Naked popery, Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. How our Religion differeth from the Papiſts.
AND now out of all this it is eaſie for you to gather how our Religion differeth from the Papiſts: I ſhall recite but a few of the Differences, leaving you to collect the reſt from what is ſaid of theirs.
I. Our Religion is wholly Divine, or made by God: For ſo is the holy Scripture, which is all ours. But the Papiſts ſuper additions are made by men: Even Popes and Councils, under pretence of Declaring, Expounding, Governing, Judging, &c.
II. The Religion of Proteſtants is no bigger, nor no other in the Eſſentials, than the Sacramental Covenant with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, expounded in the Creed, Lords Prayer, and Decalogue: And in the Integrals no bigger, nor other, than the holy Canonical Scriptures. But the Papiſts is as big as all the Decrees of all General Councils, added to all the Bible; if not the Popes Decretals alſo, and uncertain Traditions.
Tell us not of our 39 Articles, and other Church Confeſſions, as contrary to this: For thoſe Confeſſions all profeſs what I here ſay: And you may as well tell us of our other Books and Sermons. Our queſtion is not of mens Subjective Religion; For ſo each perſon hath one of his own; And it cannot be known but by knowing what is in each mans mind! And our Books and Confeſſions are (as is aforeſaid) but the Expreſſion of our ſenſe of that which is our Regular Objective Religion: And we are ready to confeſs and amend any miſconception: but our Objective Religion which is the Rule and Law of our Faith is only Divine.
III. Our Religion is known, even the Sacred Bible. But yours is unknown: what are approved Councils, and what decrees are intended to be de fide, and what temporal, and what perpetual, and how far the Popes Decretals bind, and whether all Iſidore Mercator's Decretals be the Popes, with abundance of the like.
IV. Our Religion is owned by you, and every word confeſſed to be Divine and Infallible: But your added Popery is diſowned by us as ſinful, preſumptuous and falſe.
V. Our Religion is fixed and unchangeable; (for ſo you confeſs the holy Scriptures to be:) But yours is ſtill ſwelling bigger and bigger while Councils will increaſe it, and hath no certain bounds.
VI. Our Religion is only that ancient one delivered by the Holy Ghoſt in the Apoſtles, and ſo is certainly Apoſtolical, your additions are Novelties ſince brought in.
VII. Our Religion is Infallible, Holy, Pure, your additions are fallible, contradictory, ſinful, oft contrary to plain Scripture, condemning one another.
VIII. Our Religion is Univerſal, owned by all the Chriſtian World in the Eſſentials, and in the Main in the Integrals, that is, the Scripture: Greeks, Papiſts, Armenians, Abaſſines, and all other parties that are Chriſtians own it. But your additions are ſome diſowned by one part of Criſtians, and ſome by another, and ſome by all ſave your ſelves.
IX. Our Religion therefore is the true terms of Catholick concord, according to Vincent. Lerinenſ. Doctrine, quod ab omnibus, ſemper, ubique receptum eſt. But your additions are the very Engine of the dividing Enemy, by which he hath long kept the Chriſtian World, diſtracted by diſcord, with all the calamitous effects and conſequents.
X. Our Religion hath a certain Rule for the ending of all controverſies, ſo far as there is hope of ending them in this world: All men will reſt in the Judgment of God; and his word in all ſuch neceſſary things is plainer than all your General Councils: But your Humane Authority is ſuch as fighteth with it ſelf and all the world, and which the Univerſal Church never yet received nor will ever reſt in.
XI. Our Religion owneth a certain lawful Government appointed by God, which well uſed may keep juſt order in the world: That is, Parents in Families, Paſtors in ſuch particular Churches as Chriſt hath inſtituted, (as join for perſonal Communion in holy Doctrine, Worſhip and Converſation;) which they are indeed capable of Overſeeing and Governing by Sacred Doctrine in Chriſts way: And Aſſociations or Correſpondencies of theſe Paſtors for concord; And Princes and Magiſtrates to keep peace and order among them all; Governing Glergie-men as they do Philoſophers, Phyſicians, &c. But yours hath an Utopian pretended Government of men on the other ſide the world, whoſe Countries you ſcarce ever heard or dreamed of; and an Uſurpation of an impoſſible confounding kind and degree of Rule.
XII. Our Religion is fitted to give Glory to Chriſt, and his Grace and Kingdom. But yours to ſet up Proud Uſurpers over Princes and People, in ſuch an impoſſible Government making Subjection to him, neceſſary to ſalvation. As if a man unacquainted with Coſmography that never heard that there was ſuch a Town as Rome in the world, muſt be no Chriſtian and be damned: when yet the Popes name was never mentioned in our Baptiſm.
XIII. Our Religion is Faith working by Love. Chriſts Miniſters that are truly of our Religion, take only convincing evidence of Truth, and unfeigned love, and works of love, to be their means of winning Souls: And they take not Chriſts Diſcipline, which worketh only on the conſcience, to be a leaden Sword, or vain. But yours is a hanging killing Religion; Jails, Strappado's, Exterminating, and Burning men are your means and works of love. You take a Bonfire, or the Aſhes of the Bodies of ſuch as will not believe in the Pope, to be a great Medicine to ſave the peoples Souls. Such Murders as were done on the Albigenſes, Waldenſes, in the Inquiſitions, the French and Iriſh Maſſacres, Smithfield Flames, Piedmont, &c. are your proof that you love God and Man, and ſome of your good works.
XIV. Our Religion tendeth to holy conſolation, and a heavenly mind and life: For it teacheth us how to be certain of Gods love by its effects on our Souls, and to know that we are juſtified by Chriſt, and to truſt the ſufficiency of his Sacrifice, Merits, and Interceſſion; and to believe, that when we are abſent from the body we ſhall be preſent with the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. 1. 7, 8. and to deſire to depart and be with Chriſt, Phil. 1. 23. But yours leaveth a man uncertain of his Juſtification: For you moſtly deride ſuch diſtinguiſhed Fundamentals, as (received) eſſentiate a juſtified Chriſtian: And your Doctors lay all mens neceſſary Religion, and ſo their Peace, upon their receipt of ſo much truth as hath been authentically propoſed to them; whereas no man living is certain that he hath received ſo much as hath been ſo propoſed: All men are guilty of neglecting ſome ſuch Propoſal at one time or other: And gradual neglects the beſt are guilty of. And you cannot aſcertain men what is an authentick Propoſal. You alſo tell men of the neceſſity of their own ſatisfactions for the ſin that Chriſt forgiveth, and that in the Fire of Purgatory; ſo that (as is ſaid before) none ſuch can dye comfortably, that look to go hence into ſuch a Fire, where torment may make it hard to you to love God that tormenteth you. It is a ſpirit of bondage that ſeemeth to actuate your very auſterities, and to turn your Religion into ſuperſtitious tasks of ſelf-made Services; Ceremonies, and expectations of the expiating Flames in Purgatory: But you ſhew too little of the Spirit of adoption, of power, love and a ſound mind, 2 Tim. 1. 7. of righteouſneſs, peace and joy in the Holy Ghoſt, Rom. 14. Terrour and Torments are temptations to you to deſire the miſerableſt life on Earth (much more a life of pleaſure) rather than to dye, when ſuch Flames muſt next follow.
XV. We offer God ſuch Worſhip as we can prove by his Word that he commandeth and accepteth; and ſuch reaſonable ſervice in ſpirit and truth, which is not unſuitable to the Father of Spirits, and God of wiſdom; yet uſing all reverent and decent behaviour of the body as well as of the mind. But it would be hard to number over all the Humane inventions of Formalities, and Rites, and Ceremonies, and Images, and other arbitrary external things, by which you have corrupted the Worſhip of God, and hid the body in your new faſhioned Cloathing, which you pretended to adorn; And as worldly minds do cumber themſelves, as Martha, with many unneceſſary things, and then ſay, [Is it not lawful to do this and that?] while they hereby alienate the thoughts, affections, and time, which ſhould be laid out on the one thing needful; ſo do you in Gods Worſhip make ſuch abundance of work with your Ceremonies, for thoughts, affections, and time, as maketh it very difficult to give the great and ſpiritual part of Worſhip its proportion, (far beyond what Auguſtine Epiſt. ad Januar. ſo much complained of in his time:) and then think you juſtifie all, if you can ſay, How prove you this or that unlawful? As if your Servant ſhould inſtead of his work play at Cards moſt of the day, and ask you [How you prove it unlawful?] You never well ſtudyed 2 Cor. 11. 3. [I … leſt by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his ſubtilty, ſo your minds ſhould be corrupted from the ſimplicity that is in Chriſt,] nor Col. 2. 18, 19, 20. 22, 23. nor Act. 15. 28. nor Rom. 14 and 15. nor Ioh. 4. 20, 21. An ignorant Woman ſet upon Chriſt, juſt as you pervert all holy diſcourſe, with turning all to [Which is the true Church?] Our Fathers Worſhipped in this Mountain, and ye ſay that in Jeruſalem is the place where men ſhould Worſhip: But Chriſt anſwereth you in her, The true Worſhippers ſhall Worſhip the Father in ſpirit and in truth: For the Father ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him: God is a Spirit, &c.] Thoſe that by Cuſtom be not ingaged in your way of numerous Formalities and bodily actions, can hardly think that you are ſpiritually and ſeriouſly worſhipping God, or can believe that Infinite Wiſdom would be pleaſed with ſuch things as—I am loth to denominate or deſcribe.
XVI. Our Religion teacheth us that without Holineſs none ſhall ſee God, and none but the Pure in Heart and Life are bleſſed, and if any man have not the ſanctifying ſpirit of Chriſt he is none of his: and that God muſt be loved above all, and our treaſure, heart and converſation muſt be in Heaven, and none but Saints are ſaved. I think you deny none of this; And yet you Canonize a Saint as if he were a wonder or rarity, and you call a few ſequeſtred Votaries Religious, as if all that will be ſaved muſt not be religious. And your Doctors are permitted to teach all that's cited in the Jeſuites Morals, and Mr. Clarkſon fore-cited: Even that it is not commanded, that God be intenſively loved above all. Tolet. li. 4. de Inſtruct. Sacerdot. c. 9. ſee our Morton Apolog. part 1. l. 2. c. 13. Stapleton l. 6. de Juſtif. c. 10. & Valent. l. de Votis c. 3. [This Precept of loving God with all the mind, is doctrinal, not obligatory,] ſee my Key, chap. 33, 34. 38.
And yet you have the Fronts to perſwade men that we are for only Imputative Holineſs, and againſt good works.
XVII. Our Religion is for increaſing true practical knowledge in all men, by all our induſtry, as knowing the Father of Lights ſaveth us by illumination; and therefore we are for all mens reading or hearing the holy Scriptures, and worſhipping God in a known tongue: But yet with the help of the skilfulleſt Teachers. The Prince of darkneſs leadeth men in the dark to do the works of darkneſs, that they may be caſt into outer darkneſs. How the caſe is with yours I have before ſhewed.
XVIII. Our Religion is for ſo much faſting and auſterities as is truly neceſſary to the ſubduing of Pride, Worldlineſs, or fleſhly luſts, or to expreſs our ſelf-abaſement in due times of humiliation, (preſcribed by Authority on publick occaſions, or diſcerned by our ſelves in private;) and ſo much as is truly helpful to us in Gods ſervice, or our preparations for death. But how much you have turned theſe into unreaſonable Ceremony, and how much into a pretended ſatisfaction to Gods Juſtice by puniſhing our ſelves, as if our hurt delighted God when it tends not to our healing, I ſhall not now ſtay to open. See Dallaeus de Poenis, Indulgentis, & de Jejuniis, of it at large.
XIX. Our Religion teacheth us that all that truly believe in, and are heartily devoted to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, as their God, and Saviour, and Sanctifier, forſaking the Devil, the World, and the Fleſh, ſhould be taken by Baptiſmal profeſſion hereof into the Church, and ſhall be ſaved, if they prove not Hypocrites or Apoſtates: And that we muſt judge men by this their Profeſſion, till they plainly or provedly nullifie it, ſuppoſing every man, under God, to be the beſt Judge of his own heart.
But your Religion teacheth you to hold and ſay, that if men are never ſo fully perſwaded in themſelves that they truly love God and holineſs, and are thus devoted to him, yea and if their lives expreſs it, yet if they be not Papiſts, they are all deceived, and none but Papiſts ſo love God: And every Papiſt thus knoweth the hearts of others, better than we can know our own.
XX. Our Religion leaveth us room for Repentance, and hope of Pardon, if we miſtake. For we take not our ſelves to be impeccable or infallible in all that we hold; though we are ſure that our Rule and Objective Religion is infallible. But your Church being founded in the falſe conceit of the Popes and Councils Infallibility, you ſhut the door againſt repentance and amendment; and when once a falſe Decree is paſt, you take your ſelves obliged to defend it, leſt by Reformation you pluck up your Foundation, and all ſhould fall. Were it not for this I am perſwaded your Church would recant at leaſt the Doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, if not that of depoſing Princes, and ſome others.
And now I humbly preſent what I have written to W. H. and not without hope (if he will but impartially read it) of his reduction: For the man ſeemeth to me to ſin through Ignorance, and to have an honeſter zeal than many others. For my own part, 1. I profeſs to him I write as I think; and that after forty years reading I think as many of the Papiſts Books as of the Proteſtants. 2. And that I would joyfully recant, whatever it coſt me, if I could find that I do erre. But I have ſhewed him that I differ not from them, without that which to me appeareth to be conſtraining Reaſon. 3. And that if he will prove to me that I have in one word of this Book unjuſtly accuſed, either their POPE, PAPISTS, RELIGION, or CHURCH, I ſhall thankfully receive his conviction, and repent.
And I agree with him wholly in profeſſing my Religion to be, The APOSTOLICAL CHRISTIANITY, and whatever he proveth to be truly ſuch I will receive. The Name of [The Proteſtant Religion] I like not, becauſe meer Chriſtianity is all our Religion, and our Proteſtation againſt Popery denominateth not our Religion it ſelf, but our Rejection of their Corruptions of it. But the Name of [The Proteſtants Religion] I approve and own, that is, APOSTOLICK CHRISTIANITY CLEANSED FROM POPERY.
Aug. 9. 1676.
FINIS.