The third booke of commentaries vpon the Apostles Creede contayning the blasphemous positions of Iesuites and other later Romanists, concerning the authoritie of their Church: manifestly prouing that whosoeuer yeelds such absolute beleefe vnto it as these men exact, doth beleeue it better then Gods word, his Sonne, his prophets, Euangelists, or Apostles, or rather truly beeleeues no part of their writings or any article in this Creede. Continued by Thomas Iackson B. of Diuinitie and fellow of Corpus Christi College in Oxford.

To the indifferent Reader specially to the learned Artists of the two famous VNIVERSITIES.

CHristian and beloued Reader, I haue been de∣tained in this entrie, though not longer then the structure of it required, yet then I my selfe, or thou perhaps, could haue wished, for speedier dispatch of the maine edifice intended. Somewhat notwithstanding, to my apprehension, I had obserued, whereby Artists more accurate, but yonger Diuines then my selfe (whose furtherance in the like, throughout all my meditations I still re∣spect) might bee directed, for taking sure hold of their slipperie antagonists in this conflict. And finding my selfe euery day then other more vnapt, more vnwilling at least, to bee any Actor in quarrels of this nature, because most desirous to spend my mor∣tall spirits in opening the pleasant Fountaines of immortalitie; I thought it not altogether vnlawful to dispence with these labours for a while, in hope to prosequute them more safely and with bet∣ter successe hereafter, by seconding such as had gone before mee with my small strength, for intercepting these despitefull Phili∣stims, which continually labour to damme vp these sacred Wells of life. Many excellent wits and graue Diuines, as well in our English as other reformed Churches, I knew, had accurately de∣ciphered the speciall characters of the Beast, and demonstrated most properties of great Antichrist vpon the Pope. But that the fundamentall charter of the Romish Church, or the commission pretended by Iesuites for the erection of it, should (as the manner was to demolish lesser religious houses for building others more magnificent) extend to raze the very first foundations of religion as common to Christians, Iewes, and Turkes; that the acknow∣ledgement

of such infallibilitie as they Deifie her with should be more incompatible with Christianitie then any Idolatrie of the Heathen; that such as absolutely beleeue all her decrees without examination, truely beleeue no article of this Creede; with the like principall branches of Antichristianisme; were points, for ought I knew, rather touched by the way, or proposed as clear in them∣selues to the indifferent and ingenuous, that iudge of the Romish Church by the knowne picture of her misse-shapen limmes, then prosequuted at large, or with purpose to pull off that artificiall painting, wherewith late Iesuites haue so beautified this vgly Monsters face, that the world bewitched with gazing too much on it cānot but loue her other deformities though in themselues most loathsome. For though the practises enioyned by her bee so vile, as would haue caused Rome Heathen to haue blushed at their mention, or her other doctrines so palpably grosse, that her owne Sonnes heretofore haue derided them, and as yet spare to speake ought in particular for their defence: yet to salue all this it must suffice, that the Church, which cannot erre, hath now au∣thorized them.

If any thinke I preiudice the truth of moderate accusations, by laying such heauie imputations vpon this doctrine, as make it in∣comparably more detestable then any other, hee speakes not in∣consequently to his positions, if hee hold the Trent Councell was infallibly assisted by the holy Ghost, or that the Pope in Cathe∣drall resolutions cannot erre. But, he which thinkes foule impie∣ties may bring Romish Prelates out of fauour with the spirit of truth, and make them as obnoxious to errors as others are, or can perswade himselfe, that many practises and opinions, by that Church alreadie authorized, are in their nature abominable and impious, must either accord to me or dissent from Reason, Con∣science, and Religion. For these, so hee will but vouchsafe his si∣lence or attention, ioyntly proclaime aloude, that nothing amisse, either in matter of doctrine or manners, can be so detestable with out this presumptuous groundlesse warrant of absolute infallibi∣litie as with it; that albeit a man would set himselfe to practize all particulars directly contrarie to what God hath commanded or to contradict God and his goodnesse, yet his iniquitie without this absolute beliefe of full authoritie deriued from him so to doe,

would be but as a bodie without a soule, in respect of the Romish Churches impieties, which makes the holy Ghost the principall Author of Gods written word the abettor of all her fraude, vn∣truths, or villanies. Briefly as it is not the doing of those materials God commands vs to doe, but faithfull submission of our wils to his in doing them, which, as S. Iames instructs vs, makes vs true Christians: so is it not the doing or maintayning of what God forbids or hates, but the doing of it vpon absolute submission of our soules and consciences to other lawes then he hath left, which makes men liue members of Antichrist, as being animated, infor∣med and moued by the spirit of errour. Now this perswasion of absolute infallibilitie and vniuersall warrant from the holy spi∣rit, without condition or restraint, being peculiar to the Romish Church, admitting it to be as faultie in practises and as obnoxious to errours as any other, none can be reputed so truly Antichristi∣an as it. For albeit Mahomet pretended diuine reuelations, yet his Priests challenge no such absolute infallibilitie as doth the Pope; they make no second Rocks or foundations, no ordinarie Pastor e∣quiualent to their great Prophet. Whence although the Turkes hold opinions in themselues, or materially considered, more grosse, and maintayne some practices not much lesse villanous then Iesuites doe: yet the grounds or motiues of their beliefe, (which are as the soule or spirit of Religion) are nothing so pesti∣ferous, nothing so directly opposite to the holy spirit, as is this Iesuiticall rule of faith. Nor doe they either professe such beliefe in Christ, or acknowledge him for a foundation so elect and pre∣cious, as brings them within the Temple of God, within which vnlesse Antichrist sit his contrarietie vnto Christ could not bee so essentiall, so immediate or direct, as by the rules of sacred Philo∣sophie we are taught it must be. Yet I know not, whether the indignitie of this doctrine is more apt to affect Diuines or Men rightly religious and fearing God, then the sottishnesse of their ar∣guments to perswade it, to prouoke the iust indignation of inge∣nuous Artists, which cannot endure, though in matters of indif∣ferencie, to captiuate their vnderstandings to positions deuoide of sense. To require some probabilitie of reason, ciuill or naturall, is on their part no insolent demand, for exchange of Christian faith or aduenturing their inassurance of life eternall in the seruice

of meere forrainers whom they neuer saw. Yet vnto perempto∣rie resolutions no lesse dangerous, doe Iesuites solicite vs, not on∣ly without any tollerable shew of probabilitie but quite contra∣rie to Gods principall lawes and our naturall notions of good and euill; as by these labours euery Academique may in part per∣ceiue, but more fully, if he would vouchsafe to sift more of their arguments, then in these short transcursiue disputes I could. Nor would I disswade any Artist well grounded in Aristotle from per∣vsing the most learned workes any Romanist hath written in this argument. In most other controuersies betwixt vs and them it is dangerous, I must confesse, euen for well grounded Artists to be∣ginne with their writings, not so in this: for I protest in the sight of God and his holy Angels, that as farre as I can remember the inclinations of my youth, or by them prognosticate how after∣wards I might haue beene affected, I neuer was, I neuer should haue beene, so throughly possessed with such great dislike of Ro∣mish Antichristianisme in this point, by hearing the most famous Preachers in this Land, or reading all the learned Writers in re∣formed Churches, as I was by examining the labours of Bellar∣mine, Valentian, and others of best nore amongst them seriously addressed to this purpose; comparing them only with the known principles of Christianitie and such passages of sacred Writ, as e∣uery Christian Artist should be acquainted with. For the princi∣ples, whereon I proceede, I haue beene only beholden to the Ca∣non of Scriptures; for deducing of such blasphemous conse∣quences from them, as I charge the Aduersarie with, only to that small measure of knowledge in Aristotelian Philosophie where∣with my God had blessed mee, whiles I was bound by locall sta∣tutes to the studie of Artes, purposely abstaining from other wri∣tings, which with their informations of my vnderstanding might haue bred preiudice in my affection. Since that time, although the yeares of my Ministrie hardly exceede the space of ordinarie apprentiships, yet haue I often wished the discussion of these points had beene then imposed vpon mee by some experienced Diuine, that would only haue giuen me right hold of their asser∣tions. Vpon this consideration I would beseech the flourishing Artists of this famous Academie, whom God hath furnished with all store of munition necessarie for this seruice, not to neglect op∣portunities

present. Let them deferre (if so they please) the fruits of their labours in other points (though this be the fault of our English) vntill the Autumne of their age. But the marke I now propose vnto them, being the euident resolution of Iesuiti∣call positions into those grosse and palpable blasphemies where∣to they tend, which they only seeke to hide by Sophismes and artificiall tricks of wit, Academicall wits might displume them of these figge-tree leaues and manifest their nakednes to the world, much better in the spring whiles their skill in artes were fresh and flourishing, whiles the strength and vigour of their inuention would more easily bend this way, then in the Autumne, when their leaues begin to fade and their sap retire to the root, as their pleasant grapes grow ripe. Many towardly plants in this nurce∣rie, now able to match the stoutest Iesuite liuing at his owne wea∣pon, whilest in his mature age, multo iam fractus membra labore, more fit to be a Leader, then a combatant in these encounters, he shall looke back on his former labours or cals to minde his won∣ted dexteritie in Schoole disputes, may take vp old Nestors com∣plaint.

Tunc ego debueram capienda ad Pergama mitti; Tunc poteram magni, si non superare, morari Hectoris arma meis: sed in illo tempore nullus, Aut puer Hector erat; nunc me mea deficit aetas.

The schoole Iesuite in these studies is like the Iuy alwaies greene, because not set to bring forth fruit vnto saluation, but rather to choake and strangle the plants of life. And for such instruments of the Romish Church, as this Land vsually yeelds, this wrang∣ling facultie is all the skill they care for, or for the most part make profession of. Yet such is the brittlenesse of the matter they are to worke vpon in this controuersie, that were all the Priests and Iesuites harboured within the confines of great Brittaine at this present day, but enioyned to write all they could to any purpose in defence of their Mother; some few Artists of those Vniuersi∣ties, which out of their pride they seeme to vilifie amongst the ignorant, would, I dare not say make them blush (for sooner might they make a black-moores face of the same colour with his teeth) but as many of their fauourers of this Kingdome, as haue not sworne allegeance to the Church of Rome, and are able to exa∣mine

an argument, to bee ashamed on their behalfe, euen to ac∣knowledge, that for ought these Mounte-bankes could say or write in their defence, the Positions maintayned by their Ma∣sters, forraine Iesuites, were indeed idolatrous and blasphemous; howbeit the Church it selfe, wee must beleeue, could neuer bee vanquished, because no man can tell where or in what shape to finde it.

Nor neede yong Artists feare the countenance of antiquitie in this point, from which their enemies supplies are so slender, that would they come to open triall, and bring only such of the Fa∣thers for their seconds, as liued within fiue hundred yeares of Christ, or before the mixture of Romish Religion with Heathe∣nisme, not fully effected till a little after that time: the paucitie of those whose aide they durst solicit, in respect of that great armie, which is as resolute as wee against them, would make them in∣stantly either yeeld themselues, or forsake the field. Nor haue they beene hitherto able to addresse any answere, but to their shame, to the Worthies of the English Church, whose labours haue made the conquest in this quarrell easie to any of their successors, that will aduenture to follow their steps. Nothing remaines but what best becomes the exercise of yong wits; to exceede the so∣phisticall disputes of Iesuites against the truth, in copiousnesse of irrefragable demonstrations, that the allegeance they seeke to e∣stablish vnto the Romish Church is solemne apostasie from Christ; that the beliefe of it is the very abstract of sorcerie, the vtmost de∣gree of Antichristianisme that can bee expected. These and like points, being fortified by strength of argument, in the time of your Regencie or fare-well to the studie of Artes, might bee po∣lished at your better leisure, afterwards to be reuised and publish∣ed at the appointment of authoritie. Or if the zeale of Gods glo∣rie thus mightily eclipsed by this foule Idoll of the Romish Church doe not as yet so fully moue you; yet that indignation which first wrought a desire in mee of giuing this onset, should worke (me thinks) in euery heart, that beares any sparkle of loue vnto his natiue Countrie. For what indignitie is it to thinke, that whilst our gracious Soueraigne is a most zealous Professor and Defendor of the truth we teach; so many of his naturall subiects our Countrimen and Brethren, should bee wonne vnto the Ro∣mish

faction, especially by importunate inculcating two heresies, of all maintayned by that Church in themselues most sottishly improbable; and yet apparently most damnable Idolaters in their consequences, if erroneous▪ I meane this concerning their Churches absolute priuiledge from all errour, and that other of Christs reall presence in the Sacrament, by transubstantiation. It cannot againe but adde much to our griefe and indignation, if we call to minde, how, when the chiefe Gouernour and publique au∣thoritie of this Land were for them, subscription was not vrged vpon such violent and bloudie termes vnto any articles of their Religion, as vnto that of reall presence. The mysterie of which iniquitie cannot better bee resolued then into the powerfull and deceitfull working of Satan, thus delighting to despite our Lord and Sauiour by seducing his professed subiects vnto the highest and most desperate kinde of rebellion he could imagine, vpon the least occasions and shallowest reasons. For such is their madnesse in that other point, as hath beene shewed in this: Not one incon∣uenience they can obiect to our opinion, but may be demonstra∣ted against theirs; not any fruits of godlinesse they can pretend but our doctrine more directly brings forth then theirs could, though we did admit it for true. For to what other purpose such a presence as they imagine should serue them, saue only to coun∣tenance those desperate Idolatrous practices and litourges of Sa∣tan, touched by the way in some parts of these discourses, is inex∣plicable; as shall be shewed more at large (without depriuing that heauenly mysterie of any solemnitie of deuotion due vnto it) in the vnfolding of that controuersie.

Yours in Christ Iesus. THOMAS IACKSON.