The Safe Way Leading All Christians, Section 1
Sect. 1. The cauſleſſe bitterneſſe of the Church of Rome againſt the Reformed Churches.
WE reade in the Eccleſiaſtical Hiſtory when the ancient Chriſtians at Antioch fell at variance amongſt themſelues: Theodoret ſought by a fauourable report to allay the bitterneſſe of their Contention with theſe words: Both parts make one and the ſame Confeſſion of their faith. Theod. lib 3. Hist. Eccleſ. cap. 4.For both maintaine the Creed of the Nicene Councell.
The beautifull and ſacred name of Truth, ſpeakes peace to all: and that louely name of Peace, giues that ſweet counſell to all Chriſtians, which Abraham gaue to Lot: Gen, 13.8.Let there be no ſtrife betwixt me and thee, for wee be brethren.
If the Church of Rome had loued Truth and Peace, without doubt the common bond of Chriſtianity, and the Creed which is the generall Cognizance of our faith, would hauehave incited them to the like fauourable conſtruction of the Controuerſies of this age, and the rather becauſe their owne learned Cardinall profeſſeth;Bellar, de Ʋerbo Dei. l. 4. c. 11. Primū & Nota Secundò. That the Apoſtles neuer propounded as Common Articles of faith; other things then the Articles of the Apoſtles Creed, the ten Commandements, & ſome few of the Sacramēts becauſe (ſaith he) theſe things are ſimply neceſſarie and profitable for all men, the reſt are ſuch as a man may be ſaued without them.
But ſuch is the nature of the malignant Church (and for that cauſe the Church of Rome is rightly deciphered by that name) that inſtead of qualifying the vnquenchable broyles, and intirely preſeruing the ſeameleſſe garment of Chriſt,Camp. 1. Rat. Jewel & Harding pa. 222. & 178. ſhee …rmes vsus Heretiques, hell…ounds of Swinglius, Luthers whelpes, Turkiſh Hugenots, damned perſons, and worſe then Infidels; which vnchriſtian ſpeeches dipt in lye and gall, giuegive vsus iuſt cauſe to ſay with Auſten: Quotidiana fornax noſtra aduerſariorilingua. Aug. Confeſſ. lib. 10. c. 37.Our daily fornace is our aduerſaries tongue.
It cannot bee denied that the reformed and the ancient Romane Church are two Siſters, both deſcended from one and the ſame Catholike and vniuerſall Mother of vsus all, but when the world ſhall vnderſtand that the Romiſh Siſter hath loſt her breaſts, or at leaſt-wiſe giueth her Children little or no ſincere milke out of her two breaſts the two Teſtaments: when the world ſhall plainely diſcerne that ſhee doth daily practiſe ſpirituall fornication with the inhabitants of the earth, when it ſhall be witneſſed by her ſelfe that her Siſter hath kept her firſt louelove and continued her ancient birth-right, from the time of the Apoſtles to the dayes of Luther, Will it not ſeeme a ſtrange folly or a wilful madneſſe to quarrell with her Siſter, becauſe ſhe will not follow her vnknowne wayes, and go a whoring after her inuentions? If for no other cauſe yet for this alone, (becauſe ſhe played the Harlot) her Siſter might better iuſtifie a ſeparation from her, then to retaine fellowſhip with her lewdneſſe.
It is the counſell of the Prophet,Hoſ. 4.15.17. If Ephraim be ioyned to Idols, let him alone: If Iſrael play the Harlot, let not Iuda ſinne. Babylon was a true Church, with which ſometimes the religious did communicate, but after it was more depraued, the faithfull are commanded to go out of her, and for that cauſe Abraham was commanded to go forth of Caldea, wherein hee was borne, becauſe the inhabitants of the countrey were idolators: and the Hebrewes were led out of Egypt by Moſes and Aaron, becauſe the Egyptians were giuen to vaine ſuperſtitions; ſuch is our departure from the Church of Rome, or rather from the errours of that Church that hath departed from her ſelfe, and for that cauſe; Non fugimus ſed fugamur, we left her vnwillingly, not voluntarily, That we bee not partakers of her ſinne, Reu. 18.4.and that wee receiue not of her plagues.
That ſaying of Eraſmus was no leſſe true then wittie: who being demanded of the Duke of Saxonie, what was Luthers capitall offence that ſtirred vp ſo many oppoſites againſt him, made anſwer: Luther had committed two great ſinnes, for he had taken away the Crowne from the Pope, and had taken downe the belly of the Monkes: and ſurely (ſetting aſide the Popes Lordlines and the luxurie of Prieſts) it ſhall appeare there is no ſuch cauſe why ſhe ſhould breathe out, Anathemas, Curſes, Excommunications, with a Tradatur Satanae: let her Siſter be deliuered to Satan: There is no ſuch cauſe why ſhee ſhould daily entertaine Iewes into her boſome, when a poore Chriſtian ſoule, a beleeuing Proteſtant may not approch to her ſanctuary for feare of the Inquiſition.
Nobis non licet eſſe tam diſertos; The children of this world are wiſer in their generation then wee profeſſe our ſelues to be. For as touching the twelue Articles of the Apoſtles Creed which are the maine parts of the Chriſtian Truth, Hoochers Eccleſiaſticall Politis.and wherein the Church of Rome doth ſtill perſiſt, we gladly acknowledge her to bee of the family of Ieſus, (ſaith Hooker) and that which Saint Paul witneſſed of the Iſraelites, that in one reſpect they were enemies, Rom. 11.28.but in another they were beloued of God: ſo likewiſe as concerning the word of God, and the Apoſtles Creed, we giuegive the Church of Rome her due, but in another reſpect as ſhe hath created twelue new Articles, and coyned new expoſitions vponupon the old, farre different from the doctrine of the Apoſtles, as ſhe depends vponupon cuſtomarie Tenents which makes their chiefe claime by Tradition, as ſhee relyes vponupon the Church for the laſt reſolutiō of faith, as ſhe maintaineth and practiſeth manifeſt and manifold Idolatrie; as ſhe derogateth from the high price of our Redemption, by adding their owne merits and ſatisfactions to the Merits of Chriſt, as ſhe aduanceth the Pope for the Lord Paramont aboue all that are called Gods; In theſe and many like reſpects we ſay her Tenure is meane and baſe, her Tenets are ſubiect to alienation, her Articles are euidences of an vnknowne Truth, her vnwritten verities are preſcriptions within the memorie of man, her Title is vſurpation, her confidence is preſumption, her deuotion is ſuperſtition, and ſhee her ſelfe a profeſſed enemy to the Goſpell.