A09453:478
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.
I might here rehearse many other sins which with the former call for vengeance upon the Roman Church, but it shall suffice to have named a few of the principal.
I might here rehearse many other sinnes which with the former call for vengeance vpon the Romane Church, but it shall suffice to haue named a few of the principall.
Now in this reason, our Saviour Christ prescribes another main duty to his own people: and that is, to be careful to eschew all the sins of the Church of Rome, that they may withal escape her deserved plagues and punishments. And from this prescribed duty I observe two things. The first is, that every good servant of God, must carefully avoid contracts of marriage with professed Papists, that is▪ with such as hold the Pope for their head, and believe the doctrine of the Council of Trent. For in such matches men hardly keep faith and good conscience, and hardly avoid communication with the sins of the Roman Church. A further ground of this doctrine I thus propound. In Gods word there is mentioned a double league between man and man, country and country. The first is the league of concord, when one kingdom binds it self to live in ⟨p. 351⟩peace with an other, for the maintenance of traffic without disturbance: and this kind of league may stand between Gods church and the enemies thereof. The second is the league of amity: which is when men, people, or countries bind themselves to defend each other in all causes: and to make the wars of the one, the wars of the other: and this league may not be made with those that be enemies of God. Jehoshaphat, otherwise a good king, made this kind of league with Ahab: and is therefore reproved by the prophet, saying, wouldest thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord? 2. Chron. 19. 2. Now the marriages of protestants with Papists are private leagues of amity, between person and person: and therefore not to be allowed. Again,