THE LADDER OF HELL . OR THE PROTESTANTS LIBERTINE DOCTRINE , BEING THE BROAD WAY WHICH leadeth the followers of it to their eternall ruine and destruction in Hell .

Set foorth in Prose and Verse .

Permissu Superiorum .

COnsidering that this Ladder was first framed and entituled The Ladder of Hell , by a Papist , to the great disgrace ( as hee conceined ) of our Protestant Religion ; I imagine that some of you ( dearely beloued Brethren ) will wish that it had been quite suppressed , and neuer seene light : yet , ( in regard it containeth nothing but a collection of certaine sentences set downe in the publike bookes of twelue principall Pillars of our Church ) I thought it not amisse to set it forth , just as I found it , vnder your protection ; knowing well , that euery zealous Protestant can with the dexteritie of his reformed spirit turne all , though neuer so plainly seeming ill , to at least a seeming good sense : as for example , wheras the Papist called this collection of sentences , The Ladder of Hell because in his judgement the beleefe and , practise of it leadeth a soule directly to hell . Yet one of our new learning ( considering that Ladders are made rather to helpe men vpward then downeward ) wil say it may be called The Ladder of Hell , because the beleefe and practise of it will lift soules out of hell . And with reason may this be said , supposing one ground of our new doctrine be true , Caluin . in c. 30. Isa. Hermonia ad cap. 3. Mat. v. 12. I. Instit. c. 25. n. 12. to wit , that Hell is ( no such locall place in which are fire and other torments , as is said by the ancient Fathers , and the Scriptures themselues , to be prepared for the Diuels and other damned creatures , but ) only a certaine terror and horror of an afflicted conscience , the which may in some measure be felt euen in this world , and is ordinarily felt after sin commited euen by Protestants , vntill by beleeuing firmely , and practising freely the points of doctrine contained in this Ladder , they come by degrees to contemne all things , to wit , all Lawes of God and man : and all scruple of minde and remorse of conscience , and all feare of Death , Iudgement , and Hell , which estate of mind , it is like diuers zealous Protestants haue alreadie attained vnto , esteeming themselues hereby to be not onely freed from hell , but to haue attained a kind of heauen in earth : Marry the doubt is , whether this their heauen wil last alwayes , as true heauen ought to doe , or whether this hastie freeing themselues from the hell of care , feare , remorse & sorrow in this life , will not plung them into a most bitter feeling of remorse in the houre of death , and into intollerable torments of the eternall Hell in the next life . The which doubt being in the judgement of some , only a Papisticall scruple , I will leaue to bee discussed at better leasure : It shall suffice my present purpose onely to declare the manifold vses , which for the present time may be made of this excellent Ladder , both by Papists and Protestants .

First , I finde that the Papists meane to make this short Ladder serue for an answer of many long discourses made by Protestant Ministers in bookes or Sermons , in which they obiect the ill liues of some Papists ; the which obiections the Papists doe retort more strongly against vs Protestants , who cannot deny , but that since the light of the new Gospell was by Luther brought into the world , Luther in Postilla supra Euangel. dom. 1. aduentus . men are ( as Luther himselfe coufessed ) more reuengeful , more conetous , more vnmercifull , more vnmodest and vnruly , and much worse then they were in Papistry ; the reason whereof ( say the Papists ) is for that the very doctrine it selfe of the new Gospellers , doth not onely not afford such effectuall restraints and remedies against sinne , as is in the ancient Catholike Religion , but also hath ( as appeareth by the steps of this Ladder ) diuers expresse principles , which doe plainly open the gappe to all licentious libertie of lewde life , far more then can bee imagined to bee done by any principles of the Papists doctrine . Whereupon the Papists conclude that the Protestant Religion , whose doctrine is so vnholy , cannot be a holy Religion inspired by the holy Ghost , but suggested ( as a a Luth. de abroganda missa priuata , editione prima . Luther the first Author confesseth some part of it ( to wit , the deniall of the sacrifice of the Masse ) to haue beene suggested to him ) by Satan himselfe , the enemy of all true Religion and holinesse .

The zealous Protestant not much regarding this , or whatsoeuer other arguments made by Papists , find out other vses of this Ladder : as for example . First , it teacheth euery one of them to exercise heroicall acts of their b b I call it new found , because I finde not in Scripture or in the ancient Fathers that a man is made iust by confidently beleeuing that hee is Iust , but rather by humbly acknowledging ones selfe to be a sinner , as appeareth in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican . Luke 18. new-found Iustifying Faith , by which they beleeue that they are just , holy , and of the number of the predestinate , not onely by hauing a good hope , ( as the poore Papists haue ) when they see or feele some of those things in themselues , which by the holy Scriptures they learne to be signes of true Iustice ( to wit , repentance of sins past , carefulnesse to auoid sinne in time to come , diligence in doing good workes ; &c. ) but also by infallible and absolute beleefe , as of a chiefe article of their Christian faith , euen at such times as they neither see , nor feele any such signes , yea euen when they euidently see in themselues contrary signes , & namely , euen when they actually do those works of the flesh , Gal ▪ 5. of which Saint . Paul pronounceth , That they who doe such things , shall not obtaine the Kingdome of God . Zealous Protestants , I say , maugre this threat of S. Paul , are taught by this Ladder to beleeue boldly that they are Saints , and cannot misse saluation , notwithstanding they commit neuer so many most horrible sins .

Secondly , this Ladder teacheth them to cast away all feare of God , not onely in respect of his Iustice , in inflicting present or future paines for sinne ( which is called seruile feare ) but also of separation from God , which feare cannot stand with our new Iustifying Faith , in regard we must hold it absolutely impossible that we can bee separated from God , and consequently wee must cast away this fear , although neuer so much commended in Scripture .

Thirdly , By this admirable Ladder , zealous Protestants may be deliuered from all inward remorse of conscience , & may come to that highest perfection of our new Gospell , which consisteth in a neglect of al conscience , the which cannot be attained on a sudden , but must be gained ( as Luther himselfe gained it ) by entering into a terrible conflict , and fighting against ones owne conscience ; the difficulty of which combate ariseth out of three heads .

The first is the letter of the written word , which seemeth euery where to crosse thi● liberty of conscience , and to forbid the doing of any thing against conscience . But our new spirituall man , who judgeth all things , will oppose against this killing letter of Scripture , which restraineth our freedome , the quickening spirit of this Ladder , which alloweth liberty of neglecting conscience .

The second is an old Tradition of the Papists in fauour of conscience , which hath by long custome taken a deepe roote in vs . But the zealous Protestant , who accounteth Papistry a great blindnesse , will easily defie this among other Papisticall traditions .