The Catholique triumph conteyning, a reply to the pretensed answere of B.C. (a masked Iesuite,) lately published against the Tryall of the New Religion. Wherein is euidently prooued, that Poperie and the doctrine now professed in the Romish church, is the new religion: and that the fayth which the Church of England now mayntaineth, is the ancient Romane religion.

T. B.

I answere; first, that the more our sillie Iesuite striueth against the trueth, the more he still woundeth rotten Po∣perie. Fiue examples he heere produceth, and neuer one to the purpose; as by & by (God willing) shall appeare.* 1.1 Secondly, that if Poperie were not the New religion in very deed, such paultry and beggerly shiftes would ne∣uer be vsed in defence thereof. Thirdly, that the questi∣on is not of those actes, which Gods Saintes doe alone and of them-selues; but of those effectes, in producing whereof, Gods Saintes are sayd to concurre, and to be ioyned with Christ our Sauiour. And therefore of the fiue Examples, three are altogeather impertinent; viz. the first, the third, & the fourth. For, in the first place, the Angel doth not connotate a Creature, but God himselfe: which I prooue, by a double argument. [ 1] First, because the Text speaketh of that Angel, which deliuered Israel or Jacob from all euill; which effect can not possibly be as∣cribed to any Creature, but, To God alone,* 1.2 the fountaine of all Grace, and giuer of euery good guift. And it is con∣firmed; because the same God, which in the 15 verse is said, To haue fed Israel all his life long; is likewise sayd in the verse following, To haue deliuered him from all euill. [ 2] Second∣ly, because two other places of Scripture, doe interpret

the Angel to be God himselfe;* 1.3 The God of Bethel, & the God that did keepe Jsrael whither soeuer he went. In the third place, as also in the fourth, the actes are onely ascribed to the Israelites, and to S. Paul: but neither the Apostle nor the Jsraelites, are sayd to concurre with Christ in producing the same effect. Let the wordes be well marked and the case is cleare. The second, and fift or last Examples doe prooue indeed, that Gods Saints are ioyned with Christ in producing the same effectes; but for all that, are as far from concluding the Iesuites purpose, as Rome is distant from Roan, or the East from the West. For, albeit I wil∣lingly graunt, that Gods Saintes may concurre and be conioyned with Christ, in producing al those effectes to which they are deputed of God, as instrumentes, meanes, and inferiour causes vnder him hauing to that end recei∣ued of him actiue power in some measure; yet doe I con∣stantly denie,* 1.4 and vtterly defie, that most vnchristian, blasphemous, and hereticall Popish assertion; which brutishly and more then cruelly auoucheth, that Beckets Blood and Christes most pretious Blood, concurre in working mans Saluation. For, as the Israelites truely sayd, that the Sword of God and Gideon destroyed their eni∣mies;* 1.5 so may it truely be sayd in like manner; that God and the Phisition cure inward sores:* 1.6 God and the Sur∣gion, externall woundes: that God and Masons builde Churches: God and Taylors make Garmentes: God and Meate nourish men, and so foorth. But we can ne∣uer truly say, that Christes Blood and Beckets Blood, doe worke mans Saluation. The Sword of Gideon, Masons, Surgions, Phisitions, Meate, and Taylors, haue a certaine actiue power inherent in them to produce such effectes: but mans Saluation is such a diuine, supernaturall, & su∣pereminent effect,* 1.7 as Beckets Blood hath no actiue power at all, neither more nor lesse, to produce the same. For this respect,* 1.8 grauely writeth S. Augustine, That if the best li∣uer on earth should be rewarded according to his best

desertes, yet could he not but perish euerlastingly. For this respect, wisely sayth the learned and religious Fryer Ferus.* 1.9 That our Saluation consisteth onely and solely in the Merite of Christ, not in our owne Workes. He ad∣deth the reason: because we are not able to make satis∣faction; no not for the least sinne we commit. For this respect, sayth Abbot Bernard; That the sinne which ma∣keth deuision betweene God and vs,* 1.10 can not be wholly taken away in this life. This Subiect is handled at large in the ninth Chapter afore-going,* 1.11 in the eleuenth Con∣clusion: to which place, I referre the Reader, for his bet∣ter satisfaction herein.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Poperie lyeth a bleeding vnto death.
• * 1.2

  Ioh. 15.5. Iac. 1.17. 1. Cor 3.8. 2. Cor. 3.4.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 31. v. 13. Gen. 18. v. 15.19.14.
• * 1.4

  Marke well this my dis∣course.
• * 1.5

  Iudg. 7. v. 20.
• * 1.6

  When God appoynteth his creatures to be causes inferiour vn∣der him, then may they be ioyned with him, not other∣wise.
• * 1.7

  Ioh. 14.6. Ioh. 17.17.
• * 1.8

  Aug. ep. 105.
• * 1.9

  Ferus, in Mat. lib. 3. cap. 16. fol. 290. B.
• * 1.10

  Bern. de. adu. dom. ser. 6.
• * 1.11

  Cap. 9. Conclus. 11.