To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
An absurd complement of the Cavaliers, at∣tended with three grosse slanders of the Protestants Religion, That it is a profession suted to the pleasure of superiours. Se∣condly, that the ground of it is sense and appetite. Thirdly, that they labour more for conformity then unity, are all answered.
ANd now after his bitter pill of dissen∣tion, to take away the offence of it, and
that at parting hee may flatter the taste of his Reader with a farewell of sweetnesse, he puts this sugar to it: All which I have not said either by way of aggravating their sinnes, or of alienating men from their per∣sons, which I esteeme and love, and desire to serve with my whole heart. If the Reader will make a due conjunction of this with the former, and make a right construction of the whole, he may see it runne into this confusednesse, The Romish faction must bee rigorous to Protestants, and avoid them, as Saint John did Cerinthus, &c. Yea, they must fall foule upon them, though holding lesser heresies, and call them Dogs; they must take them for cruell Robbers of the living and the dead, for slanderers and detracters, and all this is well done, and may bee done without being alienated from their persons. But doth this Authour thinke that there will bee a separation, a falling foule, and an accounting of us for Dogs without alienating of affecti∣ons from our persons? Or would hee have such a not alienating from our persons, as, upon meeting with us, to part presently from us, or to fall foule upon us, and to call us Dogs? Surely, whatsoever this Au∣thour afterwards speakes of his intent, his former words teach such a separation, di∣vision,
and hatred, that these later words doe not take them away; but onely make a faire shew by a mannerly distinction, teaching a counterfeit art of falling foule upon men, without being alienated from their persons. But will any wise man thinke it a charitable speech, if Catesby should say unto Faulx, Be not alienated from the person of the King, nor of his royall issue, nor of the Nobility, but onely fall foule upon them, and blow them up with gun powder? As for that following profession towards their persons so diversly expressed, which I esteeme, and love, and desire to serve with my whole heart, I acknowledge them to be faire words, and of a very good countenance: But perchance, by some other way there might have been given to a doubtfull Rea∣der more solid satisfaction. For a scrupulous Reader may possibly say, that these words by Travellers are vented often but as the froth of complement, and by Romists are often eluded by a latent equivocation, or mentall reservation, and may now bee doubted, because they doe come in suspi∣ciously with very bad company; even as attendants on exhortations and incentives, to separate from Protestants, to esteeme them as Dogs, and to fall foule upon them;
yea, not to hold the Reader in doubt, but to let him see there is no soundnesse in your distinction of not hating our persons, you have in this booke before taught, that hee who doth not obey your Church,* 1.1 bee taken for no other then a Pagan, or a Publi∣can, that is, a meere Idolater in his Religion, and for a most infamous and base person in his conversation. The Reader might have been more soundly satisfied, if in stead of all these verbs, (esteeme, love, and serve) the Cavalier had onely said this single sen∣tence, with one adverb, I have heartily ta∣ken the oath of Allegiance.
As for his good intent, in shewing us what Heresie is, and how odious, we thank him for it, and doe make this use of it, That because Heresie is so odious, therefore we abhorre the Papacy, which hath in it sundry Heresies, Idolatries, and Doctrines of Di∣vels, and is not the Church, but a faction in the Church; and desire by grace to conti∣nue true and lively members of the Church, truly Catholick, consisting of all Kinreds, Tribes, and Nations over the face of the whole earth, whereof Christ Jesus is the onely and unquestionable Head. And if by the Authours mis-perswasions wee should remove from this truly universall
Church to become members of the Papa∣cie, wee should remove from the Church truely Catholick, to a piece and portion in the Church; and that not so much a piece of the Church, as a faction and disease in the Church; whereof the taking away, and not the increase is a speciall, if not only pre∣servation of the unity and health of the Church truly catholick. And towards this let the Pope hear his a 1.2better, even a better Pope then any since him, making a question which he cannot well answer but by remo∣ving his universall Headship; What wilt thou answer to Christ the Head, who goest about to subjugate all his members to thee? And elsewhere b 1.3 he saith, that such a one is the fore-runner of Antichrist. But such a one was the Pope within twenty yeers after this was written. And if the Pope, a thousand yeers since, was the fore-runner of Antichrist, we may well thinke that Antichrist is not all this time behind his fore-runner.
And now, if the Popes universall Head∣ship bee an Antichristian errour, and an errour unanswerable at the last day, it
were good that the Authour himselfe be∣ing moved by his owne motives, would withdraw his faith from this Antichristian hereticall Headship, and become a right childe of the Church, truely Christian and Catholick; wherein, and not in the Papacy, is salvation▪ But how farre from verity this is which followeth, I thinke hee cannot but see when he comes to him∣selfe; his words or insimulations are these, What indeed doe they, but shew by their whole course, that they desire, and resolve to beleeve and professe according to the occasi∣on, and to comply with the superiour powers of this world? But doth the Authour be∣leeve when hee is awaked what hee spake in this dreame? Have the Protestants done thus? or doth not this Authour know that they have not thus done? Whom doe Papists esteeme a superiour Power in the world above the Popes? Therefore they have blasphemed him into a King a 1.4 of
kings, and Lord of lords. And did Lu∣ther, and the first Protestants comply with this superiour Power of the world? Hee b 1.5 neglected both the threatnings of Caje∣tane, and the faire promises of Vergerus. Againe, in Queene Maries dayes, did those whom you burned here comply with the superiour powers in point of Religion? Yea, looke through Christendome, and your owne fires, which you have kindled to consume a world of Protestants, will flash into your faces, blast them, and make them look red with the shame of this scan∣dall.
And that which followes is a like empty of Truth; but, indeed, that emptinesse is againe filled up with malice: They desire to obey appetite and sense, without being ever so much as told, if they can chuse, that they must lose heaven for their labour. You have had Scriptures, Fathers, and Reasons for our Religion, which never yet were, nor never can bee answered; and with these hath Popery beene battered into pieces. Why then talke you of appetite and sense, when your owne smart and shame can tell you, that wee have had stronger weapons which have beaten you with sound blows? Rather speake of sense and appetite when
you see a Papist in his ••at dayes, before Ashwednesday, to make worke for the Priest, or speak of sense and appetite when a King is moved to goe to the dames of Paris, and then offered to have a Cardi∣nall (a man of sense and appetite) to be his Confessor, as Lewis the eleventh at the enterview told Edward the fourth: rather speake of sense and appetite among the stalled Monks, the fleshly Cardinals, the luxurious Popes, that may draw a world of soules into hell both by doctrine and example, and who of you durst say to such a one, What dost thou? or in our Au∣thours words, tell them that they must have hell for their labour. But indeed, wee justly take it ill, that Papists should tell us, that when wee are going to heaven, we should lose heaven for our labour, onely because wee give not up our soules to this Man and Head of sinne, by schisme and errour lea∣ding millions of soules from heaven to hell.
Hee goes on, and sayes; The children in this are as like their Mother as they can looke: For, who perceives not that the Pro∣testant Church doth rather carry a respect to outward conformity, then to reall unity in matter of Religion; and that indeed they
are but as in jest, when there is speech of saving soules in any one Church rather then in another? A large scandall cast on a whole Church, (and, I doubt, once this Authours Mother) yet without proofe, and against proofe; for no proofe doth hee bring that our Church is in jest in matters of Religion, or accounts all Religious a∣like: and even his owne words next fol∣lowing might have holpen him to disprove his owne false witnesse; It is true that they make both Lawes and Canons, whereby they obliged men under a world of penalties to fre∣quent their Churches, and to receive their Sacraments. For the Lawes and Canons which hee mentions, doe expresse a care for the beleeving her doctrine, since they command a subscription to it, a teaching and preaching of it (and preaching, Saint Paul saith,* 1.6 is the meanes of beleeving), and lastly Excommunication against those that affirme the contrary: But the Authour, having spoken a broad scandall against the whole Church, brings in a very narrow tax of some Ministers for a proofe of it: For I put the case,* 1.7 If a man who were knowne to be wholly affected in his heart of the Catho∣lick
faith, should yet, for the saving of his lands or goods, resolve to comply with their Lawes, by going to their Churches, and by receiving their Communion; yea, and with∣all, should declare in company the day before, that hee was resolved to doe so the day after, for the onely saving of his estate, and for the shewing of obedience to the Kings Lawes; though yet withall hee were perswaded that their Sacraments were unlawfull, and their Church impure: Would that a 1.8 Minister refuse to let him goe to his Service, and for to communicate with the rest? Infallibly hee would not; and wee see daily, that they doe not in like occasions; for that Church, as I said, aspires not to unity, but uniformity. But here first let the Reader take notice, That the Cavalier brings in sons of Rome as like the mother as they can looke, and just the same which hee reproved before. For hee speakes of a man who is wholly affected in his heart to the Romish faith, and yet, for saving his goods, will come to the Church and receive our Communion. Now let me borrow the Cavaliers words, and see how his owne words doe fit with his owne Catholicks; They professe accor∣ding to the occasion, and comply with the superiour Powers of this world, and obey the
motions of appetite and sense, and are as like their mother Rome as they can looke, who for a long time hath fitted Religion to temporall ends, if wee may beleeve judicious and truth-telling Guicciardin.
But now, for the admitting of such a one to receive as shall professe his beleeving our Church to bee impure, and our Sacra∣ments unlawfull, I can hardly thinke that this Authour beleeves that our Church doth allow it:* 1.9 For the Canons do excom∣municate, ipso facto, those that say our Church is not true, and maintaineth the Apostles doctrine, or affirme part of the Articles is erroneous: now, the doctrine of our Sacraments is a part of the Articles. Besides, the Rubrick before the Communi∣on doth order, That if any have done any wrong to his neighbor by word or deed, the Cu∣rate having knowledge thereof, shall call him, and advertise him in any wise not to presume to come to the Lords Table, untill hee have o∣penly declared himself to have truly repented. Now, I think our Church is a very neer and honourable neighbour, and that hee who professeth that hee holds her impure, doth also professe, that hee exceedingly wrongs her; and then you may see what doth fol∣low: But that I may somewhat speak for
Romists; Though Rome, which is called an Harlot, cannot but have a Whores fore∣head, yet I professe, that I know no Romist so impudent, I never heard of one, & in cha∣rity, I can hardly think there is such a one, that will openly professe our Sacrament to bee unlawfull, and yet receive it presently upon the saying of it: for my part, if I were a Romist, though I indeed knew such Ro∣mish Catholicks, I should not boast of their shame to the Protestants, it shewing an ex∣treme need of scandalous objections, when a man must first cast the filth of a scandall at his owne wholly affected (for so he termes them) Catholicks, that it may rebound from their faces and light on Protestants. And, for our aspiring to unity, it is far more reall and solide then such a single and slight ob∣jection can dissolve or dissever; for we have those mighty bonds of unity,* 1.10 One God the Father of all, one Lord, and one Spirit; one Baptisme, and one saving Faiht. Neither is our faith le••t loose to Libertinisme, but the doctrine of it is contained in Articles agreed and subscribed to by the Clergy, and ena∣cted by the State, and (as hath been shewed) there is Authority and Law for the punish∣ment of those that cast scandals upon it.
Page 35▪
Tu quid Christo uni∣versalis sanctae Ecclesiae capi∣ti in extremi judiciidicturus es examine, qui cuncta e∣jus membra ti∣bimet conaris universalis ap∣pellatione sup∣ponere? Quis rogo in hoc tam perverso vocabulo, nisi ille ad incitan∣dum proponi∣tur, qui dispe∣ctis Angelorū legionibus se∣cum socialiter constitutis ad culmen conatus est singularitatis erumpere, ut & nulli subesse, & solus omnibus praeesse videretur. Greg. Mag. lib. 4. Epist. 38.
Ego autem fi∣denter dico, quia quisquis se universalem Sacerdotem vocat, vel vocari desiderat, in elatione sua Antichristum praecurrit, quia superbiendo s•• caeteris praeponit. I••. lib. 6. Epist. 30. Mauritio Augusto.
Iohn Tanke∣rill, a Batche∣lour of Divi∣nity, defen∣ded, that the Pope, Vicar of Christ, is Mo∣narch of the Church, and may deprive Kings & Prin∣ces, who diso∣bey his com∣mandments, of their King∣domes, States, and Dignities. For which hee being condemned to recant by the French, the Court of Rome spake of the French men as of lost sheepe, who denyed the Authority given by Christ to Saint Peter. Hist. Trent. lib. 5. And yet Optatus saith, Cùm su∣per Imperatorem non sit, nisi solus D••us qui fecit Imperatorem —Dixi∣sti, Ego sum Deus; Ide••, quia quam vis non sit usus hâc voce, tamen aut facit, aut passus est quòd defectum hujus vocis impleret. Extulit cor¦suum ut nullum hominem sibi comparandum arbitraretur & tumore mentis suae altior sibi visus est esse; quia quicquid est supra homines jam quasi Deus est. lib. 3.
Hist. Trent. lib. 1.
Rom. 10.14, 17.
It is likely the Pope himselfe was of a con∣trary opinion to the Cavalier, and doubted that uniformity would bring to uni••y, and therefore forbad his Disciples this uniformity.
It seems, Mi∣nisters had need to looke carefully to their carriage; especially, since notice is given of a book writ∣ten by Papists, of the lives of divers, with their names and actions.
Can. 3. Can. ••.
Ephes. 4.