An apologie for religion, or an answere to an vnlearned and slanderous pamphlet intituled: Certaine articles, or forcible reasons discouering the palpable absurdities, and most notorious errors of the Protestants religion, pretended to be printed at Antwerpe 1600. By Edvvard Bulkley Doctor of Diuinitie

The Pamphlet. The Protestants know not what they beleeue. 4. Article.

THe Protestants know not what they beleeue, nor why they beleeue: that they know not why they beleeue, I haue shewed before. For that the ground of their be∣leefe is not the authoritie of Scripture, of councels, of Doctors, nor of the Church, but their owne fancie. And that they know not what they beleeue is manifest, because they haue no rule, whereby to know what is matter of faith, and what is not. Some will limit their beleefe to their creede, saying, that nothing ought to be beleeued, which is not in the Apostles creed. But then I would demaund of them, whether that we ought to beleeue that the Scripture is the word of God? that baptisme is a Sacra∣ment? that in the Eucharist is the bodie of Christ by faith? to what article should these be reduced, seeing they are not contai∣ned in the creed? or how shall we know infallibly, how these be matters of faith: since they are not contained in the creed? others deny some articles of their creed also: for the Prote∣stants deny three articles of our creed, and the puritans fiue: The first is the Catholike Church. Credo ecclesiam sanctam Catholicam: I beleeue the holy Catholike Church, the which in very deede they doe not beleeue: because Catholike is vni∣uersall, * 1.1 and so the Church of Christ which we are bound to be∣leeue, must be vninersall for all time comprehending allages, and vniuersall for place, comprehending all nations: but that Church which the Protestants beleeue, was interrupted all the ages betwixt the Apostles and Luther, which was 1400. yeares, or in very deede was neuer seene before Luthers dayes, therefore that Church they beleeue, cannot be Catholike. Nei∣ther is it vniuersall in place, being contained within the nar∣row bounds of England, which is accompted but as a corner of the world, for the Lutherans in Germanie, the Hugonites in

Fraunce, and the Guines in Flaunders detest their religion as much as the Catholikes; neither will they ioyne issue with them in diuers essentiall points. And therefore the Protestants Church which they beleeue, can no more be called Catholike or vniuer∣sall, then England the vniuersall world: or Kent the Kingdome of England: or a pruned bough a wheate tree, or a dead finger a man, or a rotten tooth, the whole head. The second article is the communion of Saints, the which they many wayes deny. First by not beleeuing that Christ hath instituted seuen Sacraments, wherein the Saints of his Church communicate: and specially the true and real presence of our Sauiour Christ in the Eu∣charist, by which all the faithfull receiuers participating of one * 1.2 and the selfe same bodie, are made one bodie, as all the parts of a mans bodie, are made one liuing thing by participating one soule. Secondly they denie the communion of the Church mi∣litant and triumphant by exclaming against inuocation of * 1.3 Saints, by which holy exercise the blessed Saints in heauen, and * 1.4 we in yearth communicate; we by prayer glorifying them, and they by meditation, obtayning our request. Thirdly, they deny the communion of the Church militant, and the soules in purga∣torie, bereauing them of that Christian charitie, which chari∣table compassion and mercifull pitie requireth, and by naturall affection the members of one bodie helpe one another. The third article is remission of sinnes, for they acknowledge no such effect in the Sacrament of Baptisme: but onely count it as an externall signe, or seale of a prereceiued grace or fauour of God, by his eternall predestination, against the expresse word of God: which therefore calleth this Sacrament the lauer of regenera∣tion, for that in it the soule dead by sinne is newly regenerate * 1.5 by grace. Moreouer they allow not the Sacrament of penance, wherein all actuall sinnes committed after Baptisme are can∣celled: * 1.6 and that which exceedeth all in absurditie, is to deny that our sinnes are all perfectly forgiuen, but onely not imputed, and as it were veiled or couered with the passion of Christ: all the botches, and biles the filth and abomination of sinne still re∣maining, and as it were exhaling a most pestiferous sent in the sight of God. For let them shift themselues as they list, and scarfe their ••ores according to their fancies, yet no veile, nor mantell

can couer their deformitie of sinne, from the pearcing eyes of Gods perfit vnderstanding, from which nothing can be concea∣led. Fourthly, the puritanes in effect deny that Christ is the * 1.7 sonne of God: for they peremptorilie affirme that Christ is God * 1.8 of himselfe, and not God of God: So that he receiued not his diui∣nitie from his father. The which position flatly taketh away the nature of a sonne, for the nature of a sonne is to receiue his substance of his Father, and it implyeth contradiction: that the sonne receiueth his person of his Father and not his substance and essence, for the substance of God is essentiall to euery person in trinitie. Fiftly, finally they deny the descensi∣on of Christ into hell, and desperately defend that he suffered the paines of Hell vpon the Crosse, whereby they blaspheme most horribly that sacred humanitie: as if Christ had despaired of * 1.9 his saluation, as if God had hated him and he had hated God, * 1.10 as if he had been afflicted, and tormented with anguish of minde * 1.11 for his offences: for which he was depriued of the sight of God, and eternally to be depriued: all which horrible punishments are included in the paines of Hell, and whosoeuer ascribeth them to Christ, blasphemeth more horribly then Arius who de∣nied him to be God, for lesse absurditie it were to deny him to be God, then to make God the enemie of God.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Matth. 26. Isa. 60.
• * 1.2

  1. Cor 10. 17.
• * 1.3

  Gen. 48. v. 16.
• * 1.4

  Apoca. 1. v 4.
• * 1.5

  Ad Tit. 3.
• * 1.6

  Ioh. 20.
• * 1.7

  Ioh. 8. vers. 24.
• * 1.8

  Ioh. 16. ver. 13.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 66. vers. 24.
• * 1.10

  Mark 9. 48.
• * 1.11

  Math. 25. 41.