A Reformed Catholic, Title page – Table of contents
A Reformed Catholike: OR, A DECLARATION SHEWING HOW NEERE WE MAY COME TO THE PRESENT Church of Rome in sundrie points of Religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them: with an Advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme.
PRINTED BY JOHN LEGAT▪ Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. 1598.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL, SIR WILLIAM BOWES KNIGHT, &c. Grace and peace.
RIght Worshipfull, it is a notable pollicie of the deuil, which he hath put into the heades of sundrie men in this age, to thinke that our religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance; and that they may be reunited as (in their opinion) they were before. Writings to this effect, are spread abroad in the French tōgue, & respected of English Protestants more thē is meete, or ought to be. For, let men in shew of moderation, pretend the peace and good estate of the Catholike Church as long as they will; This vnion of the two religions can neuer be made, more then the Vnion of light & darknes. And this shall appeare, if we doe but a litle consider, how they of the Romane church hauehave rased the foundation. For, though in words they honour Christ, yet in deede they turne him into a Pseudo-Christ and an Idol of their owne braine. They call him our Lord, but with this condition that the Seruant of Seruants of this Lord may change and adde to his commaundements: hauing so great a power, that he may open and shut heauen to whome he will; & binde the very conscience with his owne laws, and consequently be partaker of the spirituall kingdome of Christ. Againe they call him a Sauiour, but yet in VsUs: in that he giues this grace vntounto vsus, that by our merits we may be our owne Sauiours: and in the want of our owne merits, we may partake in the merits of the Saints. And they acknowledge that he Died and Suffred for vsus, but with this caueat, that the Fault beeing pardoned, we must satisfie for the temporall punishment either in this worlde or in Purgatorie. In a word, they make him our Mediatour of Intercession vntounto God; but withal, his Mother must be the Queene of heauen, and by the right of a mother commaund him there. Thus, in word they crie Osanna, but in deed they crucifie Christ. Therfore we hauehave good cause to blesse the name of God, that hath freed vsus from the yoke of this Romane bondage, & hath brought vsus to the true light & liberty of the gospel. And it should be a great height of vnthankfulnesse in vsus, not to stand out against the present church of Rome, but to yeeld our selues to plottes of reconciliation. To this effect and purpose I hauehave penned this little Treatise, which I present to your Worship, desiring it might be some token of a thankefull minde, for vndeserued louelove. And I craue withall, not onelyonly your Worshipfull (which is more common) but also your Learned protection; being wel assured, that by skill and arte you are able to iustifie whatsoeuer I hauehave truly taught. Thus wishing to you and yours the continuance and the increase of faith and good conscience, I take my leaue. Cambr. Iune 28. 1597.
Your VVorships in the Lord, William Perkins.
THE AVTHOR TO THE Christian Reader.
BY a Reformed Catholike, I vnderstand any one that holds the same necessarie heades of religion vvith the Romane Church: yet so, as he pares off and reiects all errours in doctrine vvhereby the said religion is corrupted. Hovv this may be done, I hauehave begunne to make some little declaration in this small Treatise: the intent whereof is to shevve howe neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and wherein we must for euer dissent.
My purpose in penning this small discourse is threefold. The first is, to confute all such Politikes as holde and maintaine, that our religion and that of the Romane Church differ not in substance, and consequently that they may be reconciled: yet my meaning is not here to condemne any Pacification that tends to perswade the Romane church to our religion. The second is, that the papists which thinke so basely of our religion, may be wonne to a better liking of it: when they shall see how neare we come vntounto them in sundrie points. The third, that the common protestant might in some part see and conceiue the point of difference betvveene vsus and the Church of Rome: an… knovv in what manner and hovv far forth, vve condemne the opinions of the said Church.
I craue pardon for the order vvhichwhich I vse, in handling the seuerall points. For I hauehave set them downe one by one, as they came to minde, not respecting the laws of methode. If any Papist shall say, that I hauehave not alleadged their opinions aright, I ansvver that their bookes be at hand, and I can iustifie what I hauehave said.
Thus crauing thine acceptation of this my paines, and wishing vntounto thee the increase of knowledge and louelove of pure and sound religion, I take my leaue and make an ende.
The places of doctrine handled, are
1 Of Free-will. pag. 11
2 Of Originall sinne. 28
3 Assurance of Saluation. 38
4 Iustification of a sinner. 61
5 Of merits. 103
6 Satisfactions for sinne. 117
7 Of Traditions. 134
8 Of Vowes. 151
9 Of images. 170
10 Of Real-presence. 185
11 The sacrifice of the Masse. 204
12 Of Fasting. 221
13 The State of perfection. 232
14 Worshipping of Saints departed. 245
15 Intercession of Saints. 258
16 Implicite faith. 266
17 Of purgatorie. 278
18 Of the Supremacie. 283
19 Of the efficacie of the Sacraments. 297
20 Of Faith. 305
21 Of Repentance. 316
22 The sinnes of the Romane church. 331