I Am such a Catholique-Christian , as believeth the three Creeds ; That of the Apostles , that of the Councell of Nice ; and that of Athanasius : The two latter , being Paraphrases to the former .

And I believe them in that sense , as the ancient Fathers and Councels that made them did understand them . To which three Creeds , all the Ministers of England do subscribe at their ordination .

And I also acknowledge for Orthodoxall those , other formes of Creeds , that either were devised by Councels , or particular Fathers , against such particular heresies as most reigned in their times .

I reverence and admit the foure first generall Councels as Catholike and Orthodox : and the said foure generall Councels are acknowledged by Our Acts of Parliament , and received for Orthodox by Our Church .

As for the Fathers , I reverence them as much , and more then the Jesuits do , and as much as themselves ever craved : for , what ever the Fathers for the first five hundred yeeres did with an unanimous consent agree upon to be believed , as a necessary point of salvation , I either will believe it also , or at least will be humbly silent ; not taking upon mee to condemne the same ; but for every private fathers opinion , it binds not my conscience more then Bellarmines ; every one of the fathers us●ally contradicting others .

I will therefore in that case follow Saint Austines rule , judging of their opinions as I find them agreeing with the Scriptures ; what I find agreeable thereunto , I will gladly imbrace ; what is otherwise , I will ( with their reverence ) reject .

As for the Scriptures , no man doubteth I believe them ; but ever for the Apocrypha , I hold them in the same account that the ancients did . They are still printed , and bound with our Bibles , and publikely read in Our Churches . I reverence them as the Writing of holy and good men : but since they are not found in the Canon , We account them to be secundae lectionis : or , ordines , which is Bellarmines owne distinction ) and therefore not sufficient whereupon alone to ground any article of faith , except it be confirmed by some other place of Canonicall Scripture ; concluding this point with Ruffinus ( who is no novellist I hope ) That the Apocryphall books were by the Fathers permitted to be read ; not for confirmation of Doctrine , but only for instruction of the people .

As for the Saints departed , I honour their memory ; and in honour of them , do we in our Church observe the dayes of so many of them , as the Scripture doth canonize for Saints : but I am loth to believe all the tales of the legended Saints .

And first for the blessed Virgin Mary , I yeeld her that which the Angel Gabriel pronounced of her , and which in her Canticle shee prophesied of her selfe : that is , that she is blessed amongst women ; and that all generations shall call her blessed .

I reverence her as the mother of Christ , of whom our Saviour tooke his flesh ; and so the mother of God , since the Divinity and humanity of Christ are inseparable .

And I freely confesse , that shee is in glory both above Angels and men ; her owne Sonne ( that is both God and man ) onely excepted .

But I dare not mock her , and blaspheme against God , calling her not Diva , but Dea , and praying her to command and controll her Sonne , who is her God and her Saviour ; nor yet can I thinke , that she hath no other thing to do in Heaven , then to heare every idle mans suite , and busie her selfe in their errands ; whiles requesting , whiles commanding her Sonne ; whiles comming downe to kisse and make love with Priests , and whiles disputing and brawling with Divells .

In Heven she is in eternall glory and joy , never to be interrupted with any worldly businesse ; and there I leave her with her blessed Son our Saviour and hers , in eternall felicity .

As for Prayer to Saints ; Christ ( I am sure ) hath commanded us to come all to Him , that are loaden with sinnes , and Hee will relieve us : and Saint Paul hath forbidden us to worship Angels ; or , to use any such voluntary worship , that hath a shew of humility in that it spareth not the flesh .

But what warrant we have to have recourse to these Pii Penates , or Tutelares , these Courtiers of God , I know not , I remit that to the Philosophicall rhetorick Divines .

It satisfieth me to pray to God through Christ , as I am commanded , which I am sure must be the safest way ; and I am sure the safest way is the best way in point of salvation : but if the Romish Church have coyned new Articles of faith , never heard of in the first five hundred yeers after Christ , I hope I shall never be condemned for an heretick , for not being a novellist .

Such are the private Masses , where the Priest playeth the part both of the Priest and of the People ; and such are the imputations of the one halfe of the Sacrament from the people ; The Transubstantiation , Election for Adoration , and Circumportation in procession of the Sacraments , the work of supererrogation , rightly named Thesaurus Ecclesiae , the baptising of Bells , and a thousand other tricks . But above all , the worshipping of Images .

If my faith be weake in these , I confesse , I had rather believe too little then too much . And yet , since I believe as much as the Scriptures doe warrant , the Creeds doe perswade , and the ancient Councels decreed , I may well be a Schismatick from Rome , but I am sure I am no Hereticke .

For reliques of Saints ; if I had any such that I were assured were members of their bodies , I would honorably bury them , and not give them the reward of condemned mens members , which are onely ordained to be deprived of buriall . But for worshipping either them or Images , I must account it damnable Idolatry .

I am no Iconomacus ; I quarrell not the making of Images , either for publike decoration , or for mens private uses : but that they should be worshipped , be prayed to , or any holinesse attributed unto them , was never knowne of the ancients ; and the Scriptures are so directly , vehemently and punctually against it , as I wonder what braine of man , or suggestion of Satan , durst offer it to Christians , and all must be salved with nice Philosophicall distinctions : As Idolum nihil est , and they worshipped ( forsooth ) the Images of things in being , and the Images of the true God . But the Scripture forbiddeth to worship the Image of any thing that God created .

It was not a Nihil then that God forbade onely to be worshipped , neither was the brazen Serpent , nor the body of Moses a nihil , and yet the one was destroyed , and the other hidden for eschewing of Idolatry .

Yea , the Image of God himselfe , is not only expresly forbidden to be worshipped , but even to be made . The reason is given : That no eye ever saw God ; and how can wee paint his face , when Moses ( the man that ever was most familiar with God ) never saw but his back parts ? Surely , since He cannot be drawne to the vive , it is a thanklesse labour to ma●e it with a false representation , which no Prince , nor scarce any other man will be content with in their owne pictures . Let them therefore that maintaine this doctrine , answer it to Christ at the latter day , when he shall accuse them of Idolatry ; and then I doubt if he will be payed with such nice sophisticall distinctions .

But Christs Crosse must have a particular priviledge ( say they ) and be worshipped ratione contactu● . But first we must know what kind of touching Christs body drew a vertue from it ; whether every touching or only touching by faith : that every touching of his body drew not vertue from it , is more then manifest ; when the woman in the bloody flux touched him , she was healed for her faith : but Peter then told him , that a crowd and throng of many people then touched him , and yet none of them received any benefit or vertue from him .

Iudas touched him many and many a time , besides his last kisse : so did the villaines that buffeted and crucified him ; and yet I may safely pronounce them accursed ▪ that would bestow onely worship upon their reliques ; yea , we cannot deny , but the Land of Canaan it selfe ( whereupon our Lord did daily tread ) is so visibly accursed , being governed by faithlesse Turkes , full of innumerable sorts of hereticall Christians , and the very fertility thereof so far degenerated into a pitifull sterility , as he must be accursed that accounteth it blessed .

Nay , when a certaine woman blessed the belly that bare Christ , and the breasts that gave him sucke ; nay , rather ( saith he ) Blessed are those that heare the Word of God and keepe it . Except then they could first prove that Christ had resolved to blesse that tree of the crosse whereupon he was nailed , they can never prove that his touching it could give it any vertue . And put the case it had a vertue of doing miracles , as Peters shadow had , yet doth it not follow that it is lawfull to worship it , which Peter would never accept of . Surely , the Prophets that in so many places curse those that worship Images , that have eyes and see not ; that have eares and heare not , would much more have cursed them that worship a piece of a sticke that hath not so much as any resemblance of eyes or eares .

As for Purgatorie , and all the trash depending thereupon , it is not worth the talking of ; Bellarmine cannot find any ground for it in all the Scriptures , only I would pray him to tell me , if that faire greene meddow that is in Purgatorie have a brook running thorow it , that in case I come there , I may have hawking upon it .

But as for me , I am sure there is an Heaven and an Hell , Praemium and Poe●● for the Elect and Reprobate : How many other roomes there be , I am not of Gods Councell . Multae sunt mansione● in domo patris mei ; saith Christ , who is the true Purgatorie for our sins : but how many chambers and antichambers the Devill hath , they can best tell that go to him .

But in case there were more places for soules to go to , than wee know of , yet let us content us with that which in his Word hee hath revealed unto us , and not enquire further into his secrets . Heaven and Hell are there revealed to be the eternall home of all mankind . Let us endevour to win the one , and escape the other , and there is an end .

Now in all this discourse have I left out the maine article of the Romish Faith , and that is the head of the Church , or Peters Primacie ; for who denieth this , denieth Fidem Catholicam , saith Bellarmine .

That Bishops ought to be in the Church , I doe maintaine it as an Apostolike Institution , and so the ordinance of God , contrarie to the Puritans , and likewise to Bellarmine , who denies that Bishops have their jurisdiction immediately from God ( but it is no wonder hee takes the Puritans part , since Jesuites are nothing but Puritan-Papists ) and as I ever maintained the state of Bishops , and the Ecclesiasticall Hierarchie for orders sake ; so was I ever an enemie to the confused Anarchy , or paritie of the Puritans , as well appeareth in my {αβγδ} . Heaven is governed by order , and all the good Angels there ; nay , Hell it selfe could not subsit without some order ; and the verie Devils are divided into Legions , and have their Chiefetaines . How can any Societie then upon earth subsist without order and degrees ? And therefore I cannot enough wonder , with what brazen face any could say , That I was a Puritan in Scotland , and an enemy to Protestants : I that was persecuted by Puritans there , not from my birth only , but ever since foure moneths before my birth : I that in the yeare of God 84 , erected Bishops , and depressed all their popular paritie : I that in the said book to my son , do speak more bitterly of them nor of the Papists ; having in my second Edition thereof affixed a long Apologetick Preface , only in Odium Puritanorum : And I that for the space of six yeares before my comming into England , labouring nothing so much , as to depresse their paritie , and re-erect Bishops againe . Nay , if the daily Commentaries of my life , and actions in Scotland , were written ( as Iulius Caesars were ) there would scarce a moneth passe in all my life , since my entring into my thirteenth yeere of my age , wherein some accident or other would not convince the lyer in this point .

And surely I give a faire commendation to the Puritanes , where I affirme , that I have found greater honesty with the high-land and border-thieves , the● with that sort of people .

Of Bishops and Church Hierarchy , I very well allow ( as I said before ) and likewise of ranks and degrees amongst Bishops . Patriarchs I know were in the time of the Primative Church , and likewise reverence that institution for order sake ; and amongst them was a contention for the first place : and for my selfe , ( if that were yet the question ) I would with all my heart give my consent , that the Bishop of Rome should have the first seate ; I being a Westerne King , would goe with the Patriarches of the West : and for his temporall principality over the Seignory of Rome , I doe not quarrell it neither ; let him in God his Name be Primu● Episcopus , inter omnes Episcopos , and Princeps Episcoporuin , so it be no otherwayes but as Peter was Princeps Apostolorum .

But as I well allow of the Hierarchy of the Church for distinction of orders ( for so I understand it ) so I utterly deny that there is an earthly Monarchy thereof , whose word must be a law , and who cannot erre in his sentence , by an infalibillity of spirit , because earthly kingdomes must have earthly Monarches , it doth not follow , that the Church must have a visible Monarch too ; for the world hath not one earthly temporall Monarch . Christ is his Churches Monarch , and the Holy Ghost his Deputy , Reges Generum dominantur eorum , vos autem non sic : Christ did not promise before his ascention , to leave Peter with them , to direct and instruct them in all things ; but hee promised to send the Holy Ghost to them for that end .

And as for those two places , whereby Bellarmine maketh the Pope to triumph over Kings , I meane , Pasc● oves , and tibi dabo claves , the Cardinall knows well enough that the same words of tibi dabo , are in another place spoken by Christ in the plurall number : And he likewise knows what reasons the ancients do give , why Christ bade Peter Pascere oves ; and also what a cloud of witnesses there is , both of ancients , and even of late Popish Writers ; yea , divers Cardinalls , that do all agree , that both these speeches used to Peter , were meant to all the Apostles , represented in his person ; otherwise , how could Paul direct the Church of Corinth to excommunicate the incestuous person , Cum spiritu suo , whereas he should then have said , cum spiritu Petri , and how could all the Apostles have otherwise used all their censures only in Christs name , and never a word of his Vicar ?

Peter we read , did in all the Apostles meeting , sit amongst them as one of their number ; and when chosen men were sent to Antiochia from that great Apostolike Councell at Ierusalem , the Text saith ▪ It seemed good to the Apostles and Elders , with the whole Church , to send chosen men , but no mention is made of the head thereof ; and so in their letters , no mention is made of Peter , but onely of the Apostles , Elders , and Brethren : and it is a wonder why Paul rebuked the Church of Corinth for making exception of persons , because some followed Paul , some Apollos , some Cephas ; if Peter was their visible head : for then those that follow not Peter or Cephas , renounce the Catholike faith . But it appeareth well that Paul knew little of our new doctrine , since he handled Peter , so rudely , as he not onely compareth , but preferreth himselfe unto him : But our Cardinall proves Peters superiority by Pauls going to visit him . Indeed , Paul saith , he went to Ierusalem to visit Peter , and conferre with him , but he should have added , and to kisse his feet .

To conclude then ; The truth is , that Peter was both neare , and in the time of Christs calling him , one of the first of the Apostles . In order the principall of the first twelve , and one of the three whom Christ for order sake preferred to all the rest , and no farther did the Bishop of Rome claime for three hundred yeeres after Christ : Subject they were to the Generall Councels , and even but of late did the Councell of Constantine depose three Popes , and set up the fourth ; and untill Phocas dayes ( that murthered his Master ) were they subject to Emperors .

But how they are now come to be Christs Vicars nay , gods on earth , triple crowned ▪ kings of heaven , earth and hell ; judges of all the world , and none to judge them . Heads of the Faith , absolute deciders of all controversies , by the infallabillity of their spirit , having all power , both spirituall and temporall in their hands ; the High Bishops , Monarches of the whole Earth , Superiours to all Emperours and Kings ; yea , supreme vice-Gods , who , whether they will or not , cannot erre ; how they are come , I say , to this top of greatnesse I know not : but s●re I am , wee that are Kings have greatest need to looke unto it .

As for me , Paul and Peter I ●●ow , but these ●en I know not ; and yet to doubt of this , is to deny the Catholike faith ; nay , the world it selfe must be turned upside downe , and the order of nature inverted ( making the left hand to have place before the right , and the last named to be the first in honour ) that this Primacy may be mentioned .

Thus have I now made a tr●e confession of my Faith .