A PROTESTATION AGAINST POPERY BY way of a Confession of Christian Religion collected for the benefit of private friends. Apoc. cap. 18. ver. 2. Cecidit, Cecidit Babylon illa magna. Senec. in Troas. — Haemanus Troiam erigent? Nullas habet spes Troia, sitales habet. AT OXFORD, Printed by Joseph Barnes, Printer to the University. 1607. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. I unfeignedly believe that there is one immortal uncompounded unlimited Essence which created this world & furnished the shop thereof with wonderful variety: who since doth guide and govern the same by a prescribed and regular order, taking immediate notice not only of Angels offices and men's actions, but of every yea the smallest and basest thing in the world, not permitting any thing to the lust of fortune or command of destiny this supernal power I call God, and avow him to be the maintainer and rewarder of virtue, the revenger and judge of wickedness, and I ascribe unto him heaven for his throne, and the ball of the earth for his footstool, and I subject unto his absolute command all the powers of heaven and earth, & render unto him obedience prayer and thanksgiving for his tribute. That there is such a God I appeal unto the conscience of the most desperate forlorn wretch in the world, tell me whosoever thou be that hast thy conscience most deadened & seared with a hot iron, when thou committest a sin, and thinkest that thou hast a vail cast before the eyes of God, & resolvest thus in thy heart, Who seethe me? I am compassed about with darkness, the walls cover me, whom need I to fear? the most high will not remember my sins; yet tell me I say why is thy heart so disquieted within thee? why is thy countenance cast down for shame? why do thy knees smite together and thy joints shiver for fear? If there be no power that doth know or can punish thy fault what need this anguish? But I wots well that these stirring motions within thee, are as so many summons to put thee in mind that there is a God in thy conscience which seethe thy sin, & will arraign thee for the same, and award condemnation against thee, if thou prevent not his judgement by repentance. I believe this God is one as it is said in Deuteronomie, Audi Israel Deus tuus Deus unus est: there is not for every kingdom a God, a God for Zidon, a God for Amon, a God for Moab, and a God for Ekron, but one alone God manageth the affairs of the whole world, for if it be true in government of an earthly kingdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, much more in the being of a Deity, for a multitude of Gods would cross and encumber the designs one of another and none should be omnipotent, and so there should be a tumultuous disorder in the government of the world, which Ovide pointeth out unto us saying, Mulciber in Troiam, pro T'roiâ stabat Apollo. And Homer in the 21. of his Jliades, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. This God is simply one in nature & essence, yet this one God doth subsist in three persons, each of them severally communicating in the whole of that one nature and essence: yet so as we cannot say that there are three Gods, but one God, for though the persons be distinguished in number, yet they be not divided in Essence: which is a mystery to which man's understanding must vail bonnet, seeing that it hath not pleased God wholly to reveal it to the sons of men, and that the Cherubins do cover their faces before it, as being not able to apprehend the perfect view thereof. wherefore let us say with holy Moses, Hid things belong unto thee o lord, but revealed things unto us and our children; and let us only learn as much of this unity & Trinity as it hath pleased God to reveal unto us in his word, always remembering that saying of Arnobius— De Deo loqui etiam vera periculosissimum est. That there are three persons in the Deity the father, the son, and the holy Ghost, as it may be proved by many pregnant places of scripture, so it is evident from the baptism of Christ in jordan, where the Son was baptized by john, the holy Ghost descended in the visible form of a dove, the father gave witness from heaven that this was his well-beloved son, etc. upon which place St. Augustine giveth the note, Qui nescis trinitatem ito ad jordanem; And yet that there is likewise an unity of Essence of which without inequality the whole Trinity doth participate may be proved by an usual form of speech in the Hebrew original, when speaking of God a noun of the plural number is joined with a verb of the singular, as in the beginning of Genesis. 1.5. In principio creavit Elohim (1) Dij caelum et terram-Dij for the persons in the plural number & creavit to note the unity of the Essence in the singular number. This Trinity of persons thus conspiring in the unity of Essence, is notwithstanding distinguished by attributes, and proprieties. These attributes or proprieties are twofold 1 Incommunicable. and 2 Communicable. Incommunicable proprieties are, 1. Of the father, to be unbegotten. 2. Of the son, to be begotten, the curious search of whose generation is sealed up with that saying of Gregory Nazianzene, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. 3. Of the holy Ghost to be proceeding. How the generation of the son, and the procession of the holy ghost do differ I cannot tell, only I say with St. Augustine that they do differ sed ego distinguere nescio, non valeo, non sufficio. The communicable proprieties are, simple, infinite, immutable, eternal, just, merciful, only wise, omnipotent, of which the three persons do inseparably communicate. Out of these proprieties do issue Apotelesmata and actions, in which the Trinity do likewise severally, yet inseparably communicate. These outward actions of the Trinity do belong unto one of these three heads. viz 1. Creation, 2. Redemption. 3. Sanctification. Creation is 1. Of the world in general. 2. Of man in special. God created the fabric of the world of nothing, bestowing but six days for the making and adorning of the same, & ever since by his watchful eye of providence hath and doth carefully govern the same. Which Plato could teach us, who avoweth it to be one, and the self same supreme powers office, to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We condemn therefore the blasphemy of the Epicures, which make our God an idle and careless God, like unto Baal in the book of Kings which was asleep and must be awaked; as also the opinion of Averroes (upon how goodly pretence soever builded) who hemmed the providence of god within the circle of the moon saying as it is in job, The clouds hide him that he cannot see & he walketh in the circle of heaven, thinking it absurd ad hoc deducere Dei maiestatem ut sciat quot culices nascuntur. for we concerning our God have learned of a better master that although he hath his dwelling on high yet he abaseth himself to behold things in heaven and earth; Alfon●… Rex ●…niae 〈◊〉 Si cre●… affuiss●… dumb ordina●… a De●… gatus. that he is a God not only of the mountains, but of the valleys likewise, lending his prouidenc●… to the examination of things of the least consequence as feeding of Ravens, lighting of sparrows upon the ground, clothing of lilies, and numbering of hairs. A doctrine not fully believed of them, who, when they see the wicked to build heaps of sin as high as Babble, and yet to escape the vengeance of God, when otherwise the godly are under his rod and punishment, do break out into blasphemy, & foam out openly, that which David's fool did but say in his heart- Non est Deus-*Henc Cato would feign have God to give him a reason-why Caesar overcame Pompey and Hercules in the Poet complains in the extremity of torment, Morn●… ver, R●… Christ that he which had freed the world of robbers, and savage beasts, and been profitable to all men, had lived in misery, and should die in shame: when on the contrary, Euristheus a tyrant did live in the ruff of pride, and was lives-like, & the rod of God was not upon him. Et sunt qui credere possunt esse Deos? Nether did the minds of heathen men only, but of God's Saints also totter and reel in their judgements concerning providence-for there was a time when Ecclesiastes complained, Behold the tears of the oppressed and none comforts them: & likewise Habacuck, Thou art a God of pure eyes and canst not see evil, thou canst not behold wickedness, wherefore dost thou look upon the transgressors, and houldest thy tongue, when the wicked devours the man that is more righteous than he? But to stop the mouths of heathen men, and the better to settle the struggling thoughts of all Christians, I will say no more than that which Ecclesiastes and Habacuck, upon better advice of gods always righteous judgements, & after the tempest of the thoughts was allayed have avowed before me; to wit, that howsoever God doth seem not to see or to wink at the wicked yet indeed if we suspend our hasty judgement a while and wait in patience till he hath whet his glittering sword, and his hand shall take hold on judgement, we shall find that of Moses to be true, That he rewardeth to their face them that hate him, to bring them to destruction, for so speaketh Ecclesiastes. If in a country thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the defrauding of judgement & justice, be not astonished at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth, and there be higher than they; and Habacuck likewise, o Lord thou hast ordained them for judgement and o god thou hast established them for correction, if not in this world, yet undoubtedly in the world to come-for I remember that the Apostle giveth it for a note, that bccause the Thessalonians were afflicted with persecutions by wicked men, 2. Th●… that this was an argument, that there is a judgement to come in which it should go well with them and as ill with their enemies. This God having created all things in the stage of the world by a word only of his mouth, being come in the 6. day to create man, as being a work of more excellency, and therefore more difficulty, doth as it were call a council, and advise with the other persons of the Trinity, Venite faciamus hominem, nor simply so, but a more excellent creature than the rest, In similitudinem nostram, nor only let us make man, but let us invest him with liberties and privileges above other creatures, and make him a None-such in the world, to rule over fishes of the sea, birds of the air, and beasts that walk upon the plane of the earth. So then man was created of the dust of the earth, and God breathed into him the soul of life, and had infused from above such supernatural graces, that he was indeed the mirror of God's creatures, & minion of the world, like unto God, upon whom the alone God had conferred in abundant measure all his special ornaments; for he had no darkness in his understanding, nor perverseness in his will, nor Rebellion in his affections, no sickness nor crasines in his whole body, nor never should have had, if never misspending this rich dowry of God, he did never run bankrupt beyond the bounds of God's commandments. But this man thus highly exalted in the love of God Peacock-like taking a view of his own glory, discontinued his wont obedience to his Sovereign, nor only so, but having all that he could ask or thought he should receive from God, sicut betook himself to the Devil to serve him upon * credit only of better pay, thinking by violence to break into heaven, and to exalt his throne by the throne of the almighty. But foolish man by this his Apostasy and wilful disobedience forfeited his former more blessed estate, and was stripped of his Master's livery, and all his excellent graces, dispossessed of Paradise and sent unto the Devil to pay him his wages for his former service, and all his posterity by the guilt of his transgression have their nature defiled, and are abandoned of God, and entitled to the Devil for his children and offspring, a wicked seed, witches children, and sons of belial. And now o ye sons of men, saith God by his Prophet Micheas Remember what Balak king of Moab had devised, and what Balam the son of Beor answered him, that you may know the righteousness of the Lord, for so I hope I may apply this prophesy. O ye sons of men now at this time, during our bondage under the devil, remember what the Prince of darkness had devised against us, and how jesus Christ the son of the living God, hath answered him, and stopped his mouth with a voice of blood, & nailed his accusation to a Cross, that ye may know the righteousness, nor that only, but the exceeding love & rich mercy of the Lord to mankind: for there being no way to free us out of the power of the Devil, but by satisfying the justice of God for the former transgression, God the Father in the fullness of time sent his beloved son made of a woman and clothed in our flesh, by the shedding of his precious blood to redeem out of the power of the Devil all those, that by faith apply the merit of his passion unto themselves, and do afterward show their thankfulness unto God for so great Redemption: having always in their minds those words of the Lord which he spoke by his Prophet I say, Remember these things o jacob and Israel, for thou art my servant, I have form thee thou art my servant o Israel forget me not, I have put away thy transgressions like a cloud, and thy sins as a mist, turn unto me for I have redeemed thee. Rejoice ye heavens for the Lord hath done it, shout ye lower parts of the earth, burst forth into praises o ye mountains, o forest and every tree therein, for the Lord hath redeemed jacob and will be glorified in Israel. I believe that God, I do not say approved, or suggested, or furthered, but permitted and directed and I may truly say, willed and ordained the fall of Adam, that thereby he might take occasion to manifest his glory, & that in two respects. 1 In erecting a consistory and tribunal for his justice. 2 In exposing to the view of all men the inexhaustible treasure of his rich mercy, or that I may speak in the words of a prophet In opening of a fountain of mercy to the house of David and to the Inhabitants of jerusalem, and to all the Israel of god, for sin, and for uncleanness. Concerning the first, I confess that there can no other reason be assigned of the rejection of the wicked, but that of Christ in the Gospel, Etiam pater quia sic placuit tibi: or to speak to the capacity of the ignorant, but the alone absolute will of God ordaining, and as I may so speak, adjudging to destruction the wicked before they were presented upon the stage of the world, or had done either good or evil. For hath the potter power of a lump of clay, to make a vessel to dishonour, and shall not the almighty jehovah by his unlimited & transcendent power, ordain vessels of wrath for the evil day and for destruction? he is the lord in the parable of Matthew who said Anon licet mihi quod volo facere in meis? yet again I confess that God condemneth not into hell any man, but for sins and trespasses, for I hold this to be a true position in divinity, that sin is not the cause of rejection; yet may be, and indeed is the meritorious and impulsive cause of damnation; wherefore whosoever thou art that settest thy face against heaven, & openest thy mouth in blasphemies against God, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and look back unto the fall of Adam, and consider what thou broughtest with thee from thy nativity, and from thy father's house. Do not censure God in thy blasphemous thoughts, as if upon lust only and not of deserved justice he did award sentence of condemnation against thee: and I could also wish that many men would be more sparing to scann this doctrine, & chose rather to admire and magnify then strictly to examine by the Canon of our reason, the secret and hidden will of God; saying with St. Paul, o the deepness both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out. And with St. Augustine, Disputare vis mecum mirare mecum et exclaema, o altitudo! Ambo consentiamus in pavore, ne in errore pereamus. Concerning the second I believe, that all men being infected from Adam's sin (not only with imputative guilt, as Pighius would have it, but by natural corruption also as S. Paul avoucheth) have just cause inhering and residing in them at their birth, for which they should be rejected of God, and left weltering in their filthy blood to the contempt of their person, yea to be sent into hell to have their original impiety expiated with brimstone: but that God for the glory and riches of his mercy being loath to wreak his fury in the general perdition of all mankind, not of foreseen either works or faith, but of his good pleasure and only mere mercy hath called some out of the cursed estate of all mankind, on whom to bestow favout, and the kingdom of his love, ordaineing them in his secret c●…unsell to be Citizens with the Angels of the heavenly jerusalem, and heirs of heaven, & coheirs with Christ, And doth call them at due time, some at the third hour, and some at the eleventh, if not outwardly all by his word, yet inwardly all by the hidden virtue and efficacious power of his holy spirit, out of the power of darkness to be of the household of God and in the bosom of the Church, there to be consecrated by Baptism, nourished at the Lords table, instructed by the word, governed by his spirit, and even then he bestoweth upon them his Beloved, & with him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he giveth remission both of sins and punishment, and all the benefits and merits not of his passion only but of his incarnation also: and hath given us the hand of faith, to reach and apply them unto ourselves, yea to own, and possess them as truly as if ours not by imputation only, but originally & by inhesion; so that before God all the company of the faithful are accounted as only one numerical body with Christ, for the spirit of God by his sanctifying power by little and little doth work away the old man of our corruption, and doth put on us a new creature making us really partakers of the substance of the flesh yea of the whole person of Christ, and his proper ornaments and graces, as righteousness and sanctification. The which great blessing of our every way undeserved redemption, when I seriously revolve with myself, I cannot but break forth into praise, in the words of Zachary, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel because he hath visited and redeemed his people etc. and use those words of admiration otherwise applied I confess in the book of Numbers; According unto this time, it shall be said of jacob and Israel what hath God wrought? Man having received these rich favours of God in his creation and redemption, hath nothing charged upon him for his tribute, but only to show a good faithfulness to adorn his christian profession, and to be careful to show forth good works. Wherefore I confess unto the glory of God that every one of God's children, which hath his sins washed away in the blood of the Lamb, hath it not left unto him as Arbitary, but hath a necessity laid upon him to do good works, and that in these respects following. 1. In respect of God, it being his will and commandment that they should be done, by such our obedience to testify our thankfulness for his great mercies of Creation and Redemption. 2 In respect of ourselves, that we by these fruits of Sanctification may be led backward to a certainty of our justification & effectual Vocation & Election, & so finding our names written in the book of life, may be persuaded Certitudine fidei, cui non potest subesse falsum, of our future glorification 3. In respect of others. 1. Ne quis de nobis conqueri possit Philip. ca●… 2 2. That other men seeing our good works may be alured to glorify our father which is in heaven, & to say as the Gentiles to the jews in the prophesy of Zachary, Ambulabimus vobiscum, for we have hard that God is with you. This truth being always resolved on, that our best works are not perfect in their own esteem and valeve, if examined according to the precise rule of the decalogue (lex spiritualis est, ego autem homo carnalis) and in the district judgement of God, and therefore away with merit, and let us say with St. Augustine Vae laudabili etiam vitae hominum, sire motâ misericordiâ discutias eam Domine, and assuredly every one of us may confess with Anselmus Terret me vita mea, nam diligenter discussa apparet mihi aut peccatum, aut sterilitas, tota vita mea, God maketh his will known two manner of ways. 1. By his works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, of which I have spoken in the creation. 2. In his word. Of the word of God. Not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the substantial word of God, of whom before. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 & 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the enunciative and created word of god, called sometimes simpy the scriptures, sometimes with an Emphasis, the holy (Rom. 12.) and sacred (2. Tim. 3. ch.) scriptures. That they are 1. The word of God, 2. Sufficient to salvation. 3. Plain and therefore to be translated. 4. By whom they are to have their sense. I acknowledge all these books which make up the body of holy writ which we call the holy scriptures, to be inspired by the holy Ghost, and to be undoubtedly the true word of God, of which I am persuaded not so much by the judgement of the Church, as for these reasons following. 1. From the Majesty of God, speaking in the scriptures, for in them nothing is set down in so easy and simple form of words, but I do perceive characters engraven by the finger of God et genium humano maiorem. 2. From the efficacy of the scripture, for me thinks, while I read, my heart doth burn within me, as the hearts of the 2 disciples that went with Christ to Emaus: so that I confess with the Prophet. Surely as the reign cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither again, but watereth the earth and causeth it to bring forth and bud: so is my word that goeth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that I will, and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. This I confess against all those Vatican Rabsakes, who having adamant hearts, the which the spirit of the Lord cannot pierce, do impeach the power of this word: Hosius that doth call it, or approves it to be called, egenum quoddam elementum, Stephen Pal●…tus, rem inanimatam, Melchior Canus, mortuum judicem, & Eckius more blasphemously atramentariam scripturam and I condemn Angelus Politianus, as blasphemous, that preferred Pindarus his Odes before the Psalms of David Quid palea ad triticum? Nun verbum meum est instar ignis (dicit jehovah) tanquam malleus conterens petram? 3 Fron the event of prophecies, every one complete in his proper time, although foretold long before, to wit, The people of Israel's bondage in Egypt, and delivery from thence. The kingdom to continue in the line of judah, until Christ came in the flesh. The prophesy of josias, given by name three hundred years before his cradle. The captivity into Babylon, & freedom by Cyrus. The time, place, and manner of Christ's birth, The rejection of the Jews, & calling of the Gentiles. So that God might well proclaim of himself, as it is in Isay. I am God & there is none other, & there is nothing like me, which declare the last things from the beginning, & from of old the things. etc. saying, my council shall stand, and I will do, what soever I will, even so, good Lord, thy word, is the word of Truth, yea as one of thy Apostles hath it more Emphatically, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉: it is truth itself, and one iod thereof shall not fall unto the ground unfulfilled, for though the Scheme of the world were a way, and the Prophets do not live for ever, yet thou o lord with thy Angels wilt come to perform their prophecies in their moments. 4 And especially from the testimony of the spirit of God, which persuadeth unto our souls and consciences, the undoubted truth of that word, which some do contemn and deride as foollishnesse; and hence I judge it to be, that martyrs being resolved by the powerful persuasion of this spirit, of the truth hereof do boldly offer to seal the same with their blood protesting that nothing shall remove them from profession of this truth * non minae, non blandi menta, non vita, non mors, non palatium, non satellites, vin non imperator, non imperium, non homines non daemons. 2 I believe that almighty god hath made known unto us in his written word so much of his will as is sufficient for the instruction of the faithful, without the patching too of Traditions; So that I account that Canon of the Council of Trent to be blasphemous, by which it is provided, that Traditions are to be received paripietatis affectu, with the written word of God, and concerning Traditions, I am wont to say with St. Ambrose, Quod non legi usurpare non debeo. That which I find not in the scripture either expressed, or deducable by easy consequence I ought not to use, and again, Caeli mysterium me doceat Deus, qui me condidit, non homo, qui se ipsum ignoravit, and with Origene. Non sum aliorum sermonum discipulus nisi caelestum. 3 This scripture so sufficient, I acknowledge to be easy, and facile, fitted to the capacity of the simplest, whose understanding God hath not shut up in that judgement, vobis non datum est nosse misteria regni: ●…. 12. so that the weaklin in faith thence may draw milk for his weak stomach, and the more able Christian, may have stronger meat to better his groat in the mystery of faith: wherefore I could wish that the scriptures were permitted to every nation, ●…ee say of ●…o●…e as S. ●…m of ●…ehem unque●…teris a ●…situam alielu●…cantas ●…ans 〈◊〉 psal●… a vo●…curua ●…aens 〈◊〉 falce ●…n ali●… Davi ●…n can●…it inep and language under heaven, in their own familiar tongue that so every man may have and read them to his comfort: for why should I not wish that the spirit of God did not only rest upon Moses, and the scutcheon ancient men in the book of Numbers, but that Eldaed and Medaed, yea and all the Lords people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them. But since Scripturae non sunt in legendo, sed in intelligendo, as St. Hilary well observeth and seeing in them somethings are so difficult, as that we may truly say with the Eunuch to Philip, Quomodo possum intelligere, si non aliquis viam praemonstret mihi? I would have you for the sense of scripture not to advise with human reason, which is blind in matters of piety nor 2 with any Swenfeldian Enthusiast that vaunts of immediate revelations from the spirit of God: for a lying spirit may speak in the mouths of such Prophets. In all ●… 270 B●… and of out of 187 a●… make this r●… Olaus●…nus wa●…tled ●… of vps●… Go thi●… Rob. V●…tius Arm●… of Ar●… Irelan●… whence never ●…ed pen●… commo●…●…. Duo ip●… depreh●… in adu●… & occij●… whit●…e●… Nor 3 with the Pope, that Tarpeian oracle, for I find not warranted by scripture any infallibility in his judgement, seeing he may err. Nor 4 with Counsels for they cannot be called so often as the Church may want decision for sense 2 they are often times an assembly of malignant persons against the Godly as the council at Carmell against Elias, and at Gilead against Micheas, & at Trent against the Protestants howsoever Campian be Hyperbolical in its Commendation, Bone Deus quae Gentium varietas, qui delectus episcoporum totius orbis, qui Regum et Rerum pub: splendour, quae medulla Theologorum, quae sanctitas quae lachrymae, quae teiunia, qui flores Accademici, quae linguae, quanta subtilitas, quantus labour, quam infinitae lectio, quantae virtutum, et studiorum divitiae Augustum illud sacrarium impleverunt? Nor 5 with fathers, for they are men, and may, and do err, & again they abrogate this authority from themselves, Quos non sy●… flores s●…tius v●… nomina Humf. for so S. Augustine Talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum quales ego esse volo intellectores meorum and how did S. Augustine read other father's writings he will tell you himself Cypriani literas non ut Canonicas habeo, sed considero ex Canonicis. But with any Child of God, I say with any child of God, who hath the gift of interpreting, whom I would have not upon any Praetorian authority to command men to believe whatsoever he list, as they in the Poet, Quod volumus sanctum est: but to prove his sense of scripture by scripture and to follow these 6 rules following. 1 To be acquainted with the words & Phrases of Scripture. 2 To humble himself in prayer unto Almighty God: upon this hope. Qui dedit, ut quaeras addet ut invenias: 3 To mark antecedents and consequences. 4 To observe heedfully the occasion of the text the main scope, and circumstances thereof. 5 To parallel like places. 6 To have always before his eyes, for his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the measure of faith in the Articles of the Creed. Of the Church 1 The authority thereof. 2 The matter. 3 The form. 4 The affections. 5 The head. 6 The Notes. 1 I confess that by this immortal seed of the word, God hath begotten him a Church. So that the Scripture is the mother of the Church, and the Church the daughter of the Scripture: how preposterous then, I will not say, blasphemous, is the judgement of the Church of Rome, who set Hagar above Sara, and the daughter's foot in the neck of the mother, & subject the oracles of God to the censure of men, avowing the authority of the Scriptures to be such, and such only as the Church doth afford it, yea more blasphemously that the Scripture without the censure and approbation of the Church is in itself no more, & no more to be esteemed then Aesop's fables: know ye not ye Vatican Rabsakes, that blasphemers, & all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire & brimstone? Yea they debase the authority of the Scripture so far below the Church, as, that they say expressly— non omnem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse peccatum: that every obliquity to the law of God is not a sin: and yet Andradius erecting himself upon his Portugal buskin, proclaimeth quicksands quid a pralatorum Ecclesia ac maxim a Rom. pontificis jussu dissidet immane esse peccatum and again maiori scelere involui cum qui pontificias quam qui divinas leges prefregerit and they account none to be obedient sons to their Sea but such as will say with Erasmus, that although indeed he did know another sense then that of the Pope of Rome to be more consonant unto the Text of scripture; yet, Sed tamen, si hoc ecclesiae iusserit credam: captivabo. n. intellectum meum in obsequium Ecclesiae. The matter of this Church is 1 Angels 2 men 1 Angels for not to conceal any thing I know I like not the sentence of M Beza, and M Perkins be it spoken with reverence to so worthy men, ●…o bi●…e tus 〈◊〉 sta ●…lt no●…icit e●…etus est. but chose rather to tread in the paths of Antiquity, seeing the learned Zanchius is persuaded that Angels be parts of the mystical body of Christ and members of the Church, seeing they receive by the mediation of Christ, these benefits ensuring. 1 To be confirmed in their blessed estate. 2 To have a more perfect Revelation of the will of God touching the calling of the Gentiles. 3 To be reconciled to man, from whom they were averse before, as being executioners of God's wrath upon our sins, and hence is their joy for our several conversions. And I believe that this opinion is strongly maintained, and abetted with these places of Scripture: Ephes. 1.10. Coloss. 1.20. 2 Men. 1 Not Hypocrites, or wicked men, for howsoever they carry an outward profession of Sanctity, and the livery of Christians, yet indeed are they not true and living members of Christ's body: for otherwise this would follow, that the Hypocrite being to receive his portion in the fiery lake, that Christ should condemn into hell, his own members; only I must advise you, that in the judgement of Charity you do esteem all those for true members of Christ, which fashion themselves to an outward comformity in the church, always remembering what St. Augustine answered Petilian charging him to be a reprobate. In area domini sum vel frumentum, vel palea: sed huius area ventilabrum non est lingua Petiliani. But 2. holy men, elect children, & Saints of God, for their sins being washed away in the blood of the Lamb, they only are clothed with the stole of righteousness, and have palms in their hands, and do follow the lamb whither-soever he goeth, singing honour, and praise, and immortality to him that sitteth upon the throne, & to the Lamb for evermore. 3 The inward form of this Church is the bond of the spirit, by which the Saints of God dispersed over the whole earth of diverse times, are knit together and linked in a union to Christ their head and a communion amongst themselves. 4 I believe this Church to be invisible in respect of this inward form, for although Momus desired, yet God never granted a window to the breast of man, so that we cannot enter with a Candle to see their faith, their election, the Graces of the holy Ghost & in respect of the better part, to wit, the Saints blessed in heaven, to whom as we cannot extend the torments of malice, or the scourge of our tongue, so neither bodily eyes: yet visible in some particular churches, ●…to ●…eti ●…st ●…lt ●…ici ●…eti ●…es●… as now in England (for the welfare of which church my prayer hath ever been that in the Canticles, Arise o North & come o South, and blow on this garden, that the spices there of may flow out) yet so as subject to change, having a waxing, and a waning like the moon: for sometime we read that Christ saith of his Church who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, pure as the son, terrible as an army with banners. Sometimes again we read of the Church, that she is driven by the red dragon into the wilderness and hath sent after her, a river of water, to swallow and drown her up. 5 This Church is a body coupled together by joints. Ephes. 4.16. & therefore must have a head, the which head I confess Christ, & Christ alone to be according to that, Coloss. 1.18. Et ipse caput corporis (t) Ecclesiae: for no other Creature whatsoever can perform the offices of a head to this body, which are, vi intus agente, as Paul speaketh, Eph. 5. To give efficacy, & quickening to the same, and to power forth oil in great abundance into the seven lamps which stand in the golden candlestick in the temple, Gregor Mag. 〈◊〉 the bes●… shops o●… and im●…ate pre●… for t●… Bonifa●… tragic●… clamit●… go aut●… denter●… quia q●… quis s●…●…uersal cerdo●… cat; ve●… ri de si●… in ela sua A●… christi●… prec ●… quia biend●… teris ●… ni●…. as it is in the vision of Zacharie: and therefore the first, and best Bishops of Rome never durst arrogate unto themselves, to be the general fathers, and heads of the Church, nor any in more corrupted times, until Boniface the 3. about 600. after Christ, having absolved from Parricide Phocas, who had killed Mauricius the Emperor and his Lord, obtained in lieu of this Church blessing to be called the Ecumenical and general head of the Church; which ever since the Bishops of Rome have continued, & do seek to maintain by a distinction minted by them. That Christ indeed is the head of the triumphant, and Militant Church both, and the Pope of the Militant only again, That Christ is the head of the Church by sovereign pre-eminence, in a more divine, ample, absolute, excellent, and transcendent sort, but the Pope is Head only Ministerially. Foolish men, that seek to cover their ambition with such figleaves, as these are, for what need Christ of a ministerial head, to supply his presence in the Church, and if the Pope of Rome be that head, how wisely hath Christ provided, that Error and Heresy shall never prevail in it? seeing the Pope may err, non solum actu externo, in quaestione facti, errore exempli, in declaratione opinionis propriae, in iis quae obiter dicat, in mediis ante conclusionem, sed etiam in rebus fidei, ut summus pontifex, ut publicum os ecclesiae, in definitiuâ sententiâ; for many of them have been Heretics, witness Liran in Matthew 16. legimus multos pontifices apostatàsse a fide & this Bellarmine doth in some sort grant when he faintly devieth it if not rather, insinuateth the same. ●…b. 4. de ●…ontif. Non est proprie Heretica ista sententia, puta, papam errare posse. it may be as Stapleton will have it, an erroneous, a scandalous, ●…ont. 3 ●…4. an offensive position, but non est proprie heretica. 6 The true marks and badges of this Church are only two the sincere preaching of the word, & the 2 lawful dispensation of the sacraments, not Antiquity, nor multitude, nor miracles, nor the rest which Bellarmine repeateth to the number of fourteen. 1 The sincere preaching of the word to which we admit nobody but he that is lawfully called by the Church, and Christian magistrate; neither do I see how the Papists can object unto Luther, and other ministers in the Reformed Churches to have no lawful calling, seeing they receive their ordination from themselves, and we do not deny but the Popish bishops, in creating ministers, howsoever they use more ceremonies than need of, truly to confer the office upon whom they lay their hands. I profess that ministers thus called have a right to the use of the Keys. The keys of the Church are the power of binding and losing, of retaineing and remitting of sins. I believe that sins are only remitted, by god, for I acknowledge it to be his incommunicable property to forgive sin according as he proclaimeth of himself, Ego, ego sum, qui deleo iniquitates tuas propter me etc. and that man hath but a secondary and ministerial power, to wit, to publish forgiveness of sins, to those, whom God in heaven hath forgiven, for we are but Ambassadors and do entreat for Christ sake Reconciliamini Deo: otherwise if the minister do take upon him, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, upon any absolute power resting in himself to forgive sins, the sinner to be absolved may say unto him, as Augustine hath it: Quid ego homo, nisi ager sanandus? vis mihi esse medicus mecum quaere medicum, for he sinful man as he is hath need of one to forgive his sins likewise. I acknowledge power in the minister to retain sin, and to award Excommunication, against desperate and scandalus offenders, only I could advise, they would remember, and practise these few rules following. 1 That such ecclesiastical curses be denounced according unto the word of god. 2 That they put a difference between private and public sins, between delicta & scelera. 3 That they be not too sharp in their censures, remembering that of chrysostom Si Deus est tam benignus, ut quid sacerdos eius tamausterus? Against the first, the Bishop of Rome highly offendeth, when every Easter day he excommunicateth the Reformed Churches, before his solemn Mass; for whereas the Pope denounceth his curse against us, Quod haretici, we know the cause is false, and therefore the curse not effectual seeing, as it is in the Proverbs. A curse causeless shall not come and therefore we say with Tertullian Dum a vobis damnamur, a Deo absoluimur. 2 The second note of the Church is the rightful administration of the Sacraments. Now Sacraments are only two 1 Baptism. 2 The Lords supper I confess Baptism to be a leale of the covenant of grace, and therefore children being contained in the covenant (promissio facta est vobis, et liberis vestris) are to receive the seal of the covenant, and to be baptized; howsoever first the Pelagian, and since the Anabaptist with great fury, & greater frenzy teach the contrary: & we have nothing so commonly in our mouths as that comfortable saying of Christ in S. Augustine, Baptisma quare Domini, ego quaesivi servi howsoever Campian doth put on a whores-forehead and impudently charge us, to make Baptism but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 si habeas recte, sicareas, nihil damni. Yet do I not avouch that Baptism is simply necessary to salvation, for I am persuaded, that child may be saved which is prevented in his Baptism, by sudden death, and that saying of Saint Bernard always was of authority with me, Non privatio, sed contemptus Baptismi damnat, and that of Saint Ambrose. Qui Sacramentum omittunt (to wit, in the case above specified) gratiam tamen, non amittunt; and I think, that Saint Augustine, if soberly understood, is not so much my enemy in this point, as Papists and some Protestants do believe. I confess original sin to be weakened, and bridled by Baptism, yea taken away quoad reatum & imputationem, but not quoad actum, & totali abolitione, as the Papists would have it, for it still remaineth in us as long as we walk sub onere carnis, and is indeed a sin; howsoever in Christ not imputed unto the person in whom it is: or if you will so have it, I will give you my judgement of Concupiscence, remaining after Baptism in Saint Augustine's words, Remittitur in Baptismate, non finitur. And again, Sed sufficit (inquis) quod in Baptismate accepi Remissionem omnium peccatorum? nunquid quia deleta est iniquitas, finita est infirmit as? Adhuc carnem fragilem portas, adhuc corpus, quod corrumpitur aggravat animam, adhuc utique dicis, donec sanentur languores tui, dimit nobis debita nostra. ●…scis an ●…s pie dix ●…esse reap ●…dum ●…g. Baptism is only to be dispensed by a minister, not by a lay man, much less by a woman: yet I am persuaded, that if a lay man, or woman have de facto baptized observing the form of words the baptism is not to be repeated, and I rest in the judgement of a learned father amongst us, whose words they are, pie fit, fi minister tingat solus, at fit etiam sitting at alius, & again malè factum est, silaicus, peius, D. Ab●… lec de ●… si feminaren sacrosanctam hanc attigerit, sed factum est, & quod factum est, infectum esse non potest. 2 The other Sacrament is the Eucharist, in which the true body and blood of Christ is given us under the visible form of bread, and wine to be received by the mouth of faith of every believer. And I am persuaded that as truly as the bread and wine is received by my hand, and conveyed into my stomach, so assuredly the body and blood of Christ jesus is received by the hand of faith, & conveyed unto my soul, and conscience, and this certainly is assured unto me by those Emphatical forms of speeches peculiar in the sacraments by which the bread is termed the true body, and wine, the blood of Christ: so then the body of Christ is present in the sacrament, verè non imaginary, how be it non corporali presentia, sed spirituali according to that of S. Augustine. Quid paras ventrem, et dentes? crede, et mandacasti. Away then with the whe●… ten Idol, the mass, and Popish Transubstantiation, for that there can be no such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Transubstantiation, I protest upon these seasons. 1 It crosseth the institution of Christ, he bideth us to receive his supper In mei recordationem now we know that Recordatio is Rei absentis non praesentis. 2 Christians would then be Anthropopnagi & the Lords table should be like the house of Polyphemus in the poet, et trepidi tremerent sub dentibus artus. 3 This implies a blasphemy, for then Christ being chewed, and eaten in ventrem cederet, and therefore according to the doctrine of the Gospel in latrinim abiiceretur. 4. Then the wicked should eat his flesh and so have eternal life. 5 We fee the Accidents of bread, and wine to remain, and therefore the proper substances of bread, and wine, must remain, except we would have an Accident to subsist without his proper substance which is absurd in reason. And I do account that gloss which the master of the sentences doth set upon this matter very ridiculous, to wit, that therefore the bread and wine being indeed vanished away, their accidents must remain to cover the flesh, and blood of Christ 1 Ne abhorreat animus, Aver●… 12. m●… Quon●… christi●… mandu●… Deum adoran●… anima●… cum pl●… phis. si carnem ipsam oculi usurparent. 2 Ne ab incredulis Religioni Christianae in sultetur as if they did eat man's flesh. I protest likewise against the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and consubstantiation of the Lutherans, who do feign a Coexistence of the body of Christ, in sub, or cum pane, and I could wish that they would use more moderation against their Opposites. I conclude my judgement of both sacraments with this doctrine that neither sacrament hath vim causativam gratiae, as the Papists speak, that I may explicate myself to the capacity of the simple, that there is not in the corporal elements of the Sacraments any supernatural Grace inherent and essential, but that the sacraments are instruments and means by the which the holy ghost is effectually powerful to offer exhibit, and apply the merit of Christ's passion to every believer. That which pessimè & pertinacissimè Eut●…ches, as I read of him, I hope I may truly and from a sober and Christian resolution aver: In hac fide genitus sum usque body vixi in ea, et opto mori. Etiam sic sentio, sic credo. I. D. His qui contradicit, aut omnino a Christi nomine alienus est, aut est Hereticus. To the Reader. THis little Book for private use, was penned some time ago; And now divulged for private friends, His Author wills it so, But if it come to others hands, And they some profit gain: Then thank his friends, that for their sakes, He hath took all this pain. ROGER KNIGHT.