The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Reason of religion 4
Reaſon of Religion. 4 4. REASON OF RELIGION.
A religion whoſe firſt Inſtituters, except Chriſt & his Apoſtles, or after-deuiſersaA manifeſt vntruth, neither doth the Argument follow if we could not. cānot be named by any of our Adverſaries, nor can they a ſhew that peece or fūdamental point of our faith, either of la…e, or ſince the Apoſtles time defined, whichThis is witneſsed in the Coū cel ofDo theſe Coūcels witnes, that we are not able to ſhewe, that there was nothing lately defined but what was beleeved before? A ſenſeleſse aſſertion, and a Note which noteth nothing. Epheſus in epiſt. Synodi cōtra Nestoriū, in the Coūcel of Calcedon, act. 4.5. & 6. Item generali 6. Act. 4. & 10. & genera. 7. Act. 2. And by Athanaſ. of the Nicen. Councel in epiſt. ad Afros, & in epiſt. de Synodis Arimini et Seleuciae. And by Socrates of the Councel of Alexandria in historia eccleſiaſt. lib. 1. cap. 5. and others. was not formerly beleeved, & the contrary thereof never taught by the Roman Church. Wherfore in our vnderſtanding it is evidēt, that the religionbEverie falſe worſhip is the invention of the Devill; and ſo is Popery. we profeſſe, is not, as it iscA ſlander with a matter of truth. ſlandered to be, a deuiſe or invētiō of mā, nor ever was contrary to it ſelfe in doctrine; but whatſoever hath beene in latter ages explicitiuely defined, the ſame was alwaies, not only holdē true from the beginning indWe care not what was beleeved in their church, but certainly their doctrine was never beleeved in the true church of Chriſt. our Church, but alſo implicitiuely beleeved for the infallible auctority thereof.
Reſolution of the 4. Reaſon.
Popiſh Religion, is that whoſe firſt Inſtitutors, except Chriſt and his Apoſtles, or after-deviſers cannot be named by any; nor can they all ſhewe that piece or fundamentall point of faith, either of late or ſince the Apoſtles time defined, which was not formerly beleeved, and the contrary thereof never taught by the Romane Church.
Ergo.
Popiſh religion is true, and to be tolerated.
ANSWERE.
I. To the Antecedent.
1 THE Inſtitutor and deviſer of Popiſhe Religion, was not CHRIST, and his Apoſtles: but the DIVELL of hell, by the miniſtrie of Antichriſt, & his Diſciples; as ſhall plainely appeare in examining of the particulars in the reaſons following.
2 Many points of Popiſh doctrine were challenged even in the Primitiue Church, (for even at that time the myſtery of iniquitie began to worke) to bee falſe and erroneous. Paul challenged the falſe-teachers, which taught differences in meate and drinke, obſervation of daies, worſhipping of Angels, voluntary Religion, and will-worſhippe; and bad the Colloſians be warre of ſuch. Colloſſ. 2. He reprehended alſo the falſe Apoſtles which taught Iuſtification by workes; in his Epiſtles to the Romanes and Galathians: all which errours and falſe doctrine, the Popiſh Church embraceth & defendeth at this day.
3 Alſo the beginning, increaſe, & perfection of the Popiſh Primacie is manifeſtly knowne, When Conſtantine the Great ordained the cittie Byzantium, to be the ſeate of his Empire, (which afterwards he called Conſtantinople, of his owne name) his departing from Rome, was the cauſe of the firſt diviſion of the Empire; which ſhortly after, ingendred a very ſchiſme The Biſhop of Rome began to ſhew himſelfe, and to worke the miſtory of Antichriſt. For in the time of Odoacers raigne, Anno Dom. 480. Acatius B. of Conſtantinople, wrote to Simplicius B. of Rome, deſiring him alſo, to condemne Peter B. of Alexandria of hereſie, for following Eutiches. Heereby, a ſort of ambitious fellowes taking occaſion, began to reaſon of the auctority & dignity of the Church & B. of Rome: contending that the church of Rome, was the head of all Churches, and the Biſhop of Rome, the Catholike and vniverſall head of all Biſhopes. Albeit thoſe BB. that ſucceeded Acatius at Conſtantinople, oppoſed themſelues againſt the ambition of the B. of Rome, affirming that the ſupremacie belonged vntounto their Church, in aſmuch as the Roman Emperours made Conſtantinople the chiefe ſeate of their Empire; & therfore they contended that the Biſhop of Conſtantinople, ſhould be called vniuerſall or Catholique Biſhop, or the B. of Biſhops. This ambicious cōtention cōtinued 112. yeeres, vntill Antichriſt began to wax ſtronger. For Iohn B. of Cō ſtātinople, cauſed Mauricius the Emperour to call togither the Greeke BB. vntounto Cōſtantinople, to hold a Councel; wherin it was decreed, that the Biſhop of Cōſtantinople ſhould bee called the Occumenicall and Catholique Biſhop of all Churches. Which decree when Mauricius ſent vntounto Gregorie B. of Rome, that he might ſubmitte himſelfe & his Church, vntounto Iohn B. of Conſtantinople; Gregory mā fully reſiſted his ambition, not that hee thought himſelfe ſuperiour, or of more dignitie, then Iohn; but becauſe hee abhorred that inſolent and proud ſtatelines in the Cleargie, which then began to grow vp by little & little. Whervpon writing vntounto the Emperour Mauricius, he ſaith: He is the forerunner of Antichriſt, whoſoever hee bee, that coveteth to be called Ʋniverſall Biſhop. And writing vntounto Anaſtaſius B. of Antioch, and to Eulogius B. of Alexandria, of the ambition of the B. of Conſtantinople, ſaith. Your reverend holineſſe knoweth that the name, Vniverſall, was offered by the ſacred Coūcel of Chalcedon, vntounto the Biſhop of the ſee Apoſtolike, which by Gods appointment I ſerve, albeit none of my predeceſſours conſented to vſe that ſo prophane a title to be called by. For, if one Patriarke alone be called the Ʋniverſall Patriarke, the name of Patriarke is taken away from the reſidue. But far bee it from a Chriſtian minde, to arrogate that vntounto himſelfe from any man, whereby he might ſeeme never ſo little to diminiſh the honor of his Brethren. Thus far Gregorie, who of zeale wrote this, to bridle the ambicious Spirits of the Biſhops. Notwithſtanding Boniface the III. ſucceeding Gregory, forgetting all this, oppoſed himſelfe againſt the ambition, of the B. of Conſtantinople, (who now a freſh, after Gregories deceaſe, renewed his old claime) & being puffed vp with follie and pride, began to forecaſt, how he might obtaine that honour vntounto himſelfe, & vntounto his Church of Rome. And indeed at laſt, with much adoe, he obtained of Phocas, that Rome ſhould bee called, the Catholique head of all Churches, and the B. thereof, the Vniverſall Biſhoppe. This Phocas had murdered Mauricius the Emperour, his vvife and children; and by treaſon and robbery vſurped the Empire: he was the firſt that ordeined the Biſhop of Rome, to be called, the head of the Church. Surely the Lords vvill was, to ſhew what manner of men the POPES ſhould be, even moſt diligent followers of their firſt founder, to wit, theeves, robbers, murderers and traitours.
4 Againe, concerning the ſingle life of Miniſters. The Councell of Nice woulde have forbidden the Miniſters and Deacons, to dwell with their wiues; when Paphnutius (that excellent learned mā, who for the faith, had his eies boared out) roſe vp, & with ſingular conſtancy & zeale, pronounced marriage to be honorable amongſt all men, and the bed vndefiled, ſaying moreover; that the companie of a man with his wife, is chaſtitie; and perſwaded the Coūcel, that they would decree no ſuch lawes, as ſhould give occaſion to fornication, both vntounto the men, and to their wiues. The Councell liked his opinion, and ordayned nothing touching that point, but lefte every man liberty, to chooſe whether he would marrie or no. Yet afterwards Pope Siricius, and Gregorie the VII, forbad ſuch marriages.
5 The like coulde I ſhewe, in Tranſubſtantiation, Invocation of Saintes, Praier for the Dead, Purgatorie, &c. but that woulde require a large Treatiſe; and here I cannot ſtande vponupon particulars.
II. To the Conſequence.
1 Suppoſe, we were not able to ſhew the beginning and originall of any one point of the Popiſh Religion: yet it would not follow, that therefore Poperie were not falſe and hereticall. The Apoſtle ſaieth that Antichriſt ſhal worke ſecretly the myſtery of iniquitie. Wherefore is that iniquitie tearmed a myſterie, if it were manifeſt, and eaſie to be eſpyed.
2 Our Saviour Chriſt foretelleth, that many ſhall worke ſuch miracles, for confirmation of their falſe doctrine, as ſhould be able, if it were poſſible, to deceiue the very elect. Matth. 24.24.
3 When the huſband-man was a ſleepe, the enemie ſowed tares, in the night, and went his way. The morning came, the tares were not eſpyed; no, they were not eſpyed in the ſpring-time, but grew togither with the wheat, and ſeemed all this while to be good wheate. At laſt, the blade appeared, and brought forth fruit; and then appeared the tares alſo: Now they were diſcerned and never before. Then came the Servants of the houſholder, and ſaid vntounto him; Maſter, ſowedſt thou not good ſeede in thy field? from whence hath it tares? And he ſaid to them. Some envious man hath done this. Matth. 13.24.25.26.27.28. Even ſo, when Chriſt our Saviour, ſowed the ſeed of eternall life, the doctrine of the Goſpell; the Enemy, the Divell (the auctor of Poperie) ſowed tares amongſt the good ſeed, even covertly and ſecretly hee ſowed errours & hereſies, whileſt men feared no ſuch danger: But nowe being growne vp, being ripe and rotten, we diſcerne them to be tares and hereſies indeed. The Papiſts oftentimes obiect: If our doctrine be errour and hereſie, then tell vsus vvhen it came in, who was the auctor of it, vnderunder what Pope or Emperor was it firſt taught? We anſwere, to know this, is not expedient; neither indeed doe we know, who was the firſt auctor (immediatly next vntounto Sathan) and founder of every one of their blaſphemous opinions. But this we know, that our Maſters ſeed which hee ſowed, was perfit and good: whatſoever elſe commeth vp with it, which is not of the ſeed, we are ſure, it is a ſtincking weed, a vile graine fitter for beaſts and divels, then for men: and not the fine wheate, the fruit of the precious ſeed of our Maſter. We can neither tell by whom, nor at what time,5. Reaſon of Religion. the enemie did ſow it; yet ſure we are, it is hereticall, and hath beene ſowen ſince the time that our Maſter ſowed his field with good ſeed.