Full and Easy Satisfaction, Part 3 – Part 4
PART III. The Proteſtants Reaſons againſt Popery.
D.
I Have heard what you have ſaid in ſtating the Proteſtants Religion: I now expect to hear what Reaſons you have againſt that which you call Popery: And afterwards that you prove all that you charge upon it. But I adjure you firſt that you ſay nothing but what you believe in your conſcience to be the truth, as one that looketh to be judged for it.
R.
With many Papiſts confident and vehement proteſtations go inſtead of Arguments, and we oft hear them ſay, [If this be not true, I am content to be torn in a thouſand pieces: We will ſeal it with our blood: We will lay our ſalvation on it: And do you think we have not ſouls to ſave? &c.] Which is much like as if they would end all Controverſies by laying Wagers that they are in the right, or by proteſting that they are honeſter and credibler men than their adverſaries: And it is no more than a Quaker or other ſuch Sectary will ſay: the moſt proud and ignorant being uſually the moſt confident: But yet though I expect not that you ſhould receive any thing from me, upon Proteſtations, but upon Proofs, I will here promiſe you that I will charge nothing on the Papiſts, but what in my Conſcience I am verily perſwaded to be true.
The Reaſons which reſolve me againſt Popery are theſe and ſuch like.
I. Reaſon, Their Doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation is ſo notoriouſly falſe and inhumane, even contrary to the fulleſt aſcertaining evidence that mankind can expect on earth, (viz. for all men on pain of damnation to believe, that there is no Bread, and no Wine, when all the ſoundeſt ſenſes of any men in the world, do perceive Bread and Wine, by ſeeing it, taſting it, feeling it, ſmelling it, and by the notorious effects; and all this built upon no Revelation of God, no Reaſon at all, nor any true conſent of the Primitive Church, but clean contrary to them all;) that I ſolemnly profeſs, that I find it an utter Impoſſibility to believe it: And it often puts me to a doubt, Whether it be poſſible for any mortal man unfeignedly and fully to believe it, and Whether there be really any ſuch Papiſt in the world: or Whether moſt do not for carnal reſpects take on them to believe it, when they do not; or rather the Vulgar underſtand their words, as not really excluding the true being of Bread and Wine; and the reſt only ſomewhat overawing their own reaſon with a reverence of their Church, ſo far as not to contradict, or ſo far as notionally to own it, when they do not from the heart believe the thing.
So many contradictions, abſurdities, and impieties are to be by them believed with it, that I am ſure no man that underſtandeth them, can poſſibly believe them all.
And all this muſt be done by Miracles, ſtupendious miracles, daily or common miracles, which every Prieſt can do at his pleaſure, and never fail, ſober or drunken, greater than raiſing a man from the dead; ſo that every beaſtly, ſordid, ignorant Prieſt, ſhall do more miracles by far, than ever Jeſus Chriſt did in all his life on earth, as far as we know by the holy Records, (if he live as long). He that can believe all this, may next believe, that there is neither Earth under his feet, nor the Firmament over his head, nor Water, nor Air, nor any other Creature, and that he hath no being himſelf.
II. Reaſon: The Faith or Religion of the Papiſts, as deſcribed by themſelves, is ſo far from Infallibility, as that it is utterly uncertain, unintelligible, and meer contradiction and confuſion; and a changeable thing; ſo that no man knoweth whether he have it or not, and whether he have it all; But whoever hath it, he hath certainly a hodge-podge of truth and falſhood.
III. Reaſon. Their Papacy, which eſſentiateth their Church, is a horrid Uſurpation of Chriſts own Prerogative, and of an Office to do that which is incompaparably above the Natural Power or Capacity of any mortal man; even to be the Apoſtle and Governour of the whole world (of Chriſtians at leaſt); To take Charge of all the ſouls on earth; to teach and call thoſe that are uncalled, and to Rule thoſe that are baptized: even at the Antipodes, and in all thoſe unknown or inacceſſible parts of the world, which he hath no knowledge of: A far more arrogant undertaking, than to be the Civil Monarch of all the earth; and utterly impoſſible for him to perform, and which never was performed by him.
IV. Reaſon. The ſaid Papacy is an arrogant Uſurpation of the Power of all the Chriſtian Princes and Paſtors upon earth, or of a Power over them, never given by Chriſt: It ſetteth up a Kingdom in a Kingdom, and taketh from Paſtors the power which Chriſt gave them, over their particular flocks.
V. Reaſon. The ſaid Papacy is a meer humane Inſtitution: They confeſs themſelves, that it is not of Divine faith that the Biſhop of Rome is St. Peters Succeſſor by Divine Right: It is no article of their own faith: But Hiſtory fully aſſureth us, that it was but in the Roman Empire, that the Roman Biſhop was made Supream: as the Archbiſhop of Canterbury is in England: And that he ſtandeth on the ſame humane foundation as the other four Patriarchs of the Empire did. And that their General Councils were called by the Emperours, and were called General only with reſpect to that Empire. And there never was ſuch a thing as a General Council of all the Chriſtian world, nor ever can be: And that there never was ſuch, is moſt notorious yet by the Names ſubſcribed to all the Councils. But they abuſe the world, and claim that power over all the Chriſtians on earth, which one Prince gave his ſubject-Prelates in his Empire: As if the General Aſſembly of Scotland or France ſhould pretend to be a General Council of the world, and the Archbiſhop of Canterbury ſhould call himſelf Archbiſhop of all the Church on earth, and claim the government of it.
VI. Reaſon: The ſaid Papacy hold their claim of Supream Government as by Gods appointment (though they confeſs as before ſaid, that it is not de fide, that the Pope ſucceedeth Peter by Divine right) and this notoriouſly Contrary to the Judgement and Tradition of the far greateſt part of the Churches in the world: General Councils (ſuch as they had) and the ſenſe of the greateſt part of Chriſtians have determined againſt the Papal claime. And Tradition condemneth them to this day, while they plead Tradition.
VII. Reaſon: It is Treaſon againſt Chriſt for the Papiſts who are but a Sect, and not the third part of the Chriſtians in the world, to call themſelves the whole Church, and unchurch all the reſt, and ſeek to rob Chriſt of the far greateſt part of his Kingdom, by denying them to be ſuch: As if they would deny two third parts of this Kingdom to be the Kings. They are Sectaries and Schiſmaticks by this arrogant dividing from all the reſt, and appropriating the name and priviledges of the Church to themſelves alone.
VIII. Reaſon: By making an unlawful and Impoſſible Condition and Center of Church Ʋnion, they are the greateſt Schiſmaticks in all the world: The greateſt Dividers of the Church upon pretence of Ʋnity: As he would be a divider of this Kingdom, who would ſet up a Vice-King without the Kings authority, and ſay that none that ſubject not themſelves to him, ſhall be taken for ſubjects of the King.
IX. Reaſon: They ſtudiouſly brand themſelves with Satans mark of malice, or uncharitableneſs and cruelty to mens ſouls: while they ſentence to damnation two third parts of the Chriſtian world, becauſe they will not be the ſubjects of their Pope: And they think their way to Heaven is ſafeſt, becauſe they are bolder than us in damning other Chriſtians: Whereas Love is the mark by which Chriſts Diſciples muſt be known to all.
X. Reaſon: They are inhumanely cruel to mens bodies: And this is their very Religion: For the Council at the Laterane under Innocent the third decreed, that thoſe that believe not, or deny Tranſubſtantiation are Hereticks, and all Temporal Lords ſhall exterminate them from their Dominions: That is, no man ſhall be ſuffered to live under any Chriſtian Lord, that will not renounce all his ſenſes, and profeſs that he believeth that they are all deceived by God himſelf; which is not only to renounce their Humanity, but their Animality or ſenſe it ſelf. So that no men indeed, are to be ſuffered to live, but only ſuch as deny themſelves to be men: What Heathens, what Turks, did ever exerciſe ſuch Inhumane fury? Beſides their burning and tormenting men as Hereticks that will not do all this and more, and will not ſay as they require them.
XI. Reaſon: Their Church indeed is inviſible, while they deny it, and an unknown thing: For, 1. Men are forced into it by ſuch bloody Laws, as that they cannot rationally be known to be Conſenters: 2. And they have no certain faith to conſtitute a Church-member: For they hold that his obligation to believe, is according to his inward and outward means, of which no man can poſſibly judge: And ſo no man can know whether himſelf or another have that faith which is required as neceſſary to ſalvation. And many of them ſay, That they that believe not in Chriſt, have ſaving faith, and are in the Church, if they had not ſufficient means.
XII. Reaſon: The Papacy doth intolerably tyrannize over Kings, and teach ſuch Doctrines of Perjury and Rebellion, as their very Religion, as is not in the practice of it to be endured in any Kingdom; nor dare they fully practiſe it: The Crowns and Lives of Princes being at the mercy of the Pope; As the ſaid Laterane Council ſheweth.
XIII. Reaſon: Their Church is oft Eſſentially unholy, heretical and wicked, becauſe the Pope is often ſo, who is an Eſſential part of it: And therefore it is not the holy Catholick Church. General Councils have upon examination judged their Popes to be Hereticks, Schiſmaticks, Adulterers, Murderers, Simoniſts, yea, guilty of Blaſphemy or Infidelity it ſelf. And the Church cannot be Holy, whoſe Eſſential part is ſo unholy.
XIV. Reaſon: Their Churches ſucceſſion is ſo notoriouſly interrupted, and their Papacy ſo often altered in its cauſes, as that it is become a confounded and a meer uncertain thing. So many notorious or judged Hereticks, Simoniſts, Murderers, Sodomites, Adulterers have poſſeſſed the Seat, who were therefore uncapable, that the line of ſucceſſion muſt needs be interrupted by them. And ſo many wayes have they been made or elected, ſometimes by the people, ſometimes by the City-Presbyters, ſometimes by Emperours, ſometimes by Cardinals, ſometimes by Councils, that if any one way of Election be neceſſary, they have loſt their Papacy long ago. If no one way be neceſſary, then the Turk may make a Pope.
XV. Reaſon: Their Church called One, is really two in ſpecie; one Headed by a Pope, and another by a General Council: For while the Head or Supream Ruler is an Eſſential part, and one part of the people own one Head and another part own another Head, (as they do) the Churches thus conſtituted cannot be One.
And alſo de individuo there have been long two or three Popes at once, and conſequently two or three Churches: And to this day none knoweth which was the right.
XVI. Reaſon: They plead for a Church which never had a being in the world; that is, All Chriſtians Headed by one Pope; When all the Chriſtian world did never take him for their Head, nor were governed by him to this day.
XVII. Reaſon: They dreadfully injure the holy Scriptures, as if Jeſus Chriſt, and all the Prophets and Apoſtles in all thoſe Sacred Records, had not had skill or will to ſpeak intelligibly, and plainly to deliver us the doctrines neceſſary to ſalvation: But they make their Voluminous Councils more intelligible and ſufficient; as if they had done better than Chriſt and his Apoſtles: And when men muſt only Diſcern Gods Laws, and Judge Cauſes by the Law, they make themſelves Judges of the Law it ſelf, that is, of God the Judge of all, and of the Law by which they muſt be judged.
XVIII. Reaſon: There is no other Sect of Chriſtians under Heaven which hath ſo many differences among themſelves, or have written ſo many Books againſt one another as the Papiſts: And though many of them are of great importance, yea, ſome are about the very Eſſence or Conſtitutive Head of their Church, yet have they no handſomer way to palliate all by, than by ſaying that theſe are but Opinions, and no Articles of faith, and the Infallible Judge dare not decide them: No though it be diverſity of Expoſitions of Gods own Word, yet Commentators ſtill differ without any hope of a deciſion, as if Gods Word were not to be believed, but were only the matter of uncertain Opinion, till the Pope and Council have expounded it, and no more Scripture is de fide than they expound.
XIX. Reaſon: Perjury is made the very Character of their Church, or the brand by which it is ſtigmatized; As is viſible 1. In the Trent Oath impoſed on their Clergy, which whoever taketh he is immediately perjured: and 2. By their diſobliging men from Oaths and Vows; even the Subjects of Princes from their Oaths of Allegiance, whenever the Pope ſhall excommunicate them, and give their Dominions to others, as is decreed Concil. Later. ſub Innoc. 3. Can. 3.
XX. Reaſon: They are guilty of Idolatry in their ordinary Worſhip by the Maſs: while they worſhip Bread as their Lord God: Nor will it juſtifie them to ſay, that if they thought it to be Bread, they would not worſhip it: Any more than it would juſtifie Julian to ſay, that he would not worſhip the Sun, if he thought not that it was God: And they confeſs, that if it prove to be ſtill Bread, their Worſhip will prove Idolatry: and we deſire no other proof.
And I am not able to juſtifie their ſending God his Worſhip by a Croſs, Crucifix, or other Image, as a medium cultum, from being a groſs Violation of the ſecond Commandment: (which they leave out).
XXI. Reaſon: Their Religion greatly tendeth to Mortifie Chriſtianity, and turn it into a dead Image, by deſtroying much of its life and power: 1. By befriending Ignorance, and hiding the holy Scripture, forbidding all the people to read them in a known tongue without a ſpecial licenſe: blaſpheming Gods Word, as if ſo read, it had more tendency or likelihood to hurt men than to profit them, to damn them than to ſave them; when they will ſay otherwiſe of all their own Vulgar poſtils and ſuch like writings.
2. And by teaching the people a blind devotion, viz. to pray in an unknown tongue, and to worſhip God by words not underſtood.
3. And by making up a Religion much, if not far moſt, of external formalities, and a multitude of ceremonies, and the opus operatum of their various Sacraments; As if God delighted in ſuch actions as befit not the acceptance of a grave and ſober man; or as if Guilt and Sin would be wiped off, and charmed away into virtue and holineſs, by ſuch corporeal motions, ſhews and words.
XXII. Reaſon: Their Religion, though it thus tend to gratifie the ungodly by deceitful remedies and hopes, yet is very uncomfortable to the godly. For, 1. By it no man can know that he is a true believer, and not a child of Hell, (much leſs that he ſhall be ſaved:) For they teach that no Divine can tell them what Articles are neceſſary to be believed to ſalvation: But they muſt be ſo many as are ſuited to every ones capacity, and means, during his life. And no man living can know that he underſtandeth and believeth as much as his capacity and means were in their kind ſufficient to: Nay, there is no man that hath not been culpably ignorant of ſomewhat which he might have known.
2. Mens Sacramental receptions and comforts depend on the Intention of the Prieſt, which no man knoweth.
3. Almoſt all Godly men muſt expect the fire of Purgatory: and conſequently none of them can be rationally willing to dye: Becauſe this life is better than Purgatory; and no man will deſire to go from hence into the fire: And ſo by making all men unwilling to dye, it deſtroyeth a heavenly mind, and killeth faith, and hope, and love, and holy joy, and tempteth men to be worldlings, and to love this life better than the next. Yea, it tempteth men to be afraid of Martyrdom, leſt (dying in Venial ſins, as all do) they go to a Purgatory fire, more terrible than Martyrdom.
XXIII. Reaſon: Their Doctrine is not only contrary to many expreſs Texts of Holy Scripture, but alſo contrary to it ſelf: One Pope and one Council having decreed one thing, and another the clean contrary.
XXIV. Reaſon: All this evil is made more pernicious, by that profeſſed Impenitence which is included in the conceit of their Churches Infallibility: For they that hold themſelves Infallible, do profeſs never to Repent, of any thing in which they ſuppoſe themſelves to be ſo. And as Repentance is the great evidence of the pardon of ſin; ſo Impenitency is that mortal ſign of an unpardoned ſoul, without which no ſin doth qualifie the ſinner to be Excommunicated by man, or damned by God: And a ſin materially leſs, is more Mortal unrepented of, than a greater truly lamented and forſaken.
XXV. Reaſon: Every honeſt godly Proteſtant may be as ſure that Popery is falſe, as he is that he is himſelf ſincere, and Loveth God, and is truly willing to obey him. And no man can turn Papiſt, without ſelf-contradiction, who is a true Chriſtian, and an honeſt man: For by turning Papiſt he confeſſeth himſelf to be before a falſe-hearted hypocrite, who neither Loved God, nor ſincerely deſired to obey him, nor was true to his Baptiſmal Covenant. For it is a part of Popery to believe that none are in a ſtate of ſalvation, but the Subjects of the Pope, or members of the Papal Church; And conſequently that no others have true Faith, Repentance or Love to God: Or elſe that God is falſe in promiſing ſalvation, to all that have true Faith, Repentance and Love to God. All therefore that know their own hearts to be truly devoted to God, are ſafe from Popery; And ſeeing it is agreed on both ſides, that none can or ought to turn Papiſts but ungodly hypocrites (or Knaves) no wonder if ſuch are deluded by the moſt palpable deceits, and forſaken of God whom they perfidiouſly forſook.
I will name you no more: If I make theſe, or any one of theſe good (as I undertake to prove them all), you will ſee that I refuſe not my ſelf to be a Papiſt without ſufficient cauſe.
And yet by this charge you will ſee that I am none of their extream adverſaries: I paſs by abundance of Doctrinal differences, wherein by many they are moſt deeply charged: Not as Juſtifying them againſt all or moſt ſo charged on them, but 1. As giving you thoſe Reaſons which moſt move my ſelf, and which I am moſt able to make good, and leaving every one to his proper work: 2. And as one that have certainly found out, that in many doctrinals ſeeming to be the matter of our wideſt difference, we are thought by many to differ much more than we do; 1. The difference lying moſt in Words, and Logical Notions, and various wayes of mens expreſſing their conceptions: 2. And the animoſity of men engaged in Parties and Intereſts againſt each other, cauſing moſt to take all in the worſt ſenſe, and to make each other ſeem far more erroneous than they are, and to turn differing names into damnable hereſies: And 3. Few men having Will and Skill to ſtate controverſies aright, and cut off miſtaken ſeeming differences: 4. And few having honeſty and ſelf-denyal enough to incurr the cenſure of the ignorant Zealots of their own party, by ſeeming but impartial and juſt to their adverſaries.
I mean in ſuch points, as 1. The Nature of Divine faith, Whether it be a perſwaſion that I am pardoned, &c. 2. Of Certainty of ſalvation, 3. And Certainty of perſeverance, 4. Of Sanctification, 5. Of Juſtification, 6. Of Good works, 7. Of Merit, 8. Of Predeſtination, 9. Of Providence and the Cauſe of Sin: 10. Of Free-will, 11. Of Grace, 12. Of Imputation of Righteouſneſs, 13. Of Univerſal Redemption, 14. Of Original Sin, and divers others: In all which I cannot juſtifie them, but am ſure that the difference is made commonly to ſeem to be that which indeed it is not: In the true impartial ſtating whereof Lud. Le Blanck hath begun to do the Chriſtian Churches moſt excellent ſervice, worthy our great thanks, and his bearing all the Cenſures of the ignorant.