Sermon Preached 14 February 1607, Proposition 1 – Proposition 2
The first Proposition.
The last popish Councells decreed worse things then anie before them.
TOuching the first, I proue it by a fewe particulars in steed of many: and first for the Councell of Constance, that Councel decreed. 2. such decrees, as tend rather to the ruinating of all religion, and ouerthrowing all humane society, then any whit to the curing of diseases either in the one or other.
For first, whereas it is knowen and graunted, that Christ, at his last Supper ordaining the holy Comunion, did consecrate and giuegive it both in bread and wine, and commanded his Ministers after him, Doe this *See all the Euangelists, & S. Paul. 1. Cor. 11… 23. &c.: and tho it cannot be denied but that the primitiue & ancient Church did so receiue it, as Christ left it; yet for all that, comes the Popish Councell of Constance, and cals it a peruerse fashion, and an ill order of those that giuegive their people the Sacrament in both kindes: and do further decree, that, Notwithstanding Christ ordayned, and the primitiue Church practiced it in both kinds: yet now to say that it is necessary to receiue it in both, shal be heresie, and punished as heresie; that is, with death, and losse of lands, and goods, &c. And howsoeuer Bellarmine *Bellar. de Sacrā. Euch. lib. 4. cap. 2….much ashamed of the matter, will needs that the Non-obstante is not referd to the institution in both kindes, but to the celebration after supper (and therfore accuseth Luther & others, as lyers, for so reporting of the Councell) yet many others of his fellowes make no bones to grant it: and if they all denyed it, the very words themselues of the Canon are plaine inough.
Now, thus to decree and make a Canon, contrary to the direct institution & comandement of Christ; what is it but to controll Christ himselfe, and to weaken the certainty of all truth and religion?
Secondly, whereas there can be no firm society amongst men, if othes & couenants (especially made by publick persons) be of no force, and therfore God himselfe would hauehave the Israelites oath to the Gibeonites, performed, though it was craftily extortedaIos. 9. 19.; and after seuerely punished Saul in his posteritie, for the breach of itb2. Sam. 21. 1. 2.: yet the Romish Councell in this latter age hath decreed, that cConcil. Constant. sessione. 19.Though the Emperour or King giuegive a safe cō duct, to one accused of heresie, to come to a Councell or Disputation, &c. and tho he binde and confirme that safe conduct with any bonde whatsoeuer, and tho the party would not hauehave come, but vponupon the assurance of the safe conduct: Yet (hoc non obstante) this not withstanding, he may be taken and proceeded against and burned as an hereticke, without any preiudice to the Catholick faith, &c.
If this be good diuinity, that Oaths & Couenants to hereticks are of no force, & binde not the makers; then it is in vaine for men to hauehave any dealing one with another: for if oathes be once of no force in any one thing, they will in time be weakened in all things.
Thus this Romish Councell that should hauehave amended, hath contrariewise decreed two conclusions of monstrous impietie: and such, as (for ought I could euer see) were neuer till then decreed nor receiued; no, not in the Romish Church it selfe.
But is this reformed since? No, saith a great Spanish Bishop, more then a hundred yeares after this Councell); it is so farre from being altered, that contrariwise, by the authority of this decree, it is now a rule in our Church that faith made to an hereticke, by a priuate man, is not to be kept; no, nor if it be made by a Magistrate, as (saith he) is proued by the practice of the Councel of Constance. Mark how they are healed: afore it was true in publique persons; nor it is true in priuate men also: afore it might be broken without any fault; but nowe it may not be kept. See how Babylon is cured.
But the Councell of Trent is of later times: hath not it done much good and reformed much ill? Nay on the other side, it hath decreed and made two Canons to the high disgrace of holy Scriptures, and much derogating from the soueraign authoritie therof; which till then were neuer decreed, not in the darkest times of poperie, when her ignorance and superstition was without all controll: As namely, first*Concil. Trident. sess. 4., That the Apocriphall Bookes of Tobiah, Iudith, and the rest, shall be held and receiued, of as authenticall and Canonicall authority, as any parts of holy Scripture, whose authoritie was euer sacred.
This wrong was neuer offered to the holy Scriptures before: neither was there euer any popish generall Councell, so presumptuous afore this of Trent, that euer durst add more books to the sacred Canon, then we receiued from Christ and the Church of the olde Testament. Some bold Papists say, that the Florentine Councel, before Trent, did make them Canonicall: which if it had, it had bin little materiall, seeing it was but a smal time before Trent, scarce 100. yeares: but the truth is, it did not; and therefore Bellarmine and Coccius are more carefull of their credit, and will not affirme it*Bellar. tom. 1 lib. de verbo Dei.. So that its cleer, there neuer was generall Councell that made them Canonicall before Trent,Coccius in the sauro cathol. tom. 1. nor any prouinciall but one*Concil. C… thag. 3.: and they are not able to bring one Father that held them so, within 400. yeares after Christ, nor very many after till of late; and contrariwise wee are able to proue, that all the Fathers for 400. yeares did reiecte them, and many after; yea, the greater part of all learned Papists themselues till the Councell of Trent. And thus wee see how Romish Babylon is stil the elder the worse: But this is not all: a Romish Councell will neuer meete for one euill. Therefore secondly they decree*Concil. Trident. sess. 4., That in all Disputations, Sermons Lectures, and to all other purposes, that Latine translation called the vulgar, shal be held the authentical text, and that no man presume vnderunder any pretext to refuse it.
Heere is a strange decree, that the streame shall be of more vertue then the Fountaine, a translation of more authoritie then the Originall. The former ages neuer heard of this indignitie: but whensoeuer doubt was made, or difference found, recourse was forthwith had to the Originalls for the determining of the matter. Many learned Papists are ashamed of this, if they durst vtter it. Bellarmine and Coccius do bewray it by their slight handling of the matter; for they would gladly prooue if they could, that Hierome was the author of that translation: but as for the magnifying of it (whosoeuer was the translator) aboue the Originalls, they are wiser then to venture their credits vponupon so false a matter, and therefore doe wholly leaue it vponupon the credit of that conuenticle that concluded it. Neither do I wrong, to call it a Conuenticle: for tho I should grant the whole to be a Councel; yet the number that past this bil, was so small, that I may safely call it a Conuenticle. For as an ill motion may pass in Parliament betimes in a morning before all the house be set, so was this bill carried at Trent. For whereas the Councel in his fulness consisted of about 300. that had voice of decision, they took the aduantage at the beginning of the Councell, and carried these two bils when ther were scarce 60. in the house (wherof how many went against them is vncertain) for the Pope durst not (for one of his Crownes) hauehave put these 2. bils, especially the latter, to the full house: for how would they hauehave entertained it, then when as they had liberty of speech against it, who since their tongues were tyed & the bil passed, yet hauehave dared (& some of them who were of the Councel themselues) euen to resist the decree,Arius Montanus, Sixtus Senensis, Oleaster, &c. and hauehave taken so contrarie a course themselues in expounding the Scripture, that howsoeuer they were tolerated for their learning whilest they liued; yet being dead, their books are either purged, that is altered, or els reproued: So that its apparant to all that will vnderstand, that this decree was so far from being established in any former ages, that it is euen misliked of many of the better sort of themselues now that it is made.
And thus I hope we hauehave cleered it, that these two Councells, called in the corrupt and declining times of the Popish Church, in shewe to hauehave reformed it, hauehave beene so farre from that, that contrariwise they hauehave concluded diuerse enormous impieties that were not before: Then is not the Romish Babylon well cured?
The second Proposition;
Poperie is still as ill as euer it was.
I hasten to the second Proposition: which is, that the deformities that were before, both in Doctrine and practice, both in head and members, and many whereof were complayned on by some of themselues, doe yet remaine without redresse or reformation.
For the demonstration of this Proposition, I might inlarge my selfe into many particulars; but I will insist but vponupon fewe: and those I shal produce shall not be trifles, nor triuiall, but of great moment, euen touching the maine and morall duties which a Christian man oweth to his God; and which to deny is to denie God, to falsifie his word and nullifie his lawe. And to this ende, it were no hard matter, to passe through the most of the 10. Commandements of the Morall and eternall lawe: but I will stand vponupon some few of the principall.
In all which, my course shall be fairest for them, and safest for my selfe: for I will not relie vponupon the credite of any reporter nor other writer, how great soeuer his authoritie bee; but produce the recordes themselues, and the authenticall originalls of their owne bookes, as they stand at this day allowed by Authoritie.
Now therefore, whether the Romish Babylon bee yet cured or no, let the Christian world iudge by these particulars: