The Papists Reasons of State and Religion, Reason of religion 35 – Reason of religion 37
Reaſon of Religion. 35 REASON OF RELIGION.
A Religion, whoſe doctrine ſo generally ſymboliſeth, & holdeth the like abſoluteaBegging of the queſtion: they conſent neither with ſcriptures Councels nor Fathers. conſent with all parts of holy Scriprure that were ever received of the Chriſtian worlde: with the decrees of all confirmed Oecumenicall Councels, & with the ioint aſſertions of all ancient Fathers: as ſhee is not driven like(b)The Lutheran, & CalviniſtWee take thē as they be, Apocriphall writings: The Fathers oid ſo, See pag. 92. reiect Baruch, Toby, Iudith, the booke of Wiſdome, Eccleſiaſtic us the Machabees, certaine Chapters of Eſther, the laſt parte of Daniel. And the Lutherans the Epiſtle of S. James, S. Paule to theThe Lutherens are manifeſtly ſlandered. Hebrewes, the Epiſtle of Saint Iude, the ſecond of S. Peter, the ſeconde and thirde of Sains John. other religions for defending her poſitions, to reiect either Scripturie, Councel, or the vniforme opinion of Doctours, but taketh the approbation of her doctrin from them all, and teacheth all her children out of S. Auguſtine, (c)Epist. 118. cap. 5.Diſputare contra id quod tota per orbem frequentas eccleſia inſolentiſſimae dementiae eſt, To calthe lawfulnes of that into queſtion, which the whole Church frequenteth throughout the worlde is moſt inſolent madneſſe.
Reſolution of the 35. Reaſon.
Popiſh religion holdeth abſolute conſent vvith all partes of bolie Scripture, with the decrees of all Occumenicall Councels, and with the ioynt aſſertions of all ancient Fathers.
Ergo.
Poperie is true religion, and to be tolerated.
ANSWERE.
1 This Reaſon is the very ſame with the 28. Reaſon going before, that is, an impudent & vaine brag, which neither the Suppliants nor all the world ſhall ever bee able to proue.
2 For indeed the grounds of Popiſh religion…, are their owne private interpretations, & traditions of men, without warrant either from the Scriptures, or from General Councels, or ancient Fathees, that are of credite in the Church of God.
3 I wil alledge but a few proofes for a taſt amongſt infinite of others which might be brought. I. The Papiſts differ, yea are quite contrary vntounto the holy Scriptures. The Scriptures teach iuſtification freely by faith in Chriſt without works. Rom. 3.24.25. Epheſ. 2.8.9. &c. The Papiſts condemne thē for heretiks that teach ſo. The Scriptures teach that Chriſtes offering himſelfe once for all, hath made perfect all them that are ſanctified, Heb. 10.14. The Papiſtes teach contrariwiſe, that they muſt be perfected by the iteration of his ſacrifice in the Maſſe. The Scriptures teach, that Chriſt aſcended into heavē. Coloſ. 3.1. Act. 1.9. &c. & that the heavens muſt containe him, vntill the reſurrection of all thinges. Acts 3.21. The Papiſts cō trarily, will hauehave him, as oft as they conſecrate, to come downe to hide himſelfe vnderunder the formes of bread & wine. The Scriptures ſay concerning the Cup in the Sacraments, Drinke yee all of this. Math. 26.22. The Papiſtes ſay, that lay men muſt not drinke thereof. The Scriptures forbid the making and worſhipping of Images, Exod. 20.4. The Papiſts allow both theſe. The Scriptures preferre, the speaking of 5. words in the Church that may be vnderſtood, before 10000. in a tongue not vnderſtoods. Cor. 14.19. The Papiſts thinke iuſt the contrarie. The Scriptures account marriage honorable among all men in all eſtates, & the marriage bed vndefiled. Heb. 13.4. The Papiſts condemne it in their Prieſts, as a filthie life. The Scriptures teach that God worketh even in the regenerate, both to wil & to performe, even of his owne good pleaſure. Philip. 2.13. The Papiſts teach contrary wiſe in their doctrine of free-wil. The Scriptures teach that there is but one GOD, & but one Mediatour betwixt God & Man, the man Ieſus Chriſt. 1. Tim 2. The Papiſts ſet vp a nūber of Mediatours & Advocates beſides. The Scriptures teach that no man can lay any other foundation, then that which is alreadie laide Chriſt Ieſus 1. Cor. 3.11. The Papiſts have laid Peter & his ſucceſſours for the foundation of their Church.
4 II They diſagree from the ſanctions of Oecumenical Councels: The Apoſtles in the I. Synode decreede that the Diſciples ſhould not be burdened with Ceremonies, Act 15. The Papiſtes hauehave tired & even oppreſſed the Church with that yoke. Yea the Pope expreſſely contemneth all Councels, and exempteth himſelfe from their auctoritie. Diſt. 17. c. 6. Concilia. p. Symmachus. Cauſ. 9. q. 3. c. 17. cuncta. Decr. Gre. li. 1. t. 9. de Elect. c. 4. Significaſts, pargr. Aiunt. In the Mantuan Councell it was decreed, that if any man came vntounto Eccleſiaſticall dignities by Simony, he ſhold be depoſed. But who is he amongſt Popiſh Biſhops, or Popes themſelves that is free from this ſinne. In the Councell of Baſill it was decreed, that the Romiſh Court ſhold take no mony for cōfirmatiōs, collations, diſpēſations, elections, poſtulatiōs, preſentatiōs, benefices, benedictiōs, yea not for the pall it ſelfe. But if the Pope had obeyed this ſanction, his Kitchen had bin quite frozen by this time. The Maguntine Councell ordayned that what goodes ſoever were be queathed vntounto the Church of Cleargie by will and teſtament, it ſhould be repayde again vntounto the Heires. But the ſwarms of idle Friers could not indure this. In the I. Nicene it was ordayned that the Cleargy might marry; & alſo that every Metropolitan ſhould have abſolute iuriſdiction over his owne Biſhops, to hinder appeales to Rome. The Papiſts teach flat contrary. In the Affrican, Carthaginian & Councell of Hippon it was decreed that no man ſhould be called Prince of Prieſts, head of Prieſts or by any other ſuch name: But the Pope wil none of that. Briefly the Papiſts teach flat contrarie vntounto the Melivetan, Chalcedon, Gangrenſe, to the ſixt Synode, to the Ancyran, Lateran, and other Councels, as I hauehave declared at large, Lib. 1. de Antichriſto, Cap. 18.
5 Ill How wel the Papiſtes cōſent with the Fathers, appeareth before pa. 92. & is manifeſt by that the Ieſuites will not acknowledge them to be Fathers, in that wherin they teach otherwiſe then the moderne Popiſh Church doth. Patres non cenſentur Patres, cum ſuum aliquid, quod ab Eccleſia non acceperunt, vel ſcribunt, vel docent. Ioan. Duraeus in Cōfut. Responſ. Whuk. Rat. 5. de Patrib. pag. 262. edit Ingolſt. Anno Dom. 1585 in 80.
Reaſon of Religion. 36 36. REASON OF RELIGION.
A Religion which no perſecution could any timeaPopery was to be deſtroyed by the Spirite of the Lordes mouth. 2. Theſ. 2.8. vanquiſh, nor the conioyning forces, malice, & machination of Pagan, Iewe, or other her moſt powreful enemies, nor yet that which is infinitely of far more force to this end, thebHere they confeſſe the lives of their profeſſours to bee wicked which they denied before in the 8. & 22. Reaſ. of Relig. wicked liues of ſeuerall her profeſſors & chiefe rulers either hauehave hitherto, or ſhall to the worlds end (as we aſſuredly beleeve) ever be able to extirpate it wholy, or ſo to darken the viſiblity, or beautie thereof, as to make it no where to appeere, or not to ſhine: Nay, God hath alwaies bin ſo ſtrōg on her ſide, as the more ſhe was perſecuted, the more ſhe multiplied. An obſeruation that long ſince cauſed(a)In Triphone. Iuſtinus to reſemblecProve that. our Churches perſecution to the pruning of Vines, which maketh them the more fertile, and likewiſe movedbCap. vlt. Apologetici. Tertullian to call the blood of her Martyrs the ſeede of Chriſtians, one dying, and many riſing thereof. Neither can it be well doubted, but that if our religion (to ſpeake withcAct. 5.39. wiſe Gamaliel) had bin of men, & not of God, it would hauehave bindStay your time. Popery falleth every day more and more, and is ſo ridiculous that it is laughed at and ſcorned of children. diſſolved long ere this, as all other ſectes hauehave periſhed in much ſhorter while, agreeably to the ſaying of the Apoſtle S. Paule, d2. Tim. 3.9.They ſhall proſper no farther, and to that of S. Peter, (e)2. Pet. 2.3.Their perdition ſlumbreth not. Sith therfore our Church is not only not ſuncke, or obſcured by any might, or neuer ſo violent ſtormes of oppoſitions, but rather as the Arke of Noe, the greater the deluge & waues, the higher, and more illuſtriouſly ſhee mounteth, it followes, that of all others ſhee muſt be that very Church, againſt which by the promiſe of our Saviour,fMatth. 16.18. Hell gates, (that is, the power and hatred of man, and devill) ſhall not prevaile.
Reſolution of the 36. Reaſon.
Popiſh religiō is that which no perſecutiō could any time vāquiſh.
Ergo:
It is true Religion and to be tolerated.
ANSWERE.
1 IT is not Popery, but true Chriſtian Religion that is invincible in perſecution. Matth. 16.18.
2 It is not perſecution, but due puniſhment for their offences that is executed vponupon Papiſts.
3 Popiſh Religion was indeed to be vanquiſhed & conſumed by no other meanes, but by the Spirite of the Lordes mouth, and ſhall vtterly bee deſtroyed and aboliſhed by the brightneſſe of his comming. 2. Theſſ. 2.8. So farre therfore is this reaſon from making for Papiſts, that it maketh quite againſt them. See my treatiſe De Antichriſto lib. 1. cap. 33.
Reaſon of Religion. 37 37. REASON OF RELIGION.
A Religion, ſome of whoſe Profeſſours hauehave had alwaies vponupon every need occurring, power and graceaNot to caſtout, but to coniure. to caſt out Divels of the bodies of the poſſeſſed; the firſt of all otherbThat manner of casting out devils hath ſeaſed long ſince. Onuplirius de vita Pij quint. ſignes, which our Savior himſelfe gaue, for having his true beleevers diſtinguiſhed from others. And this gift is ſo well knowne, by continuall execution thereof, to reſide in the Romane Catholike Church, andcBoldly ſpoken, but not proved. never found in the companies of any other Profeſſions, as theredwhere there is moſt need, they ſhift it off by this ſhift; as if it were granted. needeth no recitall of particulars. Pius Quintus, Pope of late memory, diſpoſſeſſedeJmpudēt lyes. tactu stolae, & data benedictione; onelyonly by touch of his ſtole, and by giving his benediction. And how frequent theſe effects, not only vponupon perſons poſſeſſed, but in driving away Divels alſo from the places they moſt infeſtuouſly haunted, hauehave bin even newly wrought in both the Indies, where no other Religion profeſſing Chriſt, is knowne, but the Catholike Romane Religion only Petrus Martyr, Gonzalus Ovetanus, in their hiſtories of the Indies, and Gonzalus Mendoza in his hiſtorie of China, doe giuegive moſt ample teſtimonie.
Reſolution of the 37. Reaſon.
Popiſh Religion is that whoſe Profeſſors hauehave had alwaies power & grace to caſt out Divels of the bodies of the poſſeſſed.
Ergo:
Popiſh Religion is true and to be tolerated.
ANSWERE.
1 IT is moſt falſe that the Papiſts hauehave power to caſt out Divels: Their Exerciſtes hauehave no warrant nor promiſe out of the word of God to attempt any ſuch thing: and it is moſt certaine by many memorable examples, that they are ridiculous vntounto the Divels themſelues.
2 If at any time the Divels goe out of the poſſeſſed by Popiſh exorciſing, vndoubtedly he is not caſt out, but doth willingly (how vnwilling ſoever he ſeemes to be) leaue the body, to gaine many ſoules.
3 The Proteſtantes hauehave power to caſt out Divels out of the Poſſeſſed by Praier and Faſting, which are the ordinary meanes which Chriſt left in his Church for that purpoſe; Mark. 9.29. And doe ſo, as is certaine by Experience, (Pet. Martyr in ver. 65. Cap. 8 lib. 1. Reg. loan Chaſſan. Loc. Com. lib. 1 Cap. 17. p. 6. pag. 62. Melancth. in Concil. & Iudicijs Theolog. part. 2. pag. 117. Beza Hiſt. Paſſ Hom. 26 pag. 656. Ʋogellius in Theſaur. Theol pag. 980. Danaeu quaſt. 38 in Marcum, pag. 147. Mark. Kemait. Exam part. 2. de ſacram. Ordinis.) Which in effect is the ſame with the Word of God.
4 Origen ſaith, Si aliquando oportuerit nos eirca curationem Daemoniacorum permanere, non adiuremus, ne que interrogemus, ne que loquamur quaſi audienti Spiritui immundo: ſed permanentes in Orationibus & Ieiunijs impetremus patients ſalutem à DEO; & abigamus Ieiunijs & Orationibus noſtris Spiritus maliguos. Orig. Tom. 2. in Matthaum Tract. 4 pag 57. edit. Froben. An. 1545.