BEing thus arriued by Gods grace to diſcouer, and rightly to obſerue how important a thing it is to build vpon this foundation of true faith,The true Canonicall Scriptures the chief rule of faith. without which all the building of our ſoules would be but weake, and ſoone fall to ruine: I felt my ſelfe moſt forcibly moued by Gods Spirit, with all humilitie and diligence to ſearch out the moſt ſtraight rule where no crookedneſſe ſhould appeare, with the which I might ſo truly meaſure out the right faith, and true Church of God, which Saint Paul calleth the Piller and firmament of truth. In the deſire whereof occurred vnto my memorie the Angell that talked with Saint Iohn, Apocal. 21. verſ. 15. hauing a golden reed in his hand, to meaſure the ſpirituall Hieruſalem, with all the gates, the walles, the foundations, and all the parts of that great citie: wiſhing that it would pleaſe God to beſtow vpon me ſuch a golden reed, wherewith I might meaſure out the true faith and Church of God, that all that are crooked in faith, and miſproportioned in their liues, might find out the truth, and be in the number of thoſe of whom the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Pſalme 32.11. Laetamini in domino & exultate inſti, & gloriamini omnes recti corde: Be glad ye righteous and reioyce in the Lord, and bee ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart. Whereupon I began to reflect vpon the chiefeſt rules ſpoken of, either by the Church of Rome, or other Churches pretending reformation: and examining with a great deſire of truth, whether viſibilitie, and continuance of perſonall ſucceſſion of Biſhops in any Church: or whether the Popes ſole iudgement and definitiue ſentence, either with a Councell, or tanquam ex Cathedra, without a Councell: or whether vnwritten traditions; or whether the written word and facred Scriptures, could be vnto me a ſtraight rule of true faith, and of the true Church of Chriſt: me thought I found by all probable euidences, and allowed teſtimonies, that only and principally the written word of God, I meane the true canonicall Scriptures, could be the golden rod, and ſtraight metewand wherewith the true proportion and frame of Chriſtian faith could bee meaſured; in ſo much that me thought I might well ſay to my inexplicable comfort, and to the honor of God, as that high ſoaring Eagle Saint Iohn ſaid;Apoc. 11. verſ. 1. There was giuen me a reed like vnto a rod: and it was ſaid vnto mee, riſe and mete the Temple of God, and the Altar, and them that worſhip therein.

2 But heere thou wilt ſay (gentle Reader) that this is but an imagined golden reed,Obiections againſt Scripture as the chiefe or certaine rule. and that this is but as crooked a meaſure as any other, in reſpect of the many difficult places of Scripture, which tire out the braines of the moſt learned, as alſo in regard of the diuerſitie of iudgements that is found about the ſence of Scriptures; for that the tranſlations hauing been diuers, it is hard for any man to iudge which is the trueſt; but all theſe miſts of but apparent reaſons will eaſily be diſperſt, if thou wilt pleaſe but heedily to peruſe the proofes and authorities I bring for this my ſure and ſtrongeſt fundamentall obſeruation. I know onely but three kinds of ſtrong arguments that may be produced for any veritie, as namely, the ſacred Scriptures, the authoritie of the learned, and the force of natural reaſons: all which three do proclaime with a loud voice vnto vs, that the written word is the moſt certain, ſufficient and infallible rule of faith that we can haue in this world, and conſequently the true golden mete-wand of Gods eternall truth and all Chriſtian reuealed verities.

3 This haue I gathered firſt out of the Scriptures;By proofe of Scripture. Eſay 8.20. for I find in Eſay the Prophet, that we muſt repaire to the Law, and to the teſtimonie, if any ſpeake not according to that word, Prou. 2. verſ. 1. Prou. 2. verſ. 9. there is no light in them. I find alſo the wiſe Salomon to affirme that Gods words will make a man vnderſtand righteouſnes and iudgement, and equitie, and euery good path. I find likewiſe in Saint Luke and other Euangeliſts:Luke 1. verſ. 4. Theſe things are written that we might haue the certaintie of that whereof we are inſtructed; and that we might beleeue in Ieſus, and in beleeuing haue life eternall through his name. I find further that Chriſt ſaith, Search the Scriptures, Ioh. 20. verſ. 31. for in them yee thinke to haue eternall life, and they are they which testifie of mee: as alſo in another place, When one asked Christ what he might do to be ſaued, Luk. 10. verſ. 26. he referreth him to the Scriptures for his direction, ſaying, What is written in the Law? So did Abraham anſwere the rich Glutton, They haue Moſes and the Prophets. Luke 16.29. I find alſo Saint Paul free from all exception herein, ſaying, The Scriptures are able to make vs wiſe to ſaluation, 2. Tim. 3. verſ. 15. Verſ. 16. Verſ. 17. through the faith that is in Chriſt Ieſus, and are profitable to teach, to improue, to conuert, to inſtruct in righteouſneſſe, that the man of God may be abſolute, and perfect to euery good worke. And in another place, we may not preſume aboue that which is written. I find likewiſe Saint Peter to accord with Saint Paul, 2. Pet. 1.19. when hee ſaith, Wee haue a more ſure word of the Prophets, whererunto wee cannot take heed, as vnto a light that ſhineth in a darke place, till the day dawne, and till the day-ſtarre ariſe in our hearts. Many more proofes would the canonicall Scriptures afford to the ſame effect: therefore ſince by the premiſed places of Scripture, I ſee that he that ſpeaketh not according to the word of God hath no light in him; ſince the Scriptures can make vs know righteouſneſſe, iudgement, equitie, and euery good path; ſince they were written that we might haue certainty in that we are inſtructed in, and beleeuing, haue life eternall; ſince we are ſent to the Scriptures by Chriſt; ſince they are able to make vs wiſe to ſaluation; ſince they are profitable to make vs perfect to euery good worke; ſince it is preſumption to go aboue that which is written; ſince the Prophets be our light in darkneſſe, what better rule can we haue of our faith? what can excuſe any mans ignorance that knoweth this? or what an obſtinate wilfulneſſe were it for me, that knowing theſe teſtimonies of Scripture, ſhall not beleeue them? or why ſhould I not thinke that the Church of England hath not the beſt reed or mete-wand, to meaſure the truth of her doctrine by: when ſhe teacheth,Juel. Apol. part. 2. cap. 9. diuiſ. 1. That the Scripture comprehended in the canonicall bookes of the old and new Testament is the rule of faith, ſo farre that whatſoeuer is not read therein, or cannot be proued thereby, is not to be accepted as any point of faith, or needfull to be followed.

4 Which doctrine cannot be ſhaken or ouerthrowne,By proofes of Fathers. if we eſteeme the authoritie of the learned, who do moſt plentifully giue witneſſe and vnanſwerable proofes for the ſame; S. Baſil who liued in the fourth centurie after Chriſt, ſaith: Let the holy Scriptures be arbitrators betweene vs, Baſil. opiſt 80. ad Euſtac. medicum pag. 334. and whoſoeuer hold opinions conſonant to thoſe heauenly oracles, let the truth be adiudged on their ſide. And Optatus diſputing againſt a Donatiſt, preſſeth him thus,Contra Parmem. lib. 5. pag 393. We are (ſaith he) to equire out ſome to be iudges betweene vs in theſe controuerſies: The Chriſtians cannot, becauſe both ſides cannot yeeld them, and by parts taking the truth ſhall be hindered. The Iudge must be had from without our ſelues; If a Pagan, he knowes not the mysteries of Christianitie; if a Iew, he is an enemie to Baptiſme; therefore vpon the earth no iudgement concerning this matter can bee found the Iudge must be had from heauen: but to what end ſhould we kocke at heauen, when heere we haue one in the Goſpell? Heere we ſee Saint Baſil appeales for iudgement to the Scriptures, and ſo Optatus likewiſe to the Goſpell; no acknowledgement here of other arbitrement vpon earth. What ſhall I ſpeake of Tertullion, who is moſt plaine for me,Tertul. contra Hermog. calling the Scriptures the rule of faith? The golden-mouthed Chryſoſtome will not heere forſake me, who termeth the Scriptures,Chryſoſt. hom. 13. in 2. Cor. Hom. 3. de Laz. A most exquiſite rule and exact ſquier and ballance to trie all things by. And alſo in another place ſaith, God hath left vs the Scriptures more firme then any miracle. And vpon the Acts of the Apoſtles diſcourſeth very fitly to this purpoſe:Chryſoſt. hom. 33. in Act. A Gentile (ſaith hee) commeth and ſaith I would bee a Christian, but I know not which ſide to cleaue vnto; many diſſenſions are among you, and I cannot tell which opinion to hold; euery one ſaith I ſpeake the truth, and the Scriptures on both ſides are pretended, ſo that I know not whom to beleeue: to this Chryſostome replieth: Truly (ſaith he) this maketh much for vs: for well might you be troubled, if we ſhould ſay we relie vpon reaſon, but ſeeing we take the Scriptures which are ſo true, and plaine, it will be an eaſie matter for you to iudge. And tel me now, haſt thou any wit or iudgement? Note this. for it is not the part of a man barely to receiue whatſoeuer he heareth, but if thou marke the meaning, thou mayeſt throughly know that which is good: when thou buyest a garment though thou hast no skill in wearing yet thou ſayest not I cannot buy it, they deceiue me, but thou doest all things, that thou mayest learne to know it: ſay not then I am no ſcholler, and will be no iudge, I can condemne no opinion, for this is but a ſhift and a cauill, and let vs not vſe it, for all theſe things are eaſie. There is nothing can bee more cleere for this moſt ſufficient rule of faith, then that which is written by this ancient Author of the imperfect worke falſely fathered, as ſome thinke, vpon Saint Chryſostome, whom, becauſe he is often alleaged by the learned of the Romane Church, I will alſo alleage againſt them: this Author expounding thoſe of Saint Matthew, Chryſost. opus imperfect. hom. 49. Then thoſe that are in Iurie let them flie vnto the mountaines; explicateth them, thus: that is, they that are Chriſtians, let them repaire vnto the Scriptures. The mountaines are the writings of the Apoſtles and Prophets: and wherefore doth he at that time command all Chriſtians to repaire to the Scriptures? becauſe in that time hereſie hath obtained the Curches, there can be no proofe of true Chriſtianity, neither can there be other refuge for Chriſtians, which ſhall deſire to know the truth of faith, but the ſacred Scriptures. Before, it was many wayes ſhewed, which was the true Church of Chriſt, and which was Gentiliſme, but now it is no way knowne vnto thoſe which deſire to know which is the true Church, but onely by Scriptures: wherefore, becauſe all theſe things which belongs ſo properly to Chriſt in truth, hereſies haue the ſame alſo in ſchiſme; Churches likewiſe; holy Scriptures likewiſe; Biſhops likewiſe; and other orders of Clerkes; Baptiſme, likewiſe; the Euchariſt; and all the reſt; laſtly Chriſt himſelfe. One therefore that deſireth to know which is the true Church, whence ſhall he know it in the confuſion of ſuch likeneſſe, but only by the Scriptures?Note this. likewiſe heretofore they were knowne by miracles, who were true Chriſtians, who falſe. How? falſe Chriſtians either could not do miracles as true Chriſtians did, or elſe, they could not do ſuch as true Chriſtians did. But now the working of miracles is altogether taken away, and it is more found, that falſe miracles are wrought by thoſe who are falſe Chriſtians, as Peter (according to Clement) expoūdeth, alſo, power is to be alſo giuen of doing ful miracles vnto Antichriſt. Likewiſe heretofore the Church of Chriſt was vnderſtood by their maners, when the conuerſation of al or moſt Chriſtians was holy, which was not among the wicked. But now either ſuch or worſe Chriſtians are become, then Heretikes or Gentiles. And moreouer greater continencie is found amongſt thoſe who liue in ſciſme, then among Chriſtians. He therfore that will know which is the true Church of Chriſt: whence ſhall he know it, but only the Scriptures?Note this. The Lord therefore knowing that ſuch a confuſion of things ſhould come in the laſt dayes, he therefore commandeth that Chriſtians who are in the Chriſtianitie, being deſirous to obtaine firmeneſſe of the true faith, ſhould flie vnto nothing but vnto the Scriptures.Note againe. For otherwiſe, if they haue regard to other things, they ſhall be ſcandalized and ſhall periſh, not vnderſtanding which is the true Church, and by this they ſhall fall into the abomination of deſolation, which ſhall ſtand in the holy places of the Church. Whereby it appeareth that the only means to find out the true Church, is the canonicall Scriptures, eſpecially in theſe latter times to which we are now arriued.

5 To our purpoſe alſo Gregorie Niſſen calleth the Scriptures: Other fathers. Orat. de eis qui adeunt Hieroſolimam. A ſtraight and inflexible rule I obſerue alſo Saint Augustine to ioyne with the former, who ſaith, The Scripture pitcheth downe the rule of our faith. De bono vid. cap. 1. And againe hee ſaith, This controuerſie depending betweene vs requireth a Iudge, and let the Apoſtle Paul iudge with him, becauſe Chriſt alſo ſpeaketh in his Apoſtle.De nupt. & cencup. ad Vater. lib. 2. cap. 33. Epiſt. 112. ad Paulin. In another place, If a matter be grounded on the cleere authoritie of the holy Scripture, ſuch I meane as the Church calleth canonicall, it is to be beleeued without all doubt: but as for other witneſſes and teſtimonies, vpon whoſe credit any thing may be vrged vnto vs to belieue it, it is lawful for thee either to credit, or not to credit them, according as thou ſhalt perceiue them of waight to deſerue or not to deſerue credit. He ſaith beſides, De doctrin. Chriſtiau. lib 2. cap 9. Ibid. cap. 42. All points which concerne faith and good life, are found in thoſe things which are plainly ſet downe in Scripture. And againe in another place, Whatſoeuer it be that a man learnes out of the Scripture, if it be hurtfull there it is condemned, if it bee profitable there it is found.Tract. 3. in 1. epiſt. Ioh. Contra lit. Petilian. D •• at. lib. 3 cap. 6 & de vnit. Eccleſ. cap. 11. Againe hee ſaith, The Church is our mother, her breaſts are the two Teſtaments of the Scripture, whence ſhe giueth her children milke. Againe further, If we or an Angell from heauen declare vnto you either concerning Chriſt or his Church, any other matter, or any thing belonging to our faith or life, but what you haue receiued in the Legal and Euangelicall Scriptures, let him be accurſed. The ſame famous Doctor likewiſe reuoketh from miracles to Scriptures,De vnit. Eccleſ. cap. 16. ſaying, Say not theſe things are ſo, becauſe ſuch a one did ſuch and ſuch marualles, but let them proue their Church by the canonicall bookes of Scripture, and by nothing elſe. Theſe are the demonſtrations of our cauſe, theſe are our foundations, theſe are our grounds whereupon we build. And againe, Our faith ſhal reele & totter, if the authoritie of the Scriptures ſtand not faſt. By all which, according to this famous Doctor, who is termed malleus haereticorum, the hammer of heretikes, you ſee this rule of faith moſt cleerely approued and iuſtified.

6 Neither doe other auncient Writers ſwarue from the ſame doctrine, Other fathers. De error prophan. relig. p. 61. for Iulius Firminus ſayth, Let the venerable myſteries of the Prophets be opened let the credit of the holy Oracles ſtand by vs. Origen further ſayth,Hom. 1. in Ierem. We muſt of neceſsitie call the Scriptures to witneſſe, for our ſences and interpretations without them are of no credit. Cyrill the Biſhop of Hieruſalem ſayth, Concerning the holy and heauenly myſteries of faith, Catech. 4. pag. 15. we muſt not deliuer any thing, though neuer ſo ſmall, Note this. without the holy Scripture neither may we be led away with probabilities and ſhew of words: neither yet beleeue me barely, ſaying theſe things vnto you, vnleſſe thou alſo beleeue the demonſtration thereof from the Scripture; for the ſecuritie of our faith ariſeth from the demonſtration of the holy Scripture. The Emperour Conſtantine in his ſpeech to the Biſhops of the Nicene Councell hath this memorable ſaying,Theod Hiſt. li. 1. c. 7. pag. 284. We haue the teaching of the holy Ghoſt written: for the Enangelicall and Apoſtolike bookes, and the Decrees of the old Prophets doe euidently teach vs the things that are needfull to be knowne concerning God. Therefore laying aſide all contention, let vs out of the dinine inſpired Scripture take the rerſolution of thoſe things we ſecke for. Neither will I let my penne paſte another notable ſaying of Saint Auguſtine, which is diligently to bee noted, ſaying,In Io. tract. 21. Some may obiect we doe raſhly in diſcuſsing and ſearching out the wordes of God, but way are they vttered if they may not be knowne? Why haue they ſounded, if they may not be heard? and why are they heard but that we ſhould vnderstand them? Thus the Ancient reſolued me in the ſecuritie of this rule.

7 And not onely theſe,Proofes of late Writers. but alſo the moderne Writers of the Church of Rome forgetting themſelues as it ſeemeth in their writings, euen againſt their owne grounds about the rule of faith, haue giuen me no leſſe euidence for this moſt ſtraight and ſufficient rule of the ſacred letters and Canonical bookes than the former. For firſt their great learned Doctor, whom they call the Angelicall Doctor ſayth,Tho. Aqu. lec. in 1. Tim. 6. The doctrine of the Apoſtles and Prophets is called Canonicall, becauſe it is as it were the rule of our vnderſtanding. 1. q. 1. ar. 4. And againe our faith reſteth and ſtayeth it ſelfe vpon the reuelation giuen to the Apoſtles and Prophets, which writ the Canonicall bookes, 1. q. 1. ar. 8. and not vpon reuelation, if any ſuch haue beene made to other Doctors. And alſo in another place hee ſheweth, how all iudgement of truth is to be referred to the Scriptures, ſaying, In arguing it properly vſeth (viz. the ſaid reuealed knowledge,Tho. 1 q. part. 1. q. 1. ar. 8. ad 2. whereof he ſpeaketh) of neceſsitie the authorities of Canonicall Scripture, but the authorities of other Doctors of the Church, as it were arguing out of her owne, but probably. For our faith doth relie vpon the reuelation made to the Apoſtles and Prophets, who wrote the Canonicall bookes, nd not vpon any reuelation made to other Doctors. Therefore Auguſtine ſayth in his Epiſtle to Hierome;Epi. 19. Paulo, poſt princip. to. 2. I haue learned to giue this honor to the onely bookes of Scriptures, which are called Canonicall, as to beleeue moſt firmely, that not one author of them hath erred in writing; but others I reade ſo, that with what ſoeuer holineſſe and learning they are endued, as not therefore to thinke any thing a truth, becauſe they haue held or written ſo. And in another place, Faith doth cleaue vnto all the articles of faith for one medium, to wit, for the firſt truth propoſed vnto vs in Scriptures, according to the doctrine of the Church vnderſtanding rightly; and therefore hee that ſwarueth from this meane, doth totally want faith. Antoninus the Archbiſhop of Florence writeth expreſſely,Sum. part. 3. tit. 18. c. 3. ff 3. That God hath ſpoken but once, and that in the holy Scripture, and ſo plentifully to meete with all temptations and all caſes that may fall out, and all good workes, that as Gregorie in the two and twentieth booke of his Morals expounds it, he needes no more ſpeake vnto vs concerning any neceſſarie matter, ſeeing all things are found in the Scripture. Gerſon a great man in the Councell of Conſtance ſayth,De com. ſub vtraque ſpecie. The Scripture is the rule of our faith, which being well vnderſtood, no authoritie of men is to be admitted againſt it. Durandus ſayth That generally in the things that touch our faith wee muſt ſpeake to that which the Scripture deliuereth, Praef. in ſent. leaſt any man fall into that which the Apoſtle noteth, 1. Cor. 8. If he thinke he knoweth ſomething, yet the knoweth nothing as he ought to know; for the manner of our knowledge muſt be not to exceede the meaſure of faith, and the holy Scripture expreſſeth the meaſure of faith. Alliaco the Cardinall ſayth,1. Sent. q. 1. ar. 3. The verities themſelues of the ſacted Canon be the principles of Diuinitie, becauſe the finall reſolution of Theologicall diſcourſe is made into them, and originally from them is drawne euery concluſion of Diuinitie. Conradus Clingius ſayth,Locor. l. 3. c. 29. pag. 290. The Scripture is the infallible rule of truth, yea the meaſure and iudge of the truth. Pereſius the Diuinitie Reader at Barcelona in Spaine ſayth, The authoritie of no Saint is of infallible truth, Iac. Per. de ratio, con. li. 2. c. 19. for Saint Auguſtine giues that honor onely to the ſacred Scriptures. Whereupon I frame this reaſon; That onely is the infallible rule which is of infallible truth: but the Scripture onely is of infallible truth: therefore the Scripture onely is the infallible rule.

8 Bellarmine alſo writeth thus,Other late Writers. De verbo Dei, li. 1. cap. 2. The rule of faith must be certaine and knowne; for if it be not certaine, it is no rule at all; if it be not knowne, it is no rule to vs: but nothing more certaine, nothing better knowne than the ſacred Scripture, contained in the writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles: wherefore the ſacred Scripture is the rule of faith, moſt certaine and moſt ſafe; and God hath taught vs by corporall letters, which wee might ſee and reade, what he would haue vs beleeue concerning him. Whence I gather, that if the Swenckfeldians are to bee drawne to the written Text, then ought thoſe of the Church of Rome alſo be recalled to the ſame rule from their vncertaine traditions, from the Popes ſole definitiue ſentence, and from their Councels, not teaching by Scriptures. If nothing be more knowne, nothing more certaine, as the Cardinall confeſſeth, than the Scriptures; why doe they reiect them from being the rule, as not ſufficient to preſerue from error, not knowne ynough? The ſame Cardinall ſayth in another place,De not. eccleſ. c. 2. ff reſpond. Simpliciter. The Scripture is better knowne than the Church in ſome caſe, as namely where it is receiued, and ſpeaketh plainly, and the queſtion is of the Church. Willauincentius confeſſeth, The Scriptures and they alone are able to teach vs to ſaluation, De ratio. ſtud. Theol. li. 1. c. 31. pag. 21. as the Apoſtle in the third chapter of his ſecond Epiſtle to Timothie affirmeth, ſaying, All Scripture is inſpired of God, in which words the Apoſtle comprehendeth all things that are needfull to the ſaluation of man. Comment. in 2. Tim c 3 in verſ. 15, 16. Eſpenceus writeth, That if any thing be needfull either to be knowne or done, the Scriptures teach the truth, reproue the falſe, reclaime from euill, perſuade to good, neither yet doe they make a man good in ſome ſort, but perfect; yea, they can teach a man to ſaluation, and make him learned ſufficiently. Panormitane writeth thus, One faithfull man, Part 1. de elect. poleſt. ca. ſignifica. though priuate, is more to be beleeued than the Pope or a whole Councell, if he haue better reaſon on his ſide, and authoritie of the Old and New Teſtament. And Gerſon more ſully,De exemp. doct part. 1. conſidera. 5. The examination and triall of doctrine concerning faith belongeth not onely to the Pope and Councell, but to euery one alſo that is ſufficiently ſeene in the holy Scripture, becauſe euery one is a fit iudge of that he knoweth: And againe, ſome lay-man; not authoriſed, may be ſo excellently learned in the Scripture, that his aſſertion ſhall be more to be credited than the Popes definitiue ſentence; for the Goſpell is more to be credited than the Pope. Therefore if ſuch a lay man, though he be priuate, teach a truth contained in the Goſpell, and the Pope either know it not, or will not know it, yet it is euident that his iudgement is to be preferred. Coſterus. Ceſterus ſayth, That ſuch verities concerning our faith as are abſolutely neceſſarie to be knowne and beleeued of all men, are plainely taught in the Scriptures themſelues. Doctor Saunders ſayth,Rock, pag. 193. Wee haue moſt plaine Scriptures in all points for the Catholike faith: he meaneth the faith of the preſent Church of Rome.Doctor Hill in his quart. of reaſons: the eight reaſon. And Doctor Hill ſeemes willing to haue it thought, that they build vpon the Scriptures in all points of doctrine, when he ſayth, Neither may here the Proteſtants reply and ſay, that the Papiſts build vpon miracles, viſions, prophecies, and vpon ſuch like, but not vpon the Word; for all that they alledge, are moſt agreeable to the word of God: neither doe they teach any doctrine but ſuch as is deriued out of the holy Bible. This affertion ſheweth much weakneſſe of iudgement, and little skill euen in the grounds of Diuinitie: for who is ſo ignorant that knoweth not the Papiſts doe build vpon miracles, viſions, prophecies? And who ſo ſimple amongſt them, that know not that they build leaſt vpon the word when they generaly teach, that the written word is not ſufficient for faith without traditions? And what a foule misbeſeeming vntruth is it for a Doctor to ſay, That all that they alleadge are moſt agreeable to the word of God; when they ordinarily obiect, that the perpetuall virginitie of the virgine Marie; the aſſumption of her bodie into heauen; the baptizing of reaſonleſſe children; the keeping of the Sunday: and others the like; are not to be proued by the word of God, but are built onely vpon traditions? Is not this then a very groſſe forgetfulneſſe to affirme, That they teach not any Doctrine, but ſuch as is deriued out of the holie Bible? And yet he forgetteth himſelfe ſo much, that againe in the ſame reaſons hee ſaith euen for the time paſt: That the Catholikes (meaning Papiſts) euer ſquared their Doctrine by the Line and the Leuell of the word of hir Spouſe, and therfore neuer had cauſe to reiect the leaſt iote of the holie Bible; and at one word the Catholikes follow the Bible. By all which it ſeemeth moſt apparent, that the learned doe approue the word of God, that is, the Canonicall Scriptures, to be the moſt certain, ſufficient, and moſt infallible rule that can be aſſigned. What reaſon then haue I to forſake the iugement of ſo many learned men, both ancient and moderne Writers, who heerein are moſt conformable to Scripture it ſelfe.

9 For if we conſider rightly of the nature of faith,Natural reaſon ſheweth this rule. obſeruing that the knowledge, whereto it conſenteth, and the end to which it leadeth, are ſupernaturall; nothing can ſeeme more agreeable to naturall diſcourſe than to gather alſo that only that book which containes Gods reuealed verities can be the ſufficienteſi means to know them; which is the holy writings of the old and new Teſtament. If a man ſhould aske me why I beleeue the creation of the world, all the miracles wrought by Moſes, Elias, and Eliſaeus; that there is a God; that Chriſt is is the ſonne of God; that he was borne of a virgine; I cannot anſwere with aſſuredneſſe, becauſe this Prieſt or that Prieſt teacheth me ſo; for reaſon will obiect that hee may erre, or that all Prieſts agree not therein; or that firſt I muſt be aſſured he teacheth me doctrine of ſuch a Church as cannot miſinſtruct me, which I muſt know by ſome other meanes. Therefore my only anſwere muſt be, that I beleeue, becauſe thoſe Scriptures reuealed from God doe teach me, which are the moſt ſufficient rule, whereby I can haue aſſured knowledge of truth reuealed from God, by all which it ſeemed moſt cleare vnto m that onely the Scriptures can be the moſt aſſured, ſufficient, and infallible rule by which I am to meaſure my faith, and all vertues belonging thereunto, and therefore all other rules are verie ſubiect to the crookedneſſe of many errors.Silueſt. verſ. 60. fides Nu. 2. Hence I began to ſee my former error in holding with Silueſter, that the Pope as the vice gerent of Chriſt vpon earth was to be my rule; according to his aſſertion taken out of Saint Thomas: The Pope hath the primacie of the vniuerſall Church, to whom it appertaineth to determine thoſe things which belong to faith, 22. 1. 11. ar. 3. that they may bee held of all with a conſtant faith, and in him reſideth the authority of the vniuerſall Church. Therefore it belongeth to faith to adhere vnto the ſentence of the chiefe Biſhop, in thoſe things which belong to faith; yea alſo in thoſe things which belong vnto good manners, becauſe in ſuch the Church cannot erre, nor conſequently her head, as head or as Biſhop, which I vnderſtand alwaies to be true, when in doubts he is required, not as a learned man, or ſuch a perſon, but as the head of Chriſtianity, or according to Archidiaconus,Note this. when he determineth with the Councell of Cardinals: but the firſt is better, becauſe the Pope may be without Cardinals. But when I remembred that two Popes, namely Sixtus and Clemens, ſet out two Bibles within two yeares ſpace (for Sixtus Bible came forth in the yeare 1590. and Clements in the yeare 1592.) with commaundement to be read and followed vpon penalties mentioned in their ſeuerall breues, wherein many diſagreements, contradictions, and contrarieties, appeared in ſo important a matter of faith, as the appointment of what is Scripture, and what is not, that herein Pope Sixtus grieuouſly erred: I concluded that the Popes ſentence definitiue could not bee a ſufficient rule for me to meaſure my faith by, vnleſſe I would be like vnto a principall Romane Clarke of this land, affirming, that heere in England, he thought the opinion of Cardinall Bellarmine the beſt to be held concerning depoſition of kings; namely that the Pope hath his dominion in temporalties onely indirectly, yet if he were in Rome he would follow the opinion of Boſius, that he hath it directly, as the moſt plauſible there. And much wondering that ſuch an aſſertion ſhould paſſe from the mouth of ſo graue a man, I began to inferre, that if but place or perſons were the rule of ſuch mens faith in matters of ſuch waight; it was time for me who regarded but the ſaluation of my ſoule, to ſeeke after ſome better rule, more ſure and infallible.

10 Now then (courteous Reader) hauing found out this moſt ſufficient rule of faith, namely the holy Scriptures, I referre my ſelfe vnto your impartiall cenſure, to iudge whether I could doe leſſe then to meaſure all the doctrinall points of my faith by this golden meet-wand, and therewith meaſure out the ſpirituall and true Church of Chriſt: which if thou ſhalt iudge fit for me, I hope ſuch ſhall be the care of thine owne ſaluation, as to vſe it alwaies in like manner for thy ſelfe, that thy faith may be free from all crookedneſſe of hereſies, and thereby be made partakers of Gods promiſes; for the manifold diuiſions about the Church, the diuers errours taught by thoſe that pretend to bee other mens Teachers, and euen the loue of thy ſelfe may well make thee ſay with holy Dauid, following the light of Scriptures,Pſal. 119. verſ. 10.4. Pſal. 119. verſ. 18. vnto thy Lord God, Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tuum & lumen ſemitis meis. Thy word is a lampe vnto my feete, and a light vnto my path. And againe, Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of the Law.

11 Yet thou art to haue great care that thou make not this rule longer than it is, nor ſhorter: for this is forbidden by Chriſt himſelfe, ſpeaking againſt ſuch a one ſaying; I proteſt vnto euery man that heareth the words of the prophecie of this Booke; Apoc. 22.18, 19. if any man ſhall adde vnto theſe things, God ſhall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this Booke: and if any man ſhall take away from the words of the booke of this prephecie, God ſhall take away his part out of the Booke of life, and out of the holy Citty, and from the things which are written in this Booke. This fault of adding to the Books of holie ſcripture is very notorious in the Church of Rome, as I haue duly obſerued.Seſ. 41. For the Councell of Trent addeth to the Canon of the old Teſtament diuers Apocriphall Books, which muſt be beleeued as Canonicall Scriptures; as namely, Tobias, Iudith, Heſter, and the two bookes of the Macchabees, Eſdras, Wiſedome, and Eccleſiaſticus: all which are learnedly proued to be Apocriphall, by the right reuerend Father in God, my Lords grace of Canterburie, in his anſwer to maſter Doctor Hill his eight reaſon:Num. 3. & ſequent. the conſideration whereof made me plainely conclude, that heerein the Church of Rome giues great and apparent occaſion for any to iudge that ſhe erreth, and conſequently not to heare her voice thus vttering falſhood for trueth, giuing equall authoritie to the Apocriphall Bookes with the holy canonicall Scriptures.

AMongſt the diuers markes which Cardinall Ballarmine brings to ſhew vs, which is the true Church,Miracles make more for the Church of England than for the Church of Rome. and to which ſocietie of Chriſtian beleeuers were ought to ioyne our ſelues, to bee true children of Chriſt, hee vrgeth for his eleuenth Marke the glorie of Miracles, in theſe wordes: Miracles are neceſſarie to perſwade men to a new faith, Bellarm. de notis Eccleſ. l. 4. c. 14. in Epitome. or to an extraordinarie miſsion, and are ſufficient and efficacious to proue the ſame, ſo that where true Miracles are found, without doubt there is the true Faith. Which Aſſertion when I conſidered deepely with due obſeruation of all points of doctrine concerning the working of Miracles, I found this Marke to make as much for the Faith of the preſent Engliſh Church; for that it is the ſame which being new in the Apoſtles time, was confirmed in the hearts of all beleeuers by the Miracles of the Apoſtles, and holy Men of the Primitiue Church, at the firſt planting of the Chriſtian Faith; and hereby I am put in minde that as Ariſtotle ſaith,Ariſtoteles. Prudentis eſt diſtinguere, it is the part of a prudent man to diſtinguiſh, betwixt times & times, betwixt doctrines; & faithfully compare the beleeuers of the firſt Ages, euen of Rome it ſelfe, with thoſe of after-ages; which as I indeuoured to performe, in examining this marke of miracles, I obſerue that vnleſſe it were done with great prudence, infinite numbers may bee carried ſimply and ignorantly into groſſe errors, to the great impeachment of Gods glorie, and miſerable ſeduction of their owne ſoules; and therefore to lay downe this obſeruation, I thought it good to vſe extraordinary diligence, that therewith all I might be the more aſſured of truth, that the world may clearely ſee, that this pretence of Miracles maketh nothing at all for the preſent faith of Rome, but onely againſt it, ſhewing the Profeſſours thereof not to bee true Chriſtians.

2 For albeit it be a truh not to be denied,al that do miracles doe not true miracles. that all true miracles can onely be done by God, yet doth it not follow, that all that doe miracles doe true miracles, and ſuch as are done by him; for to euery true miracle foure things are required, as a learned Roman Teacher affirmeth; Firſt, Foure thinges required to true miracles. Io. de Combis in compend. Theolog. verit. lib. 1. ca. 20. it muſt be of God; Secondly, it must be beyond nature; Thirdly, it muſt be euident; Fourthly, it muſt be fore the corroboration of Faith: Therefore if any of theſe foure be wanting, it may bee called a Maruell, but not a Miracle. Therefore it is alſo to bee knowne, that the Diuell can doe miracles, though not true miracles, yet ſuch miracles as to men may ſeeme true miracles; for Thomas Aquinas ſaith, and that very truly, out of S. Augustine, That miracles by art Magicke are made, Aug. lib. 83. q. 79 Tom. 4. Part. 1. q. 14. q. 4. Sed contra. which are altogether like vnto thoſe miracles which are done by the ſeruants of God; which he explicateth dogmatically after this manner. If a miracle be taken properly, the Diuels cannot doe miracles, nor any other creature, but onely God; becauſe a miracle properly is termed that which is beyond the order of anie nature created. Yet ſometimes in a large ſenſe that is called a miracle which exceedeth the faculty and vnderſtanding of man, and ſo the diuells can doe miracles; which men admire, in that they exceede their power and knowledge For one man, when he doth any thing, tha is aboue the power and knowledge of an other man, he leadeth the other into an admiration of his worke, that in ſome ſort he ſeemeth to do a miracle. Yet it is to be vnderſtood, that albeit ſuch workes of Diuells, which ſeeme miracles vnto vs, re • ch not vnot the true nature of miracles; they are notwithſtanding ſometimes true things. As when ſire fell from heauen, and with one blowe conſumed the familie of Iob, with all the heards of his cattell, and a whirlewinde ouerthrew the houſe, Aug. 20. de Ciuitae Dei c. 19. ſlew his children, which were the workes of Sathan, were not fantaſmes, as Auguſtine ſaith: And therefore well doth Saint auguſtine ſay in an other place ſpeaking of the lying miracles of Antichriſt, as he ſame Doctour noteth: That the workes of Antichriſt may bee called ſignes of lying, Li. 83. q. 79. to. 4. eyther becauſe hee will deceiue mortall ſenſes by phantaſmes, ſeeming to doe that which hee doth not; or becauſe that if they bee true Prodigies, yet they drawe thoſe that ſhall beleeue them to a lie. Hence the ſame Doctour Saint Auguſtine ſaieth;Aug. li. 83. q. 79. a medio tom. 4. That when Sorcerers doe thoſe thinges which Saints doe, they are don for a different end, and by a different power: for Sorcerers doe them ſeeking their owne glorie, Saints doe them ſeeking the glorie of God; Sorcerers doe them by certaine priuate contracts; Saints doe them by publique adminiſtration and commaund of God, vnto whom all things created are ſubiect.

3 Now therefore ſince ſeeming miracles done by the Diuell,The true Catholike church the approuer of true miracles. exceeding the ordinarie power of Nature, may deceiue many, if they iudge their Doctrine by them;and for that it is hard for a man to bee able to ſay, whether a miracle bee done by the power of almighty God, or by the power of the Diuell, becauſe both exceede our vnderſtanding, and the ordinarie courſe of Nature: it ſtoode mee vppon to ſearch out ſome infallible meanes, by which I might bee aſſured, that they were true miracles, and ſuch as I might confidently relie vppon. In which ſcrutinie I could finde no better rule than to obſerue, whether they bee done in the Catholique Church, or no; which I doe learne out of Saint Auguſtine, Aug. de vnit. Eccleſ. ca. 16. ſaying; Whatſoeuer things of this quality are done in the Catholicke Church, Therefore they are to bee approued, becauſe they are done in the Catholicke Church, Therefore ſhee is not manifeſted Catholicke, becauſe thoſe thinges are done in her. Whereby it is cleere, that miracles abſolutely are not a proofe of the Catholicke Church, but the Catholicke Church an approouer of true miracles; whence it followeth, That the miracles of the Primitiue Church, were not ſo much a confirmation of her truth, as her truth a confirmation of them. Whence I obſerue further, That the preſent Church of Rome, not beeing the true Catholicke Church, becauſe ſhee teacheth not the true Catholicke ancient Faith, without mixture of many nouelties, doth in vaine all eadge miracles in her behalfe, which for that they are done out of the true Church, are to bee reckoned amongſt Antichriſts lying ſignes & prodigies: Therefore I may pronounce confidently with S. Aug. vnto the Papiſts; I ſay not that theſe things are ſo, Aug. de vnit. Eccleſ. ca. 16. becauſe ſuch a one did ſuch and ſuch maruailes; but let them proue their Church by the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture, and by nothing elſe: theſe are the demonſtrations of our cauſe, Note this. theſe are our foundations; theſe are our grounds whereupon we build. Whereby wee ſee Miracles excluded from beeing a marke of the Church, as the Cardinall Bellarmine would faine perſwade the world, that ſo his Romaine Church might bee approued for the true Church of God. Vnapproueable therefore is the aſſertion of maſter D. Hill, who chalengeth much vnto the Roman Church by her glorie of miracles wrought by her Saints; his words are theſe:The tenth reaſon of this quarterne. Now it is ſo manifeſt that there haue beene an infinite number of miracles, wrought by thoſe who were of the Catholicke Romaine Religion, and neuer any by them, who were not of that Church ſince Chriſts time, as he who ſhall deny it, may bee prooued no leſſe impudent and ſhamleſſe, than bee who ſhall denie that euer there was any Maſſe ſaid in times paſt in England, or that euer there were any warres betweene Turkes and Christians, or that there bee any ſuch countries as the East and West-Indies, which thing if a man ſhould denie, would hee not of all men be deemed not only impudent, but madde, drunken or afoole? In which words becauſe Maſter Doctor Hill ſeemeth much to forget himſelfe, I muſt needs refreſh his memorie with ſome few interrogatories. What maſter Doctor? I pray ſince Chriſts time, did not Simmon Magus worke miracles? who as Baronius ſaith,Baron. an. 68. nu. 22. made images to walke, and would lie in the fire without hurt, and flie in the ayre, and make bread of ſtones, hee could open doores fast ſhut, and vnlooſe bands of iron, and had many ſhadowes following him, as it had been men: Will you ſay he was a Roman Catholike?Tacit. lib. 4. did not Veſpaſian the Emperour at Alexandria reſtore a blind man to ſight? will you ſay hee was a Roman Catholike? Who be they Chriſt ſpake of, when he ſaid, Matth. 7 22. Many will ſay to me in that day, Lord haue we not by thy name propheſied, and by thy name cast out diuels, and by thy name done many great workes, and then will I profeſſe to them, I neuer knew you, depart from me yee that worke iniquitie? What, will you ſay that theſe workers of miracles, and alſo of iniquity, were of your Catholike Romane religion? What think you of thoſe Saint Augustine ſpeaketh of,Auguſt. de vnit. Eccleſ. cap. 16. ſaying, If there be done ſome miracles of heretikes, we ought the more to take heed, becauſe when the Lord had ſaid that there ſhould be ſome deceiuers, who by doing many ſignes, ſhould deceiue the very Elect, if it were poſsible, he did adde, commending it vehemently & ſaid, behold, I haue foretold it vnto you. What, will you grant all theſe were of the Catholike Romane religion?Auguſt. tract. 13. in loan. What, will you ſay vnto the ſame ancient Doctor in another place where he ſaith, Againſt theſe miracle-mongers, as I may ſo call them, my God hath made mee warie, ſaying; In the last times there ſhall ariſe falſe Prophets doing ſignes and wonders? What, will you grant none of theſe to be yet come? or will you grant them all to be of your religion? What, will you ſay to your Country-man,Prompt. mor. part. aeſtiu. pag. 627. dom. 24. nu. 4. Maſter Doctor Stapleton, publike profeſſor of Diuinitie in Louaine, and if I miſtake not, your acquaintance in Doway, who ſaith; For the more triall of the godly, not onely Antichrist himſelfe, and his nearest forerunners, but all heretikes alſo, may do true miracles, by the permiſsion of God, as the ſorcerers may doe. Will you grant ſuch forerunners and Heretikes to be of your Catholike Romane religion? or will you ſay, Doctor Stapleton erreth in calling them true miracles? or will you recant your former aſſertion, acknowledging your former miſtaking? and then ſhall I be as glad, as now I haue commiſeration of your error, beſeeching God, in the meane time, of his infinit mercie, that you may ſee both your owne error, and the errors of others of the preſent Romane religion, and how different it is from the ancient Roman religion, which in Saint Pauls dayes was famous through the world. For my part, I could not but vpon theſe and other conſiderations obſerue the Church of England to be free from ſuch falſe Prophets and Pſeudochriſts, that they miracles, as Chriſt fore told, ſhould deceiue the very Elect, if it were poſſible: for neither doe they pretend themſelues to worke miracles, and ſo to hunt after their owne eſtimation and applauſe for their holines, as the teachers of the Roman Church do; neither do they hold it abſolutely neceſſary that God ſhould continue that faith by miracles, which was formerly planted by them, but reſt themſelues contented with the former of the Primitiue Church, leſt otherwiſe they ſhould be ſubiect to ſeduction: whence I concluded to my ſelfe, that vnleſſe the Church of Rome could proue her ſelfe to be true, Catholike, and ancient Primitiue, I ought not to be led by her pretended miracles; in regard that Doctor Stapleton ſaith, Heretikes and the forerunners of Antichrist may do true miracles by Gods permiſsion, for the triall of the good: which neither my ſelfe nor any manelſe ought to beleeue, becauſe Chriſt hath armed vs with a warning caueat againſt them, ſaying; Nolite eis credere.

4 Which,Pretence of miracles a ſigne of falſe teachers. Matth. • 4.24. how true it is I appeale to the holy Scriptures themſelues, our Sauiours words are moſt plaine: There ſhall ariſe falſe Christs, and falſe Prophets ſhall ſhew great ſignes and wondes, ſo that if it were poſsible, they ſhould deceiue the verie Elect; behold I haue told you before, but beleeue them not; by which warning, aduice is giuen to beware of them, to diſcerne them, and not to giue credit vnto their teaching, notwithſtanding all their miracles. Neither is Saint Pauls prediction leſſe ſignificant of them, who remembreth vs,2. Theſſ. 2.9. That the comming of that ſonne of perdition, is by the working of Satan with all power, and ſignes, and lying wonders, and in all deceiue ableneſſe of vnrighteouſnes among them that periſh, becauſe they receiued not the loue of the truth, Apocal cap. 13.13.14. that they might bee ſaued. Saint Iohn alſo in his Reuelations ſpeaking of the ſecond beaſt, ſaith; He did great wonders, ſo that he made fire to come downe from heauen on the earth in the fight of men, and deceiued them that dwellon the earth, by the ſignes which ae permitted to him to do in the ſight of the beast. Apocal. cap. 16.13. Afterwards we heare alſo againe; that three vncleane ſpirits like frogs, came out of the mouth of the Dragon, and out of the mouth of the beaſt, and out of the mouth of the falſe Prophet, for they are the ſpirits of diuels working miracles. And moreouer, laſtly we find in the ſame booke, That the beast was taken, and with him that falſe Prophet, Apocal. cap. 19.20. that wrought miracles before him, whereby he deceiued them that receiued the beaſts marke. Now what is to bee vnderſtood by powers, ſignes and wonders, I will cite the words of Ioannes Vignerius, Inſtitut. Chriſt. cap. 9. §. 2. verſ. 3. Hebr. 2. Matth. 24.24. who ſaith: That miracles in the ſacred Scriptures are tearmed, powers, ſignes, wonders, and portentes: for Hebrewes the ſecond, it is ſaid, God witneſsing in ſignes, and portents, and diuers powers; and Matthew the foure and twentieth, they are called prodigies, which differ thus; in that becauſe they exceed the facultie of nature, they are termed powers: but in that they are ordained to the manifestation of grace, they are called ſignes; and for their excellencie they are termed wonders and prodigies, as it were ſhewing things far off. So that putting all theſe places together, I could not conclude otherwiſe then vnleſſe I would beleeue theſe falſe Prophets, vnleſſe I were willing to be an Entertenido to the ſon of Perdition; and bee deluded moſt notoriouſly by lying wonders; vnleſſe I would be a perpetuall conſort vnto the frogs vamped forth of the Dragons mouth; vnleſſe I would bee wilfully deceiued, as one that had receiued the beaſts marke; then to ſhake hands with the preſent Church of Rome, boaſting ſo much in her miraculous powers, ſignes, wonders, and prodigies; for in the reformed Churches, I find no ſuch illuſions pretended, nor the leaſt danger thereof, nor any where elſe but in the preſent Romane Church.

5 By which obſeruation,Miracles not to be expected in the latter times. I was the rather induced to this concluſion, for that I finde diuers inclining to thinke it too much curioſitie now that the faith is planted, and after ſo long continuance, to ſeeke it out by more miracles. Therefore firſt I will ſet downe the Doctrine of an old Dominican Friar, diſtinguiſhing the times of doing miracles, whoſe words are theſe: The Church hath a three-fold ſtate viz. Iacob. de Vorag. de ſanctis in die aſcenſio, ſer. 6. The Primitiue, the moderne, and the laſt. In the Primitiue ſtate, miracles were wrought often, but now ſeldom; and in the laſt ſtate, that is, of Antichriſt, they ſhall be done moſt ſeldome. In the Primitiue ſtate they were done often, becauſe according to Saint Chryſostome, the ancient miraracles haue admiration, profit and neceſſitie: Therefore then according to Saint Chryſostome, miracles were done, as well for admiration, becauſe men being then accuſtomed to their ſenſes, were therefore to be lifted vp; as for profit, becauſe then many were infirme and oppreſſed of diuels; and for neceſſitie, becauſe they were infidels and wrapped vp in errors. But in the moderne ſtate they are ſeldome done, becauſe neceſſitie requireth them not, men being now beleeuers; yet ſometimes they are wrought, becauſe profit and vtilitie exalteth them, for that ſometimes men are found weake, and to ſtand in need of them. And why miracles are not done now ſo frequently, as they were in the Primitiue Church, there is a threefold reaſon; one is for the ſtrength of faith; becauſe now the Church is ſtrengthened and eſtabliſhed in faith. This reaſon Bernard aſſigneth, putting an example of the plant, into which we power water, till we ſee it faſtened in the earth; ſecondly, for the profitable example of the world,De ciuit. Dei lib. 22. This reaſon Augustine aſſigneth, ſaying, whoſoeuer requireth yet wonders that he may beleeue, he is a great wonder himſelf, who beleeueth not when the world beleeueth; Thirdly, for the greater merit of faith; becauſe, according to Saint Gregory, faith hath no merit, where humane reaſon prouoketh it: but in the end they ſhall bee wrought but ſeldome, for three reaſons, that Iſidorus teacheth; either that the hand of the perſecutors may become more bould, or that the patience of the Saints may be the more proued; or that the lightnes may be the more ſhewed of thoſe which ſhall fall. Who ſpeaking heere of the miracles of Saints in theſe three ſtates of time, ſhe weth they ſhall be ſcanty in the middle ages after Chriſt, and very raw in the laſt ages; which if it be true, what can I do but ſuſpect the pretended miracles of the Church of Rome, which ſwarmeth with ſo many bookes repleniſhed with their narrations, in ſuch ſtrange and vnheard manner as there were neuer the like? and therefore they eaſilie ſeeme to ſurmount all beliefe, and I may more largely preſſe thoſe words againſt thoſe of the Church of Rome which this Authour pointeth at, ſaying to all her followers out of Saint Augustine; De ciuit. Dei lib. 22. Why, ſay they, are not the miracles now done, which you doe preach to haue beene done? I might ſay that before the world did beleeue, they were neceſſrie to this end that the world might beleeue, but whoſoeuer doth enquire after wonders, that hee may beleeue, hee himſelfe is a great wonderment, who beleeueth not now the world doth beleeue. By which words I obſerue a neceſſitie why men ſhould look for miracles in the Primitiue Church, but none why wee ſhould expect them now; but rather why wee ſhould feare to bee deceiued by beleeiuing falſe ones for true ones; and therefore Saint Auguſtine giueth another ſtronger reaſon to hold him in the Church, than the continuance of miracles, ſaying:Contra Epi. fundamenti. The conſent of people and nations doth holde me: there doth hold mee an authoritie which was begunne with miracles, nouriſhed by hope, encreaſed by charitie, confirmed by antiquitie; by which I obſerue though hee ſhew the authoritie of that ſacred doctrine confirmed in the beginning by miracles, as a menes to hold him, yet hee ſpeaketh of no continuance of them, but leaueth confirmation to the authoritie of ſacred doctrine it ſelfe, which muſt bee the ſtrongeſt hold of the Churches claime.De vera relig. cap. 25. Saint AuguStine alſo in another place ſaith: Since the Catholike Church is diffuſed through the whole world, and grounded, neither are theſe miraculous things permitted to endure vntill our times, leſt the mind ſhould alwayes ſeeke viſible things, and by the cuſtome of them man-kind ſhould waxe cold, at the new appearance whereof it was all on fire.Mor. lib. 27.11. And Saint Gregorie ſaith most plainely: What maruaile is it if the faith being propagated, miracles be not oft done, ſince euen the very Apoſtles in many which were alreadie faithfull, did not doe them? Neither is Iſidorus any whit diſcordant from Saint Augustine aboue recited, who ſeemeth to inſinuate as much in theſe words; Miracles are a ſigne,Iſidor. lib. 1. de ſummo bono. not neceſſarie for the faithfull, who now haue beleeued, but to the vnfaithfull, that they may bee conuerted; for Paul for the infidelitie of not beleeuers, cureth the father of Publius by miracles from the infirmitie of an ague: but ſicke Timothie, who was a faithfull, not by prayer, but medicinally; that thou mayeſt know miracles to be done, not for the vnfaithfull, but for the faithfull. So I find Didacus de la Vega not to ſwarue much from this doctrine;Conc. quadrag. feria 4. poſt primam dominicam quadrag. Matth. 12. verſ. 39. who vpon theſe words, Generatio male & adultera ſignum quaerit, & ſignum non dabitur ei, niſi ſignum Ionae Prophetae; An euill and adulterous generation ſeeketh a ſigne, but no ſigne ſhall be giuen vnto it, ſaue the ſigne of the Prophet Ionas; ſaith, The Scribes and Phariſies approach vnto Christ, to require ſignes and wonders from heauen, by the which hee ſhould ſhew himſelfe the true Meſsias promiſed in the Law: whome hee reprehendeth with ſharpe wordes, and confoundeth them, calling them an euill and adulterous generation: and their demaund required no milder wordes, but was worthie of ſuch an anſwere. For the comming of the Sonne of God into the world was not ſo hidden, but that it was preuented many ages before, and announced by the heauenly Oracles of the Prophets. Whereupon I obſerued, that if the Scribes and Pharſies were reprehended ſo ſeuerely for requiring ſignes from heauen, becauſe they had Chriſt foretold by the Prophets; then could I not but aſſure my ſelfe that the followers of the Church of Rome are worthie of as great a reprehenſion euen of the ſame nature of adulterous generation, that after the faith ſo long planted and begunne with miracles, and confirmed by antiquitie, boaſt ſo much on their owne miracles, and ſtrange wonders. Doctor Stapleton vpon theſe words of Chriſt:Iob. 4. Prompt mor. Dom. 20. poſt Pent. ſoco 5. Niſi ſigna & prodigia viderit is not creditis: Vnleſſe you ſee ſignes and wonders, you beleeue not: hath theſe words worthie of note and obſeruation. The ruler is checked, becauſe that being brought vp amongſt the Iewes, and inſtructed in the Law, hee would not beleeue by the authoritie of the Scriptures, but by ſignes, but expect the extreame daunger of his Sonne, that hee might ſee a ſigne. This was an incredultie almoſt common to all the Iewes, which in another place Chriſt taxeth moſt ſharpely, for certaine of the Scribes and Phariſies comming vnto him, and ſaying; Maſter, wee will ſee a ſigne of thee,Matth. 12. anſwering, hee ſaid vnto them;Matth. 16. a wicked and adulterous generation asketh a ſigne. Which words againe hee anſwered at another time, when the Sadduces empted him in like manner; and calleth them a wicked and an adulterous generation, which ſeeketh ſignes: becauſe they did euill in tempting God; and ſuch an euill was this, that they ſhewed their ſoules not to bee the true ſpouſes of God by faith, but adulterous friends of tranſitorie things. For euen as a wife which truely loueth her husband, deſireth not to ſee any extraordinarie ſignes of her husbands loue towards her, as that her husband ſhould as it were caſt himſelfe into the fire or water for his wiues ſake; but reſteth contented with that true internall loue, which hee carrieth her, and the common externall ſignes of a husbands loue towards her: So the faithfull ſoule, which by faith and charitie is eſpouſed vnto her God, if ſhee bee ſuch a one, doth ſee ſo many ſignes in her ſelfe, the loue of God ſo vehement and ſincere, ſo many embracings of Gods loue towards her, ſo many and frequent ſweetneſſes from aboue, ſo many daily graces, fauours and benefits, laſtly, that peace of her God which paſſeth all vnderſtanding, that to ſeeke other ſignes for confirmation of her faith in God, or the charitie of God towards her, ſhe eſteemeth it not onely idle, but alſo moſt impious. For as it is an argument of chaſt loue to cleaue only to God; ſo is it the ſigne of an adulterous ſoule in ſlipperie things to ſeeke externall ſignes. Further, as the ancient Iewes were contented with the ſignes of their Elders done in the deſert, in the red ſea, on mount Sina,Deut. 32. in the paſſage of Iordan, according to that; Interroga patres tuos, & dicent tibi; Aske thy Fathers and they will tell thee: So the Iewes when Chriſt teacheth, and all Chriſtians at this day, muſt be cōtented with the old ſignes, either typically done before Chriſts comming, of which it was not fit the Iewes ſhould be ignorant, and chiefely the Scribes and Phariſies, and the Princes of the people, amongſt which this Ruler ſeemeth to be one, or performed by Chriſt himſelfe, which are ſufficient for our faith. Therefore all this curioſitie, and ſhew of incredulitie, and fornication from God, is worthily taxed by Chriſt, either in this Ruler, or in the ſtanders by, or in both, whoſe hearts he ſaw. By which Lobſerued how worthie of reprehenſion of the Church of Rome is, which, for confirmation of her doctrine, euen vntill his day ſtandeth ſtill vpon miracles as great, and more in number then euer before; well ſhe may be termed wicked and adulterous herein, if when I conſider what ſtrange, yea and often ridiculous miracles ſhe pretendeth, not only to iuſtifie falſehood, ſinne, and impietie; but alſo by them, to commend the actors of them before all ancient Saints.

6 Whereof I will now gentle Reader giue thee a taſte by ſome few preſidents happened in theſe latter ages of the world,Examples of falſe miracles in the Church of Rome. as the bookes and publike writings of the Church of Rome haue left recorded to the world; which as they moued me to ſee mine owne former ouer-credulous ſpirit; ſo haue they not ſtrengthned me in the true faith, wherunto through Gods exceeding great mercy I am now arriued. And firſt for the iuſtification of Garnets innocencie in the buſines of the Powder Treaſon: what a ridiculous inuention is publiſhed, and hath bin preached to the world by Coſterus the Ieſuite in Bruxells, vpon the report but of a bare Letter from England ſome few yeres ſince, when I liued in Louaine, of a certaine prodigious ſtraw, in which a little bloud hath made ſuch a liuely reſemblance of his face, that as it is by his fauorers reported (and with mine owne eares I haue heard it) it is one of the moſt ſtupendious miracles ſhewing Gods loue to their ſocietie that euer hapned; & therfore ſince, that time one M. Iohn Wilſon the Author, as is ſaide, of the Engliſh Martirologe, aſſuming vnto himſelfe Papall Iuriſdiction, hath canonized him for a Saint in heauen; who was put to death for concealement of treaſon againſt his King and Countrey, whileſt hee liued vpon earth; Indeed I muſt needes confeſſe it a ſtupendious worke, which ſince the firſt appearance thereof in print, hath aſſumed not onely one, but diuerſe ſhapes; for firſt at Louaine I ſaw it drawn with three horns of haire vpon his head ouer his forehead, ſo that it appeared more like a monſter than a man; I ſaw him at Antwerpe after that drawne without thoſe hornes; yet a ſtarre ſhining in the middeſt of his forehead, in great glorie: of which kind I ſaw many pictures in paper tendred by a Ieſuiteſſe woman, as ſhe ſeemed by her habite and carriage, to bee ſold as the chiefe pictures then in requeſt; ſince that time here in England I haue ſeene a Latine booke, in which another miracle (as it ſhould ſeeme) hath beene added vnto it, repreſenting two Seraphines vnder his beard, as it were, holding vp his chinne, that men might the better beholde his glorie. But beſides all theſe transformations, one thing is moſt remarkable, which I haue heard reported by diuers, that is, ſome can ſee this goodly Image at the firſt looking on it; others canno ſee it, till one of a better ſight oint where it is, and others can not behold the glorie thereof at all; I haue ſpoken with ſome of thoſe three kindes of beholders, who according to the meaſure of their eie ſight, haue tolde mee as much; beſides, at the firſt, the picture of this miracle was very ſmall, but now it is greater, and perhappes it will carry yet a greater ſhape, and be the mother of miracles, increaſing to the end of the world, and ſo ſurpaſſe all the miracles done in Chriſts time, which were not permanent, but tranſitory; about which if a man ſhould aske the Author of Pruritanus that monſtrous and athiſticall libell, how ſo ſtrange a miracle could be done, he would ſoone no doubt anſwer you according to his ſacrilegious manner of applying the ſacred Scriptures with the Diuell: quia ſcriptum est: & maiora hijs facietis. Which words Saint Auguſtine expoundeth of the conuerſions of ſinners by the miniſtery of Preachers, becauſe the conuerſion of ſinners is the greateſt worke of God. Now (beloued Reader) how could I with any reaſon giue credite to this miracle,) howſoeuer at the firſt report I was ouer-credulous, when I obſerued the maner how it was carried: and if ſuch reuerend Fathers of the chriſtian world, will ſtand in defence of it, and beknaue better men than themſelues, without regard to the magiſtracie, as I heard one principal Father do in Bruxels in great choler & indignation againſt thoſe that ſhould gainſay it: I may (beloued) wel call in doubt, & enter into a iealous ſuſpition of many other ſtrange miracles, deuiſed for the maintenance of vntruth & falſhoode by others of the Roman Church. Secondly, I remember an other ſtrange miracle, had it not proued falſe, for the great credit of the Ieſuites, and their holyſocietie in Perſia. Not long before the diſcouery of the Powder treaſon, ther was diſperſed by thē among ſome of their Catholike friends here in England a litle Pamphlet in the French tongue, reporting the miraculous conuerſion of the King of Perſia,The miracle of Perſia. by one Campion a Ieſuit and Engliſhman, that diſpoſſeſſed one which had a diuell, who commanded the diuell at his departure out of the body, to giue a ſigne therof, by ſtriking downe the top of a ſteeple;whereupon followed the Kings conuerſion, with many of the nobilitie to the Roman faith, with liberty to preach it publikely, and to build vp Churches and monaſteries throughout all his Dominions. Which of many here in England was beleeued to be true, eſpecially by a friend of mine, vnto whom that Pamphlet was ſent, who requeſted me to ſay maſſe in thankeſiguing to GOD for ſo great a benefit; but in the end, that Ieſuit who ſent the Pamphlet, gaue out, that it was but a thing, deuiſed by French Hugonets, to diſgrace their ſocietie. What ſtrange deuiſes are theſe? What hatefull illuſions wherewith honeſt ſincere ſoules are made gulls, through deceitfulnes and diueliſh policies, vſing all things for nothing but their owne ends; I can not but now ſmile at my ſelfe, to remember the plaine ſinceritie of my heart, in beleeuing this prettie inuention, and with how thankefull a minde I offered vp the ſacrifice of the Maſſe, with a tacite and ſilent wiſh, that God by the like meanes would procure the conuerſion of England.

7 Thirdly,Other pretended miracles in the Church of Rome. I will not omit here to call to mnind two ſtrange miracles, inuented to the honour of S. Francis, that people might be the more excited to pray to him before all others; The firſt I heard preached at S. Iames Church in Antwerpe in the Lent time, ſome fiue yeres ſince, by a Capuchine Friar, and affirmed to be ſuch an euident truth, that no iuſt exceptions might be entertaind againſt it, before a great aſſemblie and confluence of people,Of one that roaſted her childe. with many particular circumſtances of place and perſons, which made it carrie the more likeliehood of truth with it; and ſince that time, I know where it hath been related by the Prouinciall of the Franciſcans here in England. The ſtorie in briefe is this in effect. A certaine Gentlewoman there was in a towne in Sicilie, ſome few yeeres ſince, that longing much to taſte of the fleſh of her owne child, and yielding fooliſhly by the diuells ſuggeſtions to ſatisfie her deſire, when her huſband was from home, killed her childe, and cut him into quarters; putting one part on the ſpit, to eate of it, and hanging the other parts vpon hookes b in the kitchin; at length the husband came home & wondred to ſee what a ſtrange piece of fleſh was on the ſpit, asked his maid what it was, who replying, that it was a part of his child, which his wife had killd; he forthwith in a great rage went vnto her, & threatned to kil her; whereat ſhe being both ſory for her ſonne, and afraide of her husband, falling vpon her knees, intreated him for Gods ſake, and the honor of S. Francis, that at leaſt, if ſhe muſt needs die, he would giue her leaue to repent her ſinne, and to ſay her prayers, commending her ſoule into Gods hands, and then to doe his pleaſure; which hee graunted: and ſhee praying very earneſtly to S. Francis, to whom ſhe was much deuoted, at length, ending her prayers, deſired him to goe with her into the kitchin, and if he ſawe not his child aliue, then to execute his pleaſure. O horrible and vnheard miracle, or rather mendacium! She tooke the parts of the child, aſwell that on the ſpit, which was more than halfe roaſted, as the reſt, & put them together vpon the table, and by the merits of S. Francis, they all ioyned togehter, the child reuiued, & came to the ſame ſtate as before; ſo ſhe obtained againe her husbands loue, and be beheld againe his dead childe: S. Francis merits hereby exalted, and therefore the concluſion muſt needs be vnhappy, that man that wil not pray to S. Francis. Gentle reader, if you haue more faith than I, you may beleeue this miracle, if you be piouſly affected, you cannot (as the Franciſcan ſaith) but beleeue it, and wholy offer vp all your prayers to holieſt S. Francis, the chiefeſt Saint in heauen.

8 But if you cannot giue credit to the former,In mag. ſpec. exemp. ex chronic. minor. Gallico. lib 2 ca. 39 & Latin. lib. 10. cap. 29. & Bartholo de Piſis li • • . part. 2. conformit. fructu 10. I pray you conſider the next, which, at leaſt for morriment ſake, can not but win beliefe. In the time that S. Francis dwelled in the citty of Engubi, there was within the territory of the ſame city, a certaine terrible wolfe, of mighty bignes in body, & moſt fierce in the rage of his hunger, that did not only deuoure beaſts, but alſo men and women, inſomuch that hee kept the citiſens in ſuch fear, that when they went forth of the Cittie, they went out armed as if they had gone to the warres,How Saint Francis tamed a wolfe. and hardly could they ſo ſcape from being ſorely bitten with his ſharpe teeth, if they chaunced to meet him, ſo that ſcarce durſt any goe alone out of the Cittie gates for feare of meeting him. But God determining to make manifeſt vnto the ſame Citizens the holineſſe of Saint Francis, when vpon a time hee was in the ſame Cittie, mooued the Saint with a charitable compaſſion of their miſerie and vexation to afford them helpe. Whereuppon hee purpoſed to goe and meete the Wolfe, vnto whome the Cittizens ſaide; Take heede father Francis, goe not out of the Cittie, for if you doe, the woolfe which bath deuoured many, will alſo deuoure you. But Saint Francis not diſmayed with their wordes, but hoping confidently in Chriſts aſſiſtance, who commaundeth the ſpirites of all fleſh; went foorth of the Cittie with his companion, not with buckler or helmet, but armed and defended with the ſigne of the holie Croſſe. Thus the holie father beeing confidently out of the Towne, and manie looking on from ſuch places as they had climbed vp to expect the euent; the terrible woolfe eftſoones with open mouth ranne to Saint Frauncis and his companion, againſt whoſe furie the good Father oppoſed the ſigne of the Croſſe, and ſo through Gods power, kept backe the woolfe both from himſelfe and his companion, ſtopped his courſe, and ſhutte his mouth, and further ſaide vnto him; Come hither brother woolfe, and in the behalfe of Chriſt Ieſus I commaund thee, neyther to hurt mee, nor anie other. Whereupon foorthwith inclining his head vpon the ground, hee proſtrated himſelfe at the feete of the holie Saint, as gently as a Lambe. To whom thus proſtrate, Saint Frauncis ſaid: Brother woolfe, thou doeſt much hurt in theſe partes, and haſt committed manie horrible and grieuous crimes, deſtroying the good creatures of God without all pittie or mercie, and thou doeſt not onelie deſtroy vnreaſonable Creatures, but which is a meere madneſſe in thee, thou doeſt deuoure men who are created to the ſimilitude & likeneſſe of God; therefore thou art worthy to die a moſt violent death like a moſt notorious Theefe and Murderer, for the which, all doe iuſtly exclaime and murmure againſt thee, and the whole Citie is thy Enemie. But Brother Wolfe I will make a peace betweene you and them, vpon condition thou hurt them no more, and they alſo ſhall, forgiuing thee all offences, not hurt or proſecute thee, neither ſhall dogs barke at thee. Which the Wolfe ſeemed kindly to accept by the geſtures of his taile, eares, body, and inclination of his head: Vnto whom S. Francis againe replied. Brother Wolfe, ſince it pleaſeth thee to make this peace, I promiſe thee I will procure that thy expences and neceſſarie victualls ſhall daily be giuen thee by the Citizens, ſo that hereafter thou ſhalt neuer bee hungrie in exceſſe. For I know that the euill thou doeſt proceedeth from the furie of thy hunger. But brother Wolfe, ſince I obtaine thee ſo great a benefit, I will haue thee promiſe mee neuer to hurt either Man or Beaſt: doeſt thou promiſe me this? The Wolfe then made an euident ſigne by the inclination of his head, of promiſing to performe that which the Saint required, and impoſed vpon him. But brother Wolfe then ſaid S. Francis, I will haue thee vpon thy credit to aſſure me, by giuing mee thy faith and promiſe,A good ieſt. that I may euidently beleeue what thou promiſeſt. So S. Francis holding out his hand for aſſurance of his promiſe, the Wolfe lifted vp his right fore-foot, and very ſoftly and gently alied it in his hand, ſo engaging his credit to him by the beſt ſigne he could; then againe S. Francis ſaid, Brother Wolfe I command thee in the name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, now preſently to go along with me into the Citie without feare of hurt, to conclude this peace with thee and the Citie: whoſe command the wolfe obeied, and accompanied him very quietly into the Citie like a moſt mild Lamb, which put the Citizens, that ſaw it, in a great wonder, and the report thereof was inſtantly ſpred ouer all the Towne, and all Men and Women, yong and old, flocked thither where S. Francis was with the Wolfe. When the people were thus gathered together S. Francis made them an excellent Sermon, telling them amongſt other things that ſuch vexations are granted by God for the ſinnes of the people, and how much more dangerous was the conſuming flame of hell, which ſhall euerlaſtingly deuoure the damned, than the madneſſe of a wolfe, which can but deuoure the body, and how dreadfull it is to be drowned in the gulfe of hell, ſince ſo great a multitude of people were ſo much kept in feare by the perill of one litle beaſt. Returne, returne, therefore D. B. to our Lord, doe worthy penance, God will deliuer you from the preſent danger of the Wolfe, and from the future danger of hells deuouring fire. And then ſaid further, marke me well beloued, my brother Wolfe who ſtandeth quietly here before you, hath promiſed mee, and hath alſo giuen me aſſurance of his promiſe vpon his credit, to make peace with you, and neuer to hurt you in any thing, vpon condition that you ſhall alſo giue your promiſe to maintaine him; & I for my Brother Wolfe will be ſuretie, that he ſhall firmely obſerue, and faithfully keepe this couenant of peace with you; with that all that were there cried out aloud, promiſing alwaies to cheriſh and feede the Wolfe. And S. Francis in the preſence of them all, ſaid, and thou brother Wolfe doeſt thou promiſe to hold peace with them, and that thou wilt hurt neither Beaſt nor Perſon of theirs? then the Wolfe made ſhew of promiſing to keepe peace, by falling vpon his knees, inclining his head, and other geſtures, of taile, and eares, full of blandiſhment; Saint Francis then ſaid: But brother Wolfe, I will haue thee now before all here preſent to giue me aſſurance of thy promiſe, as thou didſt without the gate, and that thou wilt keepe this peace, and that thou wilt not offend in the ſuretie made. Then the Wolfe lifting vp his right fore-foot, made promiſe in the hand of S. Francis his ſuretie, in the ſight of all, whereupon there was ſuch admiration and ioy of all, as well for the deuotion of the Saint, as for the newneſſe of the miracle, as alſo for the peace betweene the Wolfe and the People, that all gaue thankes vnto God, praiſing Almightie God, who by the merits of his Saint had deliuered them from the mouth of the fierce Beaſt, and reſtored them quietneſſe and ſafetie from ſo fearefull a vexation.An honeſt Wolfe. Now afterward the Wolfe alwaies kept his promiſe, and conditions ordained by Saint Francis, and liuing in the Cittie two yeares, going vp and downe from doore to doore, begging his foode without hurting any, or being hurt of any, was louingly cheriſhed and fedde of all, and which is more ſtrange, there neuer did Dogge barke at him. At length the Wolfe died, and the Cittizens were very ſorrie for his death, becauſe the continuall ſight and preſence of the Wolfe, did maruailouſly renew in them the memorie of Saint Francis vertue and ſanctitie. I noted this Miracle related by ſuch Authours, as a thing not only ridiculous to any iudicious Hearer thereof, but as alſo moſt erroneous in the circumſtances; as namely where Saint Francis telleth the VVolfe of his horrible crimes committed, againſt Men and Beaſts; and telleth him further that becauſe hee deuoured men created to Gods ſimilitude, and that therefore bee was worthy to die like a Theefe, and Murderer: whereby it ſeemeth hee inſinuates that a bruit beaſt, doing that which is naturall vnto him, committeth ſinne, which can not bee ſinne vnleſſe it bee voluntarie; and that this humble VVolfe was ſo intelligent, as that hee knew man to be created to Gods ſimilitude and likeneſſe; therefore a fit miracle for Fooles and Children.

9. Yet to ſport you more,Other Miracles like the former. Mat. Pariſ. in Hen. 3. I will tell you yet one as prettie as this, to ſhew the power of this Romane Canonized Saint, as well ouer Birds as the VVolfe: I haue read that Saint Francis when his Preaching was deſpiſed by the Romanes, went into the fields, and there charged the Crowes and Kites, and Pies, to liſten to his doctrine, which they did for halfe a day without any noiſe or chatting, and thus hee did for three daies together. A man could not well ſay of theſe humble Auditours, Beati qui audiunt verbum Dei, & custodiunt illud; Bleſſed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it. Neither will I here omit an other miracle wrought vpon one Frier Francis, a follower of the nobleſt Saint Francis, who celebrating Maſſe found a Spider in the Challice,Conformit. Sancti Franciſ. got into the bloud of his Sauiour, and did not take him out, but dranke it vp together with the bloud. Who afterwards rubbing his ſhinne-bone, and ſcratching where it itched, that Spider came whole out of his legge, and did him no hurt. O moſt ridiculous miracle! what could be the end of it? was it becauſe hee did againſt the Rubicke of the Maſſe,See the Miſſall. which commandeth the Spider to be burnt? or might not that Spider bee ſuffered to abide aſwell in the body of ſo holy a Frier, as in the bloud of Chriſt? But the Church of Rome is full of like miracles. Prettie is that which is recorded by Gregorie the Great, as the Papiſts ſay, who writeth that when Pope Iohn had rode on the horſe of a noble woman, the horſe would not any more endure a woman vpon his back, no not his old Miſtris; A wiſe horſe no doubt. Now when I conſidered theſe and many other ridiculous miracles recorded by the learned of that Church, which neither confirme any truth, The ſtrange example of the Papiſticall Doctor of Paris. Catechiſhiſt cap 10. tit 4 part. 2. Fr. Put. in vita S. Pr. Ioan. Nau. vo 2 Ch. 2. Gerio. 37. Laurent. Sur. 6. Octob. S. Ant. 1. part. tit. 5. c. 2. ff. 11. but only tend to the glorie of their Saints in ſimple mens iudgements, I could not but much lament at my former folly in being too credulous vnto them. Yet one I can not but relate more, becauſe in my iudgement it rather ouerthroweth the faith of Rome, than eſtabliſheth the ſame; the ſtorie is this and not bee gaine-ſaid, as the Papiſts hold, by any, ſo authenticall are the proofes thereof, done in the preſence of many witneſſes. There was a Doctor in Paris much renowned and famous, as well for his doctrine as for his good exteriour life, ſo farre forth as men could iudge, who departed this world, without the adminiſtration of Sacraments.Anno 1086 And whileſt the Dirges and prayers of the dead were ſinging, when they were come vnto the fourth Leſſon, which began Reſponde mihi, Anſwere me: the deceaſed man, who lay vpon the Hearſe, lifted vp his head a little, in ſuch ſort, that euerie one there preſent might ſee him, and with a horrible and fearefull voice he cryed out aloud, Iuſto Dei iudicio accuſatus ſum, I am accuſed before the iuſt iudgement of God: Which wordes hauing ſpoken, hee layed himſelfe downe againe in his coffin. Whereat all the aſſiſtants admiring, determined to deferre his buriall till the next day; when, thinking to performe the exequies, they came againe to that paſſage afoteſaid of the office of the dead, he ſuddainely roſe vp againe, and cryed out with a loud voice, ſaying, Iusto Dei iudicio iudicaetus ſum, that is to ſay, I am iudged by the iuſt iudgement of God. Whereat the aſſiſtance were ſtrucken againe into a great admiration, and much more aſtoniſhed than before, to beholde ſo diſmall and hideous a ſpectacle. And although he had then declared himſelfe to be accuſed and iudged by the iuſt iudgement of God, yet it was not manifeſt by theſe wordes, that he had yet receiued ſentence of damnation, inſomuch, that yet it reſſed for them to interprete and hope the beſt; and therefore they thought it good to deferre his buriall till the third day. Whereto verie early the next morning all the towne flocked together, being deſirous to know the euent of ſo ſtrange, rare, and fearefull a iudgement of God: when hauing begun againe the office of the dead, and comming to the ſame paſſage aboue ſpecified, he rayſed himſelfe vp the third time, and to the great horror of all the ſtanders by, he ſaid, Iuſto Dei iudicio condemnatus ſum; that is, I am condemned by the iuſt iudgement of God:

Therefore Parcite funeribus, mihi nil prodeſſe poteſtis, Heu infoelicem cur me genuere parentes, Ah miſer aeternos vade damnatus ad ignes: Which verſes may well be Engliſhed in this ſenſe, O ſpare vaine prayers, with outward ſhewes of peace, Your Dirges yeelds no comfort to my ſoule: Aye me accurſt, from hope of ioyes I ceaſe, Gods iudgements iust doe all your prayers controule. Why did my parents euer foſter me, A damned wretch, and hell-hound for to be? Ah curſed me, thus to prouoke Gods are, And to be doom'de to euer laſting fire.

Who is there that cannot be aſtoniſhed to heare, that a perſonage, who liuing amongſt men, was eſteemed for a holy and perfect man, ſhould be condemned by the iuſt iudgement of God? This Doctor, by the common ſuffrage of the Church, being found vnworthie of Chriſtian buriall, was interred in a prophane place. But this rare miracle occaſioned manie to correct & amend their liues. Whereat Bruno, with others, were ſo much terrified, that they framed a more ſtrict order than euer was before, tearmed Carthuſians, that by the ſtrictneſſe of that life they might be the better prepared for the ſtrict iudgements of God. In the conſideration of his miracle, if it were true, and no hypocriticall cunning vſed therein, I cannot conceiue, but that it makes more againſt the faith of Rome than for it; of which profeſſion this Doctor, whileſt he liued, was reputed both to be a learned and holy Saint: For firſt, if he were ſo holy and learned, no doubt he knew what belonged to preparation for his death: and therefore howſoeuer hee might bee depriued of outward meanes, or helpe of the Sacraments, yet it is to be preſumed, that at leaſt, in voto Sacramenti, he would excite himſelfe, as much as lay in him, to be penitent for his ſinnes. And it is to be thought his Holineſſe would not permit him to be negligent of that which lay in his power to performe. And laſtly, ſince there is no cauſe regiſtred of his damnation, but knowne onely to God, he being both a profeſſor and teacher of the Romane faith, it may as well be preſumed (ſo farre as man, for his ſoules benefit, may enter into Gods ſecrets) that God ſhewed this extraordinarie iudgement, to manifeſt to the world, that though his life was neuer ſo good in the ſight of the world, or his learning ſo great, yet where true faith is wanting, no ſaluation can be attained, and that therefore the Romane faith cannot be the true faith. This is the fitteſt collection I can make of this miracle, becauſe he was a Doctor profeſſing that faith of Rome, and liued and died therein.

11 But now I will relate another miracle which much aſtoniſhed me, making me ſtagger,The ſtrange deliuerie of Traianes ſoule out of hell fabulous and moſt vncertaine. and was neuer able to finde a good anſwere for it, which was the ſtrange deliuerie of Traianes ſoule out of hell by Saint Gregories prayers for him: which how repugnant it is to the verie true doctrine of the Romane Church it ſelfe, is cleare by that which is read in the Office of the dead, viz. Ex inferno nulla est redemptio. Now it is to be noted,Lipeloo in vita Gregor. magn. that Lipeloo recordeth it for a truth, and ſo it hath beene recorded alwayes by the Church of Rome; and yet of late, by Baronius and Bellarmine, it is reputed a fabulous narration: Whereupon I inferre, that if after ſo many ages recording and beleefe, it proue but a fabulous thing, a man may as well ſuſpect all the reſt that ſeeme of the like nature, notwithſtanding hee bee learned that recordeth them. What erronious doctrine is to be found almoſt in the Church of Rome that hath not many miracles for the confirmation of it mongſt them, ſo pleaſant to reade, that they will ſooner make a man laugh in reading them, than giue any credit at all to them. So in confirmation of the reall and ſubſtantiall preſence of Chriſts bodie in the Sacrament, there is a pretie tale recorded in the life of Saint Anthonie of Padua, of whom it is recorded;S. Anton. in ſum. hiſt. 3. p tit 24. c. 5. ff. 2. That a certaine heretike promiſing to be of his religion, if his Mule after three dayes reſtraint would goe and worſhip his God in the Euchariſt,Tho. Boz li. 14. de ſig. eccleſ. dei, cap. 3. Laurent. Sur. to. 3. The tale of a Mule. and refuſe his prouender which he would prouide for him. When the day was come, the Mule being brought forth by his Maſter, and the Euchariſt by Saint Anthonie, hee ſtaying himſelfe a little, ſaid; O thou brute beaſt, in the name and power of thy Creator (whom I vnworthie wretch doe hold truly in my hands) I charge and commaund thee, that forthwith thou come humbled before him, and doe him honour and reuerence as thou canſt, to the end that the peruerſe obſtinacie of heretikes may know hereby, that euerie creature is ſubiect vnto him, whom the Prieſtly dignitie dayly handleth vpon the Altar. Which ſpeech being ended, the hungrie beaſt forſooke the prouender prouided, which the heretike had ſet before his eyes, and went forthwith vnto the Sacrament, kneeled downe before it, and humbled downe his head: which the people admiring, prayſed God, ſaying; We haue ſeene this day maruellous things: which the heretike ſeeing, repenting him of his fault, abiured his hereſie, and embraced the true Catholike ſaith. No leſſe remarkable is that which is reported of a certaine Prieſt that doubted of the preſence of Chriſt in the Sacrament,Ant. d'Ance Cat. Hiſt. l. 1. c. 5. tit. 8. loan. Meff. in hor. Reg. ſer. de coen. Domini. as the Church of Rome teacheth; who being deuoted much to the virgine Marie, prayed often vnto her, to bee deliuered from this doubt: Who being one day at Maſſe, the Hoaſt, before the ſaying of the Pater noſter, was gone out of his ſight; whereof as hee was in a great amazement, the virgine Marie appeared vnto him, holding her ſonne Ieſus betwixt her armes, and ſaid vnto him; This is he whom I brought into this world, this is he whom you haue conſecrated, this is he whom you haue held, and touched with your hands, and ſhewed to the people to be adored, which you eate and drinke in the Sacrament: behold here I giue you my Sonne, with reuerence and deuotion to be receiued of you: and ſo as ſhee preſented him vnto him, he changed at that inſtant againe into the forme of bread, whom he receiued, and ſo his doubt ceaſed. Here you ſee (courteous Reader) ſtrange miracles alledged by the Papiſts, in confirmation of their doctrine: one while the bread is vnſeene, then Chriſt and our Ladie, and then againe the forme of bread, another while a Mule forſaking his prouender, to adore God in the Sacrament; whether theſe be not ſuch ſignes, wonders, and great prodigies as may ſeduce the elect, if it were poſſible, I leaue to the holy Ghoſt, to informe you the truth, ſaying, Nolite eis credere, beleeue them not. And one more yet I will relate vnto your memorie, which hath beene wrought of late yeares, and may be eſteemed for a notable lie.Till. Bred. 7. Col. ſac. c. 7. There was a certaine Caluiniſt that married a Catholike woman (that is, Papiſt) that long endeuoured to induce her to heare a Caluiniſt Miniſter preach. The wife, after ſhe had a long time contradicted him, was at laſt conſtrained to goe, by the rigorous ſpeeches and threatnings of her husband; yet did ſhe firſt acquaint her ghoſtly father there with, who aduiſed her to obey the commaundement of her husband, and to goe onely once to the ſaid Sermon, yet with condition to goe firſt to Confeſſion and to the Communion. The woman hauing performed the aduiſe of her ghoſtly father, ſtrengthned with the Sacraments, went to the Sermon; and ſhe was no ſooner entred, but the Preacher became as ſilent and mute as a fiſh, yet ſaid at laſt, after a little pauſe, Here is ſome bodie preſent that hath eaten of the bread of Papiſts, which is the cauſe that I will now giue ouer preaching, hoping to make recompence another time. The husband who was preſent, ſeeing the Preacher,A pretie fiction to diſgrace Caluiniſts. by Gods permiſſion, to become ſilent, and diſabled to proſecute his matter, for the preſence of one that had receiued the holy Communion; who being returned home, enquired of his wife, whether ſhee had not receiued the Communion that morning, or not, ſhe without diſsimulation anſwering yes, her husband ſuddainly knew, that this doctrine of the Caluiniſts was falſe and accurſed, in that being placed with the light of the Sacraments of the Catholike Church, it withered ſo, and came to nought: whereupon preſently he made a good fire, burned all his bookes to pouder and aſhes, and became himſelfe a child of the Catholike Church. In which miracle firſt I obſerue, that the ghoſtly father of this woman gaue her leaue, for obedience to her husband, to go to the Church of Caluiniſts; which, how it can hang with the doctrine of Paule the fifths Breue, who ſheweth it vnlawfull for Engliſh Catholikes to goe to the Churches of Heretikes, viz. of all Caluiniſts and Proteſtants, that are ſo in his iudgement, vnleſſe it be ſaid, that the Church of Rome holds one doctrine of faith lawfull at one time, that is not lawfull at another time, I ſhould be glad to be reſolued. But this I obſerue to proceede from Gods prouidence, that the inuentors of theſe and the like miracles for the confirmation of their doctrine in one point, doth often in ſome circumſtance or other ſhew ſuch ignorance or falſehood that diſcouereth them, either not to approue the matter they intend, or elſe runneth into ſome other error leſſe tolerable, ſhewing them moſt plainely to be ſuch ſignes and wonders as Chriſt giueth a Caueat of them, Not to be beleeued. Many other miracles I might here inſert, but that I will not be too tedious in ſuch idle tales, fitter to be told amongſt children as fables, than to any men of more ripe iudgement; yet are they amongſt the Clergie of Rome of ſuch account, that their Sermoniſts are ſtuffed with them; as may be obſerued in Iacobus de Voragine, Iohannes Meff, Bernard de Buſt. Philippus Dies, and many the like, and are held more profitable for the people than any other manner of doctrine. Yet I obſerue one thing by reading of their liues of Saints, that many miracles which were authenticall for many hundred yeares paſt, are now growne to be Apocryphall, as may be ſeene by comparing the auncient liues of S. George, S. Katherine the Queene, and others, with them, as they are of late yeares corrected and written by Lipeloo, following Baronius and other writers of the ſame kind.

12 Now therefore to draw neere my concluſion:My concluſion about miracles. what fruit could I better gather, vpon the due obſeruation of Chriſts warning vnto the world, Not to beleeue ſuch miracles, than that the Church of Rome cannot bee the true Church of God, that either winketh or authoriſeth infinite numbers in the ſame nature as theſe are of, which I haue alreadie recorded out of her owne Writers: for which cauſe, I could not but abandon her Communion, and flye to that Church, which like a faithfull Spouſe reſteth contented with the former miracles where with Chriſts Church was begun, and chiefely relying vpon the holy Scriptures, and the auncient doctrine of the Primitiue Church. Yet is not my opinion in this point of miracles ſo to bee vnderſtood, as that I doe thinke no true miracles at all ſhall euer be done in the declining age of Gods Church; but I would haue it knowne, that my iudgement is, that none are to be beleeued which are pretended to be done in confirmation of new doctrines, not taught in the Scriptures, not knowne to the auncient Church, becauſe it is moſt euident, that Chriſt hath forbidden all beleefe of them, and therefore not to be eſteemed of otherwiſe, than as of illuſions of Sathan, wherewith to enchant ſoules, and to make them beleeue lyes in ſtead of truth and verities. Oh what a miſerie is it to ſee how many ſimple, ſincere, and ouer-credulous Chriſtians are couſened with theſe deceits and illuſions of the Diuell, and the true markes of Antichriſt! Let me therfore entreat thee courteous reader to remember the predictions of theſe ſignes and wonders aboue mentioned, foreſpoken of by Chriſt, S. Paule, and S. Iohn, and not ſo fondly to be lead blind-folded to the eternall deſtruction of thy ſoule by too much credulitie. Be not like the Scribes and Phariſies, ſeeking after ſignes from heauen for the faith, leaſt you proue one of thoſe that are tearmed by Chriſt a wicked and adulterous generation.

AFter the former obſeruations had ſufficiently alienated by iudgement and affections from further approbation of the faith of Rome;My proceeding about the doctrine of tranſubſtantiation. yet becauſe I thought that I could not bee ſufficiently enough armed againſt thoſe errours and falſhoods, wherein from my youth both my vnderſtanding and affections had beene habituated, which would be powerfull ſtill to incline and leade my ſoule, againe, vnto thoſe Romiſh abhominations, which long cuſtome had made familiar, and in conceit religious; I ſtill proceeded further to the diſcuſſion and diſcouerie of other errors, falſe doctrines, & ſecceeding nouelties taught in that Church, that more and more beholding her ſpirituall fornications and diſloyalties, I might in my ſoule bee the ſtronger to oppſe againſt them, and the better able to relinquiſh and abandon with aſſurance of truth of my ſide, and ſecuritie to mine owne conſcience, all communion and participation with her ſinfull hereſies and nouelties, and happily auoyde Gods iuſt puniſhments which are threatned by the holy Scripture againſt her diſloyalties, to the faith of Chriſt her heauenly Spouſe.

2 Amongeſt all which there was ſcarce any one thing that wrought more powerfully and fearefully in mine vnderſtanding,It ought to be a great terror to adore the creature for the Creator. euen to the terrour of mine owne ſoule for my erroneous doctrine deliuered to others, than the diſcouery of this late & new-ſprung-vp doctrine of tranſubſtantiation, which ſets vp ſuch an Idoll of bread in the Church of Rome, to be adored as God, that that ſeemeth to be truly verified of her which was vttered long before, Colet Deum quem ignorauerunt patres eius auro & Argento & lapide pretioſo rebuſque pretioſis, Dan. 11.38. He ſhall honour the God whome his fathers knew not, with gold and ſiluer, with precious ſtones, and with pleaſant things. The gainſaying of which doctrine vnto the Church of Rome ſeemeth ſo vnlawfull, that ſhee pronounceth moſt bitter execrations againſt thoſe that ſhall ſo doe,Seſſ. 13. an. 2. If any ſhall ſay (ſayth the Councell of Trent) that in the holy Sacrament of the Euchariſt there remaineth the ſubſtance of bread and wine, together with the bodie and bloud of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and ſhall denie that admirable and ſingular conuerſion of the whole ſubstance of bread into the bodie, and of the whole ſubſtance of wine into the bloud, the formes of bread and wine ſtill remaining; which conuerſion the Catholike Church most fitly calleth Tranſubſtantiation; be he accurſed.

3. Yea,The Church of Rome hateth the reformed Churches for nothing more than for impugning the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation. Pet. Beſſeus concept. Theolog. Quadraeg. dom. 3. Dan. 13. the Teachers and Preachers of that Church doe not hate the worthie Profeſſors and Arch-Doctors of the Goſpell for any point of doctrine more, than for impugning this of Tranſubſtantiation. Peter Beſſe the great and famous French Preacher, againſt Maſter Caluin and Luther ſpeaketh thus, Two wicked old men, of vnbridled luſt, did wickedly accuſe the moſt chaſte Suſanna of Adulterie, notwithſtanding that ſhee was the moſt chaſt and honestest that was to be found in the whole Kingdome of Babylon: here againe wee ſee two craftie knaues marching out vpon the Stage, Luther and Caluin, that accuſe the chaſte Suſanna, viz. the holy ſacred Sacrament of the Euchariſt, and Tranſubſtantiation, the chiefe member thereof, of Idolatrie; then the which notwithſtanding there is nothing to be found in the world more holy or diuine. And the ſamd Author ſoone after for the ſame point compares them to the two witneſſes, of moſt deperate audacitie, that gaue falſe witneſſe againſt Chriſt; adding further, That as Chriſt was crucified in the middle betweene two theenes; Ibid. ſo likewiſe wee ſee it fareth with the Sacrament of the Altar, where being placed betweene two theeues, two moſt desperate Heretikes, it is aſſaulted with diuers blaſphemies: who a little after ſpeaketh vnto the Idoll in this manner, and alſo to God, ſaying; Worthily therefore, O ſacred Euchariſt, thou mayeſt crie out, Dirupiſti vincula mea, Pſal. 115. tibi ſanctificabo hoſtiam laudis; And thou, O Lord, Saepe expugnauerunt me a iuuentate mea; For often, O Lord, haue they perſecuted thee, often haue they blaſphemed againſt thee, ſhot their arrowes at thee, and chiefely at Tranſubſtantiation. This Preacher, it ſhould ſeeme, hath forgot, that the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation is a noueltie of no greater antiquitie than the fourth Councell of Laterance,Iacques Gualter. Chron. de Peſtat. du Chriſtianiſ. trieſ. ſiecle. Can. 1. which was held but in the yere 1215, vnder Innocent the third, which is not yet 400 yeres ſince, where that doctrine was deliuered in theſe wordes; But the bodie of Chriſt, and the bloud in the Sacrament of the Altar, is contained vnder the formes of bread and wine, the bread being tranſubſtantiated into the bodie, and the wine into the bloud by Gods power. This it ſeemeth his Maieſtie very iudiciouſly obſerued, when after he had ſaid; If the Romiſh Church hath coyned new articles of Faith, neuer heard of in the firſt fiue hundred yeares after Chriſt, I hope I ſhall neuer be condemned for an Heretike, for not being a Noueliſt: where numbring vp many nouelties which are vſed in the Romiſh Church, hee reckoneth this Tranſubſtantiation for one.

4.Arguments againſt Tranſubſtantiation. Comp. Theol. verit. l. 5. c. 58. Which doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation I diſcouered to containe a notable Hereſie, by the proofes following: First (ſayth Ioannes de Combis) Latria is a ſeruice and reuerence exhibited to God: therefore, if the honour due to God be exhibited vnto the creature, it is Idolatrie: Latria comprehendeth fiue thinges, viz. Faith, Knowledge, Reuerence, Sacrifice, and Prayer. Whereupon I framed this Argument: The doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation admitteth this worſhip in the Church of Rome to a Creature, viz. to Bread and Wine; which notwithſtanding the words of Tranſubſtantiation remaineth ſtill a creature, otherwiſe how is Bread and Wine the externall ſignes of inuſible grace, as euerie true Sacrament is; or how is the eſſentiall part, appointed by CHRIST in the Sacrament, remaining, when it ceaſeth to be there; as Tranſubſtantiation teacheth the Bread and Wine doth? Nay, the very Scriptures ſay ſo much, ſhewing the Bread ſtill to remaine Bread, and the Wine ſtill to remaine Wine. Saint Paule, the heauenly interpreter of CHRISTS wordes, doth not admit Tranſubſtantiation, but doth ſo interpret the Sacramentall vnion, that ſtill the viſible elements remaine: for the Bread of the Sacrament hee calleth Bread ſtill, euen after the conſecration, to teach, that the ſubſtance of the Bread remaineth ſtill; and ſo he calleth the Wne ſtill Wine, as appeareth plainely by his wordes, The Cup of Bleſsing, which wee bleſſe, 1. Cor. 10.16. is it not the communication of the bloud of CHRIST? and the Bread which wee breake, is it not the participation of the bodie of the Lord? Now then, if the Chalice be but a communication of his bloud, and the Bread but a participation of his bodie, ſtill remaining Bread and Wine (for the thing participating is not the thing participated) where then is their doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, or how can it ſtand ſound with the truth of the Scriptures? He ſayth plainely further,1. Cor. 10.16. 1. Cor. 11.26. Verſ. 27. Verſ. 28. All wee are partakers of one Bread. And againe, As often as yee ſhall eate this bread. And againe, Whoſoeuer ſhall eate this Bread: beſides, Let a man examine himſelfe, and ſo let him eate of this Bread. Now therefore, the Scripture teaching vs ſo plainely Bread and Wine to remaine in the Sacrament, it followeth that there is no Tranſubſtantiation in the Sacrament, and ſo conſequently it is apparant, that all thoſe commit groſſe Idolatrie, that worſhip it with Latria; becauſe they giue that worſhip which is due to God, to the creature, which they beleeue to be God, teach to be God, and pray to as vnto God.

5.Fathers againſt Tranſubſtantiation. Secondly, I ſummoned diuers auncient Writers, to ſee whether they would afford me any warrant for Tranſubſtantiation, and I finde them againſt it, and none for it. I finde Tertullian in expreſſe wordes to ſay, Ieſus Christ hauing taken bread, Tertul. l. 4. adu. Marc. cap. 40. diſtributed it to his Diſciples, he made it to be his bodie, ſaying, This is my bodie, that is, the figure of my bodie. I finde him likewiſe to ſhew as much in expreſſe wordes in another place,Tertul. l. 3. adu. Mars. cap. 19. ſaying; God hath ſo reuealed it in the Gospell, calling the bread his bodie, to the end that thou mayeſt thereby vnderſtand, that he hath giuen to the bread the figure of his bodie. Now then, if the bread be a figure of CHRISTS bodie, according to Tertullian, then it is not tranſubſtantiated. Saint Cyprian ſayth, Epiſt. 3. l. 2. Wee finde, that the Cuppe which the Lord offered, was mingled, and that which he called his bloud was wine. See here Saint Cyprian giueth but a denomination to the bloud, attributing ſubſtantiall being to the wine by the Verbe Subſtantiue.Lib. 8. demonſtr. Euang. cap. 1. Euſebius is alſo cleare agianſt Tranſubſtantiation in theſe wordes, IESVS CHRIST gaue vnto his Diſciples the ſignes of the diuine dispenſation, commaunding them to celebrate the figure of his owne bodie. For ſeeing that he did now no longer receiue the ſacrifices of bloud, nor the ſlaughter of diuers beaſtes ordained by Moſes, hee hath taught vs to vſe the bread for a ſigne of his bodie. See here it is ſtill called bread, and a ſigne of the bodie, how then is it tranſubſtantiated? Saint Auguſtine alſo ſtandes againſt Tranſubſtantiation,De doctrine. Chriſtian. l. 3. c. 16. ſaying; Theſe wordes, Vnleſſe you eate the fleſh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, are a figure, commaunding vs to partake the Paſsion of CHRIST, and profitably to remember, that his fleſh was crucified for vs. Nowe therefore, if the eating the fleſh of the Sonne of man, and drinking his bloud, is but to partake of the Paſſion of CHRIST, and a profitable remembrance, that his fleſh was crucified for vs, how did Saint Auguſtine teach the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation? Nay rather, doth he not moſt plainly inſinuate the contrarie; I finde alſo the ſame Doctor to ſay againſt Adamantus. Chap. 12. The Lord made no difficultie to ſay, this is my body, when he gaue the ſigne of his body. Here I obſerue the word Bodie to bee expounded by the ſigne of his body. Who ſaith in an other place,Epiſt. 23. ad Bonifac. The holy ſigne of Chriſts body is after a ſort the body of Chriſt: and the holy ſigne of the bloud of Chriſt, and ſo the holy ſigne of faith (to wit Baptiſme) is faith. Surely Baptiſme can not bee ſaid to be Tranſubſtantiated into faith, how then can the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Chriſt bee ſubſtantially tranſubſtantiated into the body and bloud of Chriſt: Saint Augustine in an other place is yet plainer againſt Tranſubſtantiation, ſaying: Vnderſtand that which I ſay ſpiritually, Super Pſal 98. you ſhall not eate my body which you ſee, neither ſhall you drinke the bloud which my Tormentors ſhall ſhed, I haue recommended vnto you an holy ſigne, which being ſpiritually vnderſtood ſhall make you liue. Behold how cleare S. Auguſtine is againſt Tranſubſtantiation. So alſo is S. Chryſoſtome, that golden mouthed Doctor of Greece, moſt clearely gaineſaying the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation in the Sacrament, ſaying: The bread before it be ſanctified, we call bread, Ad Caeſar. Monachum. but when the diuine grace ſanctifies it, it is deliuered from the name of bread, and is thought worthy the name of the Lords body, though the nature of bread remaine ſtill. Now (curteous Reader) if I ſhould not iudge vnpartially, I can not but here conclude that if the nature of bread remaine, the ſubſtance of bread can not be changed into the body of Chriſt ſubſtantially, and therefore no tranſubſtantiation can follow.

6. I can not omit here to record Gelaſius, who ſaith:Other ſtrong places of ancient Fathers agianſt Tranſubſtantiation De duabus naturis Chriſti. The bread and wine paſſe into the ſubstance of the body and bloud of Christ, yet ſo as the nature of bread and wine ceaſeth not; and they are turned into the diuine ſubſtance; yet the bread and wine ſtill remaine in the propertie of their nature. If this be true that the nature of bread and wine ceaſeth not, and that the bread and wine ſtill remaine in the propertie of their nature, then can not tranſubſtantiation ſtand. For hereby Gelaſius confuted Eutiches the Heretike, holding that Chriſt had but one nature, and that in regard of the vnion the humanitie was turned into the Deitie; againſt which error he oppoſed the doctrine of the Euchariſt, ſhewing that as therein bread and wine after conſecration were honoured with the name of his body and bloud, and receiued grace to their nature to bee a holy Sacrament, though ſtill they remained in their former nature and propertie: So the humanitie of Chriſt receiued grace by the hypoſtaticall vniting it to the God-head, and yet ſtill retained the former propertie to be humane fleſh. Therefore had Gelaſius beliefe beene anſwerable to the preſent Church of Rome concerning Tranſubſtantiation, he not only could not thereby haue confuted Eutiches, but Eutiches might by that very doctrine moſt probably haue confuted him. Who might right well haue argued thus: Thou Gelaſius thinkeſt the Sacrament a reſemblance of the incarnation of Chriſt, and the vnion of his two natures; but in the Sacrament the bread and wine after conſecration remaine no more, but are turned into the fleſh and bloud of Chriſt, and ſo there is but one ſubſtance. After this manner may I likewiſe ſay in the Incarnation, after the vnion the humanitie remaineth no more, but is changed into the Diuinitie, and the Nature is but one. What could Gelaſius haue anſwered to this Argument, if hee had held the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation? Hence it is euident both by his wordes, and the ſcope of his diſputation, that he held it not. Not vnlike to Gelaſius is the doctrine of Theodoret, Dial. immuta. fol. 8. writing thus. Our Sauiour in deliuering the Sacrament called his body bread, and that which is in the cup he called his bloud, he changed the names, and gaue his body that name which belonged to the ſigne, and to the ſigne that name which belonged to his body. The reason why he thus changed the names, was, because he would haue ſuch as partake the diuine Sacraments, not to heede the nature of thoſe thinges which are ſeene, but for the change ſake of the names to beleeue the change that is made by grace. For he called it wheat and bread, which by nature is his body; and againe on the other ſide he called himſelfe a Vine: Thus honoring the ſimbols and ſignes which are ſeen with the name of his body & b • oud, not by changing their nature, but by adding grace to nature. And further the ſame Author in an other place reprehending the Eutichian heretike ſaith.Dialog. 2. Inconfuſus. You are caught in your owne net, for the myſticall ſignes after conſecration do not depart from their nature, but they abide in their former ſubſtance, form, and figure, and may be ſeen & touched as before. If they depart not from their nature, if they abide in their former ſubſtance, figure, and forme, if Chriſt changed not the natures, but the names, adding grace to nature; how can the doctrine of tranſubſtantiation, in the iudgement of this writer, ſtand free from the impeachment of an erroneous innouation?

7.How moderne Authors of the Church of Rome ſhew the doctrine of tranſubſtantiation to be nouell. De verit. corp. & ſang. p. 46. And ſo I find euen by the confeſſion of the learnedſt moderne Writers, this doctrine is but nouell, and of ſmall antiquitie, and hath not been beleeued as a matter of faith in the pureſt ages of the Primitiue Church: for it is well knowne, that before the Councell of Laterane no man was bound to beleeue Tranſubſtantiation, as themſelues confeſſe. Tonstal ſayth, It was free for all men, till that time, to follow their owne coniecture, as concerning the manner of the Preſence. Scotus and Biel are reported by the later Schoolemen to haue been of minde, That the opinion is very new, and lately brought into the Church, Soto. 4. d 9. q. 2. art. 2. & 4. Suar. tom. 3. d. 5.4. d. 10. q. 2. ad arg. pro prima. ſect. 1. and beleeued only vpon the authoritie of the Laterance Councell. And Scotus himſelfe ſaith, We muſt ſay the Church, in the Creede of the Laterane Councell, vnder Innocent the third, which begins with the words, Firmiter credimus, declared this ſenſe concerning tranſubſtantiation, to belong to the verity of our faith. Beſides Scotus & Bellarmine confeſſe;Scot. d. 11. q. 3. Bellar. Euchar. lib. 3. cap. 23. Turrec. tract. 13. q. 49. There is no Scripture to conuince it, vnleſſe yee bring the Church of Romes expoſition, that is to ſay the Popes authoritie, in whom they thinke the power of the vniuerſall Church in determining matters of faith principally reſides. Now therefore if this doctrine bee no more ancient than the Councell of Laterane as it is cleare, I oppoſe againſt the accurſe of the Councell of Trent, the malediction of bleſſed Saint Paul, a better man than any in the Councell of Trent, who pronounceth a direfull Anathema againſt any that ſhall teach other doctrine than what he taught; how fearefull a ſtate then doe all Popiſh Prieſts ſtand in, that teach this noueltie of Tranſubſtantiation diametrally, contrarie to the places of S. Paul before cited: 1. Cor. 10.16. 1. Cor. 11.26. Verſ. 27. Verſ. 28. Euagrius. 4. lib. Hiſt. c. 35. Niceph. lib. 17. cap. 25. Hieſich l 2. ſuper Leuit. cap. 8. Euſeb. lib. 7. c. 8. Auguſt. cont. lit. Petil. lib. 9. c. 30. It is well knowne that it was an vſuall thing in former ages, in diuers places to giue the reſidues of the Sacrament to little children, as Euagrius and Nicephorus haue left recorded to poſteritie: Yea and in other places of the Chriſtian world, as Heſichius teacheth; neither hath it beene thought much in former times to giue the bread of the Sacrament into the peoples handes, and ſometimes permitted them to carry it home, which is a ſigne that they conceipted not then the doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, which hath cauſed it ſince to be adored, and haue made it a ſinnefull act for Lay people to touch the Sacrament, yea and haue brought it to ſuch a fond eſteeme, that if a Flie or a Spider fall into the wine, or any like thing, which can not without vomit, or danger of death be taken downe, the Flie or Spider, or what elſe, muſt be taken out and waſhed as warily as may be in a Chalice, and the Prieſt muſt take the ablution, but the Flie or Spider muſt be burnt.Ibidem eodem cap. Or if a ſick man vomit vp the body of the Lord, it muſt bee taken vp againe as diligently as may be, and taken by a Prieſt, or by ſome cleane and diſcreet youth, if the ſicke man can not reſume it himſelfe.

8.The inconueniences of approuing Tranſubſtantiation. Beſides, the inconueniences that follow of this doctrine of Tranſubſtantiation, are ſo many that no man almoſt out of common ſenſe can admit it, vnleſſe bee will fondly ſuffer himſelfe to bee carried away with ſuch a generall implicite faith of the Church of Romes inerrabilitie, whereby he may fall into as many hereſies and dangers of ſeduction, as a blinde man is in danger of falls, if he will only walke by the guidance of an other as blinde as himſelfe. Hence it followeth that it muſt be beleeued, that accidents are without a ſubiect, whereas the nature of a Sacrament requireth no ſuch matter; like as when the wood is burned, the colour of the wood ſhould remaine alone without a ſubiect; that Mice that knaw the conſecrated Hoaſt, doe knaw bare accidents alone, and thta the glorified body of Chriſt are ſubiect to the grinding of teeth. That no worke of God neither of Creation nor of Redemption, is ſo great as the worke of conſecration by the Prieſt, by which tranſubſtantiation is performed. Whence it is come that the Romiſh Diuines hold that many miracles together are done in the Sacrament of the Euchariſt, whereof Ioannes de Combis reckoneth vp nine, ſo fond and ridiculous, that it is a wonder any man can beleeue them: as firſt,In Comp. Theol. verit. lib. 6. c. 14. That the body of Christ is in as much quantitie there, as it was vpon the Croſſe, and as it is now in heauen, yet doth it not exceede the bounds of that forme; with all the reſt of like nature: Hence to breede a beliefe of this doctrine, the Romiſh writers tell vs that the Sacrament being loſt in a Village of Komele in Germanie, in a Pixe,Caeſar. lib. 9. c. 7. it was diſcouered in a field by the Oxen that did worſhip it, kneeling downe vpon the ground, which neither by whips nor cries would not ſtir out of the place from worſhipping their Creatour, till it was taken away by the Pariſh Prieſt, who fetcht it away with croſſe, candle, and incenſe, in great reuerence. They tell alſo how a certaine woman going to the Communion, reſerued the Sacrament, and put it into her hiue amongſt her Bees, as one had counſailed her; wherevpon the pretie Bees were ſo religiouſly affected to their creatour, that for the fit entertainment of ſo great a gueſt,S. Anto. 3 p. ſum. tit. 12. c. 8. ff. 3. they built him a goodly Chappell in waxe, with walls, windowes, dores, caues, and Altar to reſt him vpon, with a bell alſo; and when the time was come that the honie was to be taken out, the woman raiſed vp her hiue, and beheld this fine miracle, which cauſed her with great feare to go and confeſſe her fault to the Prieſt, who with his Pariſhioners carried the Hoaſt with great reuerence to the Church.

I Haue read in a certaine Preacher that the Writers of naturall thinges haue left recorded, The Sacramēt vnder one kind giueth not life vnto the ſoule. Petrus Beſſeus Concep. Theol. fer. 2. maior. Heb that there is a certaine hearbe to bee found vpon the Alpes, hauing only two branches, which is of ſuch a ſtrange naturall power and officacie, that the beaſts liuing vpon thoſe mountaines, if they chance to taſt but of one of thoſe branches, forthwith they die, but if they eate of both branches, they take no hurt or dammage, but are nouriſhed thereby; Euen ſo doe I obſerue vpon the mountaines of holy Scripture, the plant of the holy Euchariſt hauing two branches of bread and wine, by Chriſts inſtitution, of ſuch nature and qualitie, that if by faith his faithfull flock eate but of one branch, and leaue the other, they periſh through hereſie, but if by faith they taſt and feede of both branches, that is, both of bread and wine, they feele much good, they are ſtrengthened in the life of their ſoule, and are much nouriſhed thereby; according to that of Chriſt:Ioan. 6. Niſi manducaueritis carnem filij hominis & biberitis eius ſanguinem, non habebitis vit am in vobis; Vnleſſe you eate the fleſh of the Sonne of man, and drinke his bloud, you ſhall not haue life in you. Whereby I obſerue the great danger the Church of Rome ſtandeth in, which will afford here ſheepe in the Sacrament only one branch, viz. the bread, and bereaue them of the other branch, viz. the wine; and on the contrarie ſide the great happineſſe of the Church of England, which affordeth Chriſts faithfull flocke both branches of the bleſſed Sacrament, as well Bread as Wine, according to Chriſtes owne inſtitution. This inducement amongſt many hath not beene the leaſt, which hath as comfortably drawne mee to the Church of England, as the ſtarre which appeared to the three Sages in the Eaſt, guided them in a ſhort ſpace to the preſence of Chriſt, ſwadled in clothes, and lying in a Crib at Bethlem; hauing in imitation of them now offered vp my three gifts vnto Chriſt, to be emploied wholly in his ſeruice, my Vnderſtanding, my Memorie, and my Will, with all my faculties of body and ſoule, depending or ſubiect vnto them, for the propagation of his Goſpell, for the demolition of Romiſh nouelties, and for the manifeſtation of his vnſpeakable mercies ſhewed vnto me, and the reformed Churches, in freeing vs from thoſe damnable errors and wicked waies, wherein the Church of Rome leadeth her blinded followers, which fondly ſhut their eies from the Sunne-ſhine of truth, appearing in the holy Scriptures, and from the Prophets and Apoſtles, who like ſhining ſtarres by their doctrine, recorded in the booke of Gods ſecrets, would both comfort and direct their ſoules in the right way to heauen, if flying with humilitie to Chriſt, and acknowledging their owne blindneſſe, they would crie out with deuotion vnto him like the poore blinde man in the Goſpell; Domine fac vt videam; O Lord make me to ſee.

2. Howſoeuer the aduerſaries in the Supper of the Lord make no reckoning of the wine,Both formes muſt be in the Euchariſt. which is eſſentiall to the Sacrament, yet the true faithfull knowing the dignitie and excellent value thereof, will not be ſo vnmannerly, being inuited thereunto, as to neglect that which Chriſt prouideth for them. For being rightly enformed, that as in the great and pompous ſupper which Cleopatra Queene of Aegypt ſet before Antonius, there were two pretious iewells and gemmes brought to Antonius, which were eſteemed to bee worth two hundred and fiftie thouſand Crownes: Euen ſo in the ſupper of the Lord, in the bleſſed Euchariſt, which is the great ſupper prouded in the Church of God for his faithfull friends, there are two iewells of ineſtimable price, that is, the bread and wine, by meanes whereof the fleſh and bloud of Chriſt, the rich price of our redemption, is conueyed vnto our ſoules; therefore there is no iuſt cauſe why the Church of Rome, pretending to bee the chaſt Spouſe of Chriſt, ſhould be ſo ſcornefull of the rich gift of her heauenly Spouſe, who liberally offereth her both theſe iewels, as moſt diſcourteouſly to ſuffer and permit, that the lay people ſhould be depriued of the one of them, ſince Chriſt hath appointed both for them. The practiſe to be ſo, is ſufficiently knowne to all: and that the doctrine of the Church of Rome is ſo, alſo appeareth by the Councell of Trent, ſaying;Concil. Trident. ſeſ 21. anno 1. If any ſhall ſay, that by Gods Precept, or vpon neceſsitie of ſaluation, all and euery faithfull of Chriſt ought to take both formes of the moſt bleſſed Sacrament of the Euchariſt, let him be accurſed. And agine, If any ſhall ſay, Cap. 2. that the holy Catholike Church was not led vpon iuſt cauſes and reaſons to communicate lay men, and Clerkes alſo not conſecrating, onely vnder the forme of bread, or therein to haue erred, let him be Anathema. By which it is moſt apparant, how the Church of Rome doth not onely croſſe Chriſts inſtitution, and diſobey his commaundement, but alſo ouerthroweth the very eſſentiall part of the Sacrament.

3 For firſt,The miniſtration of the Sacrament vnder one forme is repugnant to the eſſence of the Sacrament there is nothing more eſſentiall in a Sacrament than the matter and forme thereof; as in Baptiſme, the water, and wordes: ſo in the bleſſed Sacrament of the Euchariſt the eſſentiall parts thereof are the Bread and Wine coniunctim, ioyntly, and the words of conſecration of either of them ioyntly, and not diuided; for the Catechiſme of the Councell of Trent defineth a Sacrament thus:Cathe. ad Parachos. A Sacrament is a thing ſubiect to our ſenſes, which by Gods inſtitution hath power, as well to ſignifie as to effect holineſſe and righteouſneſſe. Whereby it appeareth, that the ſenſible ſigne, inſtituted by God, is a thing eſſentiall to euerie Sacrament. Which appeares alſo b Iohan Viguerius, ſaying,De ſacra. in Gene. c. 16. v. 3 It is neceſſarie that the things which are aſſumed for the Sacraments, be determined by Gods inſtitution, becauſe that things by their naturall vertue haue no power of ſanctifying. Now therefore, if we conſider the matter and ſenſible ſignes inſtituted by Chriſt for the Sacrament of the Euchariſt,Jnſtit. c. 16. ff. 3. verſ. 1. Thom. 3. p. q. 74. art. 1. Iohannes Viguerius telleth vs, That the matter of this Sacrament, before conſecration, is bread and wine, becauſe Chriſt tooke bread and wine; and Melchiſedech, who in his ſacrifice figured Chriſt, offered bread and wine, ſo Chriſt did inſtitute it vnder the formes of bread and wine; and very conueniently: Firſt for the vſe of the Sacrament, which is eating; for as water is taken in the Sacrament of Baptiſme for the vſe of spirituall ablution, becauſe corporall ablution is commonly done by water: ſo bread and wine for spirituall refection, becauſe moſt commonly men are corporally refreſhed therewith. Secondly for ſignification, becauſe this Sacrament is a memoriall of the Lords Paſsion, in the which the bloud was ſpearated from the bodie; ſo diſtinctly the bread as a Sacrament of the bodie, and wine as a Sacrament of the bloud. Thirdly for the effect, in reſpect of the whole Church, which conſisteth of diuers beleeuers: ſo the bread is made of diuers cornes, and the wine of diuers grapes. Out of this ground it ſeemeth, that the Ieſuit in Rome deliuered in the Schoole the definition of this Sacrament in this manner, which I tooke from his mouth with mine owne penne; which is,De ſacramentis tract. 4. c. 1. dico 3. That the Euchariſt is a Sacrament, which vnder the formes of bread and wine containeth the bodie and bloud of Chriſt, for the nouriſhment of ſpirituall life giuen by Baptiſme. From all which doctrine I moſt clearely gather, that bread and wine iointly miniſtred belongeth to this Sacrament; and that without ouerthrowing the eſſence of this Sacrament, according to our aduerſaries owne Teachers, it cannot be giuen vnder one kind to the lay people: for it is to be giuen to lay people according to the eſſentiall parts thereof, inſtituted by Chriſt: but according to theſe Writers, the eſſentiall parts thereof are bread and wine iointly, as the matter; the forme being the wordes of conſecration, iointly pronounced ouer either forme, ergo the bread and wine coniunctim are to be miniſtred to ther people for the integritie of the Sacrament. Whence it followeth, that the Church of Rome, by the amputation of one forme vtterly croſſeth and ouerthroweth the nature of the Sacrament, and ſo maketh it no Sacrament at all, becauſe ſo it wanteth an eſſentiall part thereof. Therefore very iuſtifiable is his Maieſties aſſertion, when reckoning vp the nouelties of the Church of Rome, amongſt the reſt he ranketh the amputation of the one halfe of the Sacrament from the People. Praemonit.

4 Secondly, that the doctrine of the Church of Rome doth croſſe Chriſts inſtitution,It alſo croſſeth Chriſts inſtitution. is alſo moſt cleere to any iudiciall man: for as my Italian maſter teacheth me, That the Euchariſt was instituted in the last Supper, Tract 4. de ſacra. c. 1. dico 2. after the waſhing of feet, before the vſuall Supper, the first is a matter of faith out of the Goſpell, and it is defined in Clementine Vnico, in the Tridentine Councell, where it ſayth, Seſ. 13. c. 1. & 2. This is the tradition of the auncient Fathers. Now then, if this be ſo, we muſt examine, whether Chriſt did inſtitute it vnder both kindes, or not: for if he did, then certainely it is alſo ſo to be miniſtred likewiſe to the people, becauſe hee bid that to be done in remembrance of him which he himſelfe did then: his meaning not being to inſtitute two Sacraments of the Supper, whereof the one for the Prieſtes ſhould conſiſt of two parts or of two kindes, the other for the people but of one. I finde Saint Matthew to record Chriſts inſtitution in this manner; As they did eate, Ieſus tooke the bread, Mat. 26. v. 26.27.28.29. and when he had bleſſed it, he brake it, and gaue it to the Diſciples, and ſaid, Take eat, this is my bodie. Alſo he tooke the Cuppe, and when he had giuen thankes, he gaue it them, ſaying, Drinke ye all of it, for this is my bloud of the New Teſtament, that is ſhed for many for the remiſsion of ſinnes. I finde aſo Saint Marke to ſet it down thus; Mark. 14. v. 22. And as they did eate, Ieſus tooke the bread, and when he ahd giuen thankes, hee brake it, and gaue it to them, and ſaid, Take, eate, this is my bodie: And alſo hee tooke the Cuppe, and when hee had giuen thankes, gaue it to them, and they all dranke of it; and hee ſaid vnto them, This is my bloud of that New Teſtament, which is ſhed for many. S. Luke records it thus, Luk. 22.19. & 20 And he tooke bread, and when he had giuen thankes, he brake it and gaue to them, ſaying, This is my bodie which is giuen for you, doe this in remembrance of me. Likewiſe alſo after ſupper he tooke the Cup, ſaying, This Cup is that new Teſtament in my bloud which is ſhed for you. 1. Cor. 11. v. 23 24.25.26 27.28.29 And S. Paule moſt largely explicates the ſame Inſtitution, ſaying; I haue receiued a Precept of the Lord, which I alſo haue deliuered vnto you, that the Lord Ieſus, in the night when he was betrayed, tooke bread, and when he had giuen thankes, he brake it and ſaid, Take eat, this is my bodie which is broken for you, this doe ye in remembrance of me. After the ſame manner alſo he tooke the Cup when he had ſupped, ſaying, This Cup is the new Teſtament in my bloud, this doe as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me; for as often as ye ſhall eate this Bread, and drinke this Cup, ye ſhew the Lords death till he come: Wherefore whoſoeuer ſhall eat this Bread, and drinke the Cup of the Lord vnworthily, ſhall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. Let euery man therefore examine himſelfe, and ſo let him eat of this Bread, and drinke of this Cup; for he that eateth and drinketh vnworthily, eateth and drinketh his owne damnation, becauſe he diſcerneth not the Lords bodie. Now out of all theſe places of S. Mathew, S. Marke, S. Luke, and S. Paule, I finde both kindes inſtituted by Chriſt, and ſo inſeparably intimated with a copulatiue coniunction, that whoſoeuer ſeparateth them, can but moſt inſolently oppoſe himſelfe againſt Chriſts inſtitution, and the eſſence of the Sacrament. What greater pride can there be, than when Chriſt ſayth in expreſſe words, Drinke ye all of this, as well as eate the bread, than with the Church of Rome to contradict him, teaching the people onely to eat the bread, and not drinke the wine? Or what greater preſumption, than ſo rudely to thwart S. Paule? who calleth the inſtitution of the Sacrament a Precept, which he deliuereth to the people, ſpecifying both formes of bread and wine, commaunding as well the receiuing of the wine to be drunke in remembrance of Chriſt, as the bread to be eaten; and therefore if the one bind lay people, the other alſo doth as ſtrongly oblige them, eſpecially ſince S. Paule in another place ſayth thus;1 Cor. 10.16.17. The Cup of bleſsing which we bleſſe, is it not the communion of the bloud of Chriſt? The bread which we breake, is it not the communion of the bodie of Chriſt? for we that are may, are one bread, and one bodie, becauſe we doe partake of one bread and one Chalice. The Church of Rome taking away the participation of the Chalice, in miniſtring the Sacrament to lay people onely vnder the forme of bread, maketh S. Paule to ſpeake falſe, who ioyneth both formes together with a coniunction copulatiue, ſhewing that we are many one bodie, becauſe wee participate of both, making vs all one. And it is here to be noted, how the Bibles printed amongſt our aduerſaries, doe varie about this Text, and may be ſuſpected, that they haue played Legier du maine with the Bible, as well in their laſt corrected Latine as in the Greeke concerning this Text, for in them both (of one Chalice) is left out, and yet in an olde Manuſcript which I haue now in my hands, and in another Bible printed at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1583, the text is, That omnes quidem de vno pane & de vno calice participamus, We all partake of one bread and of one Chalice. Whereby it is more than probably to be feared, ſome notorious impoſture hath beene committed in leauing out the Chalice in the lateſt vulgar editions. So that now all theſe places of Scripture being iudicially weighed, the amputation of one part of the Sacrament ſeemeth not onely to controll Chriſts owne inſtitution, but alſo his abſolute commandement.

5 Beſides, that it is a meere noueltie, It is alſo a noueltie. Lib. de Eccleſ. obſeruat. c. 19. p. 388. Thom. in 1. Cor. 11. lect. 5. & 6. Aeneas Sil. Hiſt. Bohem. c. 52. Bellar. de Euehalib. 4. cap. 26. not grounded vpon antiquitie, is moſt apparant to all that rightly examine the matter, for at the firſt the people receiued the cup as well as the bread; afterward (ſayth Micrologus) the Romane Order commandeth the wine alſo to be conſecrated, that the people may fully communicate; and this was approued by many learned Writers. Yet in time the Councell of Conſtance, See. 13. ff. item ipſae, forbad it, and then all of the Church of Rome began to change their mindes. Afterward the Councell of Baſil releaſed the decree of Conſtance to ſome, as to the Bohemians; and the Councell of Trent confirmed it againe.Seſ. 21. c. 2. Whereby it is apparant, that the moderne Church of Rome hath ſwarued in this point of faith from which it beleeued formerly, and ſince it began to be the ſeat of Antichriſt. The moſt ancient Liturgies in their owne forme ſhew,Cyril Cath. myſtag. 5. Liturg. Marci pag. 62. Thom. p. 3. q. 80. art. 12 q. 3. Hom. 16. in nu. 1 that the people receiued the wine as well as the bread. And Caietane ſayth, This cuſtome endured long in the Church; and that they had miniſtring cuppes for the nonce to ſerue the people with wine, which none will denie. Origen ſayth plainegly, Chriſtian people were accuſtomed to drinke the bloud. And S. Cyprian, How doe we make them fit for the cup of Martyrdome, Epist. 2. if firſt we doe not admit them by the right of communication in the Church, to drinke the cup of the Lord? The ſame Author, or another as ancient,Serm. de coena Dom. in another place ſayth, The Law doth prohibit the eating of bloud, the Goſpell commaundeth that it be drunke. That the Chalice alſo was vſed in S. Ambroſe his time, himſelfe ſheweth,Apud Theod. 5. Hiſt. 15. In 2. Malach. ſpeaking to Theodoſius; With what boldneſſe wilt thou partake with thy mouth the cup of precious bloud? S. Hierome ſayth in expreſſe tearmes, The Prieſtes which make the Euchariſt, and diſtribute the bloud of the Lord to the people. And Paſchaſius ſayth,Super cap. 15. Drinke ye all of this, as well the miniſters as the other beleeuers. Apud Gratian. can. Comperimus de conſecrat. diſt. 2. Gelaſius ſayth, We finde that ſome receiuing onely the portion of the ſacred bodie, abſtaine from the cup of ſacred bloud; Who doubtleſſe (becauſe I know not by what ſuperſtition they are taught to be obliged) either let them receiue the entire Sacraments, or let them be expelled from the entire Sacraments, becauſe the duiſion of one and the ſame myſterie cannot be without grat ſacriledge. All which places doe moſt liuely expreſſe the faith and practiſe of the ancient Church to haue beene otherwiſe than it is now in the preſent Church.

6 Is it not a lamentable thing to ſee,Obſerue well this Councell Seſ. 13. that the Councell of Conſtance confeſſeth, That Ieſus Chriſt inſtituted and adminiſtred the Sacrament vnder both kinds, and that in the Primitiue Church this Sacrament was receiued by the faithfull vnder both kinds: And yet againſt Chriſts inſtitution and the practiſe of the Primitiue Church, the ſame Councell moſt blaſphemouſly complaineth, That in ſome parts of the world ſome raſhly preſume, that Chriſtian people ought to receiue the Sacraments vnder both kinds; and thus cenſures it to be preſumption and raſhneſſe to follow Chriſt. Of the Fathers of that Councell, with the Pope himſelfe, I may well ſay, Concilium inierunt vt caperent Ieſum in ſermone. Exod. 7. But as the Serpent of Moſes deuoured the Serpents of the Sorcerers, ſo Chriſt will ouercome the malice and craft of ſuch wicked counſellors. It is a folly for our aduerſaries to ſay, That when Chriſt ſaid, Doe this in remembrance of me, he ſpake onely to Prieſts; for then it would follow, that the lay people may be debarred of both kinds: and it is as impertinently obiected, that the Apoſtles were Prieſts, therefore Chriſts Precept, Drinke ye all of this, belongs to Prieſts onely, for then the Primitiue Church did amiſſe, and S. Paule the Apoſtle alſo, who deliuered the Supper to the lay people, without amputation of either kind, in ſuch manner as he had receiued it of the Lord.My concluſion vpon the precedent obſeruation. Now therefore, vpon due conſideration of all the premiſſes, finding the Church of Rome to adulterate the word of God, to ouerthrow the nature of the Sacrament, to goe againſt the doctrine of the Primitiue Church, and to checke moſt impudently Chriſts owne inſtitution, curſing them that beleeue as Chriſt teacheth, and doe as he commaundeth, in drinking as well of the Cup, as in eating the Bread of the Sacrament, without diuiſion or amputation, I ſee no ground of faith to warrant the doctrine of the Church of Rome in this caſe; and therefore it is to be feared (vnleſſe God ſhew her the greater mercie) for all her maledictions and curſes, to the terror of poore ſimple Chriſtians, ſhee her ſelfe will one day inconſolably taſt of the bitter cup of Gods wrath and indignation, which vpon the ſuddaine will be poured vpon her, to her vtter ruine and deſtruction; and ſhee that hath ſo much afflicted and tormented others, will find it true, that Horrendum eſt incidere in manus Dei viuentis, It is a horrible thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God.

I Haue obſerued in reading the liues of Saints a ſtorie worth the noting, of Iohn the Biſhop of Hieruſalem,Metaph. in vita S. Epiph. Laurent. Surius, 12. Maeij. who hauing with his honors changed alſo his minde, being ſurpriſed with extreame couetouſneſſe, he grew to heape vp great ſtore of treaſures beyond all reaſon or meaſure: which Saint Epiphanius vnderſtanding, endeuoured to draw him to ſome liberalitie towards the poore: but he who preferred his gold before all other workes of charitie, cared not for the poore. Epiphanius ſeeing this, obtained of him a certaine ſumme, more by force than by loue, which he diſtributed amongſt the poore with great ioy. Few daies after the Biſhop redemanded againe his money with great importunitie, vnto whom Epiphanius gaue good wordes, promiſing to repay him ſoone after: but the Biſhop was not contented, but vſed him with ſome violence, vttering iniurious ſpeeches againſt him, calling him impoſtor and coſener. Epiphanius nothing troubled, ſpit in his face, wherewith inſtantly ſtrucken blind, he fell to the ground; whereupon at length he acknowledged his fault, crauing pardon. Then Epiphanius ſhewed him into what a gulfe of couetouſneſſe hee was plunged, & putting his hand vpon his head, reſtored him his right eye againe; who praying him to reſtore him alſo his left eye, the holy man refuſed it, to the end he ſhould be alwaies warned by that marke, euer after to vſe more modeſtie, and more carefully to auoid that plague of couetouſneſſe. In this example (courteous Reader) you haue a liuely repreſentation of the Biſhop of Rome his inſatiable auarice, now that hee is come to ſuch temporall greatneſſe in this world; and conſequently of the ſpirituall blindneſſe, wherewith God hath ſtrooken him for the ſame, not ſuffering him to ſee the light of truth, but to runne head-long into diuers inextricable hereſies, as a iuſt puniſhment for ſuch his greedy deſires; for the nouelties, which are now broched in the Church of Rome, were not knowne till this hateful ſinne of auarice tooke hold of the Popes,Indulgences grounded vppon the couetouſneſſe of Popes. and drew them to employ their ſtudies more in gathering together temporall wealth, than the riches of Gods graces, and true knowledge of the Scriptures. For hence and from this ſource only hath flowed diuers points of doctrine, now currant in Rome, more tending to the amplification and enlarging of his temporall Kingdome, than the Kingdome of Chriſts Church amongſt which the doctrine of Pardons and Indulgences is not the leaſt profitable for the filling vp of the Popes cofers, and giuing contentment to his auaricious deſires, arguing the great ſpirituall blindneſſe God hath permitted him to fall into in puniſhment of the deteſtable ſinne.

2.Indulgences diſproued by their definitions. Now this obſeruation hauing auerted my minde from the Church of Rome with diuers others, and laied open vnto my ſoule, the moſt foule abhominations of that Church, for the better explication of her erroneous doctrine concerning Indulgences and Pardons, I muſt ſhew thee (curteous Reader) how this auerſion grew in mee by the examination and ſtudie of truth. Firſt, I beganne to examine the true nature of theſe Romiſh Indulgences and Pardons by the definition of them, which I found in Cardinall Bellarmine to be thus expreſſed.Lib. 5. de poenit. cap. 2. Indulgences (ſaith he) are the remiſſions of paines, which are to be endured after the remiſſion of faults, granted vnto the faithfull for a reaſonable cauſe by the high Biſhops out of a Fatherly lenitie and condeſcention. Ioannes Viguerius the great Scholler of Spaine calleth Indulgence: Ioan. Viguer. Inſtit. Chriſti. cap. 16. verſ 29. A diſtribution of the treaſure, or an application of the penalties of the ſupererogation of Chriſt or of his Saints, for the remiſſion of paines due for paſſed ſinnes, made by him, that ruleth the Vniuerſall Church, with iudgement of diſcretion. Siluester their beſt Summiſt for caſes of conſcience, defineth it thus. The Eccleſiaſticall Indulgence,Silueſt. verb. Jndulgentia. num. 3. is a donation of ſome thing taken out of the ſpirituall treaſure of the Church, made vnto a ſinner that hee may ſatisfie God, the creditour of his paines. Thus theſe learned men of Rome write of the nature of Indulgences. Whereupon firſt I note out of Bellarmine, that theſe pardons are not to bee granted without a reaſonable cauſe, and according to Viguerius with iudgement of diſcretion; yet notwithſtanding this is contradicted by Emanuel Sa the Ieſuite, who ſaith: That ſome ſay an Indulgence giuen without cauſe is of value;Verbo Indulgen. num. 1. Bonauent. 4. d. 20.2. part. q. vlt. Solu. 4. d. 21. q. 2. art. 2. others doe not onely require a iuſt cauſe, but ſuch a cauſe as is proportionable to the Indulgence. I, but Sa himſelfe peremptorily affirmeth; I thinke no doubt to be made of an Indulgence giuen from the Pope. Where I note this man to be more the Popes Friend than the reſt, who whether the Pope with iuſt cauſe or without iuſt cauſe graunt an Indulgence, hee approues it; and further I obſerue a great difference amongſt the Romiſh Writers in this point, and therefore no credit to bee giuen to thoſe that ſo much diſagree in the cauſe why Indulgences ſhould bee graunted. Secondly, I note out of Silueſter, that the ſubiect of Indulgences is a ſinner, I meane, as hee ſaith, it is graunted to a ſinner; and yet this ſeemeth to bee contradicted by him and others; who ſaith: Hee that is not in Gods grace obtaineth not Indulgence. Sil. Lerb. Indulg. 5. Tho. 3. p. q. 27. art. 1. Solu. 4. d. 21. q. 2. a. 3. Adrian. 4. de Indulgent. col. 13. Concl. 3. Thirdly, I obſerue moreouer, that whereas the Pope graunteth Indulgences oftentimes, both from ſinne and paine, which now is growne ordinarie, hee croſſeth the Doctrine of theſe Authours, who in the definition of an Indulgence, make mention onely of remiſſion of paine, and not of the ſinne, for according to their owne Doctrine elſe where, both mortall, and veniall ſinnes are taken away by the Sacrament of Penance, as the proper ſubiect and matter of their Sacramentall abſolution.

3. Now for the eſtabliſhment of this doctrine of Indulgences,The Scripture abuſed about Indulgences. they haue no Scripture, as farre as I can perceiue, of any force, which hath made the Reformed Churches to tearme theſe Papall Indulgences, pious frauds of the faithfull, inuentions, and impoſtures; and his Maieſtie diſcouering as much, iuſtly to reckon them amongſt the traſh depending vpon Purgatorie, To Christ. Mon. f. 43. not worth the talking of: yet doe they not ſticke to bee ſo preſumptuous as to alleage Scriptures moſt indiſcreetly for their doctrine, as namely Ioannes Viguerius doeth, as if hee had got a great victorie againſt the Reformed Churches in this point, prouing the name of Indulgence to bee found in the Prophet Eſay, his wordes (which he citeth) are theſe. Notwithſtanding to conuince their ignorance, Inſtit. Chriſt. c 6. § 6. verſ. 19. and vnbridled boldneſſe, wee must ſhewe the name Indulgence, expreſly to bee found in the ſacred Letters, in the ſame ſenſe the Church vſeth: And this chiefly in Eſay the Prophet, where in the Perſon of Chriſt hee ſaith. The Spirit of the Lord vpon mee, in that hee hath annointed mee. Hee ſent mee to announce vnto the meeke, to heale the contrite of heart, to Preach Indulgence vnto Captiues, releaſement to thoſe that are ſhut vp: and ſo it can not bee denyed, that the name of Indulgence in the ſacred Letters is not to bee found. And that Eſay wrote according to the intention which the Church vſeth, Chriſt the Lord, hath declared in S. Luke, where it is ſaid, Luc. 4. that when vpon the Sabaoth hee entred the Synagogue of Nazareth, hee roſe vp to reade, and the Booke of the Prophet Eſay was deliucred vnto him; and turning the Booke he found the place where it was written; the Spirit of the Lord vpon me, for that he hath annointed me, hee hath ſent mee to Euangelize to the poore, to heale the contrite of heart, to Preach remiſsion to Captiues: behold how the name Indulgence, Chriſt interpreteth remiſsion. But of what Indulgence ſpake Eſay? truly of ſinnes, for the pardoning and remitting of which, Christ was ſent by God the Father; and becauſe in ſinne there are two thinges, to wit, the fault and the paine, the remiſsion of the fault, and alſo the remiſsion of the paine, is rightly called Indulgence. But the Church as is ſaid taketh Indulgence for the application of penalties of ſupererogations, of Chriſt, and his Saints, by which paines are remitted; therefore nothing is more manifeſt than that the name of Indulgence is found in the ſacred Letters, according to the intention which the Church vſeth. Here I ſee a braue proofe of a vaunting Spaniard, who with his Spaniſh Brauadoes thinks to haue conquered, but I beleeue when hee ſhall haue found the ſtrength and truth of his encounterers, whom hee termeth Heretiques; if he were now aliue, he would ſay as I haue heard reported once by an Engliſh Gentleman, that ſerued ſometimes amongſt them of a Countriman of his; who fighting againſt the Souldiers of the Reformed Religion in the Low Countries, and finding his powder ſo moiſt that with often putting match to it, it would not take fire, in moſt blaſphemous manner, ſee ſwore in the Spaniſh tongue. I vow to God, that this day, I thinke, God is become a Lutheran. For in very truth if the Texts which Viguerius citeth, ſo confidently, thinking by them to ouerthrow all the Lutheranes in the world, be well and rightly vnderſtood, you ſhall finde them to be of no efficacie at all, and to be but match & powder without fire; that is, Scripture and his owne ſenſe, and priuate vnderſtanding without the fire of the holy Ghoſt, without the Spirit of truth, and the comfortable Maſter teaching all truth; for the prophecie of Eſay only foreſheweth how Chriſt the Meſſias, comming into the world, ſhould Preach the remiſſion of ſinners to all in generall, and deliuerie to thoſe that liued in the darkneſſe of ignorance, before the comming to Chriſt as the Gentills, who ſhould finde mercy and truth by Chriſt as well as the Iewes. Neither will I denie, (which maketh nothing for Viguerius) but that the remiſſion of ſinnes, and alſo the remiſſion of paines due to ſinne, is meant by the word Indulgence, the infinite guilt of ſinne, and the eternall paine due to ſinne in hell fire, (both which belong to ſinne) being taken away by the bloud of Chriſt, and therefore if the eternall paine, why not alſo the temporal? what reſeruation did Chriſt make, or his Apoſtles, to ſhew that the ternall pain ſhould be remitted, and the temporall be reſerued only for the Pope, to be pardoned by means of croſſes, medalls, graines, rings, knotted cords, and the like childiſh trinkets? O miſerable blindneſſe that cannot diſcerne ſuch groſſe errours, and ſo great a prophanation of Chriſts merites and ſatisfaction, Sweet Ieſu, open the eyes of all that are thus blinded, let them ſee how the ſacred Scriptures are fooliſhly miſapplied, wickedly wreſted, racked, and moſt impiouſly prophaned for the ſupporting of Romiſh nouelties. I will not ſhew how impertinently other places are applied by Bellarmine for the confirmation of the ſame Romiſh errour, my deſignement not being to write a whole Booke of Confutations, but only to point at the chief obſeruations I made in diuers points of religion inducing me from Romiſh errors and idolatries vnto the light of truth.

4 Vpon further conſideration of indulgences I find alſo,The doctriue of Romiſh In dulgences not ancient. that as they are not eſtabliſhed by Scriptures rightly vnderſtood, ſo neither are they ſupported by antiquity in the primitiue age of the Church. Bellar. cites Greg. the firſt to haue graunted Indulgences in the dayes of ſtations,Bellar. de ſacra. poenit. lib. 5. ca. 3 in 4. diſt. 20. q. 1 artic. 3 quaſt. 2. Alt. ſum Theol. tract. 6. ca. 9. for proofe wherof he citeth Thomas Aquinas; and Altiſiodorenſis who was before Thomas; hee citeth alſo Leo the third, who as S. Lugderus writeth, at Aquiſgraue in the Pallace dedicated a Church to the bleſſed virgin Mary, enduing the ſame Church with many indulgences. He citeth beſides Sergius the ſecond about the yeere 844. who graunted indulgences of three yeares and of three Quadrigenaries vnto thoſe that ſhould viſite the Church of S. Martin vpon the mountaine,Spiſt. de ſanct. Suuiberto apud Sur. tom. 2 poſt S. Suuibert. vpon the feaſt of the ſame Church. He citeth likewiſe Ʋrban the ſecond to haue graunted a plenary indulgence to thoſe that went to the holy warres. Hee citeth alſo Martine the fift to huae graunted a plenarie indulgence: And the Councell of Trent to haue approued alſo the vſe of Indulgences. Amongſt all which cited by Bellarmine, Pope Gregorie the firſt liued in the ſixt centurie, Pope Leo the third, who was ſucceſſour to Pope Adrian the firſt liued in the eight centurie; Sergius the ſecond, ſucceſſor to Gregory the fourth, liued in the ninth century; Ʋrban the ſecond, ſucceſſor to Victor the third, liued in the eleuenth centurie; Pope Martin the fift by ſome called Martin the third, ſucceſſour to Iohn the one and twentieth, liued in the fifteenth centurie, as appeareth in the French Ieſuite Iames Gaultier. Table Chron. de l'eſtate du Chriſtianiſme. Now therefore, when I doe ſeriouſlie conſider theſe aſſertions of Ioannes Ʋiguerius and Cardinall Bellarmine for the practiſe of Indulgences, the ancienteſt they cite is Gregory the great, who liued in the ſixt centurie, which was after the ſowing of much cockle and more hereſies, man being aſleepe; no ſuch practiſe hauing beene knowne by anie Pope before then, whereby it appeareth that their doctrine, euen by their owne aſſertions, about theſe pardons and indulgences is but a new doctrine lately ſprung vp in the chriſtian world and hath not the marke of Antiquitie to ſtand in defence of it.

5 This I find alſo euen by Biſhop Fiſher to be moſt true,Other late writers ſhew the noueltie of Indulgences. who ſaith, That ſo long as there was no care of Purgatorie, no man ſought after Pardons, for on it dependeth the credite of Pardons; When therefore Purgatorie was ſo lately knowne, and receiued in the Church: Aſſert. Luther. confut. art. 18. pag. 86. who now can maruell at Pardons, that in the beginning of the Church there was no vſe of them? Pardons therefore began after that they had trembled a while at the paine of Purgatorie. I find alſo that Durandus ſaieth; There are few things to be affirmed for certainetie concerning Pardons, 4. d. 20. q. 3. becauſe the Scripture ſpeaketh not expreſly of them: and the Saints, Ambroſe, Hillarie, Auguſtine, Ierome ſpeake not of them at all. Caietane alſo the great Schooleman ſaith; There can no certaintie be found of the beginning of paerdons There is no authoritie of the Scripture or auncient Fathers Greeke or Latine that bringeth it to our knowledge. Tra Hat. de Indulg. ca. 1. And Alphonſus ſheweth in verie plaine termes, that they are but nouelties, ſaying; Their vſe ſeeme to haue come but lately into the Church. Haereſ. verbo Indulg. And Henriquez a Ieſuite often cited by the Readers in Rome hath theſe wordes; There bee ceertaine late Dinines which affirme it is no raſhneſſe, Sum mor. li. 7. cap. 3. if a man ſay the vſe and practiſe of Indulgences is not from the Apostles times.

Now, this beeing conſidered which theſe Writers eſteemed moſt learned by their owne aſſociates, doe finde (euen contrary to cardinall Bellarmine, who citeth Scriptures for proofe of Indulgences) that there is no mention of in the holy Scriptures, nor Fathers, nor the ancient Church, I could not but conclude, but that certainely they are nouelties not to bee embraced, the doctrine of them is but cockle that ouergroweth the good corne; it is after-comming, and therefore not to be eſteemed. So that now finding no good ground of theſe Pardons, I can find no truer ground of them in all rpobabilitie, than that the Popes being deſirous to enrich themſelues with money, haue deuiſed them for the emptying of mens purſes throughout all Kingdomes ſubiected to his vſurping authority, like Boniface the ninth, of whom it is written; That he ſent into diuers Kingdomes, his Treaſurors with Pardons, Theod. a mem. de ſciſmat. lib. 1. ca. 68. pag. 20. who extoried thereby very great ſummes of money from the ſimple people: that in ſome one Pronince they would get together aboue an hundred thouſand florens, and releaſed all ſinnes to them that confeſſed vnto them without anie penaunce. Therefore as I ſaid in the beginning anarice cauſed ſpirituall blindeneſſe in Popes, and blindeneſſe, as a puniſhment, confirmeth them more and more in their errors.

6 Is it not ſtrange, conſidering all reaſon to bee againſt this doctrine of Indulgences, that the Church of Rome will by her comminations ſtill curſe thoſe that embrace it not, as the Councell or Trent doth all thoſe, That affirme them to bee vnprofitable, Seſ. 25. decret. de Indulgentijs. or denie anie power to be in the Church to graunt them. What, ſhall not (as I ſaid before) the bloud of Chriſt as well take away the temporall paine due vnto ſinne, as the eternall? or is not his ſatisfaction infinite? what neede then the ſuperfluous ſatisfaction of Saints 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Did the auncient Church euer ſpeake of other Pardons than of the Pardons of outward penances, which ere enioyned for publique ſatisfaction of the Church? Hath not Chriſt fatisfied for the whole world? what neede then of the ſatisfactions of Saints? what more than Indulgences inſtilleth a vaine ſecuritie into the ſoules of men, and ouerthroweth the foundations of all true contrition? is not Gods forgiueſſe and remiſſion expreſſed with an Omne debitum dimiſi tibi: Matth. 18.32. I haue forgiuen thee all thy debt: if euerie debt, why not aſo the debt of temporall paine, if an exception can be ſhewed, why is it not made manifeſt? Now iudge (beloued Reader) whether heere bee not ſufficient reaſon to make mee or anie other ſay farewell vnto the Romiſh Church that thus enthralleth ſoules, prophaneth the bloud of Chriſt, diſableth the Sacraments, and picketh mens purſes by the deuiſed doctrine of her Eccleſiaſticall Indulgences; Deere Ieſu, pardon my former fault, make mee ſee better heereafter, let mee with true compunction for this errour ſay with the holy Prophet Dauid; Erraui ſicut ouis quae perijt, quaere ſeruum tuum: I haue gone aſtray like a loſt ſheepe, ſeeke thy ſeruant, O Lord, Pſalme 119. verſe 176.

ALbeit I finde, that God is to be glorified for the great vertues and priuiledges he beſtoweth vpon his Saints and chiefeſt ſeruants,The doctrine of the Virgine Maries immunitie from originall ſinne doth derogate from the honor of God. yet it is to be done with ſuch moderation and carefull diſcretion, that whileſt wee glorifie him in them, we be warie not to attribute more vnto the Saints than will ſtand with the condition of ſeruants, in giuing that glorie which is due to the maſter, vnto his inferiors: for although God himſelfe haue ſaid, Whoſoeuer ſhall honor me, 1. Reg. I will glorifie him; ſo hath he alſo left it recorded from his owne mouth, I will not giue my glorie vnto any other. Whence it followeth, that although God haue beſtowed ſuch rare and ſingular priuiledges and prerogatiues vpon the virgine Marie, the mother of Chriſt, as he hath not done the like to any creature whatſoeuer, inſomuch, that ſhe her ſelfe knowing and feeling the happineſſe of them, ſaid; All generations ſhall call me bleſſed, 1. Luc. 47. becauſe he hath done me great fauors who is powerfull, and holy be his name: which is to be fulfilled amongſt all good Chriſtians, regarding the word of God, becauſe ſhe was bleſſed indeed aboue all women, for the bleſſed fruit of her womb, as S. Elizabeth ſaid, who being the Redeemer of the world, brought benediction, and ouercame the diuell, the anthor of all malediction. Yet ought not any be ſo much tranſported with an ouer-deeming affection and iudgement to this virgin, as to giue her ſuch glory as ſurpaſſeth the nature of a creature, deſcended from Adam, and onely may be giuen to Chriſt Ieſus, greater in glorie than his mother, who being God and man, was her Sauior, becauſe he came to ſaue all: which benefit ſhe acknowledged her ſelfe moſt thankfully in her Canticle, ſaying, My spirit hath exulted in God my Sauior.

2 And I doe moſt plainely obſerue by the Scriptures,And it is moſt repuguant to Gods word. Rom. 8. Tho. 12. q. 81. that ſhe was to be conceiued as well as others in originall ſinne: for all mankind ſinned in Adam, S. Paule ſaying; Death paſſed to all, in whom all ſinned. And Thomas Aquinas ſayth. According to the Catholike faith it is firmely to be held, that all men beſides Chriſt alone, deriued from Adam, doe contract originall ſinne from Adam. Now if this be a matter of faith, that all haue contracted ſinne from Adam, ſhall it not be againſt faith to hold, that the virgine Marie did not contract ſinne from Adam? What? did ſhe not deſeend from Adam by the line of corporall generation? Or is there any Scripture or reuciation to the contrarie? Is there any exemption of this Virgine? No curtainely: Nay, I dare confidently affirme, that it would haue been a great diſcomfort to this holy Virgine, not to haue been partaker of that ſeet redemption by Chriſt, which others were partakers of. If ſhee were not partaker of the benefit of redemption, why did ſhee ſay,1. Luc. 47. Magnificat anima mea Dom et exultauit ſpiritus m • us in Deo ſalutarimeo: My ſoule doth magniſie the Lord, and my ſpirit doth reioyce in God my Sanior? How could it be true that God was her Sauior, vnleſſe it were by Chriſt? of whom wee read in S. Mathew, Ipſe ſaiuū faciet populū ſuū à peccatis eorū; 1. Matth. 21. He ſhall ſane his people from their ſinnes. If ſhe had onely been preſerued from originall ſinne by extraordinarie priuiledge, ſhe would haue ſaid, that ſhe did reioyce in God her preſeruer: therefore in that ſhe ſaid ſhe reioiced in God her Sauior, according to the phraſe of Scripture, it is right well inferred, that ſhee acknowledged her ſelfe ſaued from originall ſinne by Chriſt, whom ſhee had thus conceiued by the helpe of the holy Ghoſt, without the ſeede of man, to ſaue people from their ſinnes, & ſo conſequently her ſelfe, calling • im her Sauior. If it be true that S. Paul ſayth,Epheſ. 2. Eramus omnes ſilij irae, we were all the children of wrath; and ſivnus pro omnibus mortuus eſt, if one died for all; ergo omnes mortui ſunt, 1. Cor. 2. v. 14. & 15. therefore all died; Et pro omnibus mortuus est Christus, and Chriſt died for all, it neceſſarily followeth, that the virgine Marie was alſo a child of wrath by originall ſinne, through Adam; and that Chriſt, who did for all, died alſo for her; or elſe how can it be verified, that he died for all? If my illation is not to be credited herein, Thomas of Aquin may be demaunded his opinion, and he will be found to agree with me herein;Tho. 3. p.q. 27. art. 2. in corp. his wordes are theſe: The ſanctification of the virgine Marie cannot be vnderſtood before giuing of ſoule or life, for a two-fold reſpect. Firſt, becauſe ſanctification, of which we speake, is no other than a cleanſing from originall ſinne; Cap. 12. de diui. Nomi. parum à principio. for holineſſe is perfect cleaneneſſe, as Dionyſius ſayty: but ſinne cannot be clenſed but by grace, whereunto the reaſonable creature is onely ſubiect: Therefore before the infuſion of the reaſonable ſoule, the bleſſed Virgine was not ſanctified. Secondly, for that ſince onely the reaſonable creature can haue ſinne before the infuſion of the reaſonable ſoule, the fruit conceiued is not obnoxious to ſinne. And therefore by what meanes ſoeuer the bleſſed Virgine was ſanctified, before giuing ſoule or life, ſhee ſhould neuer haue incurred the blot of originall ſinne: and ſo ſhee ſhould not haue ſtood in neede of redemption or ſaluation, which is by Chriſ, of whom it is ſaid, Matth. 1. He ſhall ſaue the people from their ſinnes. But this is inconuenient, that Chriſt ſhould not be the Sauior of all men, as wee reale in the firſt to Timothie, the fourth: Therefore it reſteth, that the ſanctification of the bleſſed virgine was after ſhee receiued ſoule or life. Here then it is apparant, that this their Angelicall Doctor held the virgine Marie to be obnoxious to originall ſinne, becauſe the ſanctification he ſpeakes of (as himſelfe ſayth) is a cleanſing from originall ſinne; as alſo for that he ſheweth, that it would haue beene inconuenient for her not to haue incurred the blot of originall ſinne, becauſe then ſhee ſhould not haue ſtood in neede of redemption. So that I thinke it is hereby plaine by the Scriptures, according to Thomas Aquinas vnderſtanding, that the virgine Marie was conceiued in originall ſinne: and therefore this doctrine is a point of faith.

3. Hence I obſerue farther,The diſagreement in the Church of Rome about the virgine Maries conception. Ban. part. 1. pag. 75. De conſecratione d. 4. firmiſſime. nu. 12. pag. 101. vpon more ſerious conſideration of the doctrine, holding the contrarie, how much the late Diuines of the Romiſh Church, eſpecially the Ieſuites, doe ſwarue from former Diuines, who taught the virgine Marie to be conceiued in originall ſinne. Bannes acknowledgeth, that all the Fathers with one conſent held the virgine Marie to be conceiued in originall ſinne. And Turrecremata ſayes, That almoſt all the Schoolemen held the virgine Marie had originall ſinne; yea, that is the common opinion among the famouſeſt of them, and he hath colleced an hundred of that minde. I obſerue a notable contradiction amongſt ſome Romane Writers in this point. Cardinal Bellarmine indeede commeth neere the truth, when he ſayth, To affirme that the bleſſed virgine was conceiued in originall ſinne, Bellar. de ſtat. peccat. l. 4. c. 15. is not againſt faith. He had ſaid well if he had ſaid, it is de ſide, it is a matter of faith: for is not that a matter of faith which is plaine by the expreſſe word of God, as I haue ſhewed? Yet others ſay ſhee had no originall ſinne,Almain. poteſt. eccleſ. c. 16. Clicto. ſuper Damaſ. l. 3. c. 2. Frac. Titl. Io. 2. and that it is a point of our faith ſo to beleeue, and that it is impietie to thinke otherwiſe. Now if they ſay true, then doe they make the Cardinall an Heretike, when in the ſecond concluſion hee affirmeth, That the bleſſed Virgine is piouſly thought to haue beene conceiued without originall ſinne by the ſingular priuiledge of God. Is that thing to be but piouſly beleeued, which is a point of our faith, as the former ſaid? Or is not that thing againſt faith which is contrarie to that propoſition, which they ſay is a point of faith, and that it is impietie to thinke otherwiſe? But in verie truth, omitting the contradictions of their writings about this doctrine, if we looke but into the inſtitution of the Feaſt of the Virines conception, which they keepe euerie yeare, we ſhall finde it verie nouell, in reſpect of antiquitie, and ſuch occaſions thereof, as are vnfit to ground their doctrine vpon, contrarie to all antiquitie.

4.To. 1. c. 4. tit. 1. p. 6. Anthonie d'Aneroult in his Hiſtoricall Catechiſme ſheweth, how the Feaſt of the Conception of the Virgine Marie was inſtituted, which he recounteth in this manner: William the Duke of Normandie,An apparition whereupon this doctrine was grounded, and the Feaſt of her Conception firſt inſtituted. a man fearing God, after he had conquered England, and reformed the Church in the ſame Kingdome, was aduertiſed, that the Dacians made preparations for the warres againſt him: Whereupon he ſent the Abbot Herſinus vnto them, to know the truth of their deſignements. The Abbot then being vpon his returne at ſea, was ſurpriſed with ſuch a tempeſtuous ſtorme, that he and all his people were in danger of their liues, if they had not ſought for ſuccour of the virgine Marie: for as they inuoked her with all the deuotion they could, behold there came from Heauen a venerable Perſonage, apparrelled like a Biſhop; who after he had ſaluted the Abbot, ſaid vnto him, Will you be deliuered from this danger? he anſwered, that he deſired nothing more. Know you then (ſaid the Perſonage) that I am ſent from the virgine Marie to aduertiſe you, that you ſhall be deliuered from all danger, if you will obey me. Commaund (ſaid the Abbot) all that you pleaſe, and you ſhall be willingly obeyed. Hereafter then (ſaid he) you ſhall keepe a ſolemne Feaſt of the Conception of the virgine Marie, and in preaching you ſhall declare that it is to be kept. The abbot asking vpon what day it ſhould bee kept, and what Seruice the Church ſhould ſay thereon, he anſwered, it ſhould be kept the eight of December, and for the Seruice they ſhould take that of the Natiuitie, putting the word Conception in lieu of Natiuitie.Anno 1060. Then the Perſonage vaniſhed away, the ſtorme ceaſed, and the Abbot eſcaped with all his companie, and afterward performed his promiſe. Is not this a ſtrong foundation to build an article of Faith vpon? Let the circumſtances be conſidered; as that the Biſhop that appeared comming from the virgine Marie, vſed ſuch great familiaritie with the Abbot, as to ſalute him; that he appeared in a ſtorme, when wicked ſpirits are buſieſt; that he willed him to keepe a Feaſt of that act concerning the bleſſed Virgine, which cannot be freed from ſinne; and iudge whether it be not time to flye to the Scriptures reuealed from God, when ſuch viſions muſt ſerue (as it is probably deuiſed by the diuell, to delude men withall) for the eſtabliſhment of a new article of faith, as diuers of the Romane Church hold this to be. It may be this viſion might be ſuch a one, as I haue ſometimes heard of the like nature, by a certaine Gentleman, as acquaintance of mine; who told mee, that one appeared vnto him in the forme of a Biſhop, telling him he muſt be a Romane Catholike, if he would be ſaued, and that he ſhould trauell ouer the ſeas, eſcape many dangers, acquainting him with future euents, concerning the Earle of Eſſex and himſelfe, which he would not ſpeake of. Which viſion ſome of his kindred gaue credit vnto, and furthered him in his iourney. And I haue heard ſince, when his money was ſpent beyond the ſeas, he returned home againe, and finding himſelfe deluded by his viſion, embraced againe his former religion, and continueth in it to this day. Some Romaniſts haue thought that this viſion was but an inuention, that thereby hee might finde a few golden peeces out of his friends, the better to maintaine his trauailes. The truth of his viſion I leaue to his owne conſcience; but this I may truely ſay, there is a great reſemblance betwixt his and the Abbots: and therefore, in my iudgement, if the Diuell played the Biſhop in the one, he might as well doe it in the other.

5. Another apparition to the ſame effect. Ibidem, part. 7. Dionyſ. Cor. ſer. 2. Conc. Be. Mariae. Polbert. ibid. I haue noted another apparition recorded by diuers Writers of the Church of Rome, tending to the ſame purpoſe, viz to make good the doctrine of the Virgine Maries conception, without originall ſinne. In the time of Charles, King of Fraunce, a certaine young man, nephew to the King of Hungarie, loued ſo much the Virgine Marie, and was ſo addicted to her ſeruice, that daily before he eate any thing, he ſayed her Houres: who falling vpon a time into a great infirmitie and ſickneſſe, vowed his chaſtitie vnto her, if ſhe would helpe to ſaue his life. Forthwith the chamber was repleniſhed with a great light, and he was reſtored to his health. Soone after his vncle died without iſſue, which made the Lords of the Countrey to perſuade him to enter into the eſtate of Marriage, to the end the Kingdome may not be without heires, offering him a faire Ladie, which he married. But after he had receiued the bleſſing, he remembred, that he had not yet that day read our Ladies office, he retyred himſelfe to ſay them the more deuoutly, ſending the Ladie Bride, with the reſt of the companie, home to his houſe; and when he ſaid that Anthieme, Pulchra es & decora filia Hieruſalem; that is to ſay, Thou art faire and gracious, O daughter of Ieruſalem; ſuddainely the virgine Marie appeared vnto him, with two Angels attending her, and ſaid vnto him; If I am faire, honeſt, and gracious, as thou ſayeſt, wherefore doeſt thou forſake mee for another? am not I more beautifull than ſhe? O Ladie (ſaid he) your beautie ſurpaſſeth all the beautie of the world, thou art exalted aboue the Angels: what is your pleaſure that I ſhould doe? If you leaue (ſaid ſhe) your carnall eſpouſe for the loue of me, you ſhall haue me for wife in Heauen, and if you will keepe a yearely ſolemne Feaſt euerie yeare vpon the eight day of December, of my conception, teaching others to keepe it, you ſhall be crowned with me in the Kingdome of my Sonne. When ſhe had ſpoken theſe wordes, ſhee vaniſhed out of ſight; and the young man tranſpoeted himſelfe out of the Citie and Kingdome into a Wilderneſſe, where his comportement was ſo holy, that ſince he was made Patriarch of Aquil • ia, where hee preached and inſtituted the ſaid Feaſt. Collections vpon this ſtorie. Iudge now (gentle Reader) whether this be an apparition likely to come from Heauen, when that which is commaunded here, is ſo expreſſely againſt the word of God, inuiting from that ſtate of marriage which the Apoſtle calleth honourable, vnto the ſeruice of that fained, and deuiſed priuiledge of the Virgin Maries Conception without originall ſinne, which I haue already ſhewed to be expreſly repugnant to the word of God, and therefore diametrally againſt faith. Beſides, the inſtitution it ſelfe is ſo late, that it appeareth to bee cockle ſowed by the enuious man the Deuill, not by Chriſt or his Apoſtles, and therefore not to be receiued by thoſe who know Antiquitie to bee the infallible marke of truth. The due obſeruation of all which premiſes conſidered in this Chapter, was as forcible an inducement to leade my feete out of the dangerous waies of Romiſh nouelties, as any other; therefore (curteous Reader) let me intreate thee with me to call the Virgin Marie moſt bleſſed amongſt women, as truly ſhee was vpon earth, and is ſo alſo in heauen in the glorie of her ſoule, but thinke her not yet ſo bleſſed, as in this point of her Conception to paralell her with Chriſt, and to attribute more vnto her then will ſtand with the nature of a pure Creature, and derogate from her that moſt bleſſed benefit of her Redemption by Chriſt. And further conſider, that if the approbation but of one hereſie argueth infidelitie, and ſheweth no true faith in other points, as the Church of Rome teacheth; then are they, who are led with this errour, no true beleeuers at all.