The Primitive Practice for Preserving Truth, Section 21
SECT. XXI.
THere were in all ages, even in the first and purest times, Confessions set out by the Primitive Christians, to be a Guide and a Rule for all Conditions to walk by: and when the Nicene Creed was penned by the learned Fathers of that Councell, it was all that was required of any to be publikly confessed, that had been either accused or suspected of Heresie. The Protestants in all ages, when they were questioned, (and especially since the yeere 1500. that the differences about Religion have even filled Europe with the sharp disputes of the sword and pen) have not only offered to do whatsoever the ancient Fathers required as an act sufficient to cleare and acquit such as were in their times suspected of heresie, but further to put their cause to the triall of the Scriptures, the best and surest Rule; nay, to admit the Decrees of the first Generall Councels, and the united Tenets of the Orthodox Fathers for the first five hundred yeers. But the Romish Synogogue degenerating, first in manners, and then in doctrine; first introducing innumerable Trinkets and Ceremonies, to pester Gods publique worship, and afterwards severall Idolatries, absolutely to kill and poison it, could not satisfie themselves with pressing upon the Protestants the confession of those Truths they yet maintain'd an I held; but that not a grain of corn might remain in their great heap of chaffe, nor one true Professor be hidden amongst the multitude, they invented four manner of unchristian and tyrannicall courses, whereby to insnare and illaqueate not only the most innocent, but even the most prudent and sagacious man alive. First, they proceeded against any person they suspected, without accuser, witnesse, or proofe, and fettered his eares with so many Questions to be answered unto upon oath, and with so many severall examinations at severall times, that at last, as John de Monluce, Bishop of Valence, well observed of the Spanish Inquisition, in the yeer 1562. that it was Decipula ad vexandos bonos & illa… queandas conscientias: Though hee came into their clutches unjustly suspected, yet he was sure never to escape their griping talons justly acquitted. A second invention was to adde many new matters to be confessed as matters of faith, which were before left as matters of liberty and fact, either to hold or not to hold; and in this particular did that fatall Conventicle of Trent so blasphemously transcend the bounds of all sobriety, as to adde twelve new Articles of faith to the ancient Creed, to be believed upon pain of damnation; and to this they commonly adjoyned, as a slip or branch of it, adjuration of all former truths, or at least a Recantation. Miserable experience hath taught the Lutherans and Pseudo-Lutheran, in Germany, the tyrannie of the Romanists in this particular, who having assisted them to ruine those godly Protestants in the Empire, of the most sound and Orthodox Helvetick or French confessions, did, as a reward of their treacherie, finde them more implacable against them, inforcing upon them a most dangerous and blasphemous abjuration, then against the others. These two former wayes of Inquisition went yet no further then the tongue, but the next that followed included the hands also, and compelled subscription to many false blasphemies, and dangerous heresies. Thus the Lutherans of Saxonie desiring to root out all the godly Ministers amongst them of the purer Confessions, would have them subscribe to those two portentuous and monstrous errors, of Consubstantiation and Ubiquity. And it was a notable Machiavilian policy of charles the ninth of France, who having enforced the consciences of the King of Navar, and Prince of Conde, in the yeer 1572. by the cruell murther of divers in their sight, and by threatning death to themselves, to cause them to write to Pope Gregorie the thirteenth, by their Letters under their own hands, that both their conversion to Popery, and abjuration of the truth, had been gratefull and voluntary. But the fourth and last invention is a downright and never failing way, either of discovering the godly, or of shipwracking their consciences, being one of those sins Divines call Peccata vastantia Conscientiam, and that is their enforcing them to adore their severall Idolls, by bowing to and towards their hee-Saints and shee-Saints, Altars, Reliques, Crucisixes, and their great Moloch of the Masse. This skill they learnt from the Heathens themselves, who to avoid multiplicitie of Interrogations, with the first holy and Primitive Christians, who abhorred the placing of Images in their publique Temples and Oratories; they asked them in a few words, Will you sacrifice to the Image? Charles the ninth of France never demanded of Henry de Clermont Prince of Conde, whether he would turne Papist; but, will you goe, (said he) to Masse? He knew raw flesh to be harder for a true Protestant to digest, then all the other parts of Popery. And doubtless, he that will adore and bow unto or towards an Image, the Sacrament, an Altar, a Communion Table, or any other creature, where the bowing is not meerly Civill, will never stumble at any other part or point of Popery, but may safely passe to Rome, or Rhemes. Oh that the Papists could but see their own vanity in bowing to and adoring the Wafer Cake as God! For they confesse it is not transsubstantiated into Christs flesh, unlesse the Priest that consecrate intend to turne and change it. And what then if the Priest be so ignorant, as many be, that he know not the words at which his quu or turne is come by his imagination onelyonly to worke a miracle? what if his minde be roving about his necessary affaires, or more unnecessarie and vainer thoughts, usuall with them that reade one particular often over, and so inadvertently he forget to joyne his intention to the words of Consecration? Doubtless, these cases and divers besides, might be instanced; in which the Priest hath often and doth daily faile to create his Saviour (blasphemy I confesse positively to affirme) for want of meere advertency and premeditation within the rules of the Romish Synagogue it selfe. And then what follows, but formall and materiall Idolatry, by their owne confessions, when they adore it? So as should the Papists themselves see a Protestant Prelate or Minister bowing to and adoring the Elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, before or after Consecration, he could not but account him a Poishly affected Priest belonging to his owne Church, or an absolute Idolater; For in the 29th Article of Religion, published by the Church of England, agreeing expresly with the Helvetick and French Confessions, it is plainly let downe; That Transubstantiation or any change of the substance of Bread and Wine, is repugnant to the plaine words of the Scripture, overthroweth the nature of the Sacrament, and hath given occasion to many superstitions; That the body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper of the Lord onelyonly after an heavenly and spirituall manner; And that the meane whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper is faith; And that the Sacrament was not by Christs Ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped; So the Article of the Church of England. When therefore any Papist shall see his Masse celebrated by any English Divine, with Elevation and Adoration, or bowing to and towards it, both gestures being condemned by the doctrine of that Church, he must either within, and by the rules of his own Church give him up for an adaquate Idolater, in giving adoration to the substances of Bread and Wine, which action the Romanists abhorre and condemne, or else in charitie suppose howsoever in outward shew he seem an heretick, yet in truth he is a good Catholick; and did intend in and by the words of Consecration to make his Saviour; and so supposing his body to be really there before him, doth adore and bow to it. The Lutherans condemne the Popish Transubstantiation; the Jesuites deride the Lutherans Consubstantiation and Ubiquitie, and both justly. But should they heare of any subtle wittall, that hath in theso dayes found out a third and more sublime invention out of the Bush that the man in the Moone carries at his back, and can finde Christs body in the Sacrament as really and naturally as it was in the Virgins wombe; but yet will not say, he is bodily there either Con, Sub, or Trans, they would most justly hisse him out of their Churches and Schooles. Doubtlesse, the Popish Transubstantiation is of the three the most rationall and profound error, because that being accompanied with a supposed Miracle, and may be at any time excused by the inadvertent default of the Priest, admits the losse opposition. And I have often wondred why some of that active rabble could not as well and as secretly on the sudden have supposited true flesh instead of the Hostia, as they have by an insensible legerdemaine sprinkled pure and lively bloud from a lancinated singer upon the Wafer Cake it selfe. Certainly, there is no truth in Scripture more plainly set down then that doctrine of the Church of England, and of the more Orthodox reformed Churches, in which they maintaine and teach, that Christs body is ascended into heaven, and there remaineth as visibly and circumscriptively as it did upon earth before it ascended, that it is onelyonly present given and taken in the Sacrament, after an heavenly and spirituall manner, and that to worship it, or make it a sacrifice, are blasphemous and dangerous deceits, from all which it will undoubtedly and necessarily follow, that Christs body is no more present at the Sacrament really and carnally after the words of Consecration, then it was present with the Bread before it was brought into the Church, or with that which is left after the administration of the Sacrament ended, and is carried againe out of the Church, where also it may as lawfully be adored, as at any time during the holy administration it selfe, each adoration being grosse Idolatry. Were the ignorantest men and silliest women able in Queene Maries dayes to assert this truth, even by dispute against those bloudy Bishops and Idolatrous Priests, that would have obtruded Christs reall presence in the Sacrament, and their blasphemous sacrifice of the Masse upon them, and after to die for it; and shall wee not thinke thousands will be now ready also in all humilitie and patience to lay downe their lives for the same Truth? How dangerous in all ages this idolatrous adoration or bowing to Images, Altars, the Hostia, Reliques, and such other trumpery, hath been to the very moderate Papists themselves, appeares by a pretty relation in the History of learned De Thou; That Francis the second in the yeare 1559. being perswaded by the Cardinall of Lorraine, and some others of his faction, that there was no way to discover and irretiate the Protestants like that of their Images, did cause them to be erected and set up with Candles burning before them in severall streets and eminent places of Paris, to which there assembled divers tankardbearers, scullions, and other such like of the dregs and scumme of the people, who to the shame of the Priests and all Church-Discipline, prophanely chanted and sang before them: And when any passed by, were he Papist or Protestant, if he did not presently deliver them money towards the maintenance of those Tapers, and adore the Idoll, they fell upon him; and not contented to make him tast of their fists and handy-blowes, or to throw him into the dirt, and trample on him, did after all those grosse abuses carry him to prison, there to be further questioned; many sober Papists having hast of businesse, not seeing the Images, or otherwise not regarding the disorderly carroling of such a company of Varlets, were by them basely assaulted, beaten, and spoiled, to the great distaste, and open repining of the best and discreetest Citizens, though otherwaies truly caec-obedient and zealous Romanists.