EP I ST. Ill. A have good, nor can doegoodofour felves; thatwe are nqt ficke orfettered, but dead - in oudin; that we cannot move to ·good, moro tben we are m<>ved; that our bell attions are faulty; our fatisfal!ions debts;our deferrs damnation; that all our merit is hismercy that faves us; that every ofour finnes is deadly ; every ofour natures originally depraved,and corrupted; that no water can entirdy waflt aw~y the filthineffc ofour concupifcence; tbat none but the blood ofhim that was God, can clenfe us; that all our poflible fufferings are below our offences; that Gods wrirren word is allfufficient ro informe us, to make us both wife and perfett; that Chrills mediation is more then fufficent to fave us , his fufferings to redeeme us, his obedience to inrich us.You have feene how Papillrymakes Nacureprou<4now fee how itmakes her lawleffe and wanton: while it teactleth(yet rhfsone, not fo univerfally) that ,<:;hrill died B effellually for all ; that in true contrition an expreffe purpofe ofnew life is not ne• ceffary; that wicked men are true membersofthe Church ; that alewd-mifcreant or infidell inthe bufineffeofthe Altar partakes of the true bodyand blood ofChrill,yea (which I fuame to tell) a bnsre creature; that men may fave the labour offearching, forrhar it is both eafie:Jhdfafe (with tb:it Catholiko Collid) to bdeeve with the Church, at a venture: more then fo,that devotion is the feed ofignorance;rhat there is infallibilitie annexed to a particular place and perfon 1 that the bare att of the Sacraments confers grace without faith ; that the meer llgneoftbe Croffe made by a Jew or Infidell, is afforce to drive away Devils; that the facrifice of the Maffc in the very worke wrought, availes to obraine pardpn ofour finnes, nor in our lifeondy, but when we lie frying in purgatory; that we need not pray in faith to be heard, ar c in underllanding; that almes given, merit heaven, difpofe to jullification,fatisfie God for linne; that abllinence from fame meates and drinkes is meritorious; that Indulgences may be granted to difpencc with all the penanceof fins afterward to be corn- • ' mitred; thatthefe bya living man may be applied to the dead; that one man may deliver anothers foule out ofhis purging torments: and therefore, that he whowants nor either money or friends, need not feare the fmart ofbis finnes. 0 religion, fweet tothewealrhy,totheneedy defperatc! who will now care henceforth how found his devotions be, how lewd his life, how hainous his fins, that knowes thefe refuges~ Onrhe contrary, we curbeNature, we rellraine, wedifcourage, we threaten her, teaching her not torell inimplicit fairhs,or generall intentions, or externall attions of piery,or prefumptuous difpenfatio0sofmen : but to llrive unto fincere faith, without D which we bave nopart in Chrill, in his Church, no benefit by Sacraments, prayers, fallings,beneficences: rofet the heart on work in all our devotions, without which rhe hand and tongue are but hypocrit~ : to fet the hands on work in good a<!!ioos, without whichthe prefuming heart is but an hypccrire: to expett no pardon for fin beforewe commit ir,and from Chrill alonewhen we h3Ye committed ir, & to repent before weexpett it: to hope for no chaffering, no ranfome ofour foules from below no contrary change ofellace after diffolution : that life is the rime ofmercy, death of retribnrion.Now let me appeale to your foule,and to the judgement ofall theworld whether oftheferwo religions is framed to the humour of Nature :yea let me but know what attion Popery requires ofany ofher followers, which a mee~ Naturalill bath not done, cannot doe~ Seehow I have cl!ofen ro l)eat them with that rod where. E with they thinkwe have fo often [marred: for what cavil! hath beene more ordinary againll us, then this ofcafe and liberty, yea licence given and taken by our religion~ together with the upbraidings oftheir owne llriet and rigorous auf!erenefft~ Where are our penall works, our fallings, fcourges,haire-cloth,weary pilgrimages, blulhing confeflions, folemne vowes ofwilling beggery and perpetual! contineocie ~ Todoe them nght, we yedd, in all the hard works ofwill-worfhip they goebeyond us; bur (Jell they lhould infnlt in the viCtory)not fo much as the Priellsof BAAl went beyond them_ I fee their whips : lhew me their knives_ Where did ever zealous Romanill lance and carve his fle01 in devotion~ The BAAlitts did it, and yet never the wifer,never the holier. Either therefore this zeale, in works oftheir owne devifing, makes them not berter then we, or it makes the Bulitts berter then they: let them take their _ choyce.Alas,chefe difficulties are but a colour to avoid greater : No,no,to work oor C c ~ llubborne
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