forme of hys religion, the true vayne, and effect whereof is vtterly decayed, as to them which list to examine all the parts of this new Romish religion, may soone appeare.

For saue onely that they pretend the solemne forme and wordes of the Crede, and are Baptised, confessing þ^e name of the father, the sonne & holy ghost: As touching all other points and true sincerity of the Christian faith which they outwardly professe, they are vtterly degenerated from that which S, Paule & the word of God first had taught them,

First, they cōfesse the father in word, but his will in his word expressed they renounce,MarginaliaThe Popes Church onely in wordes Catholicke, in deed heathenish. his grace they acknowledg not, his benefits and promisses giuen vnto vs in his sonne they receaue not, the vigor of his law they feele not, the terrour of his iudgements earnestly they feare not, his commaundementes they obserue by the traditions and commaundements of their owne.

Likewise the name of Christ his sonne in worde they confesse, but his office indede they deface and deminish: his glory they seeke not, but vnder his name they do seke their owne: the power of his bloud and passion they know not or els dissemble it, whom neither they admit to be the head of his Church alone, nor sauiour alone, nor only to be our patrone & aduocate, but match with him our Lady, and other patrons, so that euery Parish almost in christendome hath his peculiar patrone besides Christ to hold by.

In like maner they confesse the name of the holy Ghost, But God himselfe knoweth how farre they are from the comfort, knowlege, and tast of the holy ghost, as wel may appeare by their councels, by their expounding of Scripture, by their superstitious ceremonies, by their outward worshipping and Idolatrous inuocation to stockes and stones and dead creatures, by their scrupulous obseruatiō of dayes, times, places, numbers & gestures:MarginaliaThe Religion of the Popes Church proceedeth contrary to the working of the holy Ghost.And no lesse also by their doctrine, which defraudeth the poore harts of simple Christians, of their due consolation, ioy and liberty in the holy Ghost, & kepeth them still in a seruile bondage, and a doubtfull incertainty of their saluation, contrary to the working of the holy spirite of God.

And thus the Church of Rome pretending onely the name of Christ and of his Religion,MarginaliaThe Church of Rome pretendeth a fayre face of Religion but is voyd of the effect thereof is so farre altered from the truth of that which it pretendeth, that vnder the name of Christ, it persecuteth both Christ & his Religion: working more harme to the Church of Christ, then euer did the open tirants and persecuting Emperours among the heathen: not much vnlike herein to the olde Sinagoge of the Scribes and Phareseis,MarginaliaThe old Phariseis, and the latter Church of Romanes compared together.who vnder the name of God, crucified the sonne of God, and vnder pretence of the law, fought against the Gospell, and vnder the title of Abrahams children, persecuted the childrē of Abraham. And as they bragging so highly of the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lorde, did in deede destroye the true Temple of the Lord: right so these pretensed Catholikes in these dayes, after they haue raysed vppe a Catholike Churche of their owne, and haue armed the same with lawes, and haue gatered vnto them a power of Priestes, Prelates, Abbats, Priors, of religious men, of Cardinals, and also of secular Princes to take their part, now vnder the name of the Catholike Church, they persecute the true Catholike church,MarginaliaThe Popes Church vnder the name of the Catholicke Church, persecuteth the true Catholicke Church of Christ.and coloring their procedings still with In nomine Domini, most cruelly they put to death, which die pro nomine Domini, condemning them for heretikes, schismatikes, and rebels, not which deny any part of the creede, which they themselues professe, nor such whome they can conuince by any Scripture, but onely such which will not ioyne wyth their errours and heresies contrary to the honour of God and truth of his worde.

And lest any should thinke this that we here protest against the corrupt errours & manifold deformities of this latter Church of Rome, to proceede of any rancor affection, rather then grounded of necessary causes, and demōstrations euident, my purpose is (by the Lordes leaue) to take herein some litle paine, that as I haue collected a litle before, the summe & contents of S. Paules doctrine, where with the old Church of Rome was first seasoned and acquainted, so now as in a like summary table, to discrye the particular braunches and contents of the Popes doctrine now set foorth, to the intent that all true Christian readers comparing the one with the other may discern what great alteration there is betwene the church of Rome that now is, and the church of Rome that then was, planted by the Apostles in the primitiue time. And to the ende to open to the simple reader some waye whereby he may the better iudge in such matters of doctrine, & not be deceaued in discerning truth from errour, first we wil propound certeine principles or general positions, as infallible rules or truthes of the Scripture, wherby al other doctrines & opinions of men being tried and examined as w^t the touchstone,may the more easely be iudged whether they be true or cōtrary, & whether they make agaynst the scripture, or no.

1. AS sinne and death came originally by the disobedience of one to all men of his generation by nature: so righteousnes and life come originally by the obedience of one to all men regenerated of him by faith & Baptisme, Rom. 5.

2. The promise of God, was freely giuen to our first parentes without their deseruing, that the seede of a woman should breake the Serpents head. Gen. 3.MarginaliaGene: 3:

3. Promise was giuen freely to Abraham before he deserued any thing, that in his seede all nations should be blessed. Gen. 12.MarginaliaGen. 12.

4. To the worde of God neither must wee adde, nor take from it. Deut. 4.MarginaliaDeut. 4.

5. He that doth the workes of the law, shall liue therein. Leuit. 18. Gal. 3.MarginaliaLeuit. 18. Gal. 3.

6. Accursed is he, which abideth not in euery thing that is written in the booke of the law. Deut. 27. Gal. 3.MarginaliaDeut. 27. Gal. 3.

7. God onely is to be worshipped. Deut. 6. Luc. 4.MarginaliaDeut. 6. Luc. 4.

8. All our righteousnes is like a defiled cloth of a woman Esay. 64.MarginaliaEsay. 64.

9. In all my holy hill, they shall not kill, nor slay saith the Lord. Esay. 11. 65.MarginaliaEsay. 11. 65.

10. God loueth mercy and obedience, more then sacrifice. Osee. 6. 1. Reg. 15.MarginaliaOsee. 6. 1. Reg. 15.

11. The lawe worketh anger, condemneth, and openeth sinne. Rom. 3.MarginaliaRom. 3.

12. The end of the law is Christ, to righteousnes to euery one that beleueth. Rom. 10.MarginaliaRom. 10.

13. Whosoeuer beleeueth and is Baptised, shall be saued. Mat. vlt.MarginaliaMath. vlt.

14. A man is iustified by faith without workes freely by grace, not of our selues. Gal. 2. Ephes. 2.MarginaliaGal. 2. Ephes. 2.

15. There is no remission of sinnes without bloud. Heb. 9.MarginaliaHeb. 9.

16. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne. Rom. 14. without faith it is impossible to please God. Heb. 11.MarginaliaRom. 14. Heb. 11.

17. One Mediatour betweene God & man Christ Iesus. 1. Tim. 2. & he is the propitiatiō for our sinnes. 1. Iohn. 2.Marginalia1. Tim. 2. 1. Iohn. 2.

18. Who soeuer seeketh in the law to be iustified, is fallen from grace.MarginaliaGal. 5.

19. In Christ be all the promises of God, Est & Amen. 2. Cor. 1.Marginalia2. Cor. 1.

20. Let euery soule be subiect to superior powers, gyuyng to Cæsar that which is Cesars, & to God that which is Gods. Rom. 13.MarginaliaRom. 13.

These principles and infallible rules of the Scripture, as no man can denie, so if they be granted, the doctrine thē of the Popes Church must needes be found not to be Catholike, but rather full of errours and heresies, as in the sequele folowing remaineth more expressely and particularly by the grace of Christ to be conuinced.

¶ Here foloweth a Summary collection of the errours, heresies, and absurdities conteyned in the popes doctrine, contrary to the rules of Gods word, and the first institution of the Church of Rome.  

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Summary of Roman Catholic heresies

The Foxe Project was not able to complete the commentary on this section of text by the date by which this online edition was compiled (23 September 2008).

MarginaliaThe errours heresies, and absurdities in the popes doctrine.

FIrst, as touching the onely meanes and instrumentall cause of our iustificatiō, wherby the merits of Christes