The three Conformities . OR THE HARMONY AND AGREEMENT OF THE ROMISH Church with GENTILISME , IVDAISME and auncient HERESIES .

Written in French by FRANCIS DE CROY G. ARTH. and newly translated into English .

Seene , perused and allowed .

LONDON . Printed by EDWARD GRIFFIN , 1620.

IF euer any age hath beene more fertile and abundant then others , in the multitude of writers in all manner of sciences , learning and knowledge , truely it is this wherein we liue . But chiefly in Diuinity and the holy mysteries of saluation , the knowledge whereof ought verily to bee the chiefe and onely scope of our Christian endeauours , as being the true mirror wherein wee may fully contemplate the true pathway which is able to conduct our pensiue soules vnto those supernal mansions , which are in the house of God the Father , and are prepared for the elect . And among so many learned & godly treatises , of this kinde , which the painefull labours of our Pastours and others haue set forth for the comfort of the militant Church , I can finde none that doth more aptly , briefly and learnedly conuince the errors of this crooked and naughty generation of the Romish Catholicks , then these Conformities , which are most fit and proper summarily to confound the idle and selfe-pleasing imaginations , fansies , traditions , additions , fractions , diminutions , substractions , and mutations which they haue distilled out of the naughty and corrupted humors of their distracted braines , and sowne most cunningly in euery corner of the true Church of God . Which things hauing weighed with my selfe , as likewise the vtilitie and comfort which might further bee reaped hereof , if the same were translated into our language , namely in these dangerous and latter dayes , in the which Sathan our euerlasting aduersarie knowing the end of his kingdome to be very neereat hand , doth so subtlely and carefully watch how to entrappeand deuoure vs , I haue hazarded to expose the same vnto the view of my countrey ; not labouring herein to snatch at any parcell of ambitious and vaine glory : but rather to employ the little peece of a Talent which hath beene alotted vnto mee , in some godly and Christian exercise , to the further increase of Gods glory , and subuersion of Antichrist . Accept therefore ( Madame ) these three Conformities , which I haue beene the bolder to offer to your Honour ; considering as well your most godly and Christian life and conuersation , together with your feruent zeale and affection toward the truth of the Gospell , as like wise those morall vertues wherewith you are adorned . Which concurring together in your noble person are able ( no doubt ) to deserue farremore then euer hath been bestowed on you , or my meane power able to offer vnto you . The world knoweth how Religiously , Noblely , Vertuously , Faithfully , and with what painefull and long care my Lord your husband and you haue trained vp our most Royall Princesse the Lady Elizabeth , who in her childehood at her first comming into this Kingdome , was by his Maiesty committed to your charge and custodie , after that hee had beene surely informed with what rare gifts and noble parts you were beautified , farre aboue a multitude of your sexe and rancke . And when by the happy coniunction of the Prince Elector Palatine with her Highnesse , it seemed to be no more necessary that your Honours should giue attendance on her Highnesse , and that my Lord and you hauing therefore honourably and with his Maiesties fauour and consent giuen ouer the sacred charge of her person , and thinking now at length to haue beene rid of so waighty a burden , and that you might haue liued the rest of your daies in some secure port of tranquillity . Yet after a little time his Maiesty hauing had so many yeares experience of your Honours prudent and watchfull care of her Highnesse well and prosperous estate , and knowing that your Honourable presence and attendance on her , were no lesse necessary vnto her now of late , then your painefull care and most vigilant custodie had beene in the time of her tender age , did yet once againe summond your Honour to take vpon you , though not all , yet a great and principall part of your wonted charge ? namely to admonish and impart your most wholesome counsels vnto her , to the farther increase of all her Royall vertues and qualities , as well in matters of noble conuersation and behauiour , as of true piety and deuotion . And although the multitude of your most serious affaires doth afford but small leysure vnto your priuate meditations ; Yet I am sure that this treatise will purchase so much fauour at your hands , as to haue some spare houres spent in the reading thereof , wherein you may bee not a little refreshed with the most sweete and delectable varietie of these Conformities which are presented to your Honour , hoping that they shall be embraced with no lesse fauour and goodwill , then they are giuen by him , who remaineth

MY Masters , who would discerne true coyne from that which is adulterated , will not content himselfe with looking on the superscription , the stamp , colour , & roundnesse thereof , but going on a little farther , will come to the triall of the substance of the mettall , will take the touchstone , and draw thereon , to examine the goodnesse or insufficiencie thereof . Euen so to discerne true Religion from false , and to know the Church of Iesus Christ in this confusion of so many , that are like thereunto , we must not be contented with the iudgement of the Church , which you call representatiue , but we ought to goe straight on to the onely Scriptures , which are the foundation and pillers of the true cause in matters that concerne Religion . And if we had stayed there , we should not see at this day such horrible confusions in Christendome , neither yet this mixture of cockle with good corne , and there would remaine nothing but pure wheat in the garnar and store-house of the Church . And would to God that some of the auncient Bishops could haue contented themselues with the marches established by the holy Ghost , the greatest part of the world should not now be wandering in the auncient pathes and footsteps of Gentilisme , against which the Apostles , and many other infinite numbers of the most excellent and worthie men haue foughten and obtained the victorie , through shedding of their bloud . Should not this exquisite ballance , square , and canon of the Scripture , this rule of right and veritie haue beene sufficient to teach vs whatsoeuer belongeth to the whole perfection of our beleefe ? We ought not to haue beene ignorant of these beautifull markes of antiquitie : That there is no other proofe of Christian Religion but by the Scriptures , if any controuersie arise where to find the bodie , that is to say , the Church , that it ought not to be sought amongst our words , but amongst his words who is the truth , and knoweth his bodie , to wit , Iesus Christ . It was thither that the Bishops should haue led the Gentils , to teach them to worship one onely God , to make them turne from their old superstitions and idolatrous customes , by the violence whereof they haue beene forced to worship their false Gods and creatures , and should not haue giuen way to so many things , which are so farre from hauing any warrant in the holy Scriptures , that they are meerly contradictory thereunto . It is after this manner that it hath seemed good vnto the wisedome of man to iest and play with the high and holy mysteries of true Religion ; It is after this manner that thinking onely to winke at things , and that through tolerating of the lesser euill , to eschew greater inconuenience , this holy spring of Christian pietie hath beene infected by the filthie mud of Paganisme , from whence those deludges haue proceeded , which haue ouerwhelmed some fundamentall points of our saluation . And would to God that those zealous ones without knowledge had taught their Neophytes to thinke it abhomination , to suffer themselues to be led away by degrees vnto such things as at first seemed pleasant , we should not see at this day such pestilent doctrine , neither yet those superstitions and ridiculous ceremonies , which haue caused as well in times past as in these dayes , so many troubles in Christendome . But this is their reward , who haue chosen to preferre the Church to the Scripture , and man to God , as if it were more expedient to find out the head by the proofe and testimony of the members , then the members by the testimonie of the head . I am exceeding sorie to consider , that when the time of appearing before the tribunall seate of God shall come , the damned Gentiles shall know their markes and liueries on you , and that in great aboundance , as this present table of your conformities vnto their fashions and customes , shall clearely and faithfully beare record . But let vs examine how this filthinesse hath corrupted that beautie that was among you . Those poore Gentils , liuing vnder the Empire of Constantine the great , when the Church of Christ was taking a little breath , and did enioy some peace and rest after so many persecutions and martyrdomes of her children , beganne to enter therein in great throng , and by multitudes . But how ? hauing lately renounced the polluted slauerie of their Gods , of Gentilisme , of worshipping of images ; and their feete being as yet foule with the dirt of their Idolatries . And that which helped very much to aduance those old ragges , was because they began to professe Christian Religion , being well ripe in yeares , and full of gray haires , which was the cause why they could not so suddainely shake off such customes as they had sucked with their mothers milke . But behold here the very finall accomplishment of euill fortune , to wit , the conniuence of the greater part of the Bishops at such errors , who not hauing discouered a farre off such daungers as might ensue and follow vpon this lenitie , and licence graunted by them , some more some lesse according to their humors , hauing tolerated these abuses , Paganisme tooke its owne place , and Gentilisme passed farre aboue that measure which was prescribed by the Oracles of God . They thought with themselues that they had laboured much for the aduancement of Christian Religion , if at the first they could but onely diuert them from worshipping of their Gods , thereafter to send them vnto such Christian Saints as were deceased : but this was nothing else but a changing of the name and not of the thing it selfe . They ought in the space of so many ages to haue found out some remedie for this disease : but in stead of abolishing and reforming of these abuses , we see the same daily confirmed , yea , moreouer a farre greater encrease of this dirt and dregs of the Heathen , in lieu of the pure drop of true pietie and Christian simplicitie . Euen so farre are we from any hope to see the same reformed , sith the lesuits haue vndertaken at a set price to defend those errors , and haue published in their writs , that Christian religigion may lawfully make vse of the ceremonies of the Gentils , which is as much as if one would say that God maketh vse of the Deuils lawes for the weale of his people . And thus it is that the Romish Church , established by vnreasonable reasons , aduanceth in such manner euen vnto this day , yea , and commaundeth and authoriseth euill customes in place of good lawes , and the reliques of Gentilisme in great plentie , in stead of the puritie of the Gospell . Your opinion was , that the spirituall kingdome of Iesus Christ should haue beene gouerned like the Monarchies of this world , whose rulers beare with many of their subiects faults , to the end that they may haue peace with strangers ; but it is not so : for as touching so farre as directly concerneth the true knowledge of God , and of the puritie of his seruice , of the estate of the conscience , of the nature of Ecclesiasticall gouernment , we ought to haue recourse vnto the Canonicall bookes , and not vnto popular abuses : they are the precepts of faith that ought to be layd open vnto the people , and not those preiudicate opinions , coloured with deuotion , against which the holy Fathers haue foughten so couragiously . In the end , this little Treatise will declare vnto you how that your religion is borded with those totters and rags of Gentilisme . God graunt you the grace to acknowledge the difformitie thereof , that you may depart from thence , and enter in league with her which is most beautifull , to wit , the Church wherein we liue , which is well pleased with such ornaments , as her spouse Christ Iesus our Sauiour hath giuen her , to whom be glory and honour for euer .