THE OLD RELIGION: A Treatise, Wherein is laid down the true state of the difference betwixt the Reformed, and Roman Church; and the blame of this schism is cast upon the true AUTHORS. SERVING For the vindication of our innocence, for the settling of wavering minds for a preservative against Popish insinuations. By IOS. HALL., B. of Exon. LONDON, Printed by W. S. for Nathaniel Butter and Richard Hawkings. 1628. TO MY NEW, AND DEAR Affected charge, the Diocese of EXETER, All Grace and benediction. THe truth of my heart gives me boldness to profess, before him, who only knows it, that the same God, who hath called me to the oversight of your Souls, hath wrought in me a zealous desire of your salvation. This desire cannot but incite me to a careful prevention of those dangers, which might threaten the disappointment of so happy an end: Those dangers are either sins of practice, or errors of of Doctrine: Against both these I have faithfully vowed my utmost endeavours. I shall labour against the first, by Preaching, Example, Censures; Wherein it shall be your choice to expect either the rod, or the Spirit of meekness. Against the latter, my Pen hath risen up in this early assault. It hath been assured me, that in this time of late Vacancy, false Teachers, catching the Forelock of occasion, have been busy in scattering the tares of errors amongst you: I easily believe it; since I know it is not in the power of the greatest vigilancy to hinder their attempts of evil. Even a full See is no sufficient bar to crafty seducers; Their suggestions we cannot prevent, their success we may: This I have here assayed to do; bending my style against Popish Doctrine, with such Christian moderation, as may argue zeal without malice, desire to win Souls, no will to gall them. And since the commonest of all the grounds of Romish deceit is the pretence of their Age, and our Novelty; and nothing doth more dazzle the eyes of the simple, than the name of our forefathers, and the challenge of a particular recital of our professors before Luther's revolt, I have (I hope) fully cleared this coast, so as out of the right apprehension of these differences, my reader shall evidently see the vanity of this cavil, and find cause to bless God for the safety of his station in so pregnant, and undeceiveable a truth. For me, I shame not to profess, that I have passed my most, and best hours in quiet Meditation; wherein I needed not bend mine edge against any Adversary, but Satan, and mine own corruptions: These controversorie points I have rather crossed in my way, then taken along with me; Neither am I ignorant what incomparably clear beams (in this kind) some of the worthy lights of our Church have cast abroad into all eyes, to the admiration of present, and future times; no corner of truth hath lain unsearched, no plea unargued: the wit of man can not make any essential additions either to our proofs, or answers; But, as in the most perfect discovery, where Lands and Rivers are specially descried, there may be some small obscure in-lets reserved for the notice of following experience; So is it in the business of these sacred quarrels; That brain is very unhappy which meets not with some travers of Discourse more than it hath borrowed from another's Pen; Besides which, having fallen upon a method, and manner of Tractation, which might be of use to plain understandings, the familiarity whereof promised to contribute, not a little, to the information and settling of weaker souls, I might not hide it from you, to whose common good I have gladly resolved to sacrifice myself: Let it be taken with the same construction of love, wherewith it is tendered, and, that you may improve this, and all other my following labours to a sensible advantage, give me leave to impart myself to you a little in this short, and free preamble. It is a large body, I know, and full of ordinate variety, to which I now direct my words; Let me awhile, in these lines, sever them, whom I would never abide really dis-joined. Ye my dear fellowlabourers (as my immediate charge) may well challenge the first place. It is no small joy to me to expect so able hands, upon whom I may comfortably vnloade the weight of this my spiritual care: If fame do not over-speake you, there are not many soils that yield either so frequent Flocks, or better fed; Go on happily in these high steps of true blessedness, & save yourselves, and others; To which purpose; Let me commend to you (according to the sweet experience of a greater Shepherd) two main helps of our sacred trade, first, the tender Pastures, and second the still Waters; By the one, I mean an inuring of our People to the principles of wholesome Doctrine; By the other, an immunity from all faction, and disturbance of the public peace. It was the observation of the learnedst King that ever sat hitherto in the English Throne▪ that the cause of the miscarriage of our People into Popery, and other errors, was, their ungroundednes in the points of Catechism; How should those souls be but carried about with every wind of Doctrine, that are not well Ballasted with solid informations: Whence it was that his said late Majesty (of happy memory) gave public order for bestowing the later part of God's day in familiar Catechising; than which, nothing could be devised more necessary, and behooveful to the Souls of men; It was the Ignorance, and Ill-disposednesse of some cavillers, that taxed this course, as prejudicial to Preachings Since, in truth, the most useful of all Preaching is catechetical. This lays the grounds, the other raiseth the walls, and roof; this informs the judgement, that, stirs up the affections: What good use is there of those affections that run before the judgement? Or of those walls that want a foundation? For my part, I have spent the greater half of my life in this station of our holy service: I thank God, not unpainefully, not unprofitably; But, there is no one thing, whereof I repent so much, as not to have bestowed more hours in this public Exercise of Catechism; In regard whereof, I could quarrel my very Sermons, and wish that a great part of them had been exchanged for this Preaching conference: Those other Divine discourses enrich the brain & the tongue; this settles the heart; those other are but the descants to this plainsong; Contemn it not, my Brethren, for the easy & noted homeliness; The most excellent and beneficial things are most familiar; What can be more obvious than Light, Air, Fire, Water; Let him that can live without these, despise their commonness: Rather, as we make so much more use of the Divine bounty in these ordinary benefits, so let us the more gladly improve these ready & facile helps to the salvation of many souls; the neglect whereof breeds instability of judgement, mesprision of necessary truths, fashionableness of profession, frothiness of discourse, obnoxiousness to all error and seduction. And if any of our people loath this Manna, because they may gather it from under their Feet, let not their palates be humoured ic this wanton nauseation: They are worthy to fast, that are weary of the Bread of Angels: And if herein we be curious to satisfy their roving appetite, our favour shall be no better then Injurious: So we have seen an undiscreet Schoolmaster, whiles he affects the thanks of an overweening Parent, mar the progress of a forward Child, by raising him to an higher form, and Author, ere he have well learned his first rules; whence follows an empty ostentation, and a late disappointment: Our fidelity and care of profit must teach us to drive at the most sure, and universal good, which shall undoubtedly be best attained by these safe and needful groundworks. From these tender pastures let me lead you, (and you, others) to the still Waters; Zeal in the Soul is as natural heat in the body; there is no life of Religion without it; but as the kindliest heat, if it be not tempered with a due equality of moisture, wastes itself and the body; So doth zeal, if it be not moderated with discretion, and charitable care of the common good; It is hard to be too vehement in contending for main and evident truths; but litigious and immaterial verities may soon be over-striven for; in the prosecution whereof, I have oft lamented to see how heedless too many have been of the public welfare; Whiles, in seeking for one scruple of truth, they have not cared to spend a whole pound-weight of precious Peace. The Church of England, in whose motherhood we have all just cause to pride ourselves, hath, in much wisdom, and piety, delivered her judgement concerning all necessary points of religion in so complete a body of Divinity, as all hearts may rest in; These we read, these we write under, as professing not their truth only, but their sufficiency also. The voice of God our Father, in his Scriptures, and (out of these) the voice of the Church our Mother in her Articles, is that, which must both guide and settle our resolutions: Whatsoever is beside these, is but either private, or unnecessary and uncertain: Oh that whiles we sweat and bleed for the maintenance of these oracular truths, we could be persuaded to remit of our Heat in the pursuit of opinions: These, these are they that distract the Church, violate our peace, scandalise the weak, advantage our enemies. Fire upon the Hearth warms the body, but if it be misplaced, burns the house: My brethren, let us be zealous for our God; Every hearty Christian will pour Oil, and not Water upon this holy flame: But, let us take heed lest a blind self▪ love, stiff prejudice, and factious partiality impose upon us, in stead of the causes of God; Let us be suspicious of all New verities, and careless of all unprofitable; And let us hate to think ourselves either wiser than the Church, or better than our superiors: And if any man think that he sees further than his fellows, in these Theological prospects, let his tongue keep the counsel of his eyes; Lest, whiles he affects the fame of deeper learning, he embroil the Church, and raise his glory upon the public ruins. And ye worthy Christians whose souls God hath entrusted with our spiritual Guardianship, be ye alike minded with your teachers; The motion of their tongues lies much in your ears; your modest desires of receiving needful, and wholesome truths, shall avoid their labour after frivolous, and quarrelsome curiosities. God hath blessed you with the reputation of a wise, and knowing people; In these divine matters, let a meek sobriety set bounds to your inquiries. Take up your time, and hearts with Christ and Him crucified; with those essential truths which are necessary to salvation; Leave all curious disquisitions to the Schools, and say of those problems, as the Philosopher did of the Athenian shops: How many things are here that we have no need of. Take the nearest cut ye can, ye shall find it a side way to heaven, ye need not lengthen it with undue circuitions. I am deceived if (as the times are) ye shall not find work enough to bear up against the oppositions of professed hostility, it is not for us to sqander our thoughts and hours upon useless janglings; Wherewith if we suffer ourselves to be still taken up, Satan shall deal with us like some crafty cheater, who whiles he holds us at gaze with tricks of juggling, picks our pockets. Dear brethren, what ever become of these worthless driblets, be sure to look well to the freehold of your salvation. Error is not more busy than subtle, Superstition never wanted sweet insinuations: make sure work against these plausible dangers, Suffer not yourselves to be drawn into the net by the common stale of the Church; Know that outward visibility may too well stand with an utter exclusion from salvation. Salvation consists not in a formality of profession, but in a soundness of belief. A true body may be full of mortal diseases: So is the Roman Church of this day; whom we have long pitied, and laboured to cure in vain; If she will not be healed by us, let not us be infected by her; Let us be no less jealous of her Contagion, than she is of our Remedies. Hold fast that precious Truth, which hath been long taught you by faithful Pastors, confirmed by clear evidences of Scriptures, evinced by sound reasons, sealed up by the blood of our blessed Martyrs; So whiles no man takes away the Crown of your constancy, ye shall be our Crown and rejoicing in the day of the Lord jesus; To whose all-sufficient grace I commend you all; and vow myself Your common Servant in him whom we all rejoice to serve. IOS. EXON. The Contents. CHAP. I. THe extent of the differences betwixt the Churches. Fol. 1. CHAP. II. The Original of the differences. Fol. 7. CHAP. III. The Reformed unjustly charged with novelty, heresy, schism. 14. CHAP. IU. The Roman Church guilty of this schism. 22 CHAP. V. The newness of the Article of justification by inherent righteousness. 27 SECT. TWO This doctrine proved to be against Scripture. 36 SECT. III. Against reason. 42 CHAP. VI The newness of the doctrine of merit 45 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 48. SECT. III. Against reason. 50 CHAP. VII. The newness of the doctrine of Transubstantiation. 53 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 62 SECT. III. Against reason. 67 CHAP. VIII. The newness of the Halfe-Communion. 71 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 75 SECT. III. Against reason. 77 CHAP. IX. The newness of the Missal Sacrifice. 79 SECT. TWO Against Scripture, 81 SECT. III. Against reason. 84 CHAP. X. The newness of Image-worship. 87 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 94 SECT. III. Against reason. 98 CHAP. XI. The newness of Jndulgences and Purgatory. 100 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 108 SECT. III. Against reason. 112 CHAP. XII. The newness of Divine Service in an unknown tongue. 114 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 120 SECT. III. Against reason. 122 CHAP. XIII. The newness of a full, forced Sacramental Confession. 124 SECT. TWO Not warranted by Scripture. 129 SECT. III. Against reason. 132 SECT. IV. The novelty of absolution before satisfaction. 134 CAAP. XIV. The newness of the Romish Invocation of Saints. 136 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 140 SECT. III. Against reason. 146 CHAP. XV. The newness of seven Sacraments. 148 SECT. TWO Besides Scripture. 152 SECT. III. Against reason. 154 CHAP. XVI. The newness of the Romish Doctrine of Traditions. 156 SECT. TWO Against Scripture. 162 SECT. III. Against reason. 66 CHAP. XVII. The newness of the universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome. 169 SECT. TWO The newness of challenged Infallibility. 177 SECT. III. The newness of the Pope's superiority to Counsels. 179 SECT. IV. The new presumption of Papal Dispensations. 182 SECT. V. The new challenge of Pope's domineering over Kings and Emperors. 185 CHAP. XVIII. The Epilogue both of Exhortation, and Apology. 190 An Advertisement. COurteous Reader; I shall entreat you where you find some few, either literal, or verbal faults, to have recourse to this following Errata committed by the Printer, which will be very unpleasing to the Reverend Author (who is many miles distant from the Press) which errors if you shall vouchsafe to pardon in this Impression, they shall be more carefully amended in the next. N. B. Errata. PAg. 5. in margin, for Probant, read Prolaeus pag. 9 in marg. for Pierius, read Prierius. p. 10. l. 8. for angry part, read angry to part. pag. 11. lin. 7. for profess, read professeth. p. 15. in marg. for Haeresia, read Hereses. p. ibid. in marg. for Bellidanus, read Bellidaws. p. 22. in marg. for Pushius read Pighius. p. ibid. for Turrectsm read Turrecremat. p. 24. l. 6. for censures, read censurers. p. 4●. l. 23. for by And, read by faith. And▪ p. 43. l. 22. for muddle, read muddy▪ p. 48. l. 3. for habita, read habitatio. p. 48. l. 3. for them yielding. read them; yielding. p. 62. l· 5. for Barengarius, read Bereng●rius. p. 118. deal that. p. 124. l. ult. deal not. p. 140. l. 14. for practices, read practisers. p. 148. l. 5. read mirror. p. 150. l 14. for unnecessary, read necessary. p. 163. l. 18. for Salonons', read Salomon's. THE OLD RELIGION. CHAP. I. The extent of the differences betwixt the Churches. THe first blessing that I daily beg of my God, for his Church, is, joh. 14.27. our Saviour's Legacy, Peace: that sweet Peace; which in the very name of it comprehends all happiness both of estate and disposition. Adrichoni descr. Hiero fol. fig. 19●. As that mountain whereon Christ ascended, though it abounded with Palms, and Pines, and Myrtles, yet it carried only the name of Olives, which have been an ancient Emblem of Peace: Other graces are for the beauty of the Church; this for the health and life of it; For how so ever, Faciunt fau●; & v●s●e faciunt Ecclesias & Marcionitae. Ter tull. aduer. Martion. l. 4. c 5. even Wasps have their Combs, and heretics their assemblies (as Tertullian,) so as all are not of the Church that have Peace; yet so essential is it to the Church, in Saint Chrysostom's opinion, Ecclesiae nomen consensus, concordiaeque est Chrysost. come. in Ep. ad Gal. that the very name of the Church implies a consent, and concord; No marvel then if the Church labouring here below, make it her daily suit to her glorious Bridegroom in heaven, Da pacem, give Peace in our time, O Lord: The means of which happiness are soon seen, not so soon attained; even that which Hierome hath to his Ruffinus, Sit inter nes una fides & illico pax sequetur Hier. adverse. Ruff. una fides; Let our belief be but one, and our hearts will be one. But since, as Erasmus hath too truly observed, Erasm. Epist. l. 20. Paulo Decimario. there is nothing so happy in these humane things, wherein there is not some intermixtures of distemper; 1. Cor. 11. and S. Paul hath told us, there must be heresies, and the Spouse, in Salomon's Song, Cantic. 2. ult. compares her blessed husband to a young Hart upon the mountain of Bether; that is, Division; Yea, rather, Victor. Perser. Afric. l. 5. as under Gensericus, and his Vandals, the Christian Temples flamed higher than the Towns; so for the space of these last hundred years, there hath been more combustion in the Church, then in the civil state; My next wish is, that if differences in Religion cannot be avoided, yet that they might be rightly judged off, and be but taken as they are. Neither can I but mourn, and bleed, to see how miserably the World is abused on all hands with prejudice in this kind: whiles the adverse part brands us with unjust censures, and with loud clamours cries us down for heretics: On the other side, some of ours, do so slight the errors of the Roman Church, as if they were not worth our contention; Spalat. de hist. Eccles. tom. ult. lib. 7. as if our Martyrs had been rash, and our quarrels trifling; Others again do so aggravate them, as if we could never be at enough defiance with their opinions, nor at enough distance from their communion. All these three are dangerous extremities; The two former whereof shall (if my hopes fail me not) in this whole discourse be sufficiently convinced; wherein as we shall fully clear ourselves from that hateful slander of heresy, or schism, So we shall leave upon the Church of Rome, an unavoidable imputation of many no less foul, and enormous, then novel errors; to the stopping of the mouths of those Adiaphorists, Melanct. Postill. de Baptismo Chri. whereof Melancthon seems to have long ago prophesied; Metuendum est, etc. It is to be feared (saith he) that in the last age of the world this error will reign amongst men, that either Religions are nothing, or differ only in words. Diog Laert. The third comes now in our way; That which Laertius speaks of Menedemus that in Disputing his very eyes would sparkle, is true of many of ours, whose zeal transports them to such a detestation of the Roman Church, Hooker. Eccles. Pol. l 4. §. 3. Comment. in Euang. saepe. Patres nostri & saluberrimam consuetudinem tenuerunt ut quicquid divinum ac legitimum, etc. Aug-Neque propter paleam relinquimus aream Domini, neque propter pisees malos rumpimus retia domini Aug, Epist. 48 Sic Anabaptistae accusant Paedobaptismum. Papismi Cliston, contr. Smith. Sic Neariani Trinitatem arguunt & articulum Papae. Probant· Fascic· c. 1. as if it were all error, no Church; affecting nothing more, than an utter opposition to their doctrine and ceremony, because theirs; Like as Maldonate professeth to mislike and avoid many fair interpretations, not as false, but as Caluins: These men have not learned this in Saint Austin's School, who tells us, that it was the rule of the Fathers well before Cyprian and Agrippinus, as since, that whatsoever they found in any schime or heresy, warrantable and holy, that they allowed for its own worth, and did not refuse it for the abettors; Neither for the chaff do we leave the floor of God, neither for the bad fishes do we break his nets. Rather, as the Priests of Mercury had wont to say, when they eat their Figs and Honey, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. All truth is sweet; it is indeed Gods, not ours, wheresoever it is found, the King's coin is currant, though it be found in any impure channel. Nos fatemur sub papatu plurimum esse boni Christiani, imo omne bonum Christianum; dico insuper & imo vero verum nucleum Christianitatis. Luther. in Epist. ad 2. pleb. de Anabapt. cit●a Cromero de falsa relig. Lutheran. For this particular; they have not well heeded that charitable profession of zealous Luther (Nos fatemur, &c) We profess (saith he) that under the Papacy there is much Christian good, yea all; etc. I say moreover, that under the Papacy is true Christianity, yea the very kernel of Christianity, etc. No man I trust will fear that fervent spirits too much excess of indulgence; under the Papacy may be as much good, as itself is evil; Neither do we censure that Church for what it hath not; Aliud est credere quod Papa credit, aliud credere quod est Papae. Prolaeus. ibid. ubi supr. but for what it hath: Fundamental truth is like that Maronaean wine, which if it be mixed with twenty times so much water holds his strength: The Sepulchre of Christ was overwhelmed by the Pagans with earth and rubbish; Euseb. de vita Constantini. l. 3. c. 25. and and more than so; over it, they built a Temple to their impure Venus; yet still, in spite of malice, there was the Sepulchre of Christ; and it is a ruled case of Papinian, justin. Tit. 1. §. 4. Annot. in leg. 12. Tan. that a sacred place looseth not the holiness, with the demolished walls; No more doth the Roman, lose the claim of a true visible Church, by her manifold and deplorable corruptions; her unsoundness is not less apparent, than her being; If she were once the spouse of Christ, and her adulteries are known, yet the divorce is not sued out. CHAP. II. The Original of the differences. IT is too true that those two main Elements of evil (as Timon called them) Ambition and Covetousness, Magistris utentes Ambitione & Auaritiá Bern, ad Henric Senonensem. which Bernard professes were the great Masters of that Clergy in his times, having palpably corrupted the Christian World, both in doctrine and manners, gave just cause of scandal, and complaint to godly minds; Quae fuerant vitia, mores fiunt. Ger●. de negligentia prae●atorum. Ex Sevet. Gravam. Germ. Which (though long smothered) at last broke forth into public contestation; augmented by the fury of those guilty defendants, which loved their reputation more than peace: But yet so, as the complainants ever professed a joint allowance of those fundamental truths, which descried themselves, by their bright lustre, in the worst of that confusion; as not willing that God should lose any thing by the wrongs of men, or that men should lose any thing by the envy of that evil spirit, Matth. 13.25. which had taken the advantage of the public sleep for his tares: Shortly then, according to the Prayers and predictions of many holy Christians, God would have his Church reform; How shall it be done? Per disciplinam & ●e●um, nun ●u imsponia. ●en. Licentious courses (as Seneca wisely) have sometimes been amended by correction, and fear, never of themselves; As therefore their own precedent was stirred up in the Council of Trent, Corrigenda & ●eformanda est Ecclesiastica disciplina quae iam diu depravata atque corrup. etc. Orat. praesid. conc. Tried says. 11 Prim or dia cuncta Pavida sunt. Cassiod. Luther offered 95. Conclus. to be Disputed at Wittenb. Io. Tecelius. offers the contrary Propos. at Francfort. Vid. hist. Conc. Trid. lib. 1. Lutherus, etc. Ita venio beatissime Pater, etc. Et adhuc prostratus rogo, etc. Epi. ad Leonem▪ 10 Ibid. Lut. 1 Eckius & Silvester Pieríus write ag. Luth. vid. histor. Conc Trid. Saepe solutisue repestifera. Sir james Hogo strata Dominican Inquisitor stirs up Pope Leo to capital punishments of Luther and his followers. Ibid hist. Concil. to cry out of their corruption of discipline; So was the spirit of Luther, somewhat before that, stirred up to tax their corruption of Doctrine; but, as all beginnings are timorous, how calmly did he enter, and with what submiss Supplications did he sue for redress? I come to you (saith he) most holy Father, and humbly prostrate before you, beseech you, that, if it be possible, you would be pleased to set your helping hand to the work, Entreaties prevail nothing; The while, the importune insolence of Eckius, and the undiscreet carriage of Caietan (as Luther there professes) forced him to a public opposition. At last (as sometimes even poisons turn medicinal) the furious prosecution of abused Authority increased the zeal of truth; Like as the repercussion of the flame intends it more; And as zeal grew in the plaintive, so did rage in the defendant; A primordio iustitiam vim patitur statim ut coli Deus coepit invidiam religio sortita est. Tert. Scorpiac. adverse. Gnostic. c. 8. So as now that was verified of Tertullian (A primordio, etc. From the beginning righteousness suffers violence, and, no sooner did God begin to be worshipped, but Religion was attended with envy. The masters of the Pythonisse are angry part with a gainful (though evil) guest: Am I become your enemy because I told you the truth? saith Saint Paul, yet that truth is not more unwelcome, then successful; Bapt. Porta. For, as the breath of a man that hath chewed Saffron discolours a Painted face, so this blunt sincerity shamed the glorious falsehood of superstition. Leonis Bulla. Anno 1518. The proud offenders, impatient of reproof, try what fire and faggot can do for them; and now according to the old word, Punitis ingenijs gliscit authoritas. suppressed spirits gather more authority; as the Egyptian violence rather addeth to God's Israel. In so much as Erasmus could tell the Rector of Lovan, Erasm. Godesch. Rosemund. that by burning Luther's books they might rid him from the Libraries of men, not from their hearts. The ventilation of these points diffused them to the knowledge of the world; and now, upon serious scanning, Non defuisse magnos Theologos qui non verebantur affirmare nihil esse in Luthero quin per probatos Authores defendi possit. Eras. lib. Epist. 15. Godeschalco Rosemund, etc. Theod. Bez▪ contr. Andrean, etc. vid. histor, conc. Trid. l. 1. it came to this (as that honour of Rotterdam profess (Non defuisse) ●hat there wanted not great Divines, which durst confidently affirm, that there was nothing in Luther, which might not be defended by good and allowed Authors. Nothing doth so whet the edge of wit as contradiction; Now, he, who at first, like the blind man in ●he Gospel (it is Bezaes' comparison) saw men like trees, upon more clear light, sees and wonders at ●hose gross superstitions, and tyrannies, wherewith the Church of God had been long abused: And ●ow, as the first Hue and Cry raiseth a whole Country, the world was awakened with the noise, and startling up, saw, and stood amazed to see its own slavery and besot●ednesse: Mean while; That God, who cannot be wanting to himself, Hulr. Zu●ng●●us in Eccl. Zurich. opon●● se Tratij Sampsoni Mediolan. Francis. Hugo Constantiens. Episco●us opponit se Zuin glio. ibid. Bullasecunda Leonis Papae. An. 1520. raiseth up abettors to his truth; The contention grows, Books fly abroad on both parts. Strait Bulls bellow from Rome nothing but death, and damnation to the opposites; Excommunications are thundered out, from their Capitoline powers, against all the partakers of this (so called) heresy; the flashes of public Anathemaes strike them down to hell. The condemned reprovers stand upon their own integrity, call heaven and earth to record, how justly they have complained, how unjustly they are censured; in large Volumes defending their innocence; and, challenging an undeniable part in the true visible Church of God, from which they are pretended to be ejected; Anna. 1518. Vid. Histor. Concil. Trid. l. 1. appeal, (next to the Tribunal of Heaven) to the sentence of a free general Council, for their right. Proffer is made at last of a Synod at Trent; but neither free, nor general; nor such, Tres saluiconductus concessi Protestantibus, sed quam frustra. vid. junij animaduersiones in Bellar. as would afford (after all semblances) either safety of access, or possibility of indifferency; That partial meeting (as it was * Vid Epist. Epi. Q●inque Eccles. in histor. Council Trid. judicandi potestas apud accusatores erat. Ruffin. hist. l 1. cap. 17. ●. q. Mu●t●, etc. 3. q. 7. Nullus debet. Sententia non praesentibus partibus dicta nullius moment● est Cassiod. de Amicit. c 5. Nullus ante rectam cognitionem causae debet privari suo iure. Rodriguez. Cas. cons. c. 241. prompted to speak) condems us unheard; right so as Ruffinus reports it in that case of Athanasius; judicandi potestas, etc. The power of judging was in the accusers; contrary to the rule of their own Law; Non debet, etc. The same party may not be the judge, accuser witness; contrary to that just rule of Theodericus, reported by Cassiodore (Sententia, etc.) The sentence that is given in the absence of the parties is of no moment. We are still where we were, opposing, suffering. In these terms we stand, what shall we say then, if men would either not have deserved, or have patiently endured reproof, this breach had never been. Woe be to the men by whom this offence cometh; For us, that rule of Saint Bernard shall clearly acquit us, before God, Cum carpuntur vitia & inde scandalum orituripso sibi scandali causa est qui fecit quod argui debet, non ille qui arguit. Bernard. ad Hug. de Sancto Vict▪ Epist. 78. and his Angels (Cum carpuntur vitia, etc.) When faults are taxed, and scandal grows, he is the cause of the scandal, who did that which was worthy to be reproved not he that reproved the ill doer. CHAP. III. The reform unjustly charged with novelty, heresy, schism. Nos vetera in stauramus, nova non prodimus Eras. Godeschalco, etc. BE it therefore known to all the World, that our Church is only Reform, or Repaired, not made new: There is not one stone of a new foundation laid by us; Yea, the old walls stand still; Only the over-casting of those ancient stones which the vntempered mortar of new inventions, Vide. Fregeu●llij Politic Reform. An. 1588. displeaseth us. Plainly, set aside the corruptions, and the Church is the same: And what are these corruptions, but unsound adiections to the ancient structure of Religion; These we cannot but oppose; and are therefore unjustly, and imperiously ejected; Hence it is that ours is by the opposite styled an Ablative, Haeresia non tam docent credere, nova, quam vetera non credere: magis enim heresis in non credendo. joan. Lensaeus Bellidanus de Christiana libert l. 12. c. 7. or negative Religion; for so much as we join with all true Christians in all affirmative positions of ancient faith, only standing upon the denial of some late and undue additaments to the Christian belief; Or if those additions be reckoned for ruins: Durand. Ration. lib. 1; It is a sure rule which Durandus gives concerning material Churches, appliable to the spiritual; that if the Wall be decayed, not at once but successively, it is judged still the same Church, and (upon reparation) not to be reconsecrated, but only reconciled. Well therefore may those mouths stop themselves, which loudly call for the names of the Professors of our faith, Fisher. contr. D. White, & D. Featly. in all successions of times, till Luther looked forth into the World. Had we gone about to broach any new positive Truths, unseen, unheard of former times, well and justly might they challenge us for a deduction of this line of doctrine, from a pedigree of Predecessors; Now, that we only disclaim their superfluous, and novel opinions, and practices, which have been by degrees thrust upon the Church of God, retaining inviolably all former Articles of Christian faith, how idle is this plea, how worthy of hissing out? Who sees not now that all we need to do, is, but to show that all those points which we cry down in the Roman Church, are such, as carry in them a manifest brand of newness, and absurdity. This proof will clearly justify our refusal; Let them see how they shall once, before the awful Tribunal of our last judge, Accuatio non debet admitti quae non procedit ex charitate 4. qu. 5. justify their uncharitableness, who cease not upon this our refusal to eiect, & condemn us. The Church of Rome is sick; Nec inficior Rom. Ecclesiam à prisco suo decore & splendore non parum diversam, multisque morbis, & vitijs deformatam. Cassde Offic. boni vir, etc. Vtilia vero & nolenti ingerenda. Bern. de vita Solit. Lutherus porrexit orbi pharmacum violentum & amarum; Id quale, quale sit optarim ut aliquid bonae sanitatis, etc. Eras. Georgio Saxon. Duci. l. 21. Novis morbis novis obuiandum medicamentis. Bern. ep. 161. Ingenuous Cassander confesseth so; (nec inficior, etc.) I deny not (saith he) that the Roman Church is not a little changed from her ancient beauty, and brightness, and that she is deformed with many diseases, and vicious distempers; Bernard tells us how it must be dieted; profitable, though unpleasing, medicines must be poured into the mouth of it; Luther, and his associates did this office (as Erasmus acknowledgeth; (Lutherus porrexit) Luther, saith he, gave the World a potion violent, and bitter; what ever it were, I wish it may breed some good health in the body of Christian people, so miserably foul with all kinds of evils. Never did Luther mean to take away the life of that Church, but the sickness; Dulcior est religiosa castigatio, quam blanda remissio. Ambr. in obit. Theodosser. 6. Wherein (as Socrates answered to his judges) surely, he deserved recompense, in steed of rage; For as Saint Ambrose worthily; (Dulcior est) sweeter is a religious chastisement, than a smoothing remission. This that was meant to the Church's health, proves the Physician's disease; so did the bitterness of our wholesome draughts offend, that we are beaten out of doors; Non fu●us sed 〈◊〉. ●aus●●b. ad Per●n. Qui ab Ecclesia & communio ●●, etc. Cyrill, orat. de exitis Animae. Opertebat quidem nihil non ferre ne Ecclesiam Deiscinderes. Di●●●. ad Novat Euseb. l. S. c. 44. etc. Neither did we run from that Church, but are driven away, as our late Sovereign professeth by casaubon's hand; We know that of Cyrill is a true word; Those which sever themselves from the Church, and communion, are the enemies of God, and friends of Devils; and that which Dionysius said to Novatus; Any thing must rather be borne, then that we should rend the Church of God: far, far was it from our thoughts, to tear the seamelesse coat; or, with this precious Oil of Truth to break the Church's head; Qui statum conturbat Ecclesiae ab eius liminibus arceatur. 2. Epist. Alexand. Pap. We found just faults; else, let us be guilty of this disturbance. If now, choler unjustly exasperated with an wholesome reprehension, have broken forth into a furious persecution of the gainsayers, the sin is not ours; If we have defended our innocence with blows, the sin is not ours. Let us never prosper in our good cause, if all the water of Tiber can wash off the blood of many thousand Christian souls that hath been shed in this quarrel, from the hands of the Romish Prelacy. Surely, as it was observed of old, that none of the Tribe of Levi, were the professed followers of our Saviour, so it is too easy to observe, that, of late times, Ingenia generosa doceri capiunt, cogi non ferunt; cogere tyrannorum est, cogi tantum asinorum. Eras. Rosumdavo. ubi supra. Cavendum est ne cum r●m dubiam emendare volumus maiora vulnera faciamus. Alip. Aug. Epist, 239. this Tribe hath exercised the bitterest enmity upon the followers of Christ. Suppose we had offended in the undiscreet managing of a just reproof; it is a true rule of Erasmus, that generous spirits would be reclaimed by teaching, not by compulsion; and as Alipius wisely to his Augustine; Heed must be taken, lest whiles we labour to redress a doubtful complaint, we make greater wounds than we find. Oh how happy had it been for God's Church, if this care had found any place in the hearts of her Governors; who regarding more the entire preservation of their own honour, than Truth, and Peace, Were all in the harsh language of war (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) smite, kill, burne, persecute: Had they been but half so charitable to their modern reprovers, as they profess they are to the foregoing, how had the Church flourished in an unterrupted unity? Index Expurgat. Belg. iussu Phil. 2. Antwerp. Offic. Plaut. In Catholicis veteribus alios plurimos, etc. In the old Catholic Writers (say they) we bear with many errors, we extenuate, and excuse them, we find shifts to put them off; and devose some commodious senses for them; Guiltiness, which is the ground of this favour, works the quite contrary courses against us: Alas, how are our Writings racked, and wrested to envious senses, how misconstrued, how perverted, and made to speak odiously on purpose to work distaste, to enlarge quarrel, to draw on the deepest censures. Woe is me, this cruel uncharitableness is it, that hath brought this miserable calamity upon distracted Christendom; Surely, Magdeb, Cent. 2. as the ashes of the burning Mountain Veswius being dispersed far and wide, bred a grievous Pestilence in the Regions round about; so the ashes that fly from these unkindly flames of discord have bred a woeful infection, and death of souls through the whole Christian World. CHAP. FOUR The Church of Rome guilty of this Schism. Quae 〈◊〉 depravata atque corr●sp●a, ●arum 〈…〉 haere●●●m magna ex pa●● causa origoque●x●iti●. Ore●, praes, Cone. Trid. sess. 11. Pe●●us Oxon. sum. council. sub sixto 4. Si authoritas quaer. tur. orbis 〈◊〉 est vr●●e 〈…〉 fuerit 〈…〉 Romae, sive Eu●●●lij Hic 〈…〉 ●gria. 〈◊〉 d●ctr. fid. Tem. 1ST ●● P●s●us. Hierar. Eccl. l. 6.3. Turrect● 〈◊〉, & alij Vid. Mart. 〈◊〉. lib. 4. c. 2. §. 6. IT is confessed by the Precedent of the Tridentine Council, that the depravation of discipline and manners of the Roman Church, was the chief cause and original of these dissensions. Let us cast our eyes upon the doctrine, and we shall no less find the guilt of this fearful Schism to fall heavily upon the same heads. For first; (to lay a sure ground;) Nothing can be more plain than that the Roman is a particular Church, as the Fathers of Basil well distinguish it, not the universal; though we take in the Churches of her subordination or correspondence: This truth we might make good by authority, if our very senses did not save us the labour, Secondly, Answer of the Bishop of S. David's Chapl. to Fisher. Nec Papa, nec Episcopus proprie potest propositionem alihaereticare, No particular Church (to say nothing of the universal since the Apostolic times) can have power to make a fundamental point of faith; It may explain or declare, it cannot create Articles. Thirdly, Only an error against a point of faith is Heresy. Fourthly, Those points wherein we differ from the Romanists are they, which only the Church of Rome hath made fundamental, and of Faith. Fiftly, The reformed, therefore, Gers. An liceat in causis fidei, etc. being by that Church illegally condemned for those points are not heretics. He is properly an Heretic, Nil. Thessaly. Orat. de dissens. Is proprie haereticus dicitur qui suo ipsius iudicio condemnatus s●● sponte seipsum eijcit ab Ecclesia. Hosius de legitimis judicibus rerum, Ecclesias●icarum. l. 2. (saith Hosius), who being convicted in his own judgement, doth of his own accord cast himself out of the Church; For us, we are neither convicted in our own judgement; nor in the lawful judgement of others; We have not willingly cast ourselves out of the Church, but however we are said to be violently ejected, by the undue sentence of malice, hold ourselves close to the bosom of the true Spouse of Christ, never to be removed; As far therefore from Heresy as Charity is from our Censures. Only we stand convicted by the doom of good Pope * Subesse Romano, etc. Extr. de maior. & obe●. unam, etc. Boniface; or t S●lu. Prior. Epitome. resp. ad Luther. l. 2. c. 7. Sylvester Prierius. Quicunque non, etc. Whosoever doth not rely himself upon the Doctrine of the Roman Church, and of the Bishop of Rome as the infallible rule of faith, from which even the Scripture itself receives her force, he is an Heretic. Whence follows that the Church of Rome condemning and eiecting those for Heretics which are not, is the author of this woeful breach in the Church of God. I shall therefore, I hope, abundantly satisfy all wise and indifferent Readers, if I shall show that those points which we refuse, and oppose, are no other than such, as by the confessions of ingenuous authors of the Roman part, Nilus' imputat divisiones orbis Christiani praesumptioni Romanae Ecclesiae, quae susceperit in se absque Graecis definire de rebus fidei, & contra sentientes anathema te ferire. Orat. de dissens. Eccles. have been (besides their inward falsity) manifest upstarts; lately obtruded upon the Church) such as our ancient progenitors in many hundreds of successions, either knew not, or received not into their belief, and yet both lived and died worthy Christians. Surely it was but a just speech of Saint Bernard, and that which might become the mouth of any Pope, or Council; (Ego si peregrinum, etc. Ego si peregrinum dogma induxero ipse peccavi, Bern. in Cant. ser. 30. Cit Demosth. Annotat. in leg. 12. Tab. ) If I shall offer to bring in any strange opinion; it is my sin: It was the wise Ordinance of the Thurians, as Diodorus Siculus reports, that he who would bring in any new Law amongst them to the prejudice of the old, should come with an halter about his neck into the assembly, and there, either make good his project, or die. For, however in humane Constitutions (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Modest. Annot. ibid. etc.) the later orders are stronger than the former; yet, in Divinity, Primum verum; The first is true, as Tertullians' rule is; The old way is the good way, according to the Prophet; here we hold us; and because we dare not make more Articles than our Creeds, nor more sins than our Ten Commandments, we are indignly cast out. Let us therefore address ourselves roundly to our promised task; and make good the novelty, and unreasonableness of those points we have rejected; Out of too many Controversies disputed betwixt us, we select only some principal; and out of infinite varieties of evidence, some few irrefragable testimonies. CHAP. V. The newness of the Article of justification by inherent righteousness. TO begin with justification. Card. de Monte praes. Concil. Orat. sua. sess. 11. professes what they meant to have dispatched in 15. days; cost seven months work. Vnica formalis causa est iu●titia Dei non qua ipsa iustus est, sed qua nos iustos facit, etc. Concil. Trid. sess. 6. The Tridentine Fathers, in their seven months debating of this point, have so cunningly set their words, that the error which they would establish, might seem to be either hid, or shifted; Yet, at the last, they so far declare themselves, as to determine, that the only formal cause of our justification is God's justice, not by which he himself is Just, but by which he makes us just; wherewith being endowed by him we are renewed in the spirit of our minds, and are not only reputed, but are made truly just, receiving every man his own measure of justice, which the Holy Ghost divides to him, according to each man's predisposition of himself, Secundum propriam cuiusque dispositionem & cooperationem. ibid. Si quis dixerit, etc. per eam ipsam for maliter iustos esse. Vel sola imputatione iustitiae Christi, vel sola remissione peccatorum etc. anathema sit. Can. 10.11. and cooperation; And withal, they denounce a flat Anathema to all those, who shall dare to say that we are formally justified by Christ's righteousness, or by the sole imputation of that righteousness; or, by the sole remission of our sins, and not by our inherent Grace diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost; Which terms they have so craftily laid together, as if they would cast an aspersion upon their adversaries, of separating the necessity of sanctification from the pretended justification by faith; wherein all our words and writings will abundantly clear us, before God and men; That there is an inherent justice in us, is no less certain, then that it is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost. For God doth not justify the wicked man as such; Nunquam remittetur culpa quin fimul insundatur iustitia. Bell. l. 2. de justificat. c. 13. but of wicked makes him good; not by mere acceptation, but by a real change; whiles he justifies him whom he sanctifies; These two acts of Mercy are inseparable; Perfecta sunt opera Dei ex Deuter. 32. Bellarm. l. 2. de justif. c. 14. justitiam in nobis recipientes unusquisque suam secundum mensuram quam Spiritus Sanctus partitur singulis prout vult, & secundum propriam cuiusque dispositionem. Conc. Trid. ubi supra. But this justice being wrought in us by the holy Spirit, according to the model of our weak receipt, and not according to the full power of the infinite agent, is not so perfect, as that it can bear us out before the Tribunal of God. It must be only under the garment of our elder Brother, that we dare come in for a blessing; His righteousness made ours by faith, is that whereby we are justified in the sight of God; This doctrine is that which is blasted with a Tridentine curse. Hear now the history of this doctrine of justification, related by their Andrew Vega (de justif. l. 7. c. 24.) Magna fuit, etc. Some ages since (saith he) there was a great concertation amongst Divines, what should be the formal cause of our justification: some thought it to be no created justice, infused into man, but only the favour and merciful acceptation of God. In which opinion the Master of Sentences is thought by some to have been: Others whose opinion is more common, and probable, held it to be some created quality informing the souls of the just; This opinion was allowed in the Council of Vienna: And, the Schooledoctors after the Master of Sentences delivered this not as probable only, but as certain: Afterwards, when some defended the opposite part to be more probable, it seemed good to the holy Synod of Trent, thus to determine it. So as, till the late Council of Trent (by the confession of Vega himself) this opinion was maintained, as probable only; not as of faith: Forense vocab. justif. verbum justificandi in alia significatione ufurpant patres. Chemnit. exam de justif. Causa formalis propter quam homo dicitur iustus coram Deo, Bell. l. 2. de justif. c. 1. Yea, I add, by his leave, the contrary was till than most currant. It is not the Logic of this point, we strive for; It is not the Grammar; it is the Divinity: What is that whereby we stand acquitted before the righteous judge, whether our inherent justice, or Christ's imputed justice apprehended by faith; Yet in the next Chapter he corrects this propter in Chemnitius; and expresses it by per. l. 2. c. 2. Chrysost. in Gen. hom. 2. O miserecordiae magnitudinem, etc. repenteque iustus apparet. Chrys. in Galat. c. 3. Crux sustulit execrationem fides invexit iustitiam iustitiam iustitia vero gratiam spiritus allexit. Ambros. de jacob. & vita beata. Non operibus iustificamur sed fide, quoniam carnalis infirmitas, etc. Ibid. c. 6. Non gloriabor quia mens, etc. Similiter de Cain & Abel. l. 1. c. 9 de fuga, sec. c. 3 & 7. The Divines of Trent are for the former, all Antiquity with us for the latter. A just Volume would scarce contain the pregnant Testimonies of the Fathers to this purpose. Saint Chrysostome tells us it is the wonder of God's mercy, that he who hath sinned, confesseth, is pardo● secured, and suddenly app●●st; Just, but how? The 〈◊〉 ●ooke away the Curse (saith bedpost sweetly. Faith brought in Righteousness, and Righteousness drew on the Grace of the Spirit. Saint Ambrose tells us that our carnal infirmity blemisheth our works, but that the uprightness of our faith covers ours errors, and obtains our pardon; And professeth that he will glory, not for that he is righteous, but for that he is redeemed, not for that he is void of sins, but for that his sins are forgiven him. Hieron. adverse. Pelag. l. 1. Tunc iusti sumus imperfectos nos, etc. Saint Jerome tells us than we are just when we confess ourselves sinners, and that our righteousness stands not in any merit of ours, but in the mere mercy of God; and, that the acknowledgement of our imperfection, is the imperfect perfection of the Just. Gregor. in Ezech. hom. 7. ad finem iustus igitur advocatus noster, etc. Saint Gregory tells us that our Just Advocate shall defend us righteous in his judgement, because we know and accuse ourselves unrighteous, and that our confidence must not be in our acts, but in our Advocate. But the sweet and passionate speeches of Saint Austen, and Saint Bernard would fill a Book alone; neither can any reformed Divine either more disparage our inherent Righteousness, Ergo fratres, omnes de plenitudine eius accepimus, de pl●nitudine miserecordiae, etc. Quid? Remissionem peccatorum ut iustificaremur ex fide, August. Tract. 3. in joannem· or more magnify and challenge the imputed; It shall suffice us to give a taste of both: We have all therefore, Brethren, received of his fullness; Of the fullness of his mercy, of the abundance of his goodness have we received; What? Remission of sins that we might be justified by faith; And what more, Grace for Grace; that is, for this Grace wherein we live by faith, we shall receive another; saith that divinest of the Fathers; And soon after; Omnes qui ex Adam cum peccato, peccatores omnes qui per Christum iustificati, iusti non in se, sed in illo. Name in se si interroges Adam sunt etc. Ibid. August. All that are from sinful Adam, are sinners, all that are justified by Christ, are just, not in themselves; but in him; for in themselves, if ye ask after them, they are Adam; in him, they are Christ's. And elsewhere; Rejoice in the Lord, and be glad, O ye righteous: O wicked, O proud men that rejoice in yourselves; Laetamini etc. O qui laetamini in vobis, O impij, O superbi qui laetamini in vobis; iam credentes in eum qui iustificat impium, etc. Aug. 2. Enarrat in Psal. 31. Quis accusavit, etc. Sufficit mihi ad omnem iustitiam solum habere propitium cui soli peccavi. now believing in him who justifieth the wicked, your faith is imputed to you for righteousness. Rejoice in the Lord; Why? Because now ye are just; and whence are ye just? Not by your own Merits, but by his Grace; Whence are ye just? because ye are justified. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect? It sufficeth ●●ee for all righteousness, that I have that God propitious to me, against whom only I have sinned; All that he hath decreed not to impute unto me, is as if it had not been; Omne quod etc. Non peccare Dei iustitia est: hominis iustitia indulgentia Dei, Bern. in Cantic. ser. 23. Et si miserecordia Domini, etc. Nunquid iustitias meas. Domine memorabor iustitae ●ue soli●es, etc. Not to sin is God's justice, man's justice is God's indulgence, saith Devout Bernard. How pregnant is that famous profession of his. And if the mercies of the Lord be from everlasting, and to everlasting; I will also sing the mercies of the Lord everlastingly; What, shall I sing of my own righteousness? No Lord, I will remember thy righteousness, alone; for that is mine too; Thou art made unto me, of God, righteousness; Non est pallium breve, etc. should I fear that it will not serve us both? It is no short Cloak, that it should not cover twain; Et te pariter & me operiet largiter larga & aeterna iustitia, etc. Bern. sup. Cant. serm. 61. Thy righteousness is a righteousness for ever; and what is longer than eternity? Behold thy large and everlasting mercy will largely cover both thee, and me, at once; In me it covers a multitude of sins, in thee, Lord, what can it cover but the treasures of pity, the riches of bounty: Thus he. What should I need to draw down this Truth through the times of Anselm, Lombard, Bonaventure, Gerson. The Manuel of Christian Religion set forth in the Provincial Council of Coleyne, Bellarm. de Iustif. l 2. c. 1. & l. 3. c. 3. shall serve for ●ll; Bellarmine himself grants them ●erein ours; and they are worth ●ur entertaining; Qui liber ab omnibus eruditoribus Theologis etiam per Italiam & Galliam summope●e commendatus fui●, etc. Cass. Consult. Art. 4. That Book is commended by Cassander, as marvellously approved by all the learned Divines of Italy, and France, ●s that, which notably sets forth the ●umme of the judgement of the Ancients concerning this, and o●her points of Christian Religion; ● Nos dicimus, etc. Nos dicimus hominem per fidem donum iustificationis tum demum accipere, etc. Enchirid. Colon. ) We say that a ●an doth then receive the gift of ●ustification by faith, when being ●●rrified, and humbled by repentance, he is again raised up by ●●ith; believing that his sins are forgiven him for the Merits of Christ; who hath promised remission of sins to those that believe in him; and when he feels in himself new desires; so as detesting evil, and resisting the infirmity of his flesh, he is inwardly enkindled to an endeavour of good; although this desire of his be not yet perfect. Thus they, in the voice of all Antiquity; and the-then-present Church. Only the late Council of Trent hath created this opinion of justification a point of faith. SECT. II. The error hereof against Scripture. YEt if age were all the quarrel● it were but light, For, though newness in divine Truths is a iu● cause of suspicion, yet we do no● so shut the hand of our munifice● God, that he cannot bestow upon ●is Church new illuminations in ●ome parcels of formerly-hidden verities; It is the charge both of ●heir Canus, and Caietan, Can. loc. come. l. 7. c. 3. res. haec de Caiet. that no ●an should detest a new sense of Scripture for this, that it differs from the ancient Doctors; for God ●ath not (say they) tied exposition ●f Scripture to their senses. Yea, Quò iuniores, cò perspicaciores. Salmer. in Rom. 5. Disput. 51. if we may believe Salme●on, the later Divines are so much ●ore quicksighted; they, like the Dwarf sitting on the Giant's shoulder, overlook him that is far taller than themselves. Haereses non tam novitas quam veritas revincit. Tertull. de Veland. Virgin. This position of the Roman Church is ●ot more new, then faulty: Not ●● much novelty, as Truth convinceth Heresies, as Tertullian; We ●ad been silent, if we had not ●und this point (besides the lateness) erroneous: Erroneous; both ●gainst Scripture, and Reason. Against Scripture, which every where ●acheth, as, on the one side the ●●perfection of our inherent righteousness, so, on the other, our perfect justification by the imputed righteousness of our Saviour, brought home to us by faith. job 9.2, 3. The former job saw from his dunghill; How should a man be justified before God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer one of a thousand; Whence it is, Prou. 20.9. that wise Solomon asks, Who can say, My heart is clean; I am pure from sin: And himself answers; There is not a just man upon earth, Eccles. 7.20. which doth good, and sinneth not. A truth which (besides his experience) he had learned of his Father David, Psal. 141.2. who could say▪ Enter not into judgement with thy servant (though a man after Gods own heart) for in thy sight shal● no man living be justified. And i● thou, Psal, 130.3. Lord, shouldst mark iniquities▪ O Lord, who shall stand? Esa. 64.6. For we are all as an unclean thing (we saith the Prophet Esay, including even himself) and all our righteousness are as filthy rags▪ And was it any better with the best Saints under the Gospel? I see (saith the chosen Vessel) in my members, Rom. 7.23. another law warring against the law of my mind, and leading me captive to the law of sin, which is in my members. So as in many things we sin all: jam. 3.2. And if we say that we have no sin, 1 joh. 1, 8. we do but deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. The latter, is the sum of Saint Paul's Sermon at Antioch; Acts 13.39. Be it known unto you, Men and brethren, that through this man is preached to you forgiveness of sins; and ●y him all that believe are justified: They are justified, but how? Freely, Rom. 3.24. ●y his Grace: What Grace? Inherent in us, and working by us? No; ●y Grace are ye saved through faith; Ephes. 2.8, 9 ●nd that, not of yourselves; it is the ●ift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Works are ours, ●ut this is righteousness of God, Rome 3.22. which 〈◊〉 by the faith of jesus Christ, to all ●hem that believe. And how doth this become ours? By his gracious imputation: Rom. 4.5. Not to him that worketh, but believeth in him who justifieth the wicked, is his faith imputed for righteousness. Lo; it is not the act, not the habit of faith that justifieth, it is he that justifies the wicked, whom our faith makes ours, and our sin his; He was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. 5.21. Lo, so were we made his righteousness, as he was made our sin. Imputation doth both; It is that which enfeoffs our sins upon Christ, and us in his righteousness; which both covers and redresses the imperfection of ours. That distinction is clear, and full; Philip. 3.9. That I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Saint Paul was a great Saint; he had a righteousness of his own (not as a Pharisee only, but as an Apostle) but that which he dares not trust to, but forsakes; and cleaves to Gods: not, that essential righteousness, which is in God, without all relation to us, nor that habit of justice which was remaining in him; but that righteousness, which is of God, Rom. 5 1. by faith made ours. Thus being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord jesus Christ. For what can break that peace but our sins? Rom. 8 33. 2 Cor. 5.19. 2 Cor. 5.21. Rom. 3.28. Rom. 4 6. Ad haec vide. Gen. 15.6. Esa. 45.25. Esa. 50.8. Esa. 53.11. Rom. 3.20. & 3.26. Rom. 3.30. Rome 4 2, 3. Rom. 4.9. & 16. Rom. 5.9.18.19 Rome 8 1. Rom. 10.5, 10. 1 Cor. 4 4. Gal. 2.16. Gal. 3.6. Gal. 3.11.22.24. and those are remitted; For, who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect, it is God that justifies: And in that remission is grounded our reconciliation; For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their sins unto them; but contrarily, imputing to them his own righteousness, and their faith for righteousness. We conclude then, that a man is justified by And blessed is he to whom the Lord imputes righteousness without works: Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered Let the vain sophistry of carnal minds deceive itself with idle subtleties, and seek to elude the plain truth of God, with shifts of wit; we bless God for so clear a light; and dare cast our souls upon this sure evidence of God; attended with the perpetual attestation of his ancient Church. SECT. III. Against Reason. Non maius est creare coelum & terram quam peccatores iustificare. Gers. Tract. sup. Magnificat. 10. LAstly, Reason itself fights against them. Nothing can formally make us just but that which is perfect in itself; How should it give what it hath not? Now our inherent righteousness, at the best, is in this life, Bern. de verbis Esai. ser. 5. defective (Nostra siqua est humilis, etc.) Our poor justice (saith Bernard) if we have any, it is true, but it is not pure: For how should it be pure, where we cannot but be faulty? Thus he. The challenge is unanswerable. To those that say they can keep God's Law, let me give Saint Hieromes answer to his Ctesiphon; Hieron. ad Ctesiphontem. Proffer quis impleverit; Show me the man that hath done it: For, as that Father elsewhere, Hieron. de filio prodigo. In thy sight shall none living be justified; He said not, no man, but, none living; not Evangelists, not Angels, not Thrones, not Dominions; If thou shalt mark the iniquities even of thine Elect, Bern. in Cantic. ser. 73. justitia actualis imperfecta etc. non desinit tamen esse vera iustitia, & suo quodam modo perfecta. Bell. de justif. l. 2. c. 14. saith Saint Bernard, Who shall abide it? To say now that our actual justice, which is imperfect through the admixtion of venial sins, ceaseth not to be both true and (in a sort) perfect justice, is, to say, there may be an unjust justice, or a just injustice; that even muddy water is clear, or a leprous face beautiful. Besides, all experience evinceth our wants: For as it is Saint Anstens true observation; He that is renewed from day to day, is not all renewed, and so much as he is not renewed, so much he must needs be in his old corruption; Aug. ad Hieron. ep. 29. And, as he speaks to his Hierome, of the degrees of Charity; there is in some more, in some less, in some none at all; but the fullest measure which can receive no increase is not to be found in any man, whiles he lives here; and so long as it may be increased, surely that which is less than it ought, is faulty; from which faultiness it must needs follow, that there is no just man upon earth which doth good, and sinneth not; and thence in God's sight shall none living be justified. Thus he. To the very last hour our Prayer must be, Forgive us our trespasses; Our very daily endeavour therefore of increasing our renovation convinceth us sufficiently of imperfection; and the imperfection of our Regeneration convinceth the impossibility of justification by such inherent righteousness. In short therefore since this doctrine of the Roman Church is both new and erroneous; Against Scripture and reason; we have justly refused to receive it into our belief; and for such refusal are unjustly ejected▪ CHAP. VI. The newness of the doctrine of Merit. MErit is next; Concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 16. can. 32. si quis etc. augmentum gratiae, vitam aeternam, & ipsius vitae aeternae consecutionem Anathema sit, etc. wherein the Council of Trent is no less peremptory. If any man shall say that the good works of a man justified do not truly merit eternal life, let him be Anathema. It is easy for error to shroud itself under the ambiguity of words; The word Merit hath been of large use with the Ancient, who would have abhorred the present sense; with them it sounded no other than Obtaining, O foelix culpa quae talem meruit habere saluatorem, Ecclesia cavit in benedictione Cerei. Salm. in 1 Tim. 1. Apostoli à suis civibus occidi meruerunt, Aug. in Psal. 35. Maiorest mea iniquitas quam ut veniam merear. Gen. 3. Vulg. Tral. vid. Mort. Appell. or Impetration; not, as now, earning in the way of condign wages, as if there were an equality of due proportion betwixt our Works, and Heaven; without all respects of pact, promise, favour; according to the bold Comment of Sotus, Tollet, Pererius, Costerus, Weston and the rest of that strain. far, far was the gracious humility of the Ancient Saints from this so high a presumption; Let Saint Basil speak for his fellows; Manet sempiterna requies, etc. Basil. in Psal. 114. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Veteres omnes summo consensu tradunt, etc. cassand. Consult. de bonis quaest. Eternal rest remains for those who in this life have lawfully striven, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc.) not for the Merits of their deeds, but of the grace of that most munificent God in which they have trusted: Why did I name one; when they all with full consent (as Cassander witnesseth) profess to repose themselves wholly upon the mere mercy of God, and merit of Christ, with an humble renunciation of all worthiness in their own works. Yea that unpartial Author derives this Doctrine even through the lower Ages of the Schoolmen, Neque ab hac etc. Scholastici scriptores & recentiores Ecclesiastici, etc. and later Writers; Thomas of Aquine, Durand, Adrian de Traiecto (afterwards Pope) Clictoveus, and delivers it for the voice of the then present Church; And, before him, Tho. Wald. tom. 6. sacr. Tit. 1. c. 7. Thomas Wald. praeclarus Wicklifistarum impugnator. Andr. Vega. l. 7. de Causis justif. c. 24. Thomas Waldensis the great Champion of Pope Martin, against the miscalled Heretics of his own name, professes him the sounder Divine, and truer Catholic, which simply denies any such Merit, and ascribes all to the mere grace of God, and the will of the giver. What should I need to darken the air with a cloud of witnesses, their Gregory Ariminensis, their Brugensis, Marsilius, Pighius, Eckius, Ferus, Stella, Faber Stapulensis; Let their famous Preacher Royard shut up all (Quid ●gitur is qui Merita praetendit, etc. Royard. tom. 5. Dominic. 11. post Pentecost. ) Whosoever he be that pretends his Merits, what doth he else but deserve Hell by his Works? Let Bellarmine's Tutissimum est, etc. ground itself upon Saint Bernard's experimental resolution, Periculosa habita est, Perilous is their dwelling place who trust in their own Merits, perilous, because ruinous; All these and many more teach this, not as their own doctrine, but as the Churches; Either they and the Church whose voice they are, are Heretics with us, or we orthodox with them; and they and we with the Ancients. The novelty of this Roman Doctrine is accompanied with Error; Against Scripture, against Reason. SECT. II. Against Scripture. THat God doth graciously accept, and munificently recompense our good works, even with incomprehensible glory, we doubt not, we deny not; but this, either out of the riches of his mercy, or the justice of his promise; but that we can earn this at his hands, out of the intrinsical worthiness of our acts, is a challenge too high for flesh and blood, yea, for the Angels of Heaven. How direct is our Saviour's instance of the servant comen out of the field, and commanded by his Master to attendance. Luc. 17.9, 10. Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not; so likewise ye, When ye shall have done all things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants; Unprofitable perhaps (you will say) in respect of meriting thanks; not unprofitable in respect of meriting wages; Rom. 4.4. For to him that worketh is the reward, not reckoned of grace, but of debt: True; therefore herein our case differeth from servants, that we may not look for Gods reward as of debt, but as of Grace; By grace are ye saved through faith; Ephes. 2.8. neither is it our earning, but God's gift. Both, it cannot be; For if by grace, than it is no more of works (even of the most renewed) otherwise grace is no more grace; Rom. 11.6. but if it be of works, than it is no more grace, otherwise work should be no more work; Now, Tit. 3.5. not by works of righteousness which we have done (at our best) but according to his mercy he saveth us; Were our salvation of works, than should eternal life be our wages, but now; Rom. 5.23. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through jesus Christ our Lord. SECT. III. Against Reason. IN very reason, where all is of mere duty, there can be no merit; for how can we deserve reward by doing that which if we did not, we should offend? It is enough for him that is obliged to his task, that his work is well taken: Now, all that we can possibly do, and more, is most justly due unto God by the bond of our Creation, of our Redemption; by the charge of his royal Law; and that sweet Law of his Gospel: Nay, alas, we are far from being able to compass so much as our duty; In many things we sin all. It is enough that in our glory we cannot sin; Alex. Pesaut. m. 1. 2ae. qu. 4. Artic. 4. disp. 4. though their Faber Stapulensis would not yield so much, and taxeth Thomas for saying so; with the same presumption that Origen held the very good Angels might offend; Gloria est gratia consummata. P. Ferius Specim. Scholar Orth. c. 13. Then is our grace consummate; Till than our best abilities are full of imperfection; ●herefore the conceit of merit is not more arrogant, then absurd. We cannot merit of him whom we gratify not: We cannot gratify ● man with his own; All our good ●s Gods already; his gift, his propriety: What have we that we have not received? 1 Cor. 4.7. Not our Talon only, but the improovement also is his mere bounty; There can be therefore no place for Merit. In all just Merit there must needs be a due proportion betwixt the act, and the recompense. It is of favour if the gift exceed the worth of the service. Now, what proportion can be betwixt a finite, weak, imperfect obedience (such is ours at the best) and an infinite, full and most perfect glory; Pesaut. in. 3. Th. q. 1. art. 2. Valour physicus & entitatiu●●s operum Christi, etc. The bold Schools dare say that the natural and entitative value of the works of Christ himself was finite, though the moral● value was infinite. What then shall be said of our works, which are like ourselves, Absit ut iusti vitam aeternam expectent sicut pauper eleemosynam. Ruard. Tap. ex Artic. Colon. Aug. de verb. Apost. ser. 2. mere imperfection; We are not so proud that we should scorn (with Ruard. Tapperus) to expect Heaven as a poor man doth an Alms; rather, (according to Saint Austin's charge (Non sit cap●●turgidum, etc.) (Let not the hea● be proud, that it may receive a Crown.) We do with all humility, and selfe-deiection look up to the bountiful hands of that God, who crowneth us in mercy and compassion. This Doctrine then of Merit being both new and erroneous, hath justly merited our reproof and detestation; and we are unjustly censured for our censure thereof. CHAP. VII. The newness of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation. THe point of Transsubstantion is justly ranked amongst our highest differences. Fons Idolomaniarum Transsubstan. Melanct. Ad amicum, 1544. Boxhorn. Isag. ad concord. l. 3. Upon this quarrel, in the very last age, how many ●ules were sent up to Heaven, in ●he midst of their flames; as if the Sacrament of the Altar had been sufficient ground of these bloody Sacrifices. Fox Acts and Mon. passim. The definition of the Tridentine Council is herein beyond the wont) clear, 〈…〉, &c Concil. T●●d. de Transsub. c. 4. Ca●. 2. and express. If any man shall say that in the Sacrament of the sacred Eucharist, there remains still the substance of Bread and Wine, together with the Body and Blood of our Lord jesus Christ; and shall deny that marvelous and singular conversion of the whole substance of Bread into the Body, and the whole substance of Wine into Blood, the (Species) semblances or shows only of Bread, and Wine remaining; In Syraxi s●ro ●ran subsia●tiationem de fi●●●it Ecclesia. Diu satis erat credere, sive sub pa●e consecra●o, si●e qu●cunque modo adesse verum corpus Christi, Eras. Annot. in 1 Cor. 7. (which said Conversion the Catholic Church doth most fitly call Transubstantiation) let him be accursed. Thus they. Now let us inquire how old this piece of faith is; In synaxi sero, etc. It was late ere the Church defined Transubstantiation (saith Erasmus:) For, of so long it was (saith he) held sufficient to believe that the true Body of Christ was there, whether under the consecrated Bread, or howsoever. And how late was this? Scotus shall tell us; (Ant Concilium Lateranense) Before the Council of Lateran, Transubstantiation was no point of faith; Bellar. de Euchar. l. 3. c. 23. as Cardinal Bellarmine himself confesses his opinion, with a (●minime probandum.) And this Council was in the year of our Lord one thousand two hundred and fifteen; Let who list, Ibid. Bellar. believe that this subtle Doctor had never heard of the Roman Council under Gregory the seventh, which was in the year one thousand seventy nine; or that other, under Nicholas the second, which was in the year one thousand and threescore, or that he had not read those Fathers, which the Cardinal had good hap to meet with; Certainly, his acuteness easily found out other senses of those Conversions which Antiquity mentions; Consitente etiam Suarez. and therefore dares confidently say (wherein Gabriel Biel seconds him) (non admodum antiquam) that this doctrine of Transubstantiation is not very ancient. Surely, if we yield the utmost time, wherein Bellarmine can plead the determination of this point, Saltem ab annis ●●●●ngentis dog●a ●ranssub. 〈◊〉 anathemate ●●b●●tum. Bell. de Euch. l. 3. c. 21. we shall arise but to (saltem ab annis quingentis, etc.) Five hundred years ago; so long, saith he, at least was this opinion of Transubstantiation upon pain of a curse established in the Church: The Church, but what Church? The Roman, iwis, not the Greek. That word of Peter Martyr is true, That the Greeks ever abhorred from this opinion of Transubstantiation; In so much as at the shutting up of the Florentine Council, which was but in the year 1539. when there was a kind of agreement betwixt the greeks and Latins about the Procession of the Holy Ghost, Concil. Florent. ●●ss. ult. the Pope earnestly moved the Grecians that amongst other differences they would also accord, (de divinâ panis Transmutatione,) concerning the divine Transmutation of the Bread; wherein notwithstanding they departed as formerly, dissenting; How palpably doth the Cardinal shuffle in this business, whiles he would persuade us, that the greeks did not at all differ from the Romans in the main head of Transubstantiation; but only concerning the particularity of those words, whereby that unspeakable change is wrought; when as it is most clear by the Acts of that Council, related even by their Binius himself, Se firmiter credere verbis illis Dominicis sacramentum fieri, Ibid. sess. ult. that after the greeks had given in their answer, that they do firmly believe that in those words of Christ the Sacrament is made up, (which had been sufficient satisfaction if that only had been the question) the Pope urges them earnestly still, (ut de divinâ panis transmutatione, etc.) that in the Synod there might be treaty had of the divine transmutation of the Bread; and when they yet stiffly denied, he could have been content to have had the other three Questions of unleavened Bread, Purgatory, and the Pope's Power discussed, waving that other of Transubstantiation, which he found would not abide agitation. Since which time their Patriarch jeremias of Constantinople, hath expressed the judgement of the Greek Church, Act. Theol. Wittenberg. Ann. 1584. (Et enim verè) For the Body and Blood of Christ are truly Mysteries; not that these are turned into man's body, but that (the better prevailing) we are turned into them yielding a change, but Mystical not Substantial. As for the Ancients of either the Greek or Latin Church, they are so far from countenancing this opinion, Whitak. contr. ●ur. l. ●. fol. 220. that our learned whitaker's durst challenge his Duraeus; Si vel unum, etc. If you can bring me but one testimony of sincere antiquity, whereby it may appear that the bread is transubstantiate into the flesh of Christ, I will yield my cause. It is true that there are fair flourishes made of a large jury of fathers, giving their verdict this way; Ignat. ad Smyr. Iren. l. 5. cont. haeres. Tertull. de resur. Orig. hom. 5. in diver. loc. Cyprian. de Coena Dom. Basil. in reg. breu. q. 172. Greg. Nyssen. in Ca●echet. Cyrill Hierosol. Cat. mist. 4. Hilar. l. 8. de Trinit. Ambr. de sacr. l. 4. c. 4. & 5 Greg. Naz. in Epit. Gorgon. Epiph. in Anch. Chrys. hom 24. in 1 Cor. Cyril Alex. Epist▪ ad Caelesyrium. Aug. in Psal. 33. 〈◊〉 ad Hedib. Theodor. dial 3. I. eoser. 6. de jeiunio. Damas'. l. 4 de fid. orth. Theophylact. in Luc 22. Et quidem mutatur; Est enim alia elementi natura, Sacramentialia. aliens. cont. Bell. Bellar. de Euchar. l. 2. c. 4. whose very names can hardly find room in a margin. Scarce any of that sacred rank are missing; But it is as true, that their witnesses are grossly abused to a sense that was never intended; they only desiring in an holy excess of speech, to express the Sacramental change that is made of the elements, in respect of use, not in respect of substance; and passionately to describe unto us the benefit of that Sacrament in our blessed Communion with Christ; and our lively incorporation into him. In so much as Cardinal Bellarmine himself is fain to confess a very high hyperbole in their speeches (Non est nowm) It is no unusual thing (saith he) with the Ancients, and especially Irenaeus, Hilary, Nyssen, Cyrill, and others, to say that our bodies are nourished by the holy Eucharist. Neither do they use less height of speech (as our learned Bishop hath particularly observed) in expressing our participation of Christ in Baptism, Bish. Mortons' Appell. wherein yet never any man pleaded a Transubstantiation. Neither have their been wanting some of the Classical leaders of their schools, which have confessed more probability of ancient evidence for Consubstantiation, then for this change. Certainly, neither of them both entered ever into the thoughts of those holy men, how ever the sound of their words have undergone a prejudicial mistaking. Whereas the sentences of those Ancients against this mis-opinion are direct, punctual, absolute, convictive, and uncapable of any other reasonable sense. What can be more choking then that of their Pope Gelasius above a thousand years since (Et tamen, Gel●s. Pap. de duabus Christ. nat. Biblioth. Patr. Tom. 4. etc.) yet there ceaseth not to be the very substance of Bread and Wine? What can be more plain than that of Saint Augustine. It is not this Body which you see, August. in Psal. 98. that you shall eat, neither is it this Blood which my Crucifiers shall spill, Non hoc ipsum corpus quod videtis etc. neque hunc ipsum sanguinem, etc. sacramentum vobis aliquod come. etc. Vbi slagitiam, etc. Aug. de doctrine. Christ. l. 3. c. 16. that you shall drink; It is a Sacrament that I commend unto you; which being spiritually understood, shall quicken you. Or, that other; where a flagitious act seems to be commanded, there the speech is figurative; as, when he saith, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, etc. it were an horrible wickedness to eat the very flesh of Christ; therefore here must needs be a figure understood. Tertull. contr. Marcionem. l. 4. Theoder Dial 2. & 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Carnale est dubitare quo modo de coelo descendit, etc. & quomodo possit carnem suam dare ad mandecandum; Haec inquam omnia carnalia, quae mystica & s●iritaliter intelligenda sunt. Chrys. in cap. 6. joan. hom 46. What should I urge that of Tertullian (whose speech Rhenanus confesseth to have been condemned after in Berengarius) My Body, that is, the figure of my Body; That of Theodoret; The mystical signs, after consecration, lose not their own nature. That of Saint Chrysostome, It is a carnal thing to doubt how Christ can give us his flesh to eat; when as this is mystically and spiritually to be understood: And soon after, enquiring what it is to understand carnally; he thus explicates it; It is to take things simply as they are spoken, and not to conceive of any other thing meant by them. Simpliciter ut res dicuntur neque aliud quippiam excogitare, etc. ibid. In iliud si quis dixerit contra filium h●m▪ This wherein we are is a beaten path, trod with the feet of our holy Martyrs, and traced with their blood; What should I need to produce their familiar and ancient Advocates, who have often wearied and worn this bar●. Athanasius, a Contr. Tryphon. justine, b Hom. 7. in Levit. Origen, c De Coena Dom. Cyprion, d In Epitaph. Caesarij, & ad cives Nazaian. Nazianzen, e L. de Baptis. Basil, f In Esa. 66. Hierome, g Lib. 8. de Trin. Hillary, h In joan. l. 3. c. 34. Cyril, i Hom. 27. Macarius, k Lib. de Corp. & Sang. etc. Albin. in joa ●. c. 6. Bertram, besides those whom I formerly cited. Of all others (which I have not found pressed by former Authors) that of our Albinus or Alcuinus, Bedaes' learned Scholar (who lived in the time of Charles the Great) seems to me most full and pregnant. Hoc est ergo, this is therefore to eat that flesh, and to drink that blood to remain in Christ and to have Christ remaining in us; so as he that remains not in Christ, and in whom Christ remaineth not, without doubt doth not spiritually eat his flesh, although carnally and visibly he chew the Sacrament of his Body and Blood with his teeth: Dentibus premat, etc. but rather he eats and drinks the Sacrament of so great a thing, unto his own judgement, because he presumed to come unclean unto those Sacraments of Christ, which none can take worthily but the clean; Thus he. Neither is this his single testimony, Sicu● etiam a●te nos intellexerunt homines Dei. Ibid. but such as he openly professeth the common voice of all his Predecessors: And a little after, upon those words The flesh profiteth nothing; he addeth; The flesh profiteth nothing, if ye understand the flesh so to be eaten as other meat, as that flesh which is bought in the Shambles. This is the ordinary language of Antiquity, whereof we may truly say as the Disciples did of Christ, joh. 16.29. Behold now thou speakest plainly, and speakest no Parable. At last, ignorance and misunderstanding brought forth this Monster of opinion, which superstition nursed up, but fearfully and obscurely, and not without much scope of contrary judgements; till after Pope Nicholas had made way for it in his proceedings against Barengarius (by so gross an expression as the Gloss is fain to put a caveat upon) Anno 1060. the Lateran Council authorised it for a matter of faith, Anno 1215. Anno 1215. Thus young is Transubstantiation; Let Scripture and Reason show how erroneous. Transubstantiation. SECT. II. Against Scripture. WEre it not that men do wilfully hoodwink themselves with their own prejudice, the Scripture is plain enough; For the mouth that said of bread, john 6.55. This is my Body, said also of the same body, My flesh is meat indeed, long before there can be any plea of Transubstantiation; john 6.51. And I am the bread that came down from Heaven; so was he Manna to the jews as he is bread to us; And, Saint Paul says of his Corinth's, 1. Cor. 12.27. Ye are the body of Christ; yet not meaning any transmutation of substance. And in those words wherein this powerful conversion is placed, he says only, This is, not, Mat. 26.26. this is transsubstantiate; and if whiles he says, This is, Mark 14.21. he should have meant a Transubstantiation, than it must needs follow, that his Body was transsubstantiate before he spoke; for This is, implies it already done. He adds, This is my Body; His true natural humane Body was there with them, took the Bread, broke it, gave it, eat it; if the Bread were now the Body of Christ, either he must have two bodies there, or else the same body is by the same body taken, broken, eaten, and is (the while) neither taken, nor broken, nor eaten; Luc. 22.19. Yet he adds, which is given for you; This was the body which was given for them, betrayed, crucified, humbled to the death; not the glorious body of Christ, which should be capable of ten thousand placcs at once, both in Heaven, and Earth; invisible, incircumscriptible: Lastly, he adds, Do this in remembrance of me; Remembrance implies an absence; neither can we more be said to remember that which is in our present sense, then to see that which is absent. Besides, that the great Doctor of the Gentiles tells us that after consecration, 1. Cor. 11.26. it is bread which is broken and eaten; neither is it less than five times so called after the pretended change. Shortly; Christ as man was in all things like to us except sin; Heb. 2.17. and our humane body shall be once like to his glorious body. The glory which is put upon it shall not strip it of the true essence of a body; and if it retain the true nature of a body, it cannot be at the same instant both above the Heavens, and below on Earth, in a thousand distant places. He is locally above, Acts 3.21. For the heavens must receive him till the times of the restitution of all things; He is not at once in many distant places of the earth, for the Angel even after his Resurrection, says, He is not here, Mat. 28.6. for he is risen. SECT. III. Transubstantiation against Reason. Never did, or can reason triumph so much over any prodigious Paradox, as it doth over this. In so much as the Patroness of it are fain to disclaim the sophistry of reason, and to stand upon the suffrages of faith, and the plea of Miracles. We are not they, Aug. de vtil. cred. c. 14. who with the Manichees, refuse to believe Christ unless he bring reason; We are not they, who think to lad the Sea with an eggshell; to fathom the deep Mysteries of Religion with the short reach of natural apprehension; We know there are wonders in Divinity fit for our adoration, not fit for our comprehending; But withal we know, that if some Theological truths be above right reason, yet never any against it; for all verity complyes with itself, as springing from one and the same Fountain; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. This opinion, therefore, we receive not; Quod cum affi●matur negatur impossibile & ●t implicat contradictional Ca●●●n in ●●p●●c. contra●●●. not because it transcends our conceit, but because we know it crosseth both true Reason and faith; It implies manifest contradiction, in that it refers the same thing to itself in opposite relations; so as it may be at once present and absent' near and far off, below and above. It destroys the truth of Christ's humane body, Spatia locorum tolle corpuribus Aug. Ep. 57 in that it ascribes quantity to it, without extension, without locality; turning the flesh into spirit; and bereaving it of all the properties of a true body; those properties which (as Nicetas truly) cannot so much as in thought be separated from the essence of the body; Nicetas. In Nazianz. Orat. de Pontec. quidam ne cogitation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Sic & Aug. Tolle ipsa corpora qualitatibus, etc. Nam siverè sectionem & partitionem divina natura reciperet, etc. Cyrill. Alex. Tom 2. dialog. de Trin. lib▪ 2. In so much as Cyril can say if the Deity itself were capable of partition, it must be a body, and if it were a body it must needs be in a place, and have quantity and magnitude; and thereupon should not avoid circumscription. It gives a false body to the Son of God making that, every day, of bread, by the power of words, which was made once of the substance of the Virgin, by the Holy Ghost. It so separates accidents from their subjects, that they not only can subsist without them, but can produce the full effects of substances; so as bare accidents are capable of accidents; so as of them substances may be either made, or nourished. Resp. ad Epist. viri docti. It utterly overthrows (which learned Cameron makes the strongest of all reasons) the nature of a Sacrament; in that it takes away, at once, the sign, and the Analogy betwixt the sign, and the thing signified; The sign, in that it is no more bread, but accidents; the Analogy, in that it makes the sign to be the thing signified; Lastly, it puts into the hands of every Priest, power to do, every day, a greater Miracle, than God did in the Creation of the World, for in that, the Creator made the Creature; but in this, the Creature daily makes the Creator. Since then this opinion is both new, and convinced to be grossly erroneous by Scripture, and reason, justly have we professed our detestation of it; and, for that, are unjustly ejected. CHAP. VIII. The newness of the Halfe-Communion. THe novelty of the Halfe-Sacrament, or dry Communion, delivered to the Laity, is so palpable, as that the Patroness of it, in the presumptuous Council of Constance, Constant. Synod. sess. 13. profess no less. Licet Christus, etc. Although Christ (say they) after his Supper, instituted, and administered this venerable Sacrament under both kinds of Bread, and Wine, etc. (Licet in primitiva, etc.) Although in the Primitive Church, this Sacrament were received by the faithful under both kinds; (Non obstante, etc.) Yet, Inter alia, propter periculum effusionis. Io. de burgo. 4. partis cap. 8. this custom for the avoiding of some dangers, and scandals, was upon just reason brought in, that Laickes should receive only under one kind; And those that stubbornly oppose themselves against it, shallbe ejected, and punished as Heretics. Now this Council was but in the year of our Lord God, one thousand, four hundred fifty three. Yea, but these Fathers of Constance, how ever they are bold to control Christ's Law by Custom, Ibid. yet they say it was (consuetudo diutissimè obseruata) a custom very long observed; True; but the full age of this (Diutissimè) is openly and freely calculated by their Cassander. Cassand. consult. de utraque spec. sacr. etc. (Satis constat) It is apparent enough that the Western, or Roman Church, for a thousand years after Christ, in the solemn and ordinary Dispensation of this Sacrament, gave both kinds of Bread, and Wine to all the members of the Church. A point, which is manifest by innumerable ancient Testimonies, both of greeks, and Latins; and this they were induced to do, by the example of Christ's institution. Quare non temerè, etc. It is not therefore (saith he) without cause, that most of the best Catholics, and most conversant in the reading of Ecclesiastical Writers, are inflamed with an earnest desire of obtaining the Cup of the Lord; that the Sacrament may be reduced to that ancient custom and use, which hath been for many Ages perpetuated in the universal Church. Thus he; We need no other Advocate. Yea, their Vasquez draws it yet lower, Negare non, etc. We cannot deny that in the Latin Church there was the use of both kinds, and that it so continued until the days of Saint Thomas, which was about the year of God 1260. Thus it was in the Roman Church; but as for the Greek; the World knows it did never but communicate under both kinds. These open Confessions, spare us the labour of quoting the several testimonies of all Ages; Else it had been easy to show how in the Lyturgy of Saint Basil and Chrysostome, the Priest was wont to pray, Liturg. Basil. & Chrysost. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to give us thy body, and thy blood, and by us to thy people. Vid. Cassand. consult. ubi supra. How in the Order of Rome the Archdeacon taking the Chalice from the Bishop's hand confirmeth all the receivers with the blood of our lord In Epist. ad Philadelph. And from Ignatius his (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) One cup distributed to all; to have descended along, through the clear records of S. Cyprian, Hierome, Ambrose, Augustine, Leo, Gelasius, Paschasius and others to the very time of Hugo and Lombard, and our Halensis; And to show, how S. Lib. 1 Ep. 2. Cyprian would not deny the blood of Christ to those, that should shed their blood for Christ: How S. Lib. de Coena dom. Austen (with him) makes a comparison betwixt the blood of the legal sacrifices, which might not be eaten, and this blood of our Saviour's sacrifice, Quaest. in Levit 57 Grat. decret. de Consecrat. dist. 2. c. 12. comperimus. which all must drink. But, what need allegations to prove a yielded truth? so as this haluing of the Sacrament is a mere novelty of Rome, and such a one, Divisio unius eiusdem mysterij non sine grandi sacrilegio potest pervenire. as their own Pope Gelasius sticks not to accuse of no less than sacrilege; SECT. II. Half Communion against Scripture. NEither shall we need to urge Scripture; when it is plainly confessed by the late Counsels of Lateran and Trent, that this practice varies from Christ's institution; Etsi. Christus Dominus, etc. non tamen illa institutio & traditio eo tendunt ut omnes Christi fideles statuto domini ad utramque speciem accipiendam astringantur, etc. Concil. Trid. sess. 5. sub Pio Anno 1562 cap. 1. Yet the Tridentine Fathers have left themselves this evasion, that, however our Saviour ordained it in both kinds, and so delivered it to his Apostles, notwithstanding he hath not by any command enjoined it to be so received of the Laity; Not considering that the charge of our Saviour is equally universal in both; To whom he said, Take and eat, to the same also he said, Drink ye all of this; So as by the same reason, our Saviour hath given no command at all unto the Laity to eat, or drink; and so this blessed Sacrament should be to all God's people (the Priests only excepted) arbitrary and unnecessary: But the great Doctor of the Gentiles is the best Commenter upon his master, who writing to the Church of God at Corinth, 1. Cor. 1.2. to them that are sanctified in Christ jesus, with all that in every place call upon the name of jesus Christ; Nihil differt sacerdos à subdito quando fruendum est mysterijs, Chrysost. so delivers the institution of Christ, as that in the use of the Cup he makes no difference; Six times conjoining the mention of drinking with eating; and fetching it in with an (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) equality of the manner, and necessity of both, charges all Christians indifferently (Probet seipsum) Let every man examine himself, 1. Cor. 11.28. etc. and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. SECT. III. Half Communion against reason. IN this practice, reason is no less their enemy; Though it be but a man's testament, yet if it be confirmed, Gal. 3.15. no man disannulleth it, (saith S. Paul.) How much less shall flesh and blood presume to alter the last will of the Son of God; and that in so material a point, as utterly destroys the institution. For as our learned Bishop of Carlisle argues truly; Half a man is no man, Doct. White cont. Fisherum. Half a Sacrament is no Sacrament. And as well might they take away the bread, as the cup; both depend upon the same ordination: It is only the command of Christ that makes the bread necessary: the same command of Christ equally enjoins the cup; both do either stand, or fall upon the same ground. The pretence of concomitancy is so poor a shift, that it hurts them rather, for if by virtue thereof the body of Christ is no less in the wine, than the blood is in the bread, it will necessarily follow, that they might as well hold back the bread, and give the cup; as hold back the cup, and give the bread: And could this mystery be hid from the eyes of the blessed Author of this Sacrament? Will these men be wiser than the wisdom of his Father? If he knew this, and saw the wine yet useful, who dares abrogate it, and if he had not seen it useful, why did he not then spare the labour and cost of so needless an element? Lastly, the blood that is here offered unto us, is that which was shed for us; that which was shed from the body, is not in the body, in vain therefore is concomitancy pleaded for a separated blood. Shortly then, this mutilation of the Sacrament being both confessedly late, and extremely injurious to God and his people; and contrary to Scripture and reason, is justly abandoned by us; and we for abandoning it unjustly censured. CHAP. IX. The newness of the Missal Sacrifice. IT sounds not more prodigiously, that a Priest should every day make his God, then that he should sacrifice him. Antiquity would have as much abhorred the sense, as it hath allowed the word. Nothing is more ordinary with the Fathers, then to call God's Table an Altar, the holy Elements an Oblation, Macarium in altar insult ass, mensam domini evertisse, Socrat. l. 1. c. 10· Chrys. in Ps. 95. the act of Celebration an Immolation, the Actor a Priest. S. Chrysostome reckons ten kinds of Sacrifice, and at last (as having forgotten it) adds the eleventh; All which we well allow; Concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 2. can. 1. Verum, proprium propitiatorium, etc. and indeed many Sacrifices are offered to God in this one; but a true, proper, propitiatory Sacrifice for quick and dead, (which the Tridentine Fathers would force upon our belief) would have seemed no less strange a Solecism to the ears of the Ancient, than it doth to ours. Saint Augustine calls it a Designation of Christ's offering upon the Cross. In lib. sent. Prosp. Hom. 17. ad Hebr. Saint Chrysostome (and Theophylact after him) a Remembrance of his Sacrifice: Emissenus a daily celebration in mystery of that which was once offered in payment; Prece mystica consecratur nobis in memoria dominicae passionis. Lomb. sent. l. 4. d. 12. and Lombard himself, a memorial and representation of the true Sacrifice upon the Cross: That which Cassander cities from Saint Ambrose or Chrysostome, Cassand. consult. de sacrificio. Et Ibidem, hoc autem sacrificium exemplar est illius. Chrys. ubi supra. may be in stead of all. In Christ is the Sacrifice once offered able to give salvation; What do we therefore? Do we not offer every day? Surely, if we offer daily, it is done for a recorbation of his death: This is the language and meaning of Antiquity, Si qu●s dixerit Missae Sacrificium antum esse laudis & tiarum actionis, etc. Sess. 6. cap. 9 the very same which the Tridentine Synod condemneth in us. If any man shall say, that the Sacrifice of the Mass is only a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, or a bare commemoration of the Sacrifice offered upon the Cross, let him be accursed· SECT. II. Sacrifice of the Mass against Scripture. HOw plain is the Scripture; whiles it tells us that our High Priest needeth not daily, as those High Priests (under the Law) to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, then, for the peoples; Heb. 7.27. For this he did once, when he offered up himself. The contradiction of the Trent-fathers' is here very remarkable: Christ (say they) who on the altar of the Cross offered himself in a bloody Sacrifice, Co● Tri●. sess. 6 cap. 2. is now this true Propitiatory Sacrifice in the Mass made by himself: He is one and the same Sacrifice, and one and the same offerer of that Sacrifice, by the Ministry of his Priests, who then offered himself on the Cross; So then, they say, that Christ offered up that Sacrifice then, and this now: Saint Paul says he offered up that Sacrifice and no more. Saint Paul says our High Priest needs not to offer daily Sacrifice. They say these daily Sacrifices must be offered by him; Saint Paul says that he offered himself but once, for the sins of the people. They say he offers himself daily for the sins of quick and dead: And if the Apostle in the spirit of prophecy foresaw this error, and would purposely forestall it, he could not speak more directly, Heb. 10.10. then when he saith, We are sanctified through the offering of the body of jesus Christ, once for all. And every High Priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices which can never take away sins; Verse 11, 12. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, Verse 13, 14. for ever sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool: For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Now let the vain heads of men seek subtle evasions in the different manner of this offering, Sola offerendi ratione diversa. Ibid. Concil. Tried bloody then, unbloody now; The Holy Ghost speaks punctually of the very substance of the act; and tells us absolutely, there is but one Sacrifice once offered by him in any kind; Else the opposition that is there made betwixt the Legal Priesthood and his, should not hold, if, as they, so he had often properly and truly sacrificed. That I may not say they build herein what they destroy; for an unbloody Sacrifice, in this sense, can be no other than figurative, and commemorative. Is it really propitiatory? Heb. 9.12. Without shedding of blood there is no remission. If therefore sins be remitted by this Sacrifice, it must be in relation to that blood, which was shed in his true personal Sacrifice upon the Cross; and what relation can be betwixt this and that, but of representation and remembrance; Cassand. Consult. de sacrif. in which their moderate Cassander fully resteth? SECT. III. Missal Sacrifice against reason. IN reason, there must be in every Sacrifice (as Cardinal Bellarmine grants) a destruction of the thing offered; and shall we say that they make their Saviour to crucify him again? Bell. l. 1. de Missa, cap. 2. No, but to eat him; For (Consumptio seu manducatio quae sit à sacerdote) The consumption or manducation which is done of the Priest is an essential part of this Sacrifice; (saith the same Author;) For in the whole action of the Mass, there is (saith he) no other real destruction but this: Suppose we then the true humane flesh, blood, and bone of Christ, God and man, really and corporally made such by this Transubstantiation, Whether is more horrible to crucify, or to eat it? By this rule it is the Priests teeth, and not his tongue, that makes Christ's body a sacrifice: By this rule it shall be (hostia) an host, when it is not a Sacrifice; and a reserved host is no Sacrifice, howsoever consecrated. And what if a mouse, or other vermin, Io▪ de Burg 4. partis c. 8. de Ministratione Euch. Salmer. Tom. 8. Tract. 29. An Euchar. sit proprie sacrificium should eat the Host (it is a case put by themselves) who then sacrificeth? To stop all mouths; Laics eat as well as the Priest, there is no difference in their manducation, but Laics sacrifice not; And (as Salmeron urges) the Scripture distinguisheth betwixt the Sacrifice and the participation of it; 1. Cor. 10.8. Are not they which eat of the Sacrifices, partakers of the Altar? And in the very Canon of the Mass, Vt quot quot, etc. the prayer is, that all we which in the participation of the Altar have taken the sacred body and blood of thy Son, etc. Wherein it is plain, saith he, that there is a distinction betwixt the Host, and the eating of the Host. Lastly, sacrificing is an act done to God; if then eating bee sacrificing, The Priest eats his God to his God; Quorum Deus venture. Whiles they in vain study to reconcile this new-made Sacrifice of Christ already in heaven, with (jube haec perferri) Command these to be carried by the hands of thine holy Angels to thine high Altar in Heaven, in the sight of thy divine Majesty: We conclude, That this proper and propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass, as a new, unholy, unreasonable sacrifice is justly abhorred by us, and we for abhorring it unjustly ejected. CHAP. X. Newness of Image-worship. AS for the setting up, and worshipping of Images, we shall not need to climb so high, as Arnobius, or Origen, or the Council of Eliberis, Anno 305. Or to that fact and history of Epiphanius, Epist. Epiphan. Inter opera Hierom. etc. (whose famous Epistle is honoured by the Translation of Hierome) of the picture found by him in the Church of the village of Anablatha, though out of his own Diocese; how he tore it in an holy zeal; and wrote to the Bishop of the place, Quae contra religionem nostram veniunt, etc. beseeching him that no such pictures may be hanged up, contrary to our religion; Though (by the way) who can but blush at Master Fisher's evasion, that it was sure the picture of some profane Pagan, When as Epiphanius himself there says it had (Imaginem quasi Christi, vel sancti cuiusdam;) the Image, as it were of Christ, or some Saint: Surely therefore the Image went for Christ's, or for some noted Saints; neither doth he find fault with the irresemblance, but with the Image; as such: Biblioth. Patr. ●om. 9 That of Agobardus is sufficient for us; (Nullus antiquorum Catholicorum) None of the ancient Catholics ever thought, that Images were to be worshipped, or adored; They had them indeed, but for historie-sake; To remember the Saints by, not to worship them. Greg Epi●t. l. 9 Epist. 9 Indict. 4 The decision of Gregory the Great (some six hundred years after Christ) which he gave to Serenus Bishop of Massilia, is famous in every man's mouth, and pen: (Et quidem quia eas adorari vetuisses, etc.) We commend you (saith he) that you forbade those Images to be worshipped; but we reprove your breaking of them; adding the reason of both; For that they were only retained for history and instruction, not for adoration; which ingenuous Cassander so comments upon, Cassand. Consult. 2●. Artic. de cultu Imag. as that he shows this to be a sufficient declaration of the judgement of the Roman Church in those times. (Videlicet ideo haberi picturas, etc.) That Images are kept not to be adored and worshipped, but that the ignorant by beholding those pictures might, as by written records, be put in mind of what hath been formerly done, and be thereupon stirred up to piety; And the same Author tells us, that (Sanioribus scholasticis displicet etc.) the sounder Schoolmen disliked that opinion of Thomas Aquine, who held that the Image is to be worshipped with the same adoration, which is due to the thing represented by it; reckoning up Durand, Holcot, Biel. Not to spend many words in a clear case. What the judgement and practice of our Ancestors in this Island was, concerning this point, appears sufficiently by the relation of Roger Hoveden our Historian; Rog. Hoveden. Part. Annal 1. Anno 792. fol. 3 Who tells us that in the year 792. Charles the King of France sent into this Isle, a Synodall Book directed unto him from Constantinople, wherein there were diverse offensive passages; but especially this one, that by the unanimous consent of all the Doctors of the East, and no fewer than 300. Bishops, it was decreed, that Images should be worshipped (quod Ecclesia Deiexecratur) (saith he) which the Church of God abhors. Against which error, Albinus (saith he) wrote an Epistle marvellously confirmed by authority of divine Scriptures; and in the person of our Bishops and Princes exhibited it together with the said Book unto the French King; This was the settled resolution of our Predecessors; And if since that time prevailing superstition have encroached upon the ensuing succession of the Church, (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) Let the old rules stand, as those Fathers determined: Away with novelties. But, good Lord, how apt men are to raise or believe lies for their own advantages? Vspergensis, Vid. Binium in vita Constantini P. and other friends of Idolatry, tell us of a Council held at London, in the days of Pope Constantine, Anno 714. wherein the worship of Images was publicly decreed; the occasion whereof was this: Egwin the Monk, (after made Bishop) had a vision from God, wherein he was admonished to set up the Image of the Mother of God, in his Church. The matter was debated; and brought before the Pope in his See Apostolic; There, Egwin was sworn to the truth of his vision. Thereupon Pope Constantine sent his Legate Boniface into England; who called a Council at London; wherein, after proof made of Egwins' visions, there was an act made for Image-worship. A figment so gross, that even their Baronius and Binius fall foul upon it, with a (facile inducimur, etc.) we are easily induced to believe it to be a lie. Their ground is, that it is destitute of all testimony of Antiquity; and beside, that it doth directly cross the report of Beda, who tells us that our English, together with the Gospel, received the use of Images from their Apostle Augustine; and therefore needed not any new vision for the entertainment thereof. Let us inquire then a little into the words of Beda; Beda Eccles. hist. Angl. l. 1. c. 25. etc. At illi (but they, Augustine and his fellows) non daemoniaca etc. came armed not with the power of Devils, but of God, bearing a silver Cross for their Standard, and the image of our Lord and Saviour painted in a Table, and singing Litanies both for the salvation of themselves, and of them whom they came to convert. Thus he. This shows indeed, that Augustine and his fellows brought Images into England, unknown here before; (A point worthy of good observation) but how little this proves the allowed worship of them, will easily appear to any reader, if he consider, that Gregory the first and Great was he, that sent this Augustine in England, whose judgement concerning Images is clearly published by himself to all the world in his forecited Epistle, absolutely condemning their adoration; Augustine should have been an ill Apostle, if he had herein gone contrary to the will of him that sent him. If withal he shall consider, that within the very same century of years, the Clergy of England, by Albinus Bedes Scholar, sent this public declaration of their earnest disavowing both of the doctrine and practice of Image-worship. SECT. II. Image Worship against Scripture. AS for Scripture. We need not to go further than the very second Commandment; the charge whereof is so inevitable, that it is very ordinarily (doubtless, in the guiltiness of an apparent check) left out in the devotionall Books to the people. m Azorius Institut. l. 9 c. 6. cities for this opinion. Alex. p. 3. q. 30. memb. 3. art. 3. Albert. 3. d. 9 art. 4. Bonauent. 3. d. 9 1. q. Richard. 3. d. 9 art 2. q 1. Palud. 3. d. 9 q. 1. Marsil. 3. q. 8. Henriq. quod· lib. 10 q. 6. Cent. 2. c. 5. Others, since they cannot raze it out, would fain limit it to the jews, pretending that this precept against the worship of Images was only Temporal, and Ceremonial, and such as ought not to be in force under the Times of the Gospel; Wherein they recall to my thoughts that which Epiphanes the son of Carpocrates answered, When his lust was checked with the command of (Non concupisces). True, said he, that is to be understood of the Heathen, whose Wives and Sisters we may not indeed lust after. Some more modest spirits are ashamed of that shift, and fly to the distinction of Idols and Images; a distinction, without a difference; of their making, not of Gods; Of whom we never learned other, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. sept. simulachr. vers. Acts 7.41. & 15.20. 1. Cor. 12.2. 1. john 5.21. then that as every Idol is an Image of something so every Image worshipped turns Idol: The Language differs, not the thing itself: To be sure, God takes order for both, Ye shall make you no Idol, Levit. 26.1. Deut 16.22. Esay 42.17. & 45.16. Mich 5.13. Abac. 2.18, 19 Zach. 10 2. Esay 2 8. & 3●. 22. & 41 7 & verse 22, 23, 24 29. & Esay 44.12. jer. 7.18 & 8.9. & 10.8. Ezec. 6.3. & 13 & 20.28.32. Ezec. 23.27. Ose 8.4, 5. Mic. 1.7. nor graven Image, neither rear you up any standing Image, neither shall you set up any Image of stone in your Land to bow down to it; Yea, as their own vulgar turns it, Non facies tibi, etc. statuam, Thou shalt not set thee up a Statue which God hateth. The Book of God is full of his indignation against this practice. We may well shut up all with that curse in Mount Geresim, Cursed be the man that maketh any graven, Deut. 27.15. or molten Image, an abomination unto the Lord; the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall say, Amen. Surely, their Durandus after he hath cited diverse Scriptures against Idols, as Exod. 20. Levit. 26. Deut. 4. Numb. 21. etc. at last concludes, Durand. Ration. l. 1. c. 3. Ex his & similibus anthoritatibus reprobatur ●imius imaginem usus. Ex his & similibus, etc. By these and the like authorities is condemned the too much use of Images. Now because many eyes are bleared with a pretence of worshipping these, not as Gods, but as resemblances of God's friends; Let any indifferent man but read the Epistle of jeremy (Baruch 6.) (canonical to them, though not to us) and compare the estate and usage of those ancient Idols, with the present Images of the Roman Church, and if he do not find them fully paralleled, let him condemn our quarrel of injustice. But we must needs think them hard driven for Scripture, when they run for shelter under that Text, which professedly taxeth them, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. In illicitis Idolorum cultibus, saith Saint Peter. 1. Pet. 4.3. We turn it well abominable Idolatries. Greg. Val. l. 2. Apol. de Idol. c. 7. Neque absurde profecto putaveris. B. Patrum insinuavisse cultum aliquem simulachrorum rectum esse, etc. contra Herbrandum. In unlawful Idolatries; speaking of the Gentiles; Therefore, saith Valentia, there is a lawful worship of Idols. As if that were an Epithet of favour, which is intended to aggravation; So he that should call Satan an unclean Devil should imply that some Devil is not unclean; or, deceivable lusts, some lusts deceitlesse; or hateful wickedness, some wickedness not hateful; The man had forgot that the Apostle spoke of the heathenish Idolatry; wherein himself cannot plead any colour of lawfulness: May this therefore befriend them to call Idolatry abominable, the Scripture is theirs; neither can they look for ●●y other countenance from those sacred monuments. SECT. III. WHat need we seek any other reason of God's prohibition then his will: And yet God himself hath given abundant reason of his prohibition of Images erected to himself. Esay 40.18. To whom will ye liken God, or what likeness will ye compare unto him. Ye saw no manner of similitude in the day that the Lord spoke to you in Horeb. Deut. 4.15. It is an high injury to the infinite and spiritual nature of God to be resembled by bodily shapes; Esay 42.8. Si quis puram creaturam propter quamcunque excellentiam colit cultu & honore maiori quam puro humano, culius hic iam accedit ad cultum religiosum & per cons. ad divinum Spalat. de Rep. Eccl. l. 7. c. 12. And, for the worship of Images erected to himself, or his creature. I am the Lord, that is my name, and my glory will I not give to another, nor my praise to molten Images. The holy jealousy of the Almighty will not abide any of his honour divided with his creature; and what ever worship more than mere humane is imparted to the creature, sets it in rivality with our Maker. The man is better than his picture; Sed neque Elias adorandus est, etiamsi in vivis sit, neque Ioannes adorandus, etc. Epiphan. cont. Collyrid. her. 79. Acts 10 26. Revel 19.10. Diog. Laert. and if religious worship will not be allowed to the person of man, or Angel, how much less to his Image; Not to man; Saint Peter forbids it; Not to Angel, himself forbids it. What a madness than is it for a living man to stoop unto a dead stock; unless (as that Cynic had wont to speak unto statues) to use himself to repulses? This courtesy was too shameful in the Pagans of old, how much more intolerable in Christians: And as for that last shift of this unlawful devotion, that they worship not the Image, but, by it, the person represented; Haec a Paganis afferri solebat, Per illa colitur Deus Lesle. de jure, etc. de relig. l. 2.36. dub. Cassand. Cons. Art. 21. This (saith Cassander, out of the evidence of Arnobius and Lactantius, to whom he might have added Saint Augustine) was the very evasion of the old Heathen; (Nec valebat tunc illa ratio) Neither would this colour then serve, how can it hope now to pass and find allowance? The doctrine therefore and practice of Image-worship, as late as erroneous, is justly rejected by us; who according to Saint Ieroms profession, Nos non dico Martyrio reliquias etc. Hier. ad Riparium. worship not the relics of Martyrs, nor Sun, nor Moon, nor Angels, nor Archangels, nor Cherubin, nor Seraphin, nor any name that is named in this world, or in the world to come; and unjustly are we hereupon ejected. CHAP. XI. The newness of Indulgences and Purgatory. NOthing is more palpable than the novelty of Indulgences, or pardons, as they are now of use in the Roman Church; the intolerable abuse whereof, His●●●▪ Concil. Tr●●. l. 1. gave the first hint to Luther's inquiry; Pope Leo had gratified his sister Magdalene with a large Monopoly of Germane pardons; Aremboldus her Factor was too covetous, and held the market too high: The height of these overrated wares caused the chapmen to inquire into their worth; They were found as they are, both for age and dignity; for age so new, as that Cornelius Agrippa, De'vanit. scient. c. 61. De Invent. rep. lib. 8. c. 1. Dies Indulgentiam referuntur ad poenitentias pro vita iniunctas. Gers. reg. moral. and Polydore Virgil, and Machiavelli (and who not?) tells us Boniface the eighth, who lived Anno 1300. was the first that extended Indulgences to Purgatory, the first that devised a jubilee for the full utterance of them; The Indulgences of former times were no other than relaxations of Canonical Penances, which were enjoined to heinous sinners; whereof Burchard the Bishop of Worms set down many particulars, about t●e 1020. For example, if a man had committed wilful murder, he was to fast forty days together, in bread and water, (which the common people calls a Lent) and to observe a course of penance for seven years after; Now these years of penance, and these Lents were they, which the pardons of former times were used to strike off, or abate, according as they found reason in the disposition of the Penitent; which may give light to those terms of so many Lents and years remitted in former Indulgences. But that there should be a sacred treasure of the Church, wherein are heaped up piles of satisfactions of Saints, whereof only the Pope keeps the keys, and hath power to dispense them where he lists, is so late a device, that Gregory of Valence is forced to confess, that not so much as Gratian, or Peter Lombard (which wrote about 400. years before him) ever made mention of the name of Indulgence; Well therefore might Durand & Antonine grant it not to be found either in the Scriptures, Greg. de Val. & Bellar. l. 2. de Indulgent. or in the writings of the ancient Doctors; and our B. Fisher goes so far in the acknowledgement of the newness hereof, that he hath run into the censure of late Jesuits. Just and warrantable is that challenge of learned Chemnitius, Chemn. Exam. de Indulgen. c. 4. that no testimony can be produced of any Father, or of any ancient Church, that either such doctrine, or practice of such Indulgences was ever in use, until towards one thousand, two hundred years after Christ. Talium indulgentiarum: Some there were in the time immediately foregoing; but such as now, they were not. Besides, Eugenius his time which was too near the Verge; Ibid. for the words of Chemnitius are * For well-near a thousand two hundred years. (Per annos fermè mille ducentos) Bellarmine instances in the the third Council of Lateran, about the year 1116. wherein Pope Paschal the second gave Indulgences of forty days to those which visited the threshold of the Apostles; but it must be considered, that we must take this upon the bare word of Conradus Vrspergensis. Secondly, that this Indulgence of his is no other but a relaxation of Canonical penance. For he adds, which Bellarmine purposely concealeth (iis qui de capitalibus, etc.) to those that should do penance for capital sins, he released forty days penance; So as this instance helps nothing; neither are the rest, which he hath raked together within the compass of a few preceding years, of any other alloy. Neither hath that Cardinal offered to cite one Father for the proof of this practice; the birth whereof was many hundred years after their expiration; but cunningly shifts it off with a cleanly excuse, Bellar. lib. 2. de Indulgent. c. 17. Neque mirum, etc. Neither may it seem strange if we have not many ancient Authors, that make mention of these things in the Church, which are preserved only by use, not by writing: So he: He says, Not many authors; he shows not one: And if many matters of rite have been traduced to the Church without notice of pen, or press; yet, let it be shown what one doctrine, or practice of such importance (as this is pretended to be) hath escaped the report, and maintenance of some Ecclesiastic Writer, or other, and we shall willingly yield it in this; Till then, we shall take this but for a mere colour, and resolve that our honest Roffensis deals plainly with us; who tells us, Quam diu nulla fuerat de Purgatorio cura, etc. So long as there was no care of Purgatory, no man sought after Indulgences; for upon that depends all the opinion of pardons; If you take away Purgatory, wherefore should we need pardons? Since therefore Purgatory was so lately known, and received of the whole Church, who can marvel concerning Indulgences, that there was no use of them in the beginning of the Church. Indulgences than began, after men had trembled somewhile at the torments of a Purgatory; Thus their Martyr, not partially for us, but ingenuously out of the power of truth professes the novelty of two great Articles of the Roman Creed; Purgatory and Indulgences. Indeed, both these now hang on one string; Although there was a kind of Purgatory dreamt of, Aug. Enchir. c. 69. De Civit. Dei, l. 21. c. 26. Quicquid sit quod illo significatur sum Abbrabae confess. l. 9 c. 3. Serm. de Temp. 232. Qui cum Christo regnare non meruerit, cum diabolo absque dubitatione peribit etc. ibid. and the like De civitate Dei, l. 21. cap. 25. Cypr. contra Demetrian. ad finem. Hic etiam nobis est. prompta medela, Post autem clausa est omnis medicina salutis. before their pardons came into play: That device peeped out fearfully from Origen; and pulled in the head again, as in Saint Austin's time, doubting to show it; Tale aliquod, etc. That there is some such thing (saith he) after this life it is not utterly incredible, and may be made a question: And elsewhere. I reprove it not, for it may perhaps be true. And yet again, as retracting what he had yielded, resolves; Let no man deceive himself my brethren, there are but two places, and a third there is none: Before whom Saint Cyprian is peremptory; Quando istinc excessum fuerit; When we are once departed hence, there is now no more place of repentance, no effect of satisfaction; Here is life either lost, or kept; Naz. Car. de rebus suis. Carm. 1. fig. 13. c. Ambros. orat. de obitu Theodos. ad medium, etc. And Gregory Nazianzens verse sounds to the same sense. And Saint Ambrose can say of his Theodosius, that being freed from this earthly warfare; Fruitur nunc luce perpetua, etc. he now enjoys everlasting light, during tranquillity, and triumphs in the troops of the Saints. But, what strive we in this? We may well take the word of their Martyr, our Roffensis for both: And true Erasmus for the ground of this defence; Eras. Epist. l. 20. Hier. Agathio. (Mirum in modum etc. They do marvellously affect the fire of Purgatory, because it is most profitable for their Kitchens. SECT. II. Indulgences and Purgatory against Scripture. THese two then are so late comen strangers, that they cannot challenge any notice taken of them by Scripture; Neither were their names ever heard of in the language of Canaan; yet the Wisdom of that all-seeing Spirit, hath not left us without preventions of future errors, in blowing up the very grounds of these humane devices. The first and main ground of both is the remainders of some temporal punishments to be paid after the guilt, and eternal punishment remitted: The driblets of venial sins to be reckoned for, when the mortal are defrayed. Hear what God saith, Esay 43.25. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake; and will not remember thy sins. Lo, can the Letter be read that is blotted out? Can there be a back-reckoning for that which shall not be remembered? I have done away thy Transgressions as a Cloud: Esay 44.22. What sins can be less than transgressions? What can be more clearly dispersed then a Cloud? Wash me, Psal. 51.7. and I shall be whiter than snow: Who can tell where the spot was, when the skin is rinced? If we confess our sins, 1. john 1.9. he is faithful to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Lo, he cleanseth us from the guilt, and forgives the punishment: What are our sins but debts? Mat. 6.12. What is the infliction of punishment, but an exaction of payment? What is our remission, but a striking off that score? And when the score is struck off, what remains to pay? Remit debita; Forgive our debts is our daily Prayer. Our Saviour tells the Paralytic, Thy sins are forgiven thee; Mar. 2.5. In the same words implying the removing of his disease; the sin be gone, the punishment cannot stay behind: We may smart by way of chastisement, after the freest remission, not by way of revenges; for our amendment, not for God's satisfaction. The second ground is a middle condition betwixt the state of eternal life and death; of no less torment for the time, then Hell itself; whose flames may burn off the rust of our remaining sins; the issues wherefrom are in the power of the great Pastor of the Church: How did this escape the notice of our Saviour? 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & c· john 5.24. Verify, verily I say unto you, he that heareth my Word, and believeth in him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and comes not into judgement (as the Vulgar itself turns it) but is passed from death unto life; Behold a present possession, and immediate passage, no judgement intervening, no torment; How was this hid from the great Doctor of the Gentiles, who putting himself into the common case of the believing Corinthians, professes; We know, 2. Cor. 5.1. that if once our earthly house of this Tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. The dissolution of the one is the possession of the other; here is no interposition of time, of estate. The wise man of old could say. The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God; Wisd. 3.1. and there shall no torment touch them. Upon their very going from us they are in peace. Verse 3. (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) as Saint john heard from the heavenly voice; Reuel. 14.13. From their very dying in the Lord is their blessedness. SECT. III. Indulgences against Reason. IT is absurd in reason, to think that God should forgive our Talents, and arrest us for the odd farthings; Neither is it less absurd to think, that any living soul can have superfluities of satisfaction; when as all that man is capable to suffer, cannot be sufficient for one; (and that the least) sin of his own; the wages whereof is eternal death. Or, Collegia clericorum & conventus religiosorum aspergunt & incensant corpus Papae, & absoluunt. Sacr. Cerem. that those superfluities of humane satisfaction should piece up the infinite, and perfectly meritorious superabundance of the Son of God; Or that this supposed treasure of divine and humane satisfactions; should be kept under the key of some one sinful man; Or that this one man who cannot deliver his own soul from Purgatory, no not from hell itself, should have power to free what others he pleaseth from those fearful flames; to the full jaole-deliverie of that direful prison: which though his great power can do, yet his no less charity will not, doth not. Or that the same pardon which cannot acquit a man from one hours' toothache, should be of force to give his soul ease, from the temporary pains of another world. Lastly, guilt and punishment are relatives; and can no more be severed then a perfect forgiveness, and a remaining compensation can stand together. This doctrine therefore of Papal Indulgences, as it led the way to the further discovery of the corruptions of the degenerated Church of Rome, so it still continues justly branded with novelty and error, and may not be admitted into our belief; and we for rejecting it are unjustly refused. CHAP. XII. The newness of Divine Service in an unknown tongue. THat Prayers and other Divine offices should be done in a known tongue, understood of the people, Cai●t. in 1. Cor. 14. Ex hac Paul● doctrina h●betur quod ●●eli●s ad aedis●●ation. in Ecclesiae est orationes publicas quae audiente po●u●● dicantur dici lingua communi clericis & po●ulo quam dici Latin. Lyr. ibid. Concil. Later. Anno 1215. is not more available to edification (as their Caietan liberally confesseth) then consonant to the practice of all antiquity; In so much as Lyranus freely, In the Primitive Church, blessings and all other services were done in the vulgar tongue. What need we look back so far, when even the Lateran Council, which was but in the year 1215. under Innocent the third, makes this decree. Quoniam in plaerisque, Because in many parts within the same City and Diocese, people are mixed of diverse languages having under one faith diverse rites and fashions, we strictly command, that the Bishops of the said Cities or Dioceses provide fit and able men, who according to the diversities of their rites and languages may celebrate divine services, and administer the Sacraments of the Church to them, instructing them both in word and example. Cardinal Bellarmine's evasion is very gross. That in that place Innocentius and the Council speak only of the Greek, and Latin tongue: For then (saith he) Constantinople was newly taken by the Romans, by reason whereof there was in Greece a mixture of greeks and Latins; in so much as they desired that in such places of frequency two Bishops might be allowed for the ordering of those several Nations. Whereupon it was concluded, that since it were no other than monstrous to appoint two Bishops unto one See; it should be the charge of that one Bishop to provide such under him as should administer all holy things to the Grecians in Greek, and in Latin to the Latins. For who sees not that the Constitution is general, Plaerisque partibus, for very many parts of the Christian world, and (Populi diversarum ling●arum) People of sundry languages; not as Bellarmine cunningly, (diversae linguae) of a divers language: And if these two only languages had been meant, why had it not been as easy to specify them, as to intimate them by so large a circumlocution? This Synod is said to be universal, comprehending all the patriarchs; seventy seven Metropolitans, and the most eminent Divines of both East and West Churches; to the number of at least 2212. persons, or, as some others, 2285. besides the Ambassadors of all Christian Princes of several languages; Now shall we think that there were in all their Territories and jurisdictions no mixtures of inhabitants, but only of Grecians and Romans? or, that all these Fathers were careless of the rest? Especially, since the end which they profess to propose unto themselves herein, is the instruction of the people, of what nation or language soever; which end, as it was never meant to be limited to two sorts of people, so could it never be attained without this liberty of language fitted to their understanding: To which may be added, that the greeks and Latins, of all other, had the least need of this provision, since it was famously known that they had their several services already of received and currant use, before this constitution was hatched. Neither, is it of any moment, which he addeth, that in Italy itself this decree was not extended to the use of vulgar tongues; for that it is evident that Saint Thomas (who lived soon after) composed in Latin the Office of the feast of Corpus Christi; not in the Italian; Thom. Aquinin● Cor. c. 4. although the same Aquinas confesses that that the vulgar tongue of Italy at that time was not Latin; For, what child cannot easily see, that if their great Doctor would write an office for the public use (as is intended) of the whole Church; he would make choice to write it in such a language as might improve it to the most common benefit of all the Christian world? not confining it to the bounds of a particular Nation; Besides what was the Italian (in those times especially) but a broken and corrupt Latin differing more in Idiom and termination, then in the substance of speech: That which Radevicus about the year 1170. records for the voice of the people, in the election of Pope Victor, Papa Vittore Sancto Pietro l'elege, makes good no less; for what such difference is betwixt this, and Papam Victorem Sanctus Petrus elegit; So as this instance doth nothing at all infringe that just decree of the Roman Fathers. Howsoever, that observation of Erasmus is true, and pregnant to this purpose, Nec lingua vulgaris populo subtracta est, sed populus ab e a recessit. Eras. declarat. ad Censur. Purif. tit. 12. sect. 14. Bed histor. l. 1. (Nec lingua vulgaris & e.) Neither was the vulgar tongue (i. the Latin) withdrawn from the people, but the people went off from it. And as for our Ancestors in this Island; Our venerable Bede witnesses, that in England the Scriptures were read by them in five languages, according to the number of the books wherein the Law of God was written, namely English, Scottish, British, Pictish, and Latin; which saith he in meditation of the Scriptures is made common to all the rest. A point which the said Author specifies for a commendation of the well-instructednesse of those people, not, as purposing to intimate that the use of the Latin did thrust out the other four; for, he there tells us that in all four they did not only search, but confess, and utter the knowledge of the highest truth. This restraint than is not more new than envious and prejudicial to the honour of God, and the souls of men. SECT. II. Against Scripture. AS for Scriptures. Were this practice so old as it is pretended; Longaevae 〈…〉 non 〈…〉 ritas 〈…〉 conquer, &c the rule is (Longaevae consuetudinis, etc.) the authority of an ancient custom is not to be slighted, so long as it is not against the Canons: Nothing can be more against the Canons of the blessed Apostle, than this; who, did he live in these our days, and would bend his speech against the use of a language not understood in God's service, could not speak more directly, more punctually, than he doth to his Corinth's. How doth he tell us, that the speaking in a strange tongue edifies not the Church, 1. Cor. 14.5, 6 profits not the hearers; produces a necessary ignorance of the thing spoken; Makes me a Barbarian to him that speaketh, Verse 9 and him that speaks a Barbarian to me. How doth he require him that speaketh in an unknown tongue to pray that he may interpret. Verse 11. And if he must pray that he may do it; Verse 13. how much more must he practise it, when he can do it? How doth he tell us that in a strange languaged prayer the understanding is unfruitful. Verse 14. Verse 19 That it is better to speak five words with understanding, that we may teach others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Verse 23. That those which speak with strange tongues are but as mad men to the unlearned, or unbelievers. SECT. III. Against reason. IN which Scriptures (besides authority) the Apostle hath comprised unanswerable, and convincing reasons against this Romish abuse; Amongst the rest is intimated that utter frustration of the use of the tongue in God's service: For it is a true rule which Salmeron cities out of Lactantius (Nihil valet ex se etc. Salmeron in illa vos estis sal terrae. Ex Lactanctio. ) That thing is to no purpose which avails not unto the end whereto it serves: Silence doth as much express the thought, as a language not understood: In this sense is that of Laurentius too well verified, Laurent. Presbyt. Pisanus, Paradox. Euangelic. Sacerdos imperitus mulier sterilis: A Priest unable to express himself is as a barren woman; uncapable of bringing forth children to God: Quid prodest fons signatus? As good no tongue as no understanding; What good doth a Well sealed up, as Ptolemy said of the Hebrew Text. Wherefore do we speak, if we would not be understood: It was an holy resolution of Saint Augustine, that he would rather say Ossum in false Latin, to be understood of the people, then Os in true, not to be understood: This practice, however it may seem in itself sleight and unworthy of too much contention, yet in regard of that miserable blindness and mis-devotion, which it must needs draw in after it, it is so heinous, as may well deserve our utmost opposition: The unavoydablenesse of which effects hath carried some of their Casuists into an opinion of the unnecessarinesse of devotion in these holy businesses; so as one says, He that wants devotion sins not; Another, I●c. Graph. decis. aur. Sylu quaest. 80. Artic. 9 Though it be convenient that the Communicant should have actual devotion, yet it is not necessary: Alas, what service is this which poor souls are taught to take up with; which God must be content to take from hoodwinked suppliants? This doctrine, this practice, thus new, thus prejudicial to Christians, we bless God that we have so happily discarded; and for our just refusal are unjustly ejected. CHAP. XIII. The newness of forced Sacramental Confession. Concil. Trid. Si quis dixerit in Sacram. Poenitentiae ad remissionem, etc. Anath. etc. Sess. 14. Gloss. Grat. de Poenit. dist. 5. c. In poenitentia. Graeci solummodo Deo confitendum dicunt. de poenit. d. 1. THe necessity of a particular, secret, full, Sacramental Confession of all our sins to a Priest; upon pain of Non-remission, is an Act or Institution of the Roman Church, For, as for the Greek Church it owns not either the doctrine, or practice. So the Gloss of the Canon Law directly; Confessio apud Graecoes, etc. Confession is not not necessary amongst the Grecians; unto whom no such Tradition hath been derived. That Gloss would tell us more; Multa alia & magni ponderis emendata sunt. In notis ibid. and so would Gratian himself, if their tongues were not clipped by a guilty expurgation. But in the mean time the Gloss of that Canon (hitherto allowed) plainly controls the Decree of that late Council; For if the Necessity of Confession be only a Tradition, and such a one, as hath not been deduced to the Greek Church, than it stands not by a Law of God, which is universal; not making differences of places, or times; like an high-elevated Star which hath no particular aspect upon one Region. That there is a lawful, commendable beneficial use of Confession was never denied by us; but to set men upon the rack, and to strain their souls up to a double pin, of absolute necessity (both praecepti and medij) and of a strict particularity; and that by a screw of Ius divinum, God's Law, is so mere a Roman novelty, that many ingenuous Authors of their own have willingly confessed it. Bellar. de poenit. l. 3. c. 1. In Annot. Hier. ad Ocean. In notis Tertull. de penitent. etc. Amongst whom Cardinal Bellarmine himself yields us, Erasmus, and Beatus Rhenanus, two noble Witnesses; Whose joint-tenet he confesses to be, Confessionem secretam, etc. That the secret Confession of all our sins is not only not instituted, or commanded jure Divino, by God's Law; but that it was not so much as received into use in the Ancient Church of God. To whom he might have added, out of Maldonates' account (omnes decretorum, etc.) all the Interpreters of the Decrees, and amongst the Schoolmen, Scotus. We know well those sad and austere Exomologesis, which were publicly used in the severe times of the Primitive Church: whiles these took place, what use was there of private? These obtained even in the Western or Latin Church, till the days of Leo; about 450. years. De presbyt. poenitentiarijs, vide Socrat. l. 5. c. 19 In which time they had a grave public Penitentiary for this purpose. Afterwards (whether the noted inconveniences of that practice, or whether the cooling of the former fervour occasioned it) this open Confession began to give way to secret; which continued in the Church, but with freedom, and without that forced and scrupulous strictness which the later times have put upon it. Beat. Rhenan. Argum. in Tert. de poenitentia. It is very remarkable which learned Rhenanus hath (Caeterum Thomas ab Aquino, etc.) But (saith he) Thomas of Aquine and Scotus (men too acute) have made confession at this day such, Argentoratum, etc. as that joannes Geilerius a grave and holy Divine, which was for many years' Preacher at Strasburgh, had wont to say to his friends, that according to their rules it is an impossible thing to confess; Adding, that the same Geilerius being familiarly conversant with some religious Votaries, both Carthusians and Franciscans, learned of them, with what torments the godly minds of some men were afflicted, by the rigour of that confession, which they were not able to answer; and thereupon he published a book in Dutch, entitled The sickness of confession. The same therefore which Rhenanus writes of his Geilerius, he may well apply unto us; Itaque Geilerio non displicebat, etc. Geilerius therefore did not dislike confession, but the scrupulous anxiety which is taught in the sums of some late Divines, more fit ●●deed for some other place, then for Libraries. Thus he. What would that ingenuous Author have said, if he had lived to see those volumes of Cases which have been since published, able to perplex a world; and those peremptory decisions of the Fathers of the Society, whose strokes have been with Scorpions, in comparison of the rods of their Predecessors. To conclude; This bird was hatched in the Council of Lateran, (Anno 1215.) fully plumed in the Council of Trent; and now lately hath her feathers imped by the modern Casuists. SECT. II. Romish Confession not warranted by Scripture. SInce our quarrel is n●t with confession itself, which may be of singular use and behoof; but with some tyrannous strains in the practice of it, which are the violent forcing and perfect fullness thereof; It shall be sufficient for us herein to stand upon our negative; That there is no Scripture in the whole book of God, wherein either such necessity, or such entireness of Confession is commanded; A truth so clear, that it is generally confessed by their own Canonists. Did we question the lawfulness of Confession, we should be justly accountable for our grounds from the Scriptures of God; now that we cry down only some injurious circumstances therein, well may we require from the fautors thereof their warrants from God; which if they cannot show, they are sufficiently convinced of a presumptuous obtrusion: Indeed, our Saviour said to his Apostles, and their successors, Whose sins ye remit they are remitted, john 20.23. and whose sins ye retain they are retained. But did he say, No sin shall be remitted, but what ye remit? Or, no sin shall be remitted by you, but what is particularly numbered unto you. james 5.16. Saint james bids, Confess your sins one to another; But would they have the Priest shrieve himself to the penitent, as well as the penitent to the Priest? This act must be mutual, not single. Acts 19.18. Many believing Ephesians came and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many, but not all, not Omnes utriusque sexus, they confessed their deeds; Some that were notorious, not all their sins. Contrarily rather, john 20.21. so did Christ send his Apostles, as the father sent him, He was both their warrant and their pattern; But that gracious Saviour of ours many a time gave absolution, where was no particular confession of sins: Only the sight of the Paralyticks faith fetched from him, Son be of good cheer, Mat. 9.2. thy sins be forgiven thee; The noted sinner in Simons house, approving the truth of her repentance by the humble and costly testimonies of her love, without any enumeration of her sins, heard, Thy sins are forgiven thee. SECT. III. Against reason. IN true Divine Reason this supposed duty is needless, dangerous, impossible. Needless in respect of all sins, not in respect of some; for how ever in the cases of a burdened conscience, nothing can be more useful, more sovereign, yet, in all, our peace doth not depend upon our lips; Being justified by faith, Rom. 5.1. we have peace with God through jesus Christ our Lord. Dangerous, in respect both of exprobration, as Saint Chrysostome worthily, Chrys. in Ps. 50. Sayr. Summa Cas. Navar. and of infection; for delectabile carnis (as a Casuist confesseth) Fleshly pleasures the more they are called into particular mention, the more they move the appetire. I do willingly conceal from chaste eyes and ears what effects have followed this pretended act of devotion, in wanton and vnstayed Confessors. Impossible, for who can tell how oft he offendeth; He is poor in sin that can count his stock; and he sins always that so presumes upon his innocence, as to think he can number his sins: And, if he say of any sin, as Lot of Zoar, is it not a little one? as if therefore it may safely escape the reckoning, it is a true word of Isaac the Syrian, Isaac. Syr. presb. Antiochen. de Contempt. mundi. etc. Qui delicta etc. He that thinks any of his offences small, even in so thinking falls into greater. This doctrine and practice therefore, both as new and unwarrantable, full of usurpation, danger, impossibility is justly rejected by us; and we for so doing, unjustly ejected. SECT. IV. The novelty of Absolution before Satisfaction. LEst any thing in the Roman Church should retain the old form, how absurd is that innovation which they have made in the the order of their penance and absolution. The ancient course, as Cassander and Lindanus truly witness, Cassand. consult. Art. de Confess. Lind. Pan●pl. l 4. was that absolution and reconciliation, and right to the Communion of the Church was not given by imposition of hands unto the penitent, till he had given due satisfaction by performing of such penal acts, as were enjoined by the discreet Penitentiary; C●ss. ibid. yea, those works of penance (saith he) when they were done out of faith, and an heart truly sorrowful; and by the motion of the holy Spirit, preventing the mind of man, with the help of his divine grace, were thought not a little available to obtain remission of the sin, and to pacify the displeasure of God for sin; Not, that they could merit it by any dignity of theirs, but that thereby the mind of man is in a sort fitted to the receipt of God's grace; But now, immediately upon the Confession made, the hand is laid upon the penitent, and he is received to his right of Communion, and after his absolution, certain works of piety are enjoined him, for the chastisement of the flesh, and expurgation of the remainders of sin. Thus Cassander. In common apprehension this new order can be no other than preposterous; and (as our learned Bishop of Carlisle) like Easter before Lent. But for this, Resp. ad Fisherum. Ipsi viderint; it shall not trouble us how they nurture their own child. CHAP. XIV. The newness of the Romish Invocation of Saints. OF all those errors which we reject in the Church of Rome, there is none that can plead so much show of Antiquity, Spalat. de Resp. Eccl. l. 7. c. 12. § 16. as this of Invocation of Saints: which yet, as it hath been practised and defended in the latter times, should in vain seek either example or patronage amongst the Ancient; How ever there might be some grounds of this devotion secretly muttered, and at last expressed in Panegyricke forms, yet, until almost five hundred years after Christ, Rex jacob. praemonit. ad Principes, etc. it was not in any sort admitted into the public service. It will be easily granted that the blessed Virgin is the Prime of all Saints; neither could it be other then injurious, that any other of that heavenly society should have the precedency of her: Now the first that brought her name into the public devotions of the Greek Church, Niceph. l. 15. c. 28. is noted by Nicephorus, to be Petrus Gnapheus, or Fullo, a Presbyter of Bythinia; afterwards the Usurper of the See of Antioch, much about 470 years after Christ; who (though a branded heretic) found out four things (saith he) very useful and beneficial to the Catholic Church; whereof the last was, Ecclesiae Catholicae commodissima, ibid. (Vt in omni precatione etc.) that in every prayer the Mother of God should be named, and her divine name called upon; The phrase is very remarkable wherein this rising superstition is expressed. And as for the Latin Church, we hear no news of this Invocation, in the public Litanies, till Gregory's time, about some 130. years after the former. And in the mean time, some Fathers speak of it fearfully and doubtfully; How could it be otherwise, when the common opinion of the Ancients, Ios. Scalig. Notis in Nowm Test. even below Saint Austin's age did put up all the souls of the faithful, except Martyrs in some blind receptacles, whether in the Centre of the earth, or elsewhere, where they might in candida expectare diem judicij, as Tertullian hath it four several times; And Stapleton himself sticks not to name diverse of them thus foully mistaken. Stap. l. de author. scr. Others of the Fathers have let fall speeches directly bend against this Invocation (Non opus est patronis, etc. Chrysost. Homil. de poenitentia, hom. 4. Which place, the Margin of the Latin Edition of Venice, set forth by the authority of the Inquisition, tells us, (and we must believe it) makes nothing against Invocation of Saints. Vide Ibid. ) There is no need of any Advocates to God, saith Saint Chrysostome; and most plainly elsewhere, Homines si quando etc. If we have any suit to men (saith he) we must fee the porters, and treat with jesters and parasites, and go many times a long way about; In God there is no such matter; he is exorable without any of our Mediators, without money, without cost, he grants our petitions: It is enough to cry for thee with thine heart alone, to pour out thy tears, and presently thou hast won him to mercy. Thus he. And those of the Ancients, that seem to speak for it, lay grounds that overthrow it; Howsoever it be, all holy Antiquity would have both blushed, and spit at those forms of Invocation, which the late Clients of Rome have broached to the world; If perhaps they spoke to the Saints (tanquam deprecatores, Spalat. l. 7. c. 12. § 26. Gul. Altis. in 4. sent. etc. Dea, primas Coeli, etc. praecipe Angelis ut nos custodiant. In Rosar. Canon. Reg. Anonym. Dividunt coram Patre inter se matter & silius pietatis officia, & condunt inter se reconciliationis nostrae inviolabile testamentum. Arnold. Carnot. de laudibus 5. virg. Lud. Viues in Aug. de Civitat. Dei l. 8. c. ult. vel potius comprecatores) as Spalatensis yields; moving them to be competitioners with us to the throne of grace, not properly, but improperly, as Altisiodore construes it; how would they have digested that blasphemous Psalter of our Lady, imputed to Bonaventure, and those styles of mere Deification which are given to her; and the division of all offices of piety to mankind, betwixt the mother and the Son. How had their ears glowed to hear, Christus oravit, Franciscus exoranit, Christ prayed, Francis prevailed; How would they have brooked that which Ludovicus Viues freely confesses, Multi Christiani & c· Many Christians worship (divos, diua●que) the Saints of both sexes, no otherwise than God himself; Or that which Spalatensis professes to have observed that the ignorant multitude are carried with more entire religious affection to the blessed Virgin, Name & plebem rudiorem religiose etc. Et magis plurimos interne religioso affectu erga Beatam Virg. etc. quam erga Christum, Spalat. de Re. Eccl. l. 7. c. 12. s. 28. or some other Saint, then to Christ their Saviour. These foul superstitions are not more heinous than new, and such, as wherein we have justly abhorred to take part with the practices of them. SECT. II. Invocation of Saints against Scripture. AS for the better side of this mis-opinion; even thus much colour of Antiquity were cause enough to suspend our censures (according to that wise and moderate resolution of learned Zanchius; Ego certè ab Autiquitate non recedo nisi coactus Zanch. in Coloss. ) were it not that the Scriptures are so flatly opposite unto it; as that, we may justly wonder at that wisdom, which hath provided Antidotes for a disease, that of many hundred years after, should have no being in the World. The ground of this Invocation of Saints is their notice of our earthly condition, and special Devotions; job 14.20, And behold thou prevaylest ever against man, and he passeth; thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away; Verse 21. His sons come to honour and he knows it not, and they are brought low and he perceiveth it not, saith job. The dead know nothing at all, Eccles. 9.5, saith wise Solomon; Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy is now perished, Verse 6. neither have they any more a portion for ever, in any thing that is done under the Sun; No portion in any thing, therefore not in our miseries; not in our allocutions. If we have a portion in them, for their love and Prayers in common for the Church, they have no portion in our particularities, whether of want, or complaint. Esay 63.16. Abraham our Father is ignorant of us (saith Esay) and Israel acknowledges us not. Lo, the Father of the faithful above knows not his own children, till they come into his bosom; and he that gives them their names, is to them as strangers; 2. Kings 22.20. Wherefore should good josiah be gathered to his Fathers as Hulda tells him, but that his eyes might not see all the evil which should come upon jerusalem? We cannot have a better Commenter, August. de cura pro●n ort. gerend. cap. 13. than Saint Augustine, If (saith he) the souls of the dead could be present at the affairs of the living, etc. Surely my good Mother would no night forsake me, whom whiles she lived, she followed both by Land, and Sea; far be it from me to think, that an happier life hath made her cruel, etc. But certainly, that which the holy Psalmist tells us, is true; My Father and my Mother have forsaken me, but the Lord took me up; If therefore our Parents have left us, how are they present or do interest themselves in our cares, or businesses? And if our Parents do not, who else among the dead know what we do, or what we suffer? Esay the Prophet saith; Thou art our Father, for Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel know us not; If so great patriarchs were ignorant, what became of that people, which came from their loins, and which upon their belief was promised to descend from their stock, how shall the dead have aught to do either in the knowledge, or aid of the affairs, or actions of their dearest Suruivers? How do we say that God provides mercifully for them who die before the evils come, if even after their death, they are sensible of the calamities of humane life, etc. How is it then that God promised to good King josiah for a great blessing, that he should die before hand, that he might not see the evils which he threatened to that place and people. Thus that divine Father. With whom agrees Saint Jerome; Hieron. in Eccles. 3. ad fin. Nec enim, possumus, etc. Neither can we (saith he) when this life shall once be dissolved, either enjoy our own labours, or know what shall be done in the World afterwards. But could the Saints of Heaven know our actions, yet our hearts they cannot: This is the peculiar skill of their Maker, Psal. 7.10. Thou art the searcher of the hearts and reins, O righteous God; Psal. 4●. 22. & 139, 1.4. & 13. Prou. 15 11. & 17.3. & 24.12. God only knows (abscondita animi) the hidden secrets of the soul. Now, the heart is the seat of our Prayers. The lips do but vent them to the ears of men: Moses said nothing, jer. 21.20. & 17.10. & 20.12. when God said, Let me alone Moses. O therefore thou that hearest the Prayers, to thee shall all flesh come. 1. Kings 8.39. Salomon's argument is irrefragable; Hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling place; and do, and give to every man according to his ways: whose heart thou knowest; For thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men. He only should be implored that can hear; he only can hear the Prayer that knows the heart: Yet could they know our secretest desires. It is an honour that God challengeth as proper to himself, to be invoked in our Prayers; Psal. 50.14. Call upon me in the day of thy trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. There is one God, and one Mediator betwixt God and man, 1. Tim. 2.5. the man jesus Christ. One, and no more, not only of redemption, but of intercession also; for through him (only) we have access by one Spirit, unto the Father; and he hath invited us to himself; Ephes. 2. 1●. Come to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden. SECT. III. Against reason. HOw absurd therefore is it in reason, when the King of heaven calls us to him, to run with our petitions to the Guard or Pages of the Court? Had we to do with a finite Prince, whose ears must be his best informers, or whose will to help us were justly questionable, we might have reason to present our suits by second hands; But since it is an Omnipresent and Omniscious God with whom we deal, from whom the Saints and Angels receive all their light, and love to his Church, how extreme folly is it to sue to those Courtiers of Heaven, and not to come immediately to the Throne of Grace? That one Mediator is able (and willing also) to save them to the utmost, Heb. 7.25. that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. Besides, how uncertain must our devotions needs be, when we can have no possible assurance of their audience; for who can know that a Saint hears him? That God ever hears us, we are as sure, as we are unsure to be heard of Saints: Nay, we are sure we cannot be all heard of them: For what finite nature can divide itself betwixt ten thousand Suppliants at one instant, in several regions of the world, much less impart itself whole to each? Either therefore, we must turn the Saints into so many Deities, or we must yield that some of our prayers are unheard; And whatsoever is not of faith, is sin. As for that heavenly glass of Saint Gregory's, wherein the Saints see us, and our suits (confuted long since by Hugo de Sancto Victore) it is as pleasing a fiction, Hugo de Sancto Vict. de sacr. l 2 as if we imagined therefore to see all the corners of the earth, because we see that Sun which sees them. And the same eyes that see in God the particular necessities of his Saints below, see in the same God such infinite grace and mercy, for their relief, as may save the labour of their reflecting upon that divine miroir in their special intercessions. This doctrine therefore and practice of the Romish invocation of Saints, both as new and erroneous, against Scripture and reason, we have justly rejected; and are thereupon ejected as unjustly. CHAP. XV. The newness of seven Sacraments. Summa Caranzae, etc. THe late Council of Florence indeed insinuates this number of seven Sacraments, as Suarez contends: But the later Council of Trent determines it, Concil. Trid. Cess 7. Can. 1. Si quis dixerit aut plura, etc. If any man shall say, that there are either more, or fewer Sacraments than seven, viz. Baptism, Confirmation, &c, or that any of these is not truly and properly a Sacrament, Let him be Anathema. It is not more plain that in Scripture there is no mention of Sacraments, then that in the Fathers there is no mention of seven. Cardinal Bellarmine's evasion, that the Scripture and Fathers wrote no Catechism, is poor and ridiculous; No more did the Counsels of Florence and Trent, and yet there the number is reckoned and defined. So as the word Sacrament may be taken (for any holy, significant rite) there may be as well seventy as seven; So strictly as it may be, and is taken by us, there can no more be seven, than seventy. This determination of the number is so late, that Cassander is forced to confess, Cassand. Consult. Art. 13. de numero sacr. Nec temerè, etc. You shall not easily find any man before Peter Lombard, which hath set down any certain and definite number of Sacraments. And this observation is so just that upon the challenges of our writers, no one author hath been produced by the Roman Doctors, for the disproof of it, Luther de capti●●t. Babyl. I● loc. come. Cass●● l. ibid. Thus all Antiquity runs upon two. ●em recognit. 〈◊〉. A● 2 tertull de 〈◊〉 Milit. & 〈…〉 2. Epist. 1. 〈…〉 August, etc. elder than Hugo, and the said Master of Sentences. But, numbers are ceremonies. Both Luther, and Philip Melancthon profess they stand not much upon them; It is the number numbered (which is the thing itself misrelated into that sacred Order) that we stick at. There we find that none but Christ can make a Sacrament; for none but he who can give grace, can ordain a sign and seal of Grace; Now it is evident enough, that these adscititious Sacraments were never of Christ's institution. So was not confirmation, as our Alexander of Hales, and Holcot; so was not Matrimony, Suar. Tom. 4. disp. ●9. s. 2. Vid Mort. Ap●ell. l. 2. c. 26. §. 5. as Durand; So was not Extreme Unction, as Hugo, Lombard, Bonaventure, Halensis, Altisiodore, by the confession of their Suarez. These were ancient rites, but they are new Sacraments; All of them have their allowed, and profitable use in God's Church, though not in so high a nature; Except that of Extreme Unction; which as it is an apish mis-imitation of that extraordinary course, Marc. 6.13. james 5. which the Apostolic times used in their cures of the sick, so it is grossly misapplyed to other purposes, than were intended in the first institution. Then it was (Vngebant & sanabant;) the oil miraculously conferring bodily recovery; but now, (Non nisi in mortis articulo adhibetur) it is not used, but upon the very point of death, as Caietan and Cassander confess, and all experience manifests; Franc. jun. Animadu. in Bellar. l. de verb. Dei. 4. and by Felix the fourth, drawn to a necessity of address to eternal life. SECT. II. Seven Sacraments beside Scripture. NOt to scan particulars, which all yield ample exceptions, but to wind them all up in one bottom; Whosoever shall look into the Scripture shall find it apparent, that as in the time of man's innocence, there were but two Sacraments, the tree of life, and the tree of knowledge; So, before, and under the Law (how ever they had infinite rites) yet in the proper sense, they had but two Sacraments; the same in effect with those under the Gospel; The one, the Sacrament of Initiation, which was their Circumcision; Paralleled by that Baptism which succeeded it; The other, the Sacrament of our holy Confirmation, that spiritual meat and drink which was their Paschall Lamb and Manna, and water from the rock; prefiguring the true Lamb of God, and bread of life, and blood of our redemption. The great Apostle of the Gentiles, that well knew the Analogy, hath compared both; Moreover, brethren, 1. Cor. 10.1. I would not have you ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed thorough the sea; Verse 2, 3. And all were baptised in the cloud, and in the sea; And all did eat the same spiritual meat, Verse 4. etc. and all did drink the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock, that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. What is this in any just construction, but that the same two Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper, which we celebrate under the Gospel, were the very same with those, which were celebrated by God's ancient people, under the Law; They two, and no more; Hoc facite (Do this) is our warrant for the one; and Ite baptizate, etc. and Go teach and baptise, for the other: There is deep silence in the rest. SECT. III. Against reason. IN reason it must be yielded, that no man hath power to set to a seal, but he whose the writing is; Sacraments, then, being the seals of Gods gracious evidences, whereby he hath conveyed to us eternal life, can be instituted by no other, than the same power that can assure and perform life to his creature. In every Sacrament therefore must be a divine institution and command of an element that signifies, of a grace that is signified, of a word adjoined to that element, of an holy act adjoined to that Word: Where these concur not, there can be no true Sacrament; and they are palpably missing in these five Adiections of the Church of Rome. Last; The Sacraments of the new Law (as Saint Austen often) flowed out of the side of Christ; None flowed thence, but the Sacrament of water, which is Baptism, and the Sacrament of blood in the Supper; Whereof the Author saith, This cup is the new Testament in my blood, which is shed for you. The rest never flowing either from the side, or from the lips of Christ, are as new and misnamed Sacraments justly rejected by us, and we thereupon as unjustly censured. CHAP. XVI. The newness of the Doctrine of Traditions. THe chief ground of these, and all other errors in the Church of Rome, Concil. Trid. Sess. 4. is the overvaluing of Traditions; which the Tridentine Synod professeth to receive, and reverence with no less pious affection, In his rebus de quibus nihil certi flatuit scriptura divina, mos populi Dei vel instituta maiorum pro lege tenenda sunt. August. Epist. 86. than the Books of the Old, and New Testament; and that, not in matter of Rite, and History only, but of faith and manners also; Wherein, as they are not un willing to cast a kind of imputation of imperfection upon the written Word; so they make up the defects of it, by the supply of unwritten Traditions; to which indeed they are more beholden, for the warrant of the greater part of their superadded Articles, then to the Scriptures of God: Both which, are points so dangerously envious, as that Antiquity would have abhorred their mention: Neither is any thing more common with the holy Fathers of the Church, than the magnifying the complete perfection of Scripture, in all things needful, either to be believed, or done. What can be more full and clear, Aug. l. 2. de doctrina Christ. c. 9 In his quae apertè posita sunt in Scriptura inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque viveundi. Bell. l. 4. de verb. Dei. 6.11. then that of Saint Austen, In his quae apertè, etc. In these things, which are openly laid forth in Scripture, are found all matters that contain either faith, or manners. Cardinal Bellarmine's elusion is not a little prejudicial to his own cause. He tells us, that Saint Austen speaks of those points, which are simply necessary to salvation for all men; All which he acknowledges to be written by the Apostles; But besides these, there are many other things (saith he) which we have only by Tradition; Will it not therefore hence follow, that the common sort of Christians need not look at his Traditions? That commonly men may be saved without them? that Heaven may be attained, though there were no Traditions; Who will not now say, Let me come to Heaven by Scripture, go you whither you will by Traditions? To which add, that a great, yea, the greater part (if we may believe some of their own) of that which they call religion, is grounded upon only Tradition; if then Tradition be only of such things as are not simply unnecessary to salvation, than the greater part of their misnamed Religion, must needs be yielded for simply unnecessary to all men: And if we may be saved without them, and be made Citizens of Heaven, how much more may we without them, be members of the true Church on Earth? As for this place, Saint Augustine's words are full, and comprehensive, expressing all those things, which contain either faith, or manners, whether concerning Governors, or people: If now, they can find out any thing, that belongs not either to belief, or action, we do willingly give it up to their Traditions, but all things which pertain to either of those, are openly comprised in Scripture. What can be more direct, then that of holy Athanasius? Athanas. l. 4. cont. Gent. Initio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Sufficiunt per se vertit Nannius. Tert. lib. adverse. Hermogenem. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. The holy Scriptures inspired by God, are in themselves all-sufficient to the instruction of truth; and, if Chemnitius construe it, All truth, this needs not raise a cavil; The word signifies no less; for if they be all-sufficient to instruction, they must needs be sufficient to all instruction in the truth intended; Tertullian professes openly, Adoro Scripturae pleni●udinem, etc. I adore the fullness of Scripture; Let the skill of Hermogenes show where it is written; if it be not written, let him fear that woe which is pronounced against those, that add or detract. Thus he. Who can but fear that the Cardinal shifts this evidence against his own heart? For (saith he) Tertullian speaks of that one point. That God created all things of nothing, and not of a pre-existent matter, as Hermogenes dreamt; now, because this truth is clearly expressed in Scripture, therefore the fullness of Scripture, as concerning this point is adored by Tertullian; And for that Hermogenes held an opinion contrary to Scripture, he is said to add unto Scripture, and to incur that malediction; Now, let any reader, of common sense, judge, whether the words of Tertullian be not general; without any limitation; and if the first clause could be restrained, the second cannot; Scriptum esse doceat etc. Whatsoever therefore is not written, by this rule may not be oberuded to our belief; Neither doth he say, If it be written against; but, If it be not written; and his challenge is (nusquam legi) that the words are no where read, as if this were quarrel enough, without a flat contradiction to what is read. So as the Cardinal's gloss merely corrupts the Text; How easy were it for me to tyre my reader, with the full suffrages of Origen, Cyprian, Chrysostome, Basil, Cyrill, Epiphanius, Hierome, Ambrose, Theodoret, Hilary, Vincentius Lirinensis, and in a word with the whole stream of Antiquity, which though they give a meet place to Traditions of Ceremony, of history, of interpretation, of some immaterial verities, yet reserve the due honour to the sacred monuments of Divine Scriptures. Our learned Chemnitius hath freely yielded seven sorts of Traditions, such as have a correspondence with, or an attestation from the written word, the rest, we do justly (together with him) disclaim, as unworthy to appear upon that awful Bench, amongst the inspired Penmen of God. SECT. II. Traditions against Scripture. IT is not to be imagined that the same word of God, which speaks for all other truths, should not speak for itself; how fully doth it display it's own sufficiency and perfection. 2. Tim, 3.16. All Scripture (saith the Chosen Vessel) is given by inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Profitable, Bellar. de verbo Dei, l. 4. c. 10. saith the Cardinal, but not sufficient; Many things may avail to that end whereto they suffice not; So meat is profitable to nourish, but without natural heat it nourisheth not: Thus he. Hear yet what followeth. 2. Tim. 3.17. That the man of God may be perfited, and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Lo it is so profitable to all these services, that thereby it perfects a Divine; much more an ordiarie Christian: That which is so profitable, as to cause perfection, is abundantly sufficient, and must needs have full perfection in itself; That which can perfect the teacher, is sufficient for the learner. The Scriptures can perfect the man of God, both for his calling in the instruction of others, and for his own glory. 2. Tim. 3.15. Thou hast known the Scriptures from a child (saith Saint Paul to his Timothy) which are able (not profitable only) to make thee wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ jesus. It is the charge therefore of the Apostle, not to be wise above that which is written: The same with wise Salonons', The whole word of God is pure: Add thou not unto his words, Prou. 30.5, 6. lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. Lo, he saith not, Oppose not his words, but, Add not to them: Even addition detracts from the majesty of that Word; For the Law of the Lord is perfect, Psal. 19.7, 8. converting the soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart, the Commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. As for those Traditions which they do thus lift up to an unjust competition with the written Word, our Saviour hath before hand, humbled them into the dust: In vain do they worship me, Matth. 15.9. teaching for doctrines the commandments of men; Making this a sufficient cause of abhorring both the persons, and the services of those jews, that they thrust humane Traditions into God's chair, and respected them equally with the institutions of God. Cardinal Bellarmine would shift it off with a distinction of Traditions; These were such, saith he (quas acceperant à recentioribus, etc.) as they had received from some later hands, whereof some were vain, some others pernicious, not such as they received from Moses and the Prophets: And the Authors of these rejected Traditions he cities from Epiphanius to be R. Akiba, R. Epiphan. in haeres. Ptolom. Hieron. in c. 8. Isa. Et in Epist. ad Algas. q. 10. juda, and the Asamoneans; from Hierome, to be Sammai, Hillel, Akiba. But this is to cast mists before the eyes of the simple: For who sees not that our Saviour's challenge is general, to Traditions thus advanced, not to these, or those Traditions: And, where he speaks of some later hands, he had forgotten, that our Saviour upon the mount tells him (〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉) That these faulted Traditions were of old. Matth. 5.21, 27, 33. And that he may not cast these upon his Sammai and Hiliel, let him remember that our Saviour cities this out of Esay (though with some more clearness of expression) who far overlooked the times of those pretended Fathers of mis-traditions. That I may not say, how much it would trouble him to show any dogmatic Traditions, that were derived from Moses and the Prophets; in parallel whereof, let them be able to deduce any evangelical Tradition from the Apostles, and we are ready to embrace it with all observance. Shortly, it is clear that our Saviour never meant to compare one Tradition with another, as approving some, rejecting others, but with indignation complains, that Traditions were obtruded to God's people, in a corrivalitie with the written word; which is the very point now questioned. SECT. III. Traditions against reason. EVen the very light of reason shows us that as there is a God, so, that he is a most wise, & most just God; needs therefore must it follow, that if this most just and wise God will give a Word whereby to reveal himself and his will to mankind, it must be a perfect Word; for, as his wisdom knows what is fit for his creature to know of himself, so his justice will require nothing of the creature, but what he hath enabled him to know and do; Now then, since he requires us to know him, to obey him, it must needs follow that he hath left us so exquisite a rule of this knowledge and obedience, as cannot admit of any defect, or any supplement. This rule can be no other than his written Word; therefore written, that it might be preserved entire, for this purpose, to the last date of time: As for oral Traditions, what certainty can there be in them? What foundation of truth can be laid upon the breath of man? How do we see the reports vary, of those things, which our eyes have seen done? How do they multiply in their passage, and either grow, or dye upon hazards? Lastly, we think him not an honest man, whose tongue goes against his own hand; How heinous an imputation then do they cast upon the God of truth; which plead Traditions derived from him, contrary to his written Word? Such, apparently, are the worship of Images, the mutilation of the Sacrament, Purgatory, Indulgences, and the rest which have passed our agitation. Since therefore the authority of Romish Traditions is (besides novelty) erroneous; against Scripture and reason, we have justly abandoned it, and are thereupon unjustly condemned. As for those other dangerous and important innovations, concerning Scriptures, their Canon enlarged, their faulty version made authentical, their fountains pretended to be corrupted, their mis-pleaded obscurity, Serious Dissuasive, etc. their restraint from the Laity, we have already largely displayed them in another place. CHAP. XVII. The newness of the universal Head-ship of the Bishop of Rome. THose transcendent Titles of Head-ship, and Universality, which are challenged to the Bishop, Haereseos matter est principatus cupiditas, Chrysost. in Gal. 5. and Sea of Rome, are known to be the upstart brood of noted ambition. Simple and holy Antiquity was too modest, either to require, or tolerate them. Who knows not the profession of that holy Martyr in the Council of Carthage; (Neque enim, etc.) There is none of us, Neque enim quisquam nostrum Episcopum Episcoporum se constituit, aut tyrannico terrore ad obsequendi necessitatem suos, adigit. Orat. Cypr. in Syn. Greg. Epist. l. 4. Epist. 32. & 34. that makes himself a Bishop of Bishops; or by a tyrannous fear compels his Underlings to a necessity of obedience; But perhaps, at Rome it was otherwise; Hear then with what zeal their own Pope Gregory the Great, inveighs against the arrogance of john Bishop of Constantinople, for giving way to this proud style; His Epistles are extant in all hands; so clear and convictive, Et lib. 6. Ep. 24. as no art of Sophistry can elude them; wherein he calls this title (affected by the said john, and Cyriacus, after him,) a new name, a wicked, profane, insolent name, Nowm, scelestum, profanum, etc. Et lib. 4. Epist. 38.39. etc. the general plague of the Church, a corruption of the Faith, against Canons, against the Apostle Peter, against God himself; as if he could never have branded it enough. And lest any man should cavil that this style is only cried down in the Bishops of Constantinople, which yet might be justly claimed by the Bishops of Rome; Gregory himself meets with this thought, and answers beforehand; Nunquam pium virum huiusmodi titulis usum esse, etc. nullum praedecessorum meorum, etc. Nunquam pium virum, etc. that never any godly man, never any of his Predecessors used those Titles; and, more than so, that whosoever shall use this proud style, he is the very forerunner of Antichrist. If in a foresight of this usurpation, Gregory should have been hired to have spoken for us, against the Pride of his following Successors; he could not have set a keener edge upon his style. Consonant whereto, it is yet extant in the very Canon Law (as quoted by Gratian out of the Epistle of Pope Pelagius the second) Vniversalis autem nec etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur; Pelag. 2. omnibus Episcopis illicite à joanne & Decret. p. 1. dist. 99 c. 4. Nullus, etc. Not the Bishop of Rome himself may be called Universal; Yet how famously is it known to all the World, that the same Gregory's next Successor, save one, Boniface the third, obtained this title of universal Bishop from the Emperor Phocas; which the said Emperor gave him in a spleen against Cyriacus Patriarch of Constantinople, Baron. An. 606. for delivering Constantina the Wife of Mauritius and her Children; or (as some others relate it) upon a worse occasion: And accordingly, was this haughty title communicated by the same power to the See of Rome, and by strong hand ever since maintained. This qualification their Register Platina confesses, Plat. in vita Bonif. 3. was procured not without great contention. And Otho Frisingensis fully and ingenuously writeth thus. Gregorius migra●it ad dominum, etc. A quo, etc. ut ipsius authoritate, etc. Otho Frising. l. 5. c. 8. Gregory departed hence to the Lord; After whom (the next save one) Boniface obtained of Phocas, that by his authority the Roman Church might be called the head of all Churches; For at that time the See of Constantinople (I suppose, because of the seat of the Empire translated thither) wrote herself the first. Thus their Bishop Otho: Now if any man shall think that hence it will yet follow, that the See of Rome had formerly enjoyed this honour, how ever the Constantinopolitan for the present, shouldered with her for it; Let him know the ground of both their challenges, which (as it was supposed by Otho) So, is fully (for the satisfaction of any indifferent judgement) laid forth in the General Council of Chalcedon. Concil. 5. Gener. Act. 15. The same (say those Fathers) we determine of the privileges of the most holy Church of Constantinople, called New Rome: For the Fathers have justly heretofore given privilege to the Throne of old Rome, because that City was then the Governess of the world; and upon the same consideration were the hundred and fifty Bishops (men beloved of God) moved to yield equal privileges to the Throne of new Rome, rightly judging, that this City, which is honoured with the Empire, and Senate, and is equally privileged with old Rome the then Queen of the world, should also in Ecclesiastical matters be no less extolled and magnified. Thus they. And this act is subscribed, Bonifacius Presbyter Ecclesiae Romanae statui & subscripsi. I Boniface Presbyter of the Church of Rome have so determined and subscribed; (Et caeteri etc.) And the rest of the Bishops of diverse Provinces and Cities subscribed. What can be more plain? This headship of the Bishop was in regard of the See; and this headship of the See was in regard of the preeminence of the City; which was variable, according to the changes of times, or choice of Emperors. But Binius wrangleth here; Can we blame him when the freehold of their Great Mistress is so nearly touched? This act (saith he) was not Synodical, Sever. Bin. in notis Concil. Chalced. as that which was closely and cunningly done, in the absence of the Pope's Legates, and other Orthodox Bishops, at the instance of Anatolius, Patriarch of Constantinople, an ambitious man, by the Eastern Bishops only. How can this plea stand with his own confessed subscription? Besides that their Caranza in his Abridgement, Caranz. Epitome. Concil. shows, that this point was long and vehemently canvased in that Council, between Lucentius and Boniface, Legates of the Roman Church, and the rest of the Bishops; and at last, so concluded, as we have related; Sedes Apostolica Nobis praesentibus humiliari non debet. Ibid. not indeed without the protestation of the said Legates, Nobis praesentibus & e. The Apostolic See must not in our presence be abased: Notwithstanding, this act then carried; and, after this, Pope Simplicius succeeding to Hilarius made a decree to the same purpose, Constantinopolitano, Episcopo damnato Ecclesia●um omnium primam esse Romanam, Caranz. Epit. not without allusion to this contention for precedency, that Rome should take place of Constantinople: Yea, so utterly vnthought of was this absolute Primacy and headship of old; as that when the Roman Dition was brought down to a Dukedom, and subjected to the Exarchate of Ravenna, the Archbishop of Ravenna, upon the very same grounds, stuck not (as Blondus tells us) to strive with the Bishop of Rome for priority of place. So necessarily was the rising or fall of the Episcopal Chair annexed to the condition of that City, wherein it was fixed. But in all this, we well see, what it is that was stood upon; an arbitrable precedency of these Churches, in a priority of order; and according thereunto, the Bishop of Rome is determined to be primae sedis Episcopus, Concil. Carthag. 3. Can. 20. De●r. p. 1. d. 99 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pri●●●eg●um concessum à justiniano. S●ncimus senior● Rome Papam primum esse omnium sacerdo●●m. Praerog. ante alios refidendi. Cod. de sacr●s. Eccl. decernimi●s. the Bishop of the first See. A style, which our late learned Sovereign professed with justinian not to grudge unto the modern Bishops of that See; But as for a Primacy of Sovereignty over all Churches, and such an Headship, as should inform, and enliue the body, and govern it with * Inf●uentia vitae. Capistran. Inf●uentia regiminis. August. Triumph. infallible influences, it is so new, and hateful, as that the Church in all ages hath opposed it to the utmost; neither will it be endured at this day by the Greek Church, notwithstanding the colourable pretence of subscription hereunto, by their dying Patriarch joseph of Constantinople, Bin. in Concil. Florent. in the late Florentine Council, and the letters of union subscribed by them, Anno 1539. Yea, so far is it from that, as that their Emperor Michael Paleologus, for yielding a kind of subjection of the Eastern Bishops to the Roman, would not be allowed the honour of Christian burial, as Aemilius hath recorded. P. Emyl. hist. Gall. And in our time Basilius the Emperor of Russia (which challengeth no small part in the Greek Church) threatened to the Pope's Legate (as I have been informed) an infamous death, and burial, if he offered to set foot in his Dominions, out of a jealous hate of this usurpation. SECT. II. The newness of challenged Infallibility. THe particularities of this new arrogation of Rome are so many, that they cannot be penned up in any straight room. I will only instance in some few. The Pope's infallibility of judgement is such a paradox, as the very Histories of all times, and proceedings of the Church doth sufficiently convince. For, to what purpose had all Counsels been called; even of the remotest Bishops, to what purpose were the agitations of all controversal causes in those Assemblies (as Erasmus justly observes) if this opinion had then obtained? Or how came it about that the sentences of some Bishops of Rome were opposed by other Sees; by the Successors of their own, by Christian Academies, if this conceit had formerly passed for currant with the World; How came it to pass, that whole Counsels have censured, and condemned some Bishops of Rome for manifest Heresies, if they were persuaded, before hand, of the impossibility of those errors: Not to speak of Honorius, Multi Pontifices in errores & haereses lapsi esse leguntur Concil. Basil. in Ep. Synod. of Liberius▪ and others; the Council of Basil shall be the voice of common observation; Multi Pontifices, etc. Many Popes (say they) are recorded to have fall'n into errors and heresies: Either all stories mock us, or else this parasitical dream of impeccancie in judgement, is a mere stranger: and his disguise is so foul, Auentin. l. 7. that it is no marvel if (Errare non possum) (I cannot err) seemed to Eberhardus, Bishop of Saltzburgh, no other than the suit of an Antichrist. SECT. III. The newness of the Pope's Superiority to General Counsels. HOw bold and dangerous a novelty is that which Cardinal Bellarmine, and with him the whole Society, and all the late Fautors of that See (after the Florentine Synod) stick not to avouch, Bell. l. 2. de Concil. c. 17. Summus Pontifex, etc. The Pope is absolutely above the whole Church, and above a General Council, so as he acknowledges no judge on earth over himself: How would this have relished with those (well near) a thousand Fathers in the Council of Constance, Concil. Const. Sess. 4. & 5. Caranz. Anno 1415. who punctually determined thus. Ipsa Synodus, etc. This Synod lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost, making a General Council, representing the Catholic Church militant upon earth, hath immediately power from Christ; whereunto every man, whosoever he be, of what state, or dignity so ever, although he be the Pope himself, is bound to obey, in those things, which pertain to faith, or to the extirpation of schism. And fifteen years after that, Anno 1431. the General Council of Basil, wherein was Precedent julianus Cardinal of Saint Angelo, the Pope's Legate, defined the same matter, in the same words. It is no marvel if Cardinal Bellarmine, and some others of that strain, reject these, as unlawful Counsels; but they cannot deny, first, that this decree was made by both of them; Secondly, that the Divines there assembled, were (in their allowance) Catholic Doctors; and such as in other points adhered to the Roman Church; in so much as they were the men by whose sentence john hus, and Hierome suffered no less than death; and yet even so lately did these numerous Divines in the voice of the Church, define the superiority of a Council above the Pope; What speak we of this, when we find that the Bishops of the East excommunicated in their assembly, Sozom. l. 3. c. 11. julius the Bishop of Rome himself, amongst others, without scruple, as Sozomen reporteth. How ill would this doctrine or practice now be endured? In so much as Gregory of Valence dare confidently say, that whosoever he be that makes a Council superior to the Pope, fights directly (though unawares) against that most certain point of faith concerning Saint Peter's, and the Roman Bishop's primacy in the Church. SECT. IV. The new presumption of Papal Dispensations. FRom the opinion of this supereminent power hath flowed that common course of Dispensations with the Canons and decrees of Counsels, which hath been of late a great eyesore to moderate beholders. Fr. Victor. Rele●t. de potest. Papae & Concil. pag. 151. Franciscus à Victoria makes a woeful complaint of it, professing to doubt whether in the end of the the year, there be more that have leave by this means to break the laws, than those that are tied to keep them. Thereupon wishing (for remedy) that there were a restraint made of those now-boundlesse Dispensations; and at last, objecting to himself that such a decree of restriction would be new, and not heard of in any former Council, he answers; (Tempore Conciliorum antiquorum, etc.) In the time of the ancient Counsels, Popes were like to the other fathers of those Counsels, so as there was no need of any act for holding them back from this immoderate licence of dispensing; yea, if we do well turn over the laws, and histories of the Ancient, we shall find that Popes did not presume so easily, and commonly, to dispense with decrees of Counsels, but observed them as the Oracles of God himself: Yea, not only did they forbear to do it ordinarily, but perhaps not once did they ever dispense at all, against the Decrees of Counsels; But now (saith he) by little, and little, are we grown to this intemperance of dispensations, and to such an estate as that we can neither abide our mischiefs, nor our remedies. Thus that learned Spaniard, in an honest confession of the degenerate courses of the late Popes from the simple integrity of their Predecessors. Pontificalis authoritas à iuramento fid. ●at●s absoluit. decr p. 2 15. q. 6. ●liùs. Almain de potest. Eccles. & ●aica c. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the rule of old. What should I add unto these the presumptuous Dispensations with Vows, and Oaths, with the Laws of God himself, with the Law of Nature; A privilege ordinarily both yielded, and defended by flattering Canonists; and that which meets with us, at every turn, in Hostiensis, Archidiaconus, Felinus, Capistranus, Triumphus, Angelus de Clavasio, Petrus de Ancorano, Panormitan, Diatrib. Papa Antichrist. l. 4. cap. 9 as is largely particularised by our learned Bishop of Dery. SECT. V. The new challenge of Pope's domineering over Kings and Emperors. I May well shut up this Scene, with that notorious innovation of the Pope's subducing himself from the due obedience of his once-acknowledged Lord, and Sovereign, and endeavouring to reduce all those Imperial powers, to his homage, and obedience. The time was, Greg. lib. 4. Ep. 32. & serenissimis iussionibus obedientiam praebeo. Ibid. when Pope Gregory could say to Mauritius, Vobis obedientiam praebere desidero; I desire to give you due obedience: And when Pope Leo came with cap and knee, to Theodosius, for a Synod to be called, with Clementia vestra concedat, as Cardinal Cusanus cities it, from the history; The time was, when (Nemo Apostolicae etc.) No man did offer to take upon him the steering of the Apostolic Bark, till the authority of the Emperor had designed him, Hieron. Balb. de Cor. as their Balbus out of their own Law. That of Pope Gregory is plain enough, Ecce serenissimus, Ecce serenissimus dominus Imperator fieri simiam le●●em iussit, etc. Greg. Epist. 5. etc. Behold (saith he, speaking of his own advancement to the Bishopric of Rome) our gracious Lord the Emperor hath commanded an Ape to be made a Lion; and surely at his command it may be called a Lion, Qui virtutis ministerium infirmo commisit, ibid. G●i●ciard. l. 4. Hist. Imperante Carolo domino nostro. but it cannot be one; so as he must needs lay all my faults and negligences, not upon me, but upon his own piety, which hath committed this Ministry of power to so weak an Agent. The time was when the Popes of Rome dated their Apostolic letters with the style of the reign of their Lords, Paschalis Anno Euangelij 1070. primus omissis Imperatoris annis sui pontifica●us annos subscripsit. In data. Apostolatus nostri, Anno 1. Dein Pontificatus. Lib. Sacr. Cerem. the Emperors; now, ever since Pope Paschal, they care only to note the year of their own Apostleship, or Papacy. The time was, when the holy Bishops of that See professed to succeed Saint Peter in homely simplicity, in humble obedience, in piety, in zeal, in preaching, in tears, in sufferings; now since, the case is altered; the world sees, and blushes at the change; for now (Quanta inter solemn & lunam, etc. Greg. l. 1. de maior. & obed. ex Innoc. ) Look how much the Sun is bigger than the Moon; so much is the Papal power greater than the Imperial; Now, Papa est Dominus Imperatoris; Capis●r. 77. The Pope is the Emperor's Lord (saith their Capistranus) and the Emperor is subject to the Pope as his minister or servant, saith Triumphus, Aug. Triumph. q. 44.1. Vide diatr. Derens. Episc. l. 4. c. 3. §. 2. Vnde habet Imperator Imperium nisi à n●bis: Imperator quod habet totum habet à nobis, ecce in potestate nostra est ut demus illud cui volumus. Hadrian. Epist. apud Auentin. l. 6 Innoc. 4. in cap. licet. de foro compet. and lest this should seem the fashionable word of some clawing Canonist only, hear what Pope Adrian himself saith, Vnde habet, etc. Whence hath the Emperor his Empire, but from us? all that he hath, he hath wholly from us, Behold it is in our power to give it, to whom we list. And to the same purpose is that of Pope Innocent the fourth, Imperator est advocatus, etc. The Emperor is the Pope's Advocate, and swears to him, and holds his Empire of him. But perhaps this place is yet too high for an Emperor; a lower will serve; Lib. sacr. Cerem. Fit Canonicus, etc. The Emperor is (of course) made a Canon, and brother of the Church of Lateran. Etiam Imperator aut rex aquam ad la●andas eius manus ferre debet; primum item serculum, etc. ibid. In processionibus, etc. ibid. Stapham equi papalis tenet, etc. ibid. Sellami●sam eum Pontifice humeris suis aliquantulum portare debet, Ibid. Yet lower; He shall be the Sewer of his Holinesses Table, and set on the first dish, and hold the Basin for his hands. Yet lower, he shall be the Train-bearer to the Pope in his Walking Processions. He shall be the query of his Stable, and hold his stirrup in getting up on his Horse: He shallbe, lastly, his very Porter to carry his Holiness on his shoulder. And all this, not out of will, but out of duty. Alm. de potest. Eccl. Where now is Augustus ab Augendo, as Almain derives him, when he suffers himself thus diminished. Although there is more wonder in the others exaltation; Papae! Cassan. 4. part. Consid. 7. C. de libellis 10. dist. Men are too base to enter into comparison with him, His authority is more than of the Saints in Heaven, saith one, yet more, Aug. Triumph. de pot. Ecc. q. 18 Vid. Derens. ubi supra. Cassan. Glor. mundi 4. part. Cons. 7. Innocent. & Host. in c. 4. de Transt. he excelleth the Angels in his jurisdiction; saith another, yet, more once. The Pope seems to make one and the same Consistory with God himself; and, which comprehends all the rest, Tues omnia, & super omnia; Thou art all, and above all, as the Council of Lateran under julius. Oh strange alteration, that the great Commanders of the World should be made the drudges of their Subjects, that Order and Sovereignty should lose themselves in a pretence of Piety! That the professed Successor of him that said, Gold and silver have I none, should thus trample upon Crowns; That a poor silly Worm of the Earth should raise up itself above all that is called God, and offer to crawl into the glorious Throne of Heaven. CHAP. XVIII. The Epilogue both of Exhortation and Apology. NOt to weary my Reader with more particularities of Innovation; Let now all Christians know, and be assured, that such change as they sensibly find in the head, they may as truly (though not so visibly) note in the body of the Roman Church, yea rather in that soul of Religion, which informeth both: And if thereupon, all our endeavour (as we protest before God, and his holy Angels) hath been, and is, only, to reduce Rome to itself; that is, to recall it to that original Truth, Piety, Sincerity, which made it long famous through the World, and happy, how unjustly are we ejected, persecuted, condemned? But, if that Ancient Mistress of the World shall stand upon the terms of her honour, and will needs plead the disparagement of her retractations, and the age and authority of these her Impositions, let me have leave to shut up all, with that worthy and religious contestation of Saint Ambrose, with his Symmachus. That eloquent Patron of Idolatry had pleaded hard for the old Rites of Heathenism; and brings in Ancient Rome speaking thus, for herself▪ Optimi Principes, etc. Inter Epistolas Ambrosijs lib. 2. Epist. 11. Excellent Princes, the Fathers of your Country, reverence ye my years, into which my pious Rites have brought me: I will use the Ceremonies of my Ancestors, neither can I repent me. I will live after mine own fashion, because I am free. This Religion hath brought the World under the subjection of my Laws; these sacred Devotions have driven Hannibal from our walls, from our Capitol; Have I been preserved for this, that in mine old age I should be reproved? Say, that I did see what were to be altered, Sera tamen & contumeliosa est emendatio senectutis. ibid. Ambros. Epist. l. 2. Ep. 12. yet late and shameful is the amendment of age. To which that holy Father no less wittily and elegantly answers, by way of retortion, bringing in Rome to speak thus, rather. I am not ashamed in mine old age to be a Convert, with all the rest of the World. It is surely true, that in no age it is too late to learn. Let that old age blush that cannot mend itself; It is not the gravity of years, Nullus pudor est ad meliora transire, ibid. but of manners, that deserves praise. It is no shame to go to the better; And when Symmachus urges (Maiorum seruandus est ritus) we must observe the Rites of our forefathers; Dicant igitur, (saith Saint Ambrose) Let them as well say, that all things should remain in their own imperfect Principles, that the World once over-covered with darkness, offends in being shined upon by the glorious brightness of the Sun; And how much more happy is it, to have dispelled the darkness of the soul, then of the body; to be shined upon by the beams of Faith, then of the Sun. Thus he; most aptly to the present occasion; whereto did that blessed Father now live, he would doubtless, no less readily apply it: Nec erubescas mutare sententiam, saith Hierome to his Ruffinus, Never blush to change your mind; Non es tantae authoritatis ut errasse te pudeat, etc. Hier. Apol. adu. Ruffin. you are not of such authority as that you should be ashamed to confess you have erred: Oh that this meek ingenuity could have found place in that once famous, and Orthodox Church of Christ; how had the whole Christian World been as a City at unity in itself, and triumphed over all the proud hostilities of Paganism? But, since we may not be so happy, we must sit down; and mourn for our desolations, for our divisions. In the mean time we wash our hands in innocence. There are none of all these instanced particulars (besides many more) wherein the Church of Rome hath not sensibly erred in corrupt additions to the faith; so as herein we may justly (before heaven and earth) warrant our disagreement of judgement from her. The rest is their act, and not ours; we are mere patients in this schism; and therefore go, because we are driven; That we hold not communion with that Church, the fault is theirs; who both have deserved this strangeness by their errors, and made it by their violence; Contrary to that rule which Cato in Tully gives of unpleasing friendship, they have not ripped it in the seam, but torn it in the whole cloth. Perhaps, I shall seem unto some, to have spoken too mildly, of the estate of that debauched Church: There are that stand upon a mere nullity of her being, not resting in a bare depravation; For me, I dare not go so far: If she be foul, if deadly diseased (as she is) these qualities cannot utterly take of her essence, or our relations. Our Divines indeed call us out of Babylon, and we run; so as here is an actual separation, on our parts; True, but from the corruptions (wherein there is a true confusion) not from the Church; Their very charge implies their limitation; as it is Babylon, we must come out of it, as it is an outward visible Church, Fr. jan. de Ecclesia. we neither did, nor would: This dropsy, that hath so swollen up the body, doth not make it cease to be a true body, but a sound one. The true Principles of Christianity, which it maintains, maintain life in that Church; the errors which it holds, Capitis autem male saniet deliri contagia vitanda sunt, ne & ipsi artus pestilenti humore labesierent. F. Pic. Mirand. Theor. 23. together with those Principles, struggle with that life, and threaten an extinction: As it is a visible Church then, we have not detrected to hold communion with it (though the contemptuous repulse of so many admonitions have deserved our alienation) as Babylon, we can have nothing to do with it. Like as in the course of our life; we freely converse with those men in civil affairs, with whom we hate to partake in wickedness. But will not this seem to savour of too much indifferency? What need we so vehemently labour to draw from either part, and triumph in winning Proselytes; and give them for lost, on either side, and brand them for Apostates that are won away; if (which way so ever we fall) we cannot light out of a true visible Church of Christ? What such necessity was there of Martyrdom, what such danger of relapses, if the Church be with both. Let these Sophisters know, that true charity needs not abate any thing of zeal. If they be acquainted with the just value of truth, they shall not inquire so much into the persons, as into the cause. What ever the Church be, if the errors be damnable, our blood is happily spent in their impugnation; and we must rather choose to undergo a thousand deaths, then offend the Majesty of God, in yielding to a known falsehood in religion; neither doth the outward visibility of the Church abate aught of the heinousness of mis-opinions, or the vehemence of our oppositions. Were it Saint Peter himself, if he halt in judaizing, Saint Paul must resist him to his face; neither is his fault less, because an Apostles: Yea, let me say more; Were the Church of Rome, and ours, laid upon several foundations, these errors should not be altogether so detestable, since the symbolising in many truths makes gross errors more intolerable, as the Samaritan Idolatry was more odious to the jews then merely Paganish: Maldon. In. 4. joan. If the dearest daughter of God upon earth should commit spiritual whoredom, her uncleanness is so much more to be hated, as her obligations were greater. Oh the glorious crowns therefore of those blessed Martyrs of ours, who rather gave their bodies to be burnt to ashes, than they would betray any parcel of divine truth. Oh the woeful and dangerous condition of those souls, which shutting their eyes against so clear a light, either willingly sit down in palpable darkness, or fall back from the sincerity of the Gospel into these miserable enormities both of practice and doctrine. It is not for me to judge them; that, I leave unto that high and awful Tribunal, before which I shall once appear with them; but this I dare say, that if that righteous judge shall punish either their obstinacy, or relapses with eternal damnation, he cannot but be justified in his judgements, whiles in the midst of their torments, they shall be forced to say, Thou, Nehem. 9. 33· O God, art just in all that is befallen us; For thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly. For us, as we would save our souls, let us carefully preserve them from the contagion of Romish superstition; Let us never fear that our discretion can hate error too much; Let us awaken, our holy zeal to a serious and fervent opposition, joined with a charitable endeavour of reclamation. Shortly, let us hate their opinions, strive against their practice, pity their misguiding▪ neglect their censures, labour their recovery, pray for their salvation. FINIS.