The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 7 · Controversy 8 · Chapter 1
CHAP. 1. The Doctrine of the Roman Church, about Penitential Satisfaction.
AFter that the Penitent hath confeſſed his ſins, the Prieſt layeth penances upon him, that is, ſatisfactory pains, enjoyning him, either to faſt ſo many dayes, or to undertake ſuch a pilgrimage, or to viſit barefoot the relicks of ſuch a Saint, and there to do his devotions for nine dayes, or to get himſelf whipt,(a)Eman. Sa, Aphor. in verbo Satisfactio. Poteſt quis per alium ſatisfacere de licentia Confeſſoris. Tolet, de Inſtruct. Sacerd. l. 3. c. 11. Ʋnus ſatiſfacere poteſt pro altero, &c. Poteſt Confeſſarius imponere poenitentiam vel per ſe, vel per alium explendam. or to find another that will whip himſelf for him; or to give ſo much money to ſuch Fryars, and that is called alms, though the Fryars be rich, and the Penitent poor. Or to ſay for ſo many dayes, the ſeven Penitential Pſalms in Latine. To ſay ſo many Ave's, interlaced with Pater's. Sometimes Confeſſors will delight to enjoyn extravagant penances. Nicol. Gyles, Secretary to King Lewis the XII. in the year 768. of his Annals, ſpeaks of a Penance impoſed to Robert the Normand, ſirnamed the Devil, by reaſon of many exceſſes by him committed. That for ſeven years he ſhould abſtain from ſpeaking. And the Penitent lay at a ſtairs foot, and ate nothing but the remnant of bones gnawed by a Greyhound. The Decree of Burchard Biſhop of Worms, in the nineteenth book, preſcribes many the like penances. He condemneth one who hath killed his father or his mother, never to ride in a coach, never to marry, and never to eat fleſh.(b)Occidiſti ſeniorem tuum, &c. Vinum & medonem & mellitam cerviſiam nunquam bibas, niſi in illis praedictis tribus dicbus. Uxorem ne ducas. Concubinam non habeas, &c. Nunquam te laves in …aluco. Equum non aſcendas. Cauſam tuam & alterius in conventu fidelium non agas. In conviviis laetantium nunquam ſedeas. In Eccleſia ſegregatus ab aliis Chriſtianis poſt oſtium humiliter ſtes. To him that hath killed his Lord, he gives for penance, never to drink Wine, or Mead, or Beer with honey in it, but three dayes in the year: Never to marry: To keep no Concubine: Never to bathe himſelf: Never to ride on horſe-back: Never to plead his cauſe, or that of another: Never to be at a feaſt; and in the Church, to ſtand behind the door.
To him that hath killed a thief, he enjoyns for a penance, not to enter into the Church for forty dayes: All thoſe dayes to be clad with wooll: To wear no ſword: To ride no horſe: Not to lye with his wife, (which is puniſhing two for one): Upon Tueſdayes, Thurſdayes, and Saturdayes, to eat nothing but pulſe, herbs, apples, and ſmall fiſhes, as Sprats, Smelts, ſmall Trouts, but no Poor John. And on the ſame dayes to drink nothing but ſmall ſtale Beer. Moſt part of all that is taken from the Roman Penitential, and from Theodorets Penitential.
It is an uſual penance from the time of Petrus Damianus Cardinal, and which is yet practiſed; to whip ones ſelf, and together to ſing Pſalms. Baronius in the 1055. year, relates theſe words of the ſaid Cardinal,(c)Ʋt tria ſcoparum millia unum poenitentiae anaum ex…leant cum modulatione Pſalmorum. Decem Pſalmorum modulatio mille ſcopas admittit. Cumq…e Pſalterium conſtet ex 150. Pſalmis, in quoque Pſalterto quinque annorum poenitentia expletur. With three thouſand laſhes, ſinging Pſalms melodiouſly, they fulfilled a year of penitence. Now one muſt give a thouſand laſhes, ſinging ten Pſalms. And whereas the Pſalter hath one hundred and fifty Pſalms, with every Pſalter five years of penance are fulfilled: I think he put five for fifteen. Cardinal Tolet in the firſt Book of the Inſtruction of Prieſts, chap. 14. ſpeaks thus, Let him be abſolved with a Pſalm, and the Lords Prayer, and whipping. (d)Matth. Paris in Henrico II. An. 1174. Caru…n ſuam diſciplinae virgarum ſupponeus, à ſingulis viris religioſis, quorum multitudo magna convenerat, ictus ternos vel quinos accepit.King Henry the II. of England, was ſo whipt at Canterbury by a multitude of Fryars, ſome of which gave him five laſhes, and others gave three. I could bring many examples of Princes whipt by way of penance in our dayes. At Rome in the holy week, there is a publick whipping. But they that march thus through the Town whipping themſelves, have their faces masked and their back bare, and for a lenitive of their wounds, ſome cauſe Vinegar to be ſquirted into them.
But becauſe theſe are hard penances, and a faſt of many years is grievous and troubleſom, theſe Doctors have bethought themſelves to uſe clemency, permitting the ſinner to redeem theſe penances with money, and to exchange corporal into pecuniary pains. In the nineteenth Book of Burchards Decree, the nineteenth Chapter is this,(e)Si quis fortè non potuerit jejunare, & habuerit unde poſsit redimere, ſi dives fuerit, pro ſeptem hebdomadibus det ſolidos viginti. Si non habuerit unde tantum dare poſſit, det ſolidos decem. Si autem multum pauper fuerit, det ſolidos tres, &c. If perhaps a man cannot faſt, and hath wherewith to redeem [his faſt]: If he be rich, for ſeven weeks [of faſt] let him pay twenty ſous. If he cannot give ſo much, let him give ten ſous. If he be very poor, let him pay three. He adds, that the ſaid money muſt be employed for the ranſom of priſoners, or given at the Altar, and to Gods ſervants (ſo he calls Prieſts and Monks) or elſe given in alms, for alſo that which is given to the Church is called alms.(f)Laïcus blaſphemans, ſi nobilis fuerit, poena 25. ducatorum multetur, & pro ſecunda vice 50. fabricae baſilicae principis Apoſtolorum de urbe applicandis. Th… laſt Council of Laterane, Section IX. enjoyneth a Gentleman who hath blaſphemed, to pay five and twenty Ducates for the firſt time, and fifty for the ſecond time, which are employed for the building of Saint Peters Church at Rome.
The Roman Church was very much enriched that way, and is grown fat with the ſins of the people. So much Baronius acknowledgeth in the year, 1055. where he alleadgeth Petrus Damianus Cardinal,(g)Baron. an. 1055. ſect. 9. Non ignoras, quia cum à poenitentibus terras, poſſeſsiones agrorum videlicet, accipimus, juxta menſuram muneris eis de quantitate poenitentiae relaxamus. Quibus plane oſtendit Damianus bona Eccleſiaſtica ejuſmodi fieri, ſolita redemptione aucta creviſſe. Thou art not ignorant, that when we receive from Penitents, Lands, that is poſſeſsions of fields, we releaſe of the quantity of the penance, according to the meaſure of the gift. To which Baronius addeth. By theſe words Damianus evidently ſheweth, that the goods of the Church are increaſed by that redemption which uſeth to be done. Thus ſins are redeemed with money, and the rich have here a great advantage. Can one blame theſe Gentlemen, that take ſo much pains to diſpoſe of remiſſion of ſins, and by conſequent of ſalvation, if they think it not reaſonable to pardon ſins for nothing?
But if there be any man that cannot faſt, and that will not or cannot give money, they have deviſed to make him burſt with ſinging, enterlarding laſhes with the ſinging of a multitude of Pſalms. The Roman Penitential enjoyns, that ſuch a man(h)Burchard. l. 19. c. 23. ex Poenitentiali Romano. Duodecim triduanae ſingulae cum Pſalteriis tribus impletis & cum palmatis trecentis per ſingula Pſalteria excuſant unius anni poenitentiam. ſing three times the whole Pſalter, in twelve times three dayes, with three hundred blows for every Pſalter, and that thereby he be diſcharged of a year of penance.
To the Penitents whom they will uſe kindly, they impoſe no penance or ſatiſfaction, as we learn of the Jeſuite Emanuel Sa, (i)Etſi accipienti indulgentiam plenariam poteſt dari abſolutio ſine poenitentia, expedit tamen aliquam ſemper imponere.To him that receiveth plenary Indulgence, abſolution may be given without penance, yet it is expedient alwayes to impoſe ſome. Or they enjoyn the Penitents to do ſome work by way of penance, which the ſinner was obliged to do, though the Prieſt had not enjoyned it, as the ſame Jeſuite ſaith,(k)Eman. Sa, ibid. Poteſt in poenitentiam imponi epus alias debitum. Tolet De Valentia, Navarrus, Cajetan, Soto, Palud. Capreol. Sylveſt. One may impoſe for a penance, a work which otherwiſe was due, and he alleadgeth many Doctors that ſay the ſame. Cardinal Tolet is of the ſame mind,(l)Tolet lib. 3. de Inſtr. Sacerd. c. 3. Poſſit Confeſſarius pro poenitentia imponere opera aliàs debita, ut quod jejunet tres dies quadrageſimae, quos tamen tenebatur aliàs jejunare poenitens. The Confeſſor may impoſe for a penance, works that were due without that, as to faſt three dayes in Lent, which the Penitent was bound to faſt howſoever. By the ſame reaſon, the Confeſſor may enjoyn as a penance to the ſinner to believe in God. And if the Confeſſor enjoyns for a penance to do ſome good work, to which every Chriſtian is obliged, it muſt be preſuppoſed, that when the Penitent doth that work, he doth two things: For by that work, he doth what he ought to do for the preſent, and yet by the ſame work he ſatisfieth and recompenceth God for the time paſt. And the ſame work is meritorious for the future, and ſatisfactory for the ſins done before.
It is alſo a gentle kind of ſatisfaction, when the Confeſſor impoſeth to the Penitent for ſatisfaction,(m)Ibid. Alia via juvatur poenitentia & ſatisfactio ſcilicet imponendo illi omnia quae facturus eſt bona & quae paſſurus eſt mala loco poenitentiae. Eſt enim ſciendum, quod opera alias debita Deo, ſi imponantur à Confeſſario, valent ultra obligationem, &c. Ʋnde optimo conſilio in forma abſolvendi adjungitur illud. Quicquid boni feceris, & mali ſuſtinueris, ſit tibi in remiſſionem peccatorum. all the good works which he ſhall do afterwards, and all the evils which he ſhall ſuffer. That is, he declares unto the ſinner that all the prayers and alms which he ſhall do (yet without ſpecifying to him any kind of good works) and the ſickneſſes that he ſhall ſuffer, and all the law-ſuits that he ſhall have, muſt ſerve him hereafter as payments and ſatisfactions to God. This is expreſly ſet down in the ordinary form of abſolution, to which Tolet ſaith, that it was very prudently added, All the good that thou ſhalt do, and all the evil that thou ſhalt ſuffer, may ſerve thee for remiſſion of ſins, and encreaſe of grace, and reward of everlaſting life. For, (ſaith this Cardinal) good works which otherwiſe are due, when the Prieſt impoſeth them by way of penitence, become of a value above the obligation; ſo that the Prieſt can alter the nature of the work.
The gentleſt ſatisfaction of all, is when the Prieſt impoſeth for a penance to a man, to find one that will be whipt for him, or that will faſt for him. As the ſame Cardinal ſaith,(n)Ibid. Unus ſatisfacere poteſt pro altero, &c. Poteſt Confeſſarius imponere poenitentiam, vel per ſe, vel per alium implendam. One may ſatisfie for another. And, The Confeſſor can lay a penance, which the Penitent ſhall be obliged to fulfill, either by himſelf or by another. And the Jeſuite Emanuel Sa, (o)Eman. Sa, Aphor. in verbo Satisfactio. Poteſt quis per alium ſatisfacere de licentia Confeſſoris.One may ſatisfie by another, by the Confeſſors leave.
The worſt penance or ſatisfaction of all, is when remiſſion of ſins is given to a ſinner upon condition of committing ſome murther, or treaſon, or diſloyal act.(p)De Paſchali & Leodienſibus vide Bochelli decretum, lib. 5. cap. 6. As when Paſchal the II. in the year 1107. commanded Robert Earl of Flanders to deſtroy and ſlay the Clergy of Cambray and Liege, becauſe they adhered to the Emperour Henry the V. & he was to do that for the remiſſion of all his ſins.(q)Matth. Paris, & Weſtmonaſterienſis in Johan. And when Innocent the III. gave to Philip Auguſt of France the remiſſion of all his ſins, upon condition of invading and waſting all England, where he had no right. And when in our time the French Prieſts gave abſolution, and the Pope ſet forth Indulgences, upon condition of taking part with the League and rebelling againſt the King. For it is as if one ſaid, Wilt thou have me to forgive thee thy ſins? Be a Traytor and a Murtherer, for it is the true way to make thy peace with God: Or, Becauſe thou art a wicked thief, thou ſhalt have eternal life.
By fulfilling of theſe penances impoſed by the Prieſt, our Adverſaries hold that the Penitent ſatisfieth unto the juſtice of God, and that they ſerve for expiation of ſins as for the temporal pain, which whoſoever ſhall not fulfill in this life, he muſt fulfill what is wanting of the whole ſatisfaction in Purgatory, a fire far hotter then our ordinary fire,(r)Bellar. lib. 1. de Indulg. c. 9. Peccatis mortiferis ſingulis debetur ſecundum Canones poenientiae trium vel ſeptem annorum. where ſouls muſt ſuffer ſeven years for every mortal ſin, or three years at leaſt: unleſs the Pope graciouſly fetch them out of it by his Indulgences, or unleſs the friends of the deceaſed found Maſſes and Dirges for them. But none comes out without money: For theſe men induſtrious in the moſt ſuperlative manner, have found the way to dig money out of the graves, and death is tributary to them. If a man hath deſerved to be twenty thouſand years in Purgatory,(ſ)Gerſon. lib. de abſolutione Sacramentali. Fatuae ſunt & ſuperſtitioſae quaedam intitulationes de Indulgentiis viginti mille annorum, ei qui dixerit quinque Pater noſter ante talem imaginem, &c. Et eſſet per Praelatos providendum, quia cedit hoc in contemptum & irriſionem indulgentiarum. let him obtain ten thouſand years of pardon, he is diſcharged of the half of the ſatisfaction, and the pain which he deſerveth in Purgatory is ſhortened by one half. But if he hath deſerved to be but two thouſand years in Purgatory, and hath obtained twenty thouſand years of pardon, what becomes of the eighteen thouſand years of pardon more then he needed? The Doctors diſpute about it.
This is then conſtant among our Adverſaries, that when the Prieſt hath impoſed ſatisfactory pains upon the Penitent, which are called penitences or penances,(t)Bellar. l. 4. de poenit. c. 13. Indulgentiae faciunt ut pro iis quae per indulgentias condonant…r, non teneamur praecepto illo de faciendis dignis poenitentia fructibus. the Pope can diſpence from them, and exempt the ſinner from obeying God, who ſaith, Act. 2.3. Do penitence; or, Repent.
But becauſe the Goſpel teacheth us that Chriſt is the propitiation for our ſins, and that he gave himſelf a ranſom for us, 1 Tim. 2.6. Which ranſom being moſt perfect and of an infinite price, it ſeems that looking for other ſatisfactions or expiatory pains is more then needs, and going about to ſatisfie for a debt which is fully paid already, or derogating from the perfection of the ranſom and ſatisfaction which Chriſt had paid, and calling the vertue thereof in queſtion, and accuſing God of envy, becauſe he will not receive the ſatisfaction and ranſom paid by his Son, for ſo much as it is worth. To daube that, and to get a ſhelter againſt the doctrine of the Goſpel, they ſow up a piece to the Goſpel, and a new Article of faith, which is one of the main buttreſſes of Popery, and a fundamental maxime of his tyrannie, and a great gate open unto traffique.(u)Bell. l. 2. de Indulg. c. 6. In ſecunda reconciliatione, quae fit per Sacramentum poenitentiae, Evangelium dicit Chriſtum offerri poenitenti cum affluentia bonorum quidem coeleſtium, ſed non tanta ut remittatur omnis reatus culpae, ſed ut poſt remiſſam omnem culpam & poenam ſempiternam remaneat poenitentia & ſatisfactio peragenda, pro temporaria poena expianda. They ſay that in the abſolution or reconciliation which is done by the Sacrament of Penitence, Chriſt is not offered with ſuch affluence of good, that thereby the whole pain of our ſins be altogether forgiven.(x)Id. l. 1. de Purg. c. 14. Dicimus in Sacramento abſolutionis Deum contrahere nonnihil manum; & applicare Chriſti meritum ad tollendam culpam & poenam aeternam, tamen adhuc requirere opera poenitentiae quibus redimamus temporales poenas. But that God withdraws his hand a little, and makes himſelf ſomewhat ſparing to pardon. For, (ſay they) the fault of ſins ſince Baptiſm, and the eternal pain, is ſo remitted unto us, that there remains an obligation to the temporal pain, both in this life and in Purgatory. Which pain is called ſatisfactory, becauſe by bearing it, we ſatisfie the juſtice of God, and bear the expiation of our ſins. Which ſatisfactory pain the Council of Trent declares to be not only(y)Conc. Trid. Seſſ. 14. Satisfactio, quam imponunt non, ſit tantum ad novae vitae cuſtodiam, & infirmitatis medicamentum, ſed etiam ad praeteritorum peccatorum vindictam & caſtigationem. an inſtruction to learn to live with a new life, and a remedy to our infirmities; but alſo a revenge for ſins done, as if God would have a revenge for ſins pardoned, or took a delight to avenge himſelf of his children whom he hath pardoned, and for whom Chriſt is dead.
(z)Seſſ. 14. Can. 12. Si quis dixerit totam poenam ſimul cum culpa remitti ſemper à Deo ſatisfactionemque poenitentium non eſſe aliam quam fidem, qua apprehendunt Chriſtum pro eis ſatisfeciſſe, Anathema ſit.The ſame Council thundreth out an Anathema againſt thoſe that ſay, that God never remits the fault, without remitting the pain alſo, and that there is no other ſatisfaction to God for us, but Chriſts ſatisfaction apprehended by faith.(a)Dum ſatisfaciendo patimur pro peccatis, Chriſto Jeſu qui pro peccatis noſtris ſatisfecit, ex quo omnis noſtra ſufficientia eſt, conformes efficimur. The ſame Council addeth, that by our ſatisfying for our ſins, by the pains which we ſuffer, we are made conformable unto Chriſt who ſatisfied for us: For theſe Fathers will, that as Chriſt by his ſufferings hath paid and ſatisfied for us unto God, ſo we by our ſufferings pay and ſatisfie for our ſelves, that we may be made conformable unto Chriſt.
They ſay alſo, that our ſatisfactions are valid and receivable before God by vertue of Chriſts ſatisfaction. For ſuch is their Doctrine, that the payment which Chriſt hath made of our debts, ſerveth to make us pay the ſame debts; and that the ranſom which he paid for us, ſerveth to make us pay a ranſom for our ſelves: And that the ſatisfaction whereby Chriſt fully ſatisfied unto the juſtice of God for us, gives us this vertue, that by the torment which we bear in a burning fire, we ſatisfie the juſtice of God for the obligation to the temporal pain. Yea they make no difficulty to ſay, that to ſpeak properly there is no other ſatisfaction but our own.(b)Tertius modus mihi videtur multo probabilior, quod una tantum ſit actualis ſatisfactio, & ea ſit noſtra. Bellarmine ſaith ſo much in chap. 14. of the firſt book of Purgatory, That there is but one actual ſatisfaction (that is, one ſatisfaction in effect) which is our own. For, as for Chriſts ſatisfaction, they will have it to ſerve to make ours good, as Chriſt having not paid to exempt us from the torments and pains of Purgatory, but ſerving only for to give value to our torments, and to make them ſatisfactory.
Yea, they go ſo far as to ſay, that in reſpect of that temporal pain, whereby we are to ſatisfie God, the merit of Chriſt is uſeful indeed, but not neceſſary, and that all men ſtand not in need of it.(c)Merita Chriſti partim ſunt omnibus neceſſaria, partim non neceſſaria, ſed utilia. Atque hoc poſteriore modo ad fundamentum Indulgentiarum pertinent. Let the attentive reader weigh theſe words of Bellarmine, in the firſt Chapter of the ſecond book of Indulgences, The merits of Chriſt are partly neceſſary to all, partly not neceſſary but uſeful, and in this laſt manner they belong to the ground of Indulgences. He declareth that the merits of Chriſt are the ground of Indulgences, in that they are not neceſſary, but only uſeful. So that if the merits of Chriſt were alwayes conſidered as neceſſary; Indulgences ſhould have no ground. To explain his meaning further he addeth,(d)Si quis poſt gratiam reconciliationis adeptam adhuc ſit reus luendae poenae temporalis, is non neceſſario eget meritis Chriſti, ut per ea reatus illi ſimpliciter condonetur. Non quod ſine meritis Chriſti poſſit reatus illi ſimpliciter condonari, ſed quia ipſe poterit non requirere tantam liberalitatem, contentus ipſe ſuis laboribus & poenis vel in hac vita vel in purgatorio ſatisfacere Deo, co-operante ſemper Chriſti merito. If any after he hath got the grace of reconciliation, is yet guilty of the temporal pain, he doth not of neceſsity need the merits of Chriſt to get an abſolute pardon of that guilt. Not that without the merits of Chriſt, the guilt or obligation to the pain can be abſolutely forgiven him, but becauſe he may forbear requiring of God ſuch a great liberality, being content to give ſatisfaction to God, by his labours and pains, either in this life, or in Purgatory, the merit of Chriſt alwayes co-operating. According to the doctrine of that Cardinal Jeſuite, a ſoul in Purgatory may ſpeak thus to God, O God, I know that the merits of thy Son Jeſus Chriſt are ſo great, that I may be exempted from this torment by his merits: But I beg not ſuch a great liberality at thy hands, and am content to be burnt in this fire, and to ſatisfie thy juſtice by temporal pain. Being thus reſolved, the merits of thy Son are not neceſſary to me, and I ſtand in no need of them. Only they are uſeful to me, to make the pain whereby I ſatisfie thy juſtice to be acceptable. Thus a couragious ſoul may ſend back unto God his preſent, and will not be ſo much obliged unto him. And ſee what that generoſity is grounded upon.(e)Non quod Chriſti merita non ſufficiant, ſed quia id nobis utilius, & Chriſto glorioſius eſt, quemadmodum etiam idem Deus inſtituit, ut ſecundae cauſae non ſint otioſae, ſed cum ipſa prima cauſa adres producendas conveniant. It is not (ſaith the ſame Doctor) becauſe Chriſts merits are not ſufficient, but becauſe it is more profitable for us, and more honourable for Chriſt (as God alſo hath inſtituted it) that the ſecond cauſes be not idle, but that they concurr with the firſt cauſe to bring forth effects.
Is not that a very pregnant conſideration, and ſufficient to make a ſoul willing to be burnt ſome thouſands of years? For, belike, there is both profit and honour in contributing to the payment, and preſenting to God ones own pains and ſatisfactions, to attain to the Kingdom of God when the term of the torment is expired, rather then to be preſently tranſported into Paradiſe, like an idle man and of ſmall courage, contributing nothing of his own. Theſe are gallant and couragious ſpirits indeed, whom God will torment and burn to gratifie them. Yet to my thinking, ſince ſome action muſt be attributed to ſecond cauſes, if theſe ſouls had been preſently put in poſſeſſion of the heavenly glory, their actions would have been more noble and excellent, then thoſe which they do in that underground fire, far from the ſight of God, and from the company of his Saints, and they had glorified God in a far better way.
And that one may not think that theſe ſatisfactions are ſuch ſmall things, the Roman Church holds, that the(f)Bell. id prolixè probat lib. Indulg. c. 2. Sancti plus paſſi ſunt, quam eorum peccata requirunt. Saints, Monks, and Martyrs, do more then needs for the expiation of their ſins, ſo that there is an overplus which the Pope reſerveth in his treaſure. How he gathers it, and layeth it up, and by what text of Scripture he is conſtituted the Keeper and Diſtributor of the ſame, it is not ſaid, but is left to be piouſly preſumed. As the ſame Bellarmine ſaith,(g)Idem l. 2. de Indulg. c. 8. Fidere ſanctorum meritis eſt Filio Dei perbonoriſicum & glorioſum. That truſting in the merits of the Saints, is honourable and glorious unto Chriſt. For it is an Article of Faith, drawn from the unwritten word. O excellent Apoſtle, who was wrapt up to the third heaven, and there didſt learn unutterable things; if all that doctrine be true, how ignorant wert thou in the doctrine of the Goſpel! For in all thine Epiſtles where thou magnifieſt ſo excellently, and expoundeſt ſo clearly the benefit of our Saviour Jeſus, we find not one word of all this doctrine. Here let us give glory to God, on the one ſide acknowledging the depths of Satan, and on the other ſide the juſt wrath of God, who hath ſmitten theſe laſt ages with the ſpirit of ſtumbling. Indeed, when after the reading of Evangeliſts and Apoſtles, I come to revolve in my mind this horrible ſink of prodigious abuſe, I find my ſelf as it were tranſported into a new world, as if from the reading of the holy Oracles, I paſt to the reading of Alcoran.