A01130:165
The Pope confuted The holy and apostolic Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…The Pope confuted The holy and apostolique Church confuting the Pope. The first action.…
The Pope confuted The holy and apostolic Church confuting the Pope. The first action. Translated out of Latin into English, by James Bell.The Pope confuted The holy and apostolique Church confuting the Pope. The first action. Translated out of Latine into English, by Iames Bell.
London: printed by Thomas Dawson for Richard Sergier, 1580
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
What then? because all things be ascribed unto faith, passing over all mention of works: shall we therefore condemn this doctrine as an utter adversary too works, making no estimate of holy and virtuous living? God forbid. But these Romanists overmuch sweating and moiling in their Summularies, Sententionaries, Decretaries, Thomists, and resolutions, and I had almost said altogether blinded in their Philosophical quiddities do not conceive aright of the heavenly purpose ⟨image 66⟩and meaning of Christ, neither do they sufficiently enter into due consideration of the purpose, force, and inward kernel of the Evangelical Philosophy: neither do discern the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel,1 as they ought to do. For whereas the whole force of the law consisteth in prescribing certain rules, whereby this transitory life may be directed in holiness & integrity:2 whereby may be known what is to be ensued, and what to be eschewed: by what means Gods wrath kindled against us may be pacified: and how his punishments and corrections may be mitigated,3 and in what wise other inconveniences and calamities of this life may either be •urned quite away, or otherwise qualified by petition: And where as on the other side that other trump of Evangelical Embassy soundeth a far higher and more shrill note, nothing so meanly exercised of it self about those present things which concern this present life, (though otherwise it do minister many wholesome restoratives for the good preservation thereof) but proclaimeth a far more happy league, and hostage of a better & everlasting felicity: against infinite and the never ceasing vexations, and calamities, not of this world only, but which press down and oppress the whole frame of the universal creation: it raiseth up and giveth undaunted courage against the unavoidable assaults of death and the Devil, it displayeth also remedy & a ready conquest thereof: Yea it properly layeth down and discovereth the passable way, which doth bring us home again unto God: and the means also whereby we may untwine our souls out of the entangled Labyrinth of sins and convey us too the heavenly glory that never shall have end.