Secondly, The second Reason why this is to be attended, is, Because all pretenders 1to any Religion in the world, they would all be thought to be sincere. None will own and justify hypocrisy and guile to be lawful. Indeed the Jesuits they go high this way, when they defend mental reservations, and make equivocation, Prudens defensio rei, as Valentia. These are not only deceitful, and use fleshly wisdom, but also plead for it, yet at other times would be thought very free from all such carnal policy, and way of lying. As Bellarmine in a Sermon of his, (Conc. 9. de•probitate doct. Eccles.) inveigheth against Protestants, whom he calleth Heretics, Although (saith he) their Doctrine were true, yet ought they to confirm it with lies? Nonne satius esset millies obmutescere, quam semel mentiri? Were it not better suffer to be a thousand times silent, then once to lie? What is the work of the Devil, if this be not? Thus a great Champion of the Romish Church, which you would think did all things in great candour and ingenuity: And yet in that very Sermon reporteth forged lies against eminent men, continuing the same bitterness in Conc. 10, 11, 12. as if his tongue were set on fire from hell. But there are two famous places in the Scripture, which may abundantly confirm us of the deceivable and false ways in the Roman Church. The first is, 1 Tim. 4. 2. where they are said, To speak lies in hypocrisy, forbidding to marry, &c. who are therefore said, To have seducing spirits, yea and a conscience seared with an hot iron; that is, because they can so abominably dissemble both with God and man. The second place is, 2 Thes. 2. 9. where the coming of that wicked one is said to be after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, in all deceivableness of unrighteousness. Here you see, that fraud and impostures are (as it were) the true note of their false Church. But though this be so, yet they would wash their Blackmoor skin, and charge that crime upon those Churches, who departed from them. Seeing then that this cozening, deceiving way is charged mutually by all parties upon one another, with what integrity and fidelity doth it behove those to walk, who are indeed the faithful Ministers of Christ? But
Secondly, The second Reason why this is to be attended, is, Because all pretenders 1to any Religion in the world, they would all be thought to be sincere. None will own and justifie hypocrisie and guile to be lawfull. Indeed the Jesuites they go high this way, when they defend mental reservations, and make equivocation, Prudens defensio rei, as Valentia. These are not onely deceitfull, and use fleshly wisdome, but also plead for it, yet at other times would be thought very free from all such carnal policy, and way of lying. As Bellarmine in a Sermon of his, (Conc. 9. de•probitate doct. Eccles.) inveigheth against Protestants, whom he calleth Hereticks, Although (saith he) their Doctrine were true, yet ought they to confirme it with lies? Nonne satius esset millies obmutescere, quam semel mentiri? Were it not better suffer to be a thousand times silent, then once to lie? What is the worke of the Devil, if this be not? Thus a great Champion of the Romish Church, which you would think did all things in great candour and ingenuity: And yet in that very Sermon reporteth forged lies against eminent men, continuing the same bitterness in Conc. 10, 11, 12. as if his tongue were set on fire from hell. But there are two famous places in the Scripture, which may abundantly confirm us of the deceivable and false wayes in the Romane Church. The first is, 1 Tim. 4. 2. where they are said, To speake lies in hypocrisie, forbidding to marry, &c. who are therefore said, To have seducing spirits, yea and a conscience seared with an hot iron; that is, because they can so abominably dissemble both with God and man. The second place is, 2 Thes. 2. 9. where the coming of that wicked one is said to be after the working of Satan, with all power, and signes, and lying wonders, in all deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse. Here you see, that fraud and impostures are (as it were) the true note of their false Church. But though this be so, yet they would wash their Blackmoor skin, and charge that crime upon those Churches, who departed from them. Seeing then that this cousening, deceiving way is charged mutually by all parties upon one another, with what integrity and fidelity doth it behove those to walk, who are indeed the faithfull Ministers of Christ? But
- 12. Because all professors would be thought clear from it.2. Because all professours would be thought clear from it.
