Anti-Haman, or, An answer to Mr. G. Burnet's Mistery of iniquity unvailed wherein is shewed the conformity of the doctrine, worship, & practice of the Roman Catholick Church with those of the purest times : the idolatry of the pagans is truly stated ... / by W.E. ...

CHAPTER XXXV. Reasons, why Catholicks doe not em∣brace the communion of the Protestant Church.

OUr B. Saviour(a) 1.1 warnes us to beware of those who come to us in sheepes clothing, but are interiourly ravenous wolues: & gives us a signe to know them by, their workes. Catholickes considered the workes of the first Reformers; & by them Judged of their persons, whither they were sheepe, or wolues.

Imprimis they had a greate motive to sus∣pect the whole Reformation, because the occa∣sion opf it was evidently reprochfull. In Germa∣ny Luther's motive was emulation betwixt his order, & the Dominicans, & Enuy, that these later should have the preaching of the Jubily. In Ingland lust begun it under Henry VIII. & Avarice, & Pride compleated it under Ed∣ward VI.

By whome was is most hotly embraced, & promoted? By Apostatas, in whome the flesh prevailed over the spirit: & the first step they made, was shaking of the yoke of obedience to their lawfull superiors, to become independants.

This is one sacriledge, which was accompanyed with two others, breaking their vows of Cha∣stity & Poverty.

What motives did they use, to draw Peo∣ple to joyne with them? Propose Liberty from all Ecclesiasticall laws, that were any way bur∣thersome, or contrary to sensuality, as fasting praying on certaine days, Pennances, &c. free∣ing men from the obligation of Divine laws, by teaching they were impossible, & rejecting so∣me of them in particular, as that for Confession. Indulging sensualitys, trampling on all that see∣med burthensome, under pretence of Christian liberty.

What effects followed the Reformation? A neglect of god's counsels, an insensibility of his Inspirations, a contempt of Religion, an unwillingnesse to be ruled, Rebellion in Church & state, a loosing of the spirit of Prayer, a slygh∣ting of all good workes & anentire abandoning thēselves to bad ones. The lyght of the Ghospel promist, & that darkned with irreligious inter∣pretations, the word of God held forth, & a greate part of it cut off. A Reformation preten∣ded in the Church, & the Church robbed of its revenues: the Church worship purged, & the cheife action of it, Sacrifice, abolisht, the glory of God promist, & his sacred name by blasphe∣my prophaned. Faith soe commended, as by it Hope was destroyed by Presumption, & Charity by Schisme. In fine, if any thing like zeale appeared

in the first times of Reformation, it shewed it selfe by Avarice, Rapine, Sacriledge, Pride, Dissensions, Schismes, Rebellious, Incontinen∣ces, Drunkennesse, in a word Libertinisme. Which the sincerer part of your communion deplore with tru teares; not with such, as you sheed for our errours. If these are the workes of sheepe, what are the workes of wolues? And if by workes we must, Iudge of men, what could they say of these Reformers?

Letus lay aside what is past, & looke on what is present: Is it not tru, that though you talke much of Christianity, yet all markes of it seeme blotted out of the lives of your flock? That therenever was more impurity in marria∣ges, more corruption in familyes, more de∣bauchery in youth, more ambition amongst the rich, more Pride amongst the Gentry, mo∣re Dishonesty in commerce, more sophisti∣cation in marchandises, more deceipt amongst tradesmē, more intemperance amongst all? That fornication is thought a peccadillo; adultery, good fortune: Chastity a reproach te the sex: cheating & treachery, court vertu: Impiety & libertinisme, strength of wit: Oathes & blas∣phemys, or naments of our language: perpetuall gaming, a lawfull divertisment for men: con∣tempt of their husbands, neglect of the Educa∣tion of their children, & of the care of their fa∣milys, a priviledge of women who have some advantage of birth, & fortune: & Drunkenesse

for all who have time & mony to cast away? The prodigious numbers of houses designed for tippling is a sufficient cōviction of the grea∣tenesse of this vice: there being more in London alone, then in any ten Catholicks townes in Eu∣rope, & probably more then served the whole kingdome in Catholick times: which are so many nurseryes of Idlenesse, whence all vices flow: & the thriving condition, they all live in, shews which may the riches of the nation goe & on what their harts are setled.

You will say these are faults of the Reformers; but not of your reformation. But in this you are mistaken: for it comes from the very substanti∣all parts of your reformation: soe that if any do well, it is to be attribued to the goodnesse of their nature: If ill, it is to be charged uppon your re∣ligion: which hath retrenched, on severall pre∣tences, almost all helpes of Devotion.

Christ to apply to us the merits of his passion, instituted seven Sacraments, which are admini∣stred in the Cat. Church. To regenerate us, Bap∣tisme: to strengthen us in faith, Confirmation: to nourisb our souls, Eucharist: to restore us to God's grace, if by frailty we have lost it, Pennance: to prepare us for a passage to the other world, Ex∣treame-unction: to confer grace necessary for a Church-man, or a marryed-man. Order, & Ma∣trimony. Of those you have cut off five: & of the two remaining, that of the Eucharist, which Christ sayd was his body & Blood, you make only

a bit of Breade, & spoone full of wine.

The Catholicks have every day the unbloo∣dy sacrifice of the Altar offred, at which they can as2ist: they are taught that masse is composed out of the law, &p Prophets, the Ghospel, & Canonicall Epistles: that it is a summary of the life of Christ, & commemoration of his death: that when they see the sacred host elevated, they must call to mind his elevation on the Crosse for their sakes: & that they must offer him & themselves, with him, to God the father: As S. Austin teaches us l. 10. de Civit. Dei c. 20. This Dayly sacrisice you have cut off, having something in Cathedralls on sundays, in other Churchs seldome. Soe the wholé weeke in all places, & a greate part of the yeare in most places, passes with out that greate exercice for your devotion.

Ceremonyes in divineservice are necessary to fix our Phancy on the things in hand, & to helpe to rayse our soul to God. This they doe first by their signification, as knocking our Breast is a figne of greife, & cōtrition: kneeling & bowing of our adoration of God: lifting up hands & eyes to Heaven, of raysing our wills to God, &c. They likewise encrease within us those dispo∣sitions, they signify, by a sympathy betwixt the soul, & body. These you have retrencht, as superstitious, which hath opened a dore to the contempt of your holy service, & places, where it is celebrated, to which many of you shew

little more respect, then at other civill actions: nay many would not enter into a freinds house with soe little respect as they shew, entring in∣to the house of God.

G.P. pag. 135. Religion consists in few things. Tis tru, nay it consistes in one thing, (as to its perfection) the love of God above all things. But what then? are helpes to stirre up that love of God to be neglected? It is Pharisaicall to place our confidence in the ceremonyes, or consider them as the substance of Religion; but to looke on them as its ornaments & meanes to stirre up & strike good purposes deeper into our harts, why should it be misliked? The wiser of your brethren in france acknowledge, & bewayle the want of them: Soe will you if you consider it well.

Catholicks have an unquestionable ordina∣tion: for if we have none, yours must fall to the ground, you having received yours from us. Yours is not only questionable; but questioned actually & with seeming probability denyed by Cath. 1. for want of a due minister, A Bishop. 2. for want of due matter & forme. 3. for want of due intention for your Bishops owning no sacrifice of the new law, could not intend to con∣ferre a Power to offer sacrifice, which is essen∣tiall to Preisthood. They were confirmed in their opinions of your want of Ordination, by your Owning Communion with those reformed Churchs in France & Holland, which have no

lawfull ordination according to your principles: your directing yours to their Churchs, advi∣sing them to receive the Sacraments from them: & admitting those Ministers to the Ministry amongst ou, without any new Ordination.

To conclude they had those same motives to continue in the Communion of the Catholick Church, which S. Austin had: which he relates I. contra Epist. Fundam. c. 4. Tenet consensio po∣pulorum & gentium, tenet auctoritas miraculis in∣choata, spe nutrita, charitate aucta, vetustate fir∣mata: tenet ab ipsa Sede Petri cui pascendas oves post Resurrectionem Dominus commendavit, usque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum. Tenet postremò ipsum Catholicae nomen, quod non sine cau∣sâ inter tam multas haereses sic ista Ecclesia sola ob∣tinuiut, ut .... Apud vos autem, ubi nihil horum est, sola personat veritatis pollicitatio. I am retained in the Catholick Church, by the consent of nations, by an authority begun with miracles, nourisht with hope, encreased by charity, establisht by antiquity. I am retained by a succession of Preist: beginning from S. Peter (to whome our Lord after his Resur∣rection commended the feeding of his sheepe) untill this present Pope, Innocent XI. Lastly I am retai∣ned by the very name of Catholick, which with greate reason, amongst soe many sects, this Church alone obtaines.

What have you to oppose against such strong motives? Scripture & the Ghospel: which if cleere for you, ought without doubt be pre∣ferred

before all those other motives. But they found this very Ghospel this Scripture pro∣nounce in their favour, & against you. This is my body, says the Scripture: It is not Christ's body, say you. The commandments of God are not heavy, says the Scripture, The command∣ments of God are impossible, says you. A re∣ward is due to our Good workes, says the Scrip∣ture; No workes of ours are meritorious, nay the best are sins, say you. Faith without workes is dead, says the Scripture, & you commend faith, so as to make all good workes be neglected. I grant, some a∣mongst you of late, doe not soe crudely te∣ach some of these doctrines, being asha∣med of their deformity. But you cannot de∣ny, but that they were taught by the first Reformers. Which was sufficient to con∣vince the world, that Scripture gave no evident verdict for them: & make all affrayd of theyr Reformation, who had a care of their souls.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Mat. 7.15.