A General View of Papistry, To the reader
The Preface to the Reader.
GOod Christian Reader, thinke not the time long, nor the labour lost, if I shall in a few words open my mind further vntounto thee: and as leading thee by the hand, shew thee the way & entrance into this treatise following. We are not ignorant how this famous Church of England the mother of vsus all, hath been these many yeeres molested and troubled with hollow hearted brethren, sowers of corrupt doctrine, deuisers of mischiefe, enemies to our peace, and in one word, Romish Catholikes and Papists. They hauehave been from time to time, as prickes to our sides, and thornes in our eyes,Canticl. 2.15. Math. 3. as the Cananites were to Israel: they are the Foxes that destroy the Lords vineyard, the progenie of the Pharisees, a generation of vipers, whose propertie is to gnaw out the sides of their damme when they are brought forth: euen so hauehave these vipers sought the destruction of their countrey. They are the serpent by the way, that byteth the horse heeles, & causeth the rider to fall backward: that is,Gene. 49.17. Ezech. 39.18. subtilly do vndermine and hinder the prosperous successe of religion. Of such prophecied Ezechiel, They do eate the good pasture, and tread downe the rest with their feete: they hauehave drunke of the deepe waters, & troubled the residue with their feet. They are not cōtent themselues to eate the fat, & drinke the sweet of the land, but some of them hauehave laboured & practised to disturbe our peace, and to trouble the quiet state of the land. But let not vsus (good brethren) be offended at these things. First let vsus not be astonished, as though some strange thing had befallen vsus:1. Cor. 11.19. for S. Paul hath said, That heresies must be among vsus, that they which are approued may be knowne: in time of persecution exercebant patientiam Ecclesiae, they did proue the patience of the Church: but now as Augustine saith, exercent sapientiam, they doe exercise the wisedome of the Church. Let not the number and multitude offend vsus of those, which doe band themselues against the Church: for so it must be, Christs flocke is but a little flocke. Let vsus not be afrayd of their wisedome,Luk. 12.32. power or strength: the scripture teacheth vsus, that they in their generation are wiser then the children of light: yet the Lord our God, that is with vsus, and fighteth for vsus, is wiser and stronger then they. Let them not deceiue vsus with a shew of holinesse:2. Cor. 11.14. 1. Pet. 4.15. In Psalm. 34. Conc. 2. for Sathan can transforme himselfe into an Angel of light: neither let it moue vsus because they endure some trouble and losse of their goods, and imprisonment of their bodies for their religion (which is falsely so called) for S. Peter saith, That men may suffer as euill doers, and so doe these. And S. Augustine saith, Si poenae martyres faceret, omnes carceres martyribus pleni essent, omnes catenae martyres traherent: If the punishment onelyonly, and not the cause made Martyrs, al prisons should be full of Martyrs, and all that are bound with fetters and chaines should be Martyrs. But let vsus (not stumbling at any of these stones) be constant in the faith, and go forward in the profession of the Gospel, which is grounded vponupon the Scripture, sealed with the blood of Martyrs, waited and attended vponupon these many yeeres, as the mistresse with the handmaid, with peace, prosperitie, and abundance of all blessings. With them there is no peace to be had:Bellarm. de laicis. lib. 3. cap. 19. Deut. 22.10 their owne Doctors teach, that no reconciliation can be made betweene vsus: And indeed so it is, for there is no fellowship betweene light and darknesse. The Israelites were commanded, not to sow their ground with diuers seedes, nor to plough with an oxe & an asse. What is this els, but that the Church of God cannot consist of beleeuers & Idolaters of true Christians and hypocrites, Catholikes and Heretikes, Protestants and Papists? Their seede and ours is diuers: they sow the doctrine of men, and humane traditions: we sow the seede of Gods word. The oxe is onelyonly fit for the Lords plough, that chaweth the cud, and deuideth the hoofe, the asse doth neither: Who is he that deuideth the hoofe, & chaweth the cud Augustine telleth vsus,Homil. 35. Fissa vngula pertinet ad discernendū, quid dextrū, quid sinistrū: ruminatio pertinet ad eos, qui cogitant postea quid audierint: He deuideth the hoofe, that deuideth and discerneth what is good, & what euill: and they chaw the cud, that do meditate of that, which they heare out of the word. But such are not the common Catholikes among Papists: for they do not allow eueryevery one, the mistresse, the mayd, the ploughman and artificer to talke of Scripture, or moue questions and doubts in Religion: and so make them asses, not oxen to chaw the cud.Rhemist. Prefat. sect. 7. Rhemist. 1. Ioan. 4. sect. 1. Dan. 2.33. Ierem. 15.19. They say it belongeth not to eueryevery Christian, to discerne betweene true and false doctrine, but they must take their faith of their superiours, and obey them in all things: and so neither would they hauehave them deuide the hoofe, taking from them their discerning iudgement. There is no agreement therefore to be looked for at their hands: no more then yron or clay can be tempred together: Their old vessels cannot receiue the new liquor of the Gospell: but they must first become new themselues: they must first put off their beggerly ragges of Popish ceremonies and superstitions, or els they shall neuer put on Christ: And to be short, Reuertantur illi ad te, ne tu reuertaris ad illos: Let them returne vntounto vsus, we will not returne to them, as the Lord saith to Ieremie.
But lest now we should be thought to speake without booke, deepely charging our aduersaries with heresie, lyes, false doctrine, and prouing nothing: we will take some paynes of set downe some principall opinions of the Papists, which hauehave in the purer ages of the Church been condemned for heresies.
Marcellina the companion of Carpocrates the archheretike, worshipped the Images of Iesus and Paul, and offered incense vntounto them, August. heres. 7. So the Papists do worship the Images of Saints, and in the second Nicene Councel it was decreed, that the Image of God should be worshipped with the same honour that God himselfe was.
The Heracleonites did anoynt their sicke which lay a dying, with oyle and balme, Heres. 16. So the Papists hauehave found out extreme vnction and made it a Sacrament.
The Caians did hold, that the sinne of Iudas in betraying Christ, was a benefite to mankind, Heres. 18. The Papists come somewhat neere: One of them affirmeth, that the Iewes had sinned mortallie, if they had not crucified Christ: Ex Iuell. defens. Apolog. p. 676.
The Pepuzians iudged heretikes, because they permitted women to be Priests, Heres. 27. So it was decreed in the Florentine Councel among the Papists, that in the case of necessitie, not only a lay man, but an heretike, pagan, and a woman to, may baptize.
The heretikes called Angelici were condemned, because they worshipped Angels, Heres. 39. So the Rhemists teach, that Angels may be worshipped, Annot. in Apocal. 3 sect. 6.
There was a sect of heretikes that walked with bare feete, because God sayd to Moses, put off thy shooes, &c. Heres. 68. And so are there of Friers that goe barefoote, as the Friers Flagellants, and Franciscanes.
The Priscillianists did make the Apocrypha, that is, bookes not Canonicall of equall authoritie with Scripture, Heres. 70. So doe the Papists, the bookes of Tobie, Iudith, Machabees, and others, which are not found in the Canon of the Hebrue, they make thē bookes of Canonical Scripture, and part of the word of God: yea, they say, that whatsoeuer the Pastors of the Church doe teach beside Scripture in the vnitie of the Church, is to be taken for the word of God, Rhemist. annot. 1. Thessal. cap. 2 sect. 12.
An Archheretike called Marcus, did hold that Christ did not verily suffer and indeed, but in shew onelyonly and appearance, Heres. 14 The Appollinarists also affirmed, that Christ tooke humane flesh without a soule, Heres. 55. I pray you, how farre are the Papists from these heresies? for they affirme that Christ suffered not in soule: Nay the Rhemists hold, that it is a blasphemous assertion so to say, Annot. Hebr. 5. v. 7. What is this els, but either with Marcus to say, that Christ suffered but in shewe, and that he felt nothing in soule, when he cryed out vponupon the Crosse, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? for if there were no such matter indeed, Christ must hauehave vttered those words only in outward shew and pretense. Againe, they cannot shift off handsomely from them the Appollinarists heresie: for why did Christ take vponupon him our flesh and soule, but to redeeme man, that was lost both in bodie and soule? and therefore he must needes hauehave suffered both in bodie and soule: for if there were no vse of the humane soule in the worke of our redemption,Cont. Felician. cap. 13. you might as wel say with the Appollinarists that Christ had no soule at all. Thus Augustine reasoneth: Si totus homo perijt, totus beneficio saluatoris indiguit, sitotut beneficio saluatoris indigebat, totum Christus veniendo saluabit: If the whole man both in bodie and soule were lost, he wholly had need of a Sauiour: and if he wholly needed a Sauiour; Christ by his comming did wholly saue him. Ergo ▪ it followeth that Christ must wholly hauehave died & suffred in bodie & soule to redeeme man, that was wholly lost in bodie & soule.
The Anthropomorphites did imagine, that God was in shape and proportion like a man, Heres. 50. Doe not our Rhemists sauour strongly of this heresie, which allow the image of God to be pictured like an old man with gray haires in their Churches? Annot Act. cap 17. v. 29.
The heretikes Abeliani ▪ thought it not lawfull for their sort to liue without wiues, and yet they neuer vsed, nor kept companie with their wiues, Heres. 87. Do not the Papists come neere them, which hold that their priests which were married before orders, ought not afterward to hauehave accesse to their wiues, yet are they their wiues still, neither is the marriage knot dissolued betweene them? Rhemist. Act. 21. sect. 1.
The Pelagian heretikes did hold three pernicious opinions. First, that a man may be perfect in this life, and keepe all the Commandements, Heres. 88. So the Rhemists say, it is possible to keepe all the precepts of the law, Annot. Ioan. …4. sect. 1. Secondly, the Pelagians say, that grace is giuen vntounto men onelyonly to this end, that they may more easily doe those things which they are commanded to doe by their owne free will, Heres. 88. So the Rhemists say, that man was neuer without free will, but hauing the grace of Christ, it is truely made free, Annot. Ioan. 8. sect. 2. What is this els, but that his free will is made more free, and that grace helpeth him not whollie to worke, but more easily onelyonly? Thirdly, the Pelagians hold, Gratiam Dei non ad singulos actus dari: That the grace of God is not needfull to be giuen at eueryevery assay, but that their free will in most things is sufficient, August. Epist. 106. So the Rhemists say, that though the Gentiles beleeued specially by Gods grace, yet they beleeued also of their owne free will, Act. 13. sect. 2. What say they els, but that a man may beleeue by his owne free will without grace.
The Manichees condemned the eating of flesh, as being vncleane and impure, Heres. 46. So the Papists also forbid at certaine times the eating of flesh: And herein they perhaps differ from the Manichees: They held that flesh was vncleane by creation. The Papists by reason of the curse: for God cursed the earth, and not the waters (say they) and therefore vponupon fasting daies fish is preferred before flesh, Durand. lib. 6. capit. de alijs ieiunijs. So they both agree in this, that flesh is a thing impure and vncleane: for if they had not so thought, why did not that popish Bishop of London Stokeslie, rather suffer the pigge to be eaten, which was found in one Frebarnes house in Lent time,Frebarn. Fox. pag. 1585. his wife being great with child longing for a peece thereof, then command it, as an vncleane thing to be buried in Finsburie fields, and so the good creature of God to be spoyled and lost?
There was also another most blasphemous opinion of the Manichees: for they held that the parts and members of Christ were dispersed eueryevery where, and that in their meates & drinkes, they did deliuer the members of Christ, which were tyed and bound in the creatures. Tales (saith Augustine …unt electi eorum. vt non sint saluandi à Deo, August. in Psal. 104.sed saluatores Dei, liberant enim membra Christi▪ cum manducant: The elect amongst them for so they call their principals) do make themselues the sauiours and redeemers of God, for they doe set at libertie (as they imagine) the members of Christ, he is not their sauiour. Compare now the opinion of the Papists with these heretikes: see if they be not cosin germanes: for as they made themselues, saluatores Christi, sauiours of Christ: so is it a saying amōg the Papists, that Sacerdos est creator createris sui: the Priest at Masse, which by fiue words speaking maketh the body of Christ, is a maker, say they, of his maker, a creator of his creator, Ex Iuell. lib. artic. p. 615. But herein the Papists go beyond the Manichees: for they deliuered the bodie & members of Christ frō the prison of the creatures, and sent them vp to heauen: the Papists bring them downe from heauen, and close them in the creature, vnderunder the shape of bread and wine.
Thus farre we thought good to shew, how neere the Papists come to the heretikes of olde time: that it might appeare to the world, that we doe not vniustly charge them with heresie, and that we hauehave good cause to shunne and abhorre their poysoned doctrine. Many other heresies I could hauehave produced; which are reuiued by our aduersaries, & raked againe as it were out of their graues, where they did quietly rest. But that I am not of purpose now to deale in this matter: which may in a seuerall Treatise (God willing) hereafter as time and opportunitie shall serue, be handled more at large.
I hauehave onelyonly by the way giuen a tast of the bitter and sower doctrine of Poperie: that our countrymen, which hauehave been any thing that way infected, may take warning, that if they hauehave sipped of the whore of Babylons cup of fornicatiō, they should leaue of, before they hauehave drunke more deepely, lest they in the end be constrained, to draw out the very dregges thereof, and to be drunken with their intoxicate cup. If they will in time be warned, they may: a word to a wise man is sufficient: and if they be wise, they will also take heed in time, I say vntounto them as Augustine did sometime to the Donatists: Si sapitis, bene & rectè, si autem non sapitis, nos vestri curam gessisse non poenitebit, quia et si cor vestrum ad pacem non conuertitur, Cont. Petilianum. 3.59.pax nostra tamen ad nos reuertitur: If you will be learned it is well, and as we wish: but if you will not, it repenteth vsus not, that we hauehave had some care of you: for although your hart be not conuerted to the peace of the Gospell, yet our peace returneth to vsus againe.
Here by the way, I must remember my selfe of one thing, which I had almost ouerslipped. EueryEvery where both in this Preface and in this whole booke, speaking of our aduersaries, I call them Papists, as we are knowne by the name of Protestants: I suppose our English Romanists will take no offence or griefe hereby so to be called: although I hauehave heard, that some of them hold great scorne to be named Papists, yet I see no reason, why they should so doe. The Rhemists like this name well enough, because it is not deriued from any one man,Anno…. Act. 11. sect. 4. but from their Popes and chiefe Bishops, to whom (say they) we are bound to cleaue in Religion, and obey in all things: So to be a Papist (say they) is to be a Christian man, a child of the Church, and a subiect to Christs Vicar. Seeing then this name pleaseth their ghostly fathers of Rhemes so well, there is no reason why they should mislike it: and therefore we will vse it still, as best expressing their profession, who are pinned vponupon the Popes sleeue for their faith and Religion: As likewise the name of Protestants we refuse not: which name I thinke tooke beginning in England in King Henry the eights daies: when there was a generall protestation made in the name of the King, the whole Councel and Clergie of England against the Pope:See Sicidan. Fox pag. 1083. In the which protestation, thus we finde: England hath taken her leaue of popish crafts for euer, neuer to be deluded with them hereafter: Romane Bishops hauehave nothing to doe with English people: the one doth not traffique with the other: at the least, though they will hauehave to deale with vsus, we will none of their marchandise, none of their stuffe. Thus we see how a Papist and a Protestant are defined: A Papist is he that cleaueth to the Pope in Religion, and is obedient to him in all things: A Protestant is he, that professeth the Gospell of Iesus Christ, and hath renounced the iurisdiction of the sea of Rome, and the forced and vnnaturall obedience to the Pope. These names therefore as best fitting both our professions, seeing no cause to the contrary, I purpose eueryevery where to vse and retaine throughout this Treatise.
I would here finish and make an end of this Preface, but that first I must make the Reader acquainted, with the order and methode, which I hauehave followed in setting downe the controuersies: The whole bodie therefore of the controuersies betweene the Papists and vsus, our worthie and learned countriman D. Whitakers hath digested and disposed into a singular Methode, the which I hauehave propounded to my selfe throughout this discourse to obserue.
The heresies and errours therefore of Poperie, doe either impugne the offices of Christ, with his benefites and merites, or his person: the most of them are of the first kinde, some errours they maintaine against his person, but not many.
First, the name of Christ sheweth his offices: for it signifieth annointed: he was annointed to be our Prophet, King and Priest: Iesus betokeneth a Sauiour, and setteth forth the benefites of our redemption and saluation. First then of his offices, and then of the benefites, that do arise and spring thereof.
The first office of our Sauiour Christ, is to be our heauenly teacher and Prophet. His heauenly doctrine is conteined no where els but in the Scriptures. The first generall controuersie then must be of the Scriptures: where there arise many questions: as of the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture, of the vulgare translation of Scripture, of the perspicuitie, and plainenesse, authoritie, interpretation and perfection of Scripture, with such other.
The second office of Christ is to be our King: and because his kingdome is his Church: here we are to handle the controuersies about the Church: Which is either the Church Militant vponupon earth, or the Church Triumphant in heauen.
The Church militant is to be considered, either in generall, where these questions are moued, what the Church is, whether it be visible or not, by what markes it is knowen, whether it may erre, what authoritie it hath. Then the parts of the Church, which are either assembled and gathered together, as in generall Councels: where these doubts must be discussed, whether generall Councels be necessary, by whom they ought to be summoned, whether they can erre, whether the Pope be aboue Councels or not, and such like. Or els the parts of the church are seuerally to be considered, and they are of three sortes, either the chiefe parts, the middle and meane parts, the lowest and basest parts of the Church: The chiefe member they make to be the Pope: where there are many questions and of great waight, as whether the regiment of the Church be Monarchicall, whether Peter were appointed head of the Church, whether the Pope be Peters successour, whether he may erre, whether the Pope be Antichrist, with such other. The middle parts, are their Clerkes, which are either secular, as they call them, which hauehave any Ecclesiasticall function, where we must enquire of their election & degrees of their single life, and such like, the Regular Clerkes are their Monkes, and other of that profession, where we must entreat, of vowes, of their solitarie life, their habite, their Canonicall houres, with other matters. The lowest members are the lay men: where the questions about the Ciuill Magistrate must be handled: as whether he may put heretikes to death, whether he hauehave any power and authoritie in Ecclesiasticall matters, and hetherto of the Militant Church.
The triumphant Church consisteth either of Angels, or other Saints departed: Concerning the Angels, we dissent about the orders and degrees of them, about their ministerie and office, and whether they are to be prayed vntounto.
Concerning the Saints departed, there are many questions in controuersie, as of Purgatory▪ Lymbus Patrum, whether they are to be praied vntounto, of their Reliques, Images, Temples, Holie daies, and such like.
The third office of Christ is his Priesthood, whereof there are two parts, his intercession, where we must enquire, whether Christ be the onelyonly Mediatour of intercession▪ and his Sacrifice, where the maine and great controuersie concerning the Sacraments doth offer it selfe: for by the Sacraments the power and efficacie of the death of Christ is deriued vntounto vsus.
Here first we must entreate of the Sacraments in generall, as of their number, their efficacie, the difference betweene the Sacraments of the olde and new Testament: then in particular, as of Baptisme, and the seuerall questions thereto belonging, of the Lords Supper, where also the great controuersie about their Idolatrous sacrifice of the Masse, and other necessary questions must be handled. Then follow in order fiue other popish Sacraments to be considered of, confirmation, penaunce, extreme vnction, orders, matrimony. And these are the controuersies concerning the offices of Christ.
The controuersies which concerne the benefits of our redemption, with other seuerall questions, are these, as of predestination, of sin, of the law, of free will, of faith, of good workes, the particular questions are set forth at large in other places.
Lastly, there remaine some questions, about the person of Christ, … whether he be foreign, that is, God of himselfe, whether he encreased in wisedome, whether he suffered in soule, whether he merited for himselfe, with such other.
Thus hauehave we the summe & body of Antichristiā doctrine, which we purpose by the grace of God to goe through, beginning at the first, and so prosecuting eueryevery particular questiō, till we are come to the last. My purpose is not to set down all the heresies, which impugne the Christian faith, but onelyonly those which are maintained by the Church of Rome this day; who are the chief troublers & disquieters of the peace of our Church: I say therefore with Augustine, Omnis Christianus Catholicus ista nō debes credere, sed nō omnis, qui ista nō credit, cōsequenter se debet Christianum Catholicum …utare vel dicere. EueryEvery true Catholike Christian is bound not to beleeue any of these errors set down in this book: but it foloweth not, that whosoeuer beleeueth not these, is a true Catholike: for there are other heresies in the world, which destroy the faith, as the heresies of the Anabaptistes, Familie of LoueLove, Libertines, and such like. But our speciall purpose and drift is, to weed out the Popish cockle and darnell, that troubleth our field. Neither hauehave I set forth at large the controuersies betweene vsus: for that laborious worke other of our learned countrymen hauehave taken in hand, as D. Whitakers in Cambridge, D. Reynoldes in Oxford, and besides, it farre exceedeth my strength and habilitie: I hauehave onelyonly brieflie set downe the grounds of Poperie, as I hauehave collected them out of Bellarmine, the stoutest champion of their side, our English Rhemistes, Eckius, Canisius, and other Papistes, as also out of the late Chapter of Trent, for it deserueth not the name of a Coūcell. And with all as an Antidotum or counterpoyson, I hauehave opposed and set against them, the cōfession of the Protestants and Church of God: with reasons and Arguments of both sides, and places of Scripture annexed: adding also throughout the iudgement of Augustine, who of all the fathers, is most plentifull in these matters, which fall in question in our dayes.
The benefite, which the Christian Reader shall reape in some measure (I trust) by this simple labour of mine, is threefold. First the knowledge of all Popish errours, which much auayleth: Multum adiuuat cor fidele nosce, quid credendum non sit, August. de heresib. epilog.etiamsi disputandi facultate id refutare non possit: It much helpeth a Christian toward beleefe, to know what is not to be beleeued, though he can not refell it by Argument. Secondlie he shall vnderstand both their principall Obiections, which they do entangle simple men withall, as also he shall learne how to defend and maintayne the truth. Thirdly the chief places of Scripture, which make for them or against them, are briefly eueryevery where expounded and opened.
This whole worke I hauehave deuided into three partes or bookes: the first conteineth the cō trouersies of the Scriptures and the Militant Church: the second the controuersies of the Triumphant Church: and of the Sacraments: the third the questions, concerning the benefites of our redemption, and as touching the person of Christ: Which bookes I hauehave thus deuided, not so much in respect of the matter which they conteine: for then the controuersies of the Militant and Triūphant Church ought not to hauehave bene sundred: but that there might be some equalitie & indifferent proportion in the Volumes, eueryevery one of them comprehending a Centurie that is an hundred of Popish errours either vnderunder or ouer.
But the rather I hauehave so done, because I had proceeded no further, then to the end of the controuersies of the Militant Church when this first booke went out of my hāds: the which I was moued vponupon some occasion to publish, before the rest were finished, which shall not stay long after, God assisting me. Wherein I doe also folow the counsell and example of Augustine, who writing of the like argument of heresies, doth thus conclude his booke: Hunc librum, August. lib. heres. epilog.antequam totum hoc opus perfeci vobis credidi esse mittendum, vt cum, quicun que legentis, ad id, quod restat implendum, quod tam magnum esse cernitis, orationib. adiuuetis. This booke I thought good (saith he) to send abroad, before the rest be finished, that whosoeuer readeth it, might helpe me with their prayers, to the better performing of that which remaineth: Which I beseech thee also (good Christian Reader) to afoord me, that being mutuallie assisted one with the prayers of an other, we may walke on with strength and chearefulnesse in our Christian race, till we hauehave by Iesus Christ obtayned the price of euerlasting life. Amen.