The Safe Religion, Part 5 – Part 7
THe Diſpute which we have hitherto managed being only againſt Popery in the groſs, and two or three branches of it onelyonly in particular, I had thought to have annexed a Brief enumeration of the particular errors of the Papiſts, that the vulgar might obſerve and avoid them; and therein I thought to have endeavored the true ſtating of the differences between us, both for the avoiding of error on the other extream, and alſo that we may take out of the Papiſts hands the greateſt of all their advantages againſt us, which is the falſe-oppoſed opinions and unſound Arguments of ſuch as thus erre on the other ſide: But perceiving how it would lengthen this work beyond the intended limits, and how certainly all thoſe that ſo run into extreams would fall a quarrelling with me for not ſtating the controverſies according to their fancies, I have thought beſt for anſwering all my ends at cheaper rates to give you the chief of the Popiſh errors in the words of Doctor Feild, and to that end to tran…ribe his ſeventh Chapter of the third Book; that ſo the ſimple Reader may have ſome help to in…orm him without a commixed means to pervert him. And for thoſe that deſire to ſee the Proteſtant Doctrine ſolidly defended, and cannot have time to read many books, I know not of any one that they may more profitably and ſafely read to that end then the ſaid Book of Doctor Field on the Church; and eſpecially the Appendix to the third part, which is but the Defence of this very Chapter, proving it in particulars, that the Weſtern Church was Proteſtant and not Popiſh even in the worſt times before Luthers Reformation; and that the Papiſts were but a ſeducing tyrannical party in the Church, endeavoring to obtrude their errors againſt the mind of the generality of good men: In which he hath quite broken down thoſe pretences of Ʋniverſality and [All the Church] which the Papiſts do ſo fondly boaſt in.
Dr. Feild of the Church, li. 3. Cap 7.
Of the ſeveral points of difference between us and our adverſaries, wherein ſome in the Church erred, but not the whole Church.
FOr neither did that Church, wherein our Fathers lived and dyed … hold that Canon of Scripture, which the Romaniſts now urge; nor that in ſufficiency they now charge it with; nor corruption of the Originals, nor neceſſity of following the vulgar Tranſlation; nor the Hereſies touching mans creation brought into the Church by certain barbarous Schoolmen, as that there are three different eſtates of men; the first of pure nature, without addition of Grace, or ſin; and two other, the one of Grace, the other of Sin: That all thoſe evils that are found in the nature of man, ſince his fall, as Ignorance, Concupiſcence, Contrariety between the better and meaner faculties of the Soul, difficulty to do well, and proneneſs to do evil, were all natural, the conditions of pure nature, that is, of nature, as conſidered in it ſelf, it would come forth from God: That theſe evils are not ſinful, nor had their beginnings from ſin, that they were the conſequents of nature in the ſtate of creation, but reſtrained by addition of ſupernatural Grace, without which the integrity of nature was full and perfect: That men in the ſtate of pure nature, that is, as they might have been created of God in the integrity of Nature, without addition of Grace, and in the eſtate of Original ſin, differ no otherwiſe, but as they that never had, and they that have loſt rich and precious cloathing; ſo that Original ſin is but the loſs of that, without which natures integrity may ſtand: That no evils are brought in by the fall, but nature left to her ſelf to feel that which was before, but not felt, nor diſcerned while the addition of Grace bettered nature: None of theſe errors, touching the eſtate of mans creation, were the Doctrines of the Church, but the private fancies and conceits of men.
So likewiſe touching Original Sin, there were that taught, that it is not inherent in each particular man born of Adam, but that Adams perſonal ſin is imputed onelyonly: That the propagation of ſin is not general, Mary being conceived without Original ſin: That the puniſhment of it is not any ſenſible ſmart, or poſitive evil, but privative onelyonly; and that therefore there is a third place, neither Hell, nor Heaven, named, Limbus Puerorum; which is a place, whereas ſome think, they who are cond…mned thither, though they be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven, and all poſſibility of ever coming thither, yet are in a ſtate of natural happineſs, and do enjoy the ſweet content of Eternal Life. Theſe Pelagian Hereſies were taught in the Church of God, but they were not the Doctrines of the Chu…ch, being condemned, rejected and refuted, as contrary to the Chriſtian Verity, by many worthy members and guides of the Church: who as they never received theſe parts of falſe Doctrine: So likewiſe the Church wherein they lived, neither know, nor approved that diſtinction and difference of venial and mortal ſins, which the Romaniſts now Teach, nor power of nature to do the works of the Law according to the ſubſtance of the things commanded, though not according to the intention of the Law-giver to love God above all, and to do acti…s morally good, or not ſinful, without concurrence of ſpecial Grace, nor election and reprobation depending on the foreſight of ſomething in us poſitive or privative; nor merit of congruence and condignity; nor works of ſupererogation; nor counſels of perfection, as they now teach; nor juſtification by perfection of inherent qualities; nor uncertainty of Grace; nor ſeven Sacraments properly ſo named, nor local preſence; nor Tranſubſtantiation; nor …rall manducation of the body of Chriſt, nor real ſacrificing of it for the quick and the dead: nor remiſſion of ſins after this Life; nor tormenting of the ſouls of men dying in the ſtate of Salvation in a part of Hell, hundreds of years, by Divels in corporal fire (out of which, prayer ſhould deliver …hem) nor that the Saints hear our Prayers, …ow or are acquainted with our particular wants: nor the groſs idolatry in thoſe times committed, and intollerable abuſes found in the number, faſhion, and worſhip of their images: nor their abſolution, as now they define it: nor treaſure of the Church growing out of the ſuperſtuity of Saints merits, not rewardable in themſelves, to be diſpoſed by the Pope for the ſupply of other mens wants to releaſe them out of Purgatory by way of indulgence: nor the infallibility of the Popes judgement, and plenitude of his power ſuch and ſo great that he may dep…ſ… Princes, and diſpoſe of their Crowns, and digr…ie… and that whatſoever he doth he may not be brough… into order, or depoſed by authority of the whole world in a general Council.
Thoſe are the errors which we condemne and our adverſaries maintain and defend: theſe we are all aſſured were not the Doctrines of that Church wherein our Fathers lived and dyed, though we do not deny, but they were taught by ſome in that Church. All theſe we offer to prove to be error in matter of our Chriſtian faith, and that ſeeing we could have peace no longer with our adverſaries, but by approving theſe impieties, we had juſt cauſe to divide our ſelves from them, or (to ſpeak more properly) to ſuffer our ſelves to be accurſed, anathematized, and rejected by them, rather then to ſubſcribe to ſo many errors, and hereſies, contrary to the Chriſtian, and Catholike verity.
WHereas the Papiſts have little elſe to ſay to us, but onelyonly to call ſtill for a Catalogue of Profeſſors to prove the ſucceſſive viſibility of our Church; we require of them firſt an anſwer to thoſe Writings that have been extant ſo long on this ſubject: eſpecially Biſhop Ʋſher de ſucceſſione & Statu Eccleſ. and his anſwer to the Jeſuits challenge (Defended by Maſter Sing and Maſter Puttock) Doctor Fields Treat. of the Church, eſpecially the Appendix to the third part: Simon Birkbecks Proteſtants evidence: Doctor Whites Way to the true Church. Abbot againſt▪ Hill. Illiricus his Catalogues teſtium veritatis. Mornays two Treatiſes of the Church, and the Myſtery of iniquity (to ſay nothing of that of the Maſs) Johan. Lidii Waldenſ. Nicol. Vignier Eccleſiaſt. Histor. And the confeſſions of your own Writers: Your after Pope Aenaeas Sylvius Hiſtor. Bohem. and that commonly cited paſſage of your inquiſitor Rainnerius, which I will adjoyn.
Rainerius contr. Waldenſ. cap 4. Inter omnes ſectas que adhuc ſunt & fuerunt, non eſt pernicioſior Eccleſiae quam ea Leoniſtarum, idque tribus de cauſis. 1. Quia eſt diuturnior: aliqui enim dicunt quod duravit a tempore Silveſtri: alii a tempore Apoſtolorum. 2. Quia eſt generalior: fere enim nulla terra eſt in qua haec ſecta non ſit. 3. Quia cum omnes aliae ſectae immanitate Blaſphemiarum in Deum audientibus horrorem inducant; haec ſcilicet Leoniſtarum magna habet ſpeciem pietatis, eo quod coram omnibus juſte vivant, & bene omnia de Deo credant, & omnes articules qui in ſymbolo continentur: ſolummodo Romanam Eccleſiam blaſphemant et Clerum.
That is [Among all the Sects that yet are and have been there is not a more pernicious to the Church then that of the Lyoniſts, and that for three cauſes. 1. Becauſe it is the more … (or of longer continuance) for ſome … it hath endured from the time of Silveſter; other from the time of the Apoſtles. 2. Becauſe it is more general, for there is ſcarce any land in which this …ect …s not. 3. Becauſe, when all other ſects do by the immanity of their blaſphemy bring horror into the hearers; this of the Lyoniſts hath a great ſhew of godlineſs; in that they live righteouſly before all men, and they believe all things well concerning God, and all the articles that are contained in the Creed: onelyonly they blaſphem the Romane Church, and the Clergy.
To this adde what I cited out of Canus and others before.
Laſtly, Give us ſome tolerable anſwer to all that voluminous evidence of your oppoſitions, by Princes, Prelates, Divines and Lawyers, which Mich. Goldaſtus hath collected and publiſhed, on his volumes de Monarche & conſtitut. Imperial.