A Reformed Catholic, Part
An advertisment to all fauourers of the Roman religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme.
GReat is the number of them that embrace the religion of the present church of Rome, being deceiued by the glorious titles of Vniuersalitie, Antiquity, Successiō. And no doubt, though sōe be wilfully blinded, yet many deuoted this way, neuer saw any other truth. Nowe of them and the rest I desire this fauour, that they will but way and ponder with themselues this one thing, which I will nowe offer to their considerations, and that is, That the Romane religion nowe stablished by the councell of Trent, is in the principall points thereof, against the very grounds of the Catechisme, that hauehave beene agreed vponupon euer since the daies of the Apostles, by all Churches. These groundes are fowre: the first is the Apostles Creede: the second is the decalogue or ten cōmandements: the third is the forme of praier called the Lords praier: the fourth is the Institutiō of the two Sacramēts baptisme and the Lords supper. 1. Cor. 11. 23.
That I may in some order manifest this which I say, I will beginne with the Symbole or Creed. And first of all it must be considered, that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are, that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ, & the head of the Catholike church: that there is a fire of purgatorie after this life: that images of God and Saints are to be placed in Churches and worshipped: that praier is to be made to Saints departed and their intercession to be required: that there is a propitiatory sacrifice daily offered in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead. These points are of that moment, that without them the Roman religion cannot stand: & in the councel of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced vpō all such as deny these or any of them. And yet marke: the Apostles creede which hath bin thought to containe all necessarie points in religion to be beleeued: and hath therefore beene called the Kay and rule of faith: this creed I say, hath not any of these points: nor the Expositions made thereof by the ancient fathers, nor any other creed or confession of faith made by any councell or Church for the space of many hundred yeares. This a plaine proofe to any indifferent man, that these be new articles of faith neuer known in the Apostolike Church: and that the fathers and Councells could not finde any such articles of faith in the bookes of the olde and new Testement. Answere is made: that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnderunder the articles, I beleeue the Catholike Church: the meaning whereof, they will hauehave to be this, I beleeue all things which the catholike Church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued. If this be as they say, we must needes beleeue in the Church: that is, put our confidence in the Church, for the manifestation and the certentie of all doctrines necessarie to saluation: and thus the eternall truth of God the Creator, shall depend on the determination of the creature; and the written word of God in this respect is made vnsufficient; as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine, pertaining to saluation. And the ancient Churches hauehave bin farre ouerseene, that did not propounde the former points to be beleeued as articles of faith, but left them to these latter times.
2. In this Creede, to beleeue in God, and to beleeue the church, are distinguished. To be leeue in, is pertaining to the Creatour: to beleeue, to the creature: as Ruffinus hath noted,Ruff. in Sym. when he saith, that by this proposition in, the Creatour is distinguished from the creature, and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men. And Augustine saith, It must be knowne that we must beleeue Ser. 131. de tempore.the Church, & NOT BELEEVE IN THE CHVRCH: because the church is not God, but the house of God Hence it followes, that we must not beleeue in the Saints, nor put our confidenceRhem. Test. on Rom. 10. 14. Euseb. Emiss. hom. 2. ae Symb. in our workes, as the learned Papists teach. Therefore Eusebius saith, We ought of right to beleeue Peter and Paul, but to beleeue in Peter & Paul, that is, to giuegive to the seruants the houour of the Lord, we ought not. And Cyprian saith, He doth not beleeue in God which doth not place in him alone the trust of his whole felicitie.
3. The article, conceiued by the holy ghost, Cypr. de dup▪ Martyr.is ouerturned by the transubstantiation of bread and wine in the masse, into the body and blood of Christ. For here we are taught to confesse the true and perpetuall incarnation of Christ, beginning in his conception, and neuer ending afterward: and we acknowledge the truth of his manhoode, and that his bodie hath the essentiall properties of a true bodie, standing of flesh and bone: hauing quantitie, figure, dimensions, namely length, breadth, thicknes: hauing part out of part, as head out of feet, and feet out of head, beeing also circumscribed, visible, touchable: in a word, it hath all things in it, which by order of creation, belong to a bodie. It will be said, that the body of Christ may remaine a true bodie and yet be altered in respect of some qualities, as namely circumscription. But I say againe, that locall circumscription can no way be seuered from a bodie, it remaining a bodie. For to be circumscribed in place, is an essentiall propertie of eueryevery quantitie: and quantitie is the common essence of euerie bodie. And therefore a bodie in respect of his quantitie must needes be circumscribed in one place. This was the iudgement of Leo, when he saide. The bodie of Christ is Epist. 70.by no meanes out of the truth of our bodie. And Augustine, when he saide: ONELYONLY God Tract 31. in Ioh.in Christ so comes, that he doth not depart; so returnes, that he doth not leaue vsus: but man according to bodie is in place, and goes out of the same place, and when he shall come vntounto an other place, HE IS NOT IN THAT PLACE VVHENCE HE COMES. To helpe the matter, they vse to distinguish thus. Christs bodie in respect of the ct…talitate essentia, non t…lalitate quantitatis.whole essence thereof may be in many places; but not in respect of the whole quantitie, whereby it is onelyonly in one place. But as I hauehave saide, they speake contraries: for quantitie (by all learning) is the essence of a bodie, without which a bodie can not be.
4 In the Creede we confesse that Christ is ascended into heauen, and there after his ascension sits at the right hand of his Father, and that according to his manhoode. Hence I conclude, that Christs bodie is not really and locally in the Sacrament, and in euerie Host, which the priest consecrateth. This argument was good when Vigilius againstLib. 4. Eutyches said, Whē it (the flesh) was on earth, it was not in heauen: and because it is now in heauen, it is not on earth: and he addes afterward that this is the Catholike faith & confession. And it was good when Fulgenti…sad Thr… saide, According to his humane substance he was absent from earth, when he vvas in heauen, and he left the earth, vvhen he ascended into heauen. And, The same in seperable Christ, according to his whole manhood LEAVING THE EARTH, locally ascended into heauen, and sits at the right hand, and according to the same whole manhoode, he is to come to iudgement. And it was good, when Cyril said, No man doubts but that when he ascended into heauen, though he be alwaies present by the power of his spirit, HE VVAS ABSENT INCyril. lib. 9. in Iob. RESPECT OF THE PRESENCE O… HIS FLESH. And it was good, when Augustine said, According to the flesh, which the Word assumed, he ascended into heauen, HE IS NOT HERE, there he sits at the right hand of the father: and he is here according to the presence of his maiestie. And, He went as he was man, and he aboad as he vvas God: he went by that whereby he was in one place: he aboad by that whereby he was eueryevery where.
5 Again, in that we beleeue the Catholike church, it follows that the Catholike church is inuisible: because things seene are not beleeued▪ And the answer commonly vsed, that we beleeue the holines of the Church, will not serue the turne. For the words are plain, and in them we make confession that we beleeue not onelyonly the holines of the church, but also the church it selfe.
6 Lastly the articles, Remission of sinnes, Resurrection of the bodie, and Life euerlasting, containe a confession of speciall faith. For the meaning of them is thus much: I beleeue the remission of mine owne sinnes, and the resurrection of mine owne bodie to life euerlasting: and that by the iudgement of learned Antiquity. Augustine saith, If thou Symb ad Catech. lib. 4. c. 7. & lib. 2. cap. 10.also beleeue that thou shalt rise againe and ascend into heauen (because thou art sure of so great a patrone) thou art certen of so great a gift. And, Make not Christ lesse, who brings thee to the kingdome of heauen, for remission of sinnes. Without this faith, if any come to baptisme, he shuts the gate of merciemercy against himselfe. And, Whosoeuer faithfully beleeueth, and holdes this profession of his faith (in vvhichwhich all his sinnes are forgiuen him) let him prepare his will to the wil of God, Serm. 115. de Temp.and not feare his passage by death. And, The whole Sacrament of baptisme stands in this, that we beleeue the resurrection of the bodie and remission of sinnes to be giuen vsus of God. And, He gaue these kaies to the Church—, that whosoeuer in his Church, should not beleeue de Doctr. Christ. l. 1▪ cap. 18.his sinnes to be forgiuen, they should not be forgiuen vntounto him: and whosoeuer beleeued▪ and turned from them abiding in the lap of the said Church, at length shalbe healed by faith and amendment of life. And, That Serm. 123. de Temp.vvhichwhich thou hast heard to be fulfilled in the glorious resurrection of Christ, beleeue that the very same shall be fulfilled in thee, in the last iudgement and the resurrection of thy flesh, shall restore thee for all eternitie. For vnlesse thou shalt beleeue that thou art to be repaired by death, thou canst not come to the reward of life eternall. And in auncient time the article of the resurrection hath beene rehearsedRuffin. in Symb. August. de Symb lib. 1. c. 6. ad Catechu▪ & En…i. c. 44. on this manner, The resurrection of THIS FLESH: and the last applied vntounto it, TO EVERLASTING LIFE. Hence then two maine opinions of the church of Rome are quite ouerthrowne, one that we cannot by special faith be certen of the remission of our sinnes, and the saluation of our soules: the other, that a man truly iustified may fall away and be damned. Now this cannot be, if the practise of the auncient Church be good, which hath taught vsus to beleeue euerlasting life ioyntly without remission of sinnes.
To come vntounto the decalogue, first of all it is a rule in expounding the seuerall commandements, that where any vice is forbidden, there the contrarie vertue is commaunded, and all vertues of the same kind, with all their causes, occasions, furtherances. This rule is graunted of all: and hence it followes, that counsells of perfection, if they hauehave in them any furtherance of vertue, are inioyned in and by the law, and therefore prescribe no state of perfection beyond the scope of the law.
Secondly the commandement, Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen image, &c. hath two seuerall parts. The first forbiddes the making of carued or grauen images: the second forbids the adoration of them. Now the first part is notably expounded by Moses, Deutr. 4. 16. Take good heede vntounto your selves, that ye corrupt not your selves and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure in the likenesse of male or female. Marke the reason of this prohibition in the same place: for (saith he) ye savv no image in the day the Lord spake vntounto you in Horeb. and v. 15. Ye heard the voice of the vvordes but savv no similitude saue a voyce. Now the reason beeing vnderstood of the image of God himselfe: the prohibition must needes be so vnderstood. Againe there is no question; that God directs his commaundement against a sinne in speculation, but against some common and wicked practise of the Iewes, and that was to represent God himselfe in likenesses and bodily formes. Esai 40. 18. And that was also the practise of the Gentiles, that were farre more grosse in this kinde then the Iewes. Rom. 1. 23. This then is plaine to any indifferent man, that the first part of the commandement forbids the making of grauen images or likenesses of the true Iehova: & thus the Romane Catechisme vnderstands the wordes. As for the second part, it must be vnderstoode according to the meaning of the first: and therefore it forbids vsus, to bowe downe to any image of God. Hence then it followes, that to worship God or Saints in, or, at images, & to worship images with religious worship is abhominable idolatrie. And common reason might teach vsus thus much. For they that adore and worship the true God in images, doe bind the presence of God, his operation, grace, and his hearing of vsus, to certen things, places, signes, to which he hath not bounde himselfe, either by commaundement or promise: and that is, otherwise to worship God, and to seeke for his blessings, then he hath commanded himselfe to be worshipped, or promised to heare vsus. VponUpon this ground, is plainely ouerthrowne the excuse which they make, that they worshippe not images but God and Saints in images: for neither God nor the Saints doe acknowledge this kinde of honour, but they abhorre it. Whence it followes necessarily, that they worshippe nothing beside the image, or, the deuise of their owne braine, in which they faine to them selues such a God as will be worshipped, and receiue our praiers at images. It will be saide, that the Papists doe no otherwise tie the worship and inuocation of God to images, then God tied himselfe to the sanctuarie and the temple of Salomon. And I say againe, it was the will of God that he would shewe his presence, and be worshipped at the Sanctuarie, and the Iewes had the warrant of Gods word for it: but we hauehave no like warrant, either by promise or commandement to tie Gods presence to an image or crucifix. Againe, reason yet further may discouer their idolatrie. They, which worship they know not what, worship an idol: but the Papists worship they know not what: I proue it thus. To the cōsecratiō of the host, there is required the intention of the priest, at the lest vertually, as they say, & if this be true, it follows that none of thē can come to the Masse, or praie in faith, but he must alwaies doubt of that which is lifted vp by the hāds of the priest in the masse: whether it be bread or the body and blood of Christ. For none can hauehave any certēty of the intention of the priest in consecrating this bread and this wine: but rather may hauehave a iust occasion of doubting by reason of the common ignorance and loosenes of life in such persons.
Thirdly the commaundement touching the Sabbath, giues a libertie to worke sixe daies in the ordinarie affaires of our callings: and this libertie cannot be repealed by any creature. The Church of Rome therfore erreth, in that it prescribeth set and ordinarie …stiuall daies, not onelyonly to God but also to Saints: inioyning them as straitly and with as much solemnitie to be obserued, as the Sabbath of the Lord.
Fourthly, the third commandement, or (as they say) the fourth, inioynes children to obey father and mother in all things, specially in matters of moment, as in their marriage and choise of their callings: and that euen to death: and yet the Church of Rome against the intent of this commandement, allowes that clandestine marriages, and the vowe of religion shall be in force, though they be without, and against the consent of wise and careful parents.
Fiftly, the last commandement of lust, forbids the first motions to sinne, that are before consent. I prooue it thus. Lusting is forbidden in the former commandements as well as in the last, yea lusting that is ioyned with consent: as in the commandement, thou shalt not commit adulterie, is forbidden lusting after our neighbours wife; and in the next, lusting after our neighbours goods, &c. Now if the last commandement also forbid no more but lust with consent, it is confoūded with the rest: and by this meanes there shal not be ten distinct words, or, commandements: which to say is absurd: it remaines therfore that the lust here forbidden goes before consent. Againe, the Philosophers knewe that lust with consent was euil, euen by the light of nature: but Paul a learned Pharise and therefore more then a philosopher, knewe not Lust to be sinne, that is forbidden in this commandement, Rom. 7. Lust therefore that is forbidden here, is without consent. Wicked then is the doctrine of the Romane Church teaching, that in eueryevery mortall sinne is required an act commanded Molan …act. c. 27. con. 4.of the will: and hence they say many thoughts against faith and vncleane imaginations are no sinnes.
6 Lastly, the words of the second commandement. And shew mercy to thousands on them that louelove me and keepe my commandements, ouerthrowes all humane merits. For if the reward be giuen of mercy to them that keepe the lawe, it is not giuen for the merit of the worke done.
To come to the third part of the Catechisme: the Lords praier is a most absolute and perfect forme of praier. For which cause it was called of Tertullian, the Breuiarie of the Gospell: and Caelestinus saith, the lawe of praying is the law of beleeuing and the lavv of vvorking. Nowe in this praier we are taught to direct our prayers to God alone, Our father, &c▪ and that onelyonly in the name and mediation of Christ. For God is our father onelyonly by Christ. It is needles therefore, to vse any inuocation of Saints, or to make them our Mediatours of intercession vntounto God: and it is sufficient, if we pray onelyonly vntounto God in the name of Christ alone.
2. In the fourth petition, we say thus, GiueGive vsus our daily bread. In which words, we acknowledge that eueryevery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God. VVhat madnes then is it, for vsus to thinke that we should merit the kingdome of heauen by works, that can not merit so much as bread?
3 In the next petition, Forgiue vsus our debts, foure opinions of the Romane religion are directly ouerthrowne, The first is concerning humane Satisfactions. For the childe of God is here after his conuersion taught, to humble himselfe day by day, and to praie for the pardon of his daily sinnes: now to make satisfaction and to sue for pardon be contrary. The second opinion here ouerthrowne, is touching merits. For we doe acknowledge our selues to be debters vntounto God, yea bankrupts: and that beside the maine summe of many thousand talents, we daily increase the debt: therefore we can not possiby merit any of the blessings of God. It is meere madnes to thinke, that they which cannot pay their debts, but rather increase them day by day, should deserue or purchase any of the goods of the creditors, or the pardon of their debts: & if any fauour be shewed them, it comes of merre goodwill without the least desert. In a word, this must be thought vponupon, that, if al we can doe, will not keepe vsus from increasing the maine summe of our debt, much lesse shall we be able by any merit to diminnish the same. By good right therefore doe all the seruants of God cast downe themselues and praie, Forgiue vsus our debts. The 3. opinion is that punishment may be retained, the fault being wholly remitted: but this cannot stand, for here sinne is called our debt: because by nature we owe vntounto God obedience, & for the defect of this paiment, we further owe vntounto him the forfiture of punishment. Sinne then is called our debt in respect of the punnishment. And therefore when we pray for the pardon of sinne, we require the pardon not onelyonly of fault, but of the whole punishment. And when a debt is pardoned, it is absurd to thinke that the least paiment should remaine. The fourth opinion is that a man in this life may fulfill the lawe, whereas in this place eueryevery seruant of God is taught to aske a daily pardō for the breach of the law. Answer is made, that our daily sinnes are veniall and not against the lawe but beside the lawe. But this which they say is against the petition: for a debt that comes by forfiture is against the bond or obligation. Nowe eueryevery sinne is a debt causing the forfiture of punishment: and therefore is not beside, but directly against the lawe.
4. In this clause, as we forgiue our debters, it is taken for granted, that we may certenly knowe that we are in louelove and charitie with me… ▪ when w… make reconciliation: why then may not we knowe certenly that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled to God: which all Romane Catholikes denie.
5. In the last wordes, and lead vsus not into temptation, we pray not, that God should free vsus from temptation (for it is other whiles good to be tempted, Psal. 26. 1.) But that we be not left to the malice of Sathan, and held captiue of the temptation, for here to be bed into temptation, and to be deliuered, are opposed. Now hēce I gather, that he which is the child of God truely iustified and sanctied, shall neuer fal wholly and finally from the grace of God: and I conclude on this manner. That which we aske according to the will of God, shall be graunted, 1. Ioh. 5. but this the child of God asketh, that he might neuer be wholly forsaken of his father, and left captiue in temptation. This therefore shal be graunted.
6 This clause Amen, signifies a speciall faith touching all the former petitions, that they shall be graunted: and therefore a special faith concerning remission of sinnes: which the Romane Church denieth.
To come to the last place, to the Institution of the sacrament of the Lords Supper. 1. Cor. 11. v, 23. In which first of all the Reall presence is by many circumstances ouerthrowne. Out of the wordes, he tooke and brake, it is plain that, that which Christ took was not his body: because he cannot be said with his owne handes to hauehave taken, held, and broken himselfe, but the very bread. Againe Christ said not: vnderunder the forme of bread, or in bread: but This, that is, bread is my body. 3. Bread was not giuen for vsus but onelyonly the body Christ: and in the first institution, the body of Christ was not thē really giuen to death. 4. The cup, is the newe testament by a figure: why may not the bread be the body of Christ by a figure also? 5. Christ did eate the supper, but not himselfe. 6. We are bidden to doe it, till he come: Christ then is not bodily present. 7. Christ bids the bread to be eaten in a remembrance of him: but signes of remembrance are of things absent. 8. If the Popish reall presence be granted, then the body & blood of Christ are either seuered or ioyned together. If seuered, then Christ is still crucified If ioyned together, then the bread is both the body & blood of Christ: whereas the institution saith the bread is the body, and the wine is the blood.
2 Againe, here is condemned the administration of the sacrament vnderunder one onelyonly kind. For the commandement of Christ is, drinke ye all of this, Math, 26. 27. And this commandement is rehearsed to the Church of Corinth in these wordes, do this as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me. v. 25. And no power can rehearse this commandement: because it was established by the soueraigne head of the Church.
These fewe lines, as also the former treatise, I offer to the vewe and reeding of them, that fauour the Romane religion: willing them with patience to consider this one thing, that their religion, if it were Catholike and Apostolike (as they pretend) it could not be contrarie so much as in one point, to the groundes of all Catechismes, that hauehave beene vsed in all Churches, confessing the name of Christ, euer since the Apostles daies. And whereas it crosseth the said grounds in sundrie points of doctrine, (as I hauehave prooued) it is a plaine argument that the present Romane religion, is degenerate. I write not this dispising or hating their persōs for their religion, but wishing vnfainedly their conuersion in this world, and their saluation in the world to come.
FINIS.
To the Reader.
Pag. 235. l. 20. I say, that Christ obaied the law for him selfe, not because he did by his obedience merit his own glorie: but because he was to be a perfect and pure high priest, not onelyonly in nature but also in life: and as he was a creature, he was to be conformable to the law.
Faults to be amended thus.
Pag. 1. l. 1. for 3. read 4. p. 9. l. 2. read Apostolicke. p. 19. l. 17. read formeth. and l. 23. read indeauour. p. 39. l. last, read, too. p. 48. l. 18. read, or. p. 55. l. 2. read, holy. p. 126. l. 2. read, be. p. 138. l. 13. read, pertaining. p. 142. l. 23. read, matters. p. 161. l. 5. read, containe. and l. last, read, chastitie. p. 168. l. 5. read, persecution. p. 187. l. 7. read, men. p. 192. l. last. read, cannot. p. 222. l. 5. read, right. p. 260. l. 9. read, particular. p. 265. l. 14. read, I thinke. p. 284. l. 2. read, deputies.
Faults escaped in the places of Scripture.
Pag. 1. v. 3. pro 4. p. 4. c. 18. pro 17. p. 6. c. 18. pro 17. p. 7. v. 18. pro 8. p. 19. v. 5. pro 7. p. 22. v 2. pro 1. p. 43. v. 20. pro 28, & 29. p. 50. v. 21. pro 22. p. 52. v. 36. pro 63. p 75. v. 13. pro 12. p. 127. v. 12. pro 21. p. 135. v. 20. pro 8. p. 139. c. 8. v. 1. pro c. 1. v. 8. p. 164. v. 38. pro 37. p. 227. v. 18. pro 29.
End of the text · William Perkins, A Reformed Catholic (1598)