The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Reason of religion 33
Reaſon of Religion. 33 33. REASON OF RELIGION.
A Religiō, that hath alwaies had (as the Apoſtle aſſureth Gods church ſhould ever hauehave, yeelding alſo fowre weighty cauſes of the ſame) a perpetuall viſible continuance of knowneaNot Popes & Cardinals. Paſtors and Doctors, to the conſummation of the Saints, the firſt cauſe: vntounto the worke of the miniſtery, the ſecond cauſe: vntounto the edifying of the body of Christ, the thirde cauſe: that now we be not children wavering, and caried about with every winde of doctrine, the fourth cauſe: and this, vntill wee meete all into the vnity of faith, that is, to the worlds end Which ſucceſſiue & eve… …ontinuing duration of Paſtors and Doctors (the ſame being alſo promiſed before to the true Chriſtian Church by ſeverallaPſal. 88.31. & ſequ. Eſa 59.20. & 21. Ierem 31.31. & ſequ. Ezech 37.25. Prophets, and ſo greatly materiall in it ſelfe, as without it there can be(b)Falſe. See the anſwere. no Church, as bothbLib. 4 epiſt. 9. S. Cyprian, andcLib. contr. Luciferian. S. Hierom doe abſolutely affirme) hath not, nor can bee ever proved to hauehave beene fulfilled in any other Church, ſaue only in the Catholike Romane Church: and in it, moſt apparantly demonſtrable by the Eccleſiaſticall hiſtories of all ages, and by the ſhorte ſpace, or rather momentary blaſt of time that al other Religions, compared with ours, hauehave indured.
Reſolution of the 33. Reaſon.
Popiſh Religion, hath alwaies had a perpetuall viſible continuance of knowne Paſtours and Doctors.
Ergo:
Popery is true Religion, and to be tolerated.
ANSWERE.
1 THis Reaſon is parallel vntounto the 31. Reaſon. But I anſwere farther.
2 I. The luſtre and glory of the Church is two fold, Interiour, and Exteriour; the inward glory is that which conſiſteth in purity of doctrine; the outward glory conſiſteth in the amplitude and peaceable ſtate of the Church; The inward glory never faileth in the Church; but the outward oftentimes doth. VntoUnto this belongeth the ſucceſſion of ordinary Paſtours and Doctors; for indeede there may bee a true Church without ordinary Paſtors. Where two or three conſent in verity of doctrine, there is Chriſt in the midſt of them, there is the Church. Againe the Church fled into the wildernes where for a time ſhee was fed by God, &c.
3 The Popiſh Wolues are not true Paſtours and Doctors of the Church wherof the Apoſtle Paule ſpeaketh, Eph. 4.11. For in the Papacie, we ſee the Pope extolling himſelf aboue all; yea ſometimes two, three, or fowre Popes at once, curſing & banning one the other into the pit of hell; and fighting many a bloody cūbate for Peters chaire (as they ſay.) We ſee many Cardinals, Patriarkes, Archbiſhops, Biſhops, Abbots, &c. which repreſent Herods or Pharaos court, yea which bear the ſhew of the Babylonian or Perſian Monarchy following them in all ambition, arrogancy, vanity, luxurie, rather then the Apoſtolicall ſtate of the Eccleſiaſticall Miniſtry, whereof the Apoſtle Paule ſpeaketh.
4 The Lord gaue vntounto his Church Paſtours and Doctours, the Suppliants vrge out of Paule Eph. 4. Bee it ſo: But here is no mention of Pope, Cardinals, Monkes, Friers, Ieſuits, Prieſts, &c. VVherefore we may retort this Argument vponupon the Papiſts themſelues thus.
They only hauehave a true and a lawfull calling and ordination in the Church, who are mentioned by the Apoſtle Paul, Eph. 4.11. But the Pope, Cardinals, Abbots, Moonks, Friers, Ieſuits, Prieſts &c. are not mentioned by the Apoſtle.
Ergo:
Theſe hauehave no lawfull calling.
5 Againe.
That is the true Church in which there is a lawfull vocation & ordination of Paſtours and Miniſters.
In the Popiſh Church there is no lawfull ordination of ſuch: as we hauehave proved before.
Ergo:
The Popiſh Church is not the true Church.