation, Dan. 11.33. They that understand among the people, shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flamme, by captivity, and by spoil. wherefore one well observeth; Christ came into the world to shed his own blood: Antichrist to shed the blood of others. Now this mark, above all, the city of blood, the Romish Babel, hath openly in her forehead. For what more cruel destruction of men? What greater havoc? What murders more merciless haue ever any Heathen Tyrants wrought against the poor flock of Christ, then Barbarous Papists haue done? witness the cruel persecutions in Italy, spain, France, England, Scotland, the exquisite tortures by their inquisitors invented; Noble persons, and mean, high and low, men, women, children, none hath their merciless fury spared. So that, if by killing any may go to heaven, The Romanists are sure, that wide open to them stand the gates thereof. Hadrian himself the Pope acknowledgeth, that there was no state worse then the papal, which was commonly gotten by blood. So that they seemed rather successors of Romulus, then Peter. As Mithridates King of Pontus was used to say of the old Romans: Ex Trego Pompeio. justinus. So wee may as truly speak of their successors; They may well brag, the founders of their kingdom to haue been nursed by a wolf. For they haue all stil the minds of bloody and unsatiable devouring wolves. If there were no other testimony hereof, let the Barbarous and examplelesse gunpowder Conspiracy, to destroy our noble King▪ and queen, the Princely Issue, our peers, our Bishops, our chiefest Knights, and worthiest Gentlemen, and Burgesses, our whole kingdom with one blow, be a perpetual mirror of their Nero-like bloudiness, to all true English men in all ages and posterity. The fourth token of Antichrist is their shameless fornication, whoredom the fourth mark of Antichrist. Adultery, Sodomitry, and filthy lusts▪ not to be name amongst men. Babylon in the scripture is termed an whore, both for her spiritual and ca●nall fornication. Iude Iude verse 8. of the enemies of Christ noteth, that amongst the rest of their iniquity, they are defilers of the flesh, and fleshly. And the Apostle Paul amongst the perilous manners of them in the last time recounteth, 2. Tim. 3.4.6. that they shall be louers of themselves, and louers of pleasure more then louers of God: And that they shall enter into houses, and led captive simplo women laden with sin. Saint Peter also plainly describing the kingdom of Antichrist saith, 2. Pet. 2. that they haue eyes full of adultery, and that they walk after the flesh in the lusts of uncleanness. Now if ever any church had this brand vpon it, the Romish may before all other bee known thereby. Who after with false and abominable hypocrisy they pretend above all men to bee so chased, as that they will not so much as in lawful matrimony touch a woman: yet the signs of their unsatiable lust they haue left every where behind them. jo. Cremensis cardinal being sent into England by the Pope to assemble a Synod, Math. Paris. et Ranulph. in Polichron. and in it to condemn all married Priests, was himself at night taken with a whore. Generally who were so lascivious as their Votaries, Priests, and Monks? Robert Bloet monk of Euesham, and Bishop of lincoln had a son in Monkish chastity called Simon, who was after dean of the same Church; Robert Peach, Bishop of Chichester begat Richard Peach Archdeacon of Couentrie; Easten a monk of Worcester of Wolgen a nun begat Saint Wolstan Bishop of the same church; Oswald one of the greatest setters up of Monkery begat Oswald the monk; Ethelwold Bishop of Winchester begat Wolstan a monk; Thomas Archbishop of york, begat Thomas the younger Archbishop there also. And of Popes themselves Martin the second was son of Palumbus a sorcering Priest; John the eleventh was son of Laudo the Pope; John the fourteenth was son of Pope John the twelfth; John the sixteenth, was son of one lo a Priest; Benedict the eight, was son of Gregory a Bishop; John the twelfth Pope of that name was son of the same Gregory; sylvester the third was son of laurence an Archpriest; Hadrian the fourth, son of Robert a monk; Eugenius the fourth, son of Pope Gregory the twelfth; Vid. Szeged. in spec. Pont. Pope Clement the eight was son of Pope lo the tenth; Pope Gregory the ninth, son of Pope Innocent the third; Pope Hadrian the fift, son of Innocent the fourth; Pope gregory the first, son of Pope Cl●ment the sixth. For shane I will not speak of their more heinous lusts▪ but stop my mouth with Mantuan; Roma Mares— Noli dicere plura: scio. universality or the largeness of dominion is the fift plain sign of Antichrist. Sion is but a citadel, Large dominion the fift mark of Antichrist. compared with the great city of jerusalem: and the true Church but a garden to the field, a river to the Sea, a kernel to the Apple, in respect of the outward and visible Church. In the thirteenth of the revelation, Apoc. 13.17. None might buy nor sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the B●ast: And in the seventeenth of the revelation, Apoc. 17.1.15.16. The great whore sitteth vpon many waters. Ten horns also she had, that is, many kingdoms subject unto her. As for the waters, the angel himself describeth them to bee people, and folk, and nations, and tongues. Thus then you see, that the thing of which the Romish Church most braggeth; universality and greatness of Dominion, is an inevitable mark of Antichrist. There is a sixth sign also, which may not be omitted, deceitful doctrine the sixth mark of Antichrist. wherewith Christ himself hath branded the great deceiver Math. 24.5. Many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ. I confess there haue been deceivers, who haue challenged this appellation unto themselves besides the Pope: But never any in challenging it did so prevail, as to haue both the name and the office attributed to him by laws and decrees, by Constitutions, Dist. 96. satis enid nter. Dist. de peniten. cap. Serpens Vid. Iunoc. 3. de consec. pontiff. max. Man 7 Christs the seventh sign of Antichrist. and the general opinion of the Church. For according to the testimony of his own vassals, The Pope is God: He exerciseth the place of the living God on earth: all Princes of the Christian people must be subject unto him, as unto Iesus Christ; For he is the Christ of God, the Lord of pharaoh. The seventh sign is also set down by our saviour himself; M●th. 24.23. mark 13.21. If any man shall say unto you, here is Christ, or there, beleeue it not. Wherein our eternal Prophet presupposeth, that there shall come in the later daies diuers, who shall say; here is Christ, and there is Christ. But never any sort or kind of men haue in this behalf so mocked the world, as the Romish Church haue done. They haue him naturally and really in the Sacrament, locally and truly on the Altar, and in the Pix betwixt the hands of the Priest also, as an offering to God; Here is CHRIST, and there is Christ. They haue his blood in this or that Abbey, and himself also in the cells of many a monk; See here, see there. he was at dinner with Saint Ro. Bre. in fest. Greg. lect. 5. Romā rediens. Gregory the Pope. Martin Ro. Bre. in fest. Mart. lec. 4. Martin Sabarte. gave him a piece of a cloak to cover his nakedness. he appeared to Ro. Bre. in fest. Sanc. Pet Alex. Peter Bishop of Alexandria in a torn coat: and being asked why he did so, the answer was, because the Arrians had torn the Church in pieces. Leg L●mb. in nat. Christi. fol. 9 pag. 2. ex Pet. Clun. The virgin mother shewed him to Hugh the Abbot in her arms, and he played with him. A woman, that laughed when S. gregory preached Christ to be really present in the Sacrament, saw a portion of the host turned into flesh about the bigness of a finger. To another prompt. exemp. 27. woman that earnestly desired to receive the sacrament, Christ himself did minister it. To Leg. Lomb. in vita Bern. Bernard also Christ appeared like a new born babe. He appeared In vita Aug. to Austen the Monk in Dorcetshire. To St. edmond Ex Leg non. Ang. in Edin. in a meadow by Oxford. In the wilderness of Chersen Ro Bre. in Clem. lect. 5. in the likeness of a Lamb. To Lucas Pin●lla Iesu●t. mirac. de Sacramento. a jew in the likeness of a little child at the elevation of the host; The same sight another godly& devout Priest obtained also. St. Christoph. bare him on his shoulders. Sundry more I could nominate: but let these shameless examples be thought sufficient. Opposi ion to Christ the eighth mark of Antichrist. Let us proceed unto the eighth token and brand of Antichrist, which is aduersation and enmity against Iesus Christ. Which mark we find delivered by Saint Paul, calling Antichrist adversary. 2 Thes. 2.4 Now that the Romanists are aduersaries, the detractions from Christ in all his offices, both in their missals and Legends, now. L●g. Aug. fol. 3●2. in v. 1● Wolstan. do evidently declare. The Legend of England telleth a tale of an Archdeacon and an Abbot, who praying together, the Archdeacon suddenly reproved the Abbot, saying; If thou love me, use not the matter so again. For thou hast prayed so earnestly, that Iesus Christ, Detractions from Christs omnipotency and the ubiquity of his Godhead. whom I visibly saw present at our prayers, by the violence of thy petitions forsook me, and turned unto thee. What blasphemy can be greater? as though Christ sufficed not unto the prayers of all, but were so intentive to one, that he forsook another. The like tale they haue of Dunstan; Ibid. in S. Dunst. that when he should die, Christ sent unto him to come unto him, Detraction from Christs wisdom. if he were ready: but he answered; this day the people are assembled to hear a Sermon, whom I may not defraud; therefore I cannot come to day. To conclude, so basely they esteem of Christ, Ille est proprius et ordinarius minister Sacramenti, qui habet potestatem supper corpus Christi verum. Man. Curat. c. 4. fol. 10. that they teach, every whilst hath power over his body. So speaketh Manipulus Curatorum; He is the proper Minister of Sacraments, who hath power over the true body of Christ. Auth. suppl. 3. part. q. 17. art. 3. And another saith, that the power the Priest hath over the mystical body of Christ, proceeds from the power he hath over the very body of Christ. Wherefore, in this behalf the Legend of Lombardy advanceth not onely the Pope, but every Priest, above Christ Iesus. For he saith, Detraction from Christs manhood It is great power to make one thing of another, as to make man of the earth: it is greater to make something of nothing, as the Lord made heaven and earth: but to make the creator of the creature, is of all powers the greatest. This God hath not given to any angel, but to the Priests, who by the divine virtue, turn the kindes of bread and wine into his body& blood. Cyprian, if he were author of that Sermon, Cyp. in ser. d● nat. which under his name is red touching the nativity of Christ, saith, that the Prophet jeremy calleth Christ a man, jer. 31.22 Mulier circundabit virum. when he was but an infant, because of his great power: but these make a child of Christ even to this day. Wherefore the Legend of Lombardy telleth a tale of a woman, who, for the pardon of her sins having long pleaded, and found no favour, Leg. Lomb. in nat. Christi. fol. 9. considered that children were easily pleased. She prayed therefore unto Christ by his holy infancy, and a voice presently came unto her, which did assure her of forgiveness. Qui rex fit ex pan●. jo 22. in orat. ad faciem Domini. salve sancta facies. Many other disgraces they offer unto Christ. As, when they call him a King made of bread, when they make him still to bee under the power and government of his mother; as the missal saith, Make thy son propitious. And bonaventure; jure Matris impera, Command by the right of a Mother. Michael de Hungaria saith, As other come to Christ by supplication: so Anne his grandmother hath right both to require& command Christ himself. Costerus therefore urgeth, that the King of heaven doth nothing to us, but by the will of his Mother. Detraction from Christs divinity. From his divine majesty also they detract, when they offer him up to God for the honour of Saints: when they desire, Miss. star. in dic S. Andr. praeceptis salutaribus. that for the merit of Saints he may bee effectual in his office unto them. Whereof in the missals there are sundry testimonies. dissoluteness of conversation in the heads& members, the ninth mark of Antichrist. Zeph. 3.3.4 Lastly, the profane and dissolute life of the heads and members of the Antichristian body in all kind of abominations, is an outward mark which doth plainly bewray them. Of the corrupted state of the Iewes, the lively image of Antichrist, the Prophet Zephany saith; Her rulers within her are as roaring Lions: her iudges are as wolves in the evening, which leave nothing behind them to the morning: her Prophets are light persons, and unfaithful men: her priests haue polluted the sanctuary, and wrested the lawe. jer. 2.21 Of backesliding Israell the Prophet jeremy complaineth; I planted thee a noble vine, and wholly a right seed: How art thou then turned into a bitter, unfruitful, and strange grape? As the wicked Israelites, who, being a chosen generation, a peculiar people, a royal Priesthood, turned from the Lord, and in all kind of filthiness corrupted their ways, do express the defection of the Church from all righteousness and integrity, to all filthiness& corruption which is in the Antichristian state to be seen: so the great Whore, the great Babylon in the revelation is described, Apoc. 17.3.5 to be a multitude of wicked and abominable persons, full of names of blasphemy, the mother of whoredoms and abominations of the earth, Cap. 18.3.5.7 drunken with the blood of Saints, abounding in fornications, full of pleasure, glorious, wanton; whose sins go up unto heaven. For what else did the confusion of tongues in the first Babylon foreshow, but the confusion of manners in the second Babylon? And this perhaps the Prophet also meaneth by the owls, Ostriches, Cats, Apes, Dragons, that in the pleasant palaces thereof shall dwell. Surely, besides the swarms of idle, swinish and seditious Iesuites, Seminaries, monks, Friers: and besides the multitude of unclean Beasts, Adders Vultures, Cardinals, Inquisitors, Protonotaries, Notaries, Dataries, Treasurers, clerks of the Chamber, Penitentiaries, and such like, whose good conversation to the whole world is known; I think, that all the bishoprics in England, France, and spain, cannot show so many profane persons, ungodly Beasts, and idol shepherds, as in that one chair of Rome haue sate. I will Marshall them into their orders, as I haue gathered them out of their own authors. Math. Paris. Sigebert, Platina, Onuphrius, Genebrard. Adulterers. Sergius 3. with Marozia. Lando. 1. John 2. with Theodora. John 12. joh. 13. who deflowered Virgins and pilgrims,& made the Lateran palace a stews. Alexander 6. John 14. John 19. John 21. John 24. Benedict 6. Benedict 9. Stephen 8. Christopher, who by Whores got his popedom. favourers of the Turkes. Clement 6. Alexander 3. Alex. 6. Gregory 9. Sodomites. Iulius 2. Iulius 3. lo 10. Sixtus 4. Alexander 6. John 24. Clemens 8. Benedict 1. John 13. John 14. Paul 3. Blasphemers. lo 10. Iulius 3. poisoners, and Parricides. Paulus 3. Alexander 6. Innocent 4. Gregory 7. Incestuous. Paul 3. Alexander 6. John 13. Maintainers of Whores. Victor. 3. urban. 2. John 11. Paul 3. Sixtus 4. Lucius 3. John 13. John 8. Drunkards. lo 10. Nicholas 5. Symonists. Gregory 9. Benedic. 9. Greg. 6. lo 10. Innocent 8. sylvest. 3. Gregory 6. Gregory 12. John 18. Tyrants. John 13. cut off the hands, fingers, noses, stones, plucked out the eyes, cut out the tongues of Cardinals. Bonif. 7. put out the eyes of John 15. Paschal 2. a persecutor of the Emperour Henry 4. John 14. hung up Peter, governor of the City, by the hair. Greg. 9. author of many troubles. Urbanus 6. a vexer of his Cardinals. Bonif. 8. persecuter of the Gibilines. Innocent 7. Innocent 4. Clemens 6. Stephen 6. Sergius 3. firebrands of their time, cruel and tumultuous spirits. Sorcerers and workers with divels. Marcellus. Alexander 6. Paul 3. sylvest. 2. Benedict 9. John 13. Clement 8. Gregory 7. John 19. John 20. John 21. Sergius 4. Benedict 8. sylvester 3. Gregory 6. Clement 2. Damas. 2. lo 9. Victor. 2. Steph. 9. Benedict 10. Nichol. 2. Alex. 2. All the Popes from sylvester 2. to Gregory 7. were famous Sorcerers. Ambitious& proud spirits. John 24. Martin 4. John 22. Bonif. 3. Martin 5. Bonif. 8. Hadrian 4. Alexander 3. Stephen 2. Damas. 2. Constantinus 1. Benedict. 3. John 17. lo 4. Bonif. 1. Symachus Bonif. 2. Syluerius. Martin 2. Formosus 1. Theodorus 2. Benedict 4. Sergius 3. John 10. Gregory 6. Of these some came in by their ambition, others proudly ruled, contemned Princes and Magistrates. Atheists. lo 10. who called the gospel of Christ a fable. Alexander 6. sylvester 2. Paul 3. Benedict 9. John 13. Clement 8. Greg. 7. who threw the Sacrament into the fire. Iulius 3. unlearned. Bened. 7. Bened. 9. Serg. 3. Eugen. 4. John 9. John 21. heretics. Anastasius 2. Liberius. Felix 2. Honorius. lo. John 22. Celestinus. warriors. Innocent 2. Iulius 2. Gregory 9. Clement 4. Innocent 3. Paul 3. Alexander 6. Traitors to Emperours. Alexander 3. Gregory 2. Zachary. Gregory 7. Bened. 12. Paschal. 2. Hadrian. 4. Gregory 9. Iulius 2. Gregory 3. Bastards. Martin 2. John 2. John 12. John 14. John 16. Bened. 8. sylvester 3. Hadr. 4. Eugen. 4. Clement. 8. Greg. 9. Hadrian. 5. Greg. 11. These are the shepherds, to whose voice every one is bound to harken: these are the watch-men of the Romish Tower, whose lives so beastly, whose conversation so scandalous hath been; that, not as the people so the Priest: But worse then the tail, is the head become. Wherefore I cannot blame that learned man who said; Since gregory the great, there hath been no Pope at all. Neither can they dislike with their own Poet, which at the promotion of such vile persons to the highest dignity, saith; Mopso Nisa datur, coruo datur ecce columba: Quelis pullus erit quem fert commixtio talu? To Mopsus Nisa, to the crow the dove is plight: What bide will be of such commixtion dight? Other outward tokens of Antichrist there are; Idolatry, false and lying wonders, and such like: Of which in the former Tracts I haue discoursed. Let us now go to the certainty of the destruction and ruin of Antichrist. CHAP. XL. Of the certainty of the destruction and abolishing of Antichrist. MAny yeares haue the souls under the Altar, who were killed for the word of God, with loud voices cried; Apoc. 6.10. How long tarryest thou, O Lord, holy and true? Exod. 2.23.24 For many yeares did the children of Israel sigh by reason of their bondage, and cried out of the Egypt of their captivity before they were delivered: Many a bitter groan they gave, and for long time they also shed many a bitter tear, before they were delivered from the yoke of the King of Assur, and the thraldom of the earthly Babylon. And are there not many now, Lam. 5.17.18 whose heart is full of heaviness, because of the Hill of Sion? Math. 5.6. who hunger and thirst after righteousness, and long to see the iudgement of the great spiritual Whore, Apoc. 19.1. and to sing the Alleluia of their deliverance? Wherefore, for the consolation of all such, let us speak a word or two touching the breaking of the rod of the oppressor, and the time which is determined over the Beast. And that we may the more orderly proceed herein, we will first show, that Babylon must be and shall be destroyed: Secondly, wee will describe the manner of the destruction, how fearful and terrible it shall be, and how her friends and enemies shall behave themselves therein: Thirdly, we will, as far as the Scriptures of truth give us warrant, point at the very time of her desolation. That Antichrist shall bee destroyed, and the shameless Strumpet receive the mead and due reward of her deserts, The Prophecies both in the old and new Testament do so assuredly declare, that, as he speaketh in the Poet, — Debitas poenas dabit. Seneca in Hercule furente. Lentum est, dabit. Dat. Hoc quoque est lentum. Dedit. So the Prophets make such certain account of Babels confusion, that they hast it even with words of the present tense, as though it were now in hand, and now a doing. Esay saith, Esay 21.9. Babylon is fallen, it is fallen, and all the Images of her Gods hath he smitten down to the ground. jeremy saith, jer. 51.8. Suddenly is Babylon fallen and destroyed. Of the destruction of Gog and Magog, by which many understand the Pope and the turk, the two great enemies of Christ, and the delivery of Israel from their tyranny, the Prophet Ezechiel with the same confidence speaketh; Ezech. 39.8. Behold it is come, and it is done( saith the Lord God) This is the day whereof I haue spoken. Esay therefore again of the ruin of Babylon proclaimeth; Esay 14. Her destruction shall grow into a prourebe, and a mockery: how happeneth it, that the oppressor leaveth off? is the golden tribute come to an end? yea, even the fir trees, and Cedars of Libanus, rejoice at thy fall: Hell also beneath trembleth to meet thee at thy coming, and for thy sake hath raised his dead. All mighty men and Princes of the earth: All Kings of the earth stand up from their seats, that they may all answer and speak unto thee; Art thou become weak also as we? Art thou become like unto us? In the seven and fortieth chapter also; Esay 47.1.2.3 Sit in the dust O daughter Babylon, sit vpon the ground: There is no Throne, O thou daughter of Chaldea, for thou shalt bee no more called tender and pleasant. Bring forth the Querne, and grind meal: untruss thy broidered hair, put off thy shoes, make bare thy knees, and wade through the water Riuers: Thy filthiness shall be discovered, and thy privities shall be seens; for I will avenge me of thee, and will show no mercy to thee, as I do to other men. In the thirteenth chapter, he foreshoweth also the utter desolation of Babylon; so that there shall be no more dwelling there from generation to generation: Esay 13.21.22 But fearful wild beasts shall lie there: the houses shall bee full of greas owls: Ostriches shall dwell there: and the Apes shall dance there: wild Cats shall cry in the Palaces, and Dragons shall bee in the pleasant Palaces. As of the typical and earthly Babylon the Prophets: so of spiritual Babylon, the Holy Ghost in the new Testament also by the pen of Apostles and evangelists prophesyeth an heavy and final destruction. The Apostle Paul 2. Thess. 2.8.12. sheweth, that the end of the abominable desolation is, to be revealed, consumed, destroyed. And Iude graphically describing the man of sin, and the whole body of that abomination, saith, out of Enoch: Iude v. 14.15 Behold, the Lord shall come with thousands of Saints, to give iudgement against all men, and to rebuk all that are ungodly among them, of their ungodly deeds which they haue vngodlily committed, and of all their cruel speakings, which ungodly sinners haue spoken against him. above all other testimonies, in the revelation Saint John doth most plainly witness the ruin of babel. For, even as the former Prophets: so he also speaketh of her destruction in the present tense, as a thing decreed with the Lord, and in hand to be executed: For so the angel pronounceth; Apoc. 14.8. It is fallen, it is fallen, Babylon that great city; for shee made all Nations drink of the wine of her fornication. The ten horns of the beast also( he saith) shall fight against the Lamb, but he shall overcome them; Apoc. 17.14. Ibid. 8. And again, the Beast shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and goeth into perdition: So likewise in the eighteen chapter, Apoc. 18. ●. The angel cried mightily, and with a strong voice; great Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of divels, and the Hold of all foul spirits, and a Cage of all unclean and hateful birds; And another angel saith, Ibid. ver. 8.9.10. Her plagues shall come in one day; death, and sorrow, and hunger, and she shall be utterly brent with fire; for strong is the Lord which iudgeth her. The Kings of the earth which haue committed fornication, and liu●d wantonly with her, when they shall see the smoke of her burring, standing a far off for fear of the punishment, shall say; Alas, Alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for at one hour is thy iudgement come. In the same chapter also, Ver. 21. A mighty angel▪ took up a ston like a great millstone, and cast it into the Sea, saying, with such violence shall the great city Babylon bee cast, and shall bee found no more. Hereto agreeth the prophecy of Sibylla, who foreshoweth, Lib. 8. par. tibi de coele sublimi vertitur. Roma. &c. that before the end of the world, the wrath of God, and woeful vengeance, with fire, and blood, and desolation, shall fall vpon Rome. To this I might add the prophecy of Methodius, which saith, that among the rest of Nations, Persia, armoniac, Cappadocia, Cilicia, Syria, Egypt, the East part of Asia, spain, Graecia, France, Germany, Agathonia, Sicilia, the romans also, shall be slain and put to flight. But I rely vpon the holy Prophecies of the Spirit of Truth himself in the volumes of canonical Scriptures. CHAP. XLI. Of the manner and time of the destruction of Antichrist. COncerning the dominion and destruction of Antichrist sundry vain& frivolous conceits men haue had, while not attending, nor diligently searching the Scriptures of salvation, they content themselves with the common opinion and error of the multitude; which is, Rhemist. in 11. Apoc. Sic Haym. in 13. Apoc. that Antichrist shall reign 3. yeares and an half, and then be judged. Many think Tho. Aquin. that Enoch and Elias before his destruction( the one being a witness concerning the time before the Law: the other of the time in the Lawe) shall appear again in the world, and that after this, Antichrist shall be slain in his Tabernacle on the Mount olivet. The Prophet Mal. 4.5. Malachy indeed witnesseth, that Elias shall come before the great day of the Lord. But our saviour, the best Interpreter, saith; Mark. 9.13. Elias is come, and they haue done to him whatsoever they would: Wherefore he calleth Mat. 11.14. John Baptist, Elias. The eleventh of the revelation also speaketh of Apoc. 11.3.5. two Witnesses: which place some expound of the two Testaments; the Law, and the gospel. Some, by the number of two Witnesses understand, that Christ shall during the whole time of the rage of the Beast, raise up a few Witnesses, which shall not give their name to the Beast, nor receive his mark; but shall make war against him. Out of whose mouths fire shall come to devour their enemies, that is, the word of God, and the preaching of the gospel by them shall confounded the aduersaries thereof. To think as Papists do, that these two Witnesses shall be Henoch and Elias in their own persons, is a gross and foolish dotage. For the spirit of God doth not call the two Witnesses that shall be raised up, Henoch and Elias: but two Ibid. ver. 4. olive Trees, and two candlesticks. If this place should be interpnted according to the letter, the Witnesses must carry fire in their mouths, and they must haue power to shut heaven during the time of their prophecy; which being one thousand two hundred and sixty daies prophetical, then it followeth of necessity, that all planting and sowing, buying and selling, must be given over, contrary to the doctrine of Iesus Christ himself, who saith; That Luk. 17.29.30. As in the daies of Lot they did eat, they draenke, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded, the same day that Lot went out of sodom: even thus shall it be in the day when the son of Man is revealed. Yea, this also is contrary to the promise of the Lord, that Gen. 8.22. Soweing tim● and Haru●st, could and heat, Winter and Summer, day and night, shall not cease all the dayes of the earth. But to know the manner of Antichrists destruction, there is no better way then to harken to the Apostle Paul, who unto his Thessalonians maketh three degrees of the destruction of the abominable desolation. For he saith, 2. Thess. 2.8. Then that wick●d man shall be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. The first step of the ruin of Babylon, The beginni●g of the ruin of Antichrist. is the revealing and searching of her through with lanterns and Torches; the discovering of her filthiness. Of Edom, a notable Type of Antichrist Abdias prophesyeth; Obediah v. 6. How are the things of Esau sought up, and his treasures preached? So also before josuah went to besiege jericho, the very glass of the Antichristian Babylon, Ios. 2.1. he first sent Spies to view the Land and the city also. The Prophet Daniel saith, Dan. 7.26. The iudgement shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion. By which, may be very well understood the excommunication of the Antichristian doctrine according to the rule of Scriptures; as in that ancient prophecy of Sibylla Erithraea is found; The destruction of Antichrist shall be by linen. By which, no doubt, she meant, Out of the book of the second coming of Christ. that books of Paper made of linen, should examine Antichrist, and confute him. The second means of the destroying of Antichrist, The progress to the destruction of Antichrist. the Apostle saith shall bee by the preaching of the gospel, in these words: 2. Thess. 2.8. Whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth. This S. John also alludeth to, when he teacheth, Apoc. 19.13.15. that out of the mouth of him that is called the Word of God, goeth a sharp sword. By which, the preaching and doctrine of the gospel is understood. At the destruction josu. 6. of jericho the Priests blew with Trumpets; by which the preaching of the gospel was signified: And the people shouted; which may well foreshew the embracing of the Word, and the entertainment thereof with much ioy: and vpon this the walls of jericho fell down, so that the people went up into the city every man strait before him. Let us return again to the revelation of Saint John, who foreshoweth plainly the consuming of Antichrist by the preaching of the gospel. For in the eleventh chapter two Apoc. 11. Witnesses are raised up to prophecy. In the fourteenth chapter also, before the fall of Babylon was pronounced, Apoc. 14.6. there was another angel, Which did fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell vpon the earth, and to all Nations, and klured●, and tongues, and people. This place manifestly declareth, that before the final fall and overthrow of Babylon, there shall bee an age, wherein the gospel over the whole earth shall bee truly and sincerely preached. These Prophecies wee see before our eyes manifestly performed. For, as the Lord from time to time had always some faithful teachers, signified by the two Witnesses in the revelation, which much bewailed the captivity of Gods Church under the spiritual Babylon; and haue preached and sought out her hidden Idolatry, and mystical wickedness; As Guil. de sancto amore, Marsilius, Patauinus, Ockam, Robertus Gallus, Robert Grosthead, Petrus Cuquerius, jo. Rupesciscanus, Conrad●● Hagar, John de Poliaco, Celena, Roger Bacon, Chau●er, John Hus, Wicklif, jerome of prague, Petrus johannes, Laurence an Englishman, William Swiderby, Walter Brute, and many others▪ So of later times God hath raised Luther, Melancthon, Zwinglius, Bullingerus, Musculus, Peter Martyr, Caluin, Beza, Zanchius, Tindal, Frith, jewel, Fox, and thousand● more, instruments of his providence, by the preaching of the gospel to overthrow the Towers of Babylon, and to consume her. Here note, that as before his revelation, Antichrist wrought in great darkness, seen and perceived of few, understood of few,( wherefore in the Scripture he is called 2. Thess. 2.7. Mysteri●̄ mulieris. Apoc. 17. a mystery, or a Secret) so since his revealing he is now open to all mens eyes. Bernar. supper Qui habitat in. Ver. 6. Idem in ser. de conuers. Pauli ver. Hen Heu Domini. Aug. in Psal. 9. ex de●t. 4. cap. 4. Not a divell of the day( saith Bernard) but of the very noon. Yet notwithstanding, he so bewitcheth his own members, and all those that haue received his mark, that in their eyes he is exalted still, not as the day, but as the sun, which poureth light into the day: And in the opinion of them, Antichrist is so blessed, that he seemeth some God. Wherefore, though his kingdom be now shaken and consumed by the breath of the Lords mouth: yet many shall still adhere unto him till the end; according to the prophecy of Daniel; Dan. 12.10. None of the wicked shall haue understanding: but the wise shall understand. The Scripture and infallible Oracles of God teach us four principal things, which shall fall out in this consuming of Antichrist by the breath of the Lords mouth, which is the preaching of the gospel. First, the members of Antichrist shall by all means seek to prop up the ruinous towers of their falling Babylon, and to make a reconciliation betwixt the lamb and the Beast, Christ and Antichrist. For so the Prophet witnesseth; jer. 51.9. We would haue made Babylon whole, say they. In the eighteen of the revelation the Spirit witnesseth, that Apoc. 18. 9.1● The Kings of the earth shall bewail her, and lament her: And the Marchants of the earth do weep and wail over her. To speak the truth, this prophecy we see apparently performed. For what could bee done by the Louers of the Romish prelacy, that hath not been done to haue cured Babylon? Psal. 1. The Kings and Princes haue gathered themselves together against the Lord, and against his anointed: councils and Synods, by laws: Inquis●●ors and Bishops, by cruel tortures: Priests and Friers, by writing: Iesuites and Seminaries, by seditious plots and conspiracies, haue done their uttermost to uphold the Beast, and to keep the drunken Whore from falling. To help forward, there are Achans in Israel, John. 5. Papizing divines and Preachers, to whom the quirk of a schoolman, and the quiddity of a Popish postil, any Babylonish rag, is more pleasing, then all the doctrine of the Apostles. And surely, these are no little hindrance to the going up of the walls of the gospel. For they would fain heal the Beast, and make an hotch potch of Religion; that they may Creti●e and cury favour with these that are the louers of Babylon. Secondly, labour they never so much, yet the Antichristian state must daily more and more consume, till the final abolition. For so witnesseth the Prophet; jer. 51.9. Wee would haue healed Babylon, but she is not recovered. Esay 47.11. mischief( saith Esay) shall fall vpon thee, which thou shalt not bee able to put off. Wherefore he telleth plainly unto Babylon, that her Ibid. ver. 13.15 heaven gazers, beholders of stars, and moon prophet, none of them shall defend her. And in another place, Esay 14.23. I will sweet them out with the besom of destruction. jeremy saith, jer. 51.14. The Lord of Hostes hath sworn by himself, that he will overwhelm thee with men like grasshoppers. And Esay concerning Babel witnesseth; Esay 14.24. The Lord of Hosts hath sworn an oath, saying, It shall come to pass, as I haue determined, and shall be fulfilled, as I haue devised. To all you therefore be it spoken, that h●lt between two opinions, and would fain see a toleration of Religion, or a peace made between light and darkness; Ibid. ver. 27. If the Lord of Hosts determine a thing, who is able to disannul it? Thirdly, the Spirit of God hath excommunicated Antichrist, and all them that take part with him, and calleth vpon all his seruants to come out of babel. For in the fourteenth of the revelation the third angel pronounceth; Apoc. 14.9, 10 If any man worship the beast and his Image, and receive his mark in his fore-head, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God; yea, of the pure wine, which is poured in the cup of his wrath: and he shall be punished in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels, and before the lamb. And in the sixteenth chapter; Apoc. 16.2. ( (i)) There fell a noisome and sore botch vpon the men which had the mark of the Beast, and vpon them which worshipped his Image. jeremy saith; jer. 51.6. Flee away from Babylon, every man save his life, that ye bee not rooted out with her wickedness. And zachary saith; Zach. 2.6.& 7 O get you forth, flee from the Land of the North( saith the Lord) for I haue scattered you in the four winds of the heaven( saith the Lord) save thyself, O zion, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. Fourthly, even by those her own ten horns, the kingdoms which formerly committed fornication with her, the Purple Strumpet shall come to confusion. For so the Spirit witnesseth; Apoc. 17.16 1●▪ The ten horns which thou sawest vpon the Beast, are they that shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to do with one consent, for to give their kingdom unto the Beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. The prophecy is plain: Ibid. For as in the thirteenth and fourteenth verses of this chapter the Spirit foreshowed, that the ten horns or kingdoms had one mind, to give their power and authority to the Beast by advancing the Antichristian chair above all measure; and also to get favour therewith, haue persecuted the lamb of God, and his chosen▪ So now here in the seventeenth verse, the Spirit declareth how long they shall this do; even till the words of God shall be fulfilled: But then they shall hate the Whore, and shall make her desolate, by forbidding their Subiects any more to run to Rome for dispensations, absolutions, pardons, and such like: yea, some of them shall eat her flesh, and burn her up with fire. Wee see the Lord maketh hast to fulfil his promise. For England, Scotland, denmark, and diuers provinces in Germany, with the Low-countreys, haue now a good space abhorred the strumpet, and procure her desolation by all the means they can: We see also the gospel increaseth earnestly in France: Many, that groan under the bondage of the Beast in spain: We see the heart-burnings of the Venetians against the Pope and his avaricious Sea. All which giveth apparent testimony unto us, the Lord is even now bringing this great work to pass. Psal. 45.5. Good lucke haue thou with thine honour, ride on because of the word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. The Apostle Paul after the revelation and consumption of Antichrist, sheweth the time of his taking away also, saying, 2. Thess. 2.8. The third, or final destruction of Antichrist, according to the doctrine of the Apostle Paul. That the Lord shall destroy him with the brightness of his coming. This is that eternal and final damnation of Babel, and the Beast, for all is one. Esay saith, Esay 13.19. Babylon, that glory of the kingdoms, and beauty of the Chaldees honour, shall be destroyed, even as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. To the same doth jeremy consent also; jer. 50.40. Like as God destroyed sodom and Gomorrah with the Cities that lay thereabout, saith the Lord: So shall no man dwell there also, neither shall any man been his habitation there for evermore. In the 7. of Daniel. Dan 7.21.22. The little horn made battle against the Saints, and prevailed till the Ancient of daies came, and that the iudgement was given to the high Saints, and till the time came, that the Saints had the kingdom in possession. Yea, Daniel sheweth, Dan. 11.45. that the wicked one shall plant the Tabernacles of his Palace between the Seas, in the glorious and holy mountain. E● cap. 12.1. And at that time shall Michael stand up, that great Prince. Which sheweth, that Antichrist shal not finally be destroyed, before the glorious appearing of IESVS CHRIST. Of the final destruction of Antichrist John saith; Apoc. 28.21. The angel took up a ston like a millstone, and cast it into the Sea, saying, with such violence shall that great city Babylon bee cast, and shall bee found no more at all. Wherefore the Kings of the earth shall bewail the suddenness of her destruction; Verse 17. for in one hour so great riches are come to nought. And in the twentieth Chapter he witnesseth, that at the second coming of Christ shall be the final abolishing of the Man of sin. For he prophesyeth, that when turk& Pope. Apoc. 20.8, 9, 10. Gog and Magog compass the Tents of the Saints about, fire cometh down from God out of heaven, and devoureth them, and the divell that deceived them, is cast into a lake of fire and brimstone; where the Beast, Rome Antichrist. and the false Prophet shall be tormented day and night. Presently hereupon he addeth; Apoc. 20.11.12. I saw a great whit● Throne, and Christ in iudgement. him that sate on it; from whose face fled away both the earth and the heaven, and their place was no more found. And I saw the dead both small and great stand before God. And here it is most worthy of observation, that the seven Trumpets of the eighth, ninth, and eleventh chapters of the revelation, and the seven vials of the sixteenth Chapter, evidently enforce, that the destruction of Antichrist and the coming of CHRIST shall be at one time. For Apoc. 10.5. The angel, who stood vpon the Sea, and vpon the earth, lift up his hand to heaven, and swore by him that liveth for evermore, which created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the Sea, and the things that therein are, Verse 6.& 7. that there should be no longer time, but in the dayes of the voice of the seventh Angel, &c. Now in the voice of the seventh angel, and the powring out of the seventh vial, great Babylon came in remembrance before God, and her destruction followed. By which it appeareth manifestly, that the end of the world is the determinate time for the final ruin and destruction of Antichrist. Some insist vpon the prophecy of Elias concerning two thousand yeares Or under the law of nature. vain: two thousand yeares under the Law: two thousand yeares under Christ. And thence would enforce, that the end of the world ought to bee expected in the six thousand year. Others( because Henoch the seventh from Adam, Gen. 5. walked with God, and was seen no more, the sixth Patriarch before him dying naturally) do imagine, that even so over the six thousand yeares death shall haue power, but in the seventh we shall be received to eternal life. There are, who out of the words of the Psalmist, and the Apostle Peter, Psal. 90.4. 2. Pet. 3.8. A thousand yeeres with the Lord are but as one day; contend, that as God in six daies created the world, but restend the seventh: So in six thousand yeres it shall be governed by his providence, and in the seven thousand year shall he begin to celebrate the eternal Sabbath with his elect. Diuers do think, that as the Sabbath by the Law of God beginneth vpon the sixth day of the week at evening: So the eternal rest shall come in the end of the six thousand yeares. There are that think, the mark of the Beast six hundred sixty six pointeth to the time of the destruction of the same, and therefore they expect the abolishing of Antichrist by the Lords coming about the year 1666. There are also, that from astronomical conjectures, arithmetical numbers, and geometrical proportions, draw arguments, to prove the destruction of Antichrist, and the dissolution of the world. But where the Scripture defineth not, there dare not I define. The Act. 1.7. times and seasons the Father hath kept in his own power. Wherefore, Non est vestrum scir●; it is not ours to know. I will not search into the majesty, nor presume to prie into the Secrets, but refer all unto him, job 38.32.& 33. who bringeth forth the morning star in his time, and guideth the evening star with his sons: who knoweth the course of the Heauens, and hath set up the ordinance thereof vpon the earth. This I will onely add; The revelation and consumption of Antichrist mentioned 2. Thes. 2. by the Apostle Paul: the increase and multiplying of knowledge, prophesied Dan. 12.& Esay 11. by Esay and Daniel: The coldness of charity foreshowed by Math. 24.12. our saviour: and the whole harvest of sin, white and fully ripe; assuredly witness unto us, that it will not belong ere Apoc. 14.19. the Angel thrust in his sharp sickle, and cut down the Vineyard of the earth, and cast it into the Wine press of the wrath of God. He hath promised to Apoc. 22.20. come quickly; even so Amen, Come Lord Iesu. FINIS.