and new Heresies (as they now stile them) were remooved, whether their twelve new Articles, their five improperly called Sacraments, their Apocryphall Seripture, their unwritten verities and traditions will bee able to make a true visible Church?

It is true, that wee denie their additions, (to wit, their aliquid amplius) because they are grounded on humane authoritie, and want the Foundation of the Scriptures. We deny Purgatory, Invocation of Saints, Works of Supererrogation, worship of Images, and the like. And if our Religion bee therefore termed Negative, for deniall of those things; who sees not, but for the like reason they themselves will stand guilty of the same aspersion? Doe not they deny the substance of bread after consecration? Doe not they deny the Scriptures to containe all things necessary to salvation? Doe they not deny the reading of them to Christian people? Doe they not denie Marriage to the Priests? the cup to the lay-people? the Supremacy to their Soyeraigne in his own dominions? And may not we, for these and the like reasons, protest against them, that therefore theirs is a Negative Religion?

But that the world may know, wee obtrude not these things by way of recrimination, it shall appeare by their owne confession, that the Traditions, which we deny, are declined by the best learned among themselves. Nay more, they doe not onely acknowledge those things, which wee

hold,

hold, but the most ingenuous of them are ashamed also of those additions of theirs which wee deny. As for instance, wee charge them with the worship of Images: they denie it, or at least excuse their manner of adoration; but they condemne not us for not worshipping. We accuse them for praying in an unknowne tongue: they excuse it, that GOD knows the meaning of the heart: but they doe not condemne us for praying with the spirit, and with understanding. We condemne them for adoring the elements of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament, because it depends upon the intention of the Priest. They excuse it, that they adore upon condition, If the consecrated bread bee Christ; but they doe not condemne us for adoring Christ's reall body in heaven*. Wee accuse them for taking away the cup from the lay-people: they excuse it, that it was not taken up by the commandement of the Bishops, but it crept in, the Bishops winking thereat, (saith Costerus); but they do not condemne us for following Christ's example, and receiving in both kinds. Lastly, wee accuse them for their Private Masses, contrary to Christ's institution, and the custome of the Primitive Church. They excuse it, That it is through their owne default and negli gence, whereof (saith Master Harding) the godly and faithfull people, since the time of the Primitive

.

Adrian. 6. P. lib. Quodlib. Adoro te si tu es Christus.

+ Coster Enchirid. de commun. sub utraq. specie. Colon. 1600, 359, octavo.

Harding in B, Jewel, cap. Of private Masse, p. 3.

Church,

Church, have much complained. And which is remarkable, and comfortable to all beleeving Protestants, wee charge them with flat Idolatry, in the adoration of the Sacrament, of Reliques, of Saints, of Images. And howsoever they excuse themselves, in distinguishing their manner of adoration yet, I say, to our endlesse comfort bee it spoken, they cannot charge us in the positive doctrine of our Church, no, not with the least suspition of Idolatrie.

SECT. IX.

THE TESTIMONIES OF OUR ADVERSARIES, TOUCHING THE PROTESTANT AND THE ROMANE FAITH IN THE PARTICULARS.

PARAG. 1.-Justification by faith (onely.)

But

THESE things premised, I will proceed to the examination of Witnesses, both for the Antiquitie of our doctrine, and the Noveltie of theirs. before I goe to publication, I will present you with two Records, for two principall points of our faith. By which evidences it shall appeare, that the Word and Sacraments, the proper markes of a true Church, were rightly preached, and

duely

duely administered here in England in the most obscure ages long before Luther's dayes. I say, it shall appeare, that before and after the Conquest, the Priests and Professors of those times protested openly against the Doctrine of Romish merits, preaching salvation through Christ alone; and withall publikely professed and administred the Sacraments in the same faith and truth which wee teach, and administer at this day.

In the dayes of Anselme*, Archbishop of Canterbury, about the yeere 1080, there was a set and publike forme of prayer prescribed for the Visitation of the sicke, and this forme, (saith Cassander) in Bibliothecis passim obvia, was commonly to be had in Libraries. The words are plaine, and fully consonant to the faith that our Church professeth: Doest thou beleeve to come to glorie, not by thine own merits, but by the vertue and merit of the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ? Doest thou beleeve, that our Lord Jesus Christ did die for our salvation, and that none can be saved by his owne merits, or by any other meanes, but by the merit of his passion? This manner and forme of Interrogatories was prescribed generally to all Priests for their visitation of the sicke, and the sicke party accordingly, was taught to make

Infra, p. 66.

+ Cassan. in append. ad opus Joh. Roffen de fiducia et misericordia Dei. Nu. 2.

Ordo Baptizandi, et visitandi, edit. Venet. Ann. 1575.

answere

answere to these, and the like questions: All this I beleeve. Upon this Confession, the Priest concluded with this instruction to the sicke person; Goe to therefore, as long as thy soule remayneth in thee, place thy whole confidence in his death onely, have confidence in no other thing, commit thyselfe wholly to his death, with this alone cover thyselfe wholly, intermingle thyselfe wholly in this death, wrappe thy whole selfe in this death: And if thy Lord God will judge thee, say, Lord, I appose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ betwixt mee and thy judgement, and no otherwise doe I contend with thee: And if hee say unto thee, that thou art a sinner, say, Lord, I put the death of our Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thee and my sinnes: If he say unto thee, thou hast deserved damnation: say, Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ betwixt thee and my bad merits, and I offer his merit in stead of the merites which I ought to have, but yet have not: If hee say, that hee is angry with thee: say, Lord, I interpose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, betwixt me and thine anger.†

This poynt of Faith was publiquely professed in the Church of England, and generally practised shortly after the Conquest, both by Priests and people.

But observe the cunning of our Adyersary. That booke which was published in Anselme's dayes for Instruction, and Visitation of the sicke;

* Respondeat infirmus, credo.

+ Hosius in Confessione Petri con. cap. 73.

the