A Key for Catholics, Treatise 1 · Chapter 3 – Chapter 4
CHAP. III.
Argum. 1. IF there be any godly honeſt men on earth beſides Papiſts, then Popery is falſe and not of God. But there be godly honeſt men on earth beſides Papiſts: therefore Popery is falſe, and not of God.
The Major is proved thus. It is an Article of the Popiſh faith, that there are no godly honeſt men on earth, beſides Papiſts: therefore if there be any ſuch, Popery is falſe, (By godly honeſt men, I mean ſuch as have true love to God, and ſo are in a ſtate of ſalvation.) The Antecedent I prove thus. 1. Their very definition of the Church doth make the Pope the Head, and confine the memberſhip only to his ſubjects, making the Roman Catholick Church (as they call it) the whole. 2. But yet leſt any ignorant Papiſts ſay, I may be a Roman Catholick without believing that all others are ungodly, and ſhall be damned, I will give it you in the Determination of a Pope and general Councll. Leo the tenth, Abrog. Pragm. ſanct. Bull. in the 17th. General Council at the Laterane, ſaith [And ſeeing it is of neceſſity to ſalvation, that all the faithful of Chriſt be ſubject to the Pope of Rome, as we are taught by the teſtimony of divine Scripture, and of the holy Fathers, and it is declared in the Conſtitution of Pope Boniface 7. &c.] And Pope Pius the ſecond was converted from being Aenaeas Sylvius by this Doctrine of a Cardinal, approved by him at large, Bull. Retract. in the Vol. 4. of Binnius, p. 514. [I came to the Fountain of Truth, which the holy Doctors, both Greek and Latine ſhew; who with one voyce ſay, that he cannot be ſaved that holdeth not the unity of the holy Church of Rome; and that all thoſe vertues are maimed to him that refuſeth to obey the Pope of Rome; though he lye in ſack cloth and aſhes, and faſt and pray both day and night, and ſeem in the other things to fulfill the Law of God.] So that if a Pope and General Council be falſe, then Popery is falſe. For their infallibility is the ground of their faith, and they take it on their unerring authority. But if the Pope and a General Council be to be believed, then no man but a ſubject of the Pope can be ſaved: no, though he faſt and pray in ſack-cloth and aſhes day and night, and ſeem to fulfill the reſt of the Law of God. Its certain therefore that if any one of you that call your ſelves Romane Catholicks do not believe that all the world ſhall be damned ſave your ſelves, you are indeed no Romance Catholicks, but are Hereticks your ſelves in their account; for you deny a principal Article of their faith; and deny the Infallibility of the Pope with a General Council, which is your very Foundation.
And therefore we find that even in the great charitable work of reducing the Abaſſines, the Jeſuite Gonzalus Rodericus in his ſpeech to the Emperours mother laid ſo great a ſtreſs on this point, that when ſhe profeſſed her ſubjection to Chriſt, he told her, that [None are ſubject to Chriſt that are not ſubject to his Vicar,] [Negavi Chriſto ſubjici qui ejus vicario non ſubjicitur.] Godignus de reb. Abaſsin. Lib. 2. c. 18. in Roderic. liter. p. 323.
And Bellarmine ſaith (de Eccl. l. 3. c. 5.) that [no man though he would can be ſubject to Chriſt that is not ſubject to the Pope] that is, he cannot be a Chriſtian. And therefore Card. Richlieu (then Biſhop of Luſſon.) tels the Proteſtants that they were not to be called Chriſtians. And Knot againſt Chillingworth, with abundance more of them, aſſerting that Proteſtants cannot be ſaved, do eaſily learn to practice this Leſſon of the Pope and Council. I come now to prove that your Pope, and Councill, and Faith are falſe, and that others beſides you may be in a ſtate of Charity and Salvation. (For you confeſs your ſelves, that he that is in a ſtate of Charity, is in a ſtate of Salvation.)
1. If a man may know his own heart, then there are others beſides Papiſts that are in Charity, and are godly men: (and ſo in a ſtate of Salvation) But a man may know his own heart: therefore, &c.
The Conſequence of the Major is plain by inward experience to every godly, honeſt man that knoweth himſelf. If I can know my own heart, I muſt needs ſay I love God, and am not void of ſincere Godlineſs and Honeſty. And that I may know my own heart I can tell alſo by experience: For to know my own Knowledge and Will is an ordinary certain thing, if not by intuition it ſelf. And if a man cannot know whether he believe and love God or not, then no man can give thanks for it, nor make Profeſſion of it: nay men cannot converſe together, if they cannot know their own minds. And Bellarmine confeſſeth that we may have a moral Conjectural certainty that we have true Love, and are juſtified. And then I have a moral conjectural certainty at leaſt, that Popery is falſe; becauſe I have at leaſt ſuch a certainty that I am not ungodly or unjuſtified. So that look what meaſure of knowledge or perſwaſion any Proteſtant hath that he is truly honeſt and juſtified, that meaſure of knowledge muſt he needs have (if he underſtand himſelf) that Popery is a deceit.
So that from hence you may gather theſe four concluſions; 1. That all that have any knowledge or perſwaſion that they are not ungodly unjuſtified perſons themſelves, and void of the true Love of God, are quite out of danger from turning Papiſts, if they underſtand but what Popery is; and if they do not, they cannot turn to it, but in part.
2. That never any honeſt godly man did turn Papiſt in the world; and this the Papiſts themſelves will juſtifie: For they ſay (by a Pope and general Council) that no man can be ſaved but a Papiſt: and they generally hold, that all that have Charity and are juſtified, ſhall be ſaved if they ſo die. So that if Popery be true, then no man had Charity or true Godlineſs before he was a Papiſt: and therefore never did one godly man or woman turn Papiſt. And therefore let them take the honour of their wicked ſeduced Ones. What glory is it to them that none ever turned to them but ungodly people?
3. And it followeth that the Papiſts do not ſo much as deſire or invite any godly man to turn to them. If you underſtand their meaning, they call you not to turn to them, if you are not ungodly perſons.
4. And hence it follows that every one that turneth Papiſt, doth thereby confeſs that he was a wicked man before, and that he had not the leaſt true love to God; that he was not juſtified, but a graceleſs wretch.
In a word, all you that do but know or hope that you have any ſaving Grace, have an Argument here againſt Popery, which all the Jeſuites in the world cannot confute. For you know your own hearts better then they: And they have no way to turn you to them, but by perſwading you that you are not what you are, and that you know not what you know. So that plainly this is your Argument, [I know, or I have good perſwaſions that I am not utterly void of Charity or ſaving Grace; therefore I know, or have the ſame perſwaſions that Popery is falſe, which determineth that none have Charity or ſaving Grace but Papiſts.]
2. But I proceed to a further proof of the Minor; A man may have a very ſtrong Conjecture that many others that are no Papiſts have ſaving Grace; though he had no perſwaſion that he hath ſuch Grace himſelf. And conſequently he muſt have as ſtrong a conjecture that Popery is falſe. What abundance of holy heavenly perſons have we known of all ranks among us! Such as have lived in dayly breathings after God, ſpending no ſmall part of their lives upon their knees; and in the ſerious and reverent attendance upon God in holy worſhip, meditating day and night upon his Law; hating all known ſin, and delighting in holineſs, and longing for perfection; and living in conſtant Temperance and Chaſtity, abhorring the very appearance of evill, and making conſcience of an idle word or thought, devoting their lives and labors, and all they have to God, giving all their Eſtates (ſome of them) to pious and charitable uſes, except what is neceſſary for their dayly bread, even mean cloathing and food; taming their bodies, and bringing them into ſubjection, and denying themſelves, and mortifying the fleſh, and contemning all the Honors or Riches of the world, reſolving to ſuffer death it ſelf, (as many of their Brethren have done from the Papiſts) rather then ſin wilfully againſt God and their conſciences: in a word, living to God, and longing to be with him, and manifeſting theſe longings to the very death; grieving more at any time, if they have but loſt the ſenſe and perſwaſions of the love of God, then if they had loſt all the world; and would give a thouſand worlds, if they had them, for more of the Love of God in their ſouls, and fuller aſſurance of his Love and Communion with him. As far as words, and groans, and tears, and the very drift of a mans life, and the expending of all that he hath, can help us to know another mans heart, ſo far do we know all this by others, that have lived among us. And may we not conjecture, and be ſtrongly perſwaded that theſe, or ſome of theſe, or ſome one of theſe, was a holy juſtified perſon?
And now Reader, if ever thou be tempted to be a Papiſt, I will tell thee what a task thou haſt: Look on one ſide on the Lives of holy men among us, ſuch as was Mr. Dodd, Mr. Paul Bayn, Mr. William Fenner, Mr. Arthur Hilderſham, Mr. Robert Bolton, Mr. Greenham, Mr. Hooker, Dr. Sibbs, Dr. Preſton, Dr. Stoughton, Mr. Perkins, with many hundreds more; Beſides bleſſed Bradford, Glover, Sanders, Hooper, and the reſt that laid down their lives in the flames in teſtimony againſt Popery; beſides all the thouſands that in other Nations have dyed by the Papiſts hands, becauſe they durſt not ſin againſt God; and beſides all the Learned holy Divines of other Nations, and the millions of Godly Proteſtants there; as alſo look upon all the godly that are now living, men or women, that live in moſt earneſt ſeeking after God and ſerving him; look on thoſe about you, enquire of others; read the writings of holy Divines: and then remember, you cannot turn Papiſt till you have concluded that all theſe are damned, and are utterly void of ſaving Grace and the Love of God; If there be but one Proteſtant that you know, or any one of all that have been, that you take to be in a ſaving ſtate, you cannot poſſibly turn Papiſt, if you know what you do. For it is eſſential to Popery to contradict all this.
Nay, this is not all: but think of all the Greek Church that lyeth under the tyranny of the Turk, and of all the Armenians, and Abaſines, and other Chriſtians in the world, that are more in number far then the Papiſts; and you muſt conclude, that not one of all theſe are ſaved before you can be a Papiſt. And is this an eaſie task to one that hath the heart of a man in his breſt? If you are no true Chriſtians your ſelves, dare you conclude that not one of theſe are true Chriſtians? If you confeſs that you love not God your ſelves, dare you ſay that among the far greater part of the Chriſtians of the world, there is not one man or woman that loves God? This you muſt ſay if you will be a Papiſt.
And then on the other hand, Look on the words of Jeſus Chriſt, and ſee what thanks he will give you for ſuch a cenſure, Mat. 7. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Judge not, that ye be not judged: for with what judgement ye judge, ye ſhall be judged: and with what meaſure you meet, it ſhall be meaſured to you again. And why beholdeſt thou the mote in thy brothers eye, but conſidereſt not the beam that is in thine own eye?—Thou hypocrite! firſt caſt out the beam out of thine own eye, and then ſhalt thou ſee cleerly to caſt out the mote out of thy brothers eye.] Jam. 4. 12. There is one Law-giver that is able to ſave and to deſtroy: who art thou that Judgeſt another?] Rom. 14. 1, 2, 3, 4, 10. [Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful diſputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things, another who is weak eateth herbs: Let not him that eateth deſpiſe him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth; for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgeſt another mans ſervant? to his own maſter he ſtandeth or falleth; yea he ſhall be holden up, for God is able to make him ſtand. One man eſteemeth one day above another, another eſteemeth every day alike: Let every man be fully perſwaded in his own mind—But why doſt thou judge thy brother, or why doſt thou ſet at nought thy brother? we ſhall all ſtand before the Judgement ſeat of Chriſt. For it is written, as I live ſaith the Lord, every knee ſhall bow to me, and every tongue ſhall confeſs to God; ſo then every one of us ſhall give account of himſelf to God. Let us not therefore judge one another any more.] Matth. 18. 6. [But whoſoever ſhall offend one of theſe little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a milſtone were hanged about his neck, and that be were drowned in the depth of the Sea.] Mat. 25. 40, 45, 34, 41. [Come ye bleſſed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom—For I was hungry and ye gave me meat—Verily I ſay unto you, in as much at you have done it unto one of the leaſt of theſe my Brethren, ye have done it unto me.] And ver. 41. [Depart from me ye curſed into everlaſting fire—Verily I ſay unto you, in as much as you did it not to one of the leaſt of theſe, you did it not to me.]
I will recite no more: Judge now by ſuch paſſage as theſe, how Chriſt ſets by one of the leaſt of his ſervants: and conſequently, how he will take it of you, to judge the far greateſt part of his Church to be graceleſs and none of his Church, but ſuch as ſhall be damned. And if you dare not venture on ſo unreaſonable and inhumane a cenſure, againſt the experience of ſo much holineſs as appeareth in them before your eyes, then you cannot be Papiſts: And if you dare venture on it, I leave you to conſider, whether under pretence of being the only Chriſtians, you have not done violence to the common reaſon and nature of man. So much for the ſecond proof of the Minor.
3. But I have yet another proof, that many that are no Papiſts are good Chriſtians, and conſequently, that Popery is a deceit, and that is the Teſtimony of many of their own Writers. I will not call for their teſtimony concerning our ſelves (for we know our ſelves better then they do) but concerning other Churches whom they condemn as Hereticks, or that are no ſubjects of the Pope of Rome. And I will at this time content my ſelf with one of many that might be cited; and that is a Monk, Burchardus that lived in the Holy Land, and having wrote a Deſcription of it, and thoſe that inhabit it, ſaith of them as followeth, p. 325, 326. [And for thoſe that we judge to be damned Hereticks, as the Neſtorians, Jacobites, Maronites, Georgians, and the like, I found them to be for the moſt part good and ſimple men, and living ſincerely toward God and men; they are of great abſtinence, &c.
And of the Romane Catholicks he ſaith, page 323. [There are in the Land of Promiſe men of every Nation under Heaven, and every Nation lives after their own Rites: and, to ſpeak the very truth, to our own great confuſion, there are none found in it, that are worſe, and more corrupt in manners then Chriſtians] (he means Papiſts.)
And page 324. he tels us, that the Syrians, Greeks, Armenians, Georgians, Neſtorians, Nubians, Jubeans, Chaldaeans, Maronites, Ethiopians, Egyptians, and many other Nations of Chriſtians, there inhabit; and that ſome are ſchiſmaticks not ſubject to the Pope; and others called Hereticks, as the Neſtorians, Jacobites, &c. but (ſaith he) there are many in theſe ſects that are very ſimple (or ſincere) knowing nothing of hereſies: devoted to Chriſt: macerating the fleſh with faſtings, and cloathed with the moſt ſimple garments, ſo that they far excel the very Religious of the Church of Rome.] ſo you hear an Adverſaries teſtimony.
Well then, when a Papiſt can prove to me, that I love not God, contrary to my own experience of my ſelf: and when he can make me believe that no one of all the holy Heavenly Chriſtians of my acquaintance, Miniſters, or people, are in a ſtate of charity or Juſtification: and that no one Chriſtian on earth ſhall be ſaved but a Papiſt, then I will turn Papiſt: And till then they do not deſire me to turn. But I muſt ſolemnly profeſs that this belief is ſo difficult to me, and abhorred by my reaſon, and my whole heart, and ſo contrary to my own knowledge, and to abundant evidence, and to all Chriſtian charity, that I think I ſhall as ſoon be perſwaded to believe that I am not a man, and that I have not the uſe of ſence or reaſon, or that Snow is black, and the Crow white, as to believe this Eſſential point of Popery. I ſhould a hundred times eaſier be brought to doubt whether I have the love of God my ſelf, then to conclude all the Chriſtians in the world ſave the Papiſts, to be the heirs of damnation.
CHAP. IV.
Argum. 2. THat Doctrine is not true nor of God which teacheth men to renounce all Chriſtian Love and Works of Chriſtian Love, towards moſt of the Chriſtians upon earth: But ſo doth the Doctrine of Popery; therefore it is not of God.
If their Error were meerly ſpeculative, it were the leſs; but here we ſee the fruits of it, and whither it tends. The major Propoſition is plainly proved from John 13. 35. [By this ſhall all men know that ye are my Diſciples, if ye have love one to another.] Col. 1. 4. It muſt be a [Love to all the Saints.] 1 Theſſ. 4. 9. But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you, for ye your ſelves are taught of God to love one another.]
This ſpecial Love is the Commandment of Chriſt, the new Commandment; without this, no man can be a Lover of God, nor be loved of him as a Member of Chriſt, as you may ſee, 1 John 3. 11, 12, 14, 23. & 4. 7, 8, 11, 12, 20, 21. 2 John 5. John 13. 34. & 15. 12, 17. 1 Pet. 1. 22. He that loveth not a Chriſtian as a Chriſtian, with a ſpecial love you may ſee in theſe Texts is none of the Sons of God. And that the Papiſts teach men to deny this ſpecial Chriſtian Love to moſt Chriſtians in the world, I prove. They that teach men to take moſt true Chriſtians in the world for no true Chriſtians, but for Hereticks or ungodly perſons that ſhall be damned, do teach them to deny the ſpecial love and works of love to moſt true Chriſtians: But thus do the Papiſts; therefore, &c. How can a man love him as a Chriſtian or a godly man, whom he muſt take to be no Chriſtian, or an ungodly man? Its true they may yet love them as Creatures, and ſo they muſt the Devils; and they may love them as men, and ſo they muſt the Turks and Heathens: But no man can love him as a member of Chriſt, whom he believes to be no member of Chriſt, but of the Devil. And all Papiſts are bound to this uncharitableneſs by their Religion, even by the Pope and general Council. And ſo as Chriſt bindeth his ſervants to Love one another with a ſpecial Love; ſo the Pope and Council bind the Papiſts not to love the moſt true Chriſtians with a ſpecial Chriſtian love: they cannot do it without being Hereticks themſelves, or overthrowing the foundation of Popery.
And here you have a taſte of the Popiſh Charity, when they boaſt above all things of their Charity. I muſt profeſs, it is their horrible inhumane uncharitableneſs that ſeems to me their moſt enormous crime. And alſo you may ſee here the extent of their Good works, which they ſo much Glory in. He that is bound not to love me as a Chriſtian, is bound to do nothing for me as a Chriſtian. So that they will not give a cup of cold water to a Diſciple in the name of a Diſciple, unleſs he be alſo a Diſciple of the Pope: nor can they love or relieve Chriſt in his ſervants, when they are bound to take them as none of his ſervants: and ſo the ſpecial Love and Charity of a Papiſt extendeth to none but thoſe of their own Sect: and ſuch a Charity the Quakers, and Anabaptiſts, and Familiſts have as eminently as they. Let them take heed leſt they hear, In as much as you did it not to one of the leaſt of theſe, you did it not to me.