A09453:356
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
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.
Reason I. All true invocation and prayer made according to the will of God, must have a double foundation; a commandment, and a promise. A commandment, to move us to pray: and a promise, to assure us that we shall be heard. For all and every prayer must be made in faith▪ & without a commandment or promise there is no faith. Upon this unfallible ground I conclude, that we may not pray to Saints departed: for in the Scripture there is no word, either commanding us to pray unto them, or assuring us that we shall be heard when we pray. Nay we are commanded, only to call upon God, Him only shalt thou serve, Matth. 4. 10. And, How shall we call upon him in whom we ⟨p. 251⟩have not believed? Rom. 10. 14. And we have no promise to be heard but for Christs sake. Therefore prayers made to Saints departed are unlawful. Answer is made, that invocation of Saints, is warranted by miracles and revelations, which are answerable to commandments and promises. Answ. But miracles and revelations had an end before this kind of invocation took any place in the Church of God: and that was about three hundred years after Christ. Again to judge of any point of doctrine by miracles, is deceitful; unless three things concur: the first is, doctrine of faith and piety to be confirmed: the second is prayer unto God, that some thing may be done for the ratifying of the said doctrine: the third is the manifest edification of the Church by the two former. Where any of these three are wanting, miracles may be suspected: because otherwhiles false prophets have their miracles to try men whether they will cleave unto God or no. Deut. 13. 1, 3. Again, miracles are not done, or to be don for them that believe, but for infidels that believe not: as Paul saith, ⟨p. 252⟩1. Cor. 14. 22. Tongues are a sign not to them that believe, but to unbelievers. And to this agree Chrysostom, Ambrose, and Isidore, who saith, Behold a sign is not necessary to believers which have already believed, but to infidels that they may be converted. Lastly, our faith is to be confirmed not by revelations and apparitions of dead men, but by the writings of the Apostles and prophets,