A09453:460
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.
Now I mean to proceed, and to touch briefly other points of doctrine contained in ⟨p. 331⟩this portion of Scripture, which I have now in hand. In the second place therefore out of this commandment, Go out of her my people, I gather that the true Church of God is and hath bin in the present Roman church, as corn in the heap of chaff. Though Popery reigned and overspread the face of the earth for many hundred years; yet in the middest thereof, God reserved a people unto himself, that truly worshipped him: and to this effect the holy Ghost saith that the dragon, which is the devil caused the woman, that is, the Church to fly into the wilderness, where he sought to destroy her but could not, and she still retains a REMNANT OF HER1 SEED which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now this which I speak of the Church of Rome, cannot be said in like manner of the congregations of Turks and other infidels, that the hidden Church of God is preserved among them: because there is no means of salvation at all: whereas the church of Rome hath the Scriptures, though in a strange language; and baptism for the outward ⟨p. 332⟩form: which helps God in all ages preserved, that his elect might be gathered out of the middest of Babylon. This serves to stop the mouths of Papists, which demand of us, where our church was fourscore years ago, before the days of Luther: whereby they would insinuate to the world, that our church and religion is green or new: but they are answered out of this very text, that our Church hath ever been since the days of the Apostles, and that in the very middest of the papacy. It hath bin always a Church, & did not first begin to be in Luther's time: but only then began to show it self, as having bin hid by an universal Apostasy, for many hundred years together. Again we have here occasion to consider the dealing of God with his own Church and people. He will have them for external society to be mixed with their enemies, and that for special purpose; namely, to exercise the humility and patience of his few servants. When Elijah saw Idolatry spread over all Israel, he went a part into the wilderness, and in grief desired to die. And David cried out: Woe is me that I ⟨p. 333⟩