Against Popery, Treatise · Argument 1
THE FIRST ARGVMENT TOVCHING THE breeding and begetting of true religion.
THVS hauing declared both the reaſons that moued me to this work, and likewiſe the ſtate of the whole cauſe hādled herein, I will now enter into the arguments thē ſelues. Here therefore firſt of al, let vsus conſider the chiefe and principall meanes: whereby both that religion that is of God, and acceptable vntounto God is at the firſt begunne and framed, and afterward further built and perfected in them that atteine vntounto it, and alſo of the like meanes, whereby poperie is at the firſt hatched, and afterward brooded & further ſtrengthoned. Touching the former, it is moſt certaine that it is alwayes begunne by the word of God. For the Apoſtle S. Paule expreſſly teacheth vsus. Rom. 10. 17. That faith is by hearing the word of god preached. S. Iames alſo chap. 1. 18. ſaith, that we are begotten againe by the word of truth. Our Sauiour likewiſe in the parable of the ſeede. Matth. 13. plainely ſheweth that, that onelyonly is good ground into the which the ſeede of god his word falling bringeth forth good fruite, and ſo likewiſe that, that onelyonly is to be accounted good fruite which ſpringeth from the ſeede of the word. As the word of god is the only ordinary meanes whereby faith and regeneration are begunne in euerie man whome God will hauehave to be ſaued: ſo alſo it is the eſpeciall meanes, whereby they are to be further built till they be finiſhed. S. Peter exhorteth the Chriſtians to whome he wrote, that as they were allreadie borne a new by the word of God. 1. Pet. 1. 23. So alſo as new borne babes they ſhould deſire the ſincere milke of the word, that they might grow thereby, chap. 2. verſe. 2. Saint Paule likewiſe hauing firſt exhorted the Theſſalonians, not to quench the ſpirit, which they had receiued, that is to cheriſh the ſpirite, meaning the worke of faith & regeneration wrought by the ſpirit (a Metonymy, of the cauſe for the effect) preſently admoniſheth them, not to deſpiſe prophecying. 1. Theſſ. 5. 20. Where by prophecying (by a Synecdoche, of the ſpeciall for the generall,) he meaneth the preaching onelyonly of the ſame word by the which before they had receiued the Spirite. Our Sauiour Chriſt alſo in his Epiſtles to the ſeuen Churches of Aſia, Reuelat. 2. and 3. Exhorting thoſe Churches to repentance, conſtancie, keeping of the thinges they had receiued, & the encreaſing of them, addeth in the ende of thoſe Epiſtles this generall admonition, Let him that hath an eare, heare what the Spirite ſaith to the Churches, whereby he giueth all men to vnderſtand, that hearing of that which the ſpirite ſaid to the Churches, was the eſpeciall meanes for the working and encreaſing of the thinges commended in thoſe Epiſtles to the Churches.
2 All this hitherto ſpoken of the word of God, is to be vnderſtood onelyonly of the word of God written and conteined in the holy Scriptures. For whatſoeuer the Papiſtes ſay of their vnwritten verities, as equiualent to the doctrine of the Scriptures, yet that there are no ſuch vnwritten verities of ſuch authoritie, and ſo to be eſteemed as it hath beene ſufficiētly prooued by that worthy man, & of holy memorie M. Whitaker, and other learned men that hauehave particularly delt in that cauſe, ſo is it alſo euidēt by that generall admonition before ſpoken of, giuen to the ſeuen Churches, becauſe in it by hearing that which the ſpirit ſaith, is not meant any vnwritten veritie, but that which before Chriſt Ieſus had commanded Iohn to write to the ſeuen Churches.
3 Theſe thinges beeing thus euident touching that religion that is of God, and acceptable vntounto God, let vsus now ſee by what meanes Poperie is hatched and brooded. Here let a view be taken of the Papiſts within our owne land and abroad, yea of all whatſoeuer, whereſoeuer and whenſoeuer; which of all them may be ſaid to be begotten and wonne to that religion, by the preaching of the word of God comprehended in the Scriptures? which of all theſe can be ſaid to hauehave beene confirmed and ſtrengthened in that ſame religion by the ſame worde? Verelie it is moſt certaine that poperie is begunne, encreaſed and perfected not by that word, but by traditions onelyonly and doctrines of men. The more men are purelie inſtructed in the word of God, the more they heare & conſider of the doctrine of the Scriptures, the further are they from all poperie; the more they diſlike and abhorre the ſame. Againe, the leſſe men are acquainted with the word of God, the ſeeldomer they heare it, or reade it, the more capable certainlie are they of all poperie, the more alſo are they confirmed and ſtrengthened, yea rather hardened in all poperie. This is moſt euident; Firſt, becauſe as the pure preaching of the word of God decayed in the world, ſo poperie grew and encreaſed; Secondly, becauſe ſithence the ſincere preaching of this word hath beene againe reuiued in theſe latter times: the more hath poperie waſted and pined according to the prophecy of the Apoſtle who hath ſaid, that the Lord ſhould conſume Antichriſt with the ſpirite of his mouth. 2. Theſſ. 2. 8. Thirdly, the ſame is manifeſt by diuers examples of places and perſons in our owne land. For where the Goſpell is moſt plentifully and truely preached, there are feweſt Papiſtes, and where the Goſpel is leaſt preached, there is the greateſt number of papiſtes. Some places which were moſt popiſh of all the cuntrey where they are, before they had the preaching of the word, are now ſithence that god in merciemercy hath vouchſafed the ſame vntounto them, moſt free of poperie & papiſtes. My ſelfe as young as I am, did know the time long ſithence the happie Reigne of her Maieſtie, when we in Kent was moſt accounted & alſo was indeede the moſt popiſh place of all that countrie. But ſithence it hath pleaſed God to ſend vntounto them the miniſterie of his word, poperie hath there vaniſhed as the miſt before the Sunne: and now I thinke it is leſſe noted for popery, then any other place, eſpecially then any place which hath not had the word, as that hath had it. Yea few places are more forward thē that in true profeſſion of our religion. The like may be ſaid of many other places, both in the South, and alſo in the North partes of England. Again, who are the moſt obſtinate papiſts in the lād? are they not thoſe that neuer hauehave heard the word of god preached vntounto thē? or that hauing heard it, are fallen away from it? and what is the cauſe why manie are ſo obſtinate in poperie? Is it not becauſe they will not be dravven to heare that word of God neither yet to reade it? Truelie I doubt not but that if it might pleaſe God to giuegive vntounto them willing mindes to heare or read the Scriptures, with a true deſire indeede to keepe and embrace the doctrine in them conteined, how contrarie ſoeuer to that which in times paſt they hauehave held or doe yet hold, then the more they ſhould heare or reade, the more they would diſlike of their former religion. In the meane time whilſt they care not for hearing or reading, whileſt they deſpiſe the Scriptures, whileſt they raile of the hearing and reading of them (as many of the moſt learned papiſtes do) what do they elſe but be wray, that they are not yet begotten vntounto God by them, neither the children of God, & that therefore their religion is not of God. For if they were begotten vntounto god, and that by the doctrine of the Scriptures, if they were the children of God, as they imagine and boaſt of them ſelues, would they not delight to heare his word? at leaſt would they not delight to reade the word by whomeſoeuer brought vntounto them? what louing child is not glad to heare the voyce of his louing father, or to read at leaſt his letters ſent by others vntounto him from the place where him ſelfe is? He that is of God, heareth God his word. Ioh. 8. 47. If they were, the ſheepe of Chriſt, they would heare his voyce. Iohn. 10. 27. If they ſuſpect our preaching of the word, yet they would at the leaſt come to thoſe places, where the worde is read, or they would reade it at home by themſelues, in ſuch a tongue as wherein they might vnderſtand it. Sith therefore they care not for the hearing or reading it, they ſhewe they are not begotten to God by it.
4 As touching our religion it is begotten by the word of god, it is confirmed & ſtrengthened by the word of God. As mens traditions grew in requeſt with men, ſo our religion at the firſt decaied. As the vanitie of mens traditions began to be diſcerned & aboliſhed by the breaking forth of the glorious light of the Scriptures out of the cloude of poperie, ſo our religion was againe renewed and encreaſed. The more common that the Scriptures are, or hauehave beene, the more doth our religion flouriſh, and hath flouriſhed from time to time. The more men heare the Scriptures, ſearch the Scriptures, meditate the Scriptures, and pray vntounto God for the true vnderſtanding of the Scriptures: the more alſo do men miſlike of poperie, and grow into louelove of our religion. The Papiſtes themſelues ſee this to be ſo, and can not denie it, therefore doe they by all meanes they can, not onelyonly accuſe the Scriptures of ſuch difficultie & obſcuritie, as whereby they diſcourage the vnlearned ſort from reading of them, but alſo they vtterly denie them to the common people in their vulgar tongue. On the contrarie, they care not how common their vnwritten verities be. If they feared not the ouerthrow of their religion, and the growing of ours by the vſe of the Scriptures, why ſhould they ſo ſtreightly reſtraine the common people from it? if they thought as they ſpeake and write, that their vnwritten verities were of God, aſwell as the Scriptures: why ſhould they make thē more common then the Scriptures? Is it becauſe they thinke them more eaſie, and therefore fitter for the capacitie of the common people then the Scriptures? This will not ſtand with that, which they make the ground of them, and which they pretend for their ſpeciall warranr: namely with the wordes of our Sauiour to his diſciples, Other thinges hauehave I to ſay vntounto you, but yee cannot beare them now &c. Iohn. 16. 12. For by theſe wordes it is manifeſt, that thoſe things which Chriſt had further to ſay vntounto his diſciples, were harder thē thoſe that then he did ſpeake, & are now writtē, otherwiſe he would not hauehave added as a reaſon, why he did for a time conceale them, but yee can not beare them now.
5 Now to finiſh this point, foraſmuch as that religion which God accepteth and liketh of, is wrought by the preaching of his owne word, foraſmuch as Poperie hath not ſuch beginning, but is onelyonly engendred by the ſlyme of traditions, and doctrines of men. Finally foraſmuch as the religion now publikelie profeſſed in England is both begotten by that immortall ſeede, and doth alſo grow to further perfection, by that pure milke of the word of God, therefore I conclude for my firſt argument that poperie is onelyonly ſuch as thoſe ſlimie traditions & doctrines are, whereof it is ingēdred, and that our religion is not of man, but of God, and acceptable vntounto God.