A Golden Chain, Assertion
The assertion.
A Reprobate may in truth be made partaker of all that is contained in the Religion of the Church of Rome: and a Papist by his religion cannot goe beyond a Reprobate.
The first argument.
HE which may in truth be made partaker of the chiefe points of the Popish religion, may be made partaker of all: but a Reprobate may be made partaker of the chiefe poin…s of the Popish religion: therefore a Reprobate may be made partaker of all.
The proofe of the Argument.
THe proposition is plaine, and eueryevery Papist will graunt it: all the controuersie is of the assumption: wherefore I prooue it thus:
The Sacrament of Pennance (as they call it) is one of the chiefe things in the religion of the Church of Rome: for it is such a Sacrament, aCatech. Rom. p. 424.that by the power & efficacy of it, the blood of Christ is deliuered to vsus to wash away our sins: & they saybIbid. pag. 419. Tho. 4. dist. 14. q. 5. art. 1. Canis. & pe… exp. it hath such vertue that the kingdome of heauen is promised to it in the Scriptures, and that it is not regeneration, but an healing of a man regenerate, and that it pardoneth sinne, as baptisme. And as touching Contrition, Papists write, cCatech. Rom. p. 447. Lumb. lib. 4. dist. 17.it hath power to doe away sinne, and to obtaine pardon at Gods hand: the same they speake of Confession, which they say deliuereth from death, openeth paradise; and giueth hope of saluation: and hereby it may appeare, that pennance is one of the greatest points of the popish religion.
But a reprobate may be truly made partaker of the popish sacrament of penance, and indeede performe all in it. There be three parts of penance, Contrition of the heart, Confession of the mouth, Satisfaction in the deede. All these three Iudas performed: first, he had Contrition: for when he saw that our Sauiour was condemned, dMat. 27.3.then he saw his owne finne, and was stricken with a griefe for his owne treacherie, and repented, and presently after heevers. 4… confessed his sinne openly vntounto the chiefe Priests and Elders. Also he made Satisfaction, when he brought againe the thirtie pieces of siluer which he tooke to betray his master.
Againe, Contrition of the heart is the ground of penance: and Papists say, it is not an act of the holy GhostfCatech. Rom. p. 437. but an act of mans free wil proceeding from it: and therefore a reprobate may hauehave it. And as for Satisfaction, if a reprobate cannot doe it by himselfe, yet he may performe it by another: for so they say gTho. lib. 4. dist. 2. q. 1. art. 1.that one may satisfie by anoth…r: wherefore for any thing I can see, a reprobate may hauehave all that is contained in the popish sacrament of penance.
Faith is another of the chiefest points, that is in the religion of the Church of Rome, forhTrid. Concil. sess. 6. c. 8. Rhem. Test. Rom. they say, it is the foundation and ground worke of Iustification. But reprobates may hauehave that faith which they meane. For they say, that it is nothing els, but iCanis. Oper. ca. pa. Rhe. Test. 2. Cor. 13.5. And. lib. 6. pag. 543.a gift of God, and a certaine light of the minde, wherewith a man beeing enlightened giu…th sure, and certen assent to the reuealed word of God. And the Rhemists say, it is onelyonly an act of the vnderstanding: and Andradius saith, that Faith is onelyonly in generall actions, and cannot come to the particular applying of any thing: now all this reprobates may hauehave, kHeb. 6.5. Luk. 8.13. Iam. 2.19.for their minds are inlightned to know the truth, and to be perswaded of it, and therefore they hauehave this act of the vnderstanding: & this is a generall faith: yea the deuill himselfe can doe thus much, who beleeueth and trembleth. And their implicite faith which saueth the lay man, what reprobate cannot hauehave it? for there is nothing els required, but to beleeue as the Church beleeueth, though he know not how the Church beleeueth. And the Papists themselues say as much: for their lTrid. Confess. 6. cap. 9. Andr. lib. 3. pag. 200.Councels hold, that a wicked man and an heretike may hauehave confidence in Christ, and that an heathen man, by the naturall knowledge of God, and by the workes of creation, might hauehave faith, and in a generall maner beleeue in Christ.
The second argument.
THat religion whose precepts are no directions to attaine peace of conscience, leaueth a man still in a damnable case: but the precepts of the religion of the Churc… of Rome, are not directions to attaine peace of conscience, therefore it leaueth a man in a damnable case: which if it be true, a reprobate may be as sound a professour of … as any other.
The proofe.
THe proposition is certen: because as long as any man hath his conscience to accuse him of sinne before God, he is in state of damnation, asa1. Iob. 3.20. Saint Iohn saith: If our heart condemne vsus, God is greater then our heart, & knoweth all things. And this is peculiar and proper to the elect children of God, bRom. 5.1.to receiue these gifts and graces from God, cHeb. 10.22the enioyning of which, bringeth peace of conscience. True it is indeede, that reprobates receiue many graces and gifts at Gods hand, but they are no other then such as may be ioyned with the trembling of the conscience, as the deuill is said to beleeue, but withall to tremble.
The assumption (namely, that the religion of the church of Rome can not pacifie the conscience) may be easily prooued on this wise.
A man whose conscience must be truely quieted, must first of all be truely humbled: dmat. 11.28.Come vntounto me (saith our Sauiour Christ) all ye which are wearied and burdened, and I will ease you. Whereby it appeareth, that they who are to hauehave their consciences refreshed in Christ, must first of all be afflicte… with the sense of Gods iudgement: yea they must be pressed downe to helward with the weight and burden of their sinnes, that they may see, and from their hearts confesse, that in themselues there is no way to escape damnation. eMat. 9.12. mat. 15.24. esa. 44.11. 1. cor. 11.23.The good Phisitian Christ Iesus cannot heale vsus before he hath lanced our woundes to the very bottome: he neuer can finde any of his sheepe before they be quite lost: he neuer powreth into vsus the liuing waters of his spirit, before we be barren and drie ground void of all moysture, and that man must condemne himselfe, that would not hauehave Christ to pronounce sentence of damnation against him.
Now, this true humiliation of a sinner can not be wrought in any mans heart by the religion of the Church of Rome. True and sound humiliation is wrought by two means: first, by making a man to see the greatnes of his sinne and wickednesse: secondly, by making him to acknowledge, that he is destitute, and quite bereft of all goodnes. For if a man either see not the greatnes of his sinne, or hauehave confidence of any thing in himselfe, he can not be humbled: but neither of these two things are performed in the church of Rome. As touching the first, the Romish religion is so farre from amplifying & enlarging the greatnes of mens sinnes, that it doth extenuate them, and lessen them out of measure: for it maketh some sinnes to be venial, fGal. 3.13.when as the least sinne that can be against Gods law deserueth damnation, gCanis. Oper. Cat. pag. 491.it teacheth that lesser sinnes are done away by an humble accusation of a mans selfe, by saying the Lords praier, by knocking vponupon the breast, and by such like: the greater sinnes may be done away by almes deeds, and such like satisfactions. But how can any sinne be great, that may be done away with such easie and sleight meanes? Furthermore it teacheth, that euill thoughts and desires, and motions of the heart without consent are no sinnes: and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation: for Paul neuer repented, before he vnderstood the meaning of the last commaundement, and perceiued thereby, that the desires and lusts of his heart, to which he did not yeeld his consent, were sinnes damnable before God, and knowing this, he then saw himselfe to be most miserable, and renouncing his owne righteousnes, he sought for righteousnes in Christ. Lastly, iCens. Col. pag. 46. 54.it teacheth, that originall sinne is done away in Baptisme, and that it is the least sinne of al other. What is this but to extenuate mans corruption, for whē the roote of corruption is taken away, and it is made so little a sinne, actuall sinnes cannot be taken for such heinous matters.
And for the second point, the Church of Rome doth too too much extoll the power of man, and his naturall strength. kAnd. lib. 3. Trid. Co…f. 6. cap. 7.It saith, that all actions of men vnregenerate are not sinnes, and that originall sinne needeth no repentance, lTrid. Confess. 6. cap. 1.that a man hath some freewill to doe spirituall things, that mGabr. Biel. …. sen. d. 27a man by meere naturals may louelove God aboue all things, feare God, beleeue in Christ, if we respect the very act of the worke, nAndr. l. 3. pag. 292.that the Gentiles might gather out of philosophie knowledge sufficient for saluation, oAndr. l. 3. pag. 280.that a man without the helpe of the holy Ghost, may performe things acceptable to God,pCatech. Rom. in prim. that the minde of man vnderstandeth of it selfe many things which be spirituall and heauenly, qTrid. confess. cap. 18.that a man regenerate may fulfill the whole law of God: that a man may prepare himselfe to receiue grace, and after preparation merit grace at Gods hand: that he may doe workes of supererogation, &c. By this it appeareth that the church of Rome ascribeth too much to man, rGen. 6. Eph. 2.1.2,which in himselfe is onelyonly and altogether euill, dead in sinne, chained vp in miserable bondage vnderunder Sathan the prince of darknes: and therefore it is euident, that all the preaching that is vsed in that church, will not humble a sinner, and make him deny himselfe, and therefore their preaching may peraduenture benumme a corrupt conscience and make it secure, but it cannot pacifie the troubled conscience, nor disquiet it by the threatning of the law, that by the promises of the gospel it may be quieted.
Againe, sTrid. Confess. 6. cap. ….this religion teacheth, that a man must doubt of his saluation as long as he is in this life: behold a Racke or gybbet erected by the Church of Rome, for the tormenting of tender consciences: for when a man doubteth of his saluation, he also doubteth of Gods louelove and merciemercy to him: and he which doubteth of Gods louelove, cannot louelove God againe: for how can any man louelove him of whose good will he doubteth: and when a man hath not the louelove of God in him, he hath no grace in him, and therfore his conscience must needs be defiled, and voyd of true peace, yea he must needes be a wicked man, and that tProu. 2….saying of Salomon must needes agree to him: The wicked flieth when no man pursueth (by reason of the guiltines of his conscience) but the godly is bold as a Lyon. Againe, uPsal. 32. ….Blessed is the man (saith Dauid) whose sinnes are pardoned: where he maketh remission of sinnes to be true felicitie: now there is no true felicitie but that which is enioyed, and felicitie can not be enioyed, vnlesse it be felt, and it cannot be felt vnlesse a man know himself to be in possession of it, and a man cannot know himselfe to be in possession of it, if he doubt whether he hath it or not: and therefore this doubting of the remission of sinnes is contrarie to true felicitie, and is nothing els but a torment of the conscience. For a man cannot doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or not, but straite way (if his conscience be not feared with an hote yron) the very thought of his sinne will strike a great feare into him: for the feare of eternall death, and the horror of Gods iudgements will come to his remembrance, the cōsideration of which is most terrible. Vndoubtedly, this religion must needs be comfortlesse. Alas poore soules, we are no better then passengers in this world, our way it is in the middle of the sea,Heb. 6.10, 1…. where we can hauehave no sure footing at all, and which way soeuer we cast our eyes, we see nothing but water, euen opening it selfe to deuoure vsus quicke: the deuill and our rebellious flesh raise vp against vsus infinite thousands of tempests & stormes to ouerthrow vsus: but behold, God of his great & endles merciemercy hath brought vsus to Christ, as to a sure anchor-hold: he biddeth vsus to vndo our gables, & fling vp our anchors within the vaile, and fasten them in Christ:Cant. 1.5. we doe it as we are commaunded: but a sister of ours (I meane the Church of Rome) passing in the ship with vsus (as it seemeth) who hath long taken vponupon her to rule the helme, dealeth too too vnkindly with vsus: she vnlooseth our anchors, and cutteth in pieces our gables, she telleth vsus that we may not presume to fastē our anchor on the rock: she will hauehave vsus freely to roue in… the middle of the sea in the greatest fogges and the fearefullest tempests that be: if we shall follow her aduise, we must needes looke for a shipwracke: for the least flaw of wind shall ouerturne vsus, and our poore soules shall be plunged in the gulfes of hell.
Lastly, Iustification by works causeth trouble and disquietnes to the conscience. No mans conscience can be appeased, before Gods wrath be appeased, and Gods wrath can not be appeased by any workes: for the best works the regenerate can doe, are imperfect, and are stained with some blemish of corruption, as mayEsa. 64.6. Rom. 7. 14. … 16. appeare both in the prophet Esay, & in Paul, both which had a great misliking of that good which they did, because it was mingled with sinne. And againe, eueryevery man is bound by dutie to keepe the whole law, so that if a man could keepe it perfectly, he should doe no more then he is by dutie inioyned to doe: and therefore he which looketh to merit eternall life at Gods hand by keeping the law, trusteth but to a broken staffe, and is like the bankrout, that will pay one debt by another: for by his sinne, eueryevery man is indebted to the Lord, and is bound to answer to the Lord the full punishment of all his sinnes: this debt, the Papist saith, we may discharge by obedience to the law, that is by a new debt, which we are as well bound to pay to our God as the former.
To ende this point, let a man looke to be saued by works, and therefore let a man imploy himselfe to doe the best workes he can, yet he shall neuer come to know when he hath done sufficient to satisfie Gods wrath: and this vncertaintie, all his life, but especially in the houre of death, must needes disquiet him. And truly, when a man shall hauehave done many thousand workes, yet his heart can neuer be at quiet, as it appeareth in the yong man, who though he had laboured all his life to fulfill the law thereby to be saued, yet distrusting all his doings, he asketh further of our Sauiour Christ,Mat. 10.17. Cono…. Trid. sess. 5. what he might doe to be saued.
Furthermore, it is the doctrine of the church of Rome, that there is nothing in the regenerate that God can hate: and that they are inwardly pure and without spot. A doctrine that will make any Christian conscience despaire. For if a man shall fall to examine himselfe, he shall find aRom. 7.14.that he is solde vnderunder sinne, bHeb. 12. 1.compassed about of sinne, cPs. 40. 12.he shall see his particular sinnes to be as the haires of his head: at the sight and feeling of which, he shall finde that there is much matter in him worthie of hatred and damnation too. He beeing in this case, will beginne to doubt whether he be the child of God or not: and perseuering in this doubting, he shall be driuen to despaire of Gods louelove towardes him, considering that he cannot find any such purenesse in himself as the doctrin of the church of Rome requireth.
Lastly, experience it selfe teacheth that the Romish religion can bring no peace to the conscience, in that some for the maintaining of it hauehave despaired. As Francis Spira, who against his owne conscience hauing abiured the truth; and subscribed to the doctrine of the Romish Church, most fearefully despaired of his saluation:Illiricus de fide. Epist. Senar. de morte Diazy. which could not hauehave beene if that doctrine had beene agreeable to Gods word which is spirit and life to the receiuer. For the same cause Latomus a doctor of Louane despaired, crying that he was damned, because he had opposed himselfe to the knowne truth. This also befell Gardner at his death, as the booke of Acts and Monuments declareth.
The third argument.
THat religion which agreeth to the corruption of mans nature, a Reprobate may truly professe it: the religion of the Church of Rome agreeth to the corruption of mans nature: therefore a reprobate may truly professe it.
The proofe.
I Neede not stand to prooue the proposition, the assumption is rather to be confirmed: which first I will prooue by induction of particulars. First, that a man should be iustified by works, is an opinion setled in nature, as may appeare in them that crucified our Sauiour Christ: for when they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon, bAct. 2.37. Ioh. 6.28. Mar. 10.17.they saide, Men and brethren, what shall we doe to be saued? and this said the yong man before named, not what should I beleeue, but what should I doe to be saued. So then in them it appeareth, that it is a naturall opinion of all men to thinke that they must be saued by doing of somewhat. A Papist will say, though this be naturall thus to thinke, yet it may be good: for there is some goodnes in nature.
I answer that the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie to Gods wisdome, Rom. 8.7. and a…l men by nature are nothing but flesh: for naturally they are the children of wrath. Secondly, the worshipping of god in images, is a great matter in the Church of Rome: but this manner of worshipping is nothing but a worke of the flesh, which thus I prooue: bGal. 5. 20.Idolatrie is naturall, and a worke of the flesh; but to worship God in images, is idolatrie. The children of Israel when they erected the golden calfe… they did commit idolatrie, and yet they did not worship the calfe it selfe, b… God in the calfe. For when the calfe was made, they cExo. 32.5.proclaimed an holy day, not to the calfe, but to the Lord. And Baal, that detestable idol, was nothing but the image of God, as appeareth in Hosea the prophet. At that day, saith the lord,Hos 2.16. thou shalt calme no more Baal.
It remaineth therfore, that to serue God in an image, is a work of the flesh, and altogether agreeth to the vile corruption of nature. Thirdly,d…. 20.…. pride, and a desire to be a aduanced aboue other, is a naturall corruption: to this agreeth the Popes primacie, his double sword, and triple crown: yet the outragious pomp of that seate is as a paire of bellowes to kindle the concupiscence, and to make the hidden sparkes of pride to breake out into a great flame. Fourthly, Doubting of Gods prouidence & merciemercy is a naturall corruption in all men: to this agreeth, and from hence issueth that foolish and vaine opinion, concerning doubting of our saluation, and of the remission of sinnes. Fiftly, selfe-louelove, and selfe-liking are naturall corruptions: to this agreeth that doctrine of the Papists, not ouermuch to abase our selues, but to maintaine freewill by nature, and to thinke that we hauehave so much goodnes, that we are able to prepare our selues to receiue, and in some sort to merit grace. Sixtly, idlenes and riotousnes is a naturall corruption, and to it very fitly answereth the great number of feasts, of holy daies, of halfe holy daies which the Church of Rome vseth. Seuenthly, Couetousnes is a naturall corruption, and to the feeding of this vice serueth Purgatorie, a fire of great gaine, which in very truth, if it had not burned very hot, the fire in the Popes kitchin had burned very colde: hitherto serue Pilgrimages, saying of Masses, and selling of pardons for money. Eightly, to be at libertie is the desire of nature: answerable to this is that opinion, that the spiritualtie is to be exempted from subiection to Magistrates. Ninthly, to commit adulterie is naturall: to this agreeth the Stewes, and the permission of simple fornication. Tenthly, ignorance is a filthy corruption in nature: this the Church of Rome maketh the mother of deuotion, and it is inioyned the lay man as a meanes of his saluation: for he must beleeue as the church beleeueth, he is not bound to know. XI. Infidelitie is naturall, and to this agreeth that they call vponupon Saints and Angels, the Lord hauing commanded them to call vponupon him in the name of Christ, what argueth this els, but hearts distrusting Gods goodnes, and guiltie consciences? XII. Images in the Church of Rome came from infidelitie, because men in reason could not perswade themselues that God was present, vnlesse that were made manifest by some signe and image. Which thing the Israelites declared when they said to Aaron in the wildernes in Moses absence,Exod. 32. 1. Make vsus gods to goe before vsus. XIII. Satisfactions for sinne are naturall: for wicked eMich. 6.7. Isa. 58.4,5.men when they hauehave offended God, they hauehave alwaies vsed some ceremonies to pacifie God with, which when they hauehave performed, then they thinke they hauehave done enough. XIV. The church of Rome saith, that the Scriptures are darke & obscure: the blind man findeth fault with the darknes of the sunne: If the Scriptures appeare to any to be obscure, the fault is not in the Scriptures, but in the blindnes of the minde of him which readeth and heareth them. XV. Lastly, pardons open a gap to all licentiousnes: therefore they agree to mans corrupt nature: for who almost will not sinne, when he may get a pardon for his sinnes, for a little peece of money, as twentie shillings or foure nobles? And what is it but cosonage to sell pardons which shall be in force many yeares after the ende of the world as the Pope doth.
It is naturall to a man to serue God in certaine ceremonies, without the power of godlines: and this seruice is prescribed by the religion of the Church of Rome,F… Ac…. … … eg… which standeth only in outward and corporall ceremonies, as the outward succession of Bishops, garments, vestures, gestures, coloures, choice of meat, difference of daies, times, and places, hearing, seeing, saying, touching, tasting, numbring of beads, gilding and worshipping of images, building Monasteries, rising at midnight, silence in cloysters, abstaining from flesh and white meat. Fasting in Lent, keeping Imber daies, hearing Masse and diuine seruice, seeing and adoring the bodie in forme of bread, receiuing holy water and holy bread, creeping to the crosse, carrying Palmes, taking ashes, bearing Candles, Pilgrimages going, censing, kneeling, knocking, altars, superaltars, candlestickes, pardons: In orders, crossing, annointing, shauing, forswearing marriage: In baptisme, salting, crossing, spatling, exorcising, washing of hands: At Easter, confession, penance, dirge, satisfaction, and in receiuing with beards new shauen, to imagine a bodie where they see none: and though he were there present to be seene, yet the outward seeing and touching of him, of it selfe without faith conduceth no more then it did the Iewes. At Rogation daies to carrie banners, to followe the Crosse, to walke about the fieldes: After Pentecost to goe about with Corpus Christi plaie. At Hollowmasse to watch in the Church, to say Dirge or commendation, and to ring for all soules, to pay tithes truly, to giuegive to the hie Altar. And if a man will be a priest, to say Masse and Mattens, to serue the Saint of that daie, and to lift well ouer the head. In sickenes to be anneled, to take his rites, after his death to hauehave funerall and Obites said for him, and to be rung for at his Funerall, moneths minde, and yeare minde. This is the summe of the catholike religion, standing in bodily actions, not in any motions or worke of the holy Ghost, working in the heart.
The morall law containing perfect righteousnes, is flat opposite to man… corrupt nature: therfore whatsoeuer Religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commandements of the morall lawe, that same religion must needs ioyne hands with the corruption of nature, and stand for the maintenance of it. This doth the religion of the Church of Rome: it may be it doth not plainly repeale them, yet in effect it doth:aMat. 15.… & if it shall frustrate but any one point of any one commandement, yea, the whole lawe thereby is made in vaine. 1. The first commandement requireth, that we hauehave the true Iehoua for our only God: Church of Rome maketh other gods beside this true God: it maketh the body of Christ to be god, because they hold it may bee in many places, in heauen, in earth at the same time, which thing is only proper to God. It maketh eueryevery Saint departed to bee God, because it holdeth that Saints doe heare vsus now being vponupon the earth, & that they know our thoughts when we pray to them, which none but the true God can doe. It maketh the Pope to be God, and that in plaine words. bDec. dist. 69. satis euidenter.Pope Nicholas saith, Constat, summum Pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari: It is well known that the Pope of the godly prince Constantine was called God. Againe, in cExtraua. Ioh. 22. cum inter. in glossa.the extra…agants of the same Cannon law it is written, Dominus Deus noster Papa, Our Lord God the Pope. And againe,dConcil. Later. sess. 4. Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope, Tu es alter Deus in terris, Thou art another God vponupon earth: and the Pope tooke it to himselfe. As the Pope in plaine wordes is made God, so the power giuen to him declareth the same. eExtra de maior. & … bedientia.He can make holy that which is vnholy, and iustifie the wicked and pardon sinnes: fDist. 34. can. lect. in gloss. dist. …2. can. Presbit.hee may dispense contrarie to the saying of …n Apostle: he can change the nature of things, and of nothing make somewhat. What is all this, but to place the Pope in Gods roome, and to robbe the Lord of his Maiestie?
Againe, the Church of Rome maketh Marie the mother of Iesus to bee as God. In the Breuiary reformed and published at the commandement of Pius the V.aIn officio par. beatae Mariae, ad Matut. shee is called a Goddesse, in expresse words: and she is further tearmed the Queene of heauen, the Queene of the world, the gate of heauen, the mother of grace and mercy: Yea shee is farre exalted aboue Christ, and he in regard of her is made but a poore vnderling in heauen: for papists in their seruice vntounto her pray on this manner, saying: Shew thy selfe to be a mother: and cause thy sonne to receiue our praiers: set free the captiues and giuegive light to the blind. bBreuiar. refor. in festo Exalt. Cru…is.Lastly, the very crosse is made as a God. For they salute it by the name of their only hope and pray it to increase iustice to the godly, and to giuegive sinners pardon. Wherfore the Church of Rome beside the one true God distinguished into three persons, the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost, maketh also many other, and so in trueth hath repealed his first commandement.
And they hauehave very plainely repealed the second commandement, in that they teach it lawfull to make images of the true God, and to worship him in them. For the flat contrarie is the very scope of this commandement: namely that no image must be made of the true Iehoua: nor any worship be performed vntounto him in an image: which appeareth thus. In Deutronomie Moses maketh a large Commentarie of this commandement, and this very point he sets down expressely, saying,Deut. 4.15, 16. take heed to your selues: for ye sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vntounto you in Horeb, out of the middest of the fire: that ye corrupt not your selues, and make you a grauen image, or representation of any figure, &c. His argument I set downe thus. As God appeared in mount Horeb, so he is to be conceiued and represented: but hee appeared in no image in mount Horeb, only his voice was heard: therefore he is not to be conceiued or represented in any image: but men are to be content, if they may heare his voice. Againe, that sin to which the people of Israel were specially giuen, euen that doth the Lord specially forbid: but to this were the people of Israel specially giuen, not so much to make images of false gods, as to make images of the true God, and to worship him in them: which I prooue thus.
In the booke of Iudges it is said, that the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord,Iudg. 2. …0. and serued Baalim. Now these Baalims, what are they? Surely Idols resembling the true God: as the Prophet Hosea declareth.Hos. 2. 12. And at that day saith the Lord, thou shalt call me Ishai, & shalt call me no more Baali. Here it appeareth that the Israelites meaning was not to worship a false god, but the true God in Baalim. And Aaron when he made the golden calfe proclaimed that the next day should be holy daie,Eoxd. 32.5. not of any false god, but of the Lord that brought them out of Egypt. The prophet Esay after that hee had set forth Gods maiestie very worthily,Esa. 40. 18. he comes in with this conclusion: To whom thē will ye likē God? or what similitude wil ye set vp of him? which declareth that the Iewes after the maner of the Gentiles ran a whoring after Idols, that is, Images not only of false gods, but also of the true God. I conclude therefore as I began, that the Church of Rome, by maintaining images, hath repealed this commandement.
Neither doth it shew lesse fauour to the third commandement: which also is repealed.1. Cor. 1…. 28. First, in that they teach men to giuegive the glorie which is proper to God, to some thing els: it is proper to God after the daie of iudgement to bee all in all: this they giuegive to Marie, saying that shee is all in all.
It is proper to Christ in respect of other creatures to be a light lightening all that come into the world, yet they pray to Marie to giuegive light to the blind.Ioh. 10.9. Breuiar. & miss. & refor…. It is proper to Christ to be the redeemer of mankind, & this worke of redēption is ascribed to Marie, whome the Papists call their hope, their ioy, their med…atresse, a medicine for the diseased, a defence from the enemie, a friend in the houre of death. Againe, they make S. Martin a priest according to the order of Melchisedech, which is proper to Christ.
Secondly, they hold that the people is to be barred from the reading of the Scriptures, vnlesse it be in an vnknowne tongue, and so they maintaine ignorance and the prophaning of Gods name, for the preaching of the word, and therefore also the hearing, learning, reading, searching of it,2. Thess. 3.1. is the glorifying of the word, and so the glorifying of Gods name.
The fourth commandement is repealed in that they require that their feast daies should be kept as solemnly as the Lords sabboth: For they must be kept in all honour and comlines: Con. M… gunt. c. 36. 37. Matiscon. 2. c. 1.2.and men must rest from their labours, from morning to euening, as on the Sabboth: whereas contrariwise the Lord hath giuen permission to his seruantes to labour the sixe daies, so bee it, on the seuenth they will rest from the workes of their callings, and do the works of the spirit.
They repeale the fift commandemēt in that they teach that their Cleargie hath an immunitie, & therfore is not bound to performe obedience to magistrates, for so they hauehave decreed,Matisc. con. c. 7.9.8. that Clearkes are to be iudged only of Bishops: & that they are only to reskue them from iniuries. Againe, that the Bishop must not be iudged of the secular power: and that the Pope himselfe oweth no subiection to Kings, Princes, Emperours, but hath power to make them, and to put them downe at his pleasure. But S. Paul for the maintaining of the fift commandement, bids eueryevery soule be subiect to the higher powers: and therefore the pope with his cleargie (as Chrysostome hath expoūded it) must be subiect to ciuil magistrates, vnles they wil exclude themselues out of the number of men, for Paul speakes to all.
Against the sixt commandement they hauehave decreed asyles for murderers, plainely permitting them which feare authoritie,Matis. 2.….…. to hauehave safetie in the lap of their mother the Church. Thus they annihilate Gods commandement, yea & more then this, whither tends all that they teach but to the very murdering of soules? For example, saluation by works of grace, is one of their chiefe points. But that man that is perswaded that he must be saued by his workes, must also put his trust in them, and hee which trusteth to his workes is accursed before god.Ier. 17.5. For cursed is that man that trusteth in man, whether it be himselfe or other.
The seuenth Commandement is repealed diuers waies. First, in that they maintaine the occasions of Adulterie and fornication: namely, the vowe of single life both in men and women, when as they hauehave not receiued the gift from God to be continent: which gift when they want, and yet are bound to single life, they must needes breake out into much loosenes. This sinne made Mantuan, Palingenius and Petrarch to crie out against the Church of Rome. Againe,…elog. 5. lib. 4.5.9. some Papists defend the toleration of the stewes in Rome, for the auoiding of greater euils. And in the Councell of Trent, chastitie and Priests marriage are made opposite, so that marriage with them is a filthie thing, although God hath ordained it for the auoyding of fornication in all.Sess. 24. c. 6. Furthermore, that which is most abhominable and prooues the Church of Rome to be an Antichristian Church: they maintaine marriages within the degrees forbidden both by the law of nature, & of gods word. For in the table of consanguinitie they which are placed in the transuerse vnequall line cannot marrie, because they are as Parents & children: yet if they be distant foure degrees on diuers sides from the common stock they may marrie togither by the Canon law. As for example, the graund vncle may marrie his sisters nephewes neece,Greg. cap. 8. de consang. a…unculus maximus abnepotis. a thing very filthy in nature, considering that a man cannot marrie with any honestie his sisters child. To goe further, by Gods word they which are distant foure degrees in the transuerse equall line, are not forbidden to marry togither, as cosin germanes. Thus the daughters of Zelophehad were married to their fathers brothers sonnes: this example (as I take it) may be a warrant of the lawfulnes of this marriage: Yet the Canon lawe vtterly condemnes this marriage of cosin germans, & the marriage of their children after thē, though they be eight degrees distāt.Num. 36.11. Thus the Church of Rome doth ouerthwart the Lord: where he giues libertie, they restraine it; and when hee restraineth men, then they giuegive libertie.
They repeale the 8. cōmandement by their spirituall marchandize in which they sel those things which are not to be sold, as Crosses to dead men, Images, praiers, the sound of bels, remission of sins, and the merits by which men may come to the kingdom of heauē: their shaueling priests wil do no duty without they be fed with money; hence comes the prouerb, no penny no pater noster.
They teach men to beare false witnes, and so to sinne against the ninth cō mandement, in that they holde that Marie is the Queene of heauen: whereas indeede shee is no Queene, but doth continually cast down her crown before Christ with the rest of the Saints.Re…. 7.12. and 5.10. And a man may as well beare false witnes in speaking too much, as in speaking too little.
In the tenth commandement the first motions that goe before consent are forbidden: otherwise there shall be no difference betweene it and the rest. For they also are spirituall, and forbid inward motions: but the difference is that they forbid only the motions that goe with consent. Nowe the papists say, that these motions are no sin properly vnles consent follow: and therefore they in expresse words repeale this commandement. For if concupiscence & the first motions be no sinnes properly, then there neede no prohibition of them.
The fourth Argument.
THat religion which is contrarie to it selfe, is onelyonly a meere inuention of man: the religion of the Church of Rome is quite contrarie to it selfe: therefore it is onelyonly an inuention of man: which if it be true, as well a Reprobate as any other may performe the things required in it.
The Proofe.
THe proposition is most true, because it is a priuiledge of Gods worde, & so of the true religion gathered forth of it, to be consonant to it selfe in all points: which properly no doctrines nor writings beside can hauehave. The assumption may be made manifest by an induction of particular examples.
I. The Church of Rome saith, that men are saued by grace: and againe it saith,Rom. 11.6. that men are saued by workes. A flat contradiction. For Paul saith, if election be of grace, it is no more of workes: or els were grace no more grace: but if it be of workes, it is no more grace: for els were worke no more worke. Answer is made,Rhem. Test. vponupon Rom. 11.6. Eph. 2. 8,9. that in this place Paul speaketh of workes of nature, which indeed are contrarie to grace, but not of works of regeneration, which are not contrary to grace. This answer is false: for Paul in a like place vntounto this opposeth grace and works of regeneration. Ye are saued by grace (saith he) through faith, and that not of your …elues: for it is the gift of God, not of workes, least any should boast himselfe: for we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vntounto good workes, that we should walke in them. Now let the Church of Rome speake what are the workes of which any man may most of all boast? And what are the workes for the doing of which we must be fashioned anew in Christ Iesus? Assuredly they must be the works of regeneration, dipped & dyed in the blood of Christ (as they speake:) wherefore it is euident, that Pauls meaning is to conclude, that if we be saued by grace, we cannot be saued by workes of regeneration.
II. The Church of Rome confuteth and condemneth in Councels, & derideth this doctrine that we teach that men are to be iustified by the imputation of the righteousnes of Christ: which righteousnes is not in vsus but in Christ. And the Rhemists call it a fantasticall iustice, a new no-iustice.Rhem. Test. Rem. 2.13. Rhem. Test. Col. 2.24. But herein that Church is contrarie to it selfe: for it defendeth workes of supererogation, and workes of satisfaction of one man for another: and their ground is, because the faithfull are all members of one bodie, and hauehave fellowship one with another, and therefore one may satisfie for another. Hereby it is plaine, that the church of Rome most of al defendeth that imputation of righteousnes, which most of all it hath oppugned. For when one man satisfieth for an other, the worke of one man is imputed to another. But what? shall one man satisfie for another, and shall not Christ by his righteousnes satisfie for vsus? shall God accept the worke of one man for another, and not accept the righteousnesse of Christ for vsus? Truly there is greater fellowship and coniunction betweene the head and the members, then of the members among themselues: because they are ioyned together by meanes of the head.
III. It holdeth that the guilt and fault of sinne may be remitted by Christ: and yet the temporall punishment of sin be vnremitted: but these are quite contrarie. Paul saith,Rom. ….1. there is now no condēnation to them that are in Christ Iesus. Yet if a man were punished for his sinne after he were in Christ, and had the fault of sinne remitted, some condemnation should now remaine him. And Dauid saith, Blessed is the man to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne:Psal. 32.1. therefore he to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne, hath not onelyonly the guilt of sin, but also the punishment of his sinne remitted: otherwise he could not be blessed but miserable. and this agreeth not with gods iustice, whē the fault is quite pardoned, and a man is guiltie of no sinne, that then any punishment should be laid on. And S. Austin saith,August. de verb. Domi. Ser. 37. that Christ by taking vponupon him the punishment of sin, and not taking vponupon him the fault, tooke away both the punishment and the fault. Wherefore this opinion, that Christ hath taken away the guilt of sin, ouerthroweth all Satisfactions & Purgatorie, because the fault & guilt beeing taken away, all punishment for sinne is also taken away.
IV. Transubstantiation is a monster, standing on manifold contradictions. First, it maketh Christs bodie to be in many places: an euident contradiction. For it is of the nature and essence of a bodie to be in one place onelyonly: which I proue thus. A bodie is a magnitude, a magnitude is a continued quātitie, a cō tinued quantitie cannot be but in one place: therfore a bodie cannot be but in one place. In his argument the doubt is onelyonly of the last part: which vndoubtedly is most true. For it is called a continued quātitie, because his parts are cō tinued and knit togither the one with another in a common tearme or bonde, as a line by a point, a plane and his parts by a line, a solide by a Superficies or plane. Nowe these points can in no wise bee continued, vnlesse eueryevery one of them keepe one onelyonly speciall place. For examples sake: suppose the plane, a, b, c, d, to be deuided into three parts, I, k, l, by two lines, e, g, and f, h, which do both deuide the three parts & continue thē the one with the other. Now I say, that eueryevery one of the partes may be cōtinued with his next fellow, it is necessary that eueryevery one of them should hauehave one special and distinct place. That the first place of the plane, i, may be continued with, k, it must be situated onelyonly there where it is, and no where els: for if it shall be situate els where, as in the place m, then it cannot be continued with k. Nowe then, if the partes must of necessitie hauehave their owne particular place onelyonly, then the whole figure, a, b, c, d, must also bee onelyonly in one place.Arist. Categ. cap. de qua…t. And this is that which the prince of Philosophers teacheth, that eueryevery magnitude hath his parts sited in some one place, one by another, so that a man may say of them, here it is, and there it is not. To conclude therefore, this must needes agree to a bodie and to the parts of it, to bee in one onelyonly place alone. So that the Church of Rome when it saith that Christs bodie is in many places: in effect they say, that Christs bodie is no bodie: for if it be a bodie, it is only in one place: & if it be in many places, it is no body. They obiect that God is omnipotent. True indeede, but there bee some things, the doing of which agreeth not with Gods power, as to make contradicentia, things contradictorie to be both true: of which sort these are. For, that Christs bodie is a true bodie, and that it is in many places at once, are flatte contrarie: beccause (as hath bin shewed) it is essential to all magnitudes to be in one place, and therefore to a bodie. And God cannot take away that which is essentiall to a thing, the essence remaining whole. 2. Againe, transubstantiation maketh the Accidents of bread and wine to remaine without the substance. Here also is another contradiction as impossible as the former: for it is a common saying in schooles, Accident is esse, est inesse. It is of the essence of an Accident to bee in the substance. Now therefore, if the Accidents bee, there is also the bread and wine: and if there bee no substance of bread or wine, neither can there be any accidents. 3. It holdeth that bread is turned into the bodie of Christ, and therfore it must needs holde, that Christs bodie is made of bakers bread, and yet it holdeth and teacheth that Christs bodie is onelyonly made of the seede of Marie. quite ouerthrowing the former Transubstantiation.
V. It teacheth, that a man must alwaies doubt of his saluation: and likewise it teacheth, that in praying we are to cal GOD father, which are things quite contrarie. For who can truly call GOD father, vnlesse hee hauehave the spirit of adoption,Rom. 8. 16. and be assured that he is the child of God? For if a man shall call god father, & yet in his heart doubt whether he be his father or not, he playeth the dissembling hypocrite: wherefore to doubt of saluation, and to say Our father, &c. in truth are contrarie.
VI. The Church of Rome maketh praier to bee one of the chiefe meanes to satisfie for sinnes.Can. Tres sant. de pena… dist. 1. But praier indeede is an asking of pardon for sinne: Now asking of pardon & satisfaction for sinne are contrarie: therfore by the iudgement of the Papists,Lumb. lib. 4. dist. 16. praier which is a satisfaction is no satisfactiō. And indeed let vsus consider what madnes is contained in this popish diuinitie: the poore begger commeth very hungrie to the rich mans doore to craue his almes:Can. de qu… tis. die. poenit. dist. 3. and straightwaies by his begging he will merit and deserue it. The same doeth the papist, he prayeth verie poorely for the thing which he wanteth, yet he looketh very proudly to merit no lesse then the kingdome of heauen by it.
VII. Doubting of saluation & hope cannot agree together, for hope maketh a man not to be ashamed, that is, it neuer disappointeth him of the thing which he looketh for. And therefore it is called the anchor of the soule both sure and steadfast, which entereth into that which is within the vaile. Rom. 5.5. Heb. 6.1….So that true hope and the certaine assurance of saluation goe togither.
VIII. True praier and iustification by works cannot stand togither. For hee which prayeth truly must be touched inwardly with a liuely feeling of his owne miserie, and of the want of that grace, whereof he standes in neede. Now this cannot be in the heart of that man that looketh to merit the kingdome of heauen by his workes: for he that can doe this may iustly conceiue somewhat of his owne excellencie.
IX. Papists teach, that it is great boldnes to come immediately vntounto God without the intercession of Saints: and therefore they vse to aBreuiar. 1. & Missa. 1. refet. vbiquepray to Marie, that shee would pray to Christ to helpe them: yet on the contrarie, when they hauehave so done, they pray to God immediatly, that he would receiue the intercession of Marie for them. And thus they are become intercessors betweene Marie and God. Yea when they offer vp Christ, praying God to accept their gifts and sacrifices, the humble priest that wil not pray to God but by the mediation of Saints, is then a mediator between Christ Iesus & God the father.
X. It holdeth, that in the masse the Priest offereth vp Christ to his father an vnbloodie sacrifice. This is a thing impossible: for if Christ in the masse be sacrificed for sin, then he must die & his blood must be shed, Heb. 9.22. And in the Scriptures these two sayings (Christ is dead, Christ is offered vp in Sacrifice) are all one. So then, the Papist when he supposeth that there may be an vnbloodie sacrifice, in effect he saith thus much: There is a sacrifice, which is no sacrifice. And it is not possible that a bloodie sacrifice should be offered in an vnbloodie manner.
XI. In the Canon of the masse, the Church of Rome praieth on this wise. We humbly beseech thee most merciful father, by Iesus Christ thy sonne and our Lord, that that thou wouldest accept these gifts and oblations and these holy Sacrifices, which thy Church offer to thee, &c. where first they offer vp Christ to God the father in the name of Christ, and so they make Christ to be his owne mediatour. Againe, they desire God to blesse and to accept his own sonne: for they offer vp Christ. If they say he needeth now the blessing of his father, they make Christ a weake and imperfect Christ: if he need not the blessing of his father, their praier is needelesse. Also they desire God to accept not one gift or one sacrifice, but in the plurall number, these gifts and sacrifices: whereas they hold that Christs bodie is one only bodie, and therefore but one sacrifice. And thus they are at variance with themselues.
XII. Papists, in word they say, that they beleeue & put thei… trust in God: yet whereas they looke to be saued by their workes, they set the confidence of their hearts in truth vponupon their owne doings.
XIII. They put such holines in matrimonie, that they make it one of their 7. Sacraments, which aRhe. Test. pag. 523.conferre grace to the partakers of them: yet they forbid their Cleargie to marrie, bPapa Syricius. Decret. epist. Sess. 24. c. 9.because to liue in marriage is to liue according to the flesh, and the Councell of Trent opposeth marriage and chastitie.
XIV. It teacheth that soules kept in purgatorie, may be redeemed by Sacrifices and Suffrages. Against this, is a Canon of their lawe taken out of Saint Hierome,cCan. in present. 11. 13. q. …. Can. legatur 4. q. 1. we know that in this life we may help one another, either by praiers, or by good counsell: but when we shall come before the iudgement seate of Christ, neither Iob, nor Daniel, nor Noe, may intreat for any: but eueryevery mā is to beare his own burthen. And according to another Canon going vnderunder the name of Gelasius Bishop of Rome. Either there is no Purgatorie, or the soules which goe thither, shall neuer returne.
XV. And to conclude, the most points of their religion are contrarie to their Canons, as by searching may appeare in these examples.
1Con. fatendum. 13. q. 2.1 The dead cannot heare the praiers of them which call vponupon him.
2C. Beati. 2. q. 7.2 Peter and Paul were two of the chiefe Apostles, and it is hard to say, which was aboue the other.
3C. de Capitulis dist. 16.3 Leo the fourth liuing in the yeare …46. acknowledged Lotharius the Emperour for his prince.
4C. nullus dist. 99.4 No Bishop may be called vniuersall.
5C. legimus dist. 93.5 The Church of Rome hath no more authoritie ouer other Churches, then other Churches ouer it.
6C. legimus. dist. 93. C. Olim. dist. 95.6 A Priest and a Bishop were in times past all one.
7C. verbum 6. magna. C. Conuertimini de penit. dist. 1.7 The Pope hath no power to giuegive or sell pardons.
8C. quod di…it. dist. 4.1.8 There can be no merit by fasting, or abstinence from flesh.
6C. luminosa. 18. q. 25.9 The masse is nothing but the forme of diuine sacrific….
By this which hath beene said, it doth in part appeare, that the religion of, the Church of Rome is repugnant to it selfe, and it could not so be, if it were from the word of God.
A Corollarie gathered out of the former assertion.
1. A man being indued with no more grace then that which hee may obtaine by the religion of the Church of Rome, is still in the state of damnation.