■^e(>^o 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 THE 
 Old Fafhion FARMER'S 
 
 MOTIVES 
 
 FOR LEAVING THE 
 
 CHURCH of ENGLAND, 
 
 AND EMBRACING THE 
 
 Roman Catholic Faith^ &a
 
 ■,4'/:^-^v^/Jr--- ,.-^, 
 
 f^ 
 
 n. V 1 *r 
 
 i/^:
 
 THE 
 Old Fafhion FARMER'S 
 
 MOTIVES 
 
 FOR LEAVING THE 
 
 CHURCH of ENGI.AND, 
 
 AND EMBRACING THE 
 
 Roman Catholic FAITH; 
 
 AND II IS- ^ 
 
 Reasons for adhering to the fame; 
 
 TOGETHER WITH AN 
 
 Explanation of fome particular Points, 
 
 mifreprefented by thofe of a different Perruafion ; 
 
 With an APPENDIX, by Way of Antidote 
 againil all upftart New Faiths: 
 
 Conclucjed with afking Thirty plain Quedions. 
 Printed in the Y E A R M,DCC,Lxxviir, 
 
 M
 
 5t -fl ■^^'t'- 
 
 t.j4«4'L;
 
 l: 
 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT 
 
 T P T H E 
 
 P U B L I C. 
 
 £^^^^2 ^ ^^ ^^ fome years fince I 
 ^% A ?% wrote the following flicets, 
 ?^^W^^ it will be neceflary to tell 
 the realons why they did 
 not appear fooner, and what has OC'- 
 cafioned their being published at this 
 time. 
 
 And firft, my reafon for not pub- 
 liflaing fooner, was owing to many 
 of my friends being afraid that I 
 fhould give offence ; therefore, in 
 condefcenfion to them, I poftpon-^ 
 cd *it. 
 
 And my reafons for now prefent- 
 ing this to the Public, arc firft, to 
 
 pre- 
 
 I77f
 
 prevent people from being impofed 
 uppn by falfe notions concerning my 
 convcrfion. Secondly, to fhew that 
 I became a Roman Catholic upon no 
 othqr motive than from a thorough 
 convidion of the truth of what that 
 Church teaches; and that aft^f ^ 
 mature deliberation, and fl:ri<5l fcrii-' 
 tiny into the moft fubftantial point$ 
 of her docStrine/ efpecially thofe that 
 feem to clafli moft witb y^^> ^^d 
 man s natural inclination^ and not 
 from any particular pique^ or tempo^ 
 ral intereft. And, thirdly, to make 
 it appear that Roman Catholics are 
 by no means fuch abominable, idola^ 
 trous, wicked wretches, as fome roar- 
 ing Proteflant preachers, and au^ 
 thors, reprefent them. Therefore 
 I hope no one will think that I write 
 with a defign to vilify any Religion, 
 but only to vindicate and clear the 
 
 Roman
 
 Roman Catholic faith from the at 
 perfions- of all thofe who impofa 
 upon the ignorant, by fiander and 
 mifreprefentation. As to the lownefs 
 of the ftyle, and want of many othef 
 qualifications which make an a.utlibr 
 admired, I truft the candid Reader 
 will excufe) becaufe I profefs myfelf 
 no fcholar, but only a Novice in 
 waiting, as well as in Religion. I 
 confefs that the greateft part of what 
 I have wrote in defence of the holy 
 Catholic faith, is what I have col- 
 lected from the beft authors I could 
 meet with ; and although I have not 
 fpecified from whence I have had 
 many of the paflages which I have 
 made ufe of, yet 1 hope this general 
 declaration may 'acquit me of the 
 charge of Pldgiarifm. 
 
 I would not have it imagined that 
 I have the Vanity to commence au- 
 thor
 
 E viu 3 
 
 thor lipon the fuppofition of being 
 able to convert or reclaim Protef- 
 tants ; no, I , too well know their 
 obftinacy ! If I can but undeceive, 
 that is the higheft of my expedati- 
 ons^whoam 1; :nc^iii^Aff-'?^ 
 
 *The Publu^s welUwiJhtfj' 
 
 The Ol0 Fashion Farmer, 
 
 The
 
 
 THE 
 Old Fafhion F A R M E R 's 
 
 MOTIVES, &c. 
 
 ^^#Q^"^ H E firft thing, that ever gave 
 
 sS(Sa 
 
 me unealincfs, concerning re- 
 
 c^^ ^ p ligion, was, to the beft of my 
 remembrance, receivme the Sa- 
 
 crament in the Church of Eng- 
 land ; for I thought there was not that 
 reverence paid to it, as I judged it worthy 
 of. I ever looked upon it as fomething more 
 than a fymbol of remembrance ; and when 
 I approached the altar, I came v/ith great 
 fear and refped: : and at laft began to think, 
 that Chrift muft be really prefent, and that 
 I ought to partake of his real body, and not 
 in figure only. But as I could not demon- 
 flrate this to myfelf, I applied to an honeft 
 Parfon for advice, and aiked him, what it 
 was that I received, when I took the facra- 
 ment ? He told me bread and wine. I en- 
 quired farther, whether it was not fomething 
 more than bread and wine? Upon which he 
 gave me an anfwer no v/ay to my fatisfadion; 
 B ' and
 
 [ 2 ] 
 
 and upon that, I was determined never to 
 receive any more in the Church of Eng- 
 land. — Some time after this, I had a difpute 
 with a Roman CathoHc, about the word Ca- 
 tholic -, which I endeavoured to prove in 
 behalf of the Church of England : and on 
 my infifting, that I was a Catholic, as being 
 a member of the Church of England, he 
 contradidted me, and affirmed, that it was 
 plain, that the Churchof England could not 
 be the Holy Chatholic Church, which the 
 creeds dired us to believe, becaufe they were 
 made many hundred years before the Pro- 
 teftant Church of England had either name 
 . or being. But as he found he could not 
 prevail over me by dint of argument, he, at 
 the fame time, kindly advifed me to look 
 into the hiflory of the times of the reforma- 
 tion, and examine when, and how, that ex- 
 traordinary event happened: and he further- 
 more told me, to make a diligent fearch after 
 the characters of thofe men who called them- 
 felves Reformers, and afterwards give him 
 my opinion. Upon this, I fet myfelf in 
 earneft to read Hiflory ; and for that pur- 
 pofe, borrowed Guthrie's Hiflory oi England, 
 who is an approved author, and no fmall 
 enemy to Popery -, and I alfo looked over 
 fome other authors : and as I read the lives 
 of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Q^ Mary, and 
 Q^ Elizabeth, I made particular remarks, in 
 
 order
 
 [ 3 ] 
 
 order to enable me to overcome all Papifts 
 for the future; but when I had finillied 
 writing them all out, and read them leifure- 
 ly over, I v/as greatly furprized to find them 
 run in favour of thofe very Papifts, whom I 
 had took fo much pains to confute. For I 
 could ealily obferve, from the remarks that I 
 had made, that King Henry VIII, was the 
 man who made the firft great breach in the 
 Church, efpecially here in England. And I 
 further found, that he was moved thereunto, 
 not with a dejire of reforming mankind, and 
 making them more virtuous and good, but by a 
 wicked and luftfiil dejire, in order to obtain the 
 greater liberty of indulging his inordinate and 
 wicked appetites, in enjoying all the women he 
 liked, and what money he wanted. For which 
 reafons I perceived, that he threw off the 
 Pope's Supremacy, and abolifhed and plun- 
 dered religious houfes. By doing the firft, 
 he gained the liberty of divorcing his lawful 
 and virtuous wife Catharine ; and by the 
 laft, he got an abundance of money, by fa- 
 crilegioufly robbing thofe holy places, which 
 the piety of many great and good men had 
 enriched, in order to maintain thofe that 
 were poor ; and them who fequeftered them- 
 felves from the cares .of the world, by dedi- 
 cating their time and fervice to the almighty 
 Maker of heaven and earth. 
 
 B 2 Now
 
 [ 4 ] 
 
 Now when I had read that King Henry 
 did thefe deeds, I could not conceive that 
 they were didlated unto him by the Holy 
 Ghoft, but rather hy the counjel and advice of 
 fome evil Genius, which was hurrying him on 
 to Jill up the meafure of his iniquity, 1 alfo 
 found, that pride (which was the fall of Sa- 
 tan) was a great ingredient, which hailened 
 on this fudden revolution. For 1 faw, that 
 the King could not think himfelf happy 
 whilft there was one on earth whom he 
 might acknowledge his fuperior, (efpecially 
 in fpiritual aifairs) becaufe this fuperior, who 
 was fliled the Father of the Church, (for that 
 is the Jignification of the word I' ope) would 
 not wink at his wickednefs, nor confirm his 
 divorce, without his fhewing juft reafons 
 why he fued for it : neither would he fuffer 
 bim to commit adultery, without controul : 
 all which lay heavy upon the King's proud 
 and luftful foul ; therefore, in order to 
 flrengthen himfelf againft the Pope, he fet 
 about to diflribute the riches of the religious 
 houfes amongft the nobility, and members 
 of parliament, to involve them in the fame 
 guilt which he had took upon himfelf. And 
 this I found he did by the advice of one 
 Cromwell, whom King Henry afterwards 
 made a Lord ; and for the great aptnefs that 
 he had in villainy and hypocrijy, made and ap- 
 pointed him Infpe£lor General, to enquire into 
 
 the 
 
 'itk.%
 
 r 5 ] 
 
 the ahufes (as they then termed it) of religious 
 houjes. Which office he fo well filled ac- 
 cording to his mafter's defire, that I fhall 
 only fay, the ruins we fee at prefent of thofe 
 places formerly dedicated to the fervice of 
 God, and the relief of the poor, are fufficient 
 marks for any one to judge of the vile inten- 
 tion of this promoter of facrilege. But I 
 further obferved, that the fall of Cromwell 
 was what ought to deter every other from 
 the like offence j for in hiftory I faw, that 
 the pit which he bad dug for another, he fell 
 Into the midfi of it himfelf-y the Almighty fo 
 difpofing it, that he was the firll who fell a 
 facrifice to that very law which he had got 
 made to deftroy one who oppofed him ; which 
 law was namely this, ** That it Jhould not 
 *' he necejfary for any one that was tryed, to 
 *' be confronted with his witnejfes." From 
 this I learnt, that verily there is a reward 
 for the righteous ; and that douhtlefs there are 
 fore and grievous punifimentsfor all thofe who 
 fet themf elves to work wickednefs, and to alter 
 the ancient religion. 
 
 Next I remarked, that King Edward VI, 
 who eftablifhed the Church of England, was 
 not of years to difcern truth from error, be- 
 ing fcarce ten years of age when he began 
 the Reformation ; in which I faw he v/a$ 
 directed by men of the moft vicious inclina- 
 tions, whofe chief defign was to enrich them- 
 
 fclves
 
 [ 6 1 
 
 felves hy /acnlegious rapine 'j who, in order 
 to compafs their wicked defign, fet about de- 
 flroying and plundering all thofe religious 
 places which had efcaped the rapacious hands 
 of King Henry, and his minifters : yea, and 
 fo impioufly wicked were thele men, that 
 they robbed and plundered every church in 
 the kingdom, of all its mofi: coftly orna- 
 ments. This proved it very plain to me, 
 t\\2iX plunder was the grand delign of the firfl 
 Reformers (or rather DeformersJ of religion. 
 And when I came to view the Tranfad:ions 
 of the next reign, I was fully fatisiied, that 
 a Reformation of Religion, was the leaft that 
 thefe men aimed at -, for when Queen Mary 
 afcended the throne, the moft ftiff Protejianfs 
 under Edward, became now the moft rigid 
 Catholics', at the fame time owning, that 
 what they did before, was by their being led 
 by the fpirit of ambition and avarice, and not 
 out of any motive to ferve God more righte- 
 oufly and juftly than heretofore. All which, 
 I thought convincing enough to any reafon- 
 able and thinking mind, to make him for- 
 fake thofe paths which thefe time-fervers had 
 chalked out. 
 
 As a proof of what I have advanced, con- 
 cerning the Reformers under King Edward, 
 obferve, that Archbifhop Cranmer, who was 
 the chief contriver of the Faith and Articles 
 of the Church of England, did, in the reign 
 
 of
 
 [ 7 ] 
 
 of Queen Mary, confefs, after mature delibe- 
 ration, 'Tlfaf the Church he had ejiablijhed, 
 was erroneous and wicked: and that therefore 
 he freely and fublickly abjured her faith ; and 
 teftified it, by Hgning his Recantation with 
 his own hand, at fix different times, and in 
 fix different forms ; and afterwards volun- 
 tarily becoming a Catholic, without any 
 force or violence offered to his confcience. 
 This made me to fay, without any further 
 hefitation, How can I continue in that Reli- 
 gion, (with a quiet mind) which the maker 
 and former thereof faid was both wicked and 
 erroneous , and which I found to be the fpu- 
 rious upflart race of LoUardinifm, Lutheran - 
 ifm, and Zuinglianifm. And I was further 
 convinced of the neceflity of leaving the 
 Church of England, when, in looking for 
 Luther and Calvin's characters, (the two 
 firfl grand Reformers) I found them to be 
 fuch men, that they had more occafion to 
 have fet about reforming their own lives and 
 manners, than to fet themfelves about re- 
 forming the Church of Chrifl : and without 
 much trouble, I could eafily difcover the 
 reafon of their difTenting to be this, namely, 
 their not chufing to conform themfelves to 
 the Church of Chrift, but rather chufing to 
 make churches that fhould fuit with their 
 lives, and conform to their haughty and vici- 
 ous inclinations. Neither of them, I obferv- 
 
 ed.
 
 [ 8 ] 
 e-d, liked Confeflion, by reafon that it was a 
 troublefome and hard task; therefore they 
 proclaimed it quite unnecelTary. Failing 
 alfo feemed to thefe lovers of pleafure, too 
 great a curb to their licentious appetites, and 
 therefore they laid it alide, and left it in their 
 Liturgy only as a piece of advice to be fol- 
 lowed by thofe who thought fit. 
 
 Tranfubftantiation they did not like, be- 
 caufe it was a point beyond the reach of hu- 
 man capacity, and therefore they would not 
 believe it ; and Calvin went fo far as to rejedt 
 the plain words of Chrift himfelf, when he 
 faid, T'his is my bodyj this is my hlocd-, and 
 by a moft wonderful interpretation hatb 
 made it to fignify, that Chrift's meaning 
 was, Tbis is not my body, this is not my bloody 
 but only the figure and type thereof. 
 
 A farther reafon for my leaving the Church 
 of England, was, bccaufe I could not con- 
 ceive how a Church, founded by Jefus Chrift, 
 or a reformation, begun by the Spirit of God, 
 could ftand in need of being fupported by 
 lies and calumnies; by falfe infinuations and 
 fcandalous reflections ; all which I found to 
 be put in pradice by the firft Reformers ; 
 not to mention the force which was ufed to 
 bring people from the dodtrine and religion 
 of their anceftors, and the penal laws which 
 were made to hinder Catholics from preach- 
 ing, writing, or printing, in their own vindi- 
 cation.
 
 [ 9 ] 
 
 cation. And in order to make good what I 
 lay, I {hall here remark, that I had always 
 learnt, from the books that had come into 
 my hands, that Biiliop Cranmer died a mar- 
 tyr for the religion of the Church of England, 
 as alfo Hooper, Latimer, and Ridley ; when, 
 at the fame time, it is plain, upon the face 
 of hiftory, that they were all four tried and 
 executed for being traytors to their king and 
 country : namely, for being the principal 
 contrivers of fettling the crown on Lady Jane 
 Gray, and proclaiming her Queen, in oppo- 
 fition to their true and lawful Sovereign, 
 Queen Mary. And befides this, I found that 
 Eilhop Cranmer, the grand Reformer, was 
 fo far from dying for the religion of the 
 Church of England, that he was a Roman 
 Catholic when he was tried, a Rom.an Catho- 
 lic when he was condemned, and a Roman 
 Catholic when he went to the ilake to be ex- 
 ecuted. And, pray, let me afk any man, 
 how he could be faid to die a martyr for the 
 religion of the Church of England? For if 
 he really had died a martyr for her faith, he 
 muft have been tried and condemned for de- 
 fending it ; which he was fo far from doing, 
 that, before his trial came on, he recanted 
 that very religion, and faid it was both er- 
 roJieous and ijoicked. Yet, i^range to tell ! he 
 is for all this deemed a martyr by many au- 
 thors, who have been employed to poifon the 
 C minds
 
 [ 10 ] 
 
 minds of the people. And one Fox has 
 placed him amongft his lift of thofe which 
 he calls martyrs for the Church of England; 
 which lift he has drawn to a great length, 
 filling it with thofe who died for treafon, re- 
 bellion, and the like : which proved to me, 
 that the Reformation could not be didlated 
 by the Spirit of God, feeing (he was forced 
 to take in fo many traytors and rebels, as wit- 
 neffes of, or martyrs for her dod:rine ^ for 
 which reafon I was determined to embrace 
 the ancient religion, whofe martyrs were quite 
 of a different Jl amp. 
 
 Another reafon why I left the Church of 
 England, was this : I found, on the face of 
 hiftory, that fhe had encouraged all manner 
 of impiety, even from her firft appearance, in 
 order to draw men from the ancient way 
 which their anceftors ufed to ferve God in : 
 For fo abominable, and impicufly wicked 
 Were they in the firft reforming age in this 
 land, that Guthrie obferves, T'hat churches 
 were converted into Jlahles, and theatres for 
 prize fighting ; and all people feemed, at that 
 time, to have lofi fight both of morality and 
 piety. And thefyfiem of government, he fays, 
 was both arbitrary and bloody ; and the great 
 men of that age followed the Court, as crows 
 do carrion, that they might prey on the pojfeffions 
 of religion. And fo far were all plunged in the 
 gulph of wickednefs, that the fame hiftorian 
 
 obferves.
 
 [ II ] 
 
 obferves, ^hat the univerfal corruption ofthofe 
 times was beyond defcription and beyond example » 
 And he further remarks, that it plainly appear- 
 ed, that it was ambition, and not religion, that 
 was the main view of the Reformers* Alas 
 then, faid I, how can I dare to continue in 
 that religion, which was fet on foot through 
 ambition and avarice! when it plainly appears 
 that the firft promoters of it were men of 
 fuch vile charad:ers, that none ever had e- 
 qualled them ; neither could the pen of hif- 
 tory defcribe the many wickednejfcs and impi- 
 eties which they who Called themfelves Re- 
 formers were guilty of: Then I cried out 
 after the manner of holy Jacob, faying, ** Oh, 
 viy foul! come not thou into their fecrct -, u?Jto 
 their affembly, mine honour, be not thou united :" 
 for in their craft and hypocrify they have o- 
 verwhelmed this land in irreligion, Atheifm^ 
 Deifm, infidelity, and all forts of SeSlaries. 
 
 Another reafon why I left the Church of 
 England, was. In my reading hiftory, I dif- 
 covered the many notorious falfities that I 
 had formerly been taught to believe concern- 
 ing Queen Mary, whom I had been taught 
 to look upon as the mofl barbarous and 
 bloodyeft of women ; and had oft heard it 
 affirmed, that (lie was the moil: cruel creature 
 that ever exifted -, when, in fearching hillory, 
 I found that the whole number of thole who 
 /lie executed during her reign, amounted to 
 C 2 no
 
 r i'2 1 
 
 no more than 273, and 64 more whom (he 
 othervvife fined and imprifoned (according to 
 Speed's hiftory, who is deemed a true au- 
 thor). At- this fmali number I was aftonifli- 
 ed j efpecially when I found, that in the fe- 
 cond year of her reign, V/yat, with feveral 
 thoufand men, rebelled againft her, and came 
 even to her palace, and demanded her prifon- 
 er ; but in a few hours after that bold infult, 
 he and moft of the leaders were brought pri- 
 foners before the Queen. Upon this I began 
 to compare fad:s, when 1 foon found that 
 Mary could not deferve the charad:er of 
 bloody, &c. for if flie did, I perceived that 
 Queen Elizabeth deferved it more fo ; for I 
 found that ihe executed double the number 
 that Queen Mary did, even on account of 
 one rebellion, namely, that of the Earkof 
 WeflmorelandYandNorthumberIand>|, which 
 proceeded no farther than the North of Eng- 
 land. Befides, Queen Elizabeth I find exe- 
 cuting, in the moil cruel manner, num- 
 bers of priefts and feminarifts, purely becaufe 
 they were Catholics. Now if Queen Eli- 
 zabeth deferves the name of good, even after 
 Ihe had been guilty of the mofl fevere perfe- 
 cutions ; furely then, we have reafon to fay 
 with Sir Richard Baker, in his Chronicles, 
 " That Mary was amiable ; and that we 
 ** muft not deny her to be a merciful Prin- 
 ** cefs." Neither ought we to impute the 
 
 death
 
 [ -s ] ■ 
 
 death of thofe who died in her reign for re^ 
 hellion^ to the cruelty of the Queen, or her 
 hatred to the reformation. Now after difco- 
 vering the means that were ufed, and the art- 
 ful calumnies that were raifed, in order to 
 blacken the character of this catholic ^een» 
 I fairly concluded, that thofe who ufed fuch 
 unjufl methods, could not have truth on their 
 lide ; and from hence I inferred, that thefe 
 men were not of the true Church of Chrift, 
 which ihould continue to the end of the 
 world, teaching, and being taught, all truth. 
 Therefore I held it both dangerous, and un- 
 fafe, to be in their communion, becaufe aU 
 liars y JJjall have their portion in the lake ofjire 
 and brimflone. Rev. xxi. 8. 
 
 Laftly, The chiefeft of all my reafons for 
 leaving the Church of England, was, The 
 many alterations that have been mads in her 
 Jaith. And it was thefe very alterations 
 that confirmed me in a firm belief, that her 
 firft guides and inftitutors, were not guided 
 by the Holy Ghoft, as they boaftingly pre- 
 tended ; for if they had been guided by the 
 Spirit of Truth, they moft certainly would 
 have been directed to have fixed upon a true 
 faith, which faith no one could have prefum- 
 ed to alter, without being guilty of herefy. 
 But the faith which thefe firil reformers fix- 
 ed upon, has been altered ; firll: by them- 
 felves, three years after it was made, and then 
 
 by 
 
 .^:
 
 [ H ] 
 by Queen Elizabeth, 6cc. (as fee in Sparrow's 
 Colledion of Articles, &c.) Now when I 
 had obferved this, the following queftion na- 
 turally offered itfelf, namely, Which of thefe 
 faiths can be right ? Why, the prefent to be 
 fure, I thought, muft have the beft title. 
 But then upon examination I found, that if 
 the prefent faith was right, then that which 
 was before it, in confequence muft be wrong, 
 or elfe it would have needed no alteration. 
 Now if the former faith which the Church 
 of England fixed upon, was wrong, the pre- 
 fent cannot be right, becaule it fprang from 
 that which is falfe ; and Chrift himfelf has 
 faid, that a corrupt tree cannot bring forth 
 good fruit ; for which reafon I concluded, 
 that the prefent faith of that Church had no 
 better a title to the truth than the iirft had, 
 which was made in King Edward's time. 
 
 To give aproof of the alterations that have 
 been made — Behold, in 1547, the injundions 
 ordained, " That the two lights fhall be 
 *' upon the high altar, before the Sacrament, 
 " for the fignification, that Chrift is the very 
 *' true light of the world ; therefore, they 
 ** fhall be fuifered to remain." — J^em, *' That 
 ** they fhall, in confeflions, every Lent, ex- 
 ** amine every perfon that cometh to con- 
 *' fefTion to them," &c. 
 
 The fame injundions fay, " Ye fhall pray 
 ** for all them that be departed out of this 
 
 " worldi
 
 C( 
 
 [ 15 ] 
 
 world, in the faith of Chrift ; that they 
 " with us, and we with them, at the day of 
 *' judgment, may reft both body and foul, 
 ** with Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, in the 
 " kingdom of heaven." 
 
 " Bern, That the bread, that fhall be con* 
 ** fecrated, lliall be fuch as heretofore hath 
 ** been accuftomed ; and every of the laid 
 ** confecrated breads, fhall be broken into 
 ** two pieces at the leaft, or more, by the 
 ** difcretion of the Minifter, and Co diftri^ 
 " buted. And men muft not think lefs to 
 ** be received in part, than in the whole ; 
 ** but in each of them the whole body of our 
 ** Saviour Jefus Chrift." 
 
 And the prayer at confecration was then 
 in thefe words : ** With thy Holy Spirit 
 ** vouchfafe to blefs and fandify thefe thy 
 *' gifts of bread and wine, that they may 
 " be unto us the body and blood of thy moft 
 ** dearly beloved Son," 6cc. And as thefe 
 things were deemed right and good, and to 
 be retained amongft the firft Reformers, who 
 were the primitive Proteftants, why is there 
 fuch an alteration now ? For if the firft guides 
 were right, and aided by the Holy Ghoft, as 
 they pofitively /aid they was ; then, moft cer- 
 tain, the prefent Proteftants are wrong. 
 And again, if the firft guides were wrong, 
 then the prefent Proteftants cannot be right, 
 becaufe they fprang from them, and are a 
 
 branch
 
 [ i6 ] 
 
 branch of that fame tree, which bore falfe 
 fruit ', dehghtful tc the eyes of the liber tine|, 
 the free-thinker^, the deill, and all the 
 brood of fanatic enthufiafts. 
 
 Then anfwered I, What can I fay to thefe 
 things ? If 1 am contented to truft to that 
 faith in which I happened to be born, which 
 makes the pafJage to heaven feem eafy, even 
 as riding in a poft-chariot : and, through the 
 prejudice of my education, think ill of Ca- 
 tholics, who obferve the religion of their 
 anceftors, and by penance and mortification 
 labour hard to gain Heaven, what will be 
 the confequence ? efpeciaily as I am fully 
 perfuaded of the neceffity of imitating the 
 life of our great Mafler and Redeemer ye/us 
 Chriji, The confequence I dreaded -, and 
 then was firmly bent to lead anew life, and 
 to do penance in this world, in order to 
 fatisfy God Almighty's juflice hereafter: for 
 after the guilt of fm is remitted by God, the 
 punifliment is not always forgiven, as in the 
 cafe of Adam, David, &c. Then 1 cail: a- 
 bout for a favourable excufe for my declaring 
 myfelf a Catholic, being then (as moft of 
 the kingdom are) more fearful of being de- 
 fpifed, and loling my friends, than of lofing 
 the rewards promifed by God to the true be- 
 liever. But at length I found great comfort 
 in thinking of the following promifes, made 
 by Chrifl himfelf, in the 6th chap, of St. 
 
 Matthew,
 
 f '7 ] ... ; 
 
 Matthew, and the 33d verfe^ where he faith. 
 But feek ye fir ft the kingdom of God and his 
 right eoufnefs, and all theje things Jhall he ad-- 
 ded to you. And from this I concluded, that 
 as my intentions were to ferve God more di- 
 ligently than heretofore, and that what I 
 ahered for, was purely to feek the fure path 
 to Heaven -, why then, thought I, fhould I 
 doubt of God's promife, who is not only 
 able, but fure to perform it, hecaufe he pro^ 
 mifed it. 
 
 Upon this, I ventured to declare my mind, 
 upon a proper occafion, and could not think 
 that any perfon of candor and fincerity would 
 blame me for embracing the religion of my 
 anceftors, which I was convinced was the on- 
 ly true Church of Chrifl, in order to lead a 
 more holy and edifying life. Thefe are the 
 chief motives that induced me to embrace 
 the ancient doctrine of chriftianity ; and thefe 
 are the very reajonsfor which I left the Church 
 of England. 
 
 The reafon why I did not declare myfelf 
 fooner, was, the hardnefs of parting, on a 
 fudden, with the prejudices of birth and 
 education ; for as I had always been a firm 
 aflertor of the Proteftant principles, this 
 made me afhamed to think of parting with 
 her faith, although I knew it then to be 
 falfe and erroneous ; therefore, I was for 
 fome time fluduating between truth and falf- 
 D . hood.
 
 [ «8 ] 
 
 hood, and laboured under great agitations of' 
 mind, not daring to break the ice, and de- 
 clare in the behalf of that religion, which I 
 was convinced was infallibly true : therefore, 
 I waited for fome time, to find out a favour- 
 able excufe i and as foon as I heard of Mr,- 
 S r's promotion to the See of Canter- 
 bury, I then declared my intentions, and, 
 for an excufe, told thofe, who enquired the 
 reafons of my leaving the Church of Eng-» 
 land, that I did not choofe to be amongfl 
 them, whilft they had a DifTcnter for their 
 head Bifhop, And from this many have re- 
 ported, that I left the Church of England 
 from an antipathy that I had to the Arch- 
 bifhop of Canterbury -, but I now alTure the 
 world, that I did not; and declare pofi lively, 
 that I made ufe of thofe cxpreffions only for 
 an excufe to my friends. 
 
 And now I fhall conclude this firft part, 
 with a few (hort obfervations out of hiftory, 
 which I think fufficient to caufe any one, 
 who loves his own foul, to leave all new up- 
 flart dodtrines, and cleave unto the ancient 
 Catholic Church ofChrijl. 
 
 Firft, When King Henry had took upon 
 him to be the fupreme head of the church, 
 he, by virtue of that power, caufed (as Guth- 
 rie obfervcs) the paftors to adminifter balm or 
 poifon to the fiockf jujl as he liked. And was 
 likewije fo vain, as to Jlik bimjelf the moji 
 
 learned
 
 \ 19 ] 
 
 karned Prince in Europe, when, at the iiery 
 fame time, be was dejiroying the monuments of 
 learning, . piety, and hofpitality. And the 
 fame Hiftorian obferves, That the whole fcope 
 of Henry s dejigns were to fatisfy his lufls : 
 And as to religion, he had none^ though (as he 
 lays) when he dyd, he, like all other bank- 
 rupts to divine mercy, threw himjelf on the 
 merits of our Saviour, bewailing the errors of 
 his pafi life, when the ink was fcarcely dry 
 upon the warrant, for a detejiable murder, 
 that of the Duke of Nor/olk, And Smollet 
 lays, He was rajh, arrogant, prodigal, vain- 
 glorious, pedantic, and fuperjiitious. He de- 
 lighted in pomp and pageantry, the baubles of 
 a weak mind. His pafjions, foothed by adtila-^' 
 tion, rejeBed all rejiraint ; and as he was an 
 utter fir anger to the finer feelings of the foul, 
 he gratified them at the expence of jufiice and 
 humanity, without any remorfe or compunSiion. 
 And as fuch, and worfe, is the character of 
 this poftilion, or iirft leader of the reforma- 
 tion, fure every religious and thinking man 
 muft detefl: and abhor to ride in his chariot, 
 or follow in the road which he hath traced 
 out. 
 
 Secondly, Archbifliop Cranmer, who is 
 ftiled the apoftle of the reformation ; his cha- 
 radler in Guthrie is, T^hat he himfelf was as 
 great a freethinker, in matters of religion, as 
 any in the age in which he lived. And Cran- 
 D 2 mer
 
 t 2» 3 
 
 merhimfclf, before he dyed, owned, That the 
 church he had ejiabltfied, was both erroneous 
 and wicked. Surely now one would think, 
 that it was impoffible for men, who profefs 
 that they hope to gain heaven, to imagine 
 they {hould gain it by that religion which 
 the maker thereof abjured, becaufe he faid, 
 he knew it to be both erroneous and wick- 
 ed 5 or that they (hould hope to be faved. 
 by following a freethinker's church, before 
 that which was cflablifhed by Chrifl and his 
 apoflles. 
 
 And as Cranmer was a freethinker, hia 
 character further is, that he alfo was very 
 obfequious, facrificing every thing to the will 
 of his mailer; difannuUing as many mar- 
 riages as he pleafed, fetting his hand to as 
 many condemnations as Henry chufed, and 
 ligning as many laws as the King wanted to 
 have made. And all this while Bifhop Bur- 
 net tells us, he was a Lutheran in his heart, 
 Neverthelefs, was fo compleat in every com- 
 pliance, that he would even fet his hand to 
 articles of faith which Lutherifm utterly 
 condemned ; yea, and he approved the mafs 
 as long as his mailer lived, although it was 
 an abomination to the new Reformers. He 
 alfo fwore obedience to the Pope, although 
 he looked upon him as Antichrifl ; and he 
 begged the intcrceilion of faints, and incenf- 
 ed their images, although Lutherans deemed 
 
 that
 
 [ «I ] 
 
 that praftice nothing lefs than idolatry. He 
 alfo confecrated priefts, giving them power 
 to change the bread and wine into the body 
 and blood of Jefus Chrift, by their holy be-i 
 neditStion. He likewife gave them power to 
 offer the facrifice of the mafs, as well for 
 the living, as the dead; and notwithftanding 
 this hypocrify of adting, contrary to his con- 
 fcience, the fame Bifhop Burnet calls him 
 ajecond Athanafiusy a fecond Cyrili, one of the 
 moji perfeB prelates the Church ever hadi 
 Though it had been much more to his pur- 
 pofe, if he had fhewn him a man of that 
 boldncfs, as to proteft againft every thing 
 that was contrary to Lutherifm, and that'h« 
 had vindicated all which in his confcience 
 he believed. But thus it is, though ftrangc 
 to tell, a man, who pradtifes for a number 
 of years what he believed all that time to be 
 facrilege, and an abomination : yet, becaufe 
 he commenced a new Reformer, is by them 
 fliled a fecond Athanafius, &c. although, if 
 people were not blind, they might cafily dif- 
 cover the difference betwixt a difiembling 
 hypocrite, and a defender of the primitive 
 doctrine and difcipline of the Catholic 
 Church, as St, Athanafius, and St. Cyrili 
 were: but when darknefs hath overcaft men's 
 minds, the dire contagion fpreads, iniomuch 
 that they embrace every abfurdity. 
 
 Thirdly,
 
 [ 22 ] 
 
 Thirdly, The character of King Edward 
 the fixth's minifters, who ruled him, and pre- 
 tended to eflablifh the reformation in his 
 name, is enough to fright any reafonable 
 man, from the faith which they eftablifhed. 
 Hear what Guthrie fays of thefe reforming 
 gentlemen : Nothing (fays he) in their time 
 ivas too impious to get money ; and he likewifc 
 obferves, that Northumberland, the Prince s 
 Frime Minijier, made a very gainful trade by 
 granting licences in abundance for eating fiejh 
 in Lent. And at this time (he fays) that 
 nothing was wanting to encourage impiety: 
 that the whole fyfem of Government was both 
 arbitrary and bloody y and that the people loft 
 fight both of piety and morality : and every 
 pragmatical fellow preached up whatever came 
 in his way, fo that (as he fays) the univerfal 
 corruption of thofe times is beyond defcription, 
 and beyond example. Strange ! Oh ftrange to 
 think! that any fenfible man fhould offer to 
 boaft of the purity of that church, which is 
 built upon ifnpiety, prophanenefs, and immo- 
 rality. When the very men, who laid the 
 foundation of it, were fo abominably wicked, 
 that the corruption of manners which they 
 caufed, was too gr^t to be defcribed by the 
 pen of hiftory ! and too impioufly wicked 
 to find any to whom they might be com- 
 pared ! Alas ! nothing but a miracle can con- 
 vince thofc, who can overlook thefe fads. 
 
 And
 
 [ 23 ] 
 
 And one would think, that nothing but the 
 laws that are made to hinder Catholics from 
 writing, printing, or fpeaking in their own 
 juftification, could hinder the truths of their 
 religion from being made manifeft. Smol- 
 let obferves alfo, that King Henry's Parlia- 
 ment was fo complaifant as to give away 
 the liberties of the nation, in every refped:. 
 For he fays. They firft made the King ab- 
 folute mafter of their lives and fortunes^ 
 and now (fays he) they fubjeded their con- 
 fcicnces to his will and pleafure : for he ob- 
 ferves, they made an ad;, that every thing 
 that the King fliould ordain on the fubjedt 
 of religion, fliould have the force of a law. 
 
 Fourthly, The obfervations that any one 
 may make of the Reformers in the next 
 age, is a fufficient proof that what they 
 taught was abfolutely falfe : for obferve, 
 when Queen Mary came in, the moil zea- 
 lous for the reformation under Edward, be- 
 came now the greateft aflertors of Popery; 
 and this made people, (as Guthrie fays) 
 " look upon religion as only a fcourge of 
 " Government." And he further obferves, 
 ** That it now plainly appeared, that it was 
 " ambition, and not religion, that was the 
 ** main view of the Reformers." And he 
 elfe where fays, ** That it was no wonder 
 ** that Mary was fevere, for the heads of the 
 ** Proteilants in Edward*s time attempted 
 
 '« to
 
 t 24 3 
 *« to take from her an inofFenfive liberty of* 
 ** worfhipping ; for they would not iufFer 
 •* her to worfhip God in her own way, no, 
 ** not within, her clofet." Now as thefe 
 men, who were fo ftrenuous for the refor- 
 mation under Edward, nevertheleis became 
 ftrong Catholics under Mary, furely, one 
 would think, that no man need to be told 
 that it never could be religion that thefe men 
 ftrove to reform, for it plainly appears, from 
 hiftory, that they had only ambition and ava- 
 rice for their guides and dire6iors : for all 
 which reafons, no one, that hath his eyes 
 open, or that is willing to gain an eternity 
 of happinefs, can follow what they taught, 
 and at the fame time believe it to be the 
 doiflrine of "Jejus Chrifi and bis u^pojilesy ex- 
 cept they are deceived by the delulions of the 
 world, and the prejudice of their educati- 
 ons : and for all fuch I will pray, that God 
 may convert their hearts, and open their 
 eyes. 
 
 Fifthly, The fevere laws that were made 
 by Queen Elizabeth, and the terrible perfe- 
 cution that {he raifed againft all thofe who 
 pradtifed the old religion, which all her no- 
 ble anccftors had both lived and died in, is 
 enough to fhew that charity was quite a 
 ilranger to thefe broachers and eftablifhers 
 of the Proteftant religion. For in 1580, 
 Guthrie obfervcs, that the ferjecution ran 
 
 So
 
 [ 25 ] 
 
 fo high, that the Jails m the North nioere fo 
 full of Papijls that they could fcarceiy hold 
 them, fo that they were obliged to admit many 
 to bail who were in for lejfer offences, fuch as 
 robbery and the like, and that many were execute 
 ^d^ and fome rticked. And in the year 1593, 
 /he m^dt a law which ordained, that all 
 thbie who 'were above fixteen years old, 
 fliould be obliged to come to church ; and 
 if they defifted one month, they were to be 
 committed to prifon without bail, or main- 
 prize, till they did reform ; if any refufed, 
 they were to abjure the Kingdom; and, if 
 they returned, were to bs deemed felons, 
 and Rjffer as fuch. All Recufants (that is, 
 thofe that dilTented from the Church that 
 Elizabeth had eftablidied) were confined 
 within five miles of their own dwellings, on 
 forfeiture of all their goods and chattels. 
 And about this time fhe caufed many Priefts 
 to be put to death, and pradlifed more than 
 ordinary feverity againfl Recufants of all 
 kinds. So you fee the troubles were not 
 only great, but alfo of long continuance. 
 And the fame Hiftorian remarks, ** That 
 " the vulgar were induftrioufly taught 
 ** to look upon Papifts as Daemons, and being 
 ** pofTeffed with fuch a prejudice againft 
 " them, they fcemed (he fays) to enjoy with 
 ** pleafure the daily torturing and executi- 
 ** ons, inflidted on Priefts and Seminaries ,'* 
 "* E And
 
 [ 26 ] 
 
 And he further obferves, " That the Go- 
 ** vernment did not fail to improve this fpi- 
 " rit of the people to very unwarrantable 
 ** lengths. And every corner was filled 
 *• with fpies, and every jail with prifoners." 
 And the fame Hiflorian elfcwhere fays, 
 ** With relu<5tance I am obliged to obferve, 
 ** that I find fome of the reforming Bifliops, 
 *' for a few doubtful points of Religion, 
 ** dragging innocent people to the flake, 
 ** where they were burnt to death with (as 
 ** he terms it) all the circumftances of Po- 
 •* piih cruelty." He alfo notes, " That 
 " Queen Elizabeth, at one time, executed 
 *• fixty-fix petty Conftables and one Prieft 
 ** in the city of Durham." If this was not 
 aifting in a bloody manner, then I am no 
 judge of the thing. But after all. Queen 
 Elizabeth pafTed an adt to make all the mur- 
 ders that file committed, appear to the vul- 
 gar in a different light ; by which her fa- 
 vourers think to fcreen her from being 
 deemed a perfecutor on the fcore of Reli- 
 gion, for the aB made it high treafin for a 
 J^rieji to be in England, whether he exercifed 
 Ms JknSiion or not. For which reafon, her 
 friends fay, that thofe who died, were ex«» 
 i^uted for treafon only, and not for Reli- 
 gion : yea, and Lord Burleigh wrote a book 
 on tjie vindication of the Queen, in which 
 he endeavoured to prove, that all that died, 
 
 did
 
 [ 27 1 
 
 did fufFer only for treafon : which book 
 Guthrie calls a weak piece. For if we allow 
 that it is only feeking the life of the Prince 
 that is to be deemed high treafon, how could 
 thefe men come within the compafs of that 
 adl, who were not allowed the leaft opportu- 
 nity of appearing even out of their own 
 dwellings ? All which makes it plain,, that 
 thefe Reformers were both criieU and uncha-' 
 ritabky and that they were compleaf hypo- 
 crites, whofe views were only ambition: for 
 which manifeft reafons I think that none 
 who have ienfe and can judge for themfelves, 
 can be of that religion which Queen Eliza- 
 beth eftablifhed, except they are fuch as 
 will not take any trouble to inform them- 
 felves of what is truth : or are. thofe who 
 only take \n their religion as babes do 
 their mothers milk, becaufe they happened 
 to be born in it ; or elfe prefer interefl here, 
 before rewards hereafter. To fum up this 
 point, let me alTc, how can any fenfible per- 
 fon be of that Religion which was eflablifli- 
 ed by a perfeB hypocrite (as Guthrie calls 
 Queen Elizabeth) and one who did the blackejl 
 deed that ever ftained the pen of kijiory ? 
 This fhews that fhe was not of God, but 
 that (he was of him whofe lufts (lie did not 
 fail to fulfil, whofe end was horrible to 
 think of, being overwhelmed witA black 
 dejpair, and tka horrors of meicnsho*y. 
 
 E 2 Sixthly
 
 [ 28 1. 
 
 Sixthly and Laftly, The charadler of the • 
 very grand reformer of all, even Luther 
 himfeif, is enough to make any underiland- 
 ing perfon difbelieve the docftrine he preach-. 
 ed : for Guthrie fays, that it ivas defpair 
 that made him a Reformer -, and he fays, that 
 of all the Reformers that came to di/pute with 
 Bifiop Gardener, not one of them but was 
 overcome by him, of which number was Mar- 
 iyr, Bucer, ^c, all whom he fairly foiled. 
 Now as defpair was the occafion of Luther's 
 changing his religion, and as all his mofl 
 noted difciples and followers, were foiled by 
 a (ingle bifhop of the old religion, furely, 
 that is enough to fhew any man that is not 
 wilfully blind, that thefe Reformers (as 
 they called themfelves) were not fent by God, 
 But that they were the falfe prophets of the 
 heajly which Jhouid arije after the firfi thoufand 
 years, who Jfjould encompafs the camp of the 
 faints about, andthe beloved city ; upon whom, in 
 the end God Jloall rain down fire and brim- 
 flone : and they jhall go to dwell with the 
 Devil that deceived them. Rev. xx. Surely 
 if nothing elfe will draw a man off from 
 the errors which thefe vile men taught, the 
 judgments which God has pronounced againfl 
 the unbelievers, will I hope fright them to 
 their duty ; for behold, Chrifi the fudge will 
 come to give unto every man according as his 
 work fiall be. Beware, then, of all thofe 
 
 who
 
 E n } 
 
 who build upon a falfe foundation, which 
 cannot ftand without the help of llander and 
 calumny; and follow after truth, which 
 needs not fuch a fupport, being always able, 
 to iland alone ; whilft the falfe religions fall 
 from one thing to another, and dwindle inta 
 feds without end, which all preach up con- 
 demnation to one another : and every nevv 
 fed: will claim to be the moft pure and holy 
 of all others ; giving ear to the call of the 
 Jpirit cf enthufiajniy and delujion. From 
 which fpirit, I beg that God in his own good 
 time will deliver all the inhabitants of this 
 land. Thus far as to the iiril part, what 
 follows are my reafons why I fhall always 
 live and die a Catholic. 
 
 The firfl of my reafons for continuing fled- 
 fafl in the Catholic Church, is this : That I 
 find in it the greateft of all fatisfadions; for. 
 fo pure is her faith, fo found her dodrines, 
 fo efficacious her facraments, and fo decent 
 and inflrudive her ceremonies, that whoe-, 
 ver has but the happinefs of ferving God in 
 this holy Church can never leave it, unlefs 
 he is led by the fame evil fpirit that has de- 
 ceived the nations 3 or fells himfelf to work 
 wickednefs in the fight of God ; or is drawn 
 off from the truth through interefl, through 
 pride, through prcfumption, or delpair. 
 
 Furthermore, the unity of the Catholic 
 dodrine, and the unanimous and univerfal 
 
 ccnfent
 
 r 30 i 
 
 confent of all her members, in points of faith, 
 is to me a plain mark that (he is that one 
 Church of Chrift, which I ought to prefer 
 before all others ; for in any other particu- 
 lar fedt, out of the multitudes with which 
 Chriflendom is at prefent infedled, we (hall 
 hardly find two individual perfons who agree 
 in their do6trine, or in the Articles of Faith, 
 which every Chriftian is bound to believe : 
 befides, all thefe fecftaries differ from one 
 another in points of faith, and yet all pretend 
 fingly to be the only true Church of Chrift 
 upon earth ; yea, and each one condemns 
 the other's doftrine. For an inftance of the 
 truth of what I fay, obferve what follows : — 
 The Church of England, here claims to be 
 the only true Church of Chrift, and fays, 
 t&at hoth Luther and Calvin (the jirfl grand 
 Reformers) taught damnable and erroneous 
 doBrlnes, and that they were both blajphemers. 
 And from hence, I think, it is plain that 
 they never could be fent by God to reform 
 men's manners, and guide them unto all 
 truth; for if they had been fent by God, he 
 would never have permitted them to preach 
 up fuch erroneous dod;rine; and fo many de- 
 teftable tenets as are every where to be ittxi 
 fcattered up and down in their writings. For 
 we never read in fcripture of God giving a 
 commiffion to wicked blajphemers, and erro- 
 neous men, to propagate his religion : but on 
 
 tiie
 
 [ 31 ] 
 
 the contrary, that all thofe whom he ever 
 did commiflion, were men eminent for vir- 
 tue in a high degree ; all which men he 
 proved to be in his favour, by giving them 
 the gift of working miracles : which gift, 
 neither Luther, Calvin, nor any of their 
 followers ever obtained: becaufe, we know 
 that God doth not hear Jinners, John ix. 31. 
 But as they could not prove their miffion by 
 any miraculous gift, they fet themfelves to 
 preach againft all miracles, and boldly in- 
 fifted that all fuch ceafed with the Apoftles ; 
 though nothing is more certain than that the 
 converfion of this nation by St. Auftin, was 
 attended by a number of miracles : and fo 
 have all Heathen nations in general been con- 
 verted by miracles. For it would be a 
 greater miracle to have a Heathen nation 
 converted to Chriflianity without miracles, 
 than by one. But as thefe impoilors could 
 not produce one divine evidence in their be- 
 half, they ftrove to make up that defedt, by 
 falfe ajfertions, a?id Jly infmuations -, and im- 
 pofed upon their hearers, by boldly infifting 
 that God had fent them in a particular man- 
 ner to open the eyes of mankind, and to 
 conduct them a flraight and eafy way to 
 Heaven : yea, and they preaching faid, that 
 they were the only men on earth that could 
 guide men the right road to Heaven, though 
 at the fame time, Lutber preached up a dif- 
 ferent
 
 [ 32 ] 
 ferent docflrine to Calvin, and Calvin preach- 
 ed up quite diiFerent from Luther's docftrine: 
 yea, and ftranger than this; Luther preached 
 up that Calvin and his followers were dam- 
 ned, and Calvin preached up that Luther 
 and his followers were damned; which fliewed 
 it very plain, that neither of them was the true 
 Church of Chrift, and that each lacked the 
 guidance of the good Spirit, which our Sa- 
 viour faid ihould guide his Church unto all 
 truth, and continue with her unto the end of 
 the world. For if they had been guided 
 by the Holy Ghofl, they would not have 
 contradicted, and anathamized one another : 
 for obferve, wherever the Apoflles preached, 
 or wherever they wrote, flill the good Spi- 
 rit of God directed them to all truth, lb that 
 they all preached in unity of faith , and all 
 wrote the fame Gofpel, though in different 
 countries, and never did one contradiifl the 
 other in any matter of faiths but all taught 
 the fame dodlrine in all places and at all 
 times : which is a very plain proof that the 
 fame good Spirit, which guided the Apoflles, 
 xiidnot oruide Luther and Calvin; for if it 
 had, it would not have fuifered them to have 
 preached up two different faiths, neither would 
 it have permitted that they fhould fl:rive (as 
 they vainly did) to make the God of all 
 truth contradid: himfelf, by each arrogating 
 to himfelf the ri;^ht of bein;^: the only man. 
 
 in
 
 [ n ] 
 
 In the wbrld who could claim the name of the 
 true Church of Chrill. Whereas, if both thefe 
 men's Churches had been true, God muft 
 have contradicted himfelf, (which is impof- 
 iible) becaufe each of them preached up a 
 quite different doctrine. But thefe men's im- 
 piety did not flop here, for each of them vain- 
 ly ilrove to prove, that there never had been 
 a true Vifible Church upon earth iince the 
 age fucceeding, the Apoflles; if this be true, 
 what fenfe can we give to that of St. Matt, 
 chap. V. 14, 15, Te are the light oj the world. 
 A city that is Jet on a hill cannot be hid, Nei- 
 . ther do men light a candle » and fet it under a 
 . biijhely hut on a candlejiicky and it giveth light 
 to all who are in the houfe ^ Or to that of the 
 .fame Apofile, chap, xviii. 17. ^ell the Church 
 if he ncgle5i to bear thee-,^ hut if he negleci io 
 hear the Churchy let him he unto thee as a 
 ■Htathen and a Publican ? Again, St. Paul 
 tells us, 2 Cor. chap, iv. 3. But if our go/- 
 pel be hid, it is hid to them that are loji And 
 the Prophet Ifiiah, chap. ii. 2. And it fi all 
 come to pafs in the laji days, that the mountain 
 of the Lords hoife flmll he eftablified in the top 
 cf the mountains, andjhall be exalted above the 
 hills; and all nations jl^all flow unto it. Again, 
 our Saviour fays, XJpon this rock I will build 
 my church, and the gates of hell, [ihzt is, er- 
 ror or darknefs) fiall not prevail again fi it. 
 And., again, where he promifes to fend unto 
 F her
 
 r 34 1 ■ 
 
 het tbi fpirit of truths which Jhall rtmain 'uahh 
 her untu the end of the world. Which texts 
 and promifes of Chrift, prove that he always 
 will have a Vifible Church upon earth, which 
 (hall be true and holy j becaufe his good fpi- 
 rit fhall always be her guide, dired:ing her 
 Unto all truth. Now all this Luther and Cal- 
 vifi both <:ontradided, by driving, as they 
 both did, to overthrow the vifibility and per- 
 petuity of Chrift's Church, in fetting up 
 Churches o{ their own, which never had a 
 being before their own times, and faying that 
 thefe Churches were the only Catholic, 
 and Apoftolic Church of Chrift -, although, 
 at the fame time, it is plain that they both 
 contradicted, what Chrift and his Apoftles 
 taught j yea, alfo, and as I fliewed before, 
 flatly denied what €ach other taught. But 
 after all thefe con traditions, thefe deceivers 
 of mankind boldly preached, (and their fuc- 
 ceflJbrs ftill continue to preach) that each of 
 their Churches is that one, holy, catholic and 
 apoftolic Church, which we in the Nicene 
 Creed profefs to believe is^ although nothing 
 is more plain, than that not one of them all 
 has the leaft claim unto it. For when that 
 Creed was firft made, it was made by all the 
 Churches in communion with the Charch of 
 Rome, which Church was that one, holy, 
 catholic, and apoftolic Church, which then 
 was vifible over all the known parts of the 
 
 earth,
 
 f 35 ] 
 
 earth, and which Church was the only 
 Church, which that Creed was made to be- 
 lieve in. 
 
 Now, methinks, it plainly appears to e- 
 very reafonablc and unprejudiced mind, that 
 both the firft Reformers groflly contradicted 
 themfelves, by offering to fay, it was either 
 of their Churches that was onCy balyt catholic^ 
 and apojiolic 'y for me iignifics unity ; and holy, 
 fignifies a Church free from error \ for if a 
 Church is not at unity within herfelf, then 
 file is not one^ and if (he falls into errors, and 
 teaches erroneous doctrine, (he certainly can- 
 not be faid to be holy. Now I would afk 
 any one. What title or claim can Luther or 
 Calvin's followers put in for one^ and boly^ 
 whereas each of their Churches has almoft 
 as many different faiths as it has members, 
 and both agree that its impofiible to be holy, 
 wherefore it is plain that it can be neither 
 of their Churches, nor any that ever fprung 
 from them, that is that one, holy Churchy 
 which we in the Nicene Cr€ed profefs to be- 
 lieve in. 
 
 And as to Catholic and JlpofioUcy both Lu- 
 ther and Calvin, and all the churches that 
 ever fprung from them, have not the lead 
 right unto that name : for the word Catholic 
 is allowed by all to fignify the Univerfol 
 Church of all ages.,, and more or kjs of all 
 countries and places. Now how can any 
 F 2 Chujch
 
 t 36 ] 
 
 Church claim the name of Catholic^ that had 
 not a being before Luther and Calvin dif- 
 fented? the firfl of which was in the year 
 1 5 17: with what face of truth, ] fay, can any 
 Church of fo late a date have a claim to the 
 name of Catholic'^ The name of Frotefiant 
 was not fo much as known till the year 1 529, 
 which {hews it was not the Univerfal Church 
 of all ages , and as to being that of all coun- 
 tries, they have fo little right to the plea, that 
 they never fo much as converted one Heathen 
 nation to Chriftianity; and every different 
 fed; of Proteftants is, as it were, confined to 
 fome remote part of the globe or other. And 
 as to Apojlolicy that is to derive a fucceflion 
 of Paftors and Teachers from the very Apof- 
 tles themfelves -, neither Lutheranifm, Cal- 
 vinifm, nor any Church that ever fprung 
 from them, can with any reafon fo much as 
 pretend unto. For both Luther and Calvin 
 themfelves preached up that all Churches 
 before their times were erroneous, (and ac- 
 cording to their known dodrines, they mufl 
 have been fo, or elfe they would have had 
 no occalion to be reformed) and if Lu.ther, 
 and Calvin had preached truth, that would 
 have proved that their Churches wxrc not 
 Apoftolicy except God had in a miraculous 
 rnanner fent fome of the Apofliles to teach 
 and confirm them; which, as he never did, 
 they mufl derive their fucceflion, either from 
 
 that
 
 [ 37 ] 
 that erroneous Church which they preached 
 againft, or from him who was erroneous 
 from the beginning. 
 
 From hence I conclude, that either the 
 Nicene Creed is wrong, or elfe the Reforma- 
 tion muft be lb: but the Creed fliews it can- 
 not be wrong, becaufe it is by tradition uni- 
 verfally received, and believed by all nations, 
 and languages, who have any jufl: claim to 
 Chrijiianity., fo that it follows, that it mufl be 
 the Reformation only that is wrong; where- 
 fore I judge it more fafe to continue in the 
 fold of Chrift, than to follow any new up- 
 ftart doctrine which fprang fmce the year 
 1516 ; becaufe all that fprang fince then are 
 one thoufand five hundred and (ixteen years 
 too young to be called .ApoftoUc. 
 
 Another great reafon why I continue in 
 the Catholic Faith is this; The alterations 
 and waverings that all her oppofers are guil- 
 ty of, in oppofition to the Unity of her faith. 
 
 The Church in which I was educated fiiall 
 ferve for an inftance of the truth of what I 
 fay. At iiril: whtn (he was eftabliilied, (he 
 believed the real prelence to be in the Sacra* 
 ment; for which reafon {lie infiituted the 
 following prayer: ** Grant us, therefore, gra- 
 ** cious Lord, fo to eat the flefh of tny dear 
 " Son Jefus Chrifl:, and to drink his blood, 
 " that our finful bodies may be made clean 
 ** by his body, and our fouls walhed through 
 
 '* his
 
 [ 38 ] 
 
 ** his mofl: precious blood, and that we may 
 ** ever more dwell in him, and he in us." 
 Likewife, fhe ordained that the following 
 anfwer (hould be made in the catechifc, 
 when it is afked. What is the thing fignifi- 
 ed ? Anfwer, ** The body and blood of 
 " Chrift, which is verily and indeed taken 
 •* and received by the faithful in the Lord's 
 ** Supper." All which fhews, that fhe for- 
 merly did believe what fhe now denies : for 
 if fhe had took the facrament only in a fym- 
 bolical or figurative fenfe, (he would never 
 have ordained fo folemn a piece of mockery, 
 as that prayer muft be, if the real prefence 
 had not been believed when it was iirft made. 
 For is it not a mockery to beg of God to grant 
 that they may eat and drink the fiefh and 
 blood of Chrift, if at the fame time they 
 firmly believe that there is no flefli and blood 
 to be either eat or drank? yea, certainly, it 
 is a great mockery for any man to beg of 
 God, in a folemn manner, to grant that they 
 may eat and drink that which they believe is 
 not there to be either eat or drank Now if 
 it was right, when the Church of England 
 was firft eftablifhed, to believe in the real 
 prefence in the facrament i then it is certainly 
 wrong in her to difbelieve it now : therefore 
 flie is either wrong now, or was fo formerly 5 
 and if fhe is wrong now, or was fo formerly^ 
 it is then plain that llie cannot be the Church 
 
 of
 
 [ 39 1 
 
 ©f Chrift, becaufe our Saviour promired t© be 
 ^ith his Church always -y even to the end of 
 the world, direSiing mid guiding her untg aU 
 truth, and as (he is not the Church of Cbri^i* 
 uhto ivbich all nations Jhall fioiv, I hold it both 
 dangerous and unfafe to be in her comrauni- 
 ipn, and therefore hold it good to continue in 
 the antient Catholic Church, becaufe 1 ajj) 
 convinced that Sh^ is founded upon a rock, a- 
 gainji which the gates of hell (that is error and 
 darkncfs) jhall not prevail. 
 
 Now, in order to undeceive fomc of my 
 acquaintance, I will here fet down the catho- 
 lic faith concerning fome points, out of the 
 many, which I know are mifreprefented un- 
 to them. And firft, I will fhew what is the 
 belief of the church concerning Purgatory; 
 next Praying to Saints; next Image Worfhip; 
 and, laftly, I will explain, in a fhort manner, 
 the dodtrine of Tranfubftantiation ; in all 
 which, I will give you the belief of the 
 whole body of Catholics throughout the 
 world; and doubt not, but it muft open the 
 eyes of many religious well-meaning people, 
 efpecially when they perceive how groiily 
 they have been impofed on by falfe and fcan- 
 dalous mifreprefentations. Yea, certainly, no 
 one can help feeing, that that religion muft 
 be bad in itfelf, which makes ufe of fuch bafe 
 means for its fupport : for if a reh'gion is truc^ 
 it needs no other help but v/hat cornes froi^i 
 
 the
 
 r 40 ] 
 
 the God of truth; whilfl that religion which 
 is falfc, is obliged, for its own prefervation, 
 to raife fcandalous and evil reports, and to 
 €na(5t cruel and fevere laws, to kill, dellroy, 
 and bani(h the teachers of truth; yea, and to 
 hinder people from feeing what is good ; they 
 are obliged to burn and deflroy all good 
 books that contain the grounds of the old re- 
 ligion, and fine and imprifon all thofe who 
 will not conform to the new faith, nor fuf- 
 fer any to write, print, or difpute publicly 
 again ft it. 
 
 Firft, I fhall proceed to what concerns 
 Purgatory, which Proteftants, I know, be- 
 lieve contrary to the word of God, and call 
 it by the name of the Pope's Prifon, and fay 
 it is an abfurd docflrine, grounded neither en 
 fcripture nor reafon ; this, therefore, I Ihall 
 prove to be a mere bugbear, and only made 
 ufe of to fright people from the catholic faith, 
 and alfo fljew that proteftants aflcrt a faliity, 
 for I fliall make it plain, that the belief of a 
 middle ftate is grounded both on fcripture, 
 antiquity y and reafon. But, firft, I will fhew 
 you what u'-e believe, or mean, by Purgatory: 
 We believe it to be a middle ftate of fouls 
 departed, who being not entirely purified 
 from their fins here, by penance, and good 
 works, are purified there, by fome means 
 appointed by God, but unknown to us, and 
 then are received into heaven, where nothing 
 that is defiled can enter. Now
 
 [ 41 ] 
 Now you are to obferve, that wc believe 
 that there are feme fouls, who depart this 
 life, fo pure, as to be tranflated immediately 
 to heaven : and others, who die in their fins, 
 without repentance; thefe defcend into hell 5 
 and we believe that there is a third fort, that 
 have neither lived fo wicked as to deferve 
 hell, nor yet fo good, and perfectly pure as 
 to be forthwith admitted to the ftate of blifs; 
 but are to pafs through a purging fire, where, 
 by fome means known to God, they make 
 that full fatisfad:ion to him for their fins, 
 which they neglecfted here, and then are ad- 
 mitted into heaven. I will here give an in- 
 ilance, to make what I have faid appear more 
 plain ; Suppofe a man to die fuddenly, who 
 has behaved like a true chrifiian in all re- 
 fpe(fts; performing whatever the chriftian 
 religion requires; this man, no doubt, goes 
 ilraight to heaven: and fuppofe a man to die 
 fuddenly, in the a(5lion of adultery, or mur- 
 der, without time for repentance; this man 
 certainly mufi; go to hell. But, then fuppofe 
 a third man to die fuddenly, with a lie ot 
 of fmall confequence in his mouth, or in the 
 adiion of cheating his neighbour of a penny; 
 what now is to become of this man, provid- 
 ing he has been a good man in every other 
 refpe6l ? Now to heaven he cannot go, be- 
 caufe nothing that is defiled fliall enter there- 
 in ; Nor to hell; for furely the juftice of 
 G God
 
 [ 42 ] 
 
 God will never condemn him to fo great a 
 punifhment, for fo flight an ofFenccj there- 
 fore to fome interftiediate ftate he muft go, 
 till God's JLifiice is fatisiied, which is what 
 we call by the narne of Purgatory j you may 
 call it what you pleafe, but this is the name 
 that the Church has thought proper to give 
 it. And as a proof that there is fuch a place, 
 from fcripture fee the following texts: St. 
 Matt. X. 12. Whofoever fpeaketh againji 
 the Holy Ghoft, it fiall not be forgiven him, 
 neither in this world, nor the next. Now this 
 implies that fome fins are forgiven in the 
 other world ; elfe why fhould our Saviour fay, 
 neither in this world, nor in the next ? Now 
 in heaven, there is no fins there to be for- 
 given : and in hell there is no forgivenefs; 
 therefore a third place mufl be meant, which 
 is what we call Purgatory. 
 
 St. Paul faith, in the i Cor. i. 15. If 
 any mans work fiall be burnt, he fiall fuffer 
 lofs: But he himfelf fioall be faved, yet fo as by 
 fre. Now in this the Apoflle teacheth that 
 fo-me will be punifhed in the other world, 
 and pafs through a fiery trial, but yet fo as 
 to be faved. The queflion then is, where is 
 this fiery trial to be undergone ? In heaven 
 it cannot be, and out of hell there is no re- 
 demption : therefore it mufl be in a third 
 place, which we term Purgatory, or a flatc 
 of Purgation. 
 
 St. Peter
 
 r 43 ] 
 
 St. Peter alfo faith, in his tirft Epiflle, 
 chap. iii. i8, 19. For Chrift alfo hath Juf- 
 fered^ the juji for the unjtiji, that he might 
 bring us to God) being put to death in theJieJJoy 
 but quickened by the Spirit : By which aljo he 
 went ■and preached to the fpirits in prifon. 
 Now where this prifon is, into which our 
 Saviour defcended in the fpirit to preach, 
 whihl his body lay in the grave, is the quelli- 
 on. We beHeve it to be the prifon of the 
 ancient Patriarchs and Prophets, who died 
 before our Saviour's coming, and could not 
 afcend into heaven by the deeds of the law j 
 but by the blood of Jefus Chrift, who vvent 
 in fpirit to preach unto them, and fliew them 
 the way to eternal glory. 
 
 In the fecond Book of Maccabees, and the 
 12 chap, and 43 v. it is there called a whole- 
 fome and holy cogitation to pray for the dead, 
 that they ijiay he loojed from their Jjns ; which 
 plainly fhews, that they in the old law be- 
 lieved that the dead were helped by the pray- 
 ers and facrifices of the living; and ihofe 
 dead could not be believed, to be m hell, be- 
 caufe from thence none are rcleaied, lieithcr 
 can they be helped; and in heaven, i.hey 
 ftand in no need ot help: therefore, it muft 
 be in lome other place, which place we call 
 Purgatory; you may call it by what name 
 you pleafe: But that there is fuch a middle 
 G 2. plac2-
 
 [ 4+ ] 
 
 place of punifhment, is plain from Holy 
 Scripture. 
 
 Now that this dodtrine is very ancient, T 
 fhall prove from St. Chryfollom, who fays: 
 ** *'Tis not in vain that oblations are made for* 
 the dead'y 'tis the ordinance of the Holy Ghojlt 
 who dejigns we jljould help one another.'' St. 
 Auguftine alfo fays, ** Oblations y prayers, 
 and alms in abundance are the true comfort w; 
 can procure to thofe who are dead'' And Cal- 
 vin himfelf owns, in* his L. 3. Infti. c. 5. 
 fed:. 10. that it was a received ciijlom in the 
 Church to pray for the dead, above thirteen 
 hundred years before his time: which is a 
 ftrong proof of the antiquity of it, yea, and 
 that out of the mouth of one of the greateft 
 adverfaries of the Church. To confirm what 
 has been already faid, I fhall here add another 
 proof from St. Auguftine, who lived in the 
 end of the fourth century, and beginning of 
 the fifth : and it cannot be doubted, but that 
 he mufl have known the dodtrine of the 
 Church in his days, and yet he fpeaks in fuch 
 a manner of this article of prayer for the 
 dead, that no man in his wits can deny it to 
 have been the pradlice of the Church in thofe 
 early ages. The place I mean, is the 13 chap, 
 of the 9th Book of his Confeffions : he had 
 fpoke before of the death of his mother Mo- 
 nica, and his own tears on the account, 
 ** And now O Lord (fays he) I, with a heart 
 
 " perfedly
 
 t 4; ] 
 
 *' perfedlly healed of that wound in which a 
 " carnal affeftion perhaps might feem toa 
 ** much engaged, do pour out before thee, in 
 " behalf of her thyfervant, afar other kind of 
 " tears, flowing out of a troubled fpirit, from 
 ** the coniideration of the perils of every foul 
 ** dying in Adam. Although, being re- 
 *' vived in Chrift, fhe had lived, before her 
 ** relcafment from the flefh, in fuch a man- 
 ** ner as that thy name was much praifed, 
 ** both in her faith and virtues; yet I dare 
 *' not affirm, from the time that thou didfl: 
 ** regenerate her by Baptifm, that no word 
 ** fell from her mouth contrary to thy com- 
 ** mands: and I find it pronounced by the 
 ** truth, thy Son, if any one fliall fay unto' 
 ** his brother, fool, he fhall be in danger of 
 ** hell fire; and woe be even to the laud- 
 ** able life of men, if thou fliouldft exa- 
 " mine it without mercy. But becaufe thou 
 ** makeft not a ftrid: enquiry after fin, there- 
 ** fore we have a confident hope to find fome 
 " place of indulgence with thee: and on the 
 " other fide, whofoeverhe be that can reckon 
 ** up his true merits unto thee; what accounts 
 ** he unto thee but thy own gifts ? Oh then, 
 " that men would know themfelves, and he 
 *' that gloricth would glory in the Lord. I 
 ** therefore (O thou, my praife and my life, 
 ** God of my heart) fetting afide here her 
 ** good deeds, for which, with much re- 
 
 ** joicing
 
 [ 46 ] 
 
 ** joicing I render thee thanks, now become 
 ** a petitioner to thee for the fins of this my 
 ** mother: Hear thou me, I befeech thee, 
 ** by that cure of our wounds that hung up- 
 
 ** on the crofs, &c And I believe, 
 
 ** that thou haft already done this, which I 
 ** beg of thee ; but let thefe free-will offer- 
 ** ingsof my mouth, O Lord, be acceptable 
 *' to thee, becaufe, when the time of her dif- 
 ** folution drew near, Ihe had no regard i;o 
 ** her body, to be fumptuoully interred, or 
 ** richly embalmed, nor defired fome choice 
 ** monument, nor was folicitous for a fe- 
 ** pulcher in her own country. None of thefe 
 ** things recommended fhe unto us; but on- 
 " ly defired us to make remembrance of her 
 •' at thy altar; at thy altar, at which, without 
 «* any one day's intermifiion, fhe conftantly 
 *' attended, from whence fhe knew was dif- 
 ** pcnfed the holy vidim; by which was can- 
 ** celled the hand writing which was con- 
 ** trary to us, &c. Reft fhe, therefore, in 
 ** peace, together with her hufband, before 
 " whom, and after whom, none enjoyed 
 " her, and whom fhe dutifully ferved, bring- 
 " ing forth fruit unto thee with much pati- 
 " cnce towards him that fhe might alfo gain 
 <* him unto thee; and do thou infpire, O 
 " Lord my God, do thou infpire thy fer- 
 " vants my brethren, thy children my maf- 
 ** ters, whom I ferve both with my heart 
 
 «' and
 
 t 47 I 
 
 " and my voice, and my pen, that as many of 
 ** them as ihall read thefe things, may re- 
 *' member, at thine altar > Monica thy hand* 
 *' maid, and Patricias her huiband, from 
 *' whofe bodies thou broughteft me into 
 ** this life, after what manner I know not; 
 ** let them remember, with a charitable de- 
 ** votion, thefe my parents in this fecular 
 ** vanilliing life, my brethren under thee 
 ** our father in our Catholic Mother, my 
 ** fellow citizens in the eternal Jerufalem 
 *' (which place of the pilgrimage of thy peo- 
 " pie fo much figheth after from their de- 
 ** parture thence, till their return thither) 
 ** that fo what my mother made her laft re- 
 ** queft to me, may be more plentifully per- 
 ** formed to her by the prayers of many, pro- 
 ** cured by thefe confeffions and prayers of 
 ** mine." Thus far St. Auguftine : which I 
 think is more than fufficient to convince any 
 man of common fenfe, that the dodtrine of 
 the Roman Catholic Church at prefent, in 
 regard to this article of praying for the dead, 
 is the fame with the primitive Church in St. 
 Auguftine's days. 
 
 !N ow that this doc5lrine of Purgatory has rea- 
 fon on its lide, obferve what follows. As God 
 is jufl to render to every one according to his 
 works, and to punilh fin: Thofe who have 
 finned moft, will be puniflied moft ; and 
 thofe who have fmned lefs then thofe, will 
 
 be
 
 [ 48 ] 
 
 be punifhed lefs; and alfo thofc who have 
 finned leaft of all, will be punifhed leaft : for 
 every idle word is an offence to God, and 
 deferves puniihment from him, and will be 
 puniflied by him hereafter, if not cancelled 
 by repentance here. Yet reafon tells us, 
 that fuch fmall oiFences do not deferve eter- 
 nal punifhment in hell, becaufe if they did 
 few or none would efcape it, by reafon that 
 all are apt to do fomething impure, or to 
 fpeak lomething that they (hould not -, for 
 iven thejuft manjinnethi as the fcripture faith, 
 Prov. 24. 16. and as nothing that is impure 
 fhall enter heaven, reafon tells that there 
 muft be fome third place, where thofe that 
 are guilty of fmall offences muft be purged, 
 and purified, before they are admitted into 
 heaven: and this place we call Purgatory, or 
 a middle ftatc of fouls : and though Purgato- 
 ry is not named in fcripture, yet the thing 
 fignified is there. As Trinity is not named 
 in fcripture, yet the thing fignified is there. 
 Therefore it is not for the name that we con- 
 tend, but for the thing itfelf. Neverthclefs, 
 fome objed: and fay, that what faults the 
 good die guilty of, will be forgiven at the ge- 
 neral abfolution, at the laft day. But we 
 defire to know in what place they are to be 
 till the general judgment happeneth ? Now 
 in heaven they cannot be, before they are for- 
 given i and in hell there is no forgivenefs. 
 
 Therefore
 
 t 49 ] 
 Therefore in a third place they mufl be, let 
 the name be what it will. This is the doc- 
 trine of Purgatory, and as doubtlefs there is 
 luch a place, we think it incumbent on us to 
 extend our charity to thofc who are I'ufFering 
 X^der the hand of divine juftice : by aiiifling: 
 them with our prayers, and alms-deeds : and if 
 we fliould pray for one that does noL want it, 
 we beheve that God will be pleafed with 
 this our charity, becaufe we do it purely out 
 of charity, which if we lacky all our other 
 works are dead. For as St. Paul fays, if we 
 have not charity, it profteih us nothingy 
 though we give our body to be burned ^ or all 
 our goods to thi poor, i Cor. 13. 
 
 Secondly, I iliall explain the Catholic 
 dodrlne of praying to faints. But hrft it will 
 be neceffary for the better underllanding of 
 this point to conlider well what fort of bo- 
 dies faints have when they are in heaven. 
 In this, facred fcripture tells us, thatthey are 
 pure fpirits, Jeeing Godnshe is, (which bodily 
 €yes cannot) and are rendered like unto him, 
 knowing as they are known. Which no other 
 beings but fpiritual ones can ever attain unto. 
 ,i*^;ow a fpirit is of fuch a nature, that it re- 
 quires no extention of place, but can be in 
 the point of a needle, as well as in a large 
 houle, can pals through marble, or adaman- 
 tine wails, as eafily as through the air:,' can 
 ice, to an immenfc diflance, ahhouch it hath 
 
 H ^ xx» 
 
 .A
 
 t 5° ] 
 
 no eyes, can hear although it has no ears, 
 can converfe although it has no tongue, and 
 can be at one place one moment and at the 
 moll dillant, the next, becaufe nothing lets, 
 or hinders it. Thus, the fight of fpirits is 
 obfcured by the denfity of the air, not their 
 hearing affected by any tremulous motion, 
 that found makes in the air. But the whole 
 world is difplayed to their naked view as 
 foon as they are difengaged from that corrup- 
 tible earth which cloathed ihem whilft hear, 
 and thofe that are pure are admitted to the 
 beatlfick virion of God, were according as 
 the blefTed Apoftle St. John hath faid, as 
 above, they are made like unto him. 
 
 And as the faints in heaven are admitted 
 to fuch great privileges, what difficulty can it 
 be to imagine, that as God has revealed un- 
 to his faints upon earth thofe things which 
 neither their eyes, nor ears could inform 
 them; cannot he by the fame gift, or illumi- 
 nation, caufe them when in heaven to un- 
 derftand and know what is done upon earth ? 
 If Elifha, whilft on earth, and incumbered 
 with flefh, by the light of Revelation knew 
 what was done in the King of Aftyria's 
 bedchamber ; why cannot God give more 
 extraordinary gifts to thofe whom he admits 
 into his prefence ? And what then fhould 
 hinder the Holy Virgin, and blelTed Apoftles 
 and Saints, from knowing when we defire 
 
 them
 
 [ 5« ] 
 
 them to beftow their charity upon us in 
 praying to God for us, that we may be heard 
 by him in all our troubles and afflictions, 
 for the fcripture fays, that charity never fails 
 us, no not in heaven, and how can charity 
 be exercifed by any faint in heaven, except 
 it be by praying for us upon earth ? For they 
 want nothing who are admitted into the joy 
 of angels. Therefore the prayers that they 
 are always pnting up, muft be for the mem- 
 bers of Chrifl's Church upon earth with 
 whom they are in communion; and as the 
 Church of England faith, that to hegoicr fel- 
 low members prayers upon earth, who are 
 as wicked and bad men as ourfelves, is 
 not idolatry, nor any part of Juperjiition, 
 Then it will confequently follow, that it 
 cannot be idolatry, nor fuperftition, to beg 
 of our fellow members in heaven to inter- 
 cede at the throne of grace in our behalf. 
 For if it is idolatry, or fuperftition to fay, 
 blefled St. Peter, and St. Paul, pray for me 5 
 then it muft be v/orfe idolatry, and fuperfti- 
 tion to fay, I beg Parfon fuch a one, or 
 
 fuch a one, to pray for me. Becaufe we are 
 fure that St. Peter, and St. Paul are righte- 
 ous men, and the prayers of fuch avail much- 
 Bat we al-e not fure that the others are righte- 
 ous, and they may poffibly be wicked, and 
 then the prayerl of the wicked man availeth 
 nothing. From hence it is plain that ac- 
 H 2 cording
 
 f 5- I 
 cording to the known pradice of the Church 
 of England, praying to Saints in the man- 
 ner that Catholicks do, and always have 
 done, isjuuifiable. For if the Scripture fays, 
 they (the faints) Ire always offering up their 
 prayers before God, which afcendi as incenfe 
 before his eyes, ought not we in all humi- 
 lity to aik of them to pray for us unto Chrill 
 who is their mediator, and our mediator, and 
 this we can do without infringing on the 
 mediatorfliip of Jefus Chrift. For although 
 there be but one mediator of redemption be- 
 twixt God and Man, yet there arc many 
 mediators, or interceffors, becaufe whoever 
 pleads for, or excufes, or leffens anothers 
 fault, is i mediator, neverthelefs, we do not 
 beg of any of the faints to be our mediators 
 of Redemption, but only to mediate, or 
 intercede with God in our behalf, through 
 the mediation of Jefus Chrift. We do not 
 crave a blefling from them independent of 
 God, we only beg that they who are high in 
 the divine favour, would pray to their Crea- 
 tor, their redeemer, their fandifier and our 
 fandifier. This makes it plain that we do 
 not put our trull and confidence in them, 
 more than in God, as Proteftants falfly aflert. 
 But that by our thus petitioning them we 
 fhew their dependence upon him, as well as 
 ours, for by afking them to pray for us, it is 
 plain we allow that they are lefs than God, 
 
 and
 
 r S3 ] 
 
 and cannot be confided in more than him. 
 Does not our laying Holy Mary Mother of 
 God, pray for us finners, fhew that we do not 
 believe the bleffed virgin to be above her 
 fon, or that fhe can in any thing command 
 him ? Neverthelefs proteftants are taught to 
 believe that we honour her more than Chrift, 
 and that we beg of her to command her fon. 
 Aias^ how blind are thofe who will not fee! 
 and how deaf are thofe who will not heap, 
 though the voice of reafon and truth cry ne- 
 ver fo loud ! 
 
 But it is objeded and faid, how are we fure 
 that the faints hear us ? to this lanfwer, hecaufe 
 they fee God face to face, and in that bright 
 mirror know as they are known: befides, as 
 they rejoice at the converlion of a (inner, 
 they muft know <i^that fmncr is converted, 
 and by the fame means that they come at the 
 knowledge of that interior aft, (which is oft 
 unknown for fome time to us upon earth, 
 notwithftanding we are acquainted with him 
 that is converted) they know our petitions. 
 But after all, fuppofing it fhould be as Pro- 
 teftants pretend, that the faints cannot hear 
 us; yet this is no reafon that we ought not 
 to afk their prayers, hecaufe they know that 
 it always was the cuftom of the Catholic 
 Church, to beg the prayers of the faints in 
 heaven, therefore their charity which never 
 i^ils, will be fure by this general know^Iedge 
 
 to
 
 [ 5+ I 
 to move th^m, to petition in behalf of thofe 
 T^ho - afk' help from them by their pious 
 pfayefsV '^ ^^m ■^.u^.i .~-iv> >**» cu y^i ^^..-.i .•. < 
 From hence it i^'pTai'n that Honbunng the 
 faints in Catholick affemblies, is honouring 
 God, the author of their fandity and blifs^ 
 and demanding of them the partnership of 
 their prayers, is joining ourfelvcs to the 
 choirs of angels, to the fpirits of the pen^edtly 
 juft, and to the church of the firft-born which 
 arc in heaven. Therefore it is both accep- 
 table to God, and profitable to ourfelvcs to 
 feek the prayers and intcrceflions of the faints 
 inheaven, fi nee both their charity for us, and 
 their credit with God is much greater nbw, 
 than when they were upon earthy and in all 
 this the Catholic Faith obliges us not to 
 mean any more when we petition the bleffed 
 virgin, or faints, than this: O God, may I 
 partake of the prayers of the hlejjed virgin Ma- 
 ry: O God, mdy I partake of the prayers of St. 
 Peter, &c. from all \vhich it is plain that we 
 are unjuftly accufed of being guilty of idolatry 
 in this point, and fo I leave any one to judge 
 what is to be though t of thofe who are obliged 
 to blacken others, in order to appear more 
 white themfelves. For thofe that are of the 
 true church of Chrift, have no need for their 
 fupport, to make ufe of calumny, llander, 
 rior mifreprefentation. 
 - Thirdly,.
 
 l 55 'i 
 
 Thirdly, I fhall fhew whatiufe the Cathoj- 
 lick Church, maketh of iinages>/:and. aifo 
 the worfhip that we pay untp tjiem, w.hicljL 
 Proteftants are taugh:t to bejieve is , idolatry^ 
 for I am fenfible that they are taught to be- 
 lieve that Catholicks worship flocks and 
 ftones, and put their trufl in images and 
 pidlures, of Chrift, the virgin Mary, and 
 the reft, yea and that they pray to, and con- 
 fide in them. All vi^hich I will fliew to be 
 as the other, a mere bugbear, and falfe a^- 
 fertion, invented on purpofe to fright Weak 
 people from the Catholick Faith, For her 
 true faith is this, that they muft by no means 
 pray to pid:ures, or images, becaufe they 
 can neither fee, nor hear, nor help them; 
 and this all children are taught in their cate- 
 chife; fee the abllrad: of the Doway Cate- 
 chifm upon the firil commandment. The 
 council of Trent too hath declared the intent 
 of images. ** Images (faith the faid: council) 
 ** are not toj^ be venerated for any virtue, or 
 ** divinity, which is believed to be in them, 
 " as the gentiles did of old, who placed their 
 ** hope and truft in theiridols; but becaule 
 ** the honour exhibited to them, is refered to 
 ** the prototypes or perfons reprefented by 
 ** them." The faith therefore of the church is 
 this; that a refped: is due to holy images, and 
 pidures, no othr^ wife than with riegard to the 
 perfons they reprefent, to excite us to devo- 
 tion, and to an imitation of their holy lives, 
 
 and
 
 [ 56 ] 
 
 and deaths. They are as books to the un- 
 learned, and have one advantage above them : 
 for they inform the mind at one glance, of 
 what in reading might require a whole chap- 
 ter, by movingly reprefenting to them, all 
 the myfleries of our Saviour; his nativity, 
 xicath, rcfurredtion, and afcenfion, and put 
 them in mind of the bleffed virgin Mary, the 
 angels and faints, which may help to keep 
 their minds free from vain diftrading thoughts 
 in time of prayer, hence a good convenjcncy 
 in faying their prayers with feme devout 
 pidrure before them, they being no looner 
 diftrad:ed, but the fight recalls their wander- 
 ing thoughts to the right objcd:, and as cer- 
 tainly brings good into their minds, as an 
 immodeft pidlure difturbs their hearts with 
 filthy thoughts : andbecaufewe are fenfible 
 that thefe holy pidiures and images reprefent 
 fuch objedts as we honour and venerate, we 
 cannot but upon that account love, honour, 
 and refped; the images themfelves. As who- 
 foever loves their wife, child, or friend, can- 
 not but have fome love and refped for their 
 piftuces, and whofoever loves and honours the 
 King, will have fome honour and regard for 
 his image; and if you ask why we keep the 
 pictures of our wives, cliildren, friends, or 
 king, 'tis becaufe we delire often to think of 
 them, and fhew that love and refped: we 
 have for them, aad we keep the pidures of 
 
 Chrift,
 
 _ r 57 J 
 
 Ciiiift ai'id ^is faints for the fanic reafoft> 
 becaufe we defire often ta think of them, 
 to preferve their memory, exprefs fomething 
 of that love and honour we have for thcm^ 
 and to have our minds poffciTed with pious 
 and religious affedions by looking on them. 
 Neverthelefs we do not venerate any image 
 or pi<5lure, for any virtue and divinity he- 
 Ueved to be ip them, nor for any thing that 
 h to be petitioned of them, but becaufe the 
 honour that is exhibited to them is refer- 
 red to whom they reprefent, yea wholly 
 fo. And pray how does the Catholick by 
 thus doing break the fecond command ? for 
 he acknowledges no other God but one, 
 and to him alone he gives all fovereign ho- 
 nour, and the refpccft he fliews to the cru- 
 cifix, is becaufe he thinks no one can be-^ 
 hold a reprefentation of our Saviour dying 
 on the crofs, without being filled with the 
 thought of the love and relpedt which we 
 owe to the Author of our redemption and 
 falvation : for which reafon he holds it 
 good to bow in honour to Jefus Chrift whom 
 it reprefents, and in him to place his hope, 
 and not in an image, which can neither fee, 
 hear, nor help him. This is the ufe we make 
 of Images, which is fo far from derogating 
 from Almighty God's honour, that we love 
 and honour them for no other reafon bwt 
 I cut
 
 [ S8 ] 
 
 out of rcfpcdt to him, and the relation they 
 have to thofe that pleafe him. 
 
 Nay, fo far are we from paying any di- 
 vine worftiip to Images, that the Church 
 condemns all thofe who pray by, or through 
 an Image i or who think that their prayers 
 will be better heard or more acceptable when 
 offered in that manner. But then feme 
 anfwer, and fay, that although the learned 
 Catholicks do not commit idolatry in wor- 
 ftiipping Images, yet it is feared that the 
 poor and unlearned fort of them do, becaufe 
 they cannot all be thought to know what 
 the Council of Trent has decreed in this 
 cafe. 
 
 To thefe I anfwer, that all and every 
 Catholick, throughout the whole World, 
 does believe as the Council of Trent has 
 decreed, whether they know the words of 
 the decree or not, becaufe all Catholicks 
 have an implicit belief in the church, that 
 is, they all believe as the church believes, 
 whether they examine into the matter itfelf 
 or not, and that purely on her unerring 
 authority ; an explicit faith being not re- 
 quired, for if an explicit faith was requi- 
 red, then few could be Catholicks, becaufe 
 there is not one Priefl perhaps in twenty, 
 that can give a plain and poiitive account 
 of all the Articles of Faith which, the 
 cliurch has ordained, therefore if I believe
 
 [ 59 ] 
 
 as the church believes, it is certain that 
 I cannot be guilty of idolatry, bscaufe the 
 church ordains no idolatrous worjhipy but on 
 the contrary anathamizes all who pay any di- 
 vjne honour to any thing but what is God< and 
 that none may be able to plead ignorance in 
 this cafe, fhe in her paternal care has thought 
 fitting to inftrud: all her children in her cate- 
 chife concerning this article, and in treating 
 on the firfl commandment, which by pro- 
 teftants is ftiled the fecond, the queftion to 
 the child is this, 
 
 ^efiion. Does this commandment forbid 
 the making of images. 
 
 Anfwer. It forbids the making them, fo as 
 to adore and Jerve them: that is, it forbids 
 making them our Gods, 
 
 ^ejiwn. Does this commandment forbid 
 all honour and veneration of the faints and 
 angels. 
 
 Anfwer. No-, we are to honour them as 
 Goa s fpecial friends andfervantSt but not with 
 the honour which belongs to God. 
 
 ^ejlion. And is it allowable to honour 
 relicks, crucifixes and holy pictures? 
 
 Anfwer. Tes; with an inferior and relative 
 honour, as they relate to Chriji and his Jaints', 
 and are memorials of them. 
 
 ^ejlion. May we then pray to relicks, or 
 iniages ? 
 
 I 2 Anfwer.
 
 [ 6o ] 
 
 Anfwer^ No^ hy no means y for they ha%>i^ 
 no iifey or Jenje to heart, or help m, See the 
 Do way Cat. 
 
 Now what in the name of common fenfc 
 6an be more plain ? Which i think is a fulti- 
 cient proof that Roman Catholicks cannot be 
 called idolaters. And altho' fome malevolent 
 letiurers of this age, who mifreprefent each 
 article of our faith, and after drawing tlieir 
 confequences from it, thus mifreprefentedj 
 have the allurance to pronounce us worfe 
 than infidels ; yet to the unprejudiced reader, 
 thelie men's ohjeSions can be of no weight, 
 becaufe they are grounded upon what is falfe. 
 0«f of thefe once afferted in my hearing that 
 fapifis w-ere guilty of idolatry y becaufe they 
 prayed to images y and ajked favours of tbem:^ 
 and if they had done fo, he might very juft-. 
 ly have called them idolaters, but as they ab- 
 hor all fuch prad;ices, and anathemife thofe 
 who are guilty G^ them, nothing but igno- 
 rance can excufe that perfon from being guil- 
 ty of flander, and defamation. As to verbal 
 contefts which oft happen, about the word 
 worfhip, thofe perfons who are fo vaftly 
 fqueamlfh, would employ their time to bet- 
 ter purpofes if they'd make a candid fearch 
 after truth, and fuffer it to prevail over that 
 fpirit of wrangling, and contention, which 
 they too much encourage, for as Mr. Thorn- 
 dike juftly obferves, ** that the words ado^ 
 
 '* ration
 
 [ 6i ] 
 
 ** ration, worjhipt honour y refpeB, or bow* 
 ** tvtr you tranjlate the Latin word cultus, 
 ** are^ or may he equivocal in fpite of our 
 ^* hearts, implying, indifferently, one kind of 
 ** honour, to God, another to creatures -, and 
 ** the cauje of this equruocation, the want oj 
 *' words, vulgar ufe riot having provided 
 «< iiDords proper to fgnify conceptions, which 
 " Clime not from common fenfes " Thorn. 
 Epil. p 3. And again he fays, ** ^fhat to 
 ** difpute whether we are bound to honour tht 
 *' faints, or not, were to difpute whether we 
 ** ^re Chrijiians', and wheither this he religi^ 
 ** ous, or civil, nothing hut the equivocation 
 •* of words makes difputable ; and the caife of 
 '* that equivocation, the want of wordsJ* 
 l^ow there is a divine, or fupream honour, 
 and there is a religious, or inferior, and al- 
 io a civil honour, and worship, and the ho- 
 nour, or worfhip which we give to the faints 
 thcmfelves, is barely religious, and of an in- 
 ferior nature, how then can any one fuppofe 
 that we honour, or worfliip their relicks, 
 pidlurcs, or images, with any part of divine 
 worfhip, efpecialJy when he has heard that 
 we deny and abjure any honour abfolutely 
 due to them in themfelves, and therefore the 
 charge of idolatry, or fupcrjlition, is unjufl, 
 faffe, and fcandalous. Neverthelefs fome 
 will fay that we run to excefs in the worfhip, 
 or honour, which wc pay to pious rcpre- 
 
 fentations.
 
 [ 62 ] 
 
 fentations, by kneeling down to, and pray- 
 ing before them : but this is as the former, 
 a ridiculous charge-, for dumb actions are 
 certainly undetermined in themfelves to any 
 meaning, and are only directed to it by the 
 inward intention: as for example j we kneel 
 down to our parents, as well as to Almighty 
 God : and we beg the bleffing of one, and 
 the other: the material ad: is the fam.e in 
 both cafes; but no one will be fo abfurd as 
 to fay that our petition is fpecifically the fame, 
 or, that our kneeling to our parent is an acSt 
 of adoration, like that to Almighty God. 
 Thus you fee that words as well as ad:ions 
 may be underftood more ways than one, and 
 are equally liable as I obfervcd before, to an 
 equivocal acceptation, and although on Good 
 Friday, juft before we go to kifs the crofs, 
 we fay come let us adore, we do not mean, 
 come let us adore the crofs, but only, come 
 let us adore Chrift who was crucified, and 
 then we kifs the crofs in honour and venera- 
 tion of him who died upon it. But ftill the 
 Sceptic fays, that it is plain that papifts wor- 
 fhip the crofs of Chrift as they do Chrift 
 himfelf, and honour his images as God him- 
 felf is honoured. But this is of t4ie fame ftamp 
 as the former, weak and ridiculous, for, 
 by the crofs, or image of Chrift, the foul is 
 ©nly excited to pay a relative honour which 
 terminates in God as the proper objcd: of ado- 
 ration.
 
 [ 63 ] 
 
 ration, which is very different from honour- 
 ing the images as Chrift, or worfhipping the 
 crofs as God is worfhipped. To make this 
 more plain, to all my readers, I will give an 
 example, or two: A hulband loves not on- 
 ly his wife, but alfo her pidture; a fubjed: 
 refped:s and honours the prefence chamber, 
 and chair of fbate, becaufe he refpeds and 
 honours his King : fo the love, refped:, and 
 honour which we have for Chrift, makes us 
 refpc6t, and honour his pidures as reprefent- 
 ing him to us, and the crofs, as the memo- 
 rials of his fufferings. Now whether divines 
 fay, it is the fame love which a man has for 
 his wife, as for her pidure : or whether they 
 fay it is the fame honour -fts a fubjed gives 
 to the chair of flate, as to his king: or whe- 
 ther the honour a chriflian has for God, and 
 his Redeemer, be the fame that he has for 
 his images and crofs ? What matter is it to 
 us I fay, whether divines determine this re- 
 fped, and honour in all thefe cafes, to be 
 different, or the fame; fince however they 
 may term it to be the very fame ; yet in fad 
 it is very plain, ahufband loves not the pic- 
 ture as he loves bis wifey but only as his wife's 
 piBure-f fo likewife a fubjed honours not the 
 chair of Jlate as his Kingt hut as fome thing 
 belonging to him-, fo in like manner a chriflian 
 honours not a •piBiire^ or crofs y as Chir/ly or 
 Goiy but only as a memorial of him y m which 
 
 confideratioij
 
 t 64^ V 
 
 confideration this worfhi{> cannot pollibly 
 have any more oiidolatry in it, than the two 
 former have of adultery, or treafon. There- 
 fore this is a plain conclufion ,• As I Icyue my 
 wife, my love extends to her pidiure, eind the 
 honour I have for my King extends itfelf to bis 
 chair oj ftate-, fo becaufe I honour and love God, 
 this makes me love all thofe things belonging 
 to him, as his houfe, altar, piBure, crofs, &c, 
 and as the commandment forbids falliag 
 down to idols, or images, worshipping, and 
 adoring them, or any creatures inflead of 
 <jod, we humbly obey it, and detejl, and 
 abhor all fuch praBices. Honouring, ador- 
 ing, and worfliipping the creator of heaven 
 and earth alone, as our fovereign Lord and 
 God, having his pictures in honour as far as 
 they belong to him, and are beneficial to us 
 in his fervice: and here I beg leave to afk 
 whether there is not a great diftindion be- 
 twixt divine worfhip, and inferior worfhip ? 
 and whether all worfhip but divine worfhip 
 is forbid, or not ? For if all worfliip but 
 divine worfhip is forbid, then no proteftant, 
 would promife to worfhip his wife, faying, 
 with my body I thee worjhip-, and if there is no 
 difference betwixt divine, and inferior wor- 
 fhip, he never would bow to the name Jefus, 
 which is only a found of pronunciation, the 
 fame to the ear as an image is to the eye. 
 Therefore if a proteflant does not commit 
 
 idolatry
 
 [ 65 ] 
 idolatry by the aforefaid pradiccs, but only 
 gives all lawful and due honour, to the holy 
 nameofjefus, and worlhips his wife with 
 no divine worfliip, but that which is due to 
 her, then certainly a Roman Catholic may 
 be allowed to give ail due honour to a cruci- 
 fix, and worfhip an holy image, with that 
 worfhip which is lawful, and the council of 
 Trent commands us to give only a lawful and 
 due honour to fuch holy things ; therefore 
 it is plain that, that perfon who fays it com- 
 mands us to commit idolatry, is no better than 
 wicked flanderer : becaufe, if it is lawful for 
 a proteftant to bow when he hears the word 
 Jefus pronounced, then it cannot be unlaw- 
 ful for a catholic to bow when he fees th^ 
 reprefentation of Jefus hanging on the crofs, 
 for one is the fame to the ear as the other is 
 to the eye, for which reafon that which may 
 lawfully be given to the one, cannot be un- 
 lawful to be given to the other. 
 
 Now there is one thing behind which I 
 have not yet touched upon, and that is this; 
 Catholicks in general are allowed to be peo- 
 ple of underftanding, equal with the com- 
 mon fort of proteftants at leaf!:, and certain- 
 ly are capable of judging as well as they, 
 therefore muft know that the images of gold, 
 filver, brafs, wood, or ftone are all fenfelefs 
 beings, which have no divinity in them, 
 and which can neither hear, fmell, tafle, 
 
 K nor
 
 [ 66 ] 
 
 nor underftand, and by thus judging muft- 
 know that they cannot have any power to 
 help of affifl: them, and fo can be in no more 
 danger than Proteilants of afking favours 
 from them, putting their truft in them, 
 or praying to them. But as if this was 
 not enough, to end all difputes on this head, 
 the Church in order to prevent any of her 
 members from being guilty of fo heinous a 
 crime, has pronounced a curfe againfl: all 
 thofe who pay any Divine worfhip to any 
 thirig but God, and notwithftanding this 
 evident truth, that no Catholic can be an 
 Idolater, yet the malice of the Devil is 
 fucb, that he tempts or encourages many of 
 his udgents to propagate the moft bare-faced 
 flanders that Hell can invent againft thofe 
 who have the ftrongefl ties to keep them 
 from Idolatry, and who abhor it as much 
 'as any people living upon earth : For we 
 have not only the command of God againft 
 it, and the fame affiftance of our fenfes as 
 others, but we alfo are excluded from all 
 hopes of ever gaining Heaven, by lying un- 
 der the Anathema of our own Church, 
 if we are guilty of Idolatry ; therefore I 
 fay unto all, beware of thofe falfe teachers 
 ivho feek to impofe upon you by their 
 fhcep's cloathing, left they beguile you of 
 your faith, and lead you into everlafting 
 woe and horror; and as God is merciful 
 
 and
 
 f 67 ] 
 
 and wills not the death of a iinner, be yc 
 rather imitators of the holy Apoftles,- 
 Saints, and Martyrs, making the fcience 
 of Salvation your greateft ftudy, bidding 
 adieu to idle fubtiities, and barren fpecu- 
 lations. 
 
 Now from hence forward I begof all whortj 
 this may find, that they do not take upon 
 them to believe Catholics guilty, becaufe 
 wicked llanderers hy fo : But that they 
 examine diligently v^hether thofe things that 
 are advanced be fo or not > and not take it 
 for granted, becaufe they are boldly infifted 
 upon by every fanatic enthuiiafl. And if 
 you will but judge impartially, I doubt not 
 but that the Catholic religion will appear 
 to be free from every hellifh dodrine, 
 and pradlice -, and then with very little 
 trouble, you may fee the many vile artifi- 
 ces that have been ufed to draw men off 
 from the old religion. And I hope that 
 every fenfible man will have fcnfe and cou- 
 rage enough to embrace that faith which 
 was delivered by the ApoRles, and handed 
 down to us through an uninterrupted 
 fucceflion of Bifhops, Priefls, and Deacons, 
 which f^iith is pure, holy, univerfal,, and the 
 only one which has the mark of Chrilt's 
 true Church upon earth, that is, to be at 
 unity amopgft its members in point of faith. 
 K Z ' Fourthly, I
 
 [ 68 ] 
 
 Fourthly, I fhall now explain the docftrine 
 of Tranfubftantiation, and fhall (hew plain- 
 ly that it is not repugnant to fcripture and 
 reafon, and that it doth not contradid: any 
 of our fenfes, as Proteflants vainly imagine 
 it does. But in order thereunto it will be 
 necelHiry to begin with (hewing what we 
 mean by Tranfubftantiation. 
 
 And firfl:, we believe that in the facra- 
 ment of the holy Eucharift is contained 
 truly, really, verily, and indeed, the body 
 and blood, foul and divinity of Chrift, even 
 the very fame body which was crucified 
 on the crofs, the very fame body which is 
 now in Heaven, at the right hand of the 
 Father. Moreover we believe that by the 
 words fpoken by the mouth of the Priefl 
 at Mafs, that the bread in a moment is 
 changed and tranfubftantiated into the body 
 of Chrift, and the wine into his precious 
 blood; and that under either fpecies, a true, 
 folid, living, and animated body, joined al- 
 ways to the divinity is contained. 
 
 And in this you Proteftants are taught to 
 believe that our fenfes are impofed upon, 
 when at the fame time it is you yourfelves 
 that are fo ; for I know that through a falfe 
 perfuafion your minds are fo prepo(re(red, 
 that you vainly imagine, that when we fee 
 the Sacrament, that we believe that the 
 ^tward form, that is, the furface and the 
 
 qua-
 
 [ 69 3 
 
 qualities which we fee, touch, or tafte : 1 
 fay that you foolifhly imagine that we be- 
 lieve thefe outward qualities to be the true 
 body and blood of Chrift -, nay, many of 
 you think, that we believe them to be fuch 
 flefh and blood that a corruptible man car- 
 rieth about him whilft on earth ; and if 
 this were fo (as you imagine) then indeed 
 you might have reafon to cry out and fay, 
 that our fenfes were contradicted. 
 
 But if you will but divert yourfelves of 
 the prejudice of your education, and keep 
 thefe bugbears off j and refleft that all this- 
 outward form, the furface, and the qualities 
 which we fee, feel, or tafte, is really in all 
 refpedts, allowed by us to be the fame as 
 they are reprefented to our fenfes, and that 
 no Catholic believes them to be the true 
 body and blood of Chrift, but only the veil 
 which fhrouds it, or hides it from our fen- 
 fes ; and that when we fail down, wor- 
 fhip, and adore our Saviour Jeius Chrift, 
 whom we firmly believe to be really and 
 fubftantially prelent by a miracle imper- 
 ceptable to all our fenfes, we do not a- 
 dore nor worfhip the veil which flirouds or 
 hides it from our eyes, we ©nly adore the 
 God of our fcilvation, who in the myftery 
 of the incarnation, hid his divinitv in fielh; 
 and in the myftery of tranfubft anriation, 
 hides his fielh and blood under the toims, or 
 
 'P-
 
 r 7° ] 
 
 appearances of bread and wincj and our faith 
 obliges us only to believe, that under thefe 
 outward forms, the body and blood of Chrift 
 are hid, and concealed from our fenfes. 
 
 Now I fay, if you would but reflecfl fe- 
 rioufly on this our faith, you might eafily 
 fee that Tranfubflantiation is not contrary 
 to fenfe, for none of our fenfes are contra- 
 di(5ted by it : Our fenfes only perceive the 
 outward appearances of objects, and our un- 
 derftanding only can judge of the inward 
 fubilance -, for the naked fubftance of any 
 body cannot be perceived by any fenfe, be- 
 caufe if neither. hath dimenfion, figure, or 
 colour, nor any of thofe modifications which 
 afFe(5t our fenfes, and this the great Philo- 
 fopher fays, when in treating of bodies he 
 diilinguifhes in them thefe two things, ^r/? 
 t/je accidents^ fuch as quantity, colour, Jmell, 
 tajle, and fuch like, which are the objeBs of 
 our fenfes. Second, the fubflance, which is 
 chat bed (as it were) with the vijible and fen- 
 fible accidents, but is itfelf invifible, and the 
 ohjeSi of our underfianding ajid not of our 
 fenfes. 
 
 Now I muft needs own, that if, tvhen 
 we received the bleifed Sacrament, we fee 
 it white, and yet believed it black ; if we 
 feel it rough, and yet believed it fmooth i 
 if we tailed it fweet, and yet believed it 
 bitter ; I ixiuft own, I fay thcn^j no man 
 
 could
 
 [ 71 .1 
 
 could deny but that our faith taught us 
 things evidently contrary to what our fenfes 
 tell us ; but when as you fee before how the 
 cafe flands with us in this article, nothing 
 but invincible ignorance can poffibly cxcufe 
 thofe who charge us with the ridiculous 
 abfurdity of contradicting our fenfes, when 
 at the fame time we believe all that our 
 fenfes reprefent unto us. Obferve this al- 
 fo, that we do not apprehend Chrift's 
 body to be in the Sacrament after that grofs, 
 carnal, and corporeal manner as when he 
 was living upon earth (as you vainly think 
 we do) but in his incorruptible, im- 
 mortal, and fpiritual being : therefore our 
 belief of Tranfubflantiation does not con- 
 tradidl the fenfes, by reafon of the fenfes 
 not being proper judges of things above 
 or beyond their reach, for how can a 
 fenfible being judge of things infeniible ? 
 Therefore it is only that ftrange chymerical 
 Tranfubflantiation that you have been fo 
 oft told of that is contradictory to fenfe, 
 which is what no Catholic ever fo much as 
 thought of believing ; for our faith is that 
 we believe that T^rahfubjlantiation is not a 
 fenfihle change, that is, that nothing that is 
 fenfible in either the bread or wine is changed ; 
 from whence it is plain that our fenfes are 
 not contradicted. 
 
 But
 
 [ 72 ] 
 
 But perhaps you will fay, that after con- 
 fecration we fee the fubilance of bread, and 
 yet believe the fubftance is not there, and 
 is not this contradicting the fenfes ? And 
 I grant that after confecration we fee the 
 fubftance as plain as we did before, but it 
 lis abfolutely falfe that any man ever faw the 
 fubftance of bread either before or after 
 confecration, for, as I faid before, he can 
 fee no more than the outward accidents, 
 or appearances of bread, and this we allow 
 remains the fame after confecration as be- 
 fore, fo that the fenfes are not at all de- 
 ceived. But if we believed that Tranfub- 
 ftantiation .was a fenfible change, that is 
 to fay, a change of any thing that is 
 fenfible in the bread and wine, then indeed 
 our fenfes might eafily give evidence a- 
 gainft our faith, for they might declare 
 that nothing fenfible is changed, but that 
 all things fenfible remain the fame as for- 
 merly they were. But if, as I faid, our 
 belief of Tranfubftantiation is, that it is 
 not a fenjihle change^ then it is certain that 
 our fenfes are not contradi(5ted. 
 
 Therefore, all the objcdlions and argu- 
 ments, from evidence of fenfe, which Pro- 
 teftants urge; are not againft our belief of 
 Tranfubftantiation, but only againft an ima- 
 ginary Tranfubftantiation of their own in- 
 vention.
 
 [ 73 ] 
 Which has no other being but in the minds 
 of thofe who are in darknefs and error. 
 
 Now to make it appear fomewhat more 
 
 plain on this point, you are to obfcrve, that 
 
 in the article of Tranfubftantiation, our un- 
 
 derflanding is the chief of all by which wc 
 
 judge of this ftupendous myflery; and in 
 
 this it is dired:ed by a revelation from God 
 
 himfelf, handed down to us by his Church, 
 
 upon the convidion of which we determine 
 
 ourfelves by our own free will, under the in-t 
 
 iluence of divine grace, and accept as a real 
 
 truth the following alTertions : That in the 
 
 Eucharill isDhat appears to be bread is not 
 
 bready and what appears to be wine is not wine; 
 
 but that the Jubjiance of the bread and wine is 
 
 changed into the Jubjiance of the body and blooa 
 
 of Chrifti who is there prefent in his divine ana 
 
 human nature, and not in figure only as Her;- 
 
 ticks teach. For if Chrifl himfelf has ex- 
 
 preiTly declared by revelation, that his fleAi 
 
 is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed, 
 
 and that he would give his iiefli for the life 
 
 of the world, and that except we eat his 
 
 flefli, and drink his blood, we have no life 
 
 in us ; and if when at his laft fupper he gave 
 
 his Apoftles commiflion to take the holy Eu- 
 
 charift in remembrance of him, and to do as 
 
 he had done, faying, do this in remembrance 
 
 of me, then certainly no man can deny thefe 
 
 things unlefs God had given an exprefs dc- 
 
 L claration
 
 [ 74 ] 
 
 claratxon to the contrary -, and as he never 
 did fo, it is our duty to give an unfeigned 
 {i0ent to all he has revealed. 
 
 Furthermore obferve, that it is alfo very 
 reafonable that we fhould depend upon Re- 
 velation before all things elfe ; for if others 
 had not done fo how greatly would they 
 have been deceived, as (hall appear from the 
 following inftances : 
 
 Firft, When an Angel appeared unto 
 Jofliua, he took him by his fenfes to be a 
 man, but when he told him that he was not 
 fo, but a Captain of the Heavenly Hoft, he 
 fell on his face to the earth and worshipped 
 him, and believed his hearing before his eyes. 
 
 Thofe who faw the blefled Virgin Mary, 
 and knew that fhe had a hufband and fon, 
 muft fuppofe, if they judged according to 
 outward appearance, that fhe became a mo- 
 ther like unto other women, but revelation 
 tells {he did not. 
 
 Again, All thofe who faw Jefus Chrift, if 
 they followed the di(5tates of their own judg- 
 ments, muft fuppofe him to be the fon of a 
 mortal father, a mere creature ; all which 
 ihews that we muft not always follow our 
 fenfes, nor take them for infallible guides, 
 where an exception is j uftly madea gainft them 
 from a well grounded faith, or from reafon 
 and experience. 
 
 Now it is plain that moft Prbtcftants do 
 
 in
 
 [ 75 i 
 in their faith believe fome things which are 
 above reafon ; for they allow that a belief ih 
 the bleifed Trinity and the Incarnation is ne- 
 cefTary, and yet in each of thefe myfteries 
 they muft fubmit their own judgments in 
 obedience to faith, and this they do becaufe, 
 as they very juftly fay, they are well ground- 
 ed upon fcripture ; and pray why will not 
 they allow us to adl in the fame manner with 
 regard to the myftcry of Tranfubftantiation, 
 which is as fairly pi'oved from fcripture as 
 the other? 
 
 Now I know that Proteftants allow God'^ 
 Omnipotence, that is, they allow that God 
 has the power of doing all things irrefiflibly ; 
 and let me afk then. What can refift or check 
 God from doing that with a body which is 
 above the nature of a body to do ? And what 
 can hinder the Almighty from doing fome 
 wonderful things with the body of Chrift, 
 which body is always united to the Divinity? 
 May not he by his power daufe it to be in 
 many places at once, to be vifible at the 
 right hand of his Father in Heaven, and to 
 be invifible upon our altars at the fame tim&l 
 And may it not be highly reafonable in Ca- 
 tholics to believe what the fcripture teaches, 
 fo that we may form our judgments agreeable 
 to the unerring word of God ? Therefore let 
 no one think it unreafonable for us to f^y-,. 
 that onx fenfes arc not always to be truft^d, 
 L 2 for
 
 [ 76 ] 
 
 for be it known unto yoQ, that our faith is not 
 to be dired:ed by what we fee, but by what 
 we hear from God; becaufe. our fenfes may 
 deceive us, but God cannot deceive. 
 
 But perhaps after all, fome will fay, how 
 docs this thing come to pafs, or how is this 
 change made ? To this I anfvver. That it is 
 not man, but God who works this divine 
 change by man ; for the words pronounced 
 by the Prieft in the cpnfecration of the bread 
 and wine, are taken from the facred mouth 
 of Chtf'ift, fpokc in his name, and by hi$ 
 order and authority, who commanded his 
 Apoftles to {/o as he had done in remembrance 
 of him. Hence it appears that none but a 
 Prieft can be the minifter of this facramcnt, 
 who by a lawful ordination is a fuccelTor of 
 the Apoftles in the Priefthood, for they a- 
 lone were prefent at the inftitution of it, and 
 all other Minifters mull have authority and 
 power from them to do as our Saviour did, 
 that is, to confecrate and deliver it to the 
 people, as he did to his Difciples. 
 
 How deplorable then muft that Church 
 be which wants this divine ordination, and 
 which fubftitutes in its place a feigned one, 
 founded only on a fallen Prieft, who had it 
 not in his power to give that to others, 
 which he was not in pofteftion of himfelf, 
 Jbr how can they preach unlefs they he fent. 
 
 Happy
 
 [ 77 ] y 
 
 Happy then are thofe Chriillans who a^ 
 4ore the vvifdom and goodnefs of God, and 
 praife his mercy and love for making himfclf 
 the miraculous food of their fouls ; who 
 prefume not to dive into this, or any othef 
 divine myftery of their faith, infinitely be- 
 yond the reach of their comprehenfions : 
 but with an humble heart, and a lincere 
 inind, fubmit their fenfe, their reafon, and 
 their underftanding to the almighty power 
 of God in obedience to faith ; for the fame 
 omnipotent God, who faid at the creation. 
 Let it he made, now fays to you, This is 
 my body. And fince he has declared his 
 body to be meat indeed, and that he who 
 eateth it Jhall live for ever, who will dare 
 to fay that he is not prefent in the adorable 
 3acrament on the altar? 
 
 And thrice happy are thofe who call to 
 mind one of the great wonders which God 
 wrought in the old law, in favour of his 
 people, namely. How he fed them with 
 Manna for forty years in the defart ^ for 
 this Manna was a figure of this adorable 
 Sacrament, which is the bread that defended 
 Jrom Heaven to feed Chriflian fouls to the 
 end of the world. The Ifraelites eat Man- 
 na and died, but he that eateth this bread 
 pall live for ever. As the Ifraelites not 
 only admired, but fubmitted without div- 
 ing into the divine fecret, which was fo 
 .. hidden
 
 t 78 ] 
 
 hiddcfi that they gave it the name of Man^ 
 na (that is. What is it ?) fo we not only 
 admire, but adore, and fubmit without vain 
 fearch, into this Heavenly Manna fo incom- 
 prehcnfible to us, becaufe we know as the 
 firft was truly a hidden fecret which had 
 the tafte of all meats, and yet was none of 
 them of which it had the tafte ; fo ours 
 is a hidden myfiery, which has the colour, 
 tafte, and other accidents of bread and 
 wine, and yet faith which fupplies the de- 
 feat of our fenfes, affiires us it is neither 
 one nor the other ; fo here you have the 
 4oQ:rine of Tranfubftantiation delivered to 
 you in a (hort manner, but whoever re- 
 quires a fuller explanation I refer him to 
 T. G. H. on the Seven Sacraments, v^here 
 he may be better convinced of the truth of 
 what I fay (if he is not above conviction) 
 ^nd fo I {hall not trouble the reader a great 
 deal further on this head, only I beg that 
 he will pay a ftri(ft attention to the follow- 
 ing obfervations : 
 
 The firft is from thefe words, fpoken by 
 our Saviour, in the 64th verfe of the fixth 
 chapter of St. John, where he fays, ne 
 V^ords that I have fpoken to you, are fpirit 
 and life. Now at this text I know moft 
 Proteftants boggle, and fay that this is a 
 full explanation that we are only to receive 
 the Sacrament fpiritually, and not by the 
 
 mouth
 
 [ 79 I 
 
 mouth. But mark well what foll6ws, 
 namely, the Churches explanation of thoic 
 words, Jpirit and life, hy propqfing to you a 
 Heavenly Sacrament in which you jhall re-* 
 ceive in a wonderful manner, fpirit, grace^ 
 and life, in its very fountain. Mark well, 
 I fay,/ which is the neareft the fenfe of the 
 words, this explanation, or yours, which 
 explains away all that our Saviour had been 
 faying before. 
 
 The fecond obfervation is from Saint 
 Paul's Epiille to the Corinthians, where he 
 confirms the doiftrine of Tranfubftantiation, 
 when in upbraiding the Corinthians he fays, 
 you eat and drink to your [elves ymr own dam-* 
 nation, not difcerning the Lord's body ; in 
 which he plainly intimates, that the Lord's 
 body was in the Sacrament, otherwife how 
 could they be faid to damn themfelvcs for 
 their want of difcerning it ? for no man can 
 be accufed for want of difcerning, if there 
 was nothing to be difcerncd. Befides, if 
 the Sacrament was only mere bread and 
 wine, how then {hould a man be faid to eat 
 and drink damnation to himfelf not difcerning 
 the Lord's body ? Or in plainer terms, how 
 fhould a man be faid to damn himfelf for 
 not difcerning what no man believed there 
 to be difcerned ? But as the Apoftie told 
 them, that it was for this want of difcern- 
 ing that many of them v/ere punifhed with 
 
 weak-
 
 [ 8o ] 
 weaknefs, and ficknefs, and death, le^ 
 every man tremble to think of difbelieving 
 what Chrift and his Apoilies have fo plainly 
 taught. 
 
 Thirdly obferve, That in the inftitution 
 of the blelled and holy Eucharift, our Sa- 
 viour did not fay that it v^^as a myftical 
 eating of which faith would make them 
 partakers, but he emphatically faid, 'Take 
 ye and eat, this is my body, which they eat 
 by the mouth, and not in a myftical way 
 by faith only, although it is true that faith 
 ought to intervene, in order to make the 
 receiving the body of our Lord profitable 
 to our fouls, yet whether we have faith or 
 not, the words of Chrift have their eiFed:. 
 And if the unworthy receive without dif- 
 cerning the Lord's body, they will render 
 them/elves guilty of his body and blood, i 
 Cor. xii. 24, 28, 29. Of his true body and 
 blood, and not of a figurative one -, that is, 
 , they will be guilty of affronting the perfon of 
 Chrift, and not his gifts. 
 
 Fourthly obferve. That if the Bread re-- 
 mains bread after confecration, then it can 
 no\more be the body of our Lord, than the 
 wand remaining a wand could be a ferpent, 
 or water remaining water could be blood 
 in Egypt, or wine at the marriage of Cana ; 
 and therefore if the bread remains bread, 
 it can be nothing elfc. For Chrift did 
 
 not
 
 r 8i i 
 
 hDt f^y; ia here is my body, or thh cort- 
 tains my body, but indefinitely, ^j^/V /V f^ 
 body. And although it is called bread even 
 after coniecratioHi this is done by the rule 
 bf appearances only, in the fame manner a-s 
 the wand in Exodusi although become afei*- 
 pent, is vailed wand, and the water become 
 blood, is called water ; in the fame manner 
 Angels in fcripture who appeared under 
 human fhape are called Angels y becaufe they 
 are fo, an4 alfo are called men, becaufe they 
 appeared fo ; fo the Eucharift is called tlM 
 body becaufe it is fo^ and bread becaufe it 
 appears fo. Therefore, when we name it, 
 with relation to what it was, and what it 
 appears, we call it bread and wine, but when 
 we name it what it is in itfelf, then we call 
 it the body and blood, hQC2i\x(Q it cannot but 
 be what the all-powerful words of Chrifl: 
 made it. 
 
 Fifthly obferve. That the firfl Reformers 
 excluded all metaphorical eating and drink- 
 ing, and aflerted plainlyj that the true 
 bodyp and:.. true blood of our Lord are 
 given lis to eit and drink truly for the food 
 of our fouls ; fee the.- confeflion of Bucer, 
 
 ■ 6cc. And Calvin himfclf fays, ** Wc dto 
 ** not pretend that a fymbolical body is 
 ** received, as it was not a fymbolical Spi- 
 ** fit which appeared in the baptifm of our 
 " Lord : The Holy Ghod was then truly 
 
 1-. M *' and
 
 I 82 ] 
 
 *' and fubftantially prefent, but he rendered 
 " himfclf prefent by a vifible fymbol, and 
 ^* was feen in the baptifm of Jefus Chrift, 
 -«< becaufe he truly appeared under the fym- 
 ** bol and external form of the Dove." 
 And what more can be faid or , delired for 
 a proof of a real prefcnce ? and yet he docs 
 not admit any other prefence in the fupper 
 tJban by faiths nor of any faith in the fup- 
 per but what is in baptifm. 
 
 But the everlafling and inevitable confu- 
 fion of thofe who defend the figurative 
 fenfe, is, the neceffity of allowing fomc- 
 thing particular to the Eucharift with re- 
 gard to the prefence of the body ; and the 
 impoffibility of doing this, according to the 
 doctrine which they teach, will always in- 
 volve them in endlefs perplexities. For in- 
 ftance, when Calvin fays on one fide, that 
 the proper fubjiance of the body and blood of 
 our Lord is received-, and on the other, that 
 they are only nceived by their virtue as the 
 fun is received by its rays. This is plainly 
 confounding himfelf, and uttering contra- 
 didlions, becaufe none can be fo ignorant 
 as to imagine that when they receive the. 
 virtue of the fun's rays, that they receive 
 the proper fubftance and whole body of the 
 fun. Thus it is that error always contra- 
 dids itfelf : for if faith makes prefent the 
 things promifed, by this means judgment 
 
 and
 
 [ 83 ] 
 
 and the general refurredion, the glory of 
 the blelTed, as well as the fire of the dam-i: 
 ned, will be equally prefent to us with the 
 body of Jefus Chrift, in the holy Eucha- 
 rifi: : and befides, if this prefence by faith 
 makes us receive the fubftance of things,, 
 what then can hinder the happy fouls that 
 are in Heaven, from receiving, before the 
 general refurredtion, the proper fubflance of 
 their bodies, as truly as we arc here made 
 to receive by faith, the proper fubftancc of 
 the body of Jefus Chrift ? For if faith ren- 
 ders things truly prefent, fo as to pofTefs the 
 fubftance 'verily and indeed, as th^ Church 
 of England's catechife expreffes, what 
 then can hinder the faithful from embrac- 
 ing any fubftance, or even the beatific vi- 
 fionitfelf? But after all, it is certain and 
 plain, that although faith be never fo ftrong 
 and infpired by the Holy Ghoft, yet it caa 
 no more unite itfelf to the fubftance of a 
 thing, than our other thoughts or affec- 
 tions of the mind can. And from hence 
 Catholics believe, that the prefence of the 
 body of Jefus Chrift in the Eucharift, de- 
 pends entirely on the word and promifc 
 of him who gave it. But they who fupport 
 a figurative fenfe, make it depend on their 
 faith who receive it. Now if the promife 
 and word of God is not more e^icacious in 
 making the thing promifed prefent^ than faith, 
 ^M 2 I fub-
 
 [ 84 ] 
 J fubmit. But if the promifc and word of 
 ^od may be depended on, before that which 
 any man can believe, then the figurative 
 reformers muft Hand corredled : for if the 
 body of Chrill: be preftnt in the Eucharift 
 in a figurative fcnie only, then the fupper 
 of our Lord hath nothing peculiar, and 
 Chrill is no more there than in any other 
 actions of a Chriftian -, and then it will fol- 
 low, that it was in vain that Jefus Chrifl 
 fhid in the fupper only, with (o much ener- 
 gy, TSis is my hody ; fince with thefe all 
 powerful words he was able to work no- 
 thing in it that is fingular, fo that thofe 
 which are worthy will receive nothing but 
 bread and winef and thofe that are unwor- 
 thy will not be guilty of the body and blood » 
 it being impoffible they fhould be guilty of 
 what is not there. Zuinglius and his dif- 
 ciples fay, ^hat a faithful and religious foul 
 €at5 bis true body facramentally, that is, in, 
 fgn, and fpiritually, that is, by the contem- 
 plation of faith, which reprefenis to us ^ejus 
 Chrijl fuffering, andf:>ews he is wholly ours. 
 And if it was fo as thefe teach, neverthelefs 
 a faithful receiver would take no more fub- 
 ilance, than the eye takes the fubftance of 
 the fun. For if the body of Chriil be only 
 in Heaven, as they pofitively afTert, and not 
 in the Eucharift, but by the contemplation 
 ©f faith ', then it is nothing clfc but an ima- 
 ginary
 
 [ 85 } 
 jginary presence. But Catholics believe tha| 
 when Jefus Chrifl: pronounced, />6/i is my 
 body, this is my bloody he did not deilgn the 
 figure of it, but the Jubjlance -, knowing 
 that it is as eafy for him to change the bread 
 into his body, as to change water into wine, 
 and create light out of nothing. Therefore 
 we believe the body to be prefent, yet in a 
 fupernatural manner, and fo far fpiritual ; 
 but neverthelefs it is in fubftance, and not 
 in an imaginary figure, for if our Saviour 
 had never faid, this is my body, his prefencc 
 by the mind and by faith would have fub-r 
 fifted ftill juft alike, and yet no mortal 
 man could have dreamt of calling this/«^- 
 Jiantial ; but as he faid, fo we believe, well 
 knowing that God cannot lye, neither can 
 he who made the world out of nothing, 
 want power to make one fubftance out of 
 another. For O ye, whofe hearts are har- 
 der than the heart of Pharaoh 1 dare any 
 one of you prefume to fhew me how thq 
 God of all power, who by his word made 
 all things, could want power to make that 
 his body and blood, which he by his own 
 exprefs words faid was fuch ? and if he 
 could not want powef, your wickednefs 
 then is paft all excufc, for by your affirm- 
 ing that what Chrift gave to his Apoftles 
 was not what he faid it was, you flrive to 
 make him a liar like unto yourfelvcs. — - 
 
 Tremble,
 
 r 86 I 
 
 Tremble, therefore, at the thoughts of what 
 ye have been hitherto guilty of! and by 
 £tn immediate acknowledgment of your 
 crimes, approach with humble confcffion' 
 to the true Church of Chrift, and be not 
 obftinate to your own deftruftioji, but believe 
 aright unto falvation. 
 
 *Tis true, the manner of fpeaking which 
 our Saviour ufed in the 5 2d vcrfe of the 
 fixth chapter of Su John, ftartled and a- 
 mazed, yea a^nd even fcandalized the Jews, 
 and caufed a ftrifc and contention amongil 
 them : how, faid they, can this man give 
 lis his flefh to eat ? But to this what does 
 our bleffed Redeemer anfwer, and how docs 
 he fatisfy this their doubt, and fettle the 
 point he had propounded t6 them? Does 
 he tell them, you muft not take my words 
 ifi' the literal and real fenfe they feem to ex- 
 prefs, but in a figurative fenfe, as when at other 
 times 1 have told you, I am the door, lam the 
 vine, and fuch like allegorical expreffions ; 
 or in a fpiritual, or any fuch like fenfe and 
 leaning ? No, far from evading, or giving 
 ^ny fuch glofs to his foregoing words, he 
 on the contrary repeats, and with the af- 
 feveration of verily," Verily, I fay unto you. 
 Except you eat the Jkfh of the Son of Man^ 
 and drink his bloody you Jhall not have life 
 in you.'-^For my fiefh is meat indeed ; and 
 my blood is drink indeed. He that eatetb my 
 
 fiejh
 
 [ 87 ] 
 
 fiejb and drinketb my hlood, abideth in me, and 
 I in him. Which words, far from giving the 
 Jews prefent to undcrftand he meant thereby 
 an allegorical or fpiritual fenfe, on the contra- 
 ry, plainly /hewed them, that what he fpokc 
 was to be taken according to the letter. 
 Many of his difciples upon this, as we read 
 in the fame chapter, faid, this faying is hard, 
 and who can hear it. Yea, after Chrift 
 had affirmed that the words which he had 
 fpokc were fpirit and life, many of his dif- 
 ciples went back, and walked no more with 
 him, as fee in the 67th vcrfe of the fame 
 chapter. But who can fuppofe that Jefu^ 
 Chrift, the author of truth and verity itfelf, 
 would have permitted thefe difciples to 
 l^ave him, had he only meant that he was 
 to be received in a fpiritual or figurative 
 fenfe ; it is plain, that they underflood him 
 according to the literal fenfe, and if he had 
 meant otherwife, he undoubtedly woul4 
 have a<Sed according to his ufual cuftom 
 of explaining to his difciples his paraboli- 
 cal cxpreiTions, and not have fuftered them 
 to have left him through miftake : but 
 far from that, as they would not believe his 
 pofitivc affertions of what he had faid, he 
 left them to their own blindnefs and incre- 
 dulity : no doubt but that his Apoftles 
 were furprized equally with the reft, at 
 Uiofe words of admiration \ yet, having fecr; 
 
 fo
 
 f 8S ] 
 
 ib many ftupendous miracles wrought by hinif 
 they with a firm confidence in his omnipo- 
 tcncy, waited the fulfilhng of this promircj 
 which he had revealed to them, 
 
 A common objedtion made by Proteftants 
 I had like to have forgot to take notice of) 
 it is true, it fcarce dcfcrvcs.it, orjly I know- 
 many of them lay a great ilrefs upon the 
 fame, therefore I will jull mention it : 
 and that is, they fay, Chrifi: faid he was the 
 way, a door, and a vine ; and as it is plain 
 that he fpoke thefe in a metaphorical fenfe, 
 fo the fame is to be thought of thefe words, 
 this is my body, &c. Alas ! when people are 
 to defend a bad caulc they will catch at any 
 thing, elfe nothing can be more plain, than 
 that our Saviour himfelf gave a full expla- 
 nation of the above parables -, and 'till Pro- 
 teftants can (hew me as full an explanati^ 
 on of thefe words, this is my body, &c. as 
 I will fhew them of tbe way, the door, and 
 the vine, I will believe Chrift's plain and 
 cxprefs words, before their conjedtures. 
 Now when Chrift.fays, in the 14th of St. 
 John, ** I am the way, the truth, and tlic 
 life," he immediately points out what fort 
 of way he is, and fays, ** No man cometh 
 to the Father but by me." And when he 
 faith in the tenth chapter, ** I am the 
 door," he immediately explains what a fort 
 
 of 
 
 /T
 
 f ^9 ] 
 
 of a door he was, faying, by me ifanymantn-^ 
 ter in, he jhall be javed. And in the 15th ch^ 
 when Chrift fays, I am the true 'vine, he im- 
 mediately fubjoins, and my Father is the Hup- 
 bandman: Every branch in me that bearetb 
 not jruit, he will take away : and every one 
 that beareth fruit t he will purge it, that it may 
 bring forth more fruit. And, now, fays he, 
 you are clean by reafon of the word which I 
 have fpoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you 3 
 and then he fhews the comparifon j as the 
 branch cannot bear fruit of it/elf, unlefs it a- 
 bide in the vine, f 9 neither can y oh, unlefs you 
 abide in me: and again, / am the vine, you 
 the branches ; he that ahiieth In me, and I in 
 him, the fame beareth much Jruit ; for with- 
 out me can you do nothing. What can be fuller 
 explained? and m the next verfe, Chrift 
 fhews the fatal confequence of being lopt 
 off from a true faith in him j faying, If any 
 one abide not in me, hefiall be cafi forth as a 
 branch, and Jhall wither, and they fiall ga- 
 ther him up, and caji him into the f re, and he 
 burneth. Oh 1 how are they to be pitied 
 who willingly lop themfclves off from the 
 true faith ; for a falfe faith will fave no 
 one : beware, therefore, of the leaven of the 
 Reformers, for it is hypocrlfy. 
 
 For a Chriftian ought to be adiamed to 
 
 think that Chrift who came to infirudl all 
 
 the world, fhould labour to deceive it > and 
 
 N if
 
 [ 90 ] 
 if Chrift Jefus did refolvc to give us no- 
 thing elfe to cat and drink but bread and 
 wine, is it probable that he would fay, Ex- 
 cept ye eat the fie jh of the Son of Man, and 
 drink his blood, ye have no life in you, John 
 vi. 53. Or is it pofFible that he fhould tell 
 the Jews, in the 55th verfe. My flejh is meat 
 indeed, and my blood is drink indeed^ Now, 
 I fay, if he intended giving them nothing 
 clfe but mere bread, and mere wine, he ne- 
 ver could have ufed fuch cxpreffions as 
 thefeT; for Proteftants allow that when they 
 read, in Luke the 24th, that our Saviour 
 is rifm indeed, they mufl believe, in a lite- 
 ral fenfc ; and the fame they believe of the 
 4th of St. John, ibis is indeed the Saviour 
 of the world : yet, when they read in the 
 fame gofpcl, my fleJh is meat indeed, and my 
 blood is drink indeed-, they believe, by a 
 moft wonderful interpretation, that Chrifl 
 meant, my fiejh is not meat indeed, nor is 
 my blood drink indeed; and fo when the Cre- 
 ator of the world faid, this is my body, this 
 is my blood', they fay he meant, this is not 
 my body, this is not my blood, but only 
 the fign or fymbol, and yet thefe men make 
 a wonderful noife about reading the fcrip- 
 tures, when it is plain they are obliged to 
 read them backwards, or they never could 
 have framed a belief fo contrary to what our 
 Saviour taught : for the unanimous confent
 
 r 9t 1 
 
 of the four Evangelifts, and the fubfcripti- 
 on of St. Paul, prove undeniably the lite- 
 ral fenie, not one of them ever mentioning, 
 this is only a fign of my body, a mere figure 
 of my jiejh'. therefore it is plain, that Pro- 
 teflants after all their high profeflions, do 
 not believe the fcriptures as delivered by 
 the Holy Ghoft, but that they only believe 
 one part, and difbelieve others juft as they 
 like, fo ought to be avoided j and although 
 they make fo great profeffions of ferving 
 God in the beauty of holinefs, and u'ith fin- 
 cerity of heart -, they ftill reje(ft what God 
 himfelf declares mud fave all men, viz. 
 the Euchariftic facrifice, fo highly venerable 
 among Catholics, and fubftitute in its place 
 an empty figure like thofe of the old law, 
 or a bare remembrance of Chrift, which is 
 a great difcouragement to that devotion 
 which is due towards the bleffcd Sacra- 
 ment ; becaufe when people are taught to 
 Relieve that they receive only mere bread 
 and mere wine, in remembrance ; they na- 
 turally think, that as they can remember 
 that Chrift died for them, therefore it 
 is wholly indifterent whether they make ufe 
 of the bread and wine or not ;; whereas 
 Catholics believing that Chrift i5 really pre- 
 fent, to be received by the faithful in thefe 
 divine myfteries, they are prcfTed by tliis 
 motive to a daily attcnd;^r3ce on his divine 
 N z fervice,.
 
 I 92 3 
 
 fcvvicQ, and to a frequent and worthy parr 
 ticipation of thefe holy things. As our 
 Lord Jefus Chrifl has teftiiied that his flefh 
 is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed, 
 and that unlefs wc cat his flefh and drink 
 his blood we have no life in us ; let us not 
 inake any doubt of this his faith and tefti- 
 mony. That the ancient and primitive doc- 
 tors of Chrift's Church believed Chrift pre- 
 fent in the blclTed Sacrament may be prov- 
 ed from numerous authors ; but I will 
 content myfelf with producing only two^ 
 the iirfl is St. Ignatius, Bifliop of Antioch, 
 and a difciple of the Apoftles, who fufFered 
 martyrdom at Rome, 107. He, fpeaking 
 of certain hereticks of thofe times, reckons 
 it an error in them ** That they do not al- 
 *' low of the Eucharift and oblations, becaufe 
 they do not acknowledge the Eucharift 
 to be the flefh of our Saviour Jefus Chrifl 
 ** which fufFered for our fms, and which the 
 *' Father raifed up again by his bounty." 
 
 From this it appears that in the time of 
 the difciples of the Apoflles, all orthodox 
 Chriflians, believed and acknowledged the 
 Eucharift to be the flefh of our Saviour Je- 
 fus Chrifl, even that fame flefh which fuf- 
 fered for our fins, and which the Father 
 raifed up again by his bounty ; and that 
 none but hereticks denied it. See his Epiflle 
 to the Chriftians of Smyrna. * 
 
 The 
 
 <f
 
 [ 93 ] 
 
 The other is St. Ambrofe, Bifhop of 
 Milan, Anno 374, in his Book of the Myf? 
 terics, chap. 9 ; in treating of the blefTed 
 Sacrament, writes as follows : — -* For the 
 
 * light is to be preferred to the (hadow, 
 
 * the truth to the figure, the body of the 
 
 * Maker to the manna from Heaven. 
 
 * Perchance thou wilt fay to me, I fee a- 
 
 * nother thing ; How do you afhrm to mc 
 
 * that I receive the body of Chrift ? We 
 
 * have this therefore yet to prove. How 
 
 * many examples have we here to produce ? 
 
 * Let us fhew, that this is not what nature 
 
 * formed, but what the blefling has confe- 
 
 * crated, and that the power of the blefling 
 ' is greater than that of nature, becaufe by 
 
 * the blefling even nature itfelf is changed. 
 
 * Mofes held a rod in his hand, he caft it 
 f down and it became aferpent j he caught 
 
 * hold again of the ferpent's tail, and it re- 
 
 * turned to the nature of a rod. Thou 
 
 * feeft then, that by the grace conferred ori 
 
 * the prophet, nature was twice changed of 
 
 * the ferpent and of the rod. The rivers 
 
 * of Egypt run with pure v/ater ; on a fudr 
 
 * den, blood began to gufli out from the 
 
 * veins of the fprings : there was nothing 
 
 * in the rivers that could be drunk. A- 
 
 * gain, in confequence of the prophet's 
 
 * prayers, the blood of the rivers ceafed ; 
 
 * the nature of water returned, &c. Now 
 
 if
 
 r 94 1 
 
 if the bleffing of a man was of fo much 
 force as to convert nature, what (hall wc 
 fay of the divine confecration, where the 
 very words of the Lord our Saviour ope- 
 rate ? For this Sacrament which thou re- 
 cciveft is made by the words of Chrift ; 
 and if the words of Elias were fo pow- 
 erful as to draw fire from Heaven, fliall 
 not the words of Chrill be powerful enough 
 to change the kinds (fpecies) of the ele- 
 ments ? Thou haft read concerning the 
 works of the whole creation, that he 
 fpoke* and they were made ; he com- 
 manded, and they were created. If then 
 the word of Chrift could make fomething 
 out of nothing, fhall he not be thought able 
 to change the things that are, into what 
 they were not ? For it is not a lefs tafk to 
 give new natures to things, than to change 
 their natures. But what need of argu- 
 ments ? Let us propofe examples from 
 himfelf, and aflert the truth of this myf- 
 tery by the example of the incarnation. 
 Was it according to the courfe of nature 
 that our Lord Jefus Chrift was born of 
 Mary ? It is evident, that it was contrary 
 to the courfe of nature for a virgin to bring 
 forth. 
 
 * Now this body which we make (in the 
 Eucharift) is that (which was born) of 
 the virgin. Why doft thou feek for the 
 
 * order
 
 t 95 I 
 
 * order of nature in the body of Chrift> 
 
 * when our Lord Jefus himfclf, contrary 
 
 * to nature, was born of a virgin ? Doubt- 
 
 * lefs, it was the true flefh of Chrift that 
 
 * was crucified, that was buried. It is then 
 
 * truly the Sacrament of his flefli. Our 
 
 * Lord Jefus himfelf cries out. This is my 
 
 * body : before the blcfling of the Hea- 
 
 * venly words, it is named another kind of 
 
 * thing j after the confecration, it is figni- 
 
 * fied to be the body of Chrift. f Corpus 
 
 * Chrijii Jignificatur) He himfclf calls it 
 
 * (that which is contained in the chalice) 
 
 * his blood : before the confecration it is 
 
 * called another thing, after the confccra- 
 
 * tion it is called blood -, and thou fayeil, 
 
 * amen ; that is to fay, it is true : what thy 
 
 * mouth fpeaketh, let thy inward mind 
 
 * confefs, and let thy affection feel what 
 
 * thy words exprefs.' So far St. Ambrofe. 
 Now as the do(flrine of the real prefence 
 
 was taught from the beginning of Chrifti- 
 anity, 1 do not fee how the prefent Fro- 
 teftants can reconcile their figurative fenfc 
 with the dodirine of Antiquity , and if 
 they cannot, then that is a certain proof 
 that the Proteftant religion was not that 
 which was taught by Chrift, but only a 
 mere novelty, unknown to the whole Chrif- 
 tian world, for more than fifteen hundred 
 years after our Saviour's time; therefore 
 
 ought
 
 L 96 ] 
 ought to be avoided by all thofe who hope 
 to gain Heaven, becaufe unlcfs you believe 
 what Chrift taught, without doubt you fhal! 
 perifh everlaftingly; Shall the Almighty 
 Creator and Lord of all Nature^ who pro- 
 duced bread out of the earthy want power 
 •to produce what he promifedj namely, to 
 make his own body out of bread > and fhall 
 he who made wine out of watery be unable 
 to make his blood out of wine? certainly 
 no, becaufe he who is the God of all pow- 
 <r, can never want power to do what he 
 faid he would do : therefore, what Chrift 
 iaid to his Difciples when he was giving 
 them the confecratcd bread and wine, let 
 us believe, being affured that the God of 
 truth cannot tell a lie ; and although it be 
 a point above your reafon, yet be not a- 
 fhamed to let your reafon Aoop to your 
 faith. 
 
 I will now proceed to difcufs fome things 
 which I know Protcftants arc taught to hold 
 for undoubted truths. And I will begin 
 with the reafons that they have laid down 
 unto them why they fhould believe the Re- 
 formation here to be a good and lawful 
 thing, and in this I think it appears, thaf 
 the chief reafon that is given for it's autho- 
 rity, proves moft plain that it was an un- 
 lawful deed. For that which is urged irr 
 it's behalf is this, Tbat it was ejlablified 
 
 under
 
 [97 ] 
 
 Under a lawful Prince who was the fupretne 
 
 head of the church, and by all the Bijhops in 
 
 a Synod held for that piirpofe ; therefore nf 
 
 fent they fay ought to be given tofuch a law" 
 
 Jul ajfembly, 
 
 Ndw yoii are tb obferve, that In this 
 Synod or Council, there was no more than 
 twenty-foUr Bifhops, and two Metropo- 
 litans, which did fix upon the Articles 
 of the Church of England ; in which 
 Articles they did prefume to condernrt 
 what the whole body of Bifhops through- 
 out all Europe profefTed to believe ; yea^ 
 and to fhew their authority* obliged all 
 their fubjedls to figrt the faid Articles undef 
 pain of the Church's cehftlre. Now as it 
 was deemed lawful that aflent was dtle to 
 this fmall number of Bifhops, convened 
 together by one whofe fpiritual authority 
 was doubtful; fure no one will deny but 
 that for the felf fame reafons, afferit w*as 
 alfo due to thofe hundreds of Bifhops that 
 were afTembled in former Councils for 
 weighing of afgUmentSj &c. Efpecially 
 when We confider that they were ftill in 
 the fame judgment, by always agreeing in 
 the fame faith. Therefore it is plain, tha^ 
 other Councils are rendered juflified by the 
 pracftice of thefe twenty-fix Bifliops, by rea- 
 ion that this fmall number required afi'ent 
 and obedience to their laws *, for if what 
 O ^hcfe
 
 [ 98 ] 
 thefe twentyriix did, was binding to meni 
 confciences, certainly then it will follow, 
 that the Councils which were before this, 
 were more binding ; becaufe the Bifliops 
 in fome were more than twenty times 
 the number of this, and affembled under the 
 undoubted head of the Church, and were 
 men alio, whofe confecration no one could 
 queftion, which cannot be faid of the Eng-. 
 lifh Blfhops. Befides, if the laws of the, 
 land make the eftablifhed religion facred, 
 the Catholic religion mufl: be fo, for it was 
 eftablifhed by many laws, for ages before, 
 Queen Elizabeth's time : from all which it 
 is very plain, that the Reformation is ren- 
 dered an unlawful thing, even by the very 
 reafon which is urgedy^r its authority. 
 
 Next I fhould proceed to examine the fu- 
 premacy, and whom they were that took 
 upon them to difpofe of that title, but as it 
 is made treafon to write againjl it, I fhall 
 content myfelf with prefenting to you an ad- 
 mirable fpeech made in Parliament (in the 
 year 1555, being the iiril of Queen Eliza^- 
 beth's reign) hy the Archbijhop of Tor k, and 
 Lord Chancellor of England i and after the 
 perufal will leave any one to judge, whether 
 the fpiritual authority granted to the Queen 
 was a fitting act, or whether thofe who gave 
 it her had a lawful power and right fo to do. 
 
 The
 
 [ 99 ] 
 
 The Speech begins thus: 
 *^ My Lords, 
 
 ** With all humble fubmiffion of my 
 whole difcourfe to your wifdoms, I purpole 
 to fpeak to the body of this adt touching the 
 Supremacy 3 that fo, what this honourable 
 afTembly is now adoing, concerning the pafs- 
 ing of this a6t, may thereby be better weigh- 
 ed, and confidered by your wifdoms. 
 
 ** Firft, Then, by virtue of this a(5t of 
 Supremacy, we muft forfake and fly from 
 the See of Rome ; it ^ould be confidered, 
 what matter iieth the}:ein, and what of dan- 
 ger, or inconvenience; or elfe, whether there 
 be none at all. Secondly, If the intent of 
 this adt be to grant, or fettle upon the 
 Queen's Majefty a Supremacy, it >ti»ould be 
 confidered of your wifdoms, what this Su- 
 premacy is, and whether it doth confift in 
 fpiritual governm.ent or temporal ? 
 
 ** If in temporal, what farther authority 
 can this houfe give her, more than fhe alrea- 
 dy hath by right of inheritance ? and not by 
 our gift, but by the appointment of God ; 
 being our Sovereign Lord and Lady, our 
 King and Q^iieen, our Emprefs and Emperor; 
 and if farther than this we acknowledge her 
 to be he^d of the Church of E'lnglind, we 
 ought alfo to grant, that theEmperor,or any 
 O 2 other
 
 [ 100 ] 
 other Prince being Catholic, ^nd their fub-; 
 jedls Proteftants, are to be the heads of theif 
 Church, whereby we {hall do an adt, ^s diA 
 agreeable to Proteftaqts, as this fecms to 
 Catholics. 
 
 •* If you fay, the Supremacy confifls In 
 fpiritual concernments, then h •Jliould be 
 coniidered what the fpiritqal governrnent is, 
 and in what point it doth chiefly confift ^ 
 which being firft agreed upon, it Jttould be 
 further confidered of your wifdofns, whether 
 this houfe may grant it to her Highnefs or 
 not, and whether her Highnefs be an apj 
 perfon to receive the fame ? So by a tho- 
 rough examination of thefe parts, your ho-r 
 nours fhall proceed in this matter grounded-? 
 ]y, and upon fuch fure knowledge, as not 
 to be deceived by ignorapce. 
 
 ** Now to the firfl point, wherein I pro-? 
 mifed to examine, what matter of weight, 
 danger, or inconvenience might be encurred 
 by this our forfaking, and flying from the 
 Church of Rome ; if there were no further 
 matter therein, than the withdrawing our o-. 
 bedience from the Pope's perfon, (fuppofing 
 that he had declared hirnfelf to be a very 
 aufterc and fevere Father to us) then the 
 buflnefs were not of fo great in^portance, as 
 indeed it is, as it will immediately her^ ap- 
 pear i for by relincjuifhing and forfaking 
 
 the
 
 [ loi 3 
 
 the Church, or See of Rome, we muft fof 
 fake and fly from all general councils. 
 
 " Secondly, From all canonical and cc- 
 clefiaftical laws of the Church of Chrifb. 
 
 *• Thirdly, From the judgment of all 
 Chriftian Princes. 
 
 " Fourthly, and Laftly, We muft for^ 
 fake and fly from the holy unity of C hrlft's 
 Church, and fo by leaping out of Peter's 
 (hip, we hazard ourfelves to be overwhelm-- 
 cd in the waves of fchifm, of fed:s, and di- 
 virions.-rr-[How far the Bilhop's foreknow-* 
 ledge was right in this point, the times w« 
 live in will declare.] 
 
 ** Firft, Touching the general councils, 
 I fhall name unto you thefe four : The Ni- 
 ccne Council, the Conftantinoplitsn Coun* 
 cil, th^ Ephefine, and the Chalcedon, all 
 which are approved by all men. 
 
 *^ Of thefc fame councils, St. Gregory 
 Writeth in this wife, Sicut enim fancfti Evan- 
 gelii qaatuor libros, fie base qqatuor conci'* 
 lia, Nicenum, Conftantinoplitdnum, ^phc^ 
 finum, et Chalcdonenfe, fufcipere, ac venc-r 
 rari me fateor : That is to fay in Englifh, 
 < I confefs I do receive and reverence thofc 
 * four general councils of Nice, Con{lanti-» 
 f nople, &c. even as I do the four holy E- 
 f vangelifts.* 
 
 ** At the Nicene council, the firft of th» 
 four, the Bifhops which were there aftem* 
 
 Wed*
 
 "!!fMm ' ^'^i^^^mmBSB'mmmmmmmmmmmm 
 
 f 102 1 
 
 bled, did write there epiftles to Sylvcfler, 
 then Bifhop of Rome, that their decree then 
 made, might be confirmed by his authority. 
 
 " At the council kept at Conftantinople, 
 ill the Bifhops there were obedient to Da- 
 mafus, then Bifliop of Rome ; he as chief 
 in the council gave fentence againft the here- 
 tics,Macedonius, Sabcllius, Eunomius, which 
 Eunomius was both an Arian, and the firll 
 author of that herefy, that only faith doth 
 juftify, and here (by the way) it is much to 
 be lamented, that we the inhabitants of this 
 realm are much more inclined to raife up 
 the errors and fedts of ancient condemned 
 heretics, than to follow th« true approved 
 dod;rine of the moft catholic and learned fa* 
 thcrs of Chrift his church 
 
 " At the Ephefine council, Ncflorius, 
 the heretic, was condemned by Celeflino, 
 the Bifhop of Rome, he being chief judge 
 there. 
 
 ** At the Chalcedon council, all the 
 Billiops there affembled, did write their 
 humble fubmiffion unto Leo, then Bifiiop 
 of Rome, wherein they did acknowledge 
 him there to be their chief head, fix hundred 
 and thirty Bifhops of them. 
 
 " Therefore to deny the See Apoftolic, 
 and its authority, were to contemn, and fet 
 at nought the authority and decrees of thofc 
 noble councils. 
 
 '* Secondly,
 
 r 103 1 
 
 , " Secondly, We mufl forfake and fly 
 from all canonical and ecclefiaftical laws of 
 Chrift his Church, whcreunto we have al- 
 ready profefled our obedience at the font, 
 faying. Credo fandlum, Eccleliam Catholi- 
 cam, that is, ' I believe m the Ploly Catho- 
 lic Church ; which article containeth, that 
 we muft receive the dodtrine and facraments 
 of the fame church, obey her laws, and live 
 according to the fame ; which laws do de- 
 pend wholly upon the Sec Apoftolic, and 
 like as it is here operjly profeffed by the. 
 judges of the realm, that the laws agreed up- 
 on in the higher and lower houfes of this 
 honourable Parliament, be of fmall or none 
 effed:, before the royal alfent of the King, or 
 Prince be given tiiereunto; even fo eccleliaf- 
 tical laws made cannot bind the univerfal 
 Church of Chrift, without the royal affent, 
 and confirmation of the See Apoftolic. 
 
 ** Thirdly, We muft forfake and fly from" 
 the judgment of all other Chriftian Princes, 
 whether they be Protcftant or Catholic Chri^ 
 ftianSjWhen none of them do agree with thefc 
 our doings : King Henry VUIth being the 
 firft that ever took upon him the title of 
 Supremacy. 
 
 ** And whereas it was of btc, here in 
 this houfe, faid by a nobleman, that the ti- 
 tle of Supremacy is of right due to a King, 
 for that he is a King ; •afi4 then it would fol- 
 low.
 
 • mmfiiff^ttij^fmmmmim^ 
 
 { 104 J 
 
 lotv, that Herod being a King, fliould fcd 
 fupreme head of the church at Jerufalemi 
 and Nero, the Emperor, fupreme head of thb 
 church of Chrift at Rome, they being both 
 Infidels, and therefore no members of Chrift 
 his church. 
 
 ** And if our Saviour Ghriftj at his depar* 
 turc from this world, fliould have left thtf 
 fpiritual government of his church in the 
 hands of Emperors and Kings, and not to 
 have committed the fame to his Apoftles^ 
 how liCgligently thenSfculdhe have left his 
 church. 
 
 " It fhall appear right v^rell, by calling to 
 mind that the Emperor Conftantinus Mag- 
 nus was the firft Chriflian Emperor, and 
 was baptized by Sylvefler, Bifhop of Romc^ 
 about three hundred years after the afeenfiont 
 of Chrift Jcfus. 
 
 " If by your propofition Conftantine, the 
 firft Chfiftian Emperor, was the firft head 
 and fpiritual governor of Chrift his churchy 
 throughout his empire, then it followeth^ 
 that ©ur Saviour Chrift^ for the fpace of 
 three hundred years, unto the doming of 
 this Conftantine, left his church (which hc 
 fo dearly l;>ought by eftufion of his moft pre- 
 cious blood) without any head at all. 
 
 ** But how untrue the faying of this no- 
 bleman was, it ftiall further appear by exam- 
 ple of Ozia, and of King David: For King 
 
 Ozia
 
 [ >0S ] 
 Ozia did take the cenfor to do incenle to 
 the altar of God. The Priefl Azarias did 
 refift him, and expelled him out of the 
 Temple, and faid unto him, Non efl officii 
 tui, Ozia, ut adoleas Incenfum Domine, fed 
 eft non eft Sacerdotum& Fileorum Aaron : ad 
 hujufmodi enim officium confecrate. That 
 is to fay, It is not thy office, Ozia, to offer 
 incenfe to the altar of God. But it is the 
 Prieft's office, and the fons of Aaron ; for 
 they are confecrated, and anointed to that 
 office. "i : , 
 
 *' Now I (hall moft humbly demand 
 this queftion ,• When the Prieft Azarias faid 
 to the King, Non eft officii tui -, whether 
 he faid truth, or not ? If you anfwer, that 
 he fpake the truth, then the King was not 
 
 the Suoreme head of the Church of the 
 
 i. 
 
 Jews. If you fhall fay, no ; why did God 
 plague the King with leprofy, and not the 
 Prieft. 
 
 " The Prieft Azarias, in refiftingtheKing, 
 and thrufting him out of the Temple; in 
 fo doing, did the Prieft play the faithful 
 part of a fubjesfl, or no ? If you anfwer no; 
 why then did God fpare the Prieft, and not 
 fpare the King ? if you anfwer, yea ; then 
 it is moft manifeft, Ozia, in tha.t he was a 
 King, could not be Supreme head of the 
 Church. 
 
 P " And
 
 [ io6 ] 
 
 ^* And as touching the example of King 
 David in bringing home the Ark of God 
 from the country of the Phiiiilines, to the 
 city of David, what fupremacy or govern- 
 ment of God's Ark, did King David there 
 take upon him ? Did he place himfelf a- 
 inongft the Priefts ? or take upon him any 
 Spiritual fund:ion unto them appertaining, 
 did he approach near unto the Ark, or yet 
 prefumc to touch the fame ? No doubtlefs. 
 For he had feen before, Ozia ftricken to 
 death by the hand of God, for the Uke arro- 
 gance and prefumption. 
 
 ** And therefore King David did go before 
 the Ark of God with his harp, making 
 melody -, and placed himfelf amongil; the 
 rainflrels, and humbly did abafe himfelf 
 (being a King) as to dance and leap before 
 the Ark of God j like as his other fubjeds 
 did : infomuch, that his Queen Michol, 
 King Saul's daughter, beholding and feeing 
 this great humility of King David, did dif- 
 dain thereat, whereunto King David mak- 
 ing anfwer, faid, Ludam, & vilior fiamplus 
 quam fadtus fum, 6cc. That is, * I will 
 dance, and abafe myfelf more than yet I 
 have done 5 and abj citing myfelf in mine 
 own eyes, I {hall appear more glorious with 
 thofe handmaids, that you talk of. I will 
 play here before my Lord, which hath cho- 
 '•n mc, rather than thy Father's houfe.
 
 r i°7 1 
 
 Andi whereas Queen Michol Was therefore 
 |>]agued at Goas hand, with perpetual fte- 
 rility and barrcnnefs. King David received 
 great praife for his humility. 
 
 ** Now may it pleafe yourhonours,tocon- 
 jider which of both thefe Kings examples, 
 fliall be mofl convenient for your wifdoms, 
 to make the Queen's Majefty to follow 5 
 whether the example of proud Ozia; moving 
 in her, by your perfaafions and councils^ 
 to take upon her fpiritual government j and 
 thereby expofing her foul to be plagued at 
 the hand of God, as King Ozia was : o# 
 elfe to follow the example of the good King 
 Davidj which, in refufal of all fpiritual go- 
 vernment, about the Ark of God, did hum- 
 ble himfelf, as I have declared unto you. 
 .. ** Whereunto our Sovereign Lady^ th* 
 Queen's Highnefs, of her own nature being 
 Well inclined ; we may affure ourfelves, to 
 have of her as humble, ^s virtuous, as god- 
 ly a/ miflrefs- to reign over us, as ever had 
 Englifli people here in this realm ^ if that 
 her Highnefs be not by your flattery, and 
 difiimulation, feduced and beguiled. 
 
 " Fourthly and laflly, we muft forfake and 
 fly from the holy unity of Chrift's Church : 
 feeing that Saint Cyprian, that holy mar- 
 tyr, and great clerk, doth fay, that tl:e 
 unity of the Church of Chrift doth depend 
 Upon Peter's authority, and his fuccellor?* 
 P 2 There- 
 
 /'
 
 [ io8 ] 
 Therefore, by leaping out of Peter's fliip, 
 we niuft be overwhelmed with the waves of 
 fchifms, of fedis, and divifions : becaufe the 
 fame holy martyr, in his third Epiftle to 
 Cornelius, teftifieth, that all herefies, fedts, 
 and fchifms, do fpring only from hence, that 
 men will not be obedient to the Head Bi- 
 fhop of God. 
 
 " And how true this faying of St. Cy- 
 prian is, we may fee it moft apparent to 
 all men that lift to fee, both by the exam- 
 ple of the Germans, and by us, the inhabi- 
 tants of this realm of England. 
 
 And by this our forfaking, and flying from 
 the unity of the Church of Rome, this in- 
 conveniency amongft many, muft confe- 
 quently follow : that either wc muft grant 
 the Church of Rome to be the true Church 
 of God, or dfe a malignant church. If 
 you anfwer that it is a true Church of God, 
 where Jcfus Chrift is truly taught, and his 
 facraments rightly adminiftred ; how can 
 we dilburden ourfelves of our forlaking, and 
 %ing from that church, which we do con- 
 fefs, and acknowledge to be of God, when 
 with that church, which is of God, we ought 
 to be one, and not to admit of any fepa- 
 ration? 
 
 '' If you anfwer, the Church of Rome 
 is not of God, but a malignant church; 
 then it will follow, that we, the inhabitants 
 
 ©f
 
 r 109 ] 
 
 of this realm, have not yet received any Ijc- 
 neftt of Chrift, feeing w^e have received no 
 gofpel, or other do(ftrinc, nor no other facra-^ 
 ments, but what was fent unto us from the 
 Churchof Rome. 
 
 " Firft, In King Lucius his days, at 
 whofe humble epiftle the holy martyr Elcu- 
 therius, then Bifliop of Rome, did fend in- 
 to this realm two holy Monks, Fugatius, and 
 Damianus, by whofe do(5trine and preaching, 
 we were firft brought to the knowledge of 
 the faith of Jefus Chrift, of his holy gofpel, 
 and his moft holy facraments. 
 
 ** Then, Secondly, Holy St. Gregory, 
 being Bifliop of Rome, did fend into this 
 realm, two other holy Monks, St. Auftin, 
 called the Apoftle of England, and Miletus, 
 to revive the very felf fame faith, that had 
 been before planted here in this realm, in 
 the days of King Lucius. 
 
 ** Thirdly, and laft of all, Paulus Tertius, 
 being Bifhop of Rome, did fend hither the 
 Lord Cardinal Pole, his Grace (by birth a 
 nobleman of this land) his Legate, to reftore 
 us unto the fame faith which the martyr St. 
 Eleutherius, and St. Gregory, had planted 
 here many years before. 
 
 ** If therefore the Church of Rome be not 
 of God, but a falfe and malignantChurch, 
 then have we been deceived all this while, 
 feeing the gofpel, the dodtrine, faith, and 
 
 facra-
 
 It 'fclO 1 
 facrainents> muft be of the fame nature aS the 
 Church is, from whence it and they came 5 
 and therefore in relinquifliing, and forfaking 
 that Church, the inhabitants of this reahn 
 (hall be forced to feck further for another 
 gofpel of Chrift, other dodlrine, other faith 
 and facraments than we have hitherto re- 
 ceived, which will breed fuch a fchifm, and 
 ^rror in faith, as was never in any Chriilian 
 realm. And therefore of your wifdoms wor-^ 
 thy of confideration, and maturely to be pon- 
 dered, and be provided for, before you pafs 
 this a6t of Supremacy. Thus much touch-, 
 ing the firfl chief point. 
 
 " Now to the Second DeliberatiQnjWherc-" 
 in I promifed to move your honours, to con-^ 
 iider what this Supremacy is, what wc go a- 
 bout by virtue of this adt, to give unto the 
 Queen, and wherein it doth confifl, whether 
 in fpiritual government, or temporal : but i£ 
 fpiritual (as thefe words in the a6t do im- 
 port, " Supreme Head of the Church of 
 England, immediately and next unto God") 
 then it jctould be conlidered in what points 
 this fpiritual government doth coniift ? and 
 the points being well known, it JC^ould be 
 eonfidercd, whether this houfe hath autho-' 
 rity to grant them, and her Highnefs\ abi- 
 lity to receive them. 
 
 ** And as concerning the points wherein 
 fpiritual government doth confift; I have, in 
 
 reading
 
 [ m ] 
 
 reading the gofpel, and the whole courfe of 
 divinity thereupon (as to my vocation belong- 
 €th) obferved thefefour, as chief among ma- 
 ny others ; whereof the firft is, The power 
 to loofe and bind fms, when our Saviour, in 
 ordaining- Peter, to be Chief and Head Go- 
 vernor of his Church, faid unto him, Tibi 
 dabo clavcs regni ciBlorum, &c. that is. To 
 thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of 
 Heaven, &c. Now it Jcjiould beconfidered by 
 your wifdoms, whether you have fufficient 
 authority to grant unto her Majefly this firfl: 
 point of fpiritual government, and to fay un- 
 io her, Tibi dabimus, &c. To thee will we 
 give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven. If 
 you fay yea, then do we require the fight of 
 warrant and commiffion, by the virtue of 
 God's word ', and if you fay no, then you 
 may be well affured, and perfuade yourfelves, 
 that you have not fufficient authority to 
 make her Highncfs fupreme head of the 
 Church of Chrift here in this realm. 
 
 ** The fecond point of fpiritual government 
 is gathered out of thefe words of our Saviour 
 Chrift, fpoken to St. Peter, in the 20th 
 chapter of St. John's gofpel, pafce, ^ pafce, 
 & pafce. That is. Feed my lamb^, feed my 
 lambs, feed my fheep : Now wh; her your 
 honours have authority by this Court of Pai- 
 liament, to fay unto our Sovereign Lady, 
 Dafcc,& pafce, & pafce, &c. that is to f a\ , feed 
 
 ycu
 
 [ 1.2 ] 
 
 you the flock of (Jirift, you mufl: fhew your 
 warrant and commiffion for it ; and further 
 it IS evident, that her Majefty being a wo- 
 man by birth and nature, is not qualified 
 by God's word, to feed the flock of Chrift, 
 appears moft plainly by St. Paul in this wife, 
 Taceant mulieres in ecclefiio, ficut et lex 
 decit : Let women be lilent in the Church, 
 for it is not lawful for them to fpeak, but to 
 -be in fubjedtion, as the law faith ; and it 
 followeth in the fame place, Turpe eft enim, 
 mulieres loqui in ecclefia. That is. For that 
 it is not fcemly for a woman to fpeak in the 
 Church. And in his fecond cpiftle to Ti- 
 mothy, Dominari in virum, fed effe fllentis. 
 That is to fay, I allow not a woman to be a 
 teacher, or to be above her hulband, but to 
 keep herfelf in fliencc. Therefore it appears 
 likewife, as your honours have not authority 
 to give her Highnefs this fecond point of fpi- 
 ritual government, to feed the flock of Chrift; 
 fo by St. Paul's dodlrinc, her Highnefs may 
 not intermeddle herfelf with the fame, and 
 therefore fhe cannot be fupreme head of the 
 Church here in England. 
 
 ** The third chief point of fpiritual go- 
 vernment, is gathered out of thefe words of 
 our Saviour Chrift, fpoken to St. Peter in 
 the 22d chapter of St. Luke's gofpcl. Ego 
 rogavi pro te, ut non deficiet fides tua, et tu- 
 aliquando converfus, confirma fratres tuos. 
 
 That
 
 [ "3 ] 
 
 That is, I|)rayed for thee, that thy faith 
 Ihall not fail, and thou being converted, con- 
 firm thy brethren, and ratify them in whole- 
 fome dod:rine, and adminillration of the fa- 
 craments, which are the holy inftruments 
 of God fo inftituted and ordained for our 
 fandtification, that without them his grace is 
 not to be received j but to preach, or to ad- 
 minifter the facraments, a woman may not 
 be admitted to do, neither may fhe be fu- 
 preme head of Chrift's Church. 
 
 ** The Fourth and laft chief point of fpi- 
 ritual government, which I promifed to note 
 unto you, doth coniift in the excommunica- 
 tion and fpiritual punifliment of all fuch, as 
 (hall approve themfclves not to be the obe- 
 dient children of ChrilVs Church : Of which 
 authority our Saviour Chrift fpeaks in St. 
 Matthew's gofpel, in the i8th chapter, fay- 
 ing, '* If your brother offending will not 
 hear your charitable admonition, whether 
 fecretly at firft, or yet before one or two 
 witneflesi then we muft complain of him to 
 theiiChurch, and if he will not hear the 
 Church, let him be taken as a , heathen or 
 publican." 
 
 - ;.<K So the Apoftle did excommunicate the 
 notorious -fornicator, that was among the 
 Corinthians, and by the authority of his A- 
 poftlefhip I unto which Apoftles Chrift, af- 
 cending into Heaven, did leave the whole 
 Q^ fpiritual
 
 [ "4 ] 
 
 fpiritual government of his Church, as it ap- 
 pcareth by thofe plain words of St. Paul, in 
 his epiftle to the Ephefians, chap, the 4th, 
 faying, Ipfc dcdit ecclelije fuae, &c. He hath 
 given to his Church, fome to be Apoftles, 
 fome Evangelifts, fome Paftors and Dod:ors, 
 for confummation of the faints, to the work 
 of the Miniftry, for the edifying the body 
 of Chrift. But a woman in the degrees of 
 the Church, is not called to be an Apoftle, 
 nor Evangelift, nor to be a Paftor, (as much 
 as to fay a Shepherd) nof a Dod:or or a 
 Preacher, therefore fhe cannot be fupreme 
 head of Chrift's Militant Church, nor yet. of 
 any part thereof. For this high government 
 God hath appointed only to the Bifhops and 
 Paftors of his people, as St. Paul plainly 
 witneffethin thefe words, in the 20th chap- 
 ter of the Ad:s of the Apoftles, faying, At- 
 tendite vobis, et univerfo, gregi, &c. and thus 
 much I have here faid, right honourable, and 
 my very good Lords, againft this adt of Su- 
 premacy, for the difcharge of my poor con- 
 icience, and for the love, and fear, and dread 
 that I chiefly owe to God, to my Sovereign 
 Lord and Lady the Queen's Majefty's High* 
 nefs, and to your honours all i where others 
 wife, without mature confideration of all 
 thefe premifes, your honours fliall never be 
 able to (hew your faces before your enemies, 
 in this matter, being fo ftrange a fpe<ftacle 
 ..i.Ju. and
 
 ( 115 ] 
 
 and example in Chrift's Church, as in this 
 realm, is only to be found, and in no other 
 Chriftian realm. 
 
 ** Thus humbly befeeching your honours 
 to take in good part, this my rude and plain 
 fpecch, which here I have ufed, of much 
 zeal and fervent good will, and now I fhall 
 not trouble your honours any longer." Thus 
 far this Speech. ..:- ; 
 
 And now I would afk any unptejudice<} 
 pcrfon, was the Supremacy, which the Lords 
 and Commons gave unto the Queen, agree- 
 able to God's word and the antient govern- 
 ment of Chrift's Church ? and if it was not» 
 I afk then again, whether thofe Lords and 
 Commons could have any other lawful au- 
 thority to make the adt of Supremacy bind- 
 ing to men's confciences ? for if they had 
 not, then it will follow, that all thofe who 
 have been executed for fpeaking againft the 
 faid a6t, have been executed wrongfully, for 
 which fome muft anfwer at the great day of 
 judgment. Again, as the ad: of Supremacy 
 could not ftand tbctcft offcripture, was not 
 that the chief caufc why an adt of Parliament 
 was made^ which denounced death againft all 
 who (hould ever call it in q^ueftion ? And if 
 the Supremacy is a bad thing in itfelf, I then, 
 would willingly afk, whether the aforefaid 
 act of Parliament could make it any better 
 in the light of God ? Or whether the ne- 
 QjZ ceffity
 
 [ ii6] 
 
 ceifity of that law being made in order to fup- 
 port it, is not a plain proof that as it wants 
 fcripture and reafon, fo it fupports itfelf by 
 threatening death and devaftation ? 
 " Hear what a Church of England Parfon 
 fays on this head : " At the beginning of 
 ** the Reformation, a new and un-heard of 
 ** title was invented for the civil magiftratcs, 
 ** and our King Henry Vlllth would be call- 
 ** cd the fupreme head in earth o£ the 
 ** Church of England, and forced all per- 
 " fons by his ads of Parliament, under the 
 ** fevercft penalties to acknowledge him to 
 ** be fo. And from this flrange and before 
 " unknown title, which the ChriflianChurch 
 ** never heard of till that time, are derived 
 ** all the pretences to fpiritual power, which 
 ** fome fuppofe to be lodged. in the King, or 
 *'* fupreme magiftrate, &c/* As fee in the 
 'Independency of the Church upon the State, 
 page 14, wrote by Dr. Brett,and in page 20, 
 in fpeaking on the fupreme head/hip of our 
 Kings, he fays, ** I am alTured has no law or 
 ** canon now in force to oblige us, and I am 
 ** well fatisfied, has neither reafon, religion, 
 ** nor gofpel to induce us to ufe it. For if 
 *' the King be fupreme head of the Church, 
 ^* then it is impoffible the Church iliould 
 ** fubfift without the King ? for no body, 
 ♦' and fuch the fcripture tells us the Church 
 
 '• is
 
 [ ''7 ] 
 
 «l is, can fubfift without its head. But the 
 ** Church, we all know, did fubfift during 
 ** the time of Chrift and his Apoftles, and 
 ** above 200 years after their deaths, without 
 " having any fovereign Prince of its com- 
 ** munion; and confequently, without any 
 ** headfhip of any temporal Prince ; for 
 ** no man can be hetd of a communion of 
 " which he is not fo much as a member. 
 ** And how a Prince can become head of 
 '* a Church by being made a member of it, 
 ** I cannot fee. The Prince is admitted 
 ** into the Church, juft as others are, by 
 " baptifm -, but that only makes him a fbn 
 f « or member of the Church : but it is 
 ** confecration or ordination alone that 
 •' makes fathers or heads. And therefore 
 ** religious Princes have always efteemed 
 ** Bifhops as their fpiritual fathers ; and to 
 ^* this day they, as well as other members 
 ** of the Church, call them their right 
 *« reverend Fathers in Chrift. But arc 
 ** they fathers to the Supreme head of their 
 ** Church^ This feems to be a kind of con-^ 
 «* dradidion." Thus far the Doctor. 
 
 The next thing that I fhall examine, is 
 a received notion which Proteftants arc 
 taught to hold for fa6t, " That good comes 
 ** out of evil." For which reafon, they fay, 
 Tihat although they allow King Henry to be a 
 moji wickedy arbitrary y and lujijul Prince, 
 
 yet
 
 I 1.8 ] 
 
 jftf b? did good, and was rmfed by God t9 
 overthrow Idolatry , and to free the nation 
 from popery andjlavery. As if it was con- 
 fident with the divine Being to contradidt 
 feimfelf. Now St. Paul expreflly condemns 
 «11 thofe who do evil that good may come : 
 F^Jhallldofo, (fays he) no, God forbid ; 
 ftnd Chrift himfelf affirms, that a corrupt 
 trte cannot bring forth good fruit. Now if 
 Ood raifcd up King Henry to do as Pro- 
 Ififtants fay, he muft have contradi<5led srH 
 the other his wife ordinations, in ordain - 
 i|ig always before then, good and pious 
 m^n to preach forth his truth, and bring 
 men out of idolatry and llavery. But this 
 fftlfe cry of idolatry and flavery, which the 
 Reformers here made ufe of, I will endea- 
 vour to obviate ; for you are to obferve, that 
 King Henry, inftead of freeing men from 
 idolatry ; by his example and pradlice cfta- 
 blifhed and wrought thofe very things v/hich 
 the worft of idolators were guilty of: for 
 the character of Henry is, that he was rajh, 
 arrogant, prodigal, vain-glorious, pedantic, 
 and fuperjiitious ; and that he never f pared 
 woman in his lufi, nor man in bis anger : and 
 Sir Walter Raleigh fay 8, that if all the pat^ 
 terns of a mercilefs Prince had been lojl to the 
 Tsorld, they might ha^-j^ been found in this 
 King: thus far it is plain, that he was an 
 
 encour-
 
 r n9 ] 
 
 cnojurager of idolatrous pra^k€^,;-b)ji ^ 
 iiftting fueh a wicked pattern. , - > 
 
 ; . And SmoUet obfervcs, T^bat the men of 
 this age by accujioming themfehe^ to abjeH 
 compliances, degenerated intojlavej, and Henr 
 ry Jrom their projiitution acquired the moft 
 defpotic authority. (Let me aik now, whe^* 
 was the lib/erty they gained ;?) The fame 
 aMthor goes dn, and fay^ ,<>f ;him, %biit ht 
 hec&me rapacious, {irbiiraryffroward,Jretfui, 
 und fo cruel that he feemed to delight in tht 
 blood of his fpibjeBs, and that he never be^ 
 trayed the leajl Jymptoms of any tender nefs in 
 his difpofitiorit Now if thi« looks Hkely 
 that Henry was raifed by God to do good, 
 and place men in freedom, then I am not 
 capable of judging. For I rather take it 
 that he was deceived by the Devil and his 
 own lufts, by which he was hurried on to 
 commit (in upon lin, until the mcafurc of 
 his iniquity was full, whofe end was mifeiv 
 able, and in the next generation his name 
 and poilerity was blotted out from off the 
 face of the earth, fo that all that remains un- 
 to him» is m infamous character, and a wcfyl 
 
 futurity^ vs n.\ . ' >:^.-^-\^> ^l\ ■;. , «:f:\ 
 
 It is alib> to bp noted, tliat all Proteilants 
 are induftrioufly taught to believe that^csen 
 Elizabeth w^s th? bejl of wo men ^ and foithey 
 call her by the name q^ good ^eenBefs ; 
 iWhcn at the fame time (he has the charac- 
 ter
 
 ter in hiftory of being " vain, proud, im- 
 ** perious, and in fome cafes cruel ; and 
 " that flie entertained fpies in all the houfcs 
 *' of the nobility, encouraged informers, 
 " introduced the ufc of tortures, enad:ed a 
 *• a great number of penal laws, and by the 
 ** terror of her fufpicion, which was ge- 
 " nerally fatal to the objcd:, drove many 
 " gentlenlen into excile, that £he might per- 
 *• fecute them to confifcation, and enjoy 
 •* their cftates. Her choleric difpofition. 
 •* prompted her to revile foreign Ambaf-^ 
 '*' fadors, in thegroffeft terms, to infult her 
 ** Miniflers and fubjeds in the moft abu- 
 ** five language, and even to chaftife her 
 ** female attendants with her own hand. 
 "** On fuch occaiions fhe ufcd to utter oaths 
 ** and imprecations in the moft vulvar 
 ** ftilc ; and the ladies of her court did not 
 ** fcruplc to follow her example. Her 
 •' great art confifted in cajoling her Parlia- 
 " ment and people with the moft flattering 
 '« carelTes." So far Smollct. And Guthrie 
 fays, T!hat jhe was the moji compleat hypocrite 
 that ever exijled ', and he likcwife fays, that 
 Jhe did the hlackejl deed that ever Jlained 
 the pen of htjiory : namely, in the murder 
 of the moft amiable Mary Queen of Scots. 
 And as to her want of modefty, look in 
 the above hiftorians, where you will fee h«r 
 
 lewd
 
 I lil 1 
 
 lewd behaviour with the Earl of Leice/ler, 
 EJfeXt and the reft. 
 
 ' 'Another thing which falls under my con- 
 fidcration, is that of Proteftants being taught 
 to call all men who revert to the old an- 
 cient way of worlliip, turncoats^ &c. at the 
 liime time not confidering how by that ap- 
 pellation they are condemning themfelves, 
 and the firfl promoters of their new faith. 
 For inftance, fuppofe that any of us had 
 lived in this country in the days oi Edward 
 or Elizaheth, what a number of people 
 fhould we have feen feduced, and turning 
 from the ancient way of ferving God, and 
 deferting the religion of their Chriftian an- 
 ceftors ; all whom were certainly turn^ 
 coats in the ilric^teft i^x\^Q^ and then it will, 
 follow that all thofe who pracftife and imi- 
 tate their faid alterations muft be fo like- 
 wife ; that is, muft have their religion or 
 coat of the wrong fide outwards ; there- 
 fore, if ii man happening to be born of thefe 
 parents, (liuuld after mature deliberation 
 alter his coat, and wear it on the right fide; 
 fure then he is far from deferving the n?!mc 
 of turncoat. Thus out of your own mouths 
 will f judge ye, and (hew plainly that the 
 ▼cry exprcflions which you now ufe to vin- 
 dicate your pradlice of religion, are what 
 will prove you to be in an error. For if 
 ^as you fay) men ought to be contented to 
 R live
 
 { 122 1 
 
 live in that religion which they were born 
 in, and not to turn their coats : then the 
 firft Reformers were guilty of a breach of 
 this rule, in flriving to overthrow the An- 
 cient religion of this kingdom : and thus 
 they fland convidted by you their children, 
 who in imitation of them, have turn d your 
 coats fo oft, that you have at laft almoft 
 "turned all religion out of this land, and in- 
 troduced in its flead, Atheifm, Deifm, Free- 
 thinking, and all that difmal catalogue of 
 Heterodox and impious fed:s, which now 
 cover this Ifle, as a part of that innumerable 
 army of Gog and Magog, which St. John 
 idX^ Jhould deceive the Nations, 
 
 Before I leave off, I muft inform you 
 (agreeable to a promife I made to fome of 
 my friends) what is the danger of Herefy, 
 and who are Hereticks, and who are not, 
 becaufc but few Protellants know it. 
 
 Now Herefy is a dangerous thing, be- 
 caufe it is a work of the flefh, and St. Paul 
 fays. Gal. v. 20. ** That they which do 
 *' them fliall not inherit the kingdom of 
 *' God." And he elfewhere fays, that 
 ** there is but one Lord, one faith, one bap- 
 •* tifm, one God and Father of all." So 
 there is but one true Church of Chrift out i 
 all the multitude that claim that name, nor 
 but one true Church which Chrifl has pro- 
 ^mifcd to be with even unto the end of the 
 
 world.
 
 [ 123 ] 
 
 world, dire<5ling and guiding her unto alf 
 truth i and if Co, aJl reafonable men, cer- 
 tainly {hould embrace the true Church, 
 which is eafily difcovered by thefe marks,' 
 namely, £he is one, and holy. Now 
 here fee, what the ancient Fathers of the 
 Church fay concerning thofe that arc divid- 
 ed from the unity of Chrift's Church, and 
 I fliall quote only from them to whofe au- 
 thority the Church of England oft refers : 
 Be|;inning firft with St. Auguftine, who 
 fays in his Epifllc xv. 2. Who/oever is fepa- 
 rated from this Catholic Churchy how lauda^ 
 bUJoever he may think himfelf to live, jhall 
 be excluded from eternal life, and remain ob- 
 naxious to God's heavy wrath, as being guilty 
 of the heinous crime of being divided from the 
 unity of Cbrijii and again he fays [fupcr 
 Geft. Emerit] Out of the Catholic Church an 
 Heretick may have all things hut falvation. 
 He may have the facraments, he may fng 
 Hailelujahi he may anfwer Amen, he may 
 keep the Gofpel, he may have the faith and 
 preach it: only falvation he cannot have. And 
 again he fays, [Auguft. de. Symb. ad. Ca- 
 tech. lib 4^ eliap. la.] Neither JJjall he have 
 God for his father who ivill not have thi 
 Church for his mother. It "m ill nothing pro^ 
 ft fiiCh a one, that he hath been orthodox for 
 found J in his belief done fo many good works 
 R 2 and'
 
 [ -H ] 
 
 and the reft. Alio St. Cyprian fays, in liis 
 i)Ook of the Unity of the Church, Do 
 they think (fays he) that Chriji is among fi 
 them when they are ajjembled ? I /peak (fays 
 he) of thofe which make ajfemhlies out of the 
 Church. No ; although they were drawn to 
 torments and execution, jor the confejfion of 
 the nume of Chriji ; yet this pollution is not 
 wajhed away : no, not with their blood. This 
 inexplicable, and inexpcujable crime of Schifm 
 is not purged away, even by death itfelf, 
 That man cannot be a Martyr who is not in 
 the Church. 
 
 Alfo St. Chryfoilom in one of his Ho- 
 mihes, [Horn 1 1. in Ephef J tells us. There 
 '^is nothing doth fi Jharply provoke the wrath 
 of \ God as the divijion of the Church ; inaf- 
 much as though we Jhould have performed all 
 other forts of good things^ yet we fiail incur 
 ^ pumfoment no le/s cruel, by diviaing the 
 unity and fulnefs of the Church, than thofe 
 have done, who pierced and divided Chriji'' s 
 body. 
 
 And St. Athanafius fays, Whofoever ex^ 
 feBi to be faved, mujl necejfarily (bejore alt 
 things) ajfent to, and retain the Catholic 
 faith ', which, unlejs he prefcrves entire and 
 inviolate (that is, entirely fubmits to it) with- 
 eut all quejiion he Jljall perijh everlajiingly^ 
 And again, at the end of the Creed, he 
 jfiiys, This is the Catholic Fatth, wh'ich, ex^ 
 
 Cfpt
 
 [ «»S } 
 
 cept a man believe faithfully be cannot be 
 
 Javed. From all which it appears, that ob- 
 
 ftinate Heriticks are in a lamentable ftate, 
 
 therefore all Hercfies ought to be avoided. 
 
 And to let you fee who are not, and who 
 are Hereticks, I ihall here quote St. Auguf- 
 tine again, who, in his Epift. xvi. 2>. fays, 
 " They that defend their opinions (altho* 
 '* they be falfe and erroneous) with no 
 ** flubbornnefs, nor obftinacy, cfpccially if 
 ** they be fuch, as thcmfelves did not 
 ** broach by bold prefumption, but rccciv- 
 ** ed them of their wicked parents, and da 
 ** feek the truth warily and carefully, being. 
 ** ready to be reformed, if they find it, fuch 
 ** are not to be reputed Hereticks." He 
 only is an Heretick, who obftinately de- 
 fends unfound and erroneous opinions, and 
 thofe who have had the Catholick dodrinc 
 made plain and manifeft unto them, but, 
 ncverthelefs flill refift it, and chufe that 
 which fuits bcfl with their depraved judg- 
 ment ', thefc are Hereticks. 
 
 The people that fcarce know that there 
 are any other Pailors, or any other Church 
 than their own, or who pretend not to pafs 
 their judgment on other Religions, their 
 fimplicity will, we hope, excufe them, by 
 rcafon of their inability to examine fcrip- 
 ture and churches, and fo by invincible ig- 
 norance will, we prcfumc, cfcapc the malig- 
 nity
 
 f 126 ] 
 
 rtity of Schifm. But then, thofe who have 
 a capacity, and can read and judge of fpiri- 
 tual authority, and who it is they owe their 
 fubjedlion to, and yet make fo ill a ufe of 
 what God has given them, as to pervert 
 fcripturc, and judge of the fenfcof it both 
 for themfelves and their Paftors, fuch arc 
 in a dangerous Schifm : becaufe they ufurp 
 an authority which the fcripturc fays belongs 
 libt unto them. 
 
 - Laftly, I fhall fet down a few fhort, but 
 general heads, which I think fufficicnt to 
 keep any one in the Catholick Faith, efpe- 
 cially thofe who make it their ftudy to ferve 
 God, and gain Heaven. 
 
 Firft, the Antiquity, and long continu- 
 ance of the Catholick Religion, which for 
 fo many ages has kept the diftinguifhing 
 title of Catholic, which no other Religion ever" 
 could attain toss 
 
 Secondly, The uninterrupted fucceffion 
 of Bifhops, which they derive from the 
 Apojiles them/elves, which fucceffion no other 
 Religion ha'^ any juji claim unto. 
 
 Thirdly, The multitudes who always 
 were of that perfuaiion, which Jhews the uni-^ 
 'oerfality of it. 
 
 Fourthly, The great confent and agree* 
 ment of all Catholicks with one another in: 
 what is affirmed to be points of faith, which 
 unity none elfe have. 
 
 Fifthly,
 
 [ '*7 ] 
 
 Fifthly, Their being inftrumental in con* 
 verting divers nations to Chriftianity, when 
 none of all the Proteftants that ever depart- 
 ed from her faith, can fo much as fay, that 
 they ever converted one nation, or town, or 
 tillage. 
 
 Sixthly, Their piety and aufterity in their 
 religious orders, and the celibacy of their 
 Priefts, fhews that by their thus denying 
 therafelves the moft pleafing things of this 
 life, th^y diligently Jirive to make Almighty 
 God their friend. 
 
 Seventhly, The riches of their churches, 
 the fcverity of their fafts, and other exterior 
 obfervances, fliew it moft plain that it is not 
 the filthy lucre of this w^orld, nor the pleaf- 
 ing dreams of the voluptuous, that their Re- 
 ligion teaches them to aim at; but contrary- 
 iwifc, to pay their higheft acknovi^lcdgments 
 to their Creator and Redeemer, in beauti- 
 fying and enriching his temples that are de- 
 dicated to his fervice -, and to mortify their 
 paffions, and to bring their bodies into fub-? 
 jcdion, fo that they may be enabled to 
 ferve God in the beauty of holincfs. 
 
 Laftly, The wicked and unjuft laws that 
 have been made againft Catholicks, by fome 
 of their adverfaries who have depatted from 
 them, and the indired methods that have 
 been ufcd by fome to deceive the ignorant 
 
 and
 
 and unlearned. In order to draw them into 
 Herefy and Schifm, is enough, I think, 
 to make any man who is not quite blinded 
 by fuperftikion, to fly from all upflart neiv 
 Jaiths, and feek and ftand in the ** good 
 " old way, which all his noble anccilors 
 ** formerly trod in." For thofe oldfaOiion 
 Chriftians were the men that did all the 
 great deeds that this degenerate age has to 
 boaft on. For by Catholicks was " Mag- 
 ** na Charta fettled*;" by them was the law 
 made " that every man /hould be try'd by 
 ** a jury of his Peers ;" by them was won 
 the glorious victories " of Crefly, Agin- 
 ** court, and Poidiers," and by them were 
 Englifhmen made Great and Free. For 
 ** Penal laws, and paper money," were not 
 by them efteemed, to be cither " the fafe- 
 ** ty, or riches of the nation. '*^ In their 
 time the Penal laws were fo few, that the 
 liberty of the fubjeft was not at all hurt 
 thereby, and '* paper credit was not fo 
 *' much as known." Awake, therefore, 
 oh may Countrymen 1 and by a timely re- 
 turn to your duty, pluck yourfelvcs out of 
 that labyrinth of confufion, in which you 
 have been fo long bewildered, and confider 
 that nothing will avail you, ** if you lofc 
 '* your own fouls, for what (hall a man 
 ** give in exchange for his foul ?" So here 
 I conclude this part, with wishing that Eng- 
 
 kn4
 
 r 129 1 
 
 land may once more be blefled with the 
 knowledge of the truth ; with real liber- 
 ty J with riches tjiat are not imaginary ; and 
 with every other good thing or which fhe 
 ftands in^ need; and may the blefljng of 
 Heaven attend all thofc who wifli her 
 profperity. ^(h.iriokUGibnba^im 
 
 ,. '{d vino 5uJ (iidigU 
 
 ■ ' •-■' ■ ■'^- •■ ■' ■'•>©-■ ■ ■■' -■■■ ' 
 
 : t ■ C;4 %t;*N\^ 
 
 SI '^M^-- The 
 
 -,.;\At
 
 I '3» ] 
 
 'ThiB APPENDIX. 
 
 IN which I defirc the reader to take 
 notice, that the following pages arc not 
 intended to affront the teachers of any Re- 
 ligion, but only by way of antidote ta my 
 friends againfl all upflart new faiths. 
 
 And firft, I beg leave to obfcrve how 
 Luther in the year 15 19, when he had be- 
 gan to broach his errors, wrote to Pope 
 Leo the Xth. tJbat he did not defign in any 
 wife to meddle -with bis, or the -power of the 
 Church of Rome ; and that if he would o- 
 blige bis adverfaries to the Hie injunction, he 
 would bind himfelf to perpetual filence. So 
 little did he deem this Reformation necef- 
 fary, which hath fince been fo niuch boaft- 
 cd of. In 1520 he fpoke fomewhat high- 
 er ; becaufc the contell grew warmer : and 
 in another letter he wrote to the Pope, he 
 Ays, / abhor difputes ; I'll attack no man, 
 ner be myfelf attacked. If I be, having fe- 
 Jus Cbriji for my Lord and Mujler, they jhall 
 not go unanfwered. As for recanting what 
 I have faid, let no man look for it : your 
 Helinefs with one word may finijh all tbefe 
 £ontefis by bringing the caufe to your own tri^ 
 
 kunal.
 
 r «3« ] 
 
 •hunal, and impoJingfiU.nce on both fides. He 
 alfo wrote to Charles the Vth, T^bat he 
 would be an humble and obedient fan of the 
 Catholic Church, even to death 'y and praniif- 
 td to hold his peace if his enemies 'would but 
 iet him. But this affair had made too greaft 
 a noiic to be huddled up fo : therefore Lu- 
 ther was tried and condemned ; and inftead 
 x>f the obedience he promifed, he ^rgot all 
 iiiibmiffion, and flew out to the -mtJft low 
 and indecent expreffions, and insntediately 
 •fet up for a preacher fcnt by an extraordi- 
 naiy miifion; though, fays he, :^fttr I had 
 got the better of all the arguments 'which 
 were oppofed againfl me, one remained fiill 
 m)hich with extreme difficulty, and great an^ 
 guijh, I could fear ce conquer ^ even with tht 
 ajpjiance of Jefus Chriji : namely, that we 
 aught to hear the Church. Thus grace, as 
 I may fay, with reludance abandoned this 
 unhappy man, who afterwards kept n<x 
 temper, but fallied out into thofe expreffi- 
 ons that fhould fcandalize his difciples, but 
 they being above it were encouraged by 
 them, and by hearing catched the contagi- 
 ous phrenfy -, and numbers looked upon 
 Luther as an hero, a man from Heaven ; 
 and when they heard him defy threats and 
 dangers, and fay, 'Though he. ahfconded for 
 a while, the Devil knew jull well, it pro- 
 ceeded not from fear, 6cc. At thcfc brutiflv 
 S Z vordi
 
 '[ 132 .] 
 
 words his difciples ^{(coytvtdi fomething fu-^ 
 pernatural, a divine ardour, a celejiial in" 
 JiinSiy and the enthujiafm of an heart in- 
 flamed with the glory oj the go/pel. And 
 ^e fuccefs which attended Luther's bold- 
 ■ncfj was deemed miraculous ; and foon 
 -JlC: aflumes the tone of a prophet, and 
 ^(^r : admonishing^ threatens to pray 
 againft his oppofers, and affures them. His 
 prayers will not be Salmoneuss thunder, no 
 empty rumbling in the air : No, fays he, 
 XiUthers voice is not Jiofdfo, and Iwijhyour 
 \Highnefs find it not to your cofi ; my prayer 
 is. an impregnable bulwark, more powerful 
 \i ban the Devil himfelfy. fee in. his Epifi. to G» 
 T> like of Saxony, torn. a. y. 491. ■ After this 
 he addreffes himfelf to the Pope in fuch a 
 fulfome manner^, that if it were not for 
 jQiewing the furies that poflefTed this grand 
 'Reformer, I (hould be afliamed to tranfcribe 
 them, which began thus to the Pope, My 
 little Paul, my little Pope, my little AJ^ ; 
 walk gently, the frofi has madeftfiippery;- 
 thou It break a leg, thsult btfoul thyjelf, 
 end they'll cry out, O, the Devil I how the 
 little Afs of a Pope has befouled himfelf I 
 Pardon me, O ye readers, and if you be 
 followers of Luther's do(5lrinc, reap fome 
 advantage of your own confufion at the | 
 fight of thefc foul ideas \ for fpite and ma- i 
 
 lice
 
 T «33 1 
 -lice was the occafion of all he taught, ^ 
 witnefs where he faith. To fpite the Papijis, 
 I am determined to believe that the bread and 
 -wine remain ; fee his book to the Vaudois. 
 If it was not that people once prejudiced 
 ■believe every thing that a bold preacher 
 -dares tell them, one wduld think, that after 
 feeing the foregoing and following exprcf- 
 ifions of Luther, a man might, without 
 much difficulty, open his eyes,' aiid fee 
 that this new gofpel preacher aimed at ndi 
 thing but dominion over menV. con fciencesj 
 /or in full audience he toldrthem, faying, 
 •f?L| Moreover, if you pretend to continue 
 f*:rdoing 'things by thcfe common dc- 
 j^5:libcrati6n5, :I,wilJ uhfay without demur- 
 ff rin^, all that I have' writ or taughj": 
 ^^. I'll make my recantation and leave you. 
 ^V-Remember: I have faid it, and "after alK 
 **,;what huit will the Popifh Mafs do you?*' 
 Now one would think he dreamt, when he 
 reads fuch things in Luther's works, printed 
 at Wirtemburgh -, and in amaze fay. How 
 difficult a thing is it for a iiian to fee, and 
 confefs his error ! Alas, how horrible is 
 the light ! that mankind by artifice fhould 
 -he.;sGeceived, obeying the did:ates of the 
 fplrit of error, infomuch, that all the ex- 
 amples that truth itfelf can colled, are 
 ■ ufelefs in this unbelieving age, where the 
 preacher has iinilhcd that prejudice v/hich 
 
 ths
 
 C «34 J 
 
 ihe tiurfc began ; which has rendered num- 
 bers incapable of difcerning the truth, cauf- 
 ing them eafily to be led by thofe who preach 
 the dclufions of their own frantick brains : 
 and although there is no error but what con- 
 Iradidts itfelf, yet men pofTeffed with ftrong 
 prejudice, ftrive whatever they can to avoid 
 feeing fuch glaring contradi(^ions, and if 
 this cannot be done, they then look upon 
 it with a prepolTeffion that docs not allow 
 them to form a right judgment of it, and 
 :think to fence againft it by foothrng them- 
 ielves with frothy reafoning and fine words, 
 -than dazzled with fome fpeciout principle 
 to which thiey are ftrongly wedded, they 
 rcfolve never to forfake it ; and being thus 
 prepoirefTed with blind determination, they 
 boldly lead the van, and draw after them 
 the giddy vulgar, without being willing, 
 or able to undcrftand, (as fays the Apoftle, 
 I Tim. i. 7.) either what they them/elves 
 fay, nor whereof they affirm. Thi&itisthat 
 conftitutes all the new opinions that are a- 
 mongft us, and this is the pit that all who 
 fly from truth fall into. 
 
 Zuinglius, another of the pretended Re- 
 formers, whofe dodirine gained great foot- 
 ing in this Ifland,^ has the charadtcr of a 
 daring man, whofe fire furpaffed his learn- 
 ing ; who> with great prcfumption, in hifr 
 profeflign of faiths places Hercules, The- 
 
 ieus,.
 
 r ^35 Ti 
 
 feus, Ariftides, Antigonus, Numa, Camillu?, 
 the Catos, and Scipios, pell mell with Je^ 
 fus Chrift, and the faints, although fomc 
 were the heroes themfclves whom the ido^ 
 iatrous Romans wor£hipped ; and Numa was 
 the father of the Roman idolatry ; and not- 
 withftanding this prefumption of him in 
 furnifhing Heaven with falfc Gods, yet this 
 man pafled for one of thofe who was extra- 
 ordinarily fent by God to reform his churchy 
 and (hew men the diredt ro^d to Heaven. 
 
 Oecolampadius, another defender of th«^ 
 figurative fcnfe; who being tired with celir 
 bacy left his monaitry, and like the reft of 
 the Reformers married a young girl whofe 
 beauty he, was fmittcn with. " This being 
 ** the way (as faid Erafmus) which they 
 *** chuled to mortify thcmfelves ; '* and he 
 teftifo, " that he could not but admire 
 ** thefe new Apoftics who were fure to quit 
 ** the folcmn profeffion of celibacy to take 
 ** wives, whereas the true Apoftles of our 
 *' Saviouri at:cording to the tradition of all 
 ** the Eaxhcrs,vto the end: they might attend 
 ** to Gbd-and; the gofpd only, left their 
 ** wives to, embraec celibacy." And, again, 
 lie faysi *' ItXeems as- if I the Reformation 
 *' aimed at nothing dfe than flripping a 
 **' few Monks of their habits,. and marrying 
 "** a parcclof Priefls; but the people at this 
 ** time were fo charmed with novelty, and 
 
 " the 
 
 \,
 
 [136 
 */ the much learning and fweet eloquence 
 " of the Reforming- Preachers, that were it 
 ** poffible (fays the fame writer) and would 
 *' God have permitted it, it were capable 
 " of feducing even the eledt. God put them 
 *' to this trial, but his promifes and truth 
 ** upheld the fimplicity of the Church's 
 ** faith againft human reafoning." Never- 
 thclefs numbers were drawn away by thefe 
 blafphemers, and although their blafphemy 
 was fo confpicuous, yet men either could 
 not or would not fee it, although Luther de- 
 cided, "r That God's prefcience renders free- 
 ** will impoflible ; that Judas for that rea- 
 ** fon could not help betraying his mafter j 
 " that all that happens to man, whether 
 ** good or evil, happens by pure and inevi- 
 f table neceffity; that it is God who ope- 
 ?^i rates in man all the good and evil that is 
 f^- done by him, and makes man guilty of 
 ^* damnation by neceffity 5 that David's a- 
 ** dultery is no lefs the work of God than 
 " the vocation of St. Paul." Laftly, " That 
 ** it is no more unworthy of God to damn 
 " the innocent, than to forgive, as he does, 
 '* the guilty." And Luther fuffcrs no rep?y 
 on this head, but fays, ** You that hear me 
 '* never forget that I am the man who thus 
 \*\ teaches, and without any new enquiry 
 *' fubmit to this word." And this fhall 
 
 fufficc
 
 r 137 1 
 
 fuffice for a fpecimen of Luther's blafphe- 
 my. 
 
 Now hear whether Calvin is not as com- 
 
 pleat a blafphcmer as Luther ; who fays as 
 
 follows : " That Adam could not avoid his 
 
 ** fall, and was neverthclefs guilty, becaufc 
 
 ** he fell voluntarily ; that it was ordained 
 
 " by God and comprized in his fecret dc- 
 
 ** crees." Furthermore he fays, ** That a 
 
 " hidden counfel of God is the caufe of 
 
 ** hardnefs of heart; that we muft not de- 
 
 " ny God willed and decreed the defection 
 
 ** of Adam, fmce he does all he wills ; that 
 
 ** this decree, he muft confefs, raifcs hor- 
 
 ** ror, yet after all it cannot be denied but 
 
 ** God forefaw the fall of man, becaufe he 
 
 ** had ordained it by his own decree ; that 
 
 ** we ought not to ufe the word permifTion, 
 
 ** (ince it is an exprefs order ; that the 
 
 " will of God makes the ncceffity of things, 
 
 ** and all he hath willed happens neceflari- 
 
 ** ly ; that it was for this reafon Adam fell by 
 
 " an order of God's providence, and becaufe 
 
 *' God had fo judged it fitting, although he 
 
 ** {tW through his own fault ; that the re- 
 
 '* probate are inexcufable, although they 
 
 ** cannot (hun the neceiiity of finning, and 
 
 ** that this neceffity befals them by God's 
 
 ** appointment; that God fpeaks to them 
 
 '* but on purpofe to make them more deaf;, 
 
 *' that he places light before their eyes but 
 
 T *' on
 
 [ 138 ] 
 
 ** on purpofe to blind them^ that he ap- 
 ** plies found do(5trine to them, but on pur- 
 ** pofc to render them the more infenfiblc ^ 
 ** that he fends them remedies but to the 
 " end they may not be cured." Beza, alfo, 
 another Grand Refoimer, refers ** all fmg 
 ** to the will of God as their firfl caufe.*' 
 Thus the Reformers in general taught, that 
 God drove on wicked men to enormous 
 crimes, and made the Author of all good, 
 the caufc of all evil. Now whether thefe 
 men were fent by God to reform mankind, 
 and teach them his will, diredting them in- 
 to all truth, I (hail not trouble myfelf to fay, 
 only leave every man who has fenfc, to 
 judge for himfelf. Neverthelcfs, it is ftrange 
 to End that thefe creat men who called 
 themfelves Reformers, agreed in nothing fo 
 much as they did in blafphemy, for in every 
 other thing they will bear eternal teftimony 
 one againfl; another, v/hich will plainly fhew 
 tothofewho are unprejudiced, how unhappily 
 they ufurpt the title of Reformers, and alfa 
 point out, that the very method which they 
 took for the corrcdion ofabufes, could tend 
 to nothing, but the fubvcrfion of Chriflia- 
 nity. Now as the pretended Reformers could 
 not a^ree £mono; themfelves, what <>reater 
 r.bfijrdity than for each to fet laws to man- 
 kind, all of them pretended to appeal to 
 the pure word of God, but each believed 
 
 himfelf
 
 ,i '39 ] 
 
 hlmfelf the true interpreter, and to vinJi* 
 cate hinifelf cried out, Why it's as char as 
 the fun, open your eyes and you need dQ no 
 more; and )'ct each cpntradi<Sed the otlier. 
 An-d thus it is when men forfakc the unity 
 of the Catholick Church, they are for ever 
 in eternal difagreement, which proves that 
 the Reformation wai; an evil thing;, their 
 difagreement : .amongft jhemfelves is the 
 caufe of (hewing , it in. Its proper colour^, 
 yet a Church of England man cries out 
 and f^ys, I underftand the fcripjures a- 
 right ; the Prefbyterian fays the fame ; the 
 Anabaptift declares that his Church is the 
 true Interpreter; the Quaker affirms the 
 felf-farrie thing; and after all, \v;hcn you 
 come to hear their interpretation's fummed 
 up, they are as different as light. from dark- 
 neTs7*^nd each fupports a contrary fiiith, 
 from this contrariety of infcrpretiiig ; and 
 yet each perfuades hirrifelf that.he is certain 
 of the true expofition, and that he. goes by 
 fcripture, and .makes that his rule and guide, 
 whilft he contradi<5ts every other reformed 
 Church's dodtrine in the world, all "which 
 pretend at the fame time to go by. fcripture 
 as well as he, although they all contradiiS: 
 one another, and yet the fcripture is not 
 contradi<^ory although all they underiland 
 it fo, therefore it is plain that the miftake 
 18 in the people, and not in the icrip- 
 T 2 tures ;
 
 [ 140 ] 
 tures ', and that their contradidiions arife 
 from their pride and prefumption in ex- 
 pounding, and not from any difference in 
 Holy Writ. All men who have offered to 
 cflablifh any new fed: of Chriflians, have 
 undertook to deliver the true fenfe of the 
 fcriptures in every pi>int as it was underflood 
 in the primitive Church. Although in the 
 multiplicity of the undertakers, and con- 
 trariety of their dodlrincs, they have plainly 
 fhewed the world that whatever their pre- 
 tenfions were, in reality they had no know- 
 ledge of what was taught in the primitive 
 Church ; but that every one laboured to 
 preach up and propagate their own fenti- 
 ments and opinions, calling them fife doc- 
 trines of the Apojlki and firjl ages of Chri- 
 Jiianity, and this they themfelves have de- 
 monftratcd to all mankind, for wnotipr haire 
 recommended themfelves as Reformers, and aX 
 men fent from God to inform the world 
 what was the dodlrine of the Apoflles, and 
 the belief of the primitive times, have all 
 grofHy contradicted one another, fome hav- 
 ing preached up infant baptifm, and others 
 cried it down ; fome have maintained con- 
 fubflantiation in the Sacrament, and others 
 denied it ; fome were for free-will and pre- 
 deflination, and others againfl it ; fome af- 
 ferted epifcopacy, and others oppofed it, &c. 
 
 Now
 
 _ r HI ] 
 
 Now it IS plain that all thefe contradidiions, 
 could not poffibly be the dodtrine of the 
 Apoftles ; for where can any one find them 
 preaching up baptifm and no baptifm ; con- 
 fubftantiation and no confubilantiation.j 
 free-will and no free-will, Sec. And if it 
 was not the doctrine of the Apoftles that 
 thefe teachers did preach, then they may be 
 juftly looked upon rather as Impoftors than 
 Reformers, who were not fent by God, but 
 pufhed on by their own pride and prefump- 
 tion, and to this they themfelves have giv- 
 en teftimony by their giving one another 
 the lye in their preaching and expofitions 
 of Holy Writ : for amongft fo many con- 
 tradidions fome muft neeeftarily be falfe ; 
 and what better muft the aflertors of them 
 be, than falfe Apoftles. and falfe Prophets? 
 Such as interpreted the Holy Scriptures ac- 
 ccording to their own fenfe and judgment, 
 and prefumptuoufly preached it up for the 
 fenfe of Chrift and his Apoftles., > AH of 
 them it is true promife great things, crying 
 aloud to the gaping croud, I am right, I 
 interpret the fcriptures according to the faith 
 of the Apoftles, and on this foundation | 
 ftand. . :, 
 
 And vet what is to their eternal confu- 
 Con, they all co.ntradid: one another; and 
 not one of them has ever been able to eive 
 a miracle as a mark to diftinguilh his apo- 
 
 ftolical
 
 ftoKcal dodrine by; whilft the Catholic 
 faith has been eflablifhed every where by 
 miracles, as witneffeth the Converiion of 
 this Ifland by St. Auguftinc, and the unity 
 of all Catholicks in points of faith, is a 
 ftanding proof in oppolition to all contra- 
 didtory dodrines, that (he is that one Holy 
 Catbolick Church which all men ought to 
 be in communion with. And the flupen- 
 dous myftcries of the Catholick Religion 
 Ihewl its divine origin. 
 
 Whilft the contradidions, and ridiculous 
 abfurdities of all Proteftants, prove to a 
 dcmonftration, that the God of all power 
 and wifdom had no hand in making the 
 model. Who but God cculd have invent- 
 ed or introduced as an article of faith, the 
 real prefence in the holy Eucharift ? All 
 jhe powers upon earth could never have 
 perfuaded men to receive it, nay, and what 
 is more, the greateft mortal, or fet of mor- 
 tals in the world, durft not fo much as have 
 propofed it ; whilft the grofs contradictions 
 in the Proteflant ways of receiving the Sa- 
 crament, and their ridiculous methods of 
 defineing what it is, proves the abfurdity of 
 their faiths. 
 
 Again, had not Auricular confeflion 
 been taught by Chrift and his Apoflles, 
 who could have introduced it as an article of 
 faith ? Man would never have taught fuch
 
 t «43 ] 
 
 a difagieeable docSrine to human natures 
 efpeciaily if he had intended to make any 
 converts to his Rehgion, confequcntly had 
 not the Sacrament of penance had God for 
 its parent, fuch a mortifying dodtrine had 
 never been introduced as an Article of 
 Faith. 
 
 For look into all the new Religions that 
 have fprung up among Proteflants, and you 
 will find little introduced but what fooths 
 ^c paflions, and inftead of mortification 
 and penance, you hear the cry of liberty, 
 the glorious liberty of the gofpel, which has 
 fo bewitched the vulgar, that all obedience 
 to paftors is now called llavcry, and to fub» 
 mit to be direded by the Bifhops and Pricfts 
 of Chrift's Church is by Proteflants termed 
 being Prieft-ridden ; which has made fuch 
 an intire riddance of humility and obedi- 
 ence, that even tinkers, coblcrs, and chim- 
 ney-fweepers, now pretend to be as able 
 to condqd: and teach their neighbours the 
 road to Heaven, as the greatcfi; Pope, or 
 learnedll Bifhop in the Univerfe. 
 
 Befides, the boldnefs of Luther, in cut- 
 ting off from fcripture whatfoever did not 
 fuit with his notions, adds alfo to the infa- 
 my of his followers, and lliews that licen- 
 tioufnefs and independency had the greateft 
 hand in the Reformation. Melandton, Lu- 
 ther's difciple owns the fame when in writ- 
 
 in^
 
 [ 144 ] 
 
 ing to him, he fays. Our ajjociates do not 
 difpute for the go/pel, hut who Jhall govern. 
 And this ftriving for maftery is what al- 
 ways happens when the yoke of lawful au- 
 thority is caft off, and then thofe who caufe 
 an infurredtion under the colour of liberty, 
 too oft turn tyrants themfelves. Oh! how 
 ought all thinking mankind to take warn- 
 ing at others pride, and trembling, humble 
 themfelves, acknowledging that in man 
 there is a profound fource of pride and er-' 
 ror, and that his weaknelTes are unfathom- 
 able ; for from hence has fprang the fpiri- 
 tual power of Princes, and all other abomi- 
 nations which have endeavoured to ftrip 
 Chriftianity of all its myfteries, and change 
 it into a fe6t of Philofophy wholly adapted 
 to the fenfes : in a word, it is pride that 
 has introduced moft of the implements of 
 fedudiionin this, and all othcrnations, which 
 have produced fuch monfterous opinions, 
 which makes it hard to be believed that 
 men could have been fo ftrangely infatuated, 
 had not experience taught us that God fets 
 to man*s proud mind, examples of the blind- 
 nefs he may fall into, when abandoned to 
 himfelf. 
 
 I will here add a proof or two how Pro- 
 teflants difcredit themfelves with regard to 
 the dodrine they draw from the revelations > 
 and that is concerning antichrifl, whom they 
 
 call
 
 i •45 ] 
 icail the P<>t?e, look into Revelations the 
 gth, vtric the iirft, ^nd the fifth Angel 
 blew the trumpet y and I faw a Jiar which 
 '^iDfis f alien from Heaven unto the Earth, and 
 to hi/n was given the key of the bottomlefi 
 pit. Now the note in the Proteftant Bible, 
 printed in London in ^he year 1599, hath 
 chefe exprefs words > T^his authority chiefiy 
 if committed t9 the Pope, in fign whereof he 
 heareth the keys in his arms. Now how far 
 thefe wife tranllators were right in their 
 explanations, I {hall not prefume to decide, 
 but it muft be for fome other reafons that 
 J^rpteftants paint St. Peter with the keys, 
 and I can aflurc them this, that he was the 
 firll Pope that ever was in the world, and 
 that all other Popes wear the keys as being 
 Jiis lawful fucceflbrs ; therefore, the grofs 
 .abfurdjty of this note I {hall take no further 
 notice of, but proceed to fhew what the 
 fame wife gentlemen gather from thefe 
 words of the 7th verfe of the eleventh chap^ 
 ter, The heafi that comet b out of the bottom- 
 lefs piti fhall make war againjl them, andjhall 
 overcome them, and kill them ; that is the 
 Pope (as they lay in the notes) which hath 
 his power out of Hell, and cometh thence. 
 Now is there not great charity in thefe 
 expreflions ? And again, the fame notes 
 fay, He fieweth how the Pope gaineth the 
 viBory, not by God's word, but by cruel war ; 
 U and
 
 and' as' if flander and calumny were the 
 main pillars on which is built the fo much 
 boafted Reformation, they proceed to define 
 the meaning of thefe words in the fixteenth 
 chapter, and 2d verfe, And there fell a noi- 
 fotrii and grievous fore upon the men which 
 had the mark of the beaftt which in their 
 notes they fay, T^his was like the fxth plague 
 of Egypt, which was fores and boils , or pox ; 
 and this reigneth commonly among Canons, 
 Monks, Friars, Nuns, Priefis, and fuch filthy 
 'vermin, which bear the mark of the beaji, 
 And again, they fay in the note on the 13th 
 verfe, That is a firong number of this great 
 Devil the Pope's Ambaffadors, which are ever 
 croaking like frogs, and come out of Anti^ 
 chriffs mouth, hecaufe they fiould fpeak no- 
 thing but lyes, and ife all manner of crafty 
 deceits, to maintain their rich Euphrates a- 
 gainfi the true Chrifiians. Alas ! if fuch 
 vile and fcandaious fluff as this is becom- 
 ing a Proteftant's Bible, much good may 
 the choice and decent language do them : 
 but thefe explaining gentlemen do not flop 
 here, but like men who are above fhame, 
 they endeavour to explain the 4th verfe of 
 the feventeenth chapter, in the following 
 manner : This woman is Antichrift, that is 
 the Pope, with the whole body of his filthy 
 creatures, (as is expounded in verfe the i8th) 
 that inftead of doing homage to Chri/i Jefus, 
 
 are
 
 r H7 ] 
 
 are eafi into a reprobate fenfe to ferve Anti" 
 chrifi,, and to dedicate themfelves wholly un-^ 
 to him who/e beauty only Jiandeth in outward 
 pomp and impudence^ and craft like a Jirum- 
 pet. Pardon me, Catholicks, for thefe 
 digreflions, and take warning, O ye Pro- 
 teftants, at the errors of your leaders, and 
 reap fome fmall advantage frotn their con- 
 fufioni who to fupport themfelves were 
 drove to fuch mean fhifts as thefe, in order 
 to- deceive the unwary; for in what does 
 the Pope refemble Antichrifl ? who accord- 
 ing to St. Paul, 2 Their, fecond chapt. and 
 4th verfe, Oppofeth and exalteth himfelf a~ 
 hove all that is called God, or that is wor- 
 Jhipped ', and according to the Revelations, 
 Jhall continue but ajhort time. 
 
 Now Antichpift is, and muft be a lingle 
 perfon, fo that all Popes cannot be Anti- 
 chrift -y and if one ever had been, it is fur- 
 prifmg that the Proteftants never can tell 
 which is that Pope that they ought topraife 
 God evermore for the deftrudion of, as they 
 uncharitably exprefs in their note on the 
 4th verfe of the 19th chapter of Revelati- 
 ons. 
 
 And how the prefent Pope flieweth him- 
 felf to be God, deiiying the Father and the 
 S>on, as Anik.hrifiy [£^Q i John, ii. 22.) I 
 know not, unlefs Proteftiints underfland 
 him to be fuch when he offers up the f^cr;i- 
 U 2 fice
 
 [ 148 ] ^ 
 
 * fict of thp mafs. And who does not lee 
 how the Pope (hews himfelf to be God in 
 that folemn office, where Jirji he exalts 
 himfelf above every thing, by confejjing his. 
 Jins with the people^ and intreating all the 
 faints and his brethren to beg forgivenefs 
 for him ', afterwards he declares, he hopes for 
 this forgivenefs, not through his own merits i 
 but through the bounty and grace, and in the 
 name of Jefus Chrijl our Lord? Now let 
 me afk any reafonable man, if this is not 
 a ftrange kind of Antichrifl, that oblige* 
 all his adherents to place their hope in Jcr 
 fus Chrift, and for ever to afTert his divi- 
 nity ? Sure it is, for Antichrift, as faith the 
 fcripture, is not of God, and denieth that 
 Chriji is come in theflefhi i John, iv. 3. • 
 
 And into as great a contradid:ion arc 
 Proteflants fell, in relation io the perpe- 
 tuity and vifibility of Chrift's Church -, for 
 although it is plain that they join'd to no 
 Church that ever was before them, yet 
 they teach in their Confeflion of Faith, 
 firft made at Aufburgh, l^hat there is a, 
 holy Church which myfl eternally fnhfift ; and 
 again they fay, ^he Church is an ajjembly of 
 Jaints, wherein the gofpel is rightly taught, 
 and the Sacraments rightly adminiflred. 
 
 Now after people have allowed this, how 
 ^arc they accufe the Church of error, ei- 
 ther in do<5trine, or in the adminiftratioa 
 '■ ■ ' ■ ■■ ' of
 
 f H9 ] 
 6f tile Sacraments ? for if fhe teaches the 
 gofpel rightly, and adrninifters the Sacra- 
 ments rightly, how is it pofTible to accufe 
 her of teaching errors in points of faith I 
 therefore, according to the aforefaid defi- 
 nition of the Church, it is impofilble fhc 
 fhould teach errors : and thus the Protcftants 
 who accufe her of erring, carry in their 
 Confeffion of Faith their own condemnati- 
 on. And the Helvetick Confeffion defines 
 the Church in this manner, faying. Which 
 hath been always, which is, and which Jh alt 
 tver he the ajfembly of the faithful , and of 
 the faints who know God, and f ewe him by 
 the word and the Holy Ghoji : and after- 
 wards they fay, ^hat lawful and true preach- 
 ing is her chief mark ; whence they con- 
 clude that the Churches which are depriv- 
 ed of thefe marks, '* although they boaft 
 ** the fucceffion of their Bifhops, their unity 
 ** and their antiquity, do not belong to the 
 ^* Church of Jefus Chrifl, nor can falvati- 
 ^* on any more be had out of the Church, 
 ** than out of the Ark ; if you will have 
 ** life you mufl not feparatc yourfelf from 
 " the true Church of Jefus Chriil." Thus 
 far this folemn Confeffion made by Pro- 
 teilants :^— Now I beg it may be obferved, 
 that if Proteftants cannot fhew plainly that 
 viiible Church to which they joined them- 
 
 felvcSi
 
 [ 15° ] 
 
 felves, then it will remain an uncontefted 
 truth, that from their own confeffion they 
 are not the Catholick Church of Jefus 
 Chrift, and therefore are to be avoided, be- 
 caufe they themfelves own ** if you will 
 ** have life, you muft: not feparatc yourfelf 
 *' from the true Church of Jefus Church." 
 And the Aulburgh confeffion is very plain 
 touching its vifibility, for it fays, ** We 
 •* never have dream't that the Church was 
 ** a platonick city not to be found on earth: 
 ** we fay that the church exifts ; that in it 
 *' there are true believers, and men truly 
 ** juft fpread over all the univerfe : we add 
 ** to this, its marks, the pure gofpel, and 
 *' the Sacraments -, and it is fuch a church,, 
 •* that is properly the pillar of the truth." 
 Here now is a fair acknowledgment made 
 by the firft Proteftants, in their own con- 
 feffion of faith, that, the church of Chrift 
 is really exifting, really vifible, and in which 
 found dodrine is really preached, and the 
 Sacraments really adminiflred as they ought 
 to be. Therefore, as thefe things were ac- 
 tually allowed by Proteftants, at their firil 
 appearance upon earth, is it not fomewhat 
 flrange that none of their defcendants can 
 fliew us which was the church and fociety 
 of paftors and people, wherein found doc- 
 trine had always been preferved ; that Lu- 
 ther, the firfl: grand Reformer, joined him- 
 
 felf
 
 [ 15' ] 
 
 felf unto : Alas ! that people will love error 
 rather than truth, when at the fame time, 
 nothing in all the world can be more plain 
 than this, " That there was not any one 
 ** church, little nor great before Luther's 
 ** coming, that was of his fentiments ;'* 
 and the fame may be faid of Calvin, Zu- 
 ingltusy &CC, Befides, as there had been al- 
 ways a true church, if thefe Reformers had 
 found it, they might then caiily have fhewn 
 what they are all fo much at a lofs to dif- 
 cover, namely, their great Bifhop who firft 
 authorized and deputed them to preach, &c. 
 for how can they preach except they be 
 fent ? *' But as the Reformation cannot 
 " produce one paftor of the true church, to 
 ** which they pretend they joined, that 
 " did confecrate ;'* fo neither can they find 
 any people that could eledt, which implies 
 that it is not the truth which thofe bold men 
 (called Refortners) came to preach, and con- 
 fequently their doctrine ought to be abhor- 
 ed ', for if it cannot be made plainly appear 
 that Luther and Zuinglius' dodrine and 
 faith was abfolutely known and pra(ftifed by 
 fome fet of people, before they appeared to 
 preach it, then nothing can be more true 
 that they did not join themfelves to the ca- 
 tholic church of Chrifl, which every chrif- 
 tian in the Apoftles creed profefTes to believe: 
 and as their faith and doctrine was utterly 
 
 unknown
 
 I 152 ] 
 
 unknown before their times, therefore it is 
 certain that it could not be truth, becaufc 
 Cbrijl promifed to be. with his church always -, 
 and Proteftants own that for that reafon fhe 
 cannot help but be vifiblc, and that fhe al- 
 ways teacheth truth : now the confequence 
 is plain, that whoever departeth from her 
 (dodtrine, but for one moment, does by fo 
 doing declare his enmity to truth i and un^- 
 til the friends of the Reformation can (hew 
 that church which their firft directors join- 
 ed unto, and wherein truth had always been 
 preached, they mufl of neceffity ftand con- 
 vidled before all men who have eyes to fee, 
 or ears to hear. Suifcr me to afk, " How 
 ** it can be imagined that all the paftors of 
 ** Chrift's church could at one time fall into 
 '* error, and deceive all the faithful 
 *' throughout the whole wo#ld ?" And if 
 they could not all be deceived at one time, 
 (which indeed it is impoflible they fliould) 
 then Proteflants of different faiths fhould 
 fhew where was the true church that they 
 joined unto; or elfe they may be looked 
 upon as mere upftarts, whofe firfl teachers 
 were no more than hardy innovators, who 
 defpifed church authority, and chofe rather 
 an unbridled liccntioufnefs in all matters of 
 religion -, and their followers at lail grown 
 giddy with changes, are become fo ready 
 and willing to receive errors, that a man 
 
 need
 
 f 153 ] 
 need only to have but impudence cnougl] 
 to preach, and then let his docflrlne be ne- 
 ver lb wicked or ridiculous, yet in this land 
 of learning he is fure to find followers; and 
 this is the fource from whence has fprung 
 fuch confulion in religion, in this ifland ; 
 and this is the confequence of fubjeding the- 
 church to the world, learning to ignorance, 
 and faith to the magiftfate ; but the union 
 of Churches cannot depend on the will of 
 Princes, nor^tne learning of the Fathers' 
 eftnnot fubmit to that of the Weaver, the 
 Tinker, andCobler; neither will the,Ca- 
 tholick Church of Chrift ever depend-^wpori' 
 any other fupport, but the promife of her 
 fouader, who not only knew what he pro- 
 mifed, but alfo is able to perform it -, there- 
 fore fhe gates of Hell (that is error and 
 darknefs) jhall neve)' prevail againjt her. 
 
 If after all I have fuid it fliould be urged 
 by a member of that Church in which I 
 was educated, that the orders of their priefts 
 and deacons are valid, becaufe they are e- 
 ftablifhed by a decree of Parliament j there^ 
 is a doubt then arifes, that had not thd 
 Parliament made fuch decrees, the ordina- 
 tion of their whole clergy would have been 
 dubious. . But thefe decrees are not only a 
 falve for ordination, but for the facrilegl- 
 ous rapine that was made on the facred and 
 inviolable treafure of the Church, v/hicii alfp 
 
 X is
 
 [ 154 ] 
 
 is called "Reformation ; and t&e re-eftablifbing 
 of evangelical purity : but a thinking man 
 would imagine it impoffible for a nation 
 to arrive at fuch a pitch as to difcover in- 
 nocence in deeds equally perverting all laws 
 human and divine -, for {hall it be a damn- 
 ing Jin to rob man, and eva?igelical purity to 
 rob God of the things dedicated to bisfervice f 
 Or fhall thofe who have invaded openly the 
 devotions of other men, and took from God 
 and from his Church, what they never gave 
 unto it, even the lands and livings thereof-, 
 yea, (as Sir Harry Spellman, who was a 
 Froteflfint, in his De non Temerandis Ec^ 
 cleliis, ^^^^ %,foL edit.) the Churches them-- 
 felves f Shall thofe, I fay, be called Reform- 
 ers of Chrift's Church? No, God forbid; 
 for if it was a fm to make the houfe of 
 God a houfe of merchandife -, certainly, 
 then it cannot be innocence, nor evangelical 
 purity, to make merchandife of the houfe of 
 God itfelf ; but rather it muil (as Sir H. 
 Spellman fays in page 9, of the aforefaid 
 work) be a fearful and mofi inhuman Jin ! 
 and as he fays in page ij, if it were fo hei- 
 nous a faSi in Annanias, to withhold part of 
 his own goods, which he pretended he would 
 give unto God, how much more (fays he) is 
 it in us, prefumptuoujly to reave thai from God 
 that others have already dedicated and deliver^ 
 id unto him, Solomon faith, be that robbetb 
 
 bis
 
 r 155 J \, 
 
 bis father and his mot her, and faith it is na 
 Jin, is the companion of a murderer, or him 
 that dejlroyeth. But he that purloineth the 
 things of God, robbeth his father-, and he 
 that purloineth th: things of the Church, rob- 
 beth his mother ; and therefore that man is a 
 companion of the deflroyer. With what face 
 canfi thou expert an inheritance from Chrijl 
 in Heaven, that defraudeth Chrijl in his in- 
 heritance here on earth. — Therefore give unto 
 Ca/ar the things that are Cafars, and unto 
 God the things that are God's. So far this 
 learned Proteftant could difcern it to be fin- 
 ful to do as the firfl Reformers did in this 
 ifland. Therefore, as the Reformation was 
 conceived in fin, what elfe can it produce 
 but iniquity ? for which manifeft reafon, 
 let all thofe who wifh to gain Heaven, 
 ftrive upon a furer foundation, by joining 
 unto that QhMvch which is Joundedon a rock, 
 againjl which the gates of Hell (that is error 
 and darknefs) Jhall not prevail. 
 
 I fhall here endeavour to anfwer a few 
 formidable queftions aflced by Proteflants» 
 and then proceed to afk a few. 
 
 Proteftants alTc, whether the Pope be 
 infallible ? This I allow is taught by Car- 
 dinal Bellarmin ; but the Church requires 
 no alTent to fuch a papal infallibility, nor 
 does the formulce of faith, fet forth by Pope 
 X 2 • Pius
 
 , r 156 ] 
 
 Pius IV. colleded out of the Council of 
 Trent, oblige any to make fuch profeffion ; 
 neither has the Pope's infaUibihty any place 
 in any of our catechifms : nay, it is fo far 
 from being the faith of the Church, that 
 twelve eminent Catholick. Univerfities, and 
 numbers of Billiops, Archbifhops, and Car- 
 dinals write profefTedly again ft it, without 
 ever being cenfured by the Church ; nay, 
 fo far is the Church from looking upon 
 Popes as infallible, that flic has in a gene- 
 ral Council depofed two, viz. Benedict the 
 Xlllth, and Gregory the Xllth, and after- 
 wards elcd:ed Alexander the Vth into their 
 place ', and the faid Council declares, that 
 all perfons whatever, and amongft others 
 the very Pope himfelf is bound to obey and 
 be fubjed: to their decrees, Coun. Conft. 
 Sefs''4 and 5. Cone. Bazil Sefs 3. There- 
 fore the Pope is not looked upon by Ca- 
 tholicks to be infallible : They aUo aik, 
 Whether the Pope has a power to depole 
 Princes, and ablbive their fubjed;s from their 
 fill eg in nee ? 
 
 So Bellarmin ailerts ; but the Church re- 
 quires no iiffent to any fuch dodrine, nor 
 has it any place in her Catechife compofed 
 K;r inftrudtiiig all in the. faith of the Church. 
 Numbers of Catholick Uqiverlities, and lin- 
 gle v/iitcrs oppofc it as a doctrine new and 
 erroneous : all the whole Gallicah Church 
 
 oppofe
 
 f ^n ] 
 
 bppofe it, therefore cannot be any point of 
 faith, becaufe both clergy and laity con- 
 demn it, and yet abide in the communion 
 oi the Catholick Chureh. 
 
 It is alfo afked. Whether it be lawful to 
 delirc the faints in Heaven to pray for us ? 
 And in anfwer to this, I (hall quote Dr. 
 Montague, Proteftant Bifliop of Chichefter, 
 and after cf Norwich ; who owns that the 
 blcfled in Heaven do recommend to God in 
 their prayers, their kindred, friends, and 
 acquaintance on earth : and having given 
 his rcafons for this, he inferts, that ** this 
 ** is the common voice, with general con- 
 ** currence, without contradidtion of reve* 
 ** rend and learned antiquity, for ought I 
 ** ever could read or underftand : and I fee 
 ** no caufe or reafon to diHent from them 
 " touching intercefTion in this kind :" fee 
 his Treat. Invoc. of Saints, p. 103. 
 
 He owns, alfo, that it is no injury to the 
 mediation of Chrift to afk the faints to pray 
 for us. " Indeed, I grant" (fays he) ** Chrift 
 ** is not wronged in his mediation ; it 
 *• is no impiety to fay, as they (of the 
 ** Romiih Church) do j Holy Mary, pray 
 ** for me ; holy Peter, pray for me." And 
 again he faySf ** Could I come at them, or 
 *' certainly inform them of my ftate, with- 
 ** out any queflion or more ado, 1 would 
 ** readily and willingly fay, holy Peter, 
 
 " bleffed
 
 [ «i8 ] 
 'f blcfled Paul, pray for me 5 recommend 
 if: my cafe to Chrift Jefus our Lord. Were 
 f^ they v/ith me, by me, in my kenning, I 
 ** would run with open arms, and fall upon 
 ** my knees, and with affetflion defire them 
 ** to pray for me.'* And in p. 97. *• I fee 
 •fCno abfurdity in nature, no incongruity 
 ff unto analogy of faith, no repugnancy at 
 f^{ all to facred fcripture, much lefs impiety, 
 ** for any man to fay, holy Angel guardi- 
 ** an pray for me." And if fo eminent a 
 Bifhop could not but approve of praying to 
 faints and angels in the manner that Ca- 
 tholicks do, how comes it to pafs that others 
 of lefs note do fo vehemently cry it down ? 
 
 It is likewife afkcd. Whether thofe in 
 communion with the Roman Church are 
 not idolaters in the worfliip of images, and 
 cfpecially in worfhipping the crofs on Good 
 Friday ? t 
 
 To a Proteftant it looks like idolatry, be- 
 caufe we not only creep to it, but alfo bow 
 down three times before it, and kifs it : 
 but then we declare by thefe outward adli- 
 ons, we mean no more than to exprefs that 
 love and veneration which is due to the crofs, 
 as to other holy things, and to our Redeem- 
 er, who on that day died for us ; and by it 
 We pay an acknowledgment and thankfgiv- 
 ing to Chrift, for preaching the gofpel of 
 falvation. It is no more than if being on 
 
 Mount
 
 t '59 1 
 Mount Calvary, on Good Friday, wc {hould 
 proftrate ourfelves, and on our knees kifa 
 the ground where the crofs ftood. Now a« 
 grateful acknowledgment of faith and love 
 is due to our Redeemer, in a more fpecial 
 manner on that day of our redemption: and 
 if inllead of our being on Mount Calvary^ 
 we humble ourfelves in our churches, fo as 
 to creep upon the ground, and kifs the 
 crofs, fo to exprefs our acknowledgment of 
 love to Chrift ; I cannot but hope that wc 
 may do it without being guilty of idolatry,? 
 however it may look to others, who througli 
 ignorance may take exception againft it. 
 
 It is alfo aiked. Whether the Roman Ca-K 
 tholicks are not idolaters in worfhipping 
 bread and wine ? • • 
 
 If we did worfliip bread and wine wfc* 
 might be termed idolaters ; but as our 
 church teaches, that the woriliip which we 
 pay to the holy Eucharift is to be dire(5ted. 
 only to Chrift, who is there prefent in art* 
 ineffable manner, and not to the elements 
 of bread and wine : the charge of idolatry- 
 is groundlefs, for we deteil and abhor the 
 worfhipping of bread and wine as much ai* 
 Proteflants can do, but when we believfe' 
 Chrifl to be really prefent^ we think, it 
 right to adore him j and that Chrifl is re-- 
 ally and truly prefent on the altar after con- 
 fecration, may be proved from the writings 
 
 of
 
 [ i6o ] 
 
 of many eminent divines of the Church of 
 England, whofe teftimonies I fliall produce ; 
 —and firfl, ^'-^i^^ ■ 
 
 i>' AH thofe who made the catcchife taught 
 it, for they fay, that the thing fignified is 
 the body and blood of Chrift, which is ve- 
 rily and indeed taken and received by the 
 faithful in the Lord's Supper -, that is, the 
 faithful are the communicants, who partake 
 of the body and blood. Befides, the Minif- 
 ter Ciys in the communion fervice, the body 
 of our Lord, &c. and the blood of Qur 
 Lord, &c. / ' . • < 
 
 In Queen Elizabeth's time, Mr. Hooker, 
 in his Eccl. Pol. 1. 5, teaches *' that the 
 ** very perfon of our Lord himfelf, whole, 
 ** perfedt, and entire, is received in a myfli- 
 •* cal manner." 
 
 In King James Firfl's time, Bifhop An- 
 drews believed this point, who, in anfwer 
 to Cardinal Bellarmine, fays, " we believe 
 a true prefence as much as you," 
 Bifhop Mountague fays, " there is in the 
 holy Eucharift a real prefence." 
 Bifhop Bilfon fays, *' God forbid, that 
 we (hould deny that the flefh and blood 
 of Chrift are truly prefent, and truly re- 
 ceived of the faithful at the Lord's 
 table." 
 
 Bifhop Morton fays, " The queftion is 
 
 " not 
 
 €e
 
 t i6i ] 
 
 " not concerning a real presence which Pro* 
 *^ te/laqts do alfo profefs." 
 
 Archbifliop Laud gives his reafon for 
 paying r^yerenpc to the altar, ** as being 
 ** upon jhis account th^ greateil place of 
 " God's refidence upon Earth.'* 
 
 Bi(hop Ken, in his Expofition, licenced 
 1685, fays, " O God incarnate ! how thou 
 ** canft give us thy flefh to eat, and thy 
 " blood to drink; how thy flefh is meat in- 
 ** deed; how thou, whp art in Heaven, art 
 ^' prefent on the jiltar, I can by no means exr 
 ^* plain ; but I iirmly believe it all bepfiufe 
 ** thou haft fajd it, and I firmly rely on thy 
 ** love and thy omnipotence to make ^ood 
 ** thy word, though the manner pf doing it 
 ** I cannot comprehend." 
 
 Bifhop Forbs, fays, " Chrift is prefent 
 ^* on thp the hojy table in an ineffable manr 
 " ner." 
 
 Biihop Taylor fays, •* W^ eat and drink 
 J»* the body and blood of Chrift, that was 
 '* brol^en and poured forth ; for there js 
 •* no other body, no other blood of Chrift; 
 ^* but though it is the fame we eat and 
 •* drink, yet it is in another manner." 
 ^nd before he fays, ** There is but one body 
 ** of Chrift, natural and glorified : but he 
 ^* that f^ith that body is glorified, which 
 *' was crucified; fays it is the. f^mc body, 
 Y " but
 
 [ l62 ] 
 
 but not after the fame manner ; and fo it U 
 in the Sacrament.'* 
 
 Mr. Thorndike fays, ** The elements arc 
 really changed from ordinary bread and 
 wine, into the body and blood of Chrift, 
 myflically prefent'as in a Sacrament -, and 
 that in virtue of confccration, and not by 
 the faith of him that receives.** 
 Pr. Parker, Bifhop of Oxford, fays, " As 
 for the church of England, (he agrees 
 with the tradition of the catholic church, 
 in aflerting the certainty of the real pre- 
 fence, and the uncertainty of the manner 
 of it, though the true account of it hath 
 been miferably perplexed and difturb- 
 cd by the oblique pradices of the Sacra- 
 mentarians.** ; ' 
 
 Thus the church of England fo far teach- 
 es that Chrift is really prefent in the holy 
 Eucharift, therefore wlicre he is really pre-;- 
 lent, he moft certainly ought to be wor- 
 fhipped. And agaio, if the holy Eucharift 
 be the body and blood of Chrift, it cannot 
 then be bread and wine; for our Saviour 
 faid, this is my body ; and not, m this is 
 my body ; therefore it muft be what his all 
 powerful words make it ; but it cannot be 
 two fubftances at one and the fame time, fo 
 if it is his true body it cannot be bread -, but 
 is converted or changed into the body and 
 bl(?od of Chrift, which convcrfion or change 
 
 the
 
 [ '63 ] 
 
 the church calls Tranfubflantiatiori. "Now 
 as this has always been the dodrinc of 
 the catholic church, that the bread and wine 
 is cQnverted, or changed, is ft not ftrange 
 that people (hould quarrel with her for 
 framing a new word to exprefs this old point 
 of faith? And although the word Tranfub- 
 ftantiation is not to be found in fcripture, 
 yet we'ufiderfland by it no more than what 
 the fcripture teaches ; namely, that after 
 cbnfecration, what was before bread and 
 yvine, is, by the omnipotent power of God, 
 converted or changed, and becomes, the true 
 jblody apd blood of Chrift, and thi& conver- 
 fion or change being made only in the fub- 
 ftance, which is invifible, (the outward 
 accidents or appearances remaining ftill the 
 fame) the church hath thought. convenient 
 to exprefs the fame by a new word, ,witliout 
 ever alterine wl-vat was, before bche'ved i 
 which -word is d^clar-ea by h^f to be fit. and 
 proper, and by it ,we, undcrfland^ the yer)f 
 felf- fame fubftan tfal prefence , which all. Ca-' 
 tholicks ever believed in^ andVtKever^ f^m6 
 change of fubftances* that the churcli ever 
 
 , JfroteftantSe alfo'^lk. Whether tT^e^nafs is 
 ROt an abomination? The mats \nas this 
 meaning, it is the performing thai which 
 Chrift didat hisla.ft fapper when. Me gave 
 to. his ApoMes, and by themi to their fuc- 
 Y Z ceflcMS,.
 
 t >64 ] 
 
 fcctfors, power of confecrating the tread and 
 wine into the body and blood of ehrift, and 
 commanded them to do what he had there 
 done, in remembrance of his death and 
 paflion on the croft ; it is alfo called a fa- 
 crifice* becaufe Chrift is offered in an un- 
 bloody mahner under the forms of bread 
 and wine, in teftimony of God being the 
 fbvereign Lord of life and death -, and in this 
 facrifice the virtue of Chrift*s pafTion is ap- 
 plied to Chfiftians by means of this offering 
 made unto God, in remembrance of Chrifl's 
 being offered for our lirts. And pray what 
 IS there in this that is abominable ? or what 
 new or ftrange thing is this mafs ? But minds 
 prepoffeffcd with prejudice condemn without 
 due examinatiori. : ^ * ^ "' ■ 
 
 Then it is aiked, Whether tlle'^CMrch 
 of Rome, does not adl contrary to the com- 
 mand of Chrifl in forbidding the people the 
 iife of the cup ? And whether the denial 
 of the cup be not defrauding the laity ? — 
 Now we own that Chrift faid. Drink ye all 
 of this ', and that it was a plain command 
 to thofe to whom he fpoke, that is to the 
 Apoflles (and to their fucceffors) whom he 
 then made Pricfls, and gave them power 
 to confecrate the elements as he had done ; 
 But as the power of confecrating, which 
 Chrifl then gave to the Apoftles, is not to 
 be extended to the laity, fo neither is the 
 
 com-
 
 f 165 ] 
 
 command of drinking, which he gave at the 
 fame time : many other commands alfo, 
 were only given to the Apoflles and their 
 fuccelTors, as Go, dnd teach all nations ; Re^. 
 tehe ye the Holy Ghoji -, IVhofe Jins ye for- 
 give, they are J'orgin}enf &c. with others of 
 this kind, and none of them intended or 
 .directed to the people ; we own the com- 
 mand is evident, but fay that none can 
 prove from evidence of fcripture that thi^ 
 command was given to the laity: we alfo 
 dlow that it was the moft general practice 
 in the primitive church, for all to receive/ 
 in both kinds even for 11 00 years; but theri 
 we fay that the church did not do this in 
 obedience to any command of Chrift, he* 
 ' caufe if Chrift had commanded it to be giv« 
 en under both kinds, then it would have 
 been effentially neceflary to falvation, for all 
 to have received it in that manner ; but we 
 can prove from evident matter of fad:, in 
 the records of antiquity, that in the pureii 
 ages, it was the pradice in many cafes'to give 
 the communion in one kind only : as to the 
 folitaries, to whom it was carried into the 
 defart, to the fick, to perfons on a journey, 
 to infants, and to the abftemious ; and for 
 Xome time alfo, in fome places, in the ordi- 
 nary communion at church, as appears from 
 S. Leo the Great, and S. Oelalius, who was 
 his fuccciTor in the Roman See, being like- 
 wife
 
 [ i66 ] 
 
 wife taken notice of by Caflander and GrcH 
 tius. Now as this was pradifed in the an- 
 cient church, it is moft evident, that it was 
 judged then good and lawful to receive in 
 one kind, which they could not have judg- 
 ed if Chrift had left a command for all to 
 receive in both ; for if he had it mull: have 
 been abhorred as a thing contrary to a plain 
 precept of Chrift. Hence, as the primitive 
 church judged it good and lawful to receive 
 in both kinds, fo they judged it good and 
 lawful (upon fome motives and circumflan- 
 ces) to receive in one kind; therefore it 
 is plain that the manner of receiving, whe- 
 ther in both kinds, or one, was no matter 
 of precept, but fubje(5t to difference of prac- 
 tice, according to circumftances, and thus 
 was reputed as a point of difcipline, capa^ 
 ble of change ; and this is the very Senti- 
 ment of the prefent Roman Church, for 
 we fay that it is good to receive in one kind, 
 and likewife that it is good to receive in 
 both : it was the general pradice formerly 
 to receive in both kinds, and may be fo a- 
 gain i but when there is danger of irreve- 
 rence of giving the Sacrament in both kinds, 
 there is no precept for fo giving it, but it 
 may lawfully and profitably be given in one. 
 Now many leading men in the Church, of 
 England agree with us, that Chrifl has »a 
 where in fcripture given command for all
 
 r 167 ] 
 
 to receive In both kinds : as BiOioip Forbg, 
 who owns the primitive prad;ice of giving 
 the communion in one kind in particular 
 cafes, and Bifhop White, and Bifhop Moun- 
 tague, who fay the authority for giving it 
 In both kinds is rather from tradition than 
 fcripture : and fo far do thefe learned men 
 grant that it is not contrary to any precept 
 to forbid the cup to the laity -, therefore, as 
 it 15 not a breach againfl the laws of God 
 to receive in one kind, it is a point of dif- 
 cipline only, aqd may be altered as it has 
 been before now, for in 1564, the Pope 
 granted the ufe of the cup to the laity in 
 Germany, hoping by that condefcention to 
 have united them to the church ; and this 
 he did by the power which the Council of 
 Conftance placed in him, viz, leaving it to 
 tlje prudence of the Pope, to grant leave to 
 any nation or people, of co«imunicating 
 in both kinds» a$ he ihould th|.pk 4*eafQn- 
 able. ,' , 
 
 Proteftants alfb afk. Whether praying 
 for the moft wicked finneJrs be not a proof 
 that Papifts think purgatory a (hclter for all 
 crimes ? 
 
 To this I anfwer, that as we believe that 
 the very good and faithful fcrvants of God 
 go directly to Heaven, fo we believe that 
 dinners, who die without lincere repentance, 
 ^o diredly to Hell : but then as the inward 
 
 ilate
 
 r i68 J 
 
 fiate of a dying chriftian is unknown to us, 
 we fufpend our judgment in this cafe, be-^ 
 caufe God alone is judge, therefore we let 
 our charity prevail, which fuppofing, and 
 hoping the beft, we pray for all iuch as die ; 
 knowing, that if the fouls for which we 
 pray arc not capable of relief, yet our prayers 
 will not be loft before God, who is the- 
 faithful rewarder of charity, though it hap^ 
 pens to be mifapplied, juft as the apoftoli- 
 cal falutation, peace be to this houife, was 
 not loft, even in a houfe where there was 
 no fon of peace ; for that in this cafe, Chrift 
 proinifed the peace fhould return to their 
 benefit, who njade the prayer of peace for 
 their neighbour. Thus our charity muft 
 be an innocent piety in praying for the fouls 
 departed ,• and if it is not commanded ii> 
 fcripture, I am fure it is not forbid. Now 
 hear what fome of the Biihops of the 
 Church of England fay on this head : 
 and firft obferve what the late Duchefs of 
 York fays in her paper. 
 
 I fpoke feverally to two of the beft Bi-, 
 {hops we have in England, (Sheldon, Arch- 
 bi(hop of Canterbury^ and Blandford, Bifhop 
 of Worcefter) who both told mc, there 
 were many things in the Jloman Church 
 which it were much to be wifhed we had 
 kept : as confeflion, which was no doubt 
 commanded by God : that praying for the 
 
 dead
 
 r '69 ] _ 
 
 dead was, was one of the antient things in 
 chriftianity : that for their parts they did 
 it daily, though they would not own it : 
 and before their time the learned Bifhop 
 Forbs fays, " Let not the antient pradlice 
 ** of praying and making oblations for the 
 '* dead, received throughout the univerfal 
 •* Church of Chrift, almoft from the very 
 *• time of the Apoftles, be any more rejed:-' 
 ** cd by Proteftants as unlawful, or vain. 
 ** Let them reverence the judgment of the 
 ** primitive church, and admit a pradice 
 '* flrengthened by the uninterrupted pro-* 
 ** feffion of fo many ages : and let them^ 
 ** as well in public as private, obferve tliis 
 ** rite, although not as abfolutely neceflary, 
 or commanded by the divine law, yet as 
 lawful, and likewife profitable, and as al- 
 ways approved by the univerfal church ; 
 that by this means, at length, a peace 
 fo earneftly defired by all learned and ho- 
 neft men, may be reftored to the chrifti- 
 an world." Again, he fays, " The uni- 
 verfal church has btlieved this pradlice, 
 not only to be lawful, but beneficial to 
 the fouls departed, and has always mofl 
 religioufly obferved it, as delivered, if 
 not from the Apoftles,. at lead from the 
 primitive Fathers ; as is manifeil: in ma- 
 ny places of their writings. Let it be 
 granted that this cuftom was always judg- 
 Z ** ed 
 
 « 
 
 €(
 
 [ 170 ] 
 
 ** cd lawful, and alfo profitable by pious 
 ** antiquity, and moft univerfally received 
 " at all times in the church." Thus this 
 great Proteftant Bifhop afferts, who had tak* 
 en pains to look into antiquity. Bifhop 
 Mountague alfo in his Appeal, c. i8. af- 
 ferts a middle ftate, or third place, for he 
 fays politively, ** That the fouls of the 
 ** righteous, before Chrift's afcenfion, were 
 *' not in Heaven, flri(flly taken, not in that 
 ** Heaven which is now the receptacle of 
 *' the righteous." Then in relation to the 
 texts, which feem to reflrain the ftate of 
 departed fouls either to Hell or Heaven, he 
 fays, ** This is to be underftood of the final 
 *' ftate of fouls after the day of judgment, 
 ** when there will be no more than two 
 ** conditions of fouls everlaftingly, viz. 
 ** Heaven and Hell, and in this both 
 ** churches agree." Appar. p. 135, Thus 
 thefe Proteftant Bifliops teach to the confu- 
 fion of the bigots of this age. 
 
 Next Proteftants aik, Whether indulgen- 
 ces are not abominable, which either give 
 leave to fin, or grant the pardon of paft fins, 
 for a fum of money ? 
 
 This was the opinion I formerly had of 
 indulgences j but fince I became a Catho- 
 lic, I have found that the Church of Rome 
 grants no indulgences for leave to commit 
 fins, nor pardons for paft fins, but the very 
 
 fame
 
 [ i7» 1 
 fame as has been pra(Sifed in the pureft a- 
 ges of the church ; and that is a remiffion 
 of fomc part of canonical penance, or pu- 
 nishment due to fm. The occafion of their- 
 having been reputed pardons for lins, is, I 
 prefume, owing to their having been former- 
 ly called pardons ; and as giving of alms 
 has been generally one condition required 
 for gaining indulgences, hence has it been 
 thought that the pardon of iin was offered 
 for money : but thefe are miftakes which 
 Proteftants but too oft make, for we beheve 
 that there is no pardon for fin, without true 
 repentance, and an humble confefTion of 
 fm J and if thefe do not precede, no indul- 
 gence can avail us in order to the remiffion 
 of any punifliment due to Iin ^ therefore, if 
 Proteftants would argue fairly, they fhould 
 ftate the cafe as we do believe, and not as 
 they would make people think we believe ;; 
 and then none Could roar fo loudly ggainfl 
 :indulgences as they now do. il:-i'::l:j * 
 
 Next Proteftants afk, Whether it be not 
 an abominable facriledge in. the Church of 
 Rome, to go to men for the pardon of (in, 
 whilft ia & doing,, thpy foiiake Gpd fo^ 
 manP'ib n i --"lit:?'!"^ ■ ' ••' • 
 
 . To this- 1 anfwer. That Roman Catho- 
 
 Hcks believe as firmly as any Proteftants, 
 
 that there is no power but of God alone 
 
 that caA foxgive fins : and tlut where God 
 
 . ' ■ Z. 2 has 
 
 "->*■
 
 t 172 ] 
 
 has made men the minifters of his power, 
 there to go to fuch his minifters, is not to 
 forfake God, or to feek any other power be- 
 fides of God ; but it is to comply with his 
 ordinance, and confequently the direcft way 
 of feeking God ; iince doing his will is the 
 moft effectual way of going to him. He 
 'that hears yoUy hears 7ne, are God's own 
 (Words to his minifters. Now let us hear 
 what the Church of England fays concern- 
 ing confeflion. ^^''^ 
 
 Firft, £he advifes it in the exhortation, 
 giving warning of a communion ; and more 
 particularly a fpecial confeftion is urged in 
 the Kubrick at the vifitation of the lick. 
 But if confeflion is not requifite, why is the 
 dying perfon to be then alarmed and trou- 
 bled with it, when leaft capable torefledtupon 
 his paft life. Hear what Bifhop Mountague 
 ;fays on this head :— ** Private confeflion to 
 ** a Prieft is of very ancient pradlicc in the 
 ** church, of excellent ufe and benefit ; 
 ** being difcretely handled. We refufe it 
 ** to none, if men require it, if need-be to 
 ** have it ; we urge and perfuade it in ex- 
 " tremis : we require it in the cafe of per- 
 ** plexity, for the quieting men difturbed 
 *' and their confciences." Appeal, c. 32. 
 
 He elfe where fays, ** That in the ordi- 
 *' nation of Priefts are thefc words, Riorum 
 *• remiferitis peccaia, whofe fins y©u fhali 
 
 ** forgive
 
 [ 173 ] 
 
 «* forgive they are forgiven ;" and then ht> 
 adds, ** God ordinarily proceedeth, in re- 
 
 * initting fin, by the churches adt; and 
 
 * hence they have their parts in this work, 
 
 * and cannot be excluded -, no more in this 
 
 * than in other ad:s, and parts of their 
 
 * fundtion. And to exclude them, is (af- 
 
 * ter a fort) to v/ring the keys out of their 
 
 * hands to whom Chrift has given them ; 
 ' is to cancel and make void this claufe of 
 
 * remiferitis, as if it were no part of the 
 
 * fentence -, to account of all this folenin 
 
 * fending, and infpiring, as if it were aa 
 ' idle and fruitlefs ceremony.'- Thus con- 
 
 feflion, which the Proteftants of this age (o 
 much ridicule, is both taught and approved 
 of by the Church of England and her Bi- 
 fhops ; and therefore thofe who are in her 
 communion, and yet fpeak againft it, may 
 certainly be deemed the introducers of new 
 and ftrange dodtrines. 
 
 Proteftants alk. Whether it does not be- 
 tray an intolerable pride and confidence in 
 the Papifts, to think they can do more than 
 God requires at their hands, and more than 
 is necefiary, which they call works of Su- 
 pererogation ? 
 
 To this I anfwer, that this dodtrine is not 
 taught by the Catholick Church, for what 
 we mean by works of Supererogation, is no 
 
 more
 
 ([ 174 1 
 
 more than what any Proteftant may approve^ 
 
 viz. That it is the performance of fuch good 
 
 works which God has not required of ua 
 
 by any precept ; fuch as it was in Mary 
 
 Magdalene, when falHng at the feet of 
 
 Jefus, in the Pharifee's houfe, ihe anointed 
 
 them with ointment, having firft waflied 
 
 ithem with her tears, and wiped them with 
 
 her hair^ Repentance and love of Chrift 
 
 iwas commanded, but this her manner of 
 
 scsrpreffing it, fo acceptable to Jefus, was 
 
 rikot commanded, therefore was a work of 
 
 ifiupercrogation ; and this is what we mean 
 
 Jhy the word, and no more. . - 
 
 oi The Proteftant alfo afks. Whether it Be 
 
 fiiot a great cheat, to impofc traditions on the 
 
 world, for the dodtrine of Chrift, and the 
 
 "Word of God ? ;? ^nahi^idl b:ir, i^f\nr[[ 
 
 •^^. It. is true, we profefs to receive traditions, 
 
 \but what traditions are thefe ? Only apof- 
 
 tolical and ecclefiaftical traditions j that is, 
 
 fuch do(5lrines as were delivered by the a- 
 
 poftles without being committed to writing, 
 
 and being prefervcd in the church in all 
 
 ages, have been delivered down to our days; 
 
 and we renounce all vain, and fuperftitious 
 
 traditions of men, and receive none but fuch 
 
 as have a full and fufficienr teftimony of their 
 
 rtaving been received from the apoflles and 
 
 cpureft ages of the church. The Church of 
 
 aEngland holds many traditions, as Infant 
 
 Bap-
 
 r m ] 
 
 Baptifm, the Apoftles Creed, the Faft of^ 
 Lent, the Lord's Day, the great feftivals of 
 Eafter and Whit-Sunday i of not fafting on 
 Sundays, of adoring towards the Eaft,-- 
 profteration before the Altar, of figning the 
 baptized with the Crofs, &c. therefore, if» 
 Proteftants will take the liberty of holding' 
 traditions which they believe to be primitivej» 
 furely they ought to allow Catholicka the 
 fame liberty of judging for thcmfclves. 
 
 Many Proteftai^ts fay that the Pope is An-' 
 tichrill, and that Papiils are idolaters -, but' 
 fome great men of the Church of England 
 teach the contrary, as for inftance, the learn- 
 ed Bifhop Mountague, who fays, ** 1 pro-** 
 ** fefs, ingenv^ufly, I am not of opinion 
 ** that the Bilhop of Rome is perfonally that 
 ** Antichrift, nor yet that the Bifhops of 
 *' Rome fucceflively are that Antichrift 
 ** fo fpoken of," Gag. p. 74, y^, Mr. 
 Thorndikc, in his Juft Weights and Mea- 
 fures. Char, i ft, fays, *' They that feparate 
 " from the Church of Rome, as idolaters, 
 •* are thereby fchifmaticks before God, and 
 " in Char. 2d, Let not them who charge 
 '* the Pope to be Antichrift, and the Papifts 
 ** idolaters, lead the people by the nofe, to 
 '* believe that they can prove their fuppofi- 
 " tion when they cannot." 
 
 Biftiop Parker, fpeaking of this charge of 
 idolatry, fays, *' So black a crime as this, 
 
 ** that
 
 t 176 ] 
 " that IS no lefs than renouncing God, is 
 ** not h'ghtly to be charged upon any party 
 ** of Chriflians, not only becaufe of the. 
 ** foulnefs of the calumny, but the barba- 
 ** rous confcquences that may follow from 
 " it, to invite and warrant the rabble, when^ 
 •* ever opportunity favours, to deftroy the 
 *• Roman Catholicks and their images, as 
 *' the Ifraelites were commanded to deftroy 
 ** the Canaanites and their idols. But be- 
 ** fore fo bloody an indid:ment be preferred 
 •* againfl the greateft part of chriftendom, 
 '* the nature of the thing ought to be well 
 •* underftood. The charge is too big for 
 *• a fcolding word; and how inconfiftent 
 ** foever idolatry may be with falvation, I 
 ** fear fo uncharitable a calumny (if it prove 
 " one) can be of no lefs damnable confe- 
 •' quence. It is a piece of inhumanity, that 
 " outdoes the favagenefs of the Cannibals 
 ** themfelves, and damns at once both body 
 " and foul. And yet after all we have no 
 ** other ground for the bold conceit, than 
 ** the crude and rafli aflertions of fome po- 
 ** pular divines, who have no other mea- 
 ** fures of truth or zeal, but hatred to Po- 
 pery ; and therefore neYer fpare for hard 
 words againft that church, and run up 
 ** all obje^ions againft it into nothing lefs 
 •* than atheifm and blafphemy, of which 
 •* idolatry is the greateft inftance." Reaf. 
 
 for 
 
 €€
 
 f ^11 J 
 
 for Abrog. the Teft. pag. 72, 73. After- 
 wards he is more particular in examining 
 this charge, as confifting of thele thrc6 
 heads : -^ 
 
 1. The worfliip^ of images. - ■ ~ 
 
 *^3^2l Adoration of the hoft. ^ *;jc "Ti^t '* 
 
 •*^^3. Invocation of iaints. ^fcWi§j h 
 
 Where he makes ufe of thefe words wor^ 
 
 thy to be confidered; ** RiK as to the 
 
 ^•* firft, the ufe of images in the worfhip of 
 
 '•*^ God, I cannot but admire at the confi- 
 
 *^ dence of thefe men, to make fo bold a 
 
 •^* charge againft them in general, when the 
 
 ^** images of the cherubim were comraand- 
 
 ** ed by God himfclf, Exod. xxv. 22.-^ 
 
 ** They were the moft folemn and facred 
 
 •' part of the Jewifh religion j and there- 
 
 ** fore, though images, fo far from idola- 
 
 " try, that God made them the feat of his 
 
 " prefence, and from between them dell- 
 
 ** vered his oracles ; (b that fomething more 
 
 ** is required to make idolatry, than the 
 
 ** ufe of images. This inftance is fo plain 
 
 ** and obvious to every reader, there being 
 
 ** nothing more remarkable in the Old 
 
 ** Teftament, than the honour done to the 
 
 " cherubim, that it is a much greater 
 
 ** wonder to me, that thofe men who ad- 
 
 *' vance the obje(ftion of idolatry fo ground- 
 
 ** lefily, ca.n fo flightly rid themfelves of fo 
 
 ** pregnant a proof againfb it." lb. pag. 
 
 A a , 129
 
 [ ?78 ] 
 
 139» 130. And again he fays, *« Till 
 ♦• therefore it be proved that they worfhip 
 f* images of falfe Gods, as the fupreme 
 *' Deities, or that they worfhip the true 
 '* God by corporeal images, and rcprelen- 
 *' tatiorts of his divine nature, there is no 
 ^ footing for idolatry in Chriftendom/* lb. 
 jpagc 133. 
 
 :He goes on*-^*' As for the adoration of 
 i^f the hoft, when they can prove it is given 
 -•^l ;to it, either ^s a ly mbol of a falfe God, 
 ^^^; or the piif^ure of the true one,i howfoe- 
 ** ver fau.Ity it i^ay be otherwife, it can be 
 ** no idolatry. And as for the invocatioiit 
 *-* of faints, unlefs they worship thenx as 
 ** the fuprerne God, the charge of idolatry 
 M is an idle word, and the adoration itfejf 
 .♦-^ thai is ^iven to them as faints, is a dii-eft 
 , ** proteftation againft idolatry, becaufe it 
 . ** fuppofes a fnperior deity, and that fap- 
 *=* politipn cuts off the very. being of idola- 
 . *>*• try." Thus far thefe learned writers, 
 and eminent peripn.s of the Church of Eng- 
 land, excufe us frpin being guilty of what 
 the weak unthinking bulk of Proteftants. 
 accufe us of; therefore it will be needlefa 
 to cite any other writers on this fubje<5l, 
 and fo I iliall conclude it, begging the Al- 
 . mighty to difpel that mill: which hangs o- 
 v^fjr the eyes of moft Proteftants, fo that 
 
 they 
 
 h](
 
 \^ky^mifU^ tiling as they realj^ arc, 
 
 hot is vile' men paint themi I^a5hf«^ wl "^ 
 *^ Proteftants afk, Bv what autlK)rity th^ 
 ^bman CathoHck Church condemns all o- 
 flVerS'for Hcreticks, wbo do not believe as 
 ^b reaches, and Who gave h^r that au- 
 
 " ' ^o this r {Iiall gfvfe for arffvy^st a^ qudtatl- 
 bh'f^om A. Spai^rofW,- Lord* Wt^^^ot'&i^ 
 feftli-'f CoIFectTonf' i&f \A«icks>-'6^c^: of thi 
 ChtiM oF'Engfl^dy^a^h'd^in^hl'3'-f}re^ce hak 
 thefol1b\v4ng-w6rc%, ''"^ That- tlje^" church 
 hlay prcicrvc'fierFelf in this' parity- "^^ivit ho ut 
 rpof, ilrid'^ iff^R?^ liriify without ^Jvifion; 
 and continde one holy cliuVchi^ a^itis in out 
 creed, a double power and au'thoriiy is needr 
 ful, as to all bodies politic, fo likewife to 
 this fociety of believers, the church \ one 
 of jurifditSion to correifl and reform thofe 
 impure members, hy fpiritual cenfures, 
 whom counfel will not win, and if they be 
 incdrrigiblc, to cafl them out of this holy 
 fociety, left their leaven fliould leaven th^ 
 whole lump, i Cor. v. 6. 
 * Thus to preferve the churches purity, and 
 again to correft and reduce to unity the con- 
 tentious troublers of the churches peace, if 
 it may be by charitable admonitions, if not 
 to ftop their mouths, Titus i. 1 1 ^ not, by 
 arguments alone, for fuch will nev^r pre- 
 vail upon abfurd, unreafonable, and obfti-» 
 ''■ ' A a 2 nate
 
 t 180 ] 
 
 natc men, (and fuch there always will be) 
 but by fpiritual cenfures, even to the cad- 
 ing them out of the churches ibciety, fo to 
 prefcrve peace and unity. Befides this 
 power of jurifdidtion, there is neceffary al- 
 fo for the obtaining thofe two high ends, 
 a legiflative power to make canons and con- 
 ftitutions upon emergent occafions. For 
 though our great Lord hath already given to 
 his church moft holy and wife rules and 
 laws for the fame purpofes ; yet becaufe 
 they arc general, not defcending to every 
 particularity of time, place, and manner of 
 performance, which yet are neccfTary to be 
 determined for the prefervation of public 
 peace and unity; and becaufe there may, 
 at leaft through the perverfenefs of men of 
 corrupt minds, arife fome doubts and con- 
 troveriies about the fenfe and meaning of 
 thofe mofl holy rules of our Lord, for the 
 determining of which we are not now to 
 cxpe<5l any refolution from prophet or ora- 
 cle, or other immediate voice from Heaven ; 
 it doth hereupon neceiTarily follow, that 
 there muft be authority left $0 this church, 
 and the governors thereof, to make new 
 laws upon thefe emergent occafions, to de- 
 termine thefe particularities, to decide and 
 compofe thefe controvw fies, whereby to pre- 
 fcrve the unity of the Spirit, in the bond 
 of peace. Whofoever (hall think that all 
 
 this
 
 { J«J } 
 
 lliis may be done by friendly pcrfuafion, 
 or learned difputes only, will Hnd himfelf 
 deceived, as experience of all ages hath 
 (hewn, and will (hew as long as there be 
 men of perverfc minds, and corrupt affec* 
 tions. Without a definitive and authori- 
 tative fentence, controvcrfies will be end- 
 icfs, and the church's peace unavoidably 
 difturbed, and therefore the voice of God 
 and right reafon hath taught, that in mat- 
 ters of controverfy the definitive fentence of 
 fuperiors ihould decide the doubt ; and 
 whofoever ihould decline from that fentence, 
 and do prefumptuoufly, /hould be put to 
 death, that others might hear and fear, and 
 do no more prefumptuoufly, Dcut. xvii. 
 >vhich is to be underftood myfiically alfo 
 of death fpiritual by excommunication, by 
 being cut off from the living body of 
 Chrift's Church. 
 
 It being thus cleared by reafon and God*s 
 own ruk, that fuch power is necejSary for 
 the preferving peace and unity, it cannot 
 be imagined with reafon, that our great 
 Mafter (hould deny his dear bought body 
 fuch neceflarics. But not to reft upon the 
 reafon why they fhould be given j it may 
 be made to appear, that de faSlo he haih 
 given fuch power to the church, and that 
 by reciting his gracious commifiion granted 
 to the church, with his Apofllcs pradlicc 
 
 and
 
 . i ilk i 
 
 and ciefcife of thfofe powers, who beft' 
 knowittg their Lord's will and pleafure/ 
 ihuft be, by their pradice; the beft inters? 
 pttters of his mind and rtieaning. See,^ 
 theni hovr read we? For the power of j\x^ 
 rlfdi^ioh, wfe firid a larlgd" commiffion, St.* 
 J6hii XTC, As Thy Fathef feht nidi fc< fend f 
 you ; and ohe particiSlar of jtirifdi^tetr tberi 
 ^pfelTed, whofocVer litTs you bind in eatth'^ 
 they are bound in Heaven; a fharp and 
 dreadful fentence, worft than that of the 
 iword; by ft much as the death of the foul 
 isworfe than the death of tht body, which 
 inobftlnati^ difpifers of that eorredioh dotfi 
 too certainly follow. 
 
 This power of fpiritual cenfures, "St*, Paul 
 talfs the rod of SfcipUm, i Cot*, iv. uH.*^^ 
 B]^ virtue of this power and commiffion, St. 
 Paul delivers the irtceftous Corinthian to 
 Satan, and cafts him out of the chutcheS 
 Communioh, i Cor. v. And the fame St. 
 Paul not onXj exercifes this jurifdicftloii 
 himfelf, but alfb directs his fon, Bifhop Ti- 
 mothy, ho# to behave himfelf in the ot- 
 dering the chut-ch cenfures, i Tim. v. i^i 
 not to receive an accufation againft a Prefby-k 
 ter under two or three witnefTes, and whert 
 he had heard, to rebukt or cenfure as th6 
 caufe requires, without partiality or lean* 
 ing to either fide : all which fpeak plainlj^ 
 a tribunal crcdted irt the church and aQ- 
 
 know-^
 
 JkQo^kdgc^ by the, Apbftlc, -enough Ip^prov^e 
 the power o( jurifdic^ion. Then tbe le^i- 
 ilativc ,of making laws and <?onflitutrons tqr 
 
 .regulating manners, and determiniqg daub^ 
 and cpntroverfies, it cannot with any reafon 
 be denied to be granted in this lar^e coin- 
 mifHon foreptcd, St. John xx. As piy Fj^- 
 ther fent me, fo fend I you. For herp com- 
 mitting the goyermnent ^^f the clmrch to 
 his Apoftles, our Lord cpmmiflions thein 
 vith the (mc power that w^ f;oi;imitji|^ 
 
 4p hi^J for that purpofe when lie \5ra$ f^ 
 t,m)^» Witb the faQie nec^%^ fta^di^g 
 power th^t he h^d aad exercifed^s man fpr 
 
 . fhe good of t^e cljurQh ; lefs cannqt jp r^^- 
 (bji bj? thought tp be Ijere gra<ite(j|, ilian^ll 
 power neceffary fcr th? ,w,ell and rpe^c^aye 
 government of the churchy an,d fuch a 
 power is this of majcitn^ laws : tljep in par- 
 ticular for making articles, and decifipns pf 
 t>f doftrines controY^rited^ the power is iJiprc 
 explicit and expre^, St. M^tt. xxyiji. ^// 
 power V givm to nif, .go, iherefpre^ ajfd feafb 
 all nations, that is^ with authority, and by 
 virtue ,of that pow^r that is given to m^ : 
 and what is it to teach the truth with au- 
 thority, but to commaiad and oblige all peo- 
 ple to receive the truth fo tayght ? And 
 this power was not given to the Apoftks* 
 
 , perfons only, for Chrift there promifed to 
 be with them in, that office to the end, of 
 
 the
 
 t »84 } 
 fhc world. This will appear (liM more 
 clear by St. Paul, Heb. xiri. where after he 
 had commanded them not to be carried a* 
 bout with divers and ftrange doftrines, he 
 prefcribes this as the prefervative againft 
 fuch errors and inconftancy. Obey them that 
 bave the Jovereignty over you, and watch Jor 
 
 your fouls ', obey them in the guidance and 
 condudt of your fouls, in their determinati- 
 
 ;ons and decifions about fuch divers and 
 
 'ftrange doftrine, all which fuppofes in 
 thofe guides a power to govern and rule us 
 
 'in fuch doubts and controverlies about doc- 
 trines and matters of belief; an authority 
 to determine in controverjies of faith ^ as our 
 
 ' church teaches us in her twentieth article : 
 add to this, that St. Paul tells us, i Tim. 
 iii. 15* that the church is the ground and 
 
 pillar of truth. And whither, then, (hould 
 wc go in doubts and controverfics, for the 
 determination of what is truth ? For the 
 clearer underftanding of this power in the 
 church, know, that to this one holy churchy 
 our Lord committed in truft the moft holy 
 faith, and the whole ftock of nccefTary 
 Chriftian truth, therefore called the ground 
 and pillar of truth." 
 
 Thus far this Proteftant Bifhop — And 
 from him any perfon may fee, that hath 
 eyes, by what authority all Hcrtticks are 
 condemned, and alfo who gave the church 
 
 that
 
 that authdrify to condemn fadh dirturoers 
 of her unity. Yea, from what this Bifhop ^ 
 has faid, all Proteftants may underftand, 
 on what a weak foundation their fo much 
 boafted reformation is built ; for if the 
 church has the power which this Bifhop 
 proves flie has, I then tifk, what lawful 
 power had Luther, or Calvin, or any of the 
 firfl Reformers to cenfure and condemn the 
 Sacraments and rites of the Roman Catho- 
 lic Church ? Yea, I want to knov/ what. 
 power could oblige her to fubmit herfelf to 
 be judged by any private man ? 
 
 Now Luther and Calvin were both pri- 
 vate men, and bred up in her communion, 
 therefore could have no lawful cotomiflionj 
 or authority, but what ^hey received -from' 
 her; and after the church had cut off-from 
 her holy fociety, thefe difturbers of her uni- 
 ty, what other holy church authorifed them 
 to preach up their two contrary faiths ? 
 for Luther preached up contrary' to Calvin,^ 
 and Calvin contrary to Luther, and each 
 one anathemifed the other and his follow- 
 ers; and the Church of England faith is 
 contrary to both : and fo does every reform -<^ 
 cd church differ from all others that ever^ 
 were before them, for which reafon all oi 
 them cannot be of God, becaufe God is not 
 the author of confufion, but of unitv. 
 
 B b ' '- *•' ^ As
 
 r >86 J 
 
 As the Church of England glories in al- 
 lowing her adverfaries the freedom of an 
 impartial examination of her dodtrine and 
 religion, I hope, that - as I have anfwered 
 many queftions, that none of her Paflors 
 will be offended at me for afking the fol- 
 lowing plain ones : 
 
 I. Whether the Church of England joined 
 in communion unto any church that always had 
 a being, and was always a wjible and known 
 
 fociety of chrijlians, from our Saviour s time, 
 and what nation it was in ? For if {he did 
 not join herfelf unto the true and univerfal 
 Church of Chrift, fhe muft be a newfeSi, 
 
 II. Whether the Church of England be the 
 Apofiolic Church of Chriji, or not ? For ex- 
 cept her Minillers can fhew that (he be in 
 communion with the Catholic Church, 
 which the Apoilles built, and which has in 
 her a continued fucceffion of Paflors and 
 doctrine from them to the prefent time, they 
 mufl own that fhe is an upjiart, and New 
 Church. 
 
 III. Whether the Protejlaut Church can 
 be the Catholic Church of all ages, when the 
 very name of Proteftant was utterly unknown 
 till after the year 1519 ? And if fhe be not 
 Catholic, fhe mufl be a tiewfedf. 
 
 IV. Whether laity, clergy, learned and 
 unlearned, all ages, fe5is and degrees of men, 
 women and children, in whole Chrijlendom, 
 
 were
 
 r 187 ] .,, ,, 
 
 viere drowned in abominable idolatry , for the 
 /pace of 800 year Si and more, as the Homily 
 againft peril of idolatry exprejfes it ? If they 
 were not, the Homily teaches falfities, and 
 fo do the Articles of the Church of Eng- 
 land : for the 35th Article approves the faid 
 Homily, as containing (with others of the 
 like kind) good and wholefome dodVrine, and 
 neceffary for thefe times. 
 
 V, Whether the Church of England miiji 
 not have received her authority to preach and 
 adminifler the Sacraments from abominable 
 idolaters ? Becaufe, according to her own 
 docftrine, there was none but fuch in whole 
 Chriftendom for 800 years and more be- 
 fore her time ; therefore, if none of the 
 Apollles came down from Heaven to autho- 
 rife and ordain her Minifters, fhe muft be an 
 idolatrous church : becaufe (he could not 
 (as £he herfelf teaches) receive ordination 
 or authority from any other, every age, fe(ft, 
 and human creature, as fays the Homily, 
 being overwhelmed in abominable idolatry. 
 
 VI. Whether, if the a fore faid Homily be 
 true, the fcripture and Creeds be not falfef 
 For if the fcripture be true, Chrifl always 
 had a church, fuch as it defcribes the fame 
 to be, namely, the pillar and fupport of 
 truthy always orthodox, always vilible; al- 
 ways known, and always fpread over the 
 cart^h. And if the crecd-^ be true, Chrifl 
 
 ^ b 2 had.
 
 [ i88 ] 
 had, in the ages immediately before the Re- 
 formation, one holy y catholic (that is univer- 
 faJ, orthodox) itnd apoftolic church, the com- 
 munion of Saints ; therefore, it is plain, that 
 either the Homily mull be falfe, or elfe the 
 holy fcripture and creed are. 
 
 VII. Whether the true fervice of God had 
 been corrupted throughout the whole world be^ 
 
 fore King Edward's time? Or if not, tell 
 me where was the Province upon earth that 
 it did exift in ? 
 
 VIII. Whether at this day there he no pure 
 and apoflolical fervice of God. in the worlds ex^ 
 cept that ejlahlified by law, in England and 
 Ireland ? 
 
 IX« Whether it be lawful for the people 
 of England to invent a church to themfehes, 
 divided from all the reji of the Chriflian 
 world? 
 
 X. Whether the Church of England he not 
 changeable according to the various inclinations 
 of Englifi Parliamenis ? 
 
 XI. Whether i^ac 39 Articles of the 
 Church of England, be articles of faith i 
 yea, or no ? If they are not, then nobody 
 is bound to believe them, -, if they be, then 
 hath the Church of England invented new 
 articles of faith, befides thofe twelve infli- 
 tuied by Chrift and his Apoflles. 
 
 XII. V/hether that be a true church 
 which wants lawful paflors ? And whether 
 
 pallors
 
 r 189 ] 
 
 paftors not lawful and true, can be faid to 
 adminifter true Sacraments ? If not, then 
 is it not better to communicate with Ca- 
 tholics under one kind, than with Proteflants 
 under no kind ? , . ?^, ^ , , : r.- ' ,, 
 
 XIII. Whether want of mimdn be not 
 an error in the foundation of any church ? 
 It being theft and robbery (as our Saviouj 
 hath taught us) not to enter by the door ia.- 
 to the (heepfold. -. ^^^ ^ 
 
 XIV. Whether Queen Elizabeth's Si* 
 fhops entered by the Parliament door, or 
 by a lawful fuccellion from the Apoftles ? 
 For none lefs than a Bifhop, can confecrate 
 another Bifhop, by reafon, no man can laWf 
 fully give to another, what he Is not law- 
 fully in pofleffion of himfelf. 
 
 XV. Whether the bible does not admit 
 of various interpretations ? And if fo, whe- 
 ther fome judge is not to be affigned to de- 
 termine which is the true interpretation? 
 For if there is to be no judge in this cafe, 
 people may wrangle for ever, and one fay 
 the fcripture means fo, and another not fo, 
 even to the world's end. 
 
 Obfcrve, the prefent Proteflants build 
 their faith upon the bible that was tranflat- 
 ed in King James's time, but the Proteflants 
 before that time built upon the bible tran- 
 flated in Queen Elizabeth's time, and thofe 
 
 befor^^
 
 [ ipo ] 
 before her time, took that tranflated by 
 Tindal, to be the infallible word of God. 
 
 The Proteftants abroad, fome believe Lu- 
 ther's tranflation to be the infallible rule 
 which they ought to go by ; others take 
 Beza's tranflation ; others prefer Zuinglius's 
 tranflation i and others Oecolampadius's 5 
 others Cafi:alio's ; and all think themfelves 
 certain of having the true and infallible 
 word of God, and yet, to their eternal con- 
 fufion, all eondemn eaeh otherj^ and expofe 
 the falfities of one another's tranflatio*is ; as 
 h^ar from their own mouths. 
 
 Firft, concerning Luther's tranflation, 
 hear what the great Zuinglius fays, in his 
 Lib. de Sacra, fol. 412. ** Luther was 
 ** (fays he) a foul corrupter* and horrible 
 *' falfifier of God's word : one who follow- 
 " cd the Marcioniflis and Arians, that ra- 
 «* 2ed out fuch places of holy writ as were 
 <* againft him. Thou doft, (fays he to Lu- 
 *' ther) corrupt the word of God, thou art 
 <* feen to be a manifeft and common cor- 
 «* rupter and perverter of the holy fcrip- 
 " tures. How much are we afliamed of 
 ** thee, who have hitherto efteemed thee." 
 &c. 
 
 When Zuinglius had printed his bible at 
 Zurich, the printer fent one to Luther, but 
 he rejected it, and fent it back again ; as fee 
 in the Proteftants Apoligie Trad:, i. S. 10. 
 
 Subd.
 
 [ '91 ] 
 
 Sabd. 4. faying, " that the tranflators were 
 ** fools, alTes, antichrifts, deceivers, and of 
 " an afs like underilanding." 
 
 When Oecolampadius had fet forth his 
 bible at Bafil, Beza faid thus of it, ** The 
 *' Balilian tranflation is in many places 
 " wicked, and altogether differing from the 
 " mind of the Holy Ghoft.'* 
 
 The fame great Beza accounts that fo 
 highly efleemed tranflation of Caftalio, ** to 
 ** be facrilegious, wicked, and ethnical." 
 And in his annotations calls it, *• falfc, 
 '* foolifh, unfltilful, bold, blafphemous, 
 " vicious, ridiculous, curfed, erroneous, 
 '* wicked and perverfe." 
 
 Caftalio wrote a whole book againft Be- 
 za's tranflation, and faid, ** That to note 
 ** all his errors (in tranflating) would re- 
 ** quire a great volume," Here you fee 
 thefe tranflations of your prime dodtors, 
 condemned by the authority of others, no 
 lefs famous tranflators ; and both thofe who 
 were condemned thus, and who did thus 
 condemn, were men more famous among 
 you, than any one tranflator of any one 
 Englifh bible. And if thefe learned tranf- 
 lations were fo full of corruptions, how 
 can you hope that your Englifh tranflators 
 have done their parts better than any of 
 thefe great dodtors. Therefore, your build* 
 iiig your faith on the bible, as tranflated 
 
 in
 
 [ ^92 1 
 
 In England, cannot be an infallible faitli, 
 and without an infallible rule of faith, none 
 can be faved. ,, '' * 
 
 Now hear what Hts "Beifh faid againft 
 the Englifh tranilators, by EngHfh Pro- 
 teftants. ulumr 
 
 '**'^Upon Queen Elizabeth's making three 
 articles, to be fubfcribed by all her ekr- 
 'gy, one of which was, that the book of 
 common prayer contains nothing contrary 
 to the word of God. 
 
 Divers minifters, in a treatife to her ex- 
 cellent Majefty, fpoke thus, " Our tranf- 
 ** lation cJf the pfalms, comprized in our 
 ** book of common prayer, does, in additi- 
 ** on, fubftraclion, and alteration, differ 
 ** from the truth of the Hebrew, in two 
 ** hundred places, at leafl." 
 
 And Mr. Burges, in his Apology, S. 6. 
 writes thus, ** How {hall I approve, under 
 ** my hand, a tranflation which has many 
 ** omiflions, many additions, which fome- 
 ** times obfcures, fometimes perverts the 
 " fenfe,being fometimes fenfelefs, fometimes 
 *' contrary." 
 
 And Carlial faith, in his book of Chrifl's 
 dcfcent into Hell, p. ii6. ** The tranf- 
 ** lators thereof (the Englifh bible) have 
 ** depraved the fenfe, or obfcured the truth, 
 *' and deceived the ignorant. In many 
 ** places they detort the fcripture from the 
 
 right
 
 [ ^93 ] 
 
 ** i-I^ht fenfe ; and finally, they fhew theh^^ 
 **'i^l^^fe iu lot^e ddfknefs mdre than ligh# 
 *^^MihoiDd inbre thin truth."; 
 ' When King James came fff; t^^ Mit^^ii^ 
 of Lincolnfhire, in an abridgment of a book 
 delivered to the King. p. it, 12, of thcf' 
 EngHdi tranflatron fpeak thus, ** It tak^Sf 
 ** away from the text, adds to the text, ancf 
 ** this fometimes t6 the chaTiging otobfcuf- 
 " irfg of the rheanitig of the Hofy Ghoft." 
 
 t)r, Reynolds, in a meeting of Biiliops,; 
 ^fllampton- Court, mentioned, That ther^ 
 liiight ht a new tranliatidh of the Biblfe^,* 
 hecaufe the prefent tranflati^rrs wttt c6t- 
 f Upt and not anfwerable to the ttuth of the 
 ^'riginal : and after King James's' Bible was 
 pritited, Mr. Brou^htori (a iWari^'^s fkiifal 
 it Hebrew and Greek as 2i^f yffzX^t^'^^^k'^ 
 land) did give this cenfure in' his advertife- 
 mcnts of corruptions to tht EiOiops ; fay- 
 ing, " That their public tranflatiofi-: of tne^ 
 ** fcriptures into Englifh', is fuch, that rl! 
 ♦* perverteth the text of the Old Tefla- 
 *'■ rrrent in- 848 places, and that it caufeth 
 ** millions to reject the New Teftamenf; 
 '" and to run into eternal flames," 
 
 You are alfo to obferve, that in Qtfe^ri 
 Elizabeth's time to the laft day of her r^i^hi 
 her clergy fubfcribed that the falfe Bible 
 which they then had, was the true word 
 ^ e c of
 
 [ 194 1 
 of God ; though it is now proved to b® 
 quite contrary (m many places) to the true 
 word of God. The fcripture which they 
 th n had 'Avab. held to be the only rule of 
 faith, and cued as fail, and as thick for 
 Ood's wojd then, as it is now : and yet 
 the prefent Bible tells us fairly that the o- 
 ther was not God's true word, but falfe 
 wo.ds, of falfe tranflators. 
 
 And pray, what comfort can any Pro- 
 tcflant have who is obliged to rely on what 
 his prefent tranflators fay, and to take that 
 for his only divine rule of faith which they 
 have thought proper to alter as bcfl fuited 
 with their purpofe ? to give a few inftances 
 of their difingenuity, I will cite a tranllation 
 of the 1 8th chapter of St. Luke, and the 
 42d verfe, where the prefent tranflation fays, 
 *' Thy faith hath faved thee," in place of 
 iaying, ** Thy faith hath made thee whole." 
 And in Matt. xix. ii. the tranflator makes 
 Chrifl: tell us, ** All men cannot receive 
 ** this faying;" whereas Chriit faid only, 
 ** All men do not receive this faying," as 
 is evident out of the Greek 
 
 Now when tranflators make no confcience 
 of wilfully faliifying God's own word, in 
 favour of their own opinions, 1 may juflly 
 fay, that protellants cannot be fure of their 
 faith in all points ^ becaufe they take a falfe 
 tranflation as the only rule of faith in all 
 
 points :
 
 [ '95 1 
 
 points : wherefore it is neceflary, for all 
 thofc who w\(h to gain Heaven, to build 
 their faith on a more fure foundation, fuch 
 as is the church, which is the foundation, 
 or pillar and funport of truth itfelf. And 
 I afk, who can find half fo fure a ground 
 to build theif faith upon, as is the church, 
 which St. Paul affirms to be the pillar and 
 ground of truth ? • 
 
 XVI. Whether religion be facred if 
 cftabliihed by the laws of the land ? If it 
 be, why did Queen Elizabeth deftroy the 
 Catholic religion which had been eftablifhed 
 by a number of laws, even for ages before 
 her time ? 
 
 XVII. Whether it is not more fafe to die 
 in the old fail] ion rehgion of our Catholic 
 anceftors, who derived their miniilerial or- 
 der from the very Apoftles themfelves, than 
 in any new faith fprung up fince the year 
 of our Lord 1500, yea, though they fhould 
 have their power and authority from the 
 Parliament itfelf? If to die in the former is 
 fa fed, by reafuii old Chriftian faiths are bcft, 
 then let each fland in the way of h^s old 
 Catholic anceftors, and feck after the goodly 
 paths in which they trod, and walk there- 
 in. For the marks of herefy, are the new 
 faiths it teaches, therefore avoid all novel- 
 ties in religion, becaufe there is but one Ca- 
 
 C c 2 thoKc
 
 [ 196 J 
 
 tbolic Church, in which alone is the comt 
 fnunion of Saints. 
 
 XVIII. Whether Chrift did not com- 
 mand all men to obey his church under 
 pain of being looked upon as excommuni- 
 cated perfons ? And if fo, whether it was 
 the Church of England that h§ taught v^9 
 to obey, or whether it was not the holy 
 Catholic Church, in which is the commu- 
 nion of SaintSj unto whom we owe obe- 
 4ience ? If it was the former, then I would 
 ^fk, Unto what church obedience was due 
 before the prefent Church of England had 
 a narne or being ? For the command was 
 given upwards of 1500 years before the 
 words Protejlafit Churchy were fo much as 
 known, or beard of. Beiides, I afk. In what 
 pountry or nation did the church exifl: ifl-, 
 unto whotri v^e ought to pay obedience \ 
 but if it is the holy Catholic Church alone, 
 which we are obliged to obey, even in 
 matters of private quarrels, as well as thofe 
 of points of faith ; I then afk, Whether 
 the Church of England could feparatc her- 
 felf from her faith and communion without 
 being guilty of herefy ? 
 
 XIX. Whether the holy Catholic Church 
 can err in fettling points of faith, yea, ox 
 po I If fhe cannot, then it is plain (he is in- 
 fallible : and if fhe can err then (he ceafea 
 to be boly i and in conf€(][uence, the creeds 
 
 ceafe
 
 ceafc to be true ^ thetefore if the cieeds b^- 
 true, there always ^as a >6^^ <2/z^ unerring 
 Cburcb, 
 
 XX. Whether a Proteftant, profefllng 
 before God and man that he believes in one 
 holy Catholick Church, and at the fam^ 
 time acknowledging that it is impoflible for 
 any church to be holy, does not profefs t© 
 believe a grofs contradiction ? For if he is 
 pofitive that no church upon earth can be 
 free from error, becaufe compofed of falibj^ 
 men, then he cannot mean what his words 
 exprefs in the creeds : for to be bolyt is to 
 be free froRi error \ therefore, whatever 
 fhurch it is that errs in points of faith, Ihe is 
 rot the hdy Catholic Church of Chrifi, but 
 the church of fome fferet^ yifl^o in^p/afed on 
 the credulity of men. 
 
 XXI. I alk. Whether the Church of Eng- 
 land Bifhops at their iirft beginning, were 
 directed by the Holy Ghofl in the making 
 their faith, or not ? If they Virere not, then 
 the church which they eftahliihed was nqt 
 the church of Chrift, fo;* Chrift promiled 
 that the Holy Ghoift fhould abide with his 
 church for ever, to guide and diredt her int© 
 all truth. 
 
 If it is anfwercd, that they were diredsd 
 by the Holy Ghoft, then I a|k, whether any 
 man, or iet of men, could prefume to alter 
 thefaith and articles which they fxfft made, 
 
 without
 
 t >98 ] 
 
 Without being guilty of herefy or fchifm ? 
 Becaufe whatever the Holy Ghoft didates 
 will always remain truth, and never can 
 need altering. 
 
 ■^ ■ But at the firft eftablifhing the reformed 
 church of England, auricular confeffion was 
 retained, and the whole high mafs, with 
 thefe alterations only, namely, That there 
 fhould be but two lights upon the high al- 
 tar, that the Epiftles and Gofpels fliould be 
 read in Englifli and not in Latin, that the 
 Priefl fhould confecrate more wine than u- 
 fual, and not drink all up himfelf, and that 
 every of the breads fhould be broke into 
 two, or more pieces. Now if the Holy 
 Ghofl diredled the firfl eflablifhers of the 
 Church of England's faith, (as they boafl- 
 ingly faid he did) to retain the mafs and 
 auricular confefHon ; I then afk, what fpirit 
 directed theabolifhing them, astheyarenow 
 at this day ? 
 
 The fame Holy Spirit could not, becaufe 
 whatever the Holy Ghofl dictates are eternal 
 truths, and can never need mending ; and 
 if the Holy Ghoft did not dired the abo- 
 lifliing the mafs and auricular confefTjon, 
 then the prefent faith of the Church of Eng- 
 land muft be wrong. 
 
 Therefore either the blefled Reformers 
 (ss they called themfelves) were wrong at 
 their firfl-fetting off, cr elfe the prefent 
 
 Church
 
 f 199 1 
 
 church of England is fo now ; and if the. 
 iirfl glorious Reformers were impoflors, and 
 not fent by God to teach his truths ; what 
 is to be thought of the prefent Church of 
 England who fprung from them, and is a 
 branch of the fame tree ? Chrifl himfelf 
 having told us, that a corrupt tree cannot 
 bring forth good fruit, neither can a good 
 tree bring forth corrupt fruit. Now if the 
 prefent paflors of the Church of England 
 cannot clear the firfl: Reformers from being 
 guilty of teaching errors in points of faiths 
 then their own faith muft be looked upoa 
 as built on a weak and fandy foundation. 
 
 Notey The ftatute that enaded the mafs 
 to be retained, fays, (2 and 3 Edward Vltb, 
 c. I.) ** Was made by the. Archbifhop of 
 " Canterbury, and certain of the moft learn- 
 " ed and dilliect-Bi/hops, and other learn- 
 " ed men of this realm, having as well 
 *' eye and refped: to the moft fincere and 
 *' pure Chriflian religion taught in fcrip- 
 ** ture, as to the primitive church ; and was 
 *' by the aid of the Holy Ghoft, with one 
 ** agreement, concluded, fet forth, and de- 
 *' livered to his Majeily, to his great com- 
 " fort and quiet of mind," -who -was then 
 about twelve years oiil, and no doubt, muft be 
 thought a very Jit per Jan . to be the fiipreme 
 Head and DireBor of Chri/fs Church, and 
 able to judg^ as well as Jome others ho^v it 
 
 QUj^k't
 
 [ 200 i 
 
 ought td be patched ahd ikended. And yet 
 when he came to be^ about three years oldei-^ 
 the mafs, which had glveti hitn futh pt'^i 
 comfort and quiet of mind, was laid afide, 
 and another liturgy introdticcd, although the 
 very ftatute that difanulled the former, fays, 
 (5 and 6 Edward VIth,--C; i.) thalt 1^ \^as 
 d very godly order , agrecdnle to the "word of 
 Godf ahd the primitive Church, very comfort^' 
 able to all good people dejiring to live in Chri- 
 Jiian cdnvetjatiorit and fiiofl profit able to the 
 ejiate of this realtrt. And after, it fays. Thai 
 the doubts in the ufe and exercife of ttj iverS 
 rather by the curiofity of Mimftersi and inif- 
 takes, than of any other worldly caufe.-—^ 
 Strange, that it Ihould need altering ! 
 
 XXil. Whether the rule of faith which all 
 new churches bftiild upon, of interpreting 
 fcripture by their oWfi private judgment, 
 or by the private fpirit of theif new teach- 
 ers, be the true rule of Chriftiari faith ? 
 
 XXril. Whether the members of any 
 new religion are certain that any private in- 
 terpreter underftands the true meaning of 
 the fcripture, as the Holy Ghoft intcndeci 
 rt to be underftood ? For if their private 
 interpreters do not, they liave no true di- 
 vine faith. 
 
 XXIV. Whether a private interpretation 
 
 of fcripture be not mere human opinion, and 
 
 ©nly the words of the interpreter fuggefted 
 
 ^ * by
 
 [ 201 ] 
 
 by his own, fpirit, and if fo, how can it bq 
 da^infallible wocd of God? 
 
 XXV. Whether he who pretends to in^ 
 terpret feripture by his own private judg-^ 
 men, is not in danger of fathering the ex-» 
 ti'aviigant prodii(Ltions of his own; brain QiU 
 the word of GadiiVidj ni ix^O \d in6l '^is-.v 
 "ioXXVL Whether the true' rmniilerS jof 
 Glirifl can be* any other than fuch as come 
 down by fucccffion from the Apoftles of 
 Chrift ? If they c,rmot, it is then plain that 
 the teachers of all new fe<5ts are not tbd 
 trae miniflers of Chrift, and therefore havd 
 no power, or commiffion to blcfs in his 
 name, or to preach his word, or to admi-: 
 nifter his facraments, becaufe they do not 
 come down in a regular fuccellion from the 
 Apofliles of Chrift, neither were they ever 
 Mcenced or impowered by the paftors of 
 the Church of Chrift who had authority 
 handed down to them from the Apoftles, 
 who were originally commiffioned by Chrift 
 hijnfelf, who faid. As my Father fent me, 
 I fend you y St. John xx. 
 ' And as' the teachers of all new fedtshavc 
 no commiffion from God in the ordinary 
 way, as the paftors of Chrift's Church ought' 
 to have, I then afk. 
 
 Whether they have any extraordinary 
 
 commifilon immediately from God himfelf ? 
 
 If they fay they have, I then afk them to 
 
 D d _ produce
 
 [ 202 ] 
 
 produce their proper credentials, as Mofcs 
 and the Apoftles did ; that is, I afk them 
 toihcw one evident miracle worked by them 
 in proof of their being the extraordinary 
 Delegates of God ? And if they cannot give 
 thefe proofs, then it is plain they never 
 were fent by God in this manner, therefore 
 muft be wolves in fheep's cloathing, of 
 whom all men ought to beware, notwith- 
 ftanding their hoafiing of the Spirit, their 
 outward y^^w of Religion in^€\x formal ca7it, 
 larded with texts of Scripture, wrefted to 
 ferve a turn, and their crying out Lord, 
 Lord, though the Lord never fent them, 
 neither is his truth amofjgji them. 
 
 XXVII. Whether any of the Proteftant 
 Religions be the true Religion, which was 
 taught by Chrift and his Apoftles, and 
 which it is that has that antiquity on its 
 fide ? For if any of them was taught by 
 Chrift, it then will follow, that the Pro- 
 teftant Religion had a being before Popery, 
 and that there was a change from Proteftan- 
 €y to Popery — I then afk, 
 
 XXVIII. whether any one can tell the 
 time when Popery came into the world, and 
 who were the firft broachers of it, and what 
 authentic hiftory can be produced which 
 has been handed down to pofterity, which 
 fhews when this change o( Religion hap- 
 pened ? 
 
 XXIX. f
 
 f ^03 ] 
 
 XXIX. I afk, who were the fird invent 
 tors or promoters of the mafs, and what was 
 the names of thofe zealous Proteftant Bi- 
 fhops who wrote againft it at its firfl appear- 
 ance ? / " 
 
 XXX. I alfo afk, who was the firfl Pope,' 
 Bifliop, or Priefl: who faid mafs, and what 
 refiftance he met with, and what councils 
 condemned it : and (hould alfo be glad to 
 know with what rcludtancc people were at 
 firfl: brought to be prefent at it, and whe- 
 ther the whole Chriftian world was bribed^ 
 or bullied into it, for before Luther's time,^ 
 all the Priefts and Bifhops in the world faid 
 mafs ? Now if thefe q^ueftions cannot be 
 anfwered clearly, this will prove the Reli- 
 gion of the Church of Rome as ancient as 
 Chriftianity itfelf ; becaufe we can (hew the 
 very time when any fedt arofe, and who op- 
 pofcd it, when it was condemned, and what 
 difturbances it raifed ; and can produce aa- 
 thentic records, when any herefy was fir/l 
 broached, and who were the broachers of 
 it, and who oppofed it, &c. therefore, if 
 Proteftants cannot do the like,, concerning 
 Popery, it will then be evident that Pope- 
 fy was the firfl: Religion ; and, in confe- 
 quence, the very fame which was taught by" 
 Chrifl: and his Apofl:les ; and \^ hether it 
 ought to be followed or not, I will leave
 
 [ 204^ ]■ 
 
 ev^Ty thinking per fop, who hopes to g^o- a 
 happy etexnity, toju4ge for himfelf, humbly, 
 concl^ifjing with hoping that it is not im- 
 pgffible, but that the once great and glo-. 
 nous Britain may awake from her lon^ k-. 
 thargy, ni^y c.eafe to -fight againii J^baven, 
 may not pppofe her own fafety^ j::^or, (hut 
 tjie g^,tp againft her own happinef^. 
 
 Oh, my- countrymen ! where is the glory 
 qf your Catholic anceftors, which hereto- 
 fore ma4e this Illand looked upon as a /a/iti 
 of bmedi5iion, which opened her liberal 
 bre^fts to give Jo many Do5iors.io Europe,, 
 fq many lights qf learning to the Church, Jo 
 t^(kny examples of piety to Chrijienhmy and 
 fo n-vany Cjonfe^ors to J^araJife ? Your kings, 
 by a pipus violence have forced their way to 
 Jieaven, and Ui?ir. people have followed 
 their foQtfteps. There, was nothing fpoken, 
 qf this happy country, but their ok^djence to. 
 the Churchy their piety t their virtue, and thtir 
 conjiancy ', but fincc the Devil of luft an.dL 
 r£'/^t'///c«> raifed from the m oft black abyis,: 
 hath feized on the ibul of miferable King 
 Henry the Vlllth, whofe long reign fecmed 
 to be given him (as to Herod, and Tiberius, 
 and other tyrants) to fill up the meafure of 
 his iniquity ; you have fullied your perfec- 
 tioHt yoQ have deftcoyed your fanBuaryyX\\Q 
 lamentable w//ri^j-, whereof are now fpread 
 QV^r ^11 the worlds and th^ facred ftones of 
 
 your
 
 [ 29S 1 
 
 your t-eiafi pies groaning ahiongft thejiatidnai 
 do attend the day, of the )j.iiftic$ of God/ 
 an4>the r«- union of all your hearts iathd 
 perfprmance of; his fervice. .What havd 
 you done with the precious relickts of thofe 
 holy Jaints and martyrs ^ which this hap^^^ 
 foil claimed foi* her offspring, .whofe y'uu 
 tuous lives filled the world with admi'^ 
 ration ? 
 
 Return t Sbunamite ; return, return, fair 
 Ifland, to thy firfl beginning. — The 
 hand of God is not fhortened, his arms all 
 day are Jiretched forth to receive thee ! If 
 the infolent hands of herefy have made 
 them bars, which have encompafled thee 
 many years, do not think but the hands of 
 true piety will tear away the diforders 
 which prote<ft themfelves in the night of fo 
 corrupted an age. Fright not yourfelves 
 at imaginary horrors, and overtbrowings of 
 eflates by the inquifitions arid ^thunders of 
 Rome : for thefe are all mere bugbears to 
 affright the timorous -, the beams of religi- 
 ous truths will bring forth joy^ love^ peace, 
 and happinefs ; and if you perfevere in good- 
 nefs, you may expe(5l fuch glorious effedls 
 th^it you yourfelves cannot believe, nor your 
 pojierity Efficiently admire. 
 
 Oh my dear Britons, put on once more 
 the yoke of Chrift, for it is eafy, and bis 
 
 burden
 
 [ 206 ] 
 
 Burden is lights and perform the pious and 
 virtuous adtions of your Catholic anceftors. 
 Oh I for the love of your own fouls, cm- 
 brace that religion which they pradtifed by 
 their virtuesj demonftrated by their exam- 
 ples, honoured by their conjiancy, and which 
 many fealed with their blood. 
 
 THE END, 
 
 '^>
 
 ■-./'Xr' 
 
 ^^. 
 
 / 
 
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