Whether Man Be in the Estate of Damnation or Grace, Treatise 2
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 beyong a Reprobate.
The first Argument.
HE which may in truth be made partaker of the chiefe pointes of the Popish religion, may bee made partaker of all: but a reprobate may be made partaker of the chiefe points of the Popish religion: therefore a reprobate may be made partaker of all.
The proofe of the Argument.
THE proposition is plaine, and euerie Papist will graunt it: all the controuersie is of the assumption: wherefore I prooue … thus:
The Sacrament of Penaunce (as they all it) is one of the chiefe thinges in the …ligion of the Church of Rome: for it is such a sacrament, aCatech. Rom. Pag. 424.that by the power & efficacie of it, the bloude of Christ is deliuered to vsus, to washe awaie our sinnes: and they saie bIbid. pag. 419. Tho. 4. dist. 14. quest. 5. art. 1. Canis. & pec. 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 regeneration, but an healing of a man regenerate, & that it pardoneth sin, as Baptisme. And as touching Contrition, Papistes write, cCatech. Rom. pag. 447. Lumb. lib. 4. dist. 17.it hath power to do away sinne, and to obtein pardon at Gods hand: the same they speake o… Confession, which they saie deliuereth from death, openeth Paradise, and giueth hop… of saluation: and hereby it maie appeare that Penance is one of the greatest pointe of the popish religion.
But a reprobate maie be truely made partaker of the popish sacrament of Penance, & indeed performe all in it. There be three partes of Penaunce, Contrition of the heart Confession of the mouth, Satisfaction in th… deed. All these three Iudas performed: fir… he had Contrition: for when he saw that o… Sauiour Christ was condemned, dMath. 27 ver. 3.then he saw his owne sinne, and was striken with griefe for his owne treacherie, & repente… and presentlie after he eVer. 4.confessed his sin… openly vntounto the chiefe Priestes and Elder Also he made Satisfaction, when he brought againe the thirtie peeces of siluer which he tooke to betraie his maister.
Again, Contrition of the hart is the ground of Penaunce: & Papists saie, it is not an act of the holy ghost fCarec. Rom. pag. 437.but an act of mans freewil proceding frō it: & therfore a reprobate may hauehave it. And as for Satisfaction, if a reprobate cānot do it by himself, yet he may performe it by another: for so they saie gTho. li. 4. dist. 2. qu. 1. art. 1.that one may satisfie by an other: wherfore, for anie thing I cā see, a reprobate may hauehave al that is cō teined in the popish sacramēt of penance.
Faith is an other of the chiefest points, that is, the religiō of the Church of Rome, for hTrid. consil. sess. 6. cap. 8. Rhem. Te▪ Rom.they saie, it is the foundatiō & groundwork of Iustificatiō. But reprobats may hauehave that faith which they meane. For they say, that it is nothing els, but iCanis▪ Oper. Ca. pa.a gift of God, & a certain light of the mind, wherwith a mā be ing enlightned giueth sure & certain assent to ye reuealed word of god. And the Rhemists Rhe. Test. 2. Cor. 13. 5 And. lib. 6. pag. 543.say, it is onelyonly an acte of the vnderstanding: and Andradius saith, that Faith is onelyonly in generall actions, and can not come to the particular applying of anie thing: now all this reprobates maie hauehave, kHeb. 6. 4. Luk. 8. 13. Iam. 2. 19.for their minds are englightened to know the trueth, and to be perswaded of it, and therfore they hauehave this acte of the vnderstanding: and this generall faith: yea the Diuell himselfe can do thus much, who beleeueth & trembleth. And the implicite faith which saueth the laye man, what reprobate cannot hauehave it? for there is nothing else required, but to beleeue as the Church beleeueth, though he know not howe the Church beleeueth. And the Papistes themselues say as much: for their lTrid. Cō. sess 6. cap. 9 Andr. lib. 3 Pag. 200.Councels hold, that a wicked mā and an heretike maye hauehave confidence in Christ, and that an heathen man, by the naturall knowledge of God, and by the works of creation, might hauehave faith, and in a generall manner beleeue in Christ.
The second Argument.
THat religion whose precepts are no directions to attaine peace of conscience, leaueth a max…still in a damnable case: but the precepts of the religion of the church of Rome, are no directions to attaine peace of conscience, therefore it leaueth a man in a damnable case: which if it be true, a reprobate may bee as sound a professor of it as anye other.
The proofe.
THe proposition is certaine: because, as long as any man hath his conscience to accuse him of sinne before God, hee is in state of damnation, a1. Ioh. 3. 20.as S. Iohn saith: If our hart condemne vsus, God is greater than our hart, and knoweth all things. And this is peculiar and proper to the elect children of God, bRom. 5. 1.to receiue these gifts and graces frō God, cHeb. 10. 22.the enioying of which, bringeth peace of conscience. True it is indeed, that reprobates receiue many graces and giftes 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 cannot pacifie the conscience) may be easily prooued on this wise.
A man whose conscience must be truely1 quieted, must first of all be truely humbled dMath. 11. 28.Come vntounto me (saith our Sauiour Christ) all yee 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 afflicted with the sense of Gods iudgement: yea they must be pressed down to helward with the weight & burden of their sins, that they may see it, & from their hearts confesse it, that in thē selues there is no way to escape damnation. Mat. 9. 12 Mat. 15. 24. Esa. 44. 11. 1. Cor. 11. 31.The good Phisition Christ Iesus cannot heale vsus before he hath lāched our wounds to the very bottom: he neuer can find any of his sheepe before they be quite lost: hee neuer powreth into vsus the liuing waters of his spirit, before we be barren & dry ground voide of all moisture: & that mā must condēne himself, that wold not hauehave Christ to pronounce sentēce of dānatiō against him.
Now this true humiliation of a sinner cā not be wrought in any mans hart by the religion of the Church of Rome. True & soūd humiliation is wrought by two meanes: first by making a man to see the greatnes of his sinne and wickednesse: secondly, by making him to acknowledge, that he is destitute, & quite bereft of all goodnes. For if a man either see not the greatnes of his sin, or hauehave confidēce of any thing in himself, he cānot be humbled: but neither of these 2. things are performed in the Church of Rome. As touching the first, the Romish rel…gion is so farre frō amplifying & enlarging the greatnes of mens sins▪ that it doth extenuate thē, and lessen them out of measure, for it maketh some sinnes to be veniall fGal. 3. 13when as the least sinne that can bee against Gods lawe, deserueth damnation, gCanis. Ope… Cat. pag. 491.it teacheth that lesser sinnes are doone away by an humble accusation of a mans self, by saying the Lords praier, by knocking vponupon the breast, and by such like: that greater sinnes may be doone away by almes deeds, and such like satisfactions. But how can any sinne be great, that may bee doone awaie with such easie and sleighr meanes. Furthermore it teacheth, that euill thoughts & desires, and motions of the heart without consent are no sinnes: and this opinion cutteth off all true humiliation: for hRom. 7. 9. 10.Paule neuer repented, before he vnderstood the meaning of the last commandement, & perceiued thereby, that the desires and lusts of his hart, to which he did not yeeld his consent, were sinnes damnable before God, and knowing this, he then saw himself to be most miserable, & renoū cing his owne righteousnes, he sought for righteousnes in Christ. Lastly iConc. Colon. pag. 46. 54.it teacheth, that originall sinne is done away in Baptisme, and that is the least sinne of all other. What is this but to extenuate mās corruption, for when the root of corruptiō is takē away, and it is made so little a sinne, actuall sinnes cannot bee taken for such heinous matters.
And for the second point, the Church of Rome dooth too too much extoll the power of man, and his naturall strength. kAndr. li. 3 Trid. Con. sess. 6. ca. 7.It saith, that all actions of men vnregenerate are not sinnes, and that originall sinne needeth no repentance, lTrid. Cō. sess. 6. ca. 1.that a man hath some free will to do spirituall things, that mGabr. Biel. 3. sen. dist. 27a man by meere naturales may louelove God aboue all things, feare God, beleeue in Christ, if we respect the very acte of the worke, nAndr. lib. 3. pa 292.that the Gentiles might gather out of Philosophie knowledge sufficient for saluatiō, oAndr. lib. 3. p. 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 manye things which be spirituall and heauenly, qTrid. Cō. sess. 6. c. 18.that a man regenerate, may fulfill the whole lawe of God: that a man may prepare himself to receiue grace, & to merit grace at Gods hands: that he may do works of Supererogation, &c. By this it appeareth yt the church of Rome ascribeth to much to the nature of mā rGen. 6. Eph. 2. 1. 2.which is only & altogether euill, dead in sinne, chained vp in miserable bōdage vnderunder Sathā 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 denie himselfe, & 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 threatnings of the law, that by the promises of the Gospell it maie be quieted.
Againe sTrid. Con. sess. 6 cap. 9.this religion teacheth, that a11. man must doubt of his saluation as long as he is in this life: behold a Racke or Gibbet erected by the church of Rome, for the tormenting of tender consciences, for when a man doubteth of his saluatiō, he also doubteth of Gods louelove and merciemercy to him: & he which doubteth of Gods louelove, cannot louelove God again: for how can anie 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, & therefore his conscience must needes be defiled, and voide of true peace, yea, he must needes be a wicked man, and that tPro. 28. 1saying of Salomon must needes agree to him: The wicked flieth whē no man pursueth (by reason of the guiltines of his conscience) but the godlie is bold as a Lion.
Againe, Psa. 32. 1Blessed is the man▪ (saith Dauid) whose sinnes are pardoned: where hee maketh remission of sinnes to bee true felicitie: nowe there is no true felicitie but that which is inioied, and felicitie cannot be inioied, vnlesse it bee felt, and it cannot be felt, vnlesse a man know himselfe to be in possession of it, & a man cannot know himselfe to be in possession of it, if he doubt whether hee hath it or not: and therefore this doubting of the remission of sinnes is contrarie to true felicitie, & is nothing else but a torment of the conscience. For a man cannot doubt whether his sinnes be pardoned or not, but strait waie (if his conscience bee not seared with an hoat iron) the verie 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 consideration of which is most terrible. Vndoubtedlie, this religion must needes be comfortlesse. Alas poore men as we are, we are no better thenHeb. 6. 10. 19. passengers in this worlde, our waie it is in the middle of the Sea, where wee can hauehave no sure footing at all, and which waie so euer wee cast our eies, wee see nothing but water, euen opening it selfe to deuoure vsus quicke: the Diuell and our rebellious flesh raise vp against vsus infinite thousandes of tempestes and stormes to ouerthrowe vsus: but beholde, God of his great and endlesse merciemercy hath brought vsus to Christ, as to a sure Ancker holde: hee bibddeth vsus to vndoo our Gables, and fling vp our Anckers within the vaile, and fasten them in Christ: we do it as we are commanded, but a Sister of ours (I meane the Church of Rome)Cant. 1. 5. passing in the Ship with vsus (as it seemeth) who hath long taken vppon hir to rule the healme, dealeth too too vnkindelie with vsus: shee vnlooseth our Anckers, and cutteth in pieces our Gables, shee telleth vsus that wee maie not presume to fasten our Ancker on the rocke: shee will hauehave vsus freelie to roue in the middle of the Sea in the greatest fogges, and the fearefullest tempestes that bee: if wee shall follow hir aduise, wee must needes looke for a Shippewracke, for the least flawe of winde shall ouerturne vsus, and our poore soules shall bee plunged in the gulphs of hell.
Lastlie, Iustificatiō by works causeth trouble111. & disquietnes to the cōscience. No mās conscience can bee appeased, before Gods wrath be appeased: & Gods wrath cānot be appeased by anie workes: for the best works the regenerate can doe, are imperfect, and are stained with some blemish of corruption, as xEsa. 64. 6 Rom. 7. 14. 15. 16.may appeare both in the Prophet Esai, and in Paule, both which had a great misliking of that good which they did, because it was mingled with sin. And againe, euerie man is bound by duetie to keepe the whole lawe, so that if a man could keepe it perfectlie, he should doe no more then that he is by duetie inioined to doe: and therefore he which looketh to merite eternal life at Gods hand by keeping the lawe, trusteth but to a broken staffe, and is like the Bankrupt, that will paie one debt by another: for by his sinne, euerie man is indebted to the Lord, and is bound to answere to the Lord the full punishment of all his sinnes: this debt, the Papist saith we maie discharge by obedience to the law, that is by a new debt, which we are as well bounde to paie to our God, as the former.
To end this point, let a man looke to bee saued by works, and therefore let a man imploie himselfe to do the best works he can, yet he shall neuer come to knowe when he hath done sufficient to satisfie Gods wrath: and this vncertaintie, all his life, but especiallie in the houre of death, must needes disquiet him. And truelie, when a man shall hauehave done manie thousand workes, yet his heart can neuer be at quiet, as it appeareth in the young man, who though hee had laboured all his life to fulfill the law, thereby to be saued, yet distrusting all his doings, heMar. 10. 17. asketh further of our Sauiour Christ what he might doe to be saued.
Furthermore, it is the doctrine of theConc. Trid. sess. 5. Church of Rome, that there is nothing in the regenerate that God can hate: and that they are inwardlie pure, and without spot. A doctrine that will make anie Christian conscience dispaire: For if a man shall fall to examine himselfe, he shall finde aRom. 7. 14.that he is sold vnderunder sinne, bHeb. 12. 1compassed about of sinne, cPsa. 40. 12hee shall see his particular sinnes to be as the heires of his head: at the sight and feeling of which, he shal find that there is much matter in him worthie of hatred & damnation too. Hee beeing in this case, will begin to doubt whether he be the childe of God or not: and perseuering in this doubting, he shall be driuen to dispaire of Gods louelove towards him, considering that he cannot finde anie such purenes in himselfe as the doctrine of the Church of Rome requireth. Lastlie, experience it selfe teacheth that the Romish religion can bring no peace to the conscience: in that some for the maintaining of it hauehave dispaired. As Fraūces Spira, who against his own cōscience hauing abiured the truth; and subscribed to the doctrine of the Romish Church, most fearefullie dispaired of his saluation. Which coulde not hauehave beene if that doctrine had been agreeable to Gods word which is spirite and life to the receiuer. For the sameIllirias de Fide. Epist Se…ar. de morte Diazij. cause Latomus a doctor of Louane dispaired, crying that he was damned because he had opposed himselfe to the knowen 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 maie truelie professe it… the religion of the Church of Rome agreeth to the corruption of mans nature: therefore a Reprobate maie truelie professe it.
The proofe.
I Neede not stand to prooue the proposition, the Assumption is rather to bee confirmed: which first I will proue by induction of particulars. 1. That a man should be iustified by workes, is an opinion settled in nature, as maie appeare in them that crucified our Sauiour Christ: for when they were pricked in their hearts at Peters Sermon, aActs. 2. 37 Ioh. 6. 28. Mat. 10. 17they saide, Men and bretheren what shall we doe to bee saued, and this saide the young man before named, not what should I beleeue, but what should I do to be saued: for that in them it appeareth, that it is a naturall opinion of all men to thinke that they must bee saued by dooing of somewhat. A Papist wil saie, though this be naturall thus to thinke, yet it maie bee good: for there is some goodnes in nature.
I answere, that the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to Gods wisedome, Rom. 8. 7. and all men by nature are nothing but flesh, for naturallie they are the children of wrath. 2. The worshipping of God in Images, is a great matter in the Church of Rome: but this maner of worshipping is nothing but a worke of the flesh, which thus I proue: bGal. 5. …0Idolatrie is natural, and a worke of the flesh, but to worship God in Images, is Idolatrie. The children of Israell when they erected the golden Calfe, they did commit Idolatrie, and yet they did not worship the Calfe it selfe, but God in the Calfe. For when th… Calfe was made, they cExo. 32. 5proclaimed an Holidaie, not to the Calfe, but to the Lorde. And Baal, that detestable Idol, was nothing▪ but the Image of God, as appeareth in Hosea the Prophet. At that daie, saith th… Hos. 2. 16.the Lorde thou shalt call mee no mo… Baal.
It remaineth therefore, that to serue Go… in an Image, is a work of the flesh, and altogether agreeth to the vile corruption … nature. 3. dMat. 20. 2Pride, and a desire to be adua… ced aboue other, is a naturall corruption: … this agreeth the Popes Primacie, his do… ble Sword, and triple Crowne: yea the ou… ragious pompe of that seate is as a paire o… bellowes to kindle the concupiscence, and to make the hidden sparkes of pride to breake out into a great flame. 4. Doubting of Gods prouidence and merciemercy, is … naturall corruption in all men: to this agreeth, and from hence issueth that foolis… and vaine opinion, concerning doubting … our saluation, and of the remission of sinne 5. Selfeloue, and selfeliking or naturall co… ruptions: to this agreeth that doctrine … the Papistes, not ouermuch to abase ou… selues, but to maintaine free will by nature, and to thinke that we hauehave so much goodnes, that wee are able to prepare our selues to receiue and in some sort to merit grace. 6. Idlenes and riotousnes is a corruption naturall, and to it verie fitlie answereth the great number of feasts, of holidaies, of halfe holidaies which the church of Rome vseth. …. Couetousnes is a natural corruption, and …o the feeding of this vice serueth Purgato…ie, a fire of great gain, which in verie truth, …f it had not burned very hoat, the fire in the Popes kitchin had burned verie colde: hi…herto serue Pilgrimages, saying of Masses, …nd selling of Pardons for money. 8. To be …t libertie is the desire of nature: answerable …o this is that opiniō, that the Spiritualitie is …o bee exempted from subiection to Magistrates. 9. To commit adulterie is naturall: to this agreeth the Stewes, and the permission of simple fornication. 10. Ignorance is a filthie corruption in nature: this the Church of Rome maketh the mother of deuotion, and it is inioined the laie man as a means of his saluatiō: for he must beleeue as the Church beleueth, he is not bound to know. 11. Infidelitie is naturall, and to this agreeth that they cal vpō Saints & Angels, the Lord hauing commanded them to call vponupon him in the name of Christ, what argueth this els, but hearts distrusting God… goodnes, and guilty consciences. 12. Images in the Church of Rome came from infidelitie, because men in reason coulde no… perswade themselues that God was presen… vnlesse that were made manifest by som… signe and Image. Which thing the IsraelitesExod. 32. 1. declared, when they saide to Aaron … the wildernes in Moses absence, Make … gods to go before vsus. 13. Satisfactions fo… sinne are naturall: for Mich. 6. 7 I say. 58. 4. 5wicked men whe… they hauehave offended God, they hauehave alwai… vsed some ceremonies to pacifie God with which when they hauehave performed, the… they think they hauehave done inough. 14. Th… Church of Rome saith, that the Scripture… are darke and obscure: the blinde man fin… deth fault with the darkenes of the Sunne… if the Scriptures appeare to anie to bee obscure, the fault is not in the Scriptures, bu… in the blindnes of the minde of him whic… readeth and heareth them. 15. Lastlie pardons, they open a gappe to all licentiou… ▪ nes: therefore they agree to mans corrup… nature: for who almost will not sinne, whe… he maie get a pardon for his sinnes, for a li… tle piece of money, as twentie shillings, or foure Nobles.
It is naturall to a man to serue God in certaine ceremonies, without the power of godlines: & this seruice is prescribed by theFox Act… in begin. religion of the Church of Rome, which standeth onelie in outward and corporall ceremonies, as the outwarde succession of Bishops, garments, vestures, gestures, colours, choise of meate, difference of daies, times, and places, hearing, seeing, saying, touching, tasting, numbring of Beades, gilding and worshipping of Images, building Monasteries, rising at midnight, silence in Cloisters, abstaining fr… flesh and whitmeat. Fasting in Lent, keeping Imberdaies, hearing Masse and diuine seruice, seeing and adoring the bodie in forme of bread, receiuing holie water, and holie breade, creeping to the Crosse, carrying Palmes, taking Ashes, bearing Candles, Pilgrimage going, censing, kneeling, knocking, al…ers, superalters, candlestickes, pardons: In orders Crossing, annointing, shauing, for swearing ma…i…ge; in Baptisme, salting, crossing, spatling, ex…i…ng, washing of hands: at Easter, confessiō ▪ … …irge, satisfaction, and in receauing with … …ew shauen, to imagine a bodie where they … …nd though he were there present to bee seene … …he outwarde seeing and touching of him of … …ithout faith conduceth no more then it did … Iewes. At Rogation daies to carrie banners, to follow the Crosse, to walke about the fields; after Pentecost to goe about with Corpus Christi plaie. At Hallowmas to watch in the Church, to saie a dirge or commendation, and to ring for all soules, to pa… tithes truelie, to giuegive to the high Altar. And if a man will bee a Priest to sa…e Masse and Mattens, to serue the Saint of that daie, and to lif… well ouer the heade. In sickenesse to bee anneled, to take his Rites, after his death, t… hauehave Funerall, and Obites saide for him, an… to bee rong for at his Funerall Moneths minde▪ and Yeare minde: This is the summe o… the Catholique Religion, standing in bodilie Actions, not in anie motion or woorke o… the holie GHOST woorking in th… heart.
The Morall Lawe conteining perfect11. righteousnesse, is flatte opposite to mans corrupt Nature: therefore whatsoeue… Religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commaundements of the Morall Lawe, that same Religion must neede… ioine handes with the corruption of Nature, and stand for the maintenance of it▪ This doth the Religion of the Church o… Rome: it maie bee, it doth not plaineli… repeale them, yet in effect it doth: aMat. 15. 3an… if it shall frustrate but anye one pointe of anye one commaundement, the whole commaundement, yea, the whole law therby is made in vaine. 1 The first commandement requireth, that wee hauehave the true Iehoua for our onelyonly God: the church of Rome maketh other gods beside this true God: it maketh the bodie of Christ to be God, because they hold, it may be in many places, in heauen, in earth, at the same time, which thing is onelyonly proper to God. It maketh eueryevery Saint departed to bee God, because it holdeth, that Saintes doo heare vsus now being vponupon the earth, and that they knowe our thoughtes when wee praye to them, which none but the true GOD can doo. It maketh the Pope to bee God, and that in plaine woordes. bDec. dist. 69. satis euidenter.Pope Nicholas saith, Constat, summum Pontificem à pio principe Constantino Deum appellari. It is well knowne, that the Pope of the godlie Prince Constantine was called GOD. Againe, in cExtraua. Ioh. 22. cū inter. in glossa.the extrauagants of the same Cannon lawe it is written, Dominus Deus noster Papa, Our Lorde GOD the Pope. And againe, dConcil. later. sess. 4Christopher Marcellus saide to the Pope, Tu es alter deus in …erris, Thou art another God vponupon earth: & the Pope toke it to himself. As the Pope in plaine words is made God, so the power giuen to him declareth the same. Extrau. de maior. & obed… dientia.Hee can make holie that which is vnholie, & iustifie the wicked and pardon sins: fDist. 34. can. lect. in gloss. dist. 82. can. Presb.hee maie dispense contrary to the saying of an 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 rob the Lord of his maiestie.
Againe, the Church of Rome, maketh Marie the Mother of Iesus to be as God. In the Breuiarie reformed & published at the commandement of Pius, aIn officio par. beatae Mariae. ad matut.shee is called A Goddes, 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 merciemercy: Yea shee is farre exalted aboue Christ, and he in regarde of her is made but a poore vnderling in heauen: for Papistes in their seruice vntounto her they praie on this manner saying: Shew thy selfe to bee a mother: and cause thy sonne to receiue our prayers: set free the captiues and giuegive light to the blinde. bBreuiar. refor. infesto Exalt. Crucis.Lastlie the verie Crosse is made as a God. For they salute it, by the name of their onelie hope, and praie it to increase iustice to the godlie, and to giuegive sinners pardon. Wherefore the Church of Rome beside the one true God distinguished into three persons, the father, the sonne, the holy Ghost, maketh also manie other, and so in truthe hath repealed this first commandement.
And they hauehave verie 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 verie scope of this commandement: namelie 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 Moyses maketh a large commentarie of this commandement, and this verie point heDeut. 4. 15. 16. sets downe expresselie, saying, take heed to your selues: for yee sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vntounto you in Horeb, out of the middest of the fire: that yee corrupt not your selues, and make you a grauen image or representation of anie figure, &c. His argument I set downe thus. As God appeared in mount Horeb, so he is to be cō ceiued and represented: but he appeared in no image in mount Horeb, onelie his voice was hard: therefore he is not to be conceiued or represented in anie image: but men are to bee content, if they may heare his voice. Againe, that sinne to which the people of Israell were speciallie giuen euen that dooth the Lorde especially forbid: but to this were the people of Israell speciallie 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 proue thus.
In the booke of Iudges it is saide thatIudg. 2. 11. the children of Israell did wickedlye in the sight of the Lord, and serued Baalim. Now these Baalim, what are they? Surely Idoles resembling the true God, as the prophet Hosea declareth, and at that daie saith the Lord thou shalt call me Ishai, and shalt callHos. 2. 10. mee no more Baali. Heere 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 proclaimedExod. 32. 5 that the next daye should be holie daie, not of anie false God but of the Lorde that brought them out of Egypt. The prophet Esaie after that he had set foorth Gods maiestie verie worthelye, he comes in withEsa. 40. 18. this conclusion: To whome then will yee liken GOD? or what similitude will yee set vp of him? which declareth that the Iewes after the manner of the Gentiles, ran a whoring after Idoles, that is Images not onelyonly 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 commaundement.
Neither dooth it shewe lesse fauour to the third commaundement: which also is repealed. First in that they teach men to1. Cor. 15. 28 giuegive the glorie which is proper to GOD, to some thing else: it is proper to GOD after the daie of Iudgement to be all in all: this they giuegive to Marie, saying that shee is all in all.
It is proper to Christe in respect of other creatures to bee a light lightning all that come into the worlde, yet they praye to Marie to giuegive light to the blinde. It isIohn. 10. 9. proper to Christe to bee the redeemer of mankinde, and this worke of redemption, is ascribed to Marie, whome Papists call their hope, their ioye, their mediatresse, a medecine for the diseased, a defence from the enemie, a friend in the houre of death. Againe they make Saint Martin A Priest according to the order of Melchisedecke, which is proper to Christe.
Secondly they holde that the people is to be barred from the reading of the scriptures, vnlesse it be in an vnknowne tongue, and so they mainteine ignorance and the profaning of Gods name. For the free preching of the worde, and therefore also the hearing, learning, reading, searching of it, is the glorifiyng of the word, and so the glorifying2. Thes. 3. 1. of Gods name.
The fourth commaundement is repealed in that they require that their feast daies should be kept as solemnlie as the Lords sabaothCon. Mogunt, c. 36. 37. Matiscan▪ 2. c. 1. 2. day. For they must be kept in all honour and comlines: and men must rest from all their laboures, from morning to euening, as on the Sabaoth: whereas contrariwise, the Lord hath giuen permission to his seruants to labour the sixe daies, sobeit, on the seauenth they wil rest from the works of their callings, and do the workes of the spirit.
They repeale the fift commaundement in that they teach that their cleargie hath an immunitie, and therfore is not bound to performe obedience to Magistrates, for soMatisc. Concil. ca. 7. 9. 8 they hauehave decreed, that Clarkes are to be iudged onelyonly of Bishops: and that they are onelyonly to reskue them from iniuries. Againe that the Bishop must not bee iudged of the secular power: and that the Pope himselfe oweth no subiection to Kings, Princes, Emperors, but hath power to make them, and to put them downe at his pleasure. But S. Paule for the maintening of the fift commandement, bids eueryevery soule be subiect to the higher powers: and therefore the pope with his cleargie (as Chrysostome hath expounded it) must be subiect to ciuill Magistrates, vnlesse they wil exclude themselues out of the number of men, for Paul speakes to all.
Against the sixte commandement theyMatisc. 2. ca. 8. hauehave decreed asyles for murderers, plainly permitting them which feare authoritie to hauehave safetie in the lap of their mother the Church. Thus they annihillat Gods commandement, yea and more then this, whether tends all that they teach but the very murthering of soules? For example, saluation by workes of grace, is one of their chiefe …oints. But that man that is perswaded that he must be saued by his workes, must also …ut his trust in them, and he which trusteth …o his workes is accursed before God. For …ursed is that man that trusteth in man, whetherIer. 17. 5 …t be himselfe or other.
The seauenth commaundement is re…ealed diuerse waies. First in that they maintaine the occasions of adulterie and fornication: namelie, 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, & yet are boūd to single life, they must needs breake out into much loosenesse. This sinElog. 5. Lib. 4. 5. 9. made Mantuan, Palingenius, and Petrarch to crie out against the Church of Rome. Againe some Papistes defende the tolleration of the Stewes in Rome, for the auoiding of greater euils. And in the Councell of Trent chastitie and Priestes marriage areSect. 24. c. 9 made opposite, so that marriage with thē is a filthie thing, although God hath ordained it for the auoiding of fornication in all. Furthermore that which is most abhominable and proues the Church of Rome to be an Antichristian Church: they maintaine marriages within the degrees forbidden both by the law of nature, and 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 and children: yet if they bee distant foure degrees on diuers sids from the common stocke they may marrie together by the Cannon lawe. As for example, the graund vncle maie marrie his SistersGreg. ca. 9. de cōsang. aunculus maximus Abneptis. nephewes neece, a thing verie filthie in nature considering that a man cannot marry with any honestie his sisters child. To go further, by gods word they which are distāt 4. degrees in the transuerse equall line may marrie together, as Cosin germanes. Thus the daughters of Zelophehad were marriedNumb. 36. 11. to t…eir fathers brothers sons: this example I take it is warrant of the lawfulnesse of this marriage else where: Yet the Cannon lawe condemnes this marriage of Cousin germanes, and the marriage of their children after them though they bee eight degrees distant. Thus the Church of Rome doth ouerwhart the Lord: where he giues liberrie they restraine it, and when hee restrai…eth men, then they giuegive libertie.
They repeale the eight commandement by their spirituall Marchandize in which they sell those things which are not to bee solde, as Crosses to deade men, images, praiers, the sound of belles, remission of sinnes and the merites by which men maie come to the kingdome of heauen: their shaueling Priests will do no duetie without they be feed with monie, hence comes the …rouerbe, No pennie no pater noster.
They teach men to beare false witnesse, and so to sinne against the ninth commandement, in that they holde that Marie isReuel. 7. 11 &. 5. 10. the Queene of heauen: whereas indeede shee is no queene, but doth continuallie cast downe hir crowne before Christ with the rest of the saintes. And a man may as wel beare false witnes in speaking too much as in speaking too little.
In the tenth commandement the first motions that go 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 forbidde onelie the motions that goe with consent. Now, the Papistes saie that these motion are no sinne properlie vnlesse consent followe: and therefore they in expresse words repeale this commandement. For if concupi…cence and the first motions bee no sinnes properlie then there neede no prohibition of them.
The fourth Argument.
THat religion which is contrarie to it selfe▪ onelie a meere inuention of man: the religion… the Church of Rome is quite contrarie to it self… …herefore it is onelyonly an inuenti on of man: which if …t 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, and so of …he true religion gathered foorth of it, to be consonant to it selfe in al points: which pro…erly no doctrines nor writings beside can …aue. The Assumption may bee made ma…ifest by an induction of particular exam…les.
1 The Church of Rome saith, that men …re saued by grace: and againe it saith, that men are saued by works. A flat contradicti…n. For Paule saith, if election be of grace, itRom. 11. 6. …s no more of workes: or els were grace no more grace, but if it bee of workes, it is no more grace: for els were worke no more worke. Answer is made. Yt in this place Paul Rhem. Test. vponupon Rom. 11. 6.speaketh of workes of nature, which indeed …re contrarie to grace: but not of workes of regeneration which are not contrarie to grace. This answer is false: for Paul in a like …lace vntounto this opposeth grace & works of regeneration. Yee are saued by grace (saith he) through faith, and that not of your selues, for it is the gift of God: not of works,Eph. 2. 8. 9. least any should boast himselfe. For we are his workmanship created in Christe Iesus vntounto good workes, that we should walke in them. Now let the Church of Rome speake what are the workes of which a man may… most of all boast? And what are the work… for the doing of which we must be fashioned a new in Christ Iesus? Assuredly the… must be the works of regeneratiō, dipped & died in the bloud of Christ (as they speake▪ wherefore it is euident, that Pauls meanin… is to conclude, that if we be saued by grace we cānot be saued by works of regeneratiō ▪
2 The Church of Rome confuteth an… condemneth in Councels, & derideth thi… doctrine that we teach, that men are to b… iustified by the imputation of the righteou… nes of Christ: which righteousnes is not i… vsus but in Christ. And the Rhemists call itRhem. Test. Rom. 2. 23. phantasticall iustice, a new no iustice: B… herein that Church is contrary to it self: fo… it defendeth workes of supererogation an… works of satisfactiō of one mā for an othe… Rhe. Test. Coloss. 2. vers. 24.& their ground is, because the faithfull … all mēbers of one bodie, & hauehave fellowshi… one with an other, & therefore one may satisfie for an other. Heereby it is plaine, that the Church of Rome most of all defendeth that imputation of righteousnesse, which most of all it hath oppugned. For when one man satisfieth for an other, the worke of one mā is imputed to another. But what? shall one mā satisfie for an other, & shal not Christ by his righteousnes satisfie for vsus? shall God accept the worke of one man for an other, & not acept the righteousnes of Christ for vsus: Truely there is greater fellowship and coniunction betweene the head and the members, than of the members among themselues: because they are ioyned together by meanes of the head.
3 It holdeth that the guilt & fault of sin may be remitted by Christ: & yet the temporall punishment of sinne be vnremitted: but these are quite cōtrarie. Paul saith, thereRom. 8. 1. is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus. Yet if a man were punished for his sinne after he were in Christ, & had the fault of sin remitted, some condemnation should now remaine him. And Dauid Psal. 32. ….saith, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sin: therefore he to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne, hath not only the guilt of sinne, 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 anie punishment should be laideAugust. de verb. Dom Ser. 37. on him. And S. Augustine saith, that Christ by taking vponupon him the punishment of sin, and not taking vponupon him the fault, tooke awaie both the punishment and the fault. Wherefore this opinion, that Christ hath taken awaie the guilt of sinne, ouerthroweth al Satisfactions & Purgatorie, bicause the fault and guilt being taken away, all punishment for sinne is also taken away.
4 Transubstantiation is a monster standing on manifolde contradictions. First, it maketh Christes bodie to bee in manie places: an euident contradiction. For it is of the nature and essence of a bodie to be in one place only: which I proue thus. A bodie is a magnitude, a magnitude is a continued quantitie, a continued quantitie cannot be but in one place: therefore a bodie cannot be but in one place. In this argumēt the doubt is only of the last part: which vndoubted is most true. For it is called a continued quantitie, because his parts are continued and knit together the one with an other by a common terme or bond, as a line by a point, a plane and his parts by a line, a solide by a superficies or plane. Now, these points cā in no wise be cōtinued, vnles eueryevery one of thē keepe one only special place. For examples sake: supose the plane a, b, c, d, to be deuided into 3. partes, l, k, l, by two lines, e, g, f, h, which doe both deuide the three partes & continue thē the one with the other. Now I saie, that euerie one of the parts maie be continued with his next fellow, it is necessarie, that euerie one of them should hauehave one special and distinct place. That the first place of the plane, I, maie be continued with, k, it must be situated only there where it is, and no where els: for if it shall be situate elswhere, 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 be onelyonly in one place. And this is that which the prince of Philosophers teacheth, that euerie magnitude hath his partes sited in some one place, one by an other, so that a man maieArist. Categ. cap. de quant. saie of them, here it is, & there it is not. To conclude, therefore this must need, agree to a bodie and to the parts of it to be 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 body, it is only in one place: & if it be in many places, it is no bodie. They obiect that God is omnipotent. True indeede: but there bee some things, the doing of which agreth not with gods power, as to make contradicentia things contradictorie to bee both true: of which sort these are. For, that Christes bodie is a true bodie, and that it is in manie places at once, are flat contrarie: because (as hath ben shewed) it is essentiall to all magnituds 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. Again, transubstantiation maketh the Accidents of Breade and Wine to remaine without the substance. Here also is another contradiction as impossible as the former: for it is a cōmon saying in scholes, Accidentis esse, est inesse. It is of the essence of an accident to be in the substance. Nowe therefore, if the accidents bee, there is also the Bread and Wine: and if there be no substance of Bread or Wine, neither can there be anie accidents. 3. It holdeth, that Bread is turned into the bodie of Christ, & therefore it must needs holde, that Christs body is made of Bakers bread, and yet it holdeth and teacheth that Christes bodie is onelie made of the seed of Mary, quite ouerthrowing the former Transubstantiation.
5 It teacheth, that a man must alwaies doubt of his saluation: and likwise it teacheth, that in praying we are to call God Father, which are things quite contrarie. For who can truely call God Father, vnlesse he hauehave the spirite of adoption, and be assured that hee is the childe of God. For if aRom. 8. 16. man shall call God Father, and yet in his heart doubt whether hee bee his Father or not, he plaieth the dissembling hypocrite: wherefore, to doubt of saluation, and to sayCan. Tres sant. de pen…. dist. 1. Lumb. lib. 4. dist. 16▪ Can. de quotis. d… de poenit dist. 3. Our Father, &c. in truth are contrarie.
6 The Church of Rome maketh praier to be one of the chiefe means to satisfie for sinnes. But praier indeede is an asking of pardon for sinne: Now asking of pardon and satisfaction for sinne are contrary: therfore by the iudgement of the Papists, praier which is a satisfaction is no satisfaction. And in deed, let vsus consider what madnesse is conteined in this popish diuinitie: the poore begger commeth very hungry to the rich mans doore to craue his almes: and straightwaies by his begging he will merit and deserue it. The same dooth the Papist, he praieth very poorely for the thing which he wanteth, yet he looketh very proudly to merite no lesse than the kindome of heauen by it.
7 Doubting of saluation and hope cannotRom. 5. 5. 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 Hebr. 6. 19.both sure & stedfast, which entreth into that which is within the vaile. So that true hope and the certaine assurance of saluation goe together.
8 True praier and iustification by works cannot stand together. For he which praieth truely must be touched inwardlie with a liuely feeling of his owne miserie, and of the want of that grace, whereof he stands in need. Now this cannot be in the heart of …at man that looketh to merite the king…ome of heauen by his workes: for he that …n doo this, maie iustlie conceiue some…hat of his owne excellencie.
9 Papists teach, that it is great boldnes … come immediatlie vntounto GOD without …e intercession of Saints: and therefore …ey vse to aBreuiar, & Missali refor. vbi quepray to Marie, that she would …raie to Christ to helpe them: yet on the …ontrarie, when they hauehave so doone, they …ray to God immediatlie, that he would re…eiue the intercession of Marie for them. And thus they are become intercessors be…eene Marie and God. Yea when they …ffer vp Christ, praying GOD to accept …heir gifts and sacrifices, the humble priest …hat will not praie to GOD, but by the …editation of Saints, is then a mediator …etweene Christ Iesus and God his Father.
10 It holdeth, that in the Masse, the Priest …ffereth vp Christ to his Father an vnbloudie …acrifice. This is a thing impossible: for if Christ in the Masse be sacrificed for sin, thē …e must die & his bloud must be shed Heb. 9 … 2. And in the Scriptures these two sayings … Christ is dead, Christ is offered vp in sacri…ice) are all one. So then, the Papist when he …upposeth that there maie be an vnbloudie sacrifice, in effect he saith thus much, ther… is a sacrifice, which is no Sacrifice.
8 In the Canon of the Masse the church of Rome praieth on this wise. We humblie beseech thee most mercifull father, by Iesus Christ, thy son & our Lord, yt thou wouldest accept these gifts and oblations & these holy Sacrifices, which we thy Church offe… to thee, &c. where first they offer vp Christ to God the Father in the name of Christ, & so they make Christ to be his owne mediator. Againe, they desire God to blesse & to accept his owne▪ Sonne: for they offer vp Christ. If they say he needeth now the blessing of his Father, they make Christ a weak and imperfect Christ: if hee neede 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 body is one only bodie, and therfore but one sacrifice. And thus they are at variance with themselues.
9 Papists, in word they say that they beleeue and put their trust in God: yet wheras they looke to be saued by their workes, they set the confidence of their hartes in truth vponupon their owne doings.
10. They put such holines in Matrimo…ie, that they make it one of their 7. Sacra…ēts, which aRhem. Test. pag. 523.confer grace to the partakers …f them: yet they forbidde their Cleargie to …arrie, bPap…. Syric. us. Decret. epist. Sess. 24. c. 9because to liue in marriage is to …ue according to the flesh, and the Coun…el of Trent opposeth marriage & chastitie.
11. It teacheth, that soules kept in Pur…atorie, maie bee redeemed by Sacrifices …nd Suffrages. Against this, is a Canon of …heir lawe taken out of Saint Hieromes cCan. in present. 11. 13. q. 3.We …nowe that in this life wee maie helpe one …nother, either by Praiers, or by good …ounsell: but when wee shall come be…ore the iudgement seate of Christ, nei…her Iob, nor Daniel, nor Noe, maie intreate …or anie; but euerie man to beare his owne burthen. And according to another Canon going vnderunder the name of Gelasius Can. legatur. 4. q. 1.Bishop of Rome, Either there is no Purgatorie, or the soules which goe thither, shall neuer returne.
12. And to conclude, the most points of their religion are contrarie to their Canons, as by searching, may appeare in these examples.
1. The dead cannot heare the praiers of1 Con. fat…ndum 13▪ q. 2. them which call vponupon them.
2. Peter and Paule were two of the chie… 2 C. Beati. 2. q. 7.Apostles, and it is hard to saie, which was aboue the other.
3. Leo the fourth liuing in the yere 846… 3 C. de Capitulis dist. 10.acknowledged Lotharius the Emperour for his Prince.
4. No Bishop maie be called vniuersall▪4 C. nullus. dist. 99. 5 C. legimus. di. 93.
5. The Church of Rome hath no more authority ouer other Churches, than other Churches ouer it.
6 A Priest and a Bishop were in time… 6 C. legimus. di. 93. C. Olim. dist. 95. 7 C. verbum 6. magna. C. Conuertimini de penit. dist. 1. 8 C. quod dicit. di. 41 9 C. luminosa. 18. q. 2.past all one.
7 The Pope hath no power to giuegive o… sell Pardons.
8. There can be no merite by fasting, o… abstinence from flesh.
9. The Masse is nothing but the forme of diuine sacrifice.
By this which hath beene saide, it doth in part appeare, that the religion of the Church of Rome is repugnant to it self, and it could not so be, if it were from the worde of God.
A Corollarie gathered out of the former assertion.
1. A man beeing indued with no more grace then that which he maie obteine by the religion of the Church of Rome, is still in the state of damnation.