A generall treatise against poperie and in defence of the religion by publike authoritie professed in England and other churches reformed. VVherein they that either want leisure to read, or that haue not iudgement to conceiue, or that are not able to buie the learned treatises of other concerning particular points of religion, may yet euidently see poperie not to be of God, and our religion to be acceptable in his sight. Very necessarie for these times, for the confirmation and strengthening of men in our religion, that neither by Iesuits, nor by any other, they may be drawne to poperie, or any other heresie or sect: and likewise for the winning of Papists and atheists to an vnfained liking and true profession of our religion. By Thomas Stoughton minister of the word.

THE NINTH ARGVMENT touching the opposition and enmitie of true religion to the nature of man.

THe same that hitherto hath bi•• concluded of poperie is further euident, because poperie is so a∣greeable and well-pleasing the nature of man. This reason is ve∣ry firme and good, because that in our flesh naturally dwelleth no good, Rom. 7. 18. and, the flesh lusteth against the spirit: and, the wis∣dome of the flesh is death and enmitie against God, neither subiect to the law, neither can be: and, they that are of the flesh cannot please God, Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8. and, the naturall man doth not somuch as per∣ceiue the things of God: for they are foolishnes vnto him, neither can be know them, 1. Cor. 2. 14. and, no man can so much as say (that is, in any good and true meaning) that Iesus is the Lord, but by the ••••oly Ghost, 1. Cor. 12. 13. For to confesse that Iesus is Christ the sonne of the liuing God, is not reuealed to flesh and blood, but by the Father in heauen, Math. 16. 17.

2 Yea, but how is it prooued, that poperie is agreeable vnto and wel▪ pleasing the naturall man? surely because it requireth nothing but that which the naturall man may wel performe, and doth performe without any speciall grace of God, and without any nevv worke of regene∣ration, as both beene sufficiently shewed by o∣ther

in larger treatises specially spent in that theame. And who seeth it not to be so? For doth not poperie teach (as we haue heard before) that ignorance is the mother of deuotion? and doth it not from hence follow that men neither neede, nor ought to take paines in the studie of the word of God? doth not the naturall man well like of this? Doth not poperie bidde men onely to beleeue as the Church beleeueth? can any thing be more easie? and doth not ease please the naturall man? doth not poperie extoll and magnifie the meere naturall disposition of man, both denying it to be so throughly corrupt as we teach, and commending it to be willing and a∣ble to conceiue, and to practise much good of it selfe? Is not this a pleasant song for the eares of a naturall man? and is not his heart tickled with such commendation? Againe poperie offereth forgiuenes of sinnes, release from hell, the whole kingdome of heauen, &c. to sale for money. What naturall man will higgle to giue any mo∣ney for purchase of such things? What shal I say more? Poperie biddeth men not to take to much paines about their hearts, neither to be at all carefull for resisting the first thoughts and mo∣tions vnto euill, for that these by popish doctrine are no sinnes: it teacheth that God looketh not so much to the inward man, but regardeth the worke wrought, howsoeuer it be done, and that he in iustice cannot deny a good reward to such merits. Can the naturall man dislike of all this? Further, what naturall man is not readie, & apt

to worship images, to inuocate Saints, to sweare, to profane the Lord his daie, or at least to ob∣serue any holiday appointed onely by man more exactly, to be proud, to resist magistrates, &c. what naturall man, I saie, is not willing e∣nough to these and the like?

3 Yea but it is obiected, that our religion tea∣cheth faith onely to iustifie without works, and that therefore our religion is a doctrine of ease and libertie, and so consequently more pleasing the naturall man then poperie, which requireth many numbers of praiers, no•• to God onely, but also to Saints, many great iournies in pilgrima∣ges, many offerings to the church, many almes, many good works, many merits, &c. I answer, first acknowledging that we teach indeede that faith onely iustifieth euen without any workes whatsoeuer: yet is this faith more hard to the na∣turall man then all before mentioned, to be taught and required by poperie. For this saith that we teach, must haue knowledge of God, & of him whome he hath sent, as also of the holy Ghost, and that as they are reuealed in the word, and likewise of the promises of God in his word particularly taught: it must also applie these things particularly to euery man his particular selfe. Secondly, though we say that good works are not necessarie as causes of iustification, yet we doe vtge true good workes (not such as the Papists commend) more straitly then they doe, & teach them to be more necessarie, as effects & fruits of iustification, and such as without which

there is no saluation. For we say that he that hath not eternall life begunne in him heare, that is, in whome the olde man is not crucified, and sinne mortified, in whome the new man is not resto∣red, and the life of godlines wrought, that man shal neuer haue eternal life in the world to come, neither shal euer enter into the kingdome of hea∣uen. This the Apostle saith, and this we saie, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdō of God, nei∣ther corruption inherit incorruptio. 1. Cor. 15. 50.

4 As for all other things required by pope∣rie, the naturall man can well brooke and beare so long as the inward may be dispensed withal; yea what is there so costly, though it come to the plucking off the earings, and giuing the or∣dinarie iewells and ornaments that men vse to weare, though it be the offering thousands of bullocks and rammes, or ten thousand riuers of oyle, what is so pretious though it be the first fruits of a man his owne bodie? what is so labo∣rious & painful, though it be the cutting of him∣selfe with knives & lancres as the priests of Baal did, or the whipping of himself til the blood fol∣low, or the pining of himselfe by long fasting, or at least by liuing onely of bread & water, and by lying in woollen & vpon bare boards, or taking no rest many years togither, but onely standing as many old Monks mentioned by Socrates and Sozomen were wont to doe, & some foolish pa∣pists yet doe: what, I saie of all these is such, that a natural man wil not willingly vndergo, so it be repugnāt to Gods word & deuised only by mā?

Againe, what though poperie require all these things? what also though nothing thereof be per∣formed whilst a man liueth here? shall he there∣fore to hell? No, saie the Papists, there is reme∣die for that. When he dieth, and needeth no more to vse his goods himselfe, let him but giue liberally to the poore, especially to the Church, and to priests for singing and saying of masses, dirges, trentalls, and other such pleasant songs for his soule, and then all shall be well enough. He shall not go to hell, but onely to purgatorie∣kitchin, and there either to be a rafter, or a little to turne the spit, and then after a few yeares he shall be remooued from thence, and preferred euen to God his owne parlour in heauen. In the meane time who seeth not that the hope of this maketh any man, especially of wealth and abi∣litie, to giue liberally, if all the daies of his life he may liue in all licentious manner?

5 But as for our religion it is farre otherwise therewith. For by abasing the whole man and all that is in him, and teaching those things which before haue bin spoken of, and shall not neede now to be repeated, it is altogether vn∣pleasant and vnsauorie to the naturall man, euen as smoke vnto the eyes, and vineger to the teeth: yet to God, yea therefore to God it is sweete & pleasant. Certenly in this respect there is such difference betwixt our religion and poperie, that if both were offered vnto the naturall man, he would make much sooner choise of poperie then of ours. And this indeede is the cause why

of long tim,e and of most parts in the world, po∣perie hath beene so generally receiued; & why there haue beene more Papists then Protestants, namely because our religion is altogether re∣pugnant to nature, and poperie altogether a∣greeable thereunto. Further let euery man exa∣mine his owne heart, how it standeth naturally affected, and he shall finde himselfe rather in∣clined to poperie, wherein he may for a money matter, haue both pardon of any sinne alreadie committed, and also a dispensation to commit what he will, though it be incest with his owne sister, then to our religion which condemneth all such pardons and dispensations. Sith therfore this is now so euident, that poperie is so sutable to our corrupt nature, and that our religion is al∣together so harsh thereunto, why may I not a∣gaine conclude as before I haue done, both a∣gainst poperie and also in behalfe of our religion?