CHAP. 1.

THese sixe yeares bygone I haue beene a stranger to God and his Word, and haue lyen in darknesse of Poperie, ne­uer reading the Scriptures for the right end, but only to picke out something of them for contraversie, whereby I might brangle with some colour and appearance these who makes the Lords Word the only rule of their Religion: euen as many moe Schollers than I, doe read them still, who sets themselfe to maintaine Poperie, and oppugne the reformed Religion. But now the Lord God who is gratious and mercifull to many that deserues wrath, who is found often-times of them who seekes him not▪ or seeks him not the right way, hath opened my eyes by the power of his owne trueth and light, which I in my ignorance smothred downe, and keeped vnder in vn­righteousnesse, and hath made mee vnderstand now, that there is no Rocke whereon to rest that▪ Soule [Page 2] that seeks certaintie either of Religion, or of Salvation, but the holy Scripture, and that learned mens judge­ment, and writings, and the testimonie of the Church and publicke Preaching, and conference, and reading, and meditation, and prayer to God for the Spirit of Wisedome and grace, are all but meanes to point out the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the World, and to finde out his will set downe in his Testament. So that I may now say truelie, the Lord hath brought mee out of an horrible and darke Pit, where the light of the Lords Word is hid, and put vnder a Bushell, and out of the myrye and teugh clay of their errours, which defyled mee and held mee fast, wherein J found no ground to rest on, but sunke deeper dayly, and should haue drowned at last, had not the Lord pulled mee out, and set my feete vpon a Rocke, and ordered my goings. The summe of which worke of God, as I haue declared to sundrie priuatly, and now of late publickly, in the Church of Irwing, before my admission to the Lords Table there, the 26. of August, 1627. so J found my selfe oblidged to declare the same by write to all men if I could, and that so much the more, as I haue beene more wicked in the wrong way than ma­ny others, who haue beene seduced and drawne a­way from the trueth as I was, for J hauing drunken in the errours of Poperie as fast as I could at home, went ouer to France and Italie, and other parts; and by the space of foure yeares, what by trauells, what by conference, what by studying in the Colledges of Jesuites, made my selfe as able as I could to defend Poperie, and oppose true Religion: and when I [Page 3] returned home did what I could to pervert others, and to confirme them that were seduced: and convoyed Jesuits oftentimes where their purpose was to further their designes, sometimes beeing disaguised with them for feare of discouerie, to the hurt of many Souls (the Lord forgiue mee) for whose cause I doe write this my declaration, if possiblie it comming to their handes might bee a meane to cause them considder their wayes, and repent, and forsake their Idols, and turne to seeke the Lord Jesus, who will teach all them James 1. 5, John 14 16. the true way, who seekes the same by prayer of God through Christ alone, and so the woundes might bee healed in Gods mercie, which I helped to giue these Souls in my blind zeale: the recouerie againe of whose Souls without any detriment to their bodilie estate worldly, is and shall bee euer my desire: only the Lord giue them Repentance, and make my Repentance dayly more fruitfull, that J may bee as truelie zealous for the trueth, as euer I was blinde forward against the same.

CHAP, 2.

TO show then the whole matter from the be­ginning to the glory of God, and edification of all who pleases to peruse these presentes without prejudice, J was brought vp in the Colledge of Glasgow, and did passe, my course vnder learned [Page 4] godly Masters, who did their diligence to instruct both me and others in human Learning and Religion, as time wold suffer: but I in my youthlinesse did not lay Religi­on to heart, and therfore was justly punished thereafter: for within halfe an yeere after I ended my course in the Colledge, I was infected with the errours of Po­perie, (so iust a thing it is with God to punishe the neglect of trueth with giuing ouer to errour that they may belieue lyes, who will not take paines to vnder­stand the trueth) for an Papist of my acquaintance, who had beene out of the Countrie, a Scholler sharpe enough, began to deale with mee, and put mee in question and doubt, concerning the Religion profes­sed in Scotland, so much the more easilie as I vnder­stood it not at that time. Then when J should haue sought satisfaction of my doubts at those who vnder­stood the trueth, before J had giuen any more eare to him that seduced mee, J lent my eare still, and gaue credite to all that hee spake, without examination according to the Scriptures (so dangerous a matter is it to admit any grounds of Religion without trying them by the rule of Gods Word; whether they bee divine or not) and so he possessed mee, what by him­selfe, what by Books, what by conference with Priests and others, of these erroneous positions following.

1 First, that the Romane Church was the mother Church, only true Catholicke and Apostolicke.

2 2. That the Scriptures did not containe all things needfull for Saluation, but was an vnperfect rule of Religion.

3 3. And that traditions must bee ioyned therewith, which were of equall authoritie with the Scripture.

4 4. That the Scripture was obscure and dangerous to be read by laickes.

5 5. That to the Church of Rome belonged to giue the sense of it, and that their exposition was as good as Scripture.

6 6. That the Church of Rome was iudge of all con­traversies of Religion.

7 7. That the Church of Rome could not erre.

8 8. That Saint Peter was Pope of Rome.

9 9. And that all the Popes since, were his lawfull successours, Christs Vicars, heads of the Church and had authoritie aboue the Scriptures, and that he bare the Keyes of Heauen, and could not erre in doctrine, and no Saluation without the Roman Church for any Soule, and such like. Those grounds I drunke in, supposing them all to bee true; wherevpon my minde was casten open to belieue euery thing which they commanded mee to belieue; and whatsoeuer the Church did belieue, without any further exami­nation. So J was receiued amongst Papists, and ad­mitted to their Masse, heere at home. Then beeing desirous to haue further insight in the Romish Re­ligion, J went ouer to France, and stayed there a sea­son, conversing with Jesuits in their Colledges. Ther­after J went to Rome to the head spring of that Re­ligion, and stayed there some eight Monthes, but was forced to leaue it through sicknesse, and retiering to West-Flanders, J stayed in a seminarie, and studied in a Colledge of Jesuites some two yeares, all which time I remained obedient to all their injunctions giuen vnto mee, and albeit many things occurred in my trauells, which perplexed my minde, making me [Page 6] doubt of the course I was entered into, yet I smothred all downe, by the weight of these groundes, which J had laid downe in the beginning, and namelie, of this that the Church of Rome could not erre.

CHAP. 3.

I Obserued their Church-men of greatest account and Wisedome among them, to lay heauie burthens and grieuous to bee borne vpon o­thers, but they themselues tooke litle paines in the businesse. They professed for the most parte volun­tarie pouertie one by one; but the yearely Rents and common Purse, whereof euery man was furnished as he had to doe was verie rich. I saw some of their Orders liue by begging and Almes, who would short­ly haue forsaken the craft, if there had beene any dan­ger in that course, either of hunger or cold, more than they pleased to take vpon themselues, and make show of: Yet I thought their Church coulde not erre. They professed to bee so retired from the Worlde, as they could thinke of nothing but Heauen, and yet tooke the most wittie courses that could bee, to vn­derstand all mens effaires, designes and disposition, and then made use of them all as best serued their owne ends. They professed humilitie, but laboured in effect to bee in honour and estimation by all, and were as impatient to bee despysed as any man: their speciall paines beeing imployed, to bring moe [Page 7] and moe vnder their subiection, vnder pretence of ma­king them religious. Yet J thought still their Church could not erre. I saw the Pope who calls himselfe Peters successour, and his Cardinals busked in the greatest riches, and worldly honour that can bee in the Earth, and in the meane time casting the glory of the Apostles, the preaching of the Gospell, at their heeles, as vnbeseeming their Grandour. When the Pope came abroad hee was carried in a gorgeous Chaire, vpon foure mens shoulders, and all men as he went by, kneeled direct to the ground, in effect a­dored him, as one invested with Christs power and preheminence in the earth, and owner of Christs ho­nour in the World, as his Legat and Lieutenant, and so I honoured him amongs others my selfe. And yet I thought all well for this presumption that the Church could not erre. I saw the Church men take direct courses that the common-People should never vnder­stand what they or themselues were doing: for their Masses and publick services all was done in an vnknown language to the People, and for their ordinare Pray­ers, they inioyned for the most part to say them in La­tine, though they vnderstood not the same. (Indeed heere in Scotland, because such proceeding hath giuen distaste to sundrie by appearance, libertie is giuen to those who please to haue them in the vulgare language else where J haue not seene this so ordinarly practi­sed) Next by all meanes they laboured that the com­mon-People either had not the Bible in their vulgare language, or else that they red it not, or if any read it, that they should not presume to take any part of it in any sense contrare to the doctrine and practise of [Page 8] the Roman Church, but instead thereof, J saw they filled their heads and hands with Jmages and Beads Agnus Deis, meddals and reliques and bookes of Prayer to this Saint, and to that Saint, and the office of our Lady as they call the Virgine Mary, and the legends of such and such miracles done by Saints departed, as they alledge. Such stuffe as these a man trauelling will finde in mens houses, but seldome or neuer the Bible, and oftner mention will he heare of the Virgine Mary, than of our Lord and Sauiour, and the fairest Churches and Chappels you shall finde dedicate to the Virgine Mary, and to Saint Peter, and Saint Paul, & others, some hee, some shee Saints, to whose Chapells and Churches, you shall finde dayly numbers going in Pilgrimage or visitation and offering their offerings and Prayers before such an Altar, to one Saint to keepe them from the Pest, to another, to keepe them from the Ague, to this Saint, for their Kyne, to that Saint for their Horses, in such varietie as I cannot number: for there are particulare Saintes for all dis­eases, whom to, at seuerall times by Prayers and of­ferings, ordinarly they haue their recourse to bee hel­ped. Yet I thought all well thinking the Romish Church could not erre. At Rome it selfe, I remarked a Church, whose Patrone (if I remember) is common­ly called in vulgare speach, Saint Aloy, and hath power, as they say, to heale Horses, or keep them from their dis­eases. To this Church once in the yeere all the Horses of Rome, the Popes horses and Cardinals, Counsellours and Citizens horses are brought, and when they come to the Fount where the holy water stands, I saw one of the Priests sprinkle holy water on the horse fore­head, [Page 9] and another Priest receiue the offering that vseth to be giuen at that time; by which meanes that Church and all these that waite vpon it are vpholden, and thus it is done in other places, and for seuerall dis­eases of men and beastes. All this J approued, sup­posing the Church of Rome could not erre. Nei­ther doe I speake these things without pittie of the estate of the poore Soules so abused: for J my selfe who had seene better thinges, and should haue had better vnderstanding, as a scholler, by tying my selfe without further warrand, to beleeue as the Church beleeues, and beleeuing the Church of Rome could not erre, for that time allowed or forced my minde to allow of all these abominable Idolatries, and mul­titude of false Gods, and was as busie to pray to all the Saints as any man, and said my Prayers, Pater noster, Ave Marie, and Confiteor vpon my beids, as care­fully as the most ignorant old Wife among them. J keeped constantly the Matines and Vespers, and Salute, said the office of the dead, my long letanies and my [...], I approued their making of holy wa­ter, consecrating of meddals, beads. Agnus Deis &c. Also that there was some divine vertue in making the signe of the Crosse before my breast, for ex­pelling the Deuill for the time from me, I beleeued I was as cleane as glasse, when the Priest did shrive and absolve mee. I haue come with others to meete a procession of sundrie sorts of Church men, carying a consecrated hostie, which they did relate was Christ himselfe, carried throughout the streetes▪ J haue fal­len downe before it, worshiped and adored it, with many others supposing it was Christ bodilie present, [Page 10] when I was present at Masse I did the same vpon the same presumption, J beheld the bread of the hostie before it was consecrate as they call it, I beheld it when it was consecrated, and when it was lifted vp, I saw bread as clearly as J saw the Priests hand that held it vp, J opened my mouth, and the Priest put it in my mouth, I saw btead with my eyes, I smel­led it, J felt it, I tasted and discerned it as sensiblie as ever I did bread in my life, yet I beleeued that it was not bread, but Iesus Christ corporally present, put in my mouth, and going downe my bellie, though all senses (which God hath euer made the faithfull witnesses of all miraculous changes whereof we read in Scripture) did testifie the contrare, I gaue them all the lye, because I beleeued as the Church beleeued, and belieued that the Church of Rome could not erre. Thus I who would not beleeue the Trueth, was giuen ouer to such fearefull superstition and strong delusion, that J might beleeue lyes.

CHAP. 4.

THese things were common to mee, and all o­thers of the Romish Religion, but J went yet further than the common course, and was yet more besotted by this delusion, for I haue beene clark to the masse, helped the Preist to the saying of it, lif­ting the masse Booke, now from the right hand to the left, now from the left to the right backe againe, [Page 11] Now kneeling, now standing, now bowing and ben­ding the body, now knocking on my breast, now ma­king the signe of the crosse at the eleuation. I haue born vp the Priests taile with the one hand, hauing a burning torch in the other hand, sometimes giuing him Wine and water in a Chalice, sometimes one thing, sometimes another, as such like service did require. I entred my self yet further in their snare, and became one of the sodalitie of our Lady. (This sodalitie tyes none to any Ecclesiasticall order, for therein with their approba­tion, all Rankes of Persons may be, so they use their particu­lar devotion to our Lady) which is an ordour wherein especiallie all devout students in Colledges by a so­lemne oath and invocation of the Virgine Mary are tyed to vse speciall deuotion all their dayes to her, and to de­fend her name, where euer they come, and to depend vpon her as their Lady Patronesse, and lady aduocate with God for them. O fearefull Idolatrie! and yet I swalowed it then, beleeuing as the Church beleeued, and that she could not erre, and obeying as diuine truth what their Church commanded.

Last of all J was in tearmes with the Iesuits to haue ren­dred my self of that order, and to haue taken on their threefold vow, the third whereof, which is of a blind & absolute obedience to the superiors of that order, renuncing both my will and iudgment (as their Father Ignatius His Epi­stle to his Brethren in Lusi­tania. calls it) and to follow al their injunctions without asking question to goe, or to stay, to do or to suffer whatsoeuer they thought good to enjoyne mee for the Catholick cause and good of the Roman Church, This oath J saye I could not get digested. For therby J should haue bene bound, if they had thought it fit to enjoyne mee for [Page 12] the advancement of the Catholick cause, to haue beene an instrument of all the mischiefe that they could de­vise against my natiue Countrie, and vnder colour of relieving soules to doe what any hath done or attemp­ted in that blind obedience. Skarring therefore at this oath, I came home, and yet forced my self still to keep the former grounds of Religion: whereby I was made obstinat in errour, and vntoward to be dealt with by a­ny who wold haue studied to reclaime me: Yet it plea­sed God at last to force in his own truth vpon my con­science, that I began to smell sundrie of their errours, and specially of the sacrifice of the Masse and transub­stantiation, that I began to examine these groundes of the Roman Religiō which I had drunk in the beginning if they could beare me out before God or not: where­in finding my selfe miserablie mistaken, and so long by that meanes abused, freelie and of my own accord, not beeing dealt with by any, J addressed my selfe for con­ference with the Ministerie of Edinburgh, Falkirke and Glasgow: who all louingly and learnedly gaue mee so­lution to all my doubts, and furthered this worke of God in helping home a forlorne Sonne to his Fathers house againe.

Now for all the particular reasons why I call their masse and transubstantiation an errour, and the grounds of their Religion vnwarandable, and why J haue renun­ced their particular errours builded thereon, it were not convenient to set them all down here: partly because it wold accresse to a volume, partly because in substance they are the same that are learnedlie set down by these who handles the contrauersies against the Church of Rome. Only J will content my selfe to shew some few [Page 13] things of many. First, concerning their Religion in ge­nerall. Next, concerning their masse, adding therto com­pendiously in the third place, some few things of their common absurdities maintained by them.

CHAP. 5.

THis Romish Religion is a mysterie: it makes show to hold the common groundes of Christi­anitie, but by her deedes everts them. The first principles of the Romish errours doe resolue vpon these two, the imperfection of the Scripture, and the peerelesse prerogatiue of the Church of Rome. As for the imperfection of the Scripture, they alledge that it does not containe all things necessarie for Sal­vation, but place must bee left for traditions, that is, vnwriten doctrinall poynts, and ancient customes long vsed in the Church, as also for Ecclesiasticall constitu­tions, and determinations or definitive sentences in matters controverted: all which they alledge must haue equall authoritie in mens mindes with the Scrip­tures.

Next, they alledge that these points necessarie to Salua­tion, which are set down in Scripture are not cleare and plaine in the Scripture, but that the Scripture is obscure and doubtsome, and therefore is neither necessarie nor [Page 14] expedient that it should bee translated, that it is a dan­gerous thing for laicks to read it: wherein, to any that will looke narrowlie vpon the matter, they bewray a secreet feare, if they bee hemde in into the rule of the Scriptures, they cannot iustifie with any colour the a­bundance of their errours.

Thirdly, evidently they show that the reading of the Scriptures by laicks shuld breed moe doubts about their Religion than they could bee able to solve, and giue them such insight in this Religion, that these whom they keepe now in the chaines of darknesse and blinde be­liefe causing them to doe, and suffer and beleeue what they please, could not but break the yock if they grew acquainted with the Scripture.

Fourthlie, they bewray the Spirit of Antichrist, who thus vnder faire pretences sclander Christ Jesus. who hauing taken vpon him, as the great Prophet and Do­ctour of his Church, to reveale the whole Counsell of God concerning mens Saluation, and caused set it downe in Scripture, yet hath come short of his pur­pose, as their doctrine importes, and neither hath set downe all things needfull, nor these clearly which are set downe, but obscurely, ambiguously and dangerou­sly, that it is not safe for common People to read the same: and so by these meanes they breed a misregard of the Scripture of Christ in mens hearts, and skarres Christs sheepe as long as they can from hearing what the Spirit of Christ sayeth to his Churches.

As for the peerelesse prerogatiue of the Church of Rome, the first is, that she cannot erre. If wee aske how this can bee, since they cannot name six men liuing of the Romish Religion, of whom they either dare or wil avow [Page 15] but they may erre, and are subject thereto, nor three, nor two. They will answere, that yet there is one who is head of all the rest of that Religiō, the Pope, who cannot erre, all the rest of the Church-men of that profession being gathered together without him, or without his minde, sent by his Legat or Nuncio to them, they grant they may erre, only he cannot erre. So then in stead of the Church of Rome, we haue the Pope, whose councill of Cardinals they will ioyne with him for lusters cause: but the infallibilitie of doctrine they place in none but the Pope only. By vertue of this prerogatiue of the Pope they ascribe great things to the Church of Rome, vnder this pretence all her traditions are Apostolicke, albeit they bee not in Scripture, because they are come down, as is alledged; through the Apostolicke channell of the Popes infallibilitie. Vnder this pretence all her cu­stomes and obseruations are Catholicke and Aposto­licke, and all her Ecclesiasticke constitutions, and defi­nitive sentences in matters contraverted are of diuine authoritie as they alledge, and doe oblige men to be­liefe & obedience no lesse than the Scripture. Yea, vnder this pretence the Scripture hath no authoritie in respect of these who beleeue it, wherfore it shuld persuade them or be credited more than the fables of Esope, but as much as the Church of Rome allowes vpon it. Vnder this pre­tence, when other Churches doechallenge the Roman Church for any fault or errour, shee takes vpon her to bee judge in all controuersies betwixt her selfe and o­thers. The Greeke Church for example in Asia chal­lenges her of vsurpation aboue other Churches; shee will be iudge, challenges her of defection from Apo­stolicke doctrine, shee will bee iudge: challenges her [Page 16] of not doing as shee ought to doe, or Christs spouse ought to do, shee will be iudge: yea, shee will giue the sense of the Scripture and the exposition of it as shal best serue to iustifie her owne cause: and if any man shall take a sentence of Scripture otherwise than shee al­lowes them, than that sentence so taken shall not bee accounted Scripture. These and other such like con­sequences they draw and deduce from this one foun­taine, That the Church of Rome can not erre. Aske a­gaine of them, why cannot your Pope erre, seeing he is a sinfull man as well as others, as they will not de­ny, and they least of all who are best acquaint with the Popes priuate conuersation, seeing it is possible that the Cardinalls (who are subiect to errour, especi­ally when their head is dead, and a new Pope not yet created) seeing they may erre in choosing an vnfit man for so great a charge, what warrand can they show to giue assurance that such a Pope cannot erre. They answere at last, albeit they shift possibliea while, becaus Saint Peter was head of the whole Catholick Church in his time hauing supreme authoritie and the fulnesse of pastorall power in doctrine and gouernment ouer the rest of the Apostles, and all the Churches of the Worlde. Saint Peter so qualified say they, was Bishop of Rome, and there is his Chaire, and the Popes are his only lawfull successours, inuested lawfully by God in the same Apostolicke authoritie, ouer all the sheepe of Christ, and all that may bee sheepe in the World, and is as infalliblie assisted by the holy Spirit as euer the Apostle Saint Peter was, after the descending of the holy Ghost vpon him, in the Pentecost. This is the key­stone of their whole building: this is the Pillar of whole [Page 17] Popedome: if this stand, the better for them: if this fall, all goes to the ground, and all that is builded thereon: for if either they faile in prouing Saint Peters supremacie, or his Romish Episcopacie, or the Popes lawfullsuc­cession in Apostolick authoritie, and other priuiledges, then the Popes infallibilitie, and the Roman Churches certaintie, with all their traditions, customes, consti­tutions and all the rest of that worke of theirs builded thereon shall hurle to the ground together.

CHAP. 6.

TO examine then these grounds, that ther­by some taste may be giuen briefly of that Cup, which Rome propynes to the World, and the Princes therof to drinke, that they may fall in loue with her; J will say no­thing to the Apostolicke authoritie of the Lords deare servant Saint Peter, nor to his personall prerogatiue in age, in time of following Christ, in zeale and painful­nesse in his calling: Yet let me vindicate him a litle from that iniurie which his pretended successours doe him: who father the basphemous titles of their Antichristian vsurpation and tyrannie ouer Gods Church vpon him. For this peerelesse power above the whole Apostles, & headship of the Church which they alledge is a thing [Page 18] which without blasphemie cannot bee ascribed to any mortall man: because Christ in his holy Scripture claims this for his owne royall prerogatiue to bee head of his Church, and to haue the Church his body and not ano­thers; To bee the husband of his Church, and to haue the Church his spouse, and not anothers: for these be­longs to the Sauiour of the Church, who is Christ only, and not another, and therefore these three styles areEphes. 5. 23. joyned together and ascribed to him. And this supre­macie of Peter ouer the Apostles is a forgerie only of these who would haue some scugge for their vsurpa­tion:Math. 28. 19. Matth. 23. 8. 9. Marke 9. 33 34. Luk. 22. 26. 1. Pet. 5. 3. 4. for Christ gaue all his Apostles equall Cōmission, equalled them as brethren, and discharged any of them to take any maioririe or supremacie one ouer another: And when in their infirmitie they strove for it Christ rebuked them: and the night before hee suf­fered discharged the same absolutly among them. Next Peter himselfe disclaimes this supremacie, and a­scribes it only to Iesus Christ, and discharges all Do­minion and Lordship ouer the Lords inheritance. And the Apostle Paul testifies the trueth of this, for magni­fying his Apostleship, he avows he was nothing inferior2 Corin. 11. 5. Gal. 1. 1. 16. 17. 18. 1. Cor. 3. 21. 22. to the chiefest Apostles: And declares that hee recea­ued his Apostleship from Christ immediatlie, and exer­cised it sundrie yeares before he saw Peter: and dischar­geth all to glorie in men, whether Paul or Cephas, that is, Peter, or Apollos or any other. But because this is not the maine matter, let vs come to that wherevpon all stands. How proue they that Peter was at Rome or Bishop there? or that God hath tied his Spirit to who­soeuer should bee Bishop of Rome after him. So weigh­tie a matter as the Popes standing or falling, so [Page 19] maine an Article of Roman Catholick Faith, the only Pillar of the Romish Religion, the ground of the remis­sion of so many sinnes, of sauing or damning so many Soules, hath neede of expresse, direct and ample war­rand from the divine Scripture; or else of need force the weight of Roman Religion is builded upon the sand, and hath no warrand from God, Let them but show vs one testimonie out of all the holy Scripture that Saint Peter was properly Bishop of Rome▪ and next let them show any testimonie out of the same Scripture, that the Popes of Rome are priuiledged from erring, more than other men, and are indued with as infallible assistance of the holy Spirit as Peter. They will produce to vs their owne flatterers and old storie writers, who both in those maters and others disagree among themselves. But who are these that the Soules of so many thousands should bee grounded vpon their worde? to speake nothing of the fables that is found in them, and of the small respect that the Church of Rome carries to them, when they seeme to make any thing against them. There­fore I say againe, let them produce divine warrand out of the Scripture, or els let me be iustified, who after the tryall of their falshood and deceat, haue departed from them as seducers, who when J followed their grounds to the vttermost, could giue mee no warrand, for the grounds whereon all their Religion stands, but such as are taken from behind the Bible from lying mens words and forged histories, supposititous treatises of the fauo­rites of Rome, & helpers vp of their monstruous head the Pope, aboue the Church: either let them proue these prime Pillars of their Religion, or else let all Catho­lickes who in their heart would faine bee at Christ [Page 20] forsake their seducers as J haue done vpon iust grounds▪ But becaus it is impossible for thē to proue S. Peter pro­per Bishop of Rome from Scripture, far lesse that all the Popes of Rome since the Apostles time were as infalli­blie assisted with the holy Spirit and set vp in the same Apostolick authoritie that he had, J will say something against these for such as faine would know the right, to thinke vpon, till they proue the same groundes out of Scripture. The Scripture giues great probabili­tie that Peter was not in Rome at all, farre lesse to fixe his Episcopall Chaire there: For first, before Paul did write to the Romans, Peter was not at Rome far lesse Bishop of Rome: for then Paul should haue made some mention of him, confirmed his doctrine, commended his labour, and saluted him among the first, but this he doth not. Secondly, Christianitie would not haue beene so vn­couth to the Iewes at Rome who desired to heare of it byAct 28 22. 2 Tim. 4 16. Paul as a noueltie, if Peter had beene there before Paul came to bee prisoner. Thirdlie, when Paul was arraigned before Caesar, all forsooke him. Therefore Peter was not there: except they will lay a second deniall of Christ vpō him▪ Jn all his Epistles written when hee was prisoner at Rome, he tels who were his helpers, among whom Pe­ter is neuer mentioned. Last of all it is writen how Peter Gal. 2. 7. 8. 9. preached among the circumcision and prospered in the Gospell, and Paul preached among the Gentiles and prospered. Then how Peter and Paul with some o­thers made a couenant that Paule should preach to the Gentiles, and Peter to the circumcision, that is, that Saint Paul should exercise his Apostolicke office, espe­cially among the Gentiles, and Peter his among the Jewes. From hence I reason, if Peter had either beene, [Page 21] or purposed to haue beene Bishop of Rome, hee would not haue made that paction, that Paul should preach to the Gentiles, of whom, the Romanes were a part, and taken himself to the Jewes for his lot. But that hee did make this Paction or couenant is euident out of the place cited: therefore neither was Peter Bishop of Rome, nor purposed to bee Bishop of it: if they say hee was Bishop before this Couenant, then he forsooke his Bishopricke; if they say after, then hee broke his Couenant, and changed his minde, and did contrare to his purpose. He that considers the nature of the Apo­stleship, & of a Bishoprick properly taken, will see that this ground of theirs is a fiction, for to make an Apostle proper Bishop of any Town, is to digraduate him from his Apostolick office, as far, as to make the Pope of Rome Parish-priest in a landward Village. Lastly it wants not a mysterie that they can not make out the suppu­tation of these yeeres which their common opinion as­cribes to Peters bishoping at Rome: as likewise they can not reconcile the different opinions anent Peters imme­diat successors whether it was Linus, Clemens, or Cletus: A wonder it is that the fastening of the body of pope­dome to Saint Peter shuld be so vncertaine: but the truth is, that God heereby would declare to these who are not blinded, that the misterie of iniquitie lurketh vn­der these, and the like mists: This for Peters not beeing at Rome. Now that the Pope is not lawfull successour to Peter in his Apostolicke office, J cleare it thus, he hath neither Apostolicke office, nor Apostolicke qua­lification, nor Apostolicke calling and entrie to the of­fice hee pretends. Therefore hee cannot bee either lawfull successour to Peter or any of the Apostles in [Page 22] that Apostolicke charge. The office of Peter and o­thers the Apostles, was, to goe and teach, and bap­tize all Nations; that is, in their owne proper person, to goe from place to place, by preaching to plant Churches and to establish them. But the Popes of Rome stayes in their palaces, and neither teaches, nor baptizes. Therefore in their office they are not their successours. Secondlie, Peter and others Apostles were immediatly called, and entered into their office by Jesus Christ himselfe: but the Popes are chosen by their owne Creaturs, the Cardinals, who neither haue their owne office of God, nor power of God to giue such office to the Pope. Thirdly, Peter and o­ther Apostles were authorised to write canonicall Scripture, and were indued with the gift of miracles, God testifieing to the World his extraordinar Commis­sion giuen to them: so are not the Popes qualified: therefore they are not Peters successours. Thus I haue showne that one of the two greatest pillars of Poperie stands vpon the sand.

CHAP. 7.

THe veritie of this, first is cleare by the te­stimonie of their Popes and Cardinalls, who for the most parte are of noble birth in this Worlde, the second or third sonnes of Princes, and great men in Italie, Spaine, Germanie and other partes where the Romish Religion hath place, by whose Kin­red, friendship and Allyance, the Pope and Popedome [Page 23] is strengthned in al places. Next for every Nation, among the rest for Scotland, England and Ireland, there are ap­pointed Cardinals protectors, as they call them, at Rome, & men who haue Church offices & honor at Rome to al­lure & draw in by all their moyen whom they can; speci­ally such as out of curiosity in traueling do resort thither; & lands & rents in & about Rome, besides their purchase, which is, often more than their set Rent, are not deficient. Then there are Cardinals sent forth from the court of Rome into all Cuntries where Popedome hath place, to see to the standing of the Popes grandour, & that obedi­ence be giuen to his Holinesse, as they say, euerywhere. Under them in euerie Cuntrie where Romish Religion hath place, are Primates, Abbots, Metropolitanes, Suffraganes, with many other their attendans, &c. vnto whom euerie-where large Rents of the Church­living, and casualities and commodities doe appertaine, all these by their whole strength, studie to vphold the Popes grandure. Vnder these againe are exceeding many ordouts of Monkes, of Friers of diverse colours or habits, Dominicanes or Iacobines, Augustines, Bene­dictines, Franciscans, Capucians, Gray Friers, Recollects, Car­thusians, Carms, Minims, and Iesuits &c. hudge num­ber of all these of whom some liue by set Rents, some goe a begging, some liue on their purchase as they best may all these beside their proper motiues to ad­vance the Sea of Rome are solemnly sworne to that effect, that they shall maintaine, defend and doe their vttermost for the honour welfare and grandour, of their holy Father the Pope. Besides these they haue all the common people tied vnto them by bands, not laid vpon their bodies, but vpon their Soules, by [Page 24] their doctrine of auriculare confession, whereby vn­der paine of not beeing forgiuen their sinnes, and e­ternall condemnation, they make them reveale not on­ly their secreet actuall turpitude (wherevpon what abuse followes J neede not insist) but also their pur­poses and intentions which they haue had to sinne, and in speciall if they bee priuie to any thing against the Church of Rome their holy mother; by which means they not only bring peoples mindes in a seruile sub­jection to themselues (for none can haue more Com­mandement ouer one than their Father confessour) but also by their intelligencing this way, make the Pope their Monarch dreadfull to all Kings of the Earth, for he will doe more by a syde Cloake and a sharp knife in one houre, than the mightiest Prince in the Earth will doe by fourtie thousand armed men in a long time: yet hee should doe lesse harme if hee were lesse dred: for when men are more feared to grieue the Pope than God, what wonder the Lord let him bee a scourge to them? This their strong sort of Gouernement, (more wittilie deuised than euer the old Senate disposed the ruling of the conquered Prouinces, or conquering of new) they second with the extreame show and exter­nall luster of holinesse and Religion. For the multitude of Religious Orders, with houses and Closters and per­sons in them, with the pretense of their single and chast life, the multitude of Religious exercises, Cano­nicke houres, fastes, Feastes, holy dayes, the multitude of Altars, Jmages, and rich Ornaments of their Chur­ches, the multitude of all sort of Ceremonies, that may carry appearance of Diuinitie. The multitude of poore people enduring pennance, going in Pilgrimage, the [Page 25] wonderfull mercilesnesse of poore tormented consci­ences scourging themselues openlie in their streetes with their faces couered, at the direction sometimes of their confessour, sometimes voluntarlie, supposing this way to doe away their sinnes, and pacifie Gods wrath, and their owne perplexed conscience, together with the profession of the common grounds of Christianitie, which Papists makes show of, so astonishes the mindes of the simple people, so rauishes and amazes ignorant on-lookers, so inchants and so bewitches the multitude, that they cannot thinke but God will be as well pleased with such follies, as they are themselves, not knowing what is pleasant to him by his own Word, or that will­worship, though neuer so specious, is abominable to him. Then to back and beamfill all, comes in their semi­narie Priests, and preaching Friers, and the late ordour of the Jesuits, by all their powerfull persuasion to presse the receauing of the grounds of Roman Religion vpon men, and by a shew of Philosophy, and the Wisedome of this Worlde that comes to nought, and the oppo­sition of science falsly so called, (the instruments whereby Sathan opposed the Apostles of old) they striue to make all seeme good that the Roman Church doeth, and that all is euill that they doe not. But where shall all the riches bee gotten to vphold such a statelie Monarchie as this, and so many seruants of that state? for answere, they haue so many points of gain full doctrine, as first of the merit of good works, & super­erogation of the merites of Saints, which furnisheth the treasure of the Church of Rome, among which goode workes, especiallie Almes, this must be held for a prin­ciple, that those who haue wealth cannot doe a more [Page 26] meritorious worke to purchase heauen by, than by largelie bestowing vpon religious men and their main­tainance. Secondly the Doctrine of pennance and of indulgence, and satisfaction; which sometime rendred the Sea of Rome, a great deale more than now it doeth, and yet brings hudge moneyes to that Sea. Thirdly, the doctrine of purgatorie nothing inferiour to any of the former: for these who could not be enduced to giue thē any thing largely in the time of their life, at the time of their death for feare of Purgatory, to the end that they may win out of Purgatorie fire soone, by the vertue of Soul masses, & religious mens devotiō, will be willing to mortify or leaue in Legacie what their Fatherconfessor thinks expedient, and that of the readiest. Fourthlie, the straite vrging the thre-fold vow of single life, povertie, Canonicall obedience, vpon all them whom they can persuade to rander themselfe religious. For by this meanes the seuerall Religious ordours, but especially the Jesuites, if they can by any meanes persuade a man of wealth, or a rich burges heire, a Noble mans son, or an heritour of Lands, (as they persuade too too many to bee of their ordours,) then hee renounces all his means to bee disposed vpon, by the superiour of the ordour; and hee himselfe with the rest professes pouertie, and liues vpon the common Purse, or his purchase if hee be sent out or imployed in seruice. These, and many moe means vnsearchable, they haue of drawing in Rents & moyons to themself, beside offrings to Altars, extraordi­nary masse. Casualitie at burials, and such lik. In al which things and sindrie other poynts both of practise and do­ctrine, they will bee sparing in any part, where they are seeking to make conquest, as in Scotland, or Eng­land [Page 27] or Ireland, for feare to lose their prey; but when and where they are settled any man that trauells, if he please may try the trueth, whether it bee not as J say and more: for I will bee sparing to speake all, lest I should see me to taxe particular persons, rather than to seeke the furtherance of the true and disgrace of counterfeit Religion.

CHAP. 8.

THus hauing at length discouered the main pillar of Popedome with some of their hu­mane policies for vpholding the same, I wil speake shortly a worde or two against the imperfection & obscuritie which they al­ledge of the Scripture. This saying is so blasphen ous against God the author of the Scripture, Let the Lord2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. Ioh 5. 39. answere for himself. By his Apostle All Scripture is giuen by diuine inspiration &c. That the man of God may be made perfect throughly furnished vnto all good works. And by his sonne who hath giuen Commandement to those who thinks to haue eternall life to search the Scriptures. Jf thou will o­bey this command, constantly praying to God for know­ledge dayly: the Lord shall show thee in reading of it that they are his enemies who haue so disgraced his writings. wherefore I would persuade young Schollers, and others of young yeeres, to drink in the knowledge of the Scriptures and neuer to quite the light thereof, [Page 28] which the Lord hath appointed to direct vs. Wee haue also a more sure Word of Prophesie, whereunto yee doe 2, Pet. 1. 19. well that yee take heede as vnto a light that shineth in a dark place. &c. Next when doubts of Religion are casten in their minde, the not running to God by Prayer, as the fountaine of Religion, and to such Godly and truelie learned men, who are content that all they say, bee examined according to the Scripture, is a spe­ciall cause of provocation of God, to giue them ouer to belieue lyes, who thus despysing the right meanes, and loue of the trueth, will not goe to law and testimonies. Isaiah. 8. 20, 1. Tim. 4. 1. Rom. 1. 21. as God directeth them. But giues eare to seducing Spirites, and doctrine of Deuills, as the Apostle calles them. Further, when men knowes God, and glorifies him not as God, they become vaine in their owne ima­gination, and their foolish hearts are darkened in Gods iustice, as is said of the Gentiles. If thou will not obey this forsaid command and counsell, it is▪ as need­lesse to dispute this question further before thee, as to dispute what taste the honey or the honey combe hath with them, that neuer tasted thereof, for feare it poy­son them. And this much for the first part, I promised to speake, which was of their Religion in generall.

CHAP. 9.

FOllowes heare the next poynt, whereof J pro­mised to speake, to wit, of the Masse: but I shall [Page 29] shall insist most vpon that grosse here sie of transub­stantiation. For vpholding wherof their special ground is the words of the institution; This is my bodie: which neuer can inforce transubstantiation, for first Bellar­mine in his third booke of the Eucharist, Secundo dicit chap. 23 &c. Declares that Scotus sayes, there is no place of Scri­pture so plaine, that compelles euidently to admit tran­substantitaion, without the declaration of the Church. And Bellarmine himselfe acknowledges, that not alto­gether to bee improbable. Next, they aggrie not them selues vpon the exposition of these words, so that they cannot condescend vpon the verie first word HOC, this, as Bellarmine acknowledges of the Eucharist. Where refusing the opinion of other Catholicks, hee takes him to this interpretation that HOC, This, signifieth, sub his speciebus contentum, contained vnder these speces, which indeed is an vncouth acception of the worde, such as is not to bee found in any author either diuine or hu mane; and yet it makes nothing to the purpose: for­it may euer bee demanded, what is that which is Sub his speciebus, vnder these speces: for that must bee either the bread, or the bodie of Christ: if they vnderstand the bodie of Christ, then, the meaning in their expositi­on is, the bodie of Christ is the bodie of Christ; Which neither agries with Christs purpose, nor yet proues their purpose, for the body of Christ may bee the body of Christ, and yet no change made of the bread in the substance of Christs bodie. And by, This, if they vnderstand bread, then the force of the words will bee, This breadis Christs bodie: But neither will this proue their purpose, because it is not saide, the substance of this Bread, is changed in the substance of Christes [Page 30] body, as they expone it, But only This is my body, which no more can inferre the change of substance in substance, then these wordes which hee saide I am the true vyne, can inferre a substantiall change of him­selfeIoh. 15. 1. 5. 1. Cor. 11. 25. in a vine tree, or these words, which hee said in the same Supper, as the Apostle Paul showes, This cup is the new Testament, can enforce either the change of the substance of the cup, or of the vine in the cup in a Testament. So I could finde no warrand out of Christs words for transubstantiation, J might well take their worde for it in stead of Christs.

Next, their doctrine could giue mee no infallible cer­taintie that I should bee free from worshiping an J doll, and the fantasie of my owne braine in stead of Christ, when J came to the Masse: for their doctrine is, except the Priest haue a speciall intention to consecrate, al­beit hee say Masse, that no transubstantiation will fol­low, and so all that are present at the Masse, are de­ceiued, as they grant. Now what can any man haue but a probable conjecture or charitable opinion, or strong apprehension of another mans intention, infallible cer­taintie can he not haue: And I in speciall, who knew certainly some of these Priests who were chosen, and sent out by their superiours to propagate the Romish Religion, subiect to as grosse faultes in their life, for drunkennesse, and sundrie other vices, as other sinfull Laicks, as they call them: and yet part of them said Masse many a time, both neere hand, and further off: how could I then but be suspense about their intention, and how could J but doubt whether God would bee pleased at such mens intentions to change bread in Christs body, and to put Christ in their hands, and [Page 31] mouthes, and to allow them to bee Priests, to offer the Sonne of God his body in a sacrifice to the Father. J know what they vse to answere in such cases, that the Peoples worshipping of a supposed transubstantiat ho­stie were but materiall Jdolatrie, because their purpose was to worship the true Christ, when they worshiped only bread, and the Idoll of their owne imagination. But alace, this is a poore shift, and no better than if one should comfort a woman who had lyen with ano­ther besides her husband, saying to her, no matter this adulterie of thine is but materiall only, and not formall; because thy purpose was to giue thy body to thy hus­band, and no other. For the Scripture compares Ido­latrieIeremie 3. 1. 2. and adulterie together verie often.

Thirdly, I found their transubstantiation builded vpon a pretense of making men certaine of their commu­nion and coniunction with Christ: which coniunction if it may bee sure without a corporall presence of his body, their transubstantiation is a needlesse fiction.

Now I vnderstand certainly that, howsoeuer the Papists doe traduce Ministers, as if they fed people with signes and shadowes, yet they belieue and teach, that they are made sure of Iesus our Lord. First by his couenant and promise, as these that are espoused, beeing faith­full one to another, are made sure one of another before their compleet marriage, by mutuall affection of heart, consent and couenant, and mutuall promise: for which cause, the spouse in the Canticles many a yeere before Christs incarnation, said, My beloued is mine, and I am Cant. 2. 16. his. Next they belieue and teach that they are made sure of Christ, by his owne great Seales annexed to his couenant, the two Sacraments, Baptisme, and the Lords [Page 32] Supper, which the Lord hath ordained to be the pawns, pledges and Seales of himself his gifts, and his graces bestowed vpon them, and so are made sure of Christ, and his grace for their Saluation, as men are made sure of the Kings gift when they haue his royall donation, and his great Seales annexed thereto: for which cause, When our Lord had giuen the Sacramentes to his dis­ciples, he sayes, J dispone or appoynt a Kingdome vn­toLuk. 22. 9, you; because hee had giuen them the Seales of do­nation thereof presently before. Thirdly, they teach that they are made sure of Christ, by the Spirite of Christ, whom Christ promises, and giues to euerie one that beleeues in him, in such sort that hee who hath notRom. 8. 9 the Spirite of Christ is none of his. By which Spirite Christ is joyned to them, and they to Christ, as mem­bers of one body are ioyned to the head, and quickned by one Spirite: for which cause of Christ it is said that he dwels in vs, and wee in him, he is the head, and weeEphes. 3. 17, 4. 16 are the members of his mysticall bodie. By this three­fold certaintie they teach and belieue that they are made sure of Christ in the Sacrament, for performance wher­of they show that there is no necessitie of corporall pre­sence. First, because these meanes of certaintie were ap­poynted of Christ to supplee his corporall absence till his second comming againe. Secondly, because the Sonne of God is more able after this manner from Heauen to communicate himselfe to vs on Earth then the Sun that shines dayly is able from Heauen to giue light and heate to vs on Earth, without descending cor­porally to vs. Then for the exposition of the wordes of the Sacrament This is my body, they professe to expone them as Saint Paul expones them, who sayes, that the [Page 33] bread which we break is the communion of the body of1 Cor. 10 16. 1 Cor. 11 25. Iesus, the cup which wee blesse is the Communion of the blood of Christ, and as Christ speaking of the cup it must be exponed: This cup is the new Testament or cove­nant in my blood, and according to the vsuall forme of the Scripture language concerning Sacraments, where the name of the gift is giuen to the Seale to assure them who faithully receaue the one, that they are made sure of the other; or the name of a mercie bestowed is gi­ven to the memoriall of it, to make the acknowledg­ment of that mercy more fresh and liuelie. Seeing that therefore J could find for the Romish doctrine of tran­substantiation no warrand of the Lords worde, and by that doctrine, no ground of infallible certaintie to free mee from Idolatrie; but on the contrare grounds of assurance, that it could not bee that God would ex­pose his Sonne any more to personall suffering of such indignities as is done him in the Masse; Let any man iudge whether I had reason to sute to bee receaued to the communion with him, according to the warrand of his owne worde, and bee free for euer from all perill of that grosse Idolatrie.

CHAP. 10.

THe next reason why J call the Masse an er­rour, is because it doth leade men away from the right rule of the Sacrament to follow mens deuices, and forged mysticall rites of mens appoynt­ments, [Page 34] whereof the Lord hath pronounced in generall: In vaine doe they worship mee, teaching for doctrine the pre­cepts of men: Which howsoeuer they bee in estimation among men, yet are abominable before God: for our Lord Jesus, beeing to leaue the World in regarde of his corporall presence, thought good to appoynt a holy Supper wherein hee will haue his bodilie sufferings, and bloodshed and death represented and brought to fresh remembrance by the breaking of bread and wine pow­red out in a cup; and the Soules of his faithfull ones fed & comforted in the assurance that his body was broken for them, and his blood shed for the remission of their sinnes, by eating of the bread broken, and drinking of the wine powred in the cup; which eating and drinking should bee to them a pledge and seale of their spirituall coniunction with CHRIST, and partaking of his life as certainely wrought by his spirit, as if these ele­ments which they did eate and drinke were ioyned with their bodies. Then which ordinance of our Lord no­thing can bee more sweet to a Soule that considers his purpose therein: and therefore he hath commanded not his Ministers only, but his whole Church on Earth to doe this in remembrance of him following his example as he hath caused set down by his pen-men in his Testa­ment to bee followed till his second comming againe. But the Church of Rome as her defection hath growne peece and peece, hath so far departed from the rule, that scarsly now in their Masse can the footsteps of Christs ordinance be seene: for vnder pretense that they are not tied to follow these circumstances which were proper to the first Supper, such as are the time, after Supper; the place, an vpper Chamber; the number of persons, [Page 35] eleuen or twelue; the sexe, men only and not women: which any man may perceiue to bee proper to that first time, and not belonging to the nature of the Sa­crament: if these circumstances were vrged vni­versally they should marre and hinder that action, and the comfort of the communicants, women beeing se­cluded, the night taking when the day was free, a cham­ber taking wherein all the Church could not assemble, and twelue only admitted, where fourtie twelues were prepared and waiting on: vnder pretense, I say, of not beeing tied to these foure circumstances, when they may be prejudiciall to the action, they haue taken liber­tie to alter the substance, and sacramentall rites of this Supper left to be imitate by all Christs Churches till his second cōming again: for as thogh Christs ordināce had beene too base and simple, they haue deuised to cloath their Priests in brodering of silk and siluer and gold, and to make sumptuous Masse cloathes to set out their work with all: As if Christ his ceremonies had beene of small signification, they haue casten them by, and appoynted new ones of their owne▪ making mysticall significations of their owne deuising, As if the Apostle Paul had super­fluously from Christs mouth giuen commandement to the common people to drink of the cup, they haue cutte off the halfe of the peoples comfort, and witholden the cup from them: As if the Lord had not done wisely in vsing plaine language to his disciples, such as they vn­derstood, they haue rolled vp all in an vncouth language commanding that Masse should only bee said in Latine: As if our Lord had not well considered, what belongs to the holynesse of such a worke, in taking such bread as was vsuall in the Land, and as the Master of the house [Page 36] laid downe before him to Supper, they haue made a round Masse bread, the quantitie of twelvepence, or six­pence, and as thin as they can cause it sticke together, with a stamped crucifixe on the one side of it for the pur­pose, they haue turned the communion of a number, to the Priests drinking and eating alone, the Lords table to a stone Altar, the memoriall of his death to an imaginary corporall presence; the seale of Gods giuing of Christ vnto men, into mens offering vp of Christ to God, Gods Sacrament, into mans sacrificing of the sonne of God to the Father; in a worde they haue turned Christs holy Supper in the Popes Masse, and so, what by adding, what by pairing, what by altering and chopping and changing they haue mutilated deformed and defaced Gods ordinance, falsified King Jesus his great seale and corrupted his testament, that he who is partaker of the Masse, thinking to get Gods blessing by it, casts him­selfe in danger of Gods curse, for beeing guiltie of so manifold dishonoring of the sonne of God.

CHAP. 11.

THe third reason why J call the Masse, and their pretended transubstantiation in it an errour, is this. Because it hath drawne mee and doth drawe all that beleeues it, from the true Christ Jesus described in the holy Scripture to a false Christ forged in their fantasie [Page 37] and braines of men, giuen ouer for the time to the spirit of delusion, in all things contrare to the true Christ our Sauiour the sonne of God: for the true Christ is so de­scribed to vs in holy Scripture, that if an Apostle or Angell from Heauen teach another Gospell, especi­allyGal. 1, 8. about the person of Jesus Christ, let him bee ac­cursed, as the Apostle sayes. Well, then the Scripture giues vs to vnderstand, that the true Christ hath assu­med not the nature of Angels, but the seed of Abraham, Heb. 2. 14 16. euen our nature of the virgine Mary, Partaker of flesh and blood, & in substance & properties like to vs in all things, except sinne, who himselfe hath giuen vs war­rand to account of any obtruded in his name, as a false Christ. But the doctrine of the Masse drawes vs to a pretended Christ, the substance of whose bodie is made of the substance of bread, changed by the force of fiue latine wordes, said by a Romish Priest, Hoc est enim corpus meum.

Secondly the true Christ his bodie is sensible, might be seene, touched, handled and felt, as sensibly as any mans body, not only before his death, when hee bare our in­firmitie, but also after his resurrection, when he had laide downe our infirmities: made vp of flesh and bones, the verie same that hang vpon the crosse, fastned with nails as himselfe testifies. Behold my hands and my feete that it Luc. 24. 39. is I my self, handle mee and see mee, for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee to haue, sayth hee, wherein hee giues vs all to vnderstand that he wil not haue vs to think that hee hath another body or substance now after his resurrection, than he had before his crucifying. Next to proue the veritie of his reall and corporall presence he appeales to the true testimony of all their senses, being [Page 38] contented that they shuld not esteem him bodily present, except they saw and felt him to haue flesh and bones, but the Doctours of the Masse teach men to beleeue in, and to adore a Christ, whose body is borne vp betwixt the Priests finger and his thumbe, which neither can be seen nor felt, nor any wayes is sensible, a false Christ who may not abyde the proof and rule which the true Christ hath set downe in his word to try the trueth of his body and bodily presence by.

Thirdly, the true Christ grew vp from a childe to the or­dinarie stature of men before his death, and beeing dead his body took vp proportionall rowm in the Sepulchre, so that when hee was now risen, the Linnings wherein his body was wrapped were found in the sepulchre, some of them at the part where his feete lay, and some at the part where his head lay, and after his resurrection hee shewed his hands and feete in the owne due propor­tion distant one from another in place; but the Papists are made to worship a Christ in the Masse, whose head and feete and all the partes of his bodye com­pleet, are not only in the boundes of their paper-thin hostie, but in euerie preene poynt rowme of the same, for this is their expresse doctrine that, Corpus Christi est totum in tota hostiâ, & totum in quolibet puncto, that the body of Christ is whole in the whole hostie, and whole in e­uerie poynt or part thereof.

Fourthlie, the true Christ will not haue vs to imagine of his body, that euer it was or shall bee in many places at one time, for when Ioseph and his mother sought him three dayes, they could not find him till they came to the very place where only he was in the Temple disputing with the doctours, when he was vpon the mount he was [Page 39] not bodilie any where else, when hee was on this side of the Sea, he was not on that side, when he was in the wildernesse, pinnacle of the Temple, in the ship, in the house, there he was and no where else, when he was in the graue his body was not risen; and when hee rose the Angell sayeth of the graue he is not here, hee is risen behold the place where the Lord lay, when hee was with his disciples, he sayes himselfe hee was not ascended, when hee ascended, hee left his disciples in regard of his bodilie presence, not to come againe in bodily presence vntill hee came to take them to that place which hee went to prepare for them, but these doctours tell vs that their Christ in whom they belieue, & whom they command to be worshipped hath a body which at an instant and poynt of time is in an hundreth places within a Church, and in fiue hundreth places of the same Church is not, in a word hath a body which is in as ma­ny consecrated hosties as are in the World at one time though there will be thousands dayly and which body is in no other place or space betwixt the hosties, and yet will avow that such a body is but one single, and the same body vndivided, which was borne of the Vir­gin, and hang vpon the crosse, so peart are they to hold vp their false Christ by calling him the true, when hee hath nothing of this trueth, that is in our Lord.

Fifthly, the true Christ once died from his giuing vp the ghost vpō the crosse vntill his resurrectiō, but after that he dieth no more, but is aliue for euermore; he suffers no more bodily, his blood is shed no more, his soule no more seuered from his body, this is the Christ which the Scripture teaches vs to beleeue into, and to worship: but the Popish doctrine drawes these silly soules that [Page 40] beleeues them, to beleeue and adore such a Christ whose verie substantiall body is bathed and swimmes in his owne naturall and true blood dayly: for when the Priest consecrateth the chalice then the wine, as they say, is turned substantially in blood, as certainly & really as Christ changed water into wine. Now when the ho­stie is broken, and a part thereof put in the consecrate chalice, among the verie blood as they teach, which ho­stie and every part thereof, as they say, doth containe the very body of Iesus, doe I speake any thing but ac­cording to their doctrine, when I say that, that Christ of theirs swimmes dayly in his owne blood, incace they abide at their doctrine, teaching that Christs words in the Sacrament, are taken literally: for these words This is my body, taking the wordes literally, must haue ano­ther sense than these wordes▪ This is my blood, and so the words beeing taken literally, as they pretend, the hostie being put in the cup, the body is put in the blood.

Sixtly, the true and liuing Christ, where hee is bodily present, can walke alone, he needes not to be lifted, nor to bee borne, or carried in mens hands, he is not feared to fall, nor that any euill befall him. But the Romish Doctours, in effect (J must now say with griefe, decea­uers) drawe the people to adore for their Lord and Sa­viour, a Christ of the Priestes making in the Masse, who is so weake, that hee can not rise till he bee lifted, hee can not walke but must bee carried, and when he is mounted vp in his makers hand, except his creator and maker hold him vp, or if the Priest himselfe snap­per and fall at a procession, or in a journey, then this Christ goeth to the ground, and his maker both, and there he lyeth, though it were in a myre, till hee bee [Page 41] lifted againe. What care haue J seene taken to lift this Christ attentiuelie, and to lay him downe againe softly, for feare of breaking of him? and if hee bee not eaten presently, but must bee keeped to bee adored vpon the Altar, some dayes after, then euery night at euen hee is put in ward, and keeped fast vnder locke and key or­dinarly, lest while his maker and preseruer is sleeping the myce or the ratts, whom the Worlde can not per­suade, but the hostie is verie bread indeed, should carry him away, and vse some short improbation against this their transubstantiation: this can not bee but a matter of laughter to those who are fred from the Romish yock, but alace for pittie of the Soules that beleeues all is well. I know they gull the people by telling them that ChristIohn. 20. 26. came in to his Disciples the doore beeing shut. And that this could not bee but by rarifying his owne substance to such subtilitie that it might goe through the doore: but poore Soules that heareth this, they must not dis­pute nor reply, but beleeue as the Church beleeues. If they would reply it were greater reason that the doore should yeeld to Christ then hee to it, and that it were as easie for him to come in the chamber and the doore shut, before and after hee came in, keeping still his bo­dily substance in the owne naturall constitution, as it was to Peter to come through the prison, and through the yron gate, which was shut before and after he cameAct. 12 10. out, but opened when he went through: And no farder can this text affoord them: if any (J say) would replye after this manner this pretext would not saue them. They please the people another way also (for feare that this might bee answered) by distinction of a glorified body and vnglorified, for taking away whereof I say. [Page 42] Seuenthly, the true Christ his body is glorified with such a glory as doth not abolish the substantiall proper­ties of his body, but only makes the same more illustrious and conspicuous: whereof himselfe gaue a proofe in his transfiguration, when hee clothed himselfe with the glo­rie of the only begotten son of God for a while: at which time his glorie made not his body to disappeare, but to appeare more conspicuously than before. Another proofAct. 9. 3. & 26. 13. hee gaue of this at the conversion of Paul when from Heauen there shined a light from him (while hee spake downe to Saul) brighter than the Sunne at noone day. and to put vs out of doubt in this matter, the same A­postlePhilip. 3. 21. sayth that Christ shall change our vile bodies, and make them like to his owne glorious body. Wherein he lets vs vn­derstand, first, that our Lord still retaines the same true body which hee assumed, and that his body is glorious and bewtifull. Next, hee showes that Christ Jesus hath such a body now in Heauen as wee shall haue in our owne degre when the resurrection comes: but when the resurrection comes our bodyes flesh and bones will rise and bee glorified. Therefore our Lord hath such a bo­dy in his owne degree of flesh and bones glorified: from which glory now his body can not bee seuered. But that Christ which is made in the Masse, hath a body no ways glorious nor conspicuous, but altogether ignominious, and subiect to moe personall disgraces, then when hee suffered at Hierusalem; as that which is said already may cleare.

Eightly, and last of all (to be short) the true Christ hath forwarned vs not to beleeue any such Christ after his ascension as men shall poynt out on the Earth, saying ofMat. 24 23. him Loe heere, loe there is Christ, For there shall arise false [Page 43] Christs and false Prophets, and shall shew great signes and won­ders, Math. so that if it were possible, they should deceaue the very E­lect. Behold I haue told you before, Wherefore if they shall say 24. to you, behold hee is in the desert, goe not foorth, behold he is 25. in the secreete place, goe not foorth. For as the lightning com­meth 26. out of the East, and shineth to the West, so shall also the 27. comming of the sonne of man bee. And again by his ApostleColos. 3▪ 1. 2. declares himself only to be fund in Heauen for his bodily presence, discharging vs to set our affection vpon any thing on earth. But the Christ in whō the Papists Priests and doctors teaches people to belieue as their God, and to worship as their Sauiour, & on whō they cause them set their affection, is corporally present in the earth, and his body on the earth all the dayes of the yeare: of whom my eares haue heard say times out of number, loe heere, loe there, loe yonder our Lord and Sauiour comming through the street, let vs goe and convoy him; and in the Masse the Priest lifts him vp, and after puts him in the peoples mouth, and hee goes ouer the throat. What be­comes of him then ye will say? heare what the true Christ sayeth Perceiue you not that whatsoeuer entereth into the Math: 15. 17, mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught? O how farre then are the people deceiued! First, they be­leeue they haue among their hands the true Christ, and doe worship him, when they worship only an Idoll and a false Christ. Next, they belieue that howeuer the mat­ter bee, that their intention to serue the true Christ will saue them from the sinne, and the Iudgment due to such a sinne, and then they are againe deceaued: for if good intentions could haue any weight with God where the worke is not warrantable, then these men should goe free, who murther the Prophets and seruants of Jesus, [Page 44] thinking they do God good seruice; of whō Christ speaksIoh. 16. 2. Then the Jewes should goe free, who beleeued when they were pleading against Christ & dishonouring him, that they were friends to the promised Messias. The Ga­latians beleeued that they held the true Christ when they joyned justification by works and faith together, and yet the Apostle tells them that if they held Christ so, Christ shuld not profite them. Jt was a misconceaued ChristGal. 5. 2. that deceiued the▪ Heretiques of old, for euery hereticke pretended an intention to honour the true Christ, and it is a false Christ that deceaueth the Jewes, who pretend that they are keeping their faith and worship to the true Messias promised, but haue forged in their owne braine one altogether different from the true, & yet none of all these haue euer conceiued a Christ, more contrary to the true Christ, then is this forged Christ in the Masse. without warrand as is said of Scripture, and contrare to the tenet of antiquitie, howeuer the Priests and Ie­suites gull their auditours with pretence of the same. For Tertullian sayeth Acceptum panem & distributum discipulis lib. 4. ad versus Marcio­nem cap. 40. corpus suum illud fecit, hoc est corpus meum dicendo, id est, figura corporis mei. Christ tooke bread and gaue it to his disciples making it his body, while hee sayes This is my body, that is, a figure of my body: where ye see that this Father who liued two hundreth yeers after Christ doth expone these words of the institution figuratiuely. And yet Bellarmine is not ashamed to use this testimony forlib. 3. Eu­charistiae cap. 20. proouing transubstantiation, but doth bewray heerein his fraud and deceitfull handling of the Fathers: for al­ledging this place so directly contrare him, hee leaueth out the Fathers glosse, that is, a figure of my bodie. And Augustine is so cleare in this matter, that it is a wonder [Page 45] that any man shoulde oppose him for giuing a rule how to know when the words of holy Scripture are to be taken figuratiuely, & when properly he sayth thus, Si preceptiua loquutio est, aut flagitium aut facinus vetans, aut lib▪ 3. [...] doctrina christia­na cap. 16 utilitatem, aut beneficentiam iubens, non est figurata, si autem flagitium aut facinus videtur iubere, aut vtilitatem, aut bene ficentiam vetare figurata est: nisi manducaueritis (inquit) carnem filii hominis, & sanguinē biberitis non habebitis vi­tam in vobis, facinus vel flagitium videtur iubere, fi­gura est ergo. If the precept forbid any crime or wicked deede, or command any profite or beneficence then is it not figuratiue: but if it seeme to command any crime or wicked deed, or to forbid any profite or beneficence it is figuratiue, then doth he giue for instance to this rule these words of our Sauiour Except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and drink his blood yee haue no life in you, These wordes sayeth hee seeme to command some crime and wicked deed; therefore they are figuratiue. Many other passages of Fathers J might cite, but I feare to be too te­dious, neither neede J to insist much on Fathers seeing the very Canon of the Masse doth ouerthrow transub­stantiation. For after the wordes of consecration: the Priest offering Iesus Christ to God, prayeth after this mā ­ner. Supra quae propitio ac sereno vultu respic [...]re digneris sicuti accepta babere dignatus es munera pueri tui iusti Abell. On which things may it please thee to look with a good and fauourable countenance, and to accept of them, as thou did accept of the presents of Abell thy righteous seruant. Any man may easily perceiue, that if there were nothing there but Christ as they affirme, the Priest durst neuer take vpon him to be a intercessour betwixt the Fa­ther and the sonne▪ as though the son had lost the fauour [Page 46] of his Father, for whose only sake wee all are receaued in fauour.

And since J haue now made mention of the Masse, J can not conceale what secreete reluctation was euer in my minde, euen when J was most bewitcht with the in­chauntments of Poperie, against their propitiatory sacri­fice dayly offered vp in the Masse, which so flatly contra­dicts the words of Scripture With an offering hath he re­conciled Heb. 10. 14. Vers. 10. for euer them that are sanctified. And to exclude re­iteration the Scripture sayeth We are sanctified by the offe­ring of the body of Iesus Christ once made. And most clearly As it is appoynted for euery man once to die &c. NeitherHeb. 9, 27. 28. will the distinction of a bloody and vnbloody sacrifice satisfie this passage, seeing that the Apostle showes that as a man dieth but once, so Christ is offered but once. How ridiculous a thing should it bee for one to say, that a man can die but once a bloody death, but hee can die oftner an vnbloody death? and if this distinction of theirs can not hold in the death of man, neither can it in the of­fering of the Lord Jesus. Seeing the Scripture precisly compareth them in number that they are both but once. Yea, in [...]presse wordes of that same chapter the Scri­pture excluds this distinction while it sayth Without shed­ding Ʋer. 22. of blood there is no remission of sins. If then the Masse bee an vnbloody sacrifice, by it there is no remission of sins. And lest this should be eluded by the typicall sacri­fices of old, the Apostle speakes in the present time &c. And this much concerning their Masse, which was the second part whereof I promised to speake.

CHAP. 12.

FOllowes here the third part whereof J promised to speak, which contains some of their common absurdities, and first of Merites: for the mixture of our works, and the workes of Christ Iesus is vntole­rable and more incompatible than the mixture of wine and water, for to make vp the blood▪ of their Sauiour in the Masse: how can wee haue good workes before wee bee made good by regeneration? seeing an euill tree can not bring foorth good fruite. Yea, they are gone so farre on in this mixture, that they exclude Christs merites al­together from the formall cause of our iustification, and only makes Christs righteousnesse a helpe whereby we our selues may fully & formally bee iustified before God Si quis dixerit homines iustificarivel sola imputatione iustitiae Canone 10 & 11 sessione 6 Concilii Trident. Christi, vel sola peccatorum remissione, exclusa gratia & chari­tate quae in cordibus eorum per spiritum sanctum diffundatur, atque illis inhaereat, aut etiam gratiam qua iustificamur esse tantum fauorem Dei, anathema sit. If any man say that wee are formally iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ let him bee accursed. &c. Neither doth their doctrine stay heere, but proceeds to works of supererogation, where­by they put God in their debt, and enrich the Pope by laying of these works of supererogation in his store­house to bee sold out at his pleasure for moneyes. Since these works can be applyed to men for their satisfaction which they haue not wrought, wherfore may not the me­rits of Christ Jesus be applyed to vs to our iustification? and as sin althogh inherent into vs, and only imput vnto Christ Iesus, who had no inherent sin in him, made him [Page 48] die the death wherefore may not Christs righteousnesse inherent in him and imput vnto vs bee accepted of God for our iustification to life, and that so much the more be­cause Christ Iesus is our head and cautioner, which the Saints are not, For he hath made him to be sin for vs, which 2 Cor. cap 5. vers. 21, knew no sin &c.

CHAP. 13.

TOuching their minching of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Table, and depriuing rhe People of the one halfe thereof, contrare to Christs institution, who commanded them all to drinke of it, is a grie­vous defrauding of the people of their due comfort and that by Iohn 6, which they will haue spoken of the Sacrament, except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man, and Iohn. 6. drink of his blood, yee haue no life in you. So to depriue them of the blood is to depriue them of eternall life. And in the primitiue times when persecution raged in the Church the godly Fathers, neuer omitted the holy cup to the people, & that not only because of Christs divine institution, but also that they might encourage people to shed their blood chearfully for him who had shed his blood for them, & did so friely communicate with them in the holy cup. Further Christ sayeth it is the cup of the new Testament in his blood, which he shed for the remission of sins. Then it appeareth that to depriue the people of the cup, is asmuch as to depriue them of the blood of Christ for the remission of their sins: for in the hostie there is no shedding of blood, as they themselues confes. As for the custom of the primitiue Church, it is clear in this poynt [Page 49] neither can they or do they deny it; yet when either the command of Christ, or practise of the primitiue Church seemeth to crosse their businesse, they dissalow both him and the ancients, and in open counsell giue a decreet to their contrare. The councill of Constance holden anno 406, which was the first councill that discharged the cup, as an heresie, towardes the middest of the CanonConcili­um Con­stanti­nense. 13. sess, hath these wordes: Although Iesus Christ did institute and administer to his Disciples this venerable Sacramēt, vnder the formes of bread and wine; and likewise although in the primi­tiue Church this Sacrament was receaued by the faithfull vnder both kinds, neuerthelesse this custome hath with reason beene induced that it should bee receaued by those who consecrate vn­der both kynds, and by the layity vnder forme of bread only &c. And concluds that these that would maintaine the con­trare were heretiques, where by consequence they make Christ and the primitiue Church heretiques, at least in practise, which if J had not red and considered in their councils, J could not haue beleeued that men could be so impudent and absurd as to affirme.

CHAP. 14.

HEre J can not passe by their adoration of Jmages2 book of the ima­ges of Saints chap. 21. but must giue a taste thereof. Their doctrine is of Images that they are not only relativè, as they respect the thing represented, but properly and perse, by themselfe, and terminatiuely without respect to the thing represented, as Bellarmine hath expresly: yea, not only [Page 50] with the worship of dulia or seruice as they call it (by the which distinctiō they blind the eys of the ignorant, since all religious worship, in whatsoueer degrie belongs pro­perly to God) but also they teach and affirme that the I­mages of God, and the crosse ought to bee worshipped, with the selfesame supreme worship that is due to God himselfe, which they call Latria: as hath expresly their25. ques. 3. arti. in the concl. 4. article Angelick doctour, in his third part Sic ergo dicendum est &c. and fourth article in the conclusion Crux Christi &c. which conclusion the foresaid doctour prooues by this, that wee giue the supreme worship to him, in whom we put the hope of our safetie: but in the crosse of Christ (This is the crosse of wood whereon hee was nailed) we put our hope of safetie. So the Papists obiect of faith ac­cording to his doctrine, is an Image of stocke and stone. And therefore Suarez sayes in expresse tearmes Per hanc 45. disp. 4. sect. adorationem, &c. (I shall faithfully translate the words) By this adoration a man not only professeth that which hee adoreth to represent God, but also to bee God, and his supreme Lord and Redeemer; otherwise it would not be a true and supreme worship. The common people their case in this Idolatrie is deplorable; but somewhat more excusable, albeit they be involued in that same guiltinesse, who must beleeue by an implicite faith, what­soeuer their Church beleeues: for their great doctours doe expresly admonish their Readers, that their Prea­chers let not the people vnderstād in their sermons, that this Soueraigne worship of God, should bee giuen to I­mages, by the principles of the Roman catholicke faith; for it might readily skarre them, & of catholick Romans make them become Calvinist hereticks. See Bellarmine of the Jmages of Saints at these words Quantum ad &c, 22. chap. [Page 51] giues the same watchword in the place forsaid. And this25. ques. 54. dis. 4. article because as they both acknowledge in the forsaid places, the common people can not be capable of these sublime distinctions, wherby the foresaid doctrine must be main­tained: yea, skarsly saith Bellarmine, our great doctoures themselues. Some of them for eschueing the inconveni­ence of this foresaid doctrine do use these tearmes dire­ctly and indirectly but any that pleaseth to examine, at more length this defence they shal find it indirect enugh to giue to the creature any way a worship due to the Creator. Further for backing of this doctrine their best reason that I could perceiue they euer broght was, their blotting out of the second command of the Lords Law. for giuing and not graunting that the second command were one with the first, yet wherfore do they scrape out so great a part of that command, if their best defence stood not in cancelling the Law of God, which is oppo­site to their adoration of Jmages?

CHAP. 15.

IN this place their large addition to their beliefe represents it selfe to my mind: as may be seen in the bull of Pope Pitis the 4. concerning the oath taken of their Church-men containing their Trent creed wherein beside the Articles of the Apostles creed, they haue ingrossed many other Articles of their most grosse and absurde heresies. I can not also omitte heere their idle repetition of Prayers, ascrybing merite and satisfa­ction to the number of them, for I my self haue been en­ioyned [Page 52] to say such a number of Aues, Pater nosters, by waye of pennance, or for the reliefe of Soules, and no fewer than these that were enioyned: For they teach that in baptism our sins are forgiuen vs by the me­rits and satisfaction of Christ allanerly, but the sins com­mitted after baptisme, be taken away and expiat by our own satisfactions: but the Apostle sayth That as the wage sin is death, so the gift of God is life eternall throgh Iesus Christ Rom. 6. 23. our Lord. Heauen then is Gods free gift through Christ and not our deseruing. Neither can it be considered how Christs obedience is properly a satisfaction, and yet ei­ther requireth or admitteth our satisfaction. Besids their owne extravagant fayth, that one drop of Christs blood is sufficient to saue the whole World, what necessitie or place then is for our satisfaction in our Saluation. They will not receaue the Kingdom of Heaven after this man­ner, but as a iust debt, to the which God of justice is bund and obliged to them, not only for the merits of Christ, but also for the merits of their owne works, which hath an equal worth answerable to the Kingdome of Heauen. J passe by here their selling of Masses, their baptising of Bells, baptism, being a Sacrament of the new couenant only, and no wayes belonging to senslesse creaturs: their scrotching fire of Purgatory, as hot as hell, wherein the Souls of the godly dying in the Lord, are tortured before they come to Heauen, till such time as the punishment due to their veniall sin, in that continuall torture bee en­ded. And yet the Scritpure tels vs Blessed are the dead that Revel. 14 13. die in the Lord, for so sayeth the Sprit, they rest from their la­bours, and their works follow them. Fearefull should their rest bee, if dieing in the Lord, with some little thing vnsatisfied as they affirme, they shuld be cast in the tor­ture [Page 53] as hot as hells fire. And heere is to be obserued the mercilesse dealing of their father the Pope, who hauing power to relieue soules when he pleases, yet suffers ma­ny thousands to be tortured there still, till he or his re­ceaue money for their deliuerance. And thus much shortly for the third part whereof I promised to speake.

CHAP. 16.

NOw being forced here to acknowledge the fore­said false grounds of the Romish Religion, which in my miscarying J laide downe as true, to haue beene the beginning of all this mischiefe; and hauing my mind ouercharged with the filthinesse and loathsomnes thereof, to testifie the vnfained forsaking of them, & all the filthynes of their superstition: J must add some things by way of conclusion for the loue I carry to my Country & the trueth of that Religion which is allowed of God, albeit J know it will incense sundry against mee.

I would aduertise young Schollers and others, whether at home or abroad, to bee warre of the Jesuite his cun­ning dealing, with other their Emissaries such as are se­minarie Priests, Friers &c. whether hee come directly to seduce you, or come occasionally to disput with you. If hee haue a purpose to seduce you, hee will first make choyse of some catholicke of your acquaintance, who hath best credite of you; and most respected by you, him he will instruct how to handle you, and will put his owne speaches and arguments in his mouth, if you hearken & [Page 54] giue eare and make hopes you may bee theirs, an offer will bee made to you to speak with a Father, or learned man, and so you and and he shall come to conference. If hee can not finde a fit person to deale with you, then hee will come openly to you if he be where he may professe himselfe: if not, he will come vnder the habite of a Gen­tleman or burgesse of a Towne, or Countryman, as best fits his purpose; & as it were by occasion falling in your company, will talke of any purpose till hee take you vp, and as he hath time to stay or to bee with you, so will he worke, ordinarily hee will blame all our professours, for few good works and open euill liues of the great many: this at once he will turne vpon the Religion. But stumble not you for this: for the Religion of the Jewes was good when the Prophet complaines that Faith and trueth was Psal. 12. departed from the children of men. The Lords word which is our Religion, condemnes the sins of professours more than they can condemne the same. They will obiect the liues of Ministers, what they please to speak of them, and they haue in readinesse some examples and instances in print or writ or in their memorie, but stumble not you at this, for they doe injurie to the Ministers when they blame all for the fault of some: and again they doe iniury to Gods word, when they prease to blame the trueth for the teachers fault. One of the twelue Apostles was a De­vill: what was the Apostles or the Apostleship the worse? and yet when all is said, if their closters were as open as Ministers conversation, they should mak litle talke in this poynt. They will tell thee of the ignorance and want of Learning among Ministers, be not you troubled for this, they are learned enough that know Iesus Christ rightly, and can teach him soundly, learning is not the glory of [Page 55] our Religion but trueth: and yet thogh I somtime thoght so, and said so as they doe, yet I found it otherwise when I mette with the Ministers. Yocke with the Ministers when they will, so farre as J know they will ruse them­self litle for the want of learning. They will obiect they haue no warrandable calling, but vrge you them to iu­stifie the calling of their chiefe pillars, Popes, Cardinals and Prelates, whose office and entrie in their office God neuer ordained in his worde. Ministers calling goes not by succession, but by election. Their office is prescrived in the word, their entrie and qualification: Let euery one justifie as he is challanged, so much as may bee seene of men is alwayes nearer the rule of the Apostles than any of their calling. They will obiect the noveltie of this Religion, and will aske for succession of Pastours in our Church. But answer you, that they slander you vniustly for novelty, whose doctrin was taught by Christ and his Apostles, and recommended to after ages. Where the Catholick Church and true sheep of Christ vvho heard his voyce and fled sequestrating themselues from stran­gers were, there was our Church, particular professours names is no poynt of saluation. What manamong ten thousand can shew his naturall pedegree from the se­venth generation? shal a man be questioned of the trueth of his humanity if he cannot deduce his genealogie from Adam or Noah? Albeit the Protestants can bee able to show continuance of their doctrine by the lyne, and ca­talogue of the witnesses the truth through all ages, from Christs vnto our time. If this obiection were of any worth, wee might use it against their Church, and they could not deduce from Christ or the Apostles time, or a long time after any that euer heard of a number of the Articles of their Faith. But this is one of their shiftes to [Page 56] dis­pute about genealogies, and generalities, lest comming to particulars the strength of our cause and weaknesse of theirs should appeare. They will obiect Luther and Calvine, and our first reformers were Papists first: But it makes not to vs, wee belieue not any poynt of Religion upon their worde, but what wee finde aggrieing with Scripture. Againe Paul was not the worse Apostle that sometime hee was a Pharisee, but their Religion is so much the worse as such men and many after them be­hooued to quite it, or lose their Soules. They will obiect diuersities of opinions, and diuisions, and schismes, but answere you; that there were divisions in the Churchs of Corinth, Galatia, and other Apostolicke Churches: and yet they were not the lesse true Churches: let euery Church answere for her selfe, whether shee keepe vnitie with Christ and his Apostles in her doctrine: for vnitie without trueth is but conspiracie in errour. It is a who­rish impudencie to obiect vncleannes to a chast Matron, they might remember Christs aduertisment Hypocrite cast out the beame of thy owne eye first: or the Poets admoni­tion Loripedem rectus derideat. For beside the bloody schis­mes of their Popes, and the irreconciliable diuisions of their Doctours, the Jesuites and Dominicans, at this day do iarre so hotly concerning grace and frie wil, that their Pope darre not determine the question for feare he lose one of the parties. Jf they finde you ignorant they will cause you belieue that your Ministers teaches such and such heresies, as that they are enemies to good works▪ enemies to the Virgine Mary, and to the Saintes, that they giue libertie to sinne, and makes God the au­thor of it, that such a writer on our Religion hath such a blasphemous errour in such a book, and another writer, [Page 57] ano­ther blasphemie in another booke; Luther sayes this, and Caluine sayes that, and a thousand slanders suchlike. To bee short, their whole wits they will imploy to brangle you, in some generall, that they may haue you at an van­tage, brought ouer to their grounds, whereof they will make great show and ostentation, or if they condescend vpon a particular, and finde you therin weak, they will shoote at all. But if yee keepe the loue of the Scriptures, the Lord shall mak you to stand, Great peace haue they who Psal. 119. 165. loue thy Law, and nothing shall offend them. As for their dis­puts, they will make great boast and brag if they see not a learned partie: if they finde a learned partie, they will take them to discourse if they may: if they must dis­put they will keepe the former method, that is, stick vpon generalls, about the visibilitie of a Church, and notes as they say thereof, whether the true Church can erre, and will hold off whether Rome can erre as long as they can: they wil make shew to quot councils and Fathers, not be­cause that they can obtaine the victory by them, but be­cause the books are rare, and few are acquaint with them to know whether they say right or wrong: they wil avow forged distinctions, when they are prest, and flee to phi­losophick tearms, not becaus such refuges wil saue them, but because by this meanes they blovv mist in their eyes that cannot follovv them to their lurking holes: vvhen their cause is vveakest then they grovv boldest, and vvill set a brovv vpon their part, that their countenance may giue vveight to their vvatter-vversh argument or ans­vvers: vvhen they are like to succumb, they will cry lovv­dest, and cast in a nevv subiect to disput on: yee will not put them to silence, albeit they knovv they are ouercome [Page 58] For what by shifts, what by subtilities: what by circum­ventions, what by apparent verities, they can colour their cause, though neuer so bad.

It vvere an endles labour to shovv all their courses & impossible, these may suffice to giue aduertisement to you, who may bee in danger, that you acquaint you with the grounds of your owne Religion, and diligently read the Scriptures: that you bee not rash to vndertake a disput concerning Religion, and leane not much to your owne or others disputation: for in a disput yee will get the two disputers wits tried, and acquaintance with their owne grounds which they defend, but yee will not so try Reli­gion, it is the studieing of all the grounds thereof, and trying them by the Scripture must make you sure: when Gods glory or others edification requires that you dis­put, doe it advisedly, for they haue their set arguments, and their writen disputs, carrying about with them: set the state of the question right, limite thy argument to be brought on either side to Scripture, or reasons deduced therefrom: not because thou needst to feare any councils and fathers, but partly because fathers and councills are but human testimonies, partlie because if you goe from the Scriptures, ye goe to the long Sands, and the disput will not end shortlie, and so hee escapes and his errour is not convinced, and the auditours is left suspense. This much may serue for a generall aduertisment. Now for my part, pray for mee, that God may show more and more mercie on mee. J know many a bitter hard word will be spoken against me, & J deserue them all, not for my departing from them, but for my first revolting in my ignorant youthead from this Religion whereinto I am [Page 59] now brought home by Gods mercie, his name be glori­fied for euer. And the Lord make known this his trueth to the World, vvho knovves it not; and no doubt mul­tituds shal come vnto the Lord & this Religion, vvhich is grounded on his trueth, as Doves flocking to their vvindovves.