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111
07
THE
PROTESTANT
TRUELY STATED
AND
JUSTIFIED:
By the late Reverend
Mr. RICHARD BAXTER,
Prepared for the Prefs lome time
before his Death.
V.hercunto is added,
By way of Preface ^ fome Account of
the Learned Author : By Mr. Dantl
Williams^ and Mr. Matthew Syhefier.
LONDON,
Printed for ^Qfytl &&lU&)UtV at
the Rifing Sun over againit the Royal
Exchange in Cow bill, 1 6$i.
T O T H E
READER
THE Author of the fallowing Trait
is the Reverend Mr. Baxter, now
enjoying that Glory he fo converfed
with in his mortal /late. Among his many
Excellencies, his Love to God. to Peace, and
Truth, xv as not the leaft eminent* The I aft
rendred him averfe to Logomathies and con*
fufion ; well knowing, How vain all erifrick.
debates be, if the ^uejlion be not truly and
flainly /fated. This Bookjmll give thee a Sfs*
cimen of that peculiar accuracy in this kind* '
as even determineth the Controverfie before
an Argument be produced.
It is not to be concealed,that fome complain
of the multitude of his diftinftions; but juch
may confider, that the Comprehenfivenefs of
his Mtnd accommodated things to the moft
fubttf, us well as the lefs intelligent Reader ;
and provided again ft future Errouri, as well
as the mif takes he attends to in the particu-
lar pointk before bhn.
1 cedhc was a man born for more lofting
A * ftrvic$
To the Reader.
fervict.thtn one Jlgc -, y*a,kv Name will be
grew ft, when impartial incj^iftivetiefj after
Truth flia/l rezdez men pa\nf^l j and fad ex-
ferience of the rflifchitj of narrow And divi-
ding Print if les hath forced the confident to
piutuuil allowances^ and mil ft tidied deter*
minations. < But how unhappy war he (or ra-
ther fitch as mi [take him) that he is oft
whx'Sgcd with deftrtinf this or that* Truth, b?-
taiifc he wider f to oi it in a c+nfificncy with
it fclf, and fxch other truths wherewith it
rvas connected: sjjjfOrt hodoxit mnft b*
j*erificedwhen-evtr a DoUrine is made in-
telligible ;, or the choice of terms more apt
to confute tht trrmioH*, left obnoxious to
miftakfs 7 and; moft expreffive *f dtgefted
thought s^ ought to alarm ail fjich t who- feet*
capable to know little more of Truth than tht
found of oft repeated Phrafss.
Nay y at more convincing what treatment
#ny man muft cxpett , whofets himfcif to
heal a blind depraved World ; The clear eft
reprefentation of his mind ] will not fdtnc&tb*
ignorant from charging him with thoje E; •
roars which he moft cxprcfly dtfowns. 7 <h$e
cf the tnoft matertal are denied and c&futfd
by Mr. Baxter *>/ this very Trcatife, viz. the
moral freedom of the WiU of an itnregem,
tnan y conditional ElcEtion^ and the merit of
good IVvrks as oppofed to , or coordinate
with
To the Reader.
rrifb the Riehteoufnrfi of Cbrift* Neither
must it be ovtr-lco\(d, that it was his (Con*
cern tn this Bcok^ above any other , to fpeak^
as near to thefe feints as his Judgment could
admtt ; and in other Treatifes he more Urge-,
ly declares avainfr' them*
r. Of Free- Will, p. 87. he tells us, hi
dtmes that mans Will in his unregenerate
ft ate is free from vitious inclination, or from
the condkd of an erring Intelletl, or from the
Biafr of Smfuaiity, &c. 2. He denies that
the Will thus vitiated^ mil ever deliver it
felf without Gods Spirit and Grace, it being
rather inclined to grow wcrfe* 3. As that
degree of common Grace,, which is in the
mregentrate, is but fuch as confifreth with
the predominant Reign of Sin ; fo the Will
of every unregenerate man in that pravity^
is as a Slave to its own vitiotu difpofrtians^
orfmir, and temptations. Who can Jay more
ayfiirifl Free-WiU ? Ob}. But he affirms the
natural freedom of the Will. AniV. He doth
fo, and explains *> >( p. 84, 85, 86, 9c and.
it is no mert than that aSwner is a man frilly
tbo* he be depraved ; and be is a liberal, and
not a forced Agent in what he afteth^
Obj. But he faith, p. 8S, That by comrrc
Grace a, wan may do more good and Ijtfs
evil than he doth. AnfV. It 'strut, he foil*
f But) p., 8;, he difringuijhib bttwetn
*A ? com-
To the Reader.
common and fpecial Grace, and denies that
We can do that by common Grace , which is
proper to facial Grave : and faith, mtuhavc
tut juft fo much, and no more moral Liberty ,
**/ power, as'tbey have of Gods Grace to
relieve their vitiated Wills. Set p. 9 1 .
2. Of Conditional Election, p. 99. He
condemns the Notion r«iJW Scientia Media :
p. \ 00, he faith fiod decreeth not mens Salva-
tion \ or Sanftification, meerly en Forefight
of our faith : bnt decreeth our Faith itfetf.
Sin he permitteth, but Faith he effetteth, and
decreeth to effeft: and p. 101. he jhews,
bow God decreeth both the means and end. And
tho* Godjuftly denieth his Grace to many that
forfeit it by wilful refinance and contempt j
yet he takes not the Forfeiture of the Eieft.
Tea be adds, That he is deceived, and wrong*
*th God, that feigneth him to fend his Son to
redeem the World^ and bis Word to call them,
and his Spirit to renew them ; and all this
at random, not knowing whether it may not
All be loft j or leaving it chiefly to the Free~
Will of them, whofe Wills are contrarily in-
dined and vitiated ; whether Chrifi and all
his preparations fhall be loft : p. 1 02. he op*
proveth the plain Chriflian who holds that our
tttftrutlion is of our felves, but our help and
Solvation of God j and God is the firft and
chief Caufc ofallgoed and men and Devils
of all evil. ' ~ . r , Obj.
0*<T . X<t>
To the R racer.
Ob). But he wtll not fay, that Gad bath
j bis Will and Decree ordained fr^m Eterni-
rj thut men frail fin, or will and chafe evil^
p. ico, & 101. God doth not decree that
ncnjhall fin, that they. may be damned ; for
% is no worl^ of God, &c.
Ani\v, But yet he faith, p. icO. that,
1 . God dccrectbwhojhall be damned for fin.
2. That he forefaw mens fins, not as an idle
' Sfettator, but a willing Sujpender cfhis^own
Atts, fa far as to leave Sinners to their f elf ~
determining Wills. Reader, if thpn art a
man ef thought , thou feeft Mr. Baxter is
clear for ah folate Elcftion, tho he did not
thin\ itneceffary for the vindication thereof
$ $ judge, that God abfolutely decreed ?nen to
fm, that he might damn them : it's enough ,
that it is from Gods Sovereign Will, that ma-
ny are not eltcled ; it would be an eafe to the
damned, that they could juflly fay, God dc~
creed us to all our fins, that he might bring -m
under all this puniflwent, a Non-elcttion to
Efficacious Grace, and a, fofittve Decree to
damnfuch for fin, which themfelves would
chooje, beft fuited with hisConceftsons of G ids
Goodnefs, Truth, and Purity.
3. Of the Mem of good Works : Note,
Reader, that he is not fond of the word Me-
; fit, but his Adversary leads him to the ufe of
it, oi thou majftfee p. 96- Bat kt hs hear
A 4 what
To the Reader.
what bis price & cf this MM • p. tt 9 . M
Saints are faVe'd I Efficient Merits
of Chrijf, and have tii fell ,-f ; } :-ir own,
wilcfi the dmiabienefs cf Grace freely given
them,be called tkc:r Merit ; and^p.y;. we do
with Paul renounce aii Works of -our own,
that are thought to m&e the reward to be
of Debt, and not of Grace ; arid that are
fex in the leaft oppofitton, or competition rvith
Chrifts Merits, or in any place, fave com-
manded fubcrdination to him : nay y he fays
he firmly holds, That Works done rvith a con-
Ci it of obliging God by A4erit in commutative
Juflice, or as conceited fufficient without a
Saviour, and the pardon of their failings, do
more further their Damnation, than Salva-
tion. Tea, p. 97. none but Chfiff merited of
firiB diftrrbutive fuflice^ according to the
Law of iHnocency, nor by any\¥o*ks that will
fave ftom the charge of fin y and defert of
death. And that thou mayeft know what he
afcribri to our Grates, fJolinefi, or Workj :
He tells us., pi 1 19. m mean by Merit but
the moral aptitude for the reward of a free
Bene fail or, who alfo is Reel or, when the or*
dering of a free gift fufyended on official con-
ditions, is fapientially made a means of pro*
curing obedience. This one Cteufe, tf under*
Jfood (and he is a bold Traducer of fo great
4 Man^ that cannot wdtrfftnd words. J i
pUin)
To the Re
flain) will acquit Mr. B. a^d \rn .
«/ rib* />/4c* of *// GofpeL Conditions.
GoffeUbleffings are the fiee gifts ofCbrift u
BeuefaQer, thcybave their being without &
re .d to what we do, therefore nothing ■
man is a jot of the right eon fnefs or merit ior
•which they are beftewed. 2. Chrifi is c
Rector or Governor, he willrkle us at well m
be bztufcan tow. 3 . As a means to incline
ua to comply with him as Reft or, he (nlpends
thejebUffings en terms of what he makes oht
Duty ; a/id wifely orders them as Motives to
cur Obedience \ % 4. Any Aft of cur Obedi-
ence is no more than a conjermtty to that Or-'
der ofbisy and doth not hinder all wt receive
from him to be of free gift.
Obj. But he faith , that good Work/ Mf
nep&ffary to Salvation.
' Anfw. He doth fo, and Ijow few deny it ?
But, 1 . Not if a man dye as foon as he be con-
verted ; btit.ifhe have time, p. 94. 2. Their
rcwardabUnefs ts by Gods free Grac^ and
Promiie.,/^ the fal^e of Chrifts meritori-
9Ht Ru(hieoufnefs, Sacrifice, and hit tree ffi-
■ ijnpeifeftion being pardoned, and
through him': 7'.
, p. 76. 3. tl faith J Not wil
: to the Sacrifice, Me*
dec of Chrifi our Saviour,
, p. 93, 75- <dnd we give
our
To the Reader.
our f elves to Chrift, as our Prophet , Pri
and King, to be faved by his Merit^ p. 94.
4. He faith*, our heft Works will not fave a
man from the charge cf fin, and defer t of
death j p. 97. 5. He denies that external
Obedience is t^ceffary to our admiffion into
a juftifi&i ftate^ as he fhews in the Thief on
the Crofs. And when he faith, we are jujiifi-
edby our Faith, Godlinefs, and Works ? "Ju-
ftification is not taken by him for the pardon
of fin, which he afcribes wholly to the Merits
of Chrift ; but he takes Justification therefor
our acquittance again fi the ace h fat ion that
ve are Infidels, Ungodly, and Hypocrites.
jind faith, that again ft the charge, that we
are Sinners, deferving Hell, we are juftifieei
fy Chrift believed in, p. 94. His meaning
is plainly this, Chrift' alone by his Merits
forgives our fins , and purchafed eternal Life
for its* But feeing that Chrift hath pratnifed {
to forgive none but the penitent Believer, and
declared he will deftrcy all impenitent, unbe-
lieving, ungodly finners : Now he things, tbdt
tee muff be truly acquitted, that we arc not
fuck, or Wejhall not be faved byChnft : Tea,
he thinks, that when God juftifies a mm for
Chrift s Merit s,he doth alfe decitre a man to be
a trneBeliever^ecanfe he will jajhfic no other ,
and will jufttfie all fuch ; and when Goi ad$\
nuts a nun into GUry y be doik even the t v
• adjud-ri
To the Reader.
tdjudg c him a beueving^ penitent , holy, and
vpright man \ mdf-ee from the charge of
\eing an infidel, hypocrjtickt, unholy Enemy ;
*g*inft whom the Gcrfcl denounceth Venge-
ance and bars relief Let theft things be ,
weighed^ and none will wonder that he jhould
fay on hirficl^ bed^ No worfcs, I will leave
out works, if he grant me the other : And
truly, in health none Jpake more humbly of
his own Worlds than he ufed to do. But be*
caufe fome confident weak perfons have infer-
red from that p*ff*ge, that he changed his
Principles when he came to dye ; we (haB in-
form thee , that after that pa f age was ut-
terd by him, even the night before his death,
Mr* Baxter was asked, whether he was of
\he fame fentiments, as formerly, about Ju-
ftification ? He anfwered, That he had told
the World fuffciently his thoughts about it by
fcvcrM Writings, and otherwife ; and thi-
ther he referrd them. And after a little
paufe , with his Eyes lifted up to Heaven %
he cryed, Lord, pity, pity, pity the Igno-
rance of this poor City, And in the time
of his fieknefi he declared to tu and others,
that his thoughts in thefe things were the
fame as formerly.
Out regards to Mr. B. force the Publica-
tion of what we here infer -t ; tho we would
not be judged fo happy, as to arrive at his
Light,
To tlie Reader.
Lights to lead Hi to a, full Agreement with
*& his StHtime?its. As to this Boo^ we wtfh
there be not ftill great need of jnch helps a-
gainft Popery ; and* we are ajfuredit will give
more light than fome greater Volumes on this
Sttbjett : Thit God may render it Hfefnl,(li*ll
be the Prayer of
Thy Servants in the Gofpel,
Daniel Williams.
Matthew Sy/vejter*
THE
.
THE
CONTENTS,
1 /~\Fthe Rule of Faith p. I
2 V^/ Of the Judge of Contr over pes in
matters of Faith p. 6
3 Of the Scriptures difficulty p. &
4 Of Traditions p. 1 9
5 Of the private Spirit p. 29
6* If St. Peters Faith failed p. 34.
7 /f fta Church can err p. 39.
$ Offfe* Churches Infallibility p. 50
9 OfW Vniverjality p.. 55
loOfherVnity p. 58
f 1 0/ Sr. Peters Headfoip p. 60
12 Of 4 fecnlar Trine es Headflnp p. 63
13 Of Antkhrifk p .67
14 Whether none but God can forgive Sins
p. 70
15 Whether roe ought to cevfefs to none but
to Cod c p. 72
1 6 0^ Pardons p. 74
1 H ; rferr f/;* Actions and Paffions of the
I >fr* profitable to us
a iSG>/
The Contents.
IS Ofxooth of Supererogation p* 18
* 9 Of Free-will p. g*
20 Of keeping the Commandments p. 89
21 Of Faith and good works p. 99.
22 Whether good work* *re meritorious
p. 95
23 Whether Faith once had$Annrt be loft +
P-97
24 Of Cods inevitable decree r who flail be
damned and who (hall be faved p. 99
25 Whether we ought to affure our /elves of t
oar falvation. p. 1 o 3
25 Whether every one hath his Angehk$ep- .
• *r p. 107-
2.7 Whether Angels pray not for hs p. 108
28 Whether- me may not pray to them p. 1 1
29; Whether they can help us or no p. 1 1 3 I
30 Of Saints Apparitions p. I 14I
91 Whether they kpow what paffeth on earthl
p. 117
32 Whether they pray not for us ib.
33 Whether we may alledge their Merits in
favour of our f elves p. 1 1 8
^Whether we may not pray to them
S$OftheRelifts of Saints
36" Of hallowing of Creatures
37- Of the Necejfuy of Baptifm
38 Of Confirmation
39 Of the lajl Supper
40 Of receivers under ont kind
4i 0/|
p-
121
p-
1221
p-
12?
p-
12*
p-
128
p-
i 3
p-
Ijtfi
The Corrtents.
41 Of the Sacrifice of the Aftfs, p< 141
42 Of Ext ream Vntiian p. 1 46
45 Of Haly Orders p. 148
44 Of Rtltgiotu boxers p. 1 53
45 Of fafting and ahfcinencefrommeatsy. 1 ^5
46 O/Ximbus Patrum p. 1 fj
47 0/ Purgatory p. 1 58
48 Of making Images p. i52
49 0/ worshipping Images p. 1 64'
50 Of making the Picture of Co J p. 168
5 1 Of hlcfing with the fan of the Crofip. 170
$£ Of J cr vice in *n hnknown Tovgye p. 173
There
THere will in due time he
publipnd a Urge Account
of Mr. Baxters Life 3 mojlty writ-
ten by himfclf.
THE
CO
*te t** r*-> zZz «il2 c!c a!c s&s s!c cie s!e sfc sic «& <gp
Proteftant Religion
THE Deceiver calleth his Book
The ToHchftone of the Reformed
Co/pel^ as if he owned a Go*
fpel diftindt from that of the
Reformed Church. And he undertakes
to name fifty twopoiuts, which the Pro-
teftants affirm, bat tells you not where,
nor proveth his affirmation, but you
mud believe him as a Tonchftone of
Truth.
_ pet. The fir ft Proteftant affirmation
feigned, is, That there is not in the Chart*
One, and that) an infallible Rule for hndcr-
$ an din/ the lioly Scripture, and confer ving
if Vnity in matters of Faith.
An fa. A meer Lye, if he mean that thi>
is any part of Proteftant Do&rinc j but
I
-
(*■)
he may find as crude confufed words, i
forae ignorant per [on that is called a Prof
teftant.
The Reformed Catholicks hold, that/JWp
if in the Church one, and that an infallibly
Rule for mderftanding the holy Scripture, am
conferving of Vnity tn matters of Faith'
And that Rule is, [_The Evidence of 'it sow)
meaning as inherent in its felf, difcemible- o\
intelligible by men prepared and inft rutted, b
competent Teaching and Stndy y and the ne
ceffary help of Gods Grace and Spirit. ] Thi r ij
is that Rule.
But the Reformed believe not i . Tha 1
there is any Rule by which ignorant,preju
diced, heretical , wilfully blind, wicked,]
uncapable men can underftand fuch Scrip- >l
tare, as they are hereby undifpofed tc
underftand, unlefs by a great change mad<
on themfelves. Nor that any Prince cai
make a Statute, which no Man can mif i
underftand, abufe or violate.
2. Nor that Men can underftand v *
without teaching, and that found teaching ;l
nor by hearkening to Erroneous Deed
vers.
3. Nor that the Slothful, that will no
meditate on it, can underftand it, tho|[.
they have thefoundeft teachers.
4.. No
r:
m
Nor that Novices can underfland
s much in a lhort time and fmall Study,
._ed long exercifed Students.
5. Nor chat wicked proud men, that
prteit Gods help, can favingly under-
;and it without his Grace and Spirit.
6. Nor that any man, how holy foe-
er, perfeftly underftandeth every word
1 the Scriptures.
7. Nor that a perfon may not be faU
ble^ and deceived, that yet knoweth
rhich is the Infallible Rale : It maketh
ot all Infallible that know it.
8. Nor that any Church, or any Nura-
cr of Chriftians on Earth have fuch a
, y as confiiteth in perfift hnjwledge and
merit in* all matters of Faith , that is,
.re-record from God.
Nor that God hath tyed this
ifallible Regulation to the Bifhop of
ome, or made him this Rnle '- feeing no
ich word of God is extant, and Gene-
jl Councils, have condemned Popes of
j lie, Infidelity, Ignorance, and moll
i(h lnft and wickednefs.
t 10. Nor that the Judgment of the ma-
rt of Chriftians or Biflwps is the In-
llible Rule j for 1. The Papal part
e but a third pan : And they will hard-
N believe that the other two or three
B 2 parts
(4)
parts ( j&ijfwes, Egyptians, Syrians, jA\
menians, Georgians, Ctrcafftans, G reeks, Mh} \
covstes. Protectants) are the Infallible rnlt {
2. And if they met in an equal Councils
they that are moft out of the Council j
would be the moft in it. And Epbef. 2 J
and many others now condemned, hav m
bad the Major part. And Chryjoftom tha \
thought that [few Bifiops or Pritfts werf
faved,2 thought not the greater numfl
her to be the infallible Rule. ■
11. And Pope and Councils agreein; {
are not that Infallible rule ; for avojallt^
bles makes not one infallible, nor twr|
Knaves one honeit Man. Popes and Coun t
cils have oft condemned one another
yea, they have oft agreed in evil, ^al
that at Lateranc the 4th. under In?iocu> \
the 34/. that decreed the depofition ofprk
c£s, that exterminate tm all that renouric
not all Senles and Humanity -, for thol
that have led into the Churches of th
Weft all the horrid Errors of Rome, t
pretend yet that they are the lnfallik,
rule of under ft andwg Scripture, is Impi
dency quite beyond that of Satan hiir
iilf.
J2. If this Deceiver hold what is con
trary to his accufed Proteftant Opinioi
h§ muft coinlemn the Church of Rom>
(5)
jrhat agreeth not of the fefife of a thou-
jfand Texts of Scripture, Horftloads of
♦Commentators, and Cartloads of Schooi-
p>ntenders, contradi&ing one another :
|And he that will fay that all revealed in
Jscriptsre is not matter of Faith, re-
jproacheth God, as revealing tbat which
lis not to be believed. All matters of
♦Faith are notej^r/rf/to ChrifUanity, but
tfome are only for the ycrfetlion of it : All
lis matter of Faith that we are bound to
believe as Divine Revelation. All the
Scripture is fuch, tho the ignorant mult
have time and help to underftand it, and
explicitely receive it. The Popes thetn-
felves ( e. g. Sixtns Qutntus^ and Clem. 8. )
have differed in many hundred Texts a-
bout the very Latine Tranflation. Ma-
ny hundred Volumes of Controverfies
among them, tell us how far they are from
Ending Controversies, and agreeing in all
iratters of Fnith : But in fo much as isne-
celi-ry to Salvation, all ferious believing
Proteftant*, or Reformed Catholicks, are
agreed.
Now, to trouble the Reader with the
proof of any of thefe twelve particulars,
would be but to abufe Time and him \
as ro prove that no Man is perfect, and
be that ftith be hath no fin ^ is a Lyar : and
B 3 to
(A)
to prove that the ! Deceivers of
Church arc not I . illible, andth ; Ctqc[#
Word is not onei ; - nd . i : :i!ig:jj
ble, and that Pjch V
Councils and Hiftori ns fty m PopiL
were, fpesks rot more into] , anC
wifely than God \> and that the Volunuj
of Canons and Priefls Writings are i c
of more evident meaning than Gccj
Word }thcfc need proof to none buuhoij,
•. bie pf it.
What Rule is there for die Infallibly
underftanding the fence of all our Sta f
rate Laws? none but what I mentionecfc
The intelligible evidence in the words fc
(whatelfe are words ufed for) to meg
duely inftrudled and ftudyed. The jWift
€s govern by deciding particular cauftjr
by the Law, but are not an Infallible Rh\
for all Men to irnderftand the true fen.cE
of the Law by, (while Judges and Pai
liaments differ from each other, as Pop< [ t
and Councils did.)
The Texts cited by the Deceiver, ai
fo vilely abufed, as if he purpofe<l bi B
to make fport by taking Gods Wot.
to
m vain.
ct Point 2. Jccuftdi £ That in mattefc
ct of Faith we mult not rely on thejudj
"ment of the Churchy and of h„r PajloA
ct hnt only on ttie mitt m word. An
i
rf. The Deceiver would Cheat f
:; c by Confufion •, 2nd belying the
Reformed Catholicks: for,
j falfe, that the Reformed hold
Lhis undiftingniftring Aden ion.
tTiiey diftinguifh between humane Faith
ine. ( And I hope, God and Alan
be diftingnifhed. ) They fay that
uft be a Divine Faith (that i3, The
f of Gods word for the Infallible Ve-
il od) th2t muftfave us, and not
(Man alone : Burthsi a htfmd
?aith is reedfnl in Subfervkncy toaDk;..
God hath appointed hunuwe Teachers to
:lie (locks, and Oportet difcentem Credere ;
rie will never /f*rtf, that will ie/jfw no-
:hing on his Teachers Credit. But he
"null believe Man but as Man^ an ifllper-
^d, fallible Creature, yet as like ttf
tnow more than he that choofeth him for
lis Teacher •, And that which Man is to
each us, is to fee the Evidence of Gods
)m Word, that we may believe it for
bat Evidence , as our Teachers them f elves
mi ft do. For if the Teqchers do but
ye one another^ and not God, (or God
Dnly for Man's Authority, ) this is noC
ion , nor Divne Fauh , but hnmane,
fuch as they had that believed Fythagoras y
Plato , Mahomet , &c. If Boys learn of
B 4 their
their School-Matter to underftand th<|{
Greek or Latin Teftament, and bclicvik
them as to Sence, this is not Divine FaithU
but a help towards it. The word of
God is Infallible : And by the help oH
fallible Men, (fuch as difagrecing ComW
itientators be J we are furthered for unK
derftanding it. But falfe bloody UfurM
pers are not the liked to teach us th<p
Truth, nor fitteft to be trufted.
His Citations of Scriptures, (to mifta :
ted Controverfies,) are fo putidly imptr - ;
twenty that I am ajhamed to detett them bjr
words , which every Alan may do.
The Third accufed Poiat.
That the Scriptures are eafy* to be HtidcrV
floods and therefore none are to be reji raineM
from ^Reading them.
Anf Meer Cheat to the Ignorant, bjM
confufion and falfhood.
1. We and all Papifls with us agree J. (
(the more is the Guilt of the Deceiver!^
Fraud, ) that fome of the Scripture i:
cafy to be underitood, and is attuallj
underftood by all true Chriftiaris, ever
all that is efjentsal to Chriftianity, and &I
ce/fary to Salvation. Bellarmine^ Caftrns I
aod many others, teH us, that for all that
the
(9 )
c Scripture is plain and fufficient*
Yea, fo it is, in many Thoufand particu-
lar Texts : If this be not fo, Jet this
Man tell us if he can, how it cometh to
||i>a"fs, that Papifts, Greeks, and Prote-
[ ftant Commentators agree of the meaning
of moft of the Scripture, (perhaps of
Nineteen Texts i/i Twenty, ) if it be
>not plain.
But do Proteftants fay, that there is no-
thing in the Scripture hard to be under-
I flood ? The Father of Lyes will fcaree
i affirm this of them, left their Commen-
taries and Controverfies fhamehim.
2. But what ? Muft the people be for-
bidden to Read Gods Word , becaufe
fome paflagesare dark? Why not alfo
forbidden to Read Statutes, Canons, Fa-
thers, Jejuits, Fryars, and the Loads of
Papijh Controverfies ? Is there nothing
sJiard in all thefe Volumes ? what not in all
the Canons} In all Cbryfojiom, Aitfiin^
( il, &C ? In all Lombard, Aquino, £o.
tnturz, Scotusj Gckgm, Cfjcunt, and
r he Tribe? In all Siunz., l r «fqncz.,
Udo, Albi&ine, &c ? In all Cajacim,
and his Tribe ? Why are not thefe for-
bidden ? Do but rub your Foreheads, and
teli me 5
B J i.'Wh*
i. Whether the Law wps not dnrkeiL
than the Gofpel ? and yet God charged a
them, Dent. 6. and u. To teach tfo),
words to their Children^ and that lying down z I
And rifmg itp 1 at home and abroad ; and tc ij)
write them on the pojis of their Houfes, ana y
their Gates : And every blcjftd M*n*\
(Pfal. i.) was to deliaty tn the Law of the t
Lord, arid meditate in it Lay and Night i %\
Read VfaL Up.
2. Whether Chrifl did not Preach the 1
words Recorded in the Gofpel to the 8
unlearned common people } and Piter and j
Paul, and all the Apoltles, toall the vul- G
gar JtKS and G entiles ?
3. Whether they writ not their Re-
corded Epiflles to the Vulgar, even to all
the Churches?
4. Whether it is not Gods Word that
we mull all be Ruled and Judged by,
and is the Charter of our right to
Heaven } and fhoukl we be forbid to
read it ?
5. Whether Hierom, Chryfoftom, Att-
ain, and all the Fathers, do not prefs
Men and Women of all Ranks, to read
or learn, and ftudy the Scriptures f
6. Wi ether he be not like Antichrift.
that will forbid Men to read that, which
God lent his Son from Heaven to Preach,
and
(■
Chrift appointed A pottles, Paftors,
Jjnd Teachers, to communicate to all the
orld ?
7. Whether the Prince of Darknefs
I nd Pride himfelf, would not be alhamed
; .iy r to fay, / have fo much skiU to /peak.
ligtbly y and God fo little^ that yon mi(t
tad my Books , and not read his ? And
whether Popes and Priefts Volumes are
jpot as unskilfully written, as Gods,
jind as like to draw Men to Herefie and
in f
8. Whether he that thus Conderaneth
|3od and his Law, and extolleth Man's*
be like to make good his accufation at
God's Barr ? Alas ! muft fuch things as
thefehedifputcd by Men that would be
onr Infallible Rule ?
.. Either the knowledge of God's
! Word is needful, or not. If not, why
did God write part of it himfelf? And
I fend his Son to Preach it ? And his Spirit
in his Prophets and Apoliles to write and
Record it ? Are blind Worms fit to ac-
1 God of Folly, and needlefs Work ?
Can Men obey God's Law that know ic
not ? But if the knowledge of it be need-
to our Obedience and Salvation, ask
common Reafon, whether the Difficulties
(hould nor rather oblige us to read and
ftudy
( 12 )
ftudy it fo much the more, till we under-
stand it, rather than not to read it at all ?
Do their ductile Followers that read it
not, underftand it better than thofe that
ftudy it Day and Night ? The lefs we
know of needlefs things, the better and
quieter we are: If God's Law and Gof-
pel be fuch, what a God and Governour
have we ! Can Heathens and Turks Blaf-
pheme him more, than to take him for
fo foolilh a Governour of the World >
as to make a ftir by his Son from Heaven,
2nd by Angels and Prophets, to give them
fo needlefs, yea , pernicious a Law and
Gofpel, as that Men muft be kept fromV
reading it, left it Poyfon them with He- 1
refie ?
10. Is it not effential to him that rela-
tively we take for our God, to be the Go-
vernour of the World ,and to be our Savi-
our, and the Holy Ghoft to deliver and
Seal the Gofpel as glad Tidings to all
Nations ? And is it not by his Law that
God Governeth, and by his Gofpel that
Ghrift Saveth, and the- Holy Ghoft doth
illuminate and Sanftifie ? And doth not
that Man or Clergy then put down God
the Father , Son and Holy Ghoft, and
fet up themfelves in the ftead, who for-
bid the reeding of God's Law and Gok
( «})
pel , and Command the knowledge arid
obfervance of their own Canons and
Dilates inftead of them, as more Intel-
ligible and fafe ? And is not this (as Ro-
bert Grofihead told Innocent 4-)next the Sin
of Lhciftt and Amkhrift^ or rather plain
jiruichriftianifm it felf ?
u. Is the Stage manner of Maffing
liker to make the people underftand God's
Law and Gofpel, (by multitudes of Ge-
ftures, Motions, Croffings, Ceremonies,
that need long Expofitions, that over-
whelm the ftroiigeft Memories,) than the
reading and ftudy of the plain and full
wordsof God in Scripture ?
12. Did this Deceiver ever hear Pro-
teftants fay, that the jifocalypfc, and Da-
nkl, and Ezjekjtl y and the Canticles^ and
the Chronologies of Scripture, arealleafy
to be underltood ? For if he have heard
fuch a Fool , did he ever read this in
the Confeffions of any Church? Do not
their Commentaries tell the difficulty?
And ask this Man or his fellow Creature,
whether the Infallible Pope, ov Councils,
have overcome all thefe difficulties to
the Papifts, and made all this eafy to
them ? Or do not their Valnrpinous dif-
agreeing Commentaries, and Controver-
sies, (hew that they are Itill as hard to
them as to us. 13. And
13- And ask them whether Pope
Council, have ever yet written an Infalli-
ble Commentary on the Bible, or all
fuch difficult Texts? If not, is it be-
cailfe they cannot, or becaufe they will not ?
And what the better then is their Church
for their feigned skill and power , infallibly
to decide difficult Scripture Controver-
fies ? What can be more fliamelefs than '
tbis pretence, in Men that will not do it,
nor ever did ?
14. And if ftill they tell you ; that
the people were always bound to believe and
obey the Churches Rites, without difputc or
Comradiftiw • ask them whether it was
not the Chtrch Rulers that killed Chiift,
and called him a Biafpbemer and Deceiv-
er , and that Perfecuted and accofed the
Apoftles? And whether the People were
bound to believe them, (as Jewifh Pa-
pifts,) and whether all the Apoftles and
Chriftians were Rebels and Hereticks,
for not believing them ? And whether
it was uot for the Sins of Priefts and
Princes, and the r.:oples complying with
them, that God by his Prophets reproved
the Ifrad'ueS) and at laft forfook them to
Captivity, 2 C'hron. laft. Jer. 5 laflr.
15. And if they tell you of the Peo-
ples need of Teachers, tell them that
that
( 1$ )
that is none of the Controverfie. But
•whether their Teacheis mnft teach them
to underftand God's Book, or to throw it
) ? May not the Teacher and the Book*
confift together? Muft School- Boys be
forbid to Learn their Grammar, becaufe
they muft have a Teacher ? Muft he teach
them tbe Book, or teach them without
Book ? But all the Craft is, to get all the
World to take only fuch Cheaters as this
for their Mafters, and then Bible or no
Bible may ferve turn.
i<5. Is it not the Office of Teachers
to Tranilate God's Word into known
Tongues, that the People may under-
ftand it i This is the fir ft part of Preach-
ing it: If not, why do they ufe Tran-
Hationsin the Church of Rome, the Sep-
itit , and the Vulgar Latin ? And
; did Sixtm 5th* and Clem. 8. make
h a ftir to Cot reft the Latin ? And
why do fo many Comment on them?
hcA the Rhemifis turn it into Englifli ? BuK
at is all this for, but to help Men to
ftand the Book?
1 7. Doth not all the Word of God cry
down Ignorance, and cry up Knowledge,
from End to End ? And what Knowl e
is it, but Divine,- of the Word and Law
of God? What cite is the fcope of all
the
( iO
the firft Nine Chapters of Solomons Pro-
verbs, and of PfaL i. i p. and 119, &c.
God faith, Hof: 4. 6. My People pcrijli
for lack, of knowledge : And I fa. 27. 11.
It is a people of no Mnderftanding y therefore
he that made them will not fave them. Ig-
norance and Blindnefs are made the
common caufe of Errour, Sin and Mi-
fery.
But we are fo far from taking all parts
of Scripture to be equally neceflary to be
underftood, that we are more than the
Papifts for firft and moft diligently
teaching them the Eflentials, the Creed,
Lord's Prayer, and Commandments, and
Baptifm , and Church Communion, and
the Lord's Supper, and letter parts as
they grow- up; what they muft learn firft
their Teachers muft inftruft them.
18, If he fay, as they ft ill do, that the
Ignorant will mifunderftand the Scripture y
and every one turn it to his own Fancy,
and Here lie ..: I anfwer, The wav to pre-
vent this r is to teach ic them diligently,
(what elfe is the Miniftry for?) and not
to forbid it them. Every Knave may
pervert the Law of the Land to maintain
his own ill Caufe } and muft the Law
therefore be forbidden them ? Reafon is
far more commonly abufed than Scrip.
ture. x
( t7)
tare: There is no Herefie, % or Error, ro
Villany, Perjury, Cruelty, Perfection,
Oppreffion , or Injuftice, but Reafon is
pleaded for it : Muft Reafon therefore
be renounced ? Herefies are for want of
underftanding God's word ^ and muft be
cured by underftanding it.
19. And if all the World muft take
the Popes or Priefts words, inftead of
Gods, or for their Rule, how (hall thofc
in t^Ethiopia, Syria, America , or here r
know what the Popes Word is ? That
never fee him, or any that hath feen
him ? And how (hall we know , when
above twenty times there have been two
Popes at once, which of them is the
Right ? And when they contraditt and
D*mn each other, which of them muft
we believe ? And when General Councils
accufe them of Errour, and Condemn
them, which is to be trufted with our
Souls ? Or if it be Councils that muft
be to us inftead of Scripture, when they
Damn each other , which muft we be-
lieve ? (And fo abundance of them have
done.) When the Pope and they agreed
to depofe ChrilMan Princes, and give
away their Dominions , and difoblige
their Subjects from all their Oaths of Al-
legiance, is it as true as the word of
God,
( i8)
God, that all Subjects muft: believe and
obey jt hem ?
But how fhall all the poor People
knotf what the Pope and Councils fay
and hold? They can neither read their
Volumes , nor understand them , nor
know which are authentick and true ?
Muft they all believe their PariP*i Prieft f
What if he be a* very a Deceiver as the
writer of this Touch/tone, that doth but
Cheat from the beginning to the end ?
Yet muft we take his word inftead of
Gods ? Or when other Priefts or Fryars
contradidt him, which of them muft we
believe ? What if his Parifhoners know
him to be ignorant, or a common Lyar ?
Yet rauft our Salvation reft on his word,
and God's word be forbidden us. What
if we obey him in Error, and Sin, will
he undertake to-be Damned for us? Or
will his undertaking or Damnation fave
thofe whom he miflead, &c ?
As to his Citation of Scripture againft
Scripture, it is fo palpable a perverfion,
that I will leave any Man that will but
Read the Text, to his own ability, to an-
fwer him : Rev. 5. 1. No Man in Hea-
ven or Earthy was worthy to open the Sealed
Books that John faw in his Vifion : What
then, muft no Man therefore open the
Bible ?
Jible ? Or becaufe the Revelation is
rd, muft therefore the People be for-
bidden to Read it, andthereft of God's
v i, which was written for them, as
I icient to make them nife to Salvation^
yea, to make thcfimplewife, Pfal.19.
d with as Ihamelefs a Face doth he
the Fathers, againft toe drift of all
their writings and Labours, and the
1 1 of all the Churches of Chrift,
tor nanny hundred years, of its pureft
founded Primitive times.
The Fourth accufed Point.
" That Apoftolical Traditions, and •
" ancient Cuftoms of the Church, (not
<c Founded in the written word,) are not
44 to be received, nor do oblige us.
Anf. This ft but more Deceit, by con-
fufton and falfe report.
The Reformed Catholicks hold,
i. That iMemory is not fo fure a way
to deliver any Laws and Do&rines to Po-
fterity, through many hundred years, as
writing is. For it mult lie on the Memo-
ries of fo many Thoufands, in fo many
s, and fo many parts of the World}
Pi io many Languages, Kingdoms, and
crofs liitcrefts and Opinions in their
quarrels j
( 2a)
quarrels i and the things to be rerncm-
bred are fo many , that this needs no
proof, with any but Fools or Mad-men :
What a Religion (hould we have had,
if inftead of the Bible, it muft have all
been brought us down by the Memories
of all the Rabble of ignorant and wicked
Popes ? yea, or of the bell ? and by the
Memories of all the Prelates and Prieits
that have pretended to be the Church ?
Why do they themfe;ves write their pre-
tended Traditions, if writing them were
not needful? And why have we all our
Statutes, Records , and Law- Books, if
the Lawyers and Peoples Memories would
keep and deliver them without thefe ?
When Men's Memories, Wits, and Ho-
nefty art fo weak, tbat we can (carce
get one Story canied without faliifying
through many Hands.
2. We hold, that God in mercy hath
therefore confidered Mans Weaknefs,
and Neceffity, and before the Apoftles
died, infpired them to Record fo much
of his Law, and GofpeJ, and Will, as
was univerfally neceflary for all his Sub-
jects to know, in order to Divine belief,
Obedience', and Salvation : And hath
left nothing of this importance and ne-
ceffity unrecorded in the Law of Nature**
(God's
( 2i ;
(God's Vifible works,) and Scripture,
knowing that after Ages were not to
have new univcrfal Legillators, to make
fuch Laws for all the World ; nor to
have Men miraculoufly enabled to do it,
and give proof that it is Divine.
3. We hold that God's written Word
and Law, is pcrfe<ft in its kind, Pfel. 19.
and fufficient to its proper ufe and end :
Which BclUrmine, Cajfmtu , and the
Council of BafU^ and many School-men,
in their Prologues on the Sentences, con-
fefs extcndeth to all things commonly
neccflary to Salvation , yea , and to be
the Divine Rule of Faith.
4. Yet we deny not, that if God had
feen meet to deliver any neccflary part
of Law or Gofpcl , Faith or Prs&ice,
as his will, by bare word and Memory of
M m } we had been bound to believe and
obey it, when we hid found proof that
it was indeed from God.
5. We hold, that for fnlleft certainty,
wc have poflcflion of the Bible it felf, and
of the Eflent!2ls of Chriftianity, brought
us bv two Means ConjanA , that is , 1
: . -, and praftical Cuftom of the
i cb. As the Scripture or written Word
(hineth to us by its own Light, fo Tra-
dition teils us which be the Canonical
tooks,
( 21
Books, and how the Church received them
as Divine, and that there are no otl
fucb : And the practice of Biptifmaf
Profefiion and Covenanting, and of the
Church AfTemblies , and reading Scrip-
ture, and Catechizing, and of Euchari-
ftical Communion, and Prayer, &c.
tell us what in all Ages hath been taken
for trueChriftianity. As we hold a hu-
mane Belief, needful in Subferviency, as
a means to Divine Belief, fo we hold hn-
mant Tradition needful to the conveyance
of God^s Word to us. But, by yoar leave,
we will diftinguifh the Mcjfen^er from the
Anthour : If the King fend me a Law or
Mandate by a MeiFenger, or by the Pen-
ny-Poft, I will receive and obey it, and
yet not take the Poll or Meflenger for
King, or Legiflator, or Infallible.
6. And the Reformed Catholicks do
own al^rue Tradition , but are for a
far fur™ Tradition than, the Roman
Sett. Oar Tradition of Scripture, and
the great points of Chriftianity, cometh
to us by Evidence Infallible, that may be
called Natural, with the greateft advan-
tage of Moral Evidence > alfo •, and not
on t;he boaft and bare word of one
proud Se&, that pretendeth to Fanatick
Infpiration and Authority above all
others. I
I call chat Natural Evidence, which a-
rifeth from fuch neceffary Gaufes that can-
not be otherwife, nor can deceive : And
1 call that the beft iMoral Evidence,which
cometh from Mens teltimony ofgreateft
credit for skill and honefty , and we
have both thefe.
Mans Soul hath fome neceffary afts that
cannot but be, and cannot be otherwife :
Such is fen fat ion of [en [Me objects dnely
prefented ; Intelltttual perception of things
prefented according to the evidence in
which they appear : The Love of our
/elves and our own known welfare, and any
thing that is known to be an only and
neceffary means thereto, and hath Omni-
:m ratiomem boni : The Love of Truth
ss Truth, and Good as Good : The hatred
of mifery^ &c. Thefe. all Men have as
men, and that which dependeth on thefe
dependeth not only on mens honefty.
And our evidence of Tradition is foch as
this. It is from the Common Confent
of all capable Witneffes, of various Opi-
nions, Paffionsand Interefts, Friends and
; whereas the Tradition of Seftari-
Papifts, dependeth on the Credit of
Seft, that filfly pretend a peculiar
truft with both Scripture and Traditi-
on, tho' againft the greater part of Chri-
fdans .
f*4>
ftians: And pretend Fanatically that
even ignorant Popes and Prelates in Coun-
cil,have a gift: of infallible knowledge.
For Example: If there were a doubt
raifed, Whether there be any fuch City
in the World as Rome, Paris, Vienna?
or whether there was ever fuch perfons
asK. James, K. Charles, Ludovicus 14. of
France, &c ? Or whether the Statutes
in our Books were really made by the
Kings and Parliaments named in them,
and be the fame unchanged, &c There
is Natural evidence of all this, becaufe it
arifeth from neceflary atts : All forts of
men of contrary interefts could never a-
gree v to lie and deceive men in fuch ca-
fes, no more than they could all agree
to kill themfelves: And if fome would
be falfifyers, the reft would prefently
detect and fhamethern: If any Lawyers
would falfyfie or change the Statutes, o-
thers would prefently manifeft the de-
ceit, they being commonly known, and
the crofs interefts of fo many depending
on them ; yea, I fay not only that this
is Natural Infallible Evidence, but thit
it is more than very much other Phyfical
Evidence of roany other things \ becaufe
we have better means to know Mans Na
tural neceiTary afts, thap we have to
know
< *<> )
k moft other Creatures of God.
And then for Moral Evidence, we have
aUthe Godly'satteftationof all Ages, and
Nations, and Sefts of Chriftians, and a-
mong the reft the Papifts alfo, agreeing
that This Bible, and This Creed, and thefe
Eflentials of Chriftianity, were all cer-
tainly, tranfmitted to us from Chrift and
his Spirit, in his Apofties.
And what's the Tradition of the Papal
Seft to all this, who tell us falfely, you
cannot know the Scripture to be God's Word y
but by taking it on the belief of the Pope and
( rch of Rome, as Endowed with the Pow-
er of Judgment , and the gift of InfaUibi-
lity. Alas ! what abundance of Impoffi-
bilities muft be proved true, before any
Man can by this method believe God's
word !
i . Before they can believe the Gofpef,
and that Jefus is the true Chrift, they
muft believe that he hath a Vicar.
2. And a Church.
5 . And the Pope is this Vicar, and his
Sedi this Church*. And
4. That he hath the Office , Power
ind Gift, of infallible Judging, which
;he Major number of Chriftians orChur-
:hes have not,
C 5. And
C 2<5 )
5- And that Chrift (not yet believed
in,) gave him power and Infallibility.
6. And that he that now Reigneth, is
the true Pope by due Eleftion, Conlecra-
.tion, Qualification, &c. With many more
fuch Impoffibilities : And what is itto give
up the Caufe to the Infidels, if this be not ?
7. But we jadge that God's Law in
Scripture, fecured from the charge of pre-
tended Rememberers and' Vfurpers^ is lb
fufficient to its proper ufe, that there need-
eth no Supplemental. Tradition , as if it
were but half God's Law ; bur only fab-
fervient historical Tradition. And we chal-
lenge the Papifts to prove de facio,
1 . That any fuch iupplemental Tradi-
tion is Exigent.
2. That they poflefs any oth?r, but
what the other Churches know.
3. That they are more than other Chur-|
ches, authorized to be the Keepers and
Judges of that Tradition. And
4. We fully prove them Innovator?
and that Popery is a meer Novelty : [r i
copioufly proved by Peter Moulin^ de no
v it ate Papifmi, iDAvid Blondelde Ecctifia ,
Andrew Rivet Defence of Morney again! 1 *'
Coffetem^ and againft Silvefter, and man
others. Can they without the moft pre
fligi
( 27 )
flig ate Impudence pretend Apoftolical Tra^
dirioil, br denying the Laity the C tip in
.,. } .'a barift, and tor their fraying in an
i :•,-.,. Tongue, and forbidding the Scrip-
i z, and deposing Princes, and dijfolving
Oaths of Allegiance , and for tormenting
and killing aU baptized perfons that obey not
the Pope, with many (uch ?
!, If Tradition cell us of any Cuftoms
ufed in the Apoftles, or Primitive times,
that be not in Scripture, and fo be not
made matters of Neceffity to all ; yea, or
of any occafion all mutable Cnftoms thatare
mentioned in Scripture , (as wajhing the
Saints Feet, the Holy Ktfs, the Womans
Kail, lo?ig or Jhort Hair, Collc&ions each
Lords Day, Preachers Travelling on Foot,
C^c.) we quarrel not with the then ufe
of iuch Traditions, when they were fea-
fonable , no more than with forbearing
things ftrangled and blood : Nor quarrel
we with the Churches after, that ieded
Eafier Day, and made the 10th. Canon of
the Ntcene Council, and ufed divers Ce-
remonies at Baptilm. But Traditions b£
things Indifferent and Mutable, we receive
but as fHch, to be laid afide w r ken the oc-
safion'ceafeth : And if any wiil turn them
Into a necefjary common Law, we dilclaim
luch Qfurpers; for they crofs that very
C 2 Trl
(*8 )
Fraditim. It was delivered as Indifferent y
and you feign and make it a neceflary
Law, and (b deftroy it.
9. We maintain openly, that Tradition
is againft the Papacy and its Corruptions :
They are but a third or fourth part of
Chrifti^ns: The other two or three parrs
of the Chriftian World, profeis that the
Tradition of their Churches is againft :he
Vopes universal Sovereignty, and againft all
the Corruptions of which they accufe him.
None but the (hamelefs will deny that the
jibafftans) Armenians, Greeks, %nd others,
plead that this is their Tradition. And
Reader, tell us, why the Tradition of two
or three parts of the Church fhould not
rather be believed againft a third part,
than that which the third part boaft of
againft all the reft.
1 o. Ask them which way they know and
keep their Traditions ? Whether the}
have any Hiftory, Records, or any othei
way which we may nor know as well a:
they ? If they pretend that it is a Secret,
kept by their Church, it's a ftrange Secre
that fo many Thoufands know : But if f
fce a thing proveable, let them prove it,
11. Is it not unmercifuInefs,to tell all th
.Chriftian World, that as big and hard t\
the Bible is, if they knew and obeyed :Jj
( 2 9 )
all, they cannot be fa ved, unlefsthfcy be-
lieve and do more, kept by the Pope, and
called Tradition ? When yet thefe De-
ceivers candifpenfe with the knowledge
and pra&ice of God's own word, and
think the Bible a Book too big and hard,
fand the Prophane fay, too drift,) to be
commonly imderftood and kept; And
yec all the Bible is not Enough, but we
muft be bound to as much more as they
v ill call Tradition, yea, Volumes alio of
Papal Canon Laws.
12. Did not Chrift for this thing Con-
demn the Old Pharifees, Mat. 1 5 ?
Prove your Traditions to be Apoftoli-
cs!, zv.i about things neceflary, and not
your Forgeries, or about things mutable
and indifferent, and we will obey all fuch
A poftolica I Traditions- But your Novel-
ties and Ufupations (hall not paft with us
for Divine Laws, becaufe you can call
them fuch.
The Fifth ace h fed Point,
cc
cc That a Man by his own underftand-
ing and private Spirit , may rightly
U J H ^ e an A interpret Scripture.
Av.(. Can any Man unriddle what this
Deceiver meaneth ?
C 3 1. Caa
( ?o)
i. Can a Man judge without his own
mderftartding ?
1. What meanetb he by a private Spi-
rit ? Little know I. If he mean God's
Spirit, it is no contemptible nor private
Spirit, even in a private Man : If he mean
a Man's own Spirit, Soul or Intellect, it is
the lame as [his own under ft andingr\ If
he mean any Evil Spirit, or fancy and £>-
roneous felf -conceit, we defie fuch Spirits,
and Deceivers that ufe them.
To underftand without our own under-
(landings, is a Myftery fit for Rome : Why
may not a Dog, or a Sheep, be faid io to
underftand the Scripture, if it may be un-
derftood without our own underftandings ?
What a Curie is on the ignorant Nations,
that will be led by iuch words asthefe !
But if he will fay that he meant, £ By
his own under ft anding alone without a Tea-
thtr^\ why did he not fay fo, but laj
one thing and do another ? But that hac
been too grofs a Lye, to have been be
lieved, by them that fee that we fee Oj
Teachers in all our Congregations.
3. Therefore I can imagine nothing bu
^bfurdity in his words, unlefs he mear
that we hold that a Man may rightly Ir
terpret Scripture by his own underftanc
ing immediately, inftrutfed by his Teach?!
arfi
*nd Gdd's Spirit , withont taki&g the
Sence only at the rebound, on the belief of
the Pope and his Clergy. For we never
thought that a Man's own natural Wit
without a Teacher, and the help of Cod's
Spirit, can favingly underftand and apply
*he Scripture.
And yet we would fain tell Papifts a
better way to Convert a Philoibpher v or
a Tarfc, than to Preach to them thus : God
hath written .his Law and Gofpel to the
World, but you cannot tell what is the mean-
%ng of it, till you take that fence on truft
from our Pope and Clergy, and know that
Chrifi authorised him to be Judge ; and that
before you believe in Chriji, or underftand
the word that fo author iz^th him. VVefe
nor corrupted Nature very blind in things
Spiritual, Plow- men, and Tinkers, and
Coblers , would be able to confute fuch
Fopperies , and much more Priefts, and
Popes, and Prelates.
4. But I pray you tell me, whether the
Tope and his prelates , do not interpret
Scripture by their own under/landing*?
■ Whofe underftandings elfe do they judge
by, in Conclaves or Councils ?
5 . And tell me, whether he that judg-
I eth that the Pope is Chrifts frce.Chrift and
I Ruler, at the Antipodes, and is infallible,
C 4 tho T
( *o
tho* he be by Councils condemned (ox a /:
?r nifty an Infidel , an Atheifl, a Seducer -,
or an ignorant Sot ? Doth not this Man
judge alJ this by his own under ftanding?
If a Man take an ignorant fottifh Prieft
for the Mouth of the Catholick Church >
tho- he knotf no more what he talks a-
gainft, than this Roman Deceiver , doth
he not judge this by his own underftand-
ing ? If a Sot will believe you, that your
Stli is the whole Church, and all are Dam-
ned, tho' they love God, and believe in
Chrift, if they will not be ruled by the Pope
and every Mafs-Prieft, doth he not judge
thus by his own under ft anding ? Do you
Preach to Men, or Beajts, that have no un-
derstanding of Gods Law and Will ? If
a Man muft believe all the Canons of ?opc*
and Councils, in Baronim, Binnius, Suri-
us, Nicolinw, Caranna , &c. doth he
Dot do it by his own under -ft an ding *
6. Oh ! But the meaning is, Ton are at
private ignorant Men, and we are the Cler-
gy ; Kings chooje fome ef hs , and Poyesi
choofe others, and whether we are Wife or\
Fools, Learned or Vnlearned, Infidels or\
Chriftians, you are all Damned if yon wibl
not follow us, and if we be Damned^ you\
muft be content to be Damned with us. And J
is it fo ? Hath God made Man for no fafeil
and!
.and better a Condition, than to be Dam-
ned when ever Sottifh. Drunken Priefts
ili tell , fYou muft believe us that are
• ih of the Pope, and the Pope,
tho s that the Word of God is
agaiii.c it?3 Speak out Deceiver; would
you have ail Men.be of their Rulers Reli-
gion, or not ? Should the Jews have be-
lieved the Church, that Chrift was aBUf-
phemer, Deceiver and Tray tor, and the
Apoftles Seditious Fellows? Muft we be
Mahometans uhder Turks, Perfians , and
Indians , and Papifts under Papifts ? And
why not Lutherans under Lutherans alio ?
And Co our King fhall be our God, and onr
Religion humane. Or muft Men judge
what is true or falie, good or bad* by
thejrown understandings ? Do Kings and
Prelates Rule Men, or Dogs, and Brutes?
ItCromweB&y, He U Supream, and King
Charles ky, He is Stream, tell uswhether
we muft not ufe our own under) anding j,
to know which of them to believe and
w^-Vj A ? d muf * we not do fo » «f the
W odd, the Fiefh , and the Devil, fav
one thing, and Chrift another ?
And I pray you tell us, whether that be
a... < on thzt Knot Divine, and whether it
r.ot our own under/landing, that mufc
dtttiDguiftitetw en Cod and Man? Did
C- 5 Oct
( 34 )
xiot Vulgar Folly fit flothfu! FooJ?;,for
| Hell, they would eafily perceive that Po-
pery engaging them to renounce their own
wnderftandings , maketh us all Voluntary
Brutes, to gratify the ambition of Men,
.and puts down God from being our Gover-
. nour , and Man from being a Voluntary
- Subjeft, and turns the Kingdom of Chriji
into the Kingdom of Beafls.
The Sixth Point accufed.
That St. Peters Faith hath failed.
Anf. Who could more ignorantly have
ftated a Controverfie ?
i. Proteftants are further from the Opi-
nion that Peters Faith failed, that* thegrea
tefl Papift Dcftors : Some Proteftants
hold that no Man that hath true faving
Faith, doth ever totally lole it i much leii
JPeter. Others hold, that no Elett Perfor
that hath true Faith, doth rotally lofe it
And fo thought Auguftme : Others add!
that though fome, as \ Calvin fpeaks, quale-
CHnque femenfidei prderim^ having no man
immutable Grace than Adam had in In
nocency, vet all that ha^e a Confirmee
Radicated* Habit, perievere. And as u
.Peters Faith, allfavethofe called Armim
anj agree, -(as far as I know,) that hi
Fait
•Faiih was not totally loft, nor Titer re-
lapied into a State of Damnation : But will
all the Jejuitshy as much ?
We commonly hold that the Habit of
Peters Faith, muft be diftinguifned from
the AE s, and the Act of Ajfent from the
ACt that exciieth Confeffion and conqneretb
Oppofition. And that Peters Faith did not
totally fail as to the Habit, nor the Ajfent 3
that Chrift was the Meffiah : But that it
adually failed as to the latter A<ft, that
fhould conquer Fear : Chrift faid to him
and the reft before that, Why arc ye fear*
'full & y e °f foil 6 Fdiih : Little Faith, u
¥ aith failing in Decree. This is oxr ViElo-
; over the World, even our Faith, faith
St. John. And did not Peters Faith fail as
to part of that Vidtory, when he Curft
and Swore that he knew not the Man ?
But by Peters Faith, this Deceiver mea*
neth the Popes Faith : And he inftanceth
in the Scribes and Fharifees, that were to
be heard becaule they Sate in Mofe's
Chair, and in Cajaphas the High-Prieft.
Reader, fee what Chriftians theie Slaves
of Chrifts pretended Vicar are : Doth he
uot plainly infer, that the people did well
that believed the Priefts, and the Scribes,
and Fharifees, that Chrift was a Decei .
and workt Miracles by the Devil
C sO
was a Bfafpbemer and a Tray tor, and tf e*
ferved Death ; and that cryed !M><t$ with
him : Crucife him ? And what wonder
if they obey their High-Prieft, when he
Commandeth them to Munher Thoufands
and Hundred Thoufands Saints Nicknamed
Hereticks , when they juftifie them that
killed Chrift and the Apoflles, becauie
the Church Commanded it, (i^nleis they
will renounce their own plain Conle-
ijuence ?)
And muft we indeed believe, that the
Popes Faith never failed, becaufe Meters
did not? Then we muft believe that Ge-
neral Councils that are their Church, have
been very falfe and flandercu*. Reader,
I will give thee but an Account of one or
two, (when their own mod flattering Hi-,
ilorians have written of many a long time,
that they were rather jifoftatici^ thar>|
j4poftolici, and named but to keep the Ac*
count of time.)
The great General Council at Conjtance y
(that Barm John //#*and Jeromeot Prague,
for Truth and Honefty, ) finding three
Popes Heading three Churches called Ro*
man Catholickj y had no way to return to
Unity , but by putting down all three
Vvich much adoe they got down two ol
|hem : But Pope Jehu at Rome had the
fefteft
( 37 )
fefteft hold, and they had more adoe to
get him down 9 and had not the Emperour
reiblved to back them , they had been
foiled. Hereupon he is accufed in the
Council, Firft, by Fifty Four Articles, of
iuch Monftrous Viilanies , as one would
think humane Nature were uncapable of.
Afterward many more are added, of Poy-
foning Pope Alexander , of Inceft with
his Brothers Wife, and the Holy Nuns,
and Ravifhing Maids, and Adulcery with
Mens Wives, and much more; and of
Simony*, almoft incredible : And amongft
the reft, (which I forbear to recite, left I
tire the Reader,) they fay and prove,
that he vcot a notorious Simoniackj and a
pertinacious Heretick } That oft before di*
vers Prelates, and other Honeft Men, Jby
t Devils perfwafion he pertinacioujly faid,
afferted, dogmatized, and maim aintd^that
there is no Life Eternal , nor any after this :
And he faid andpertinacioufy believed, that
Man s Soul dieth with the Body , and is ex*
tincl? as are the Bruits : And he [aid, that
the Dead rife not, contrary to the Articles
of the Rcfiirrettion, &c>
Theie Articles being (hewed ta the
Pope, he conftjl his Sin, and confented to
ie Dcpofed, and begged Mercy, but all in
Hypocrilie, while he iought to get out of
ihtir Hands and Power. And
( ?8)
And now Reader, doft thou think that
it is the mark of a Heretick, and defer-
veth Burning and Damnation, for a Man
to think that this Popes Faith failed?
Were it not for tiring you, I would repeat
fuch Articles againft many others of them,
as would make you think, that not only the
Heathen Philoiophers, but even Mahomet
was a Saint incomparifon of thefe Swinifll
and Diabolical Popes.
After this, the Great Council at Bafi
acculed Engcnius the <\th. of Herefie and
multitudes of horrid Crimes, and«iepofed
him: But he outfaced them, and {landing
it out to the laft, got the better, and the
Succeffion is ever fince continued from this
Pop^ that was depofed by a grand Gene-
ral, Council.
Before thefe, Pope John the 1 2th. was
depofed by a Council at Romt y celled by
Otho the Emperour, for fuch horrid Vil-
lages, as no Pagans that we read of evei
matcht. Read them but in B^ronius^ and
Binnim : Drinking Healths in Wine to the
Devil, and calling at Dice upon jxpite}
and VwMy befides Murders, Simony, hi
ceft and all Wickedne's, aTe all confiften
with Papal Faith : And if this be no failing
I (hall grant that the Popes Faith (nor th
Devils, ) can n^^t fail*
Th
( 39)
The Seventh ac:nfed Point,
That the Church can Err y and hath Er-
Anf. This is truly and honeftly recited :
All Proteftanrs hold it, and marvel that all
the Devils in Hell can io befool any as to
deny it-
i . No Body can tell what it is that they
call the Church, till they tell us : But what
ever1t;'rs, except confirmed Angels and
Souls in Heaven, if they cannot Err, God
and our Saviour, and the Apoftles have
Erred. For they tell us that, \we know but
tnfart^] and if any Man fay that he hath
no Stn^ he is a Lyar, i Joh» i. 7 Cor. 13.
12. And in many things we offend all, Jam.
2.2. Pial. 19. 12. Who can nndtrftand
his Etyohys , cleanfe thon me from fecret
faults. 1c was the Church of which God
complaineth, that they alway Err in their
Hearts*) and have not known Gods ways y
TfaL 95. 10. Heb. 3. 10. unlefs Caleb
and Jojhua were all the Church, /fa.
53. 6. All we likf Sheep have gone a*
If by the Church they mean the Priefis^
bow full of Complaints agajnft their Er-
rours are all the Prophets , and Hiftory
aAT cf
(4o )
of the Kings and Chronicles? Ifa. 3. 12.
i«y (topic, they that lad thee, caufethet
to Err, and deftroy the way of thy paths,
Ifa, 9. 15, \6. For the Lenders of t lots
people can fe them to Err , and tbty that arc
ltd of them are deftroyed. Mai. 2. The
Priefl s Lips fhould keep knowledge, and they
fjould feck the Law at his Mouth, for he is
the Me (linger of the Lord of Ho [Is : Bat
ye are departed out of the way y and ye have
can fed many t-o fumble at the Law : Tt
have corrupted the Covenant of Leyij faith
the Lord of Hofts : Therefore have J alfi
made yon contemptible and bafe before ah
the people, according as ye have mt kept m)
ways, &c. Hof . 4. 5. My people are cut
off for lack^ of knowledge: Becaufe thot
haft re jetted knowledge, I will olfo re\d\
thee, that thou fljalt be no Priefl to me. Jer
5 3 . 3 r . The Prophets prophecy falfety, aiu
the Priefl s bear Rule by their means , an
my people love to have it fo, and what veil
ye do in the end hereof? 2 Chron. 36. 14
16* 1 7. All the chief of the Priefl s and th
people Tranfgreffid very much after the aba
nunx- ions of the Heathen : But they mockj*
the Meffergers of the Lord^ and dejpifed hi
words , and rinfufed his Prophets, till tlA
wrath of the ^ord arofe againfi his people
and thercwai.no healing. Jolfa i.2 ; ^4-
Reai
is it not worfe than fnfid
at theie Men teach, if they fay that the
Church hath not Erred ? Was it no Er-
r ; when Aaron fet them up the Golden-
Calf ? not when they went -after the Idols
of the Heathen, and worfhipped in the
hi h places? Was it no Error to take
Chrift for a Deceiver and Blafphemer,
worthy to be Crucified ? Was ir no Error
to rejeft the Goipel, and periecute the
Apoftles?
And had the Apoftles no Error , whet)
they believed not that Chrift muft Die for
sur Sins, and rife again, and afcend to
Heaven, but thought he mult then fet up
ia Earthly Kingdom ? Was it no Error
>f Ptter, Math. it. to diflwade Chrift
T6m Suffering, for which Chrift faid, Get
hee behind me Sathan y thou favonrefi not
he things that be of God, bnt thofe that hi
f Men ? And I think he Erred , when
?anl openly rebuked his Separation,
Jal.i.
If alltfmChurch on Earth conftft only
)f fer fans that have many Errors, then the
vi h Church b*th many Errors : But the
\ntecedent is fo true, that I take him that
lenyeth it, to be fo far from knowing
vhat the Church is, or what a Christian
s, that he knoweth not what a Man is,
and
r
( 4* )
•nd a Church of fuch are fo unfit to be
trufted as infal]ible,with all Mens Sal vatioti,
that they have not the Wic of common il-
literate Men, or Children : And if in all
thitigs elfethey uere as mad as in thele
two Opinions. 1, That the Church never
did nor can Err.
2. And rhat all Mens Senfes muji be di-
tty ed for TranfubjlantiAtiw ; doubtlefs they
ftould be kept in BedUrn from humane
Convefrfe.
But for my part^ I do not think that an)
Man of them not ftarkmad, doth believe
himfelf that there are any men in tht
World that have no Error, (that have an)
ufe of Underftanding.) He is far front
knowing what M*n is, that knoweth no
that he fwatmeth with Errours : I ofrne
doubt whether the greater number of moi
mens thoughts, are true or falfe.
But if by the Church they mean on! |
the Popej if he cannot Err, then it is n
Errour to believe that there is no Life bi|
this , and that Mans Soul ckpth as thf
Beafts, and that it is lawful ro Murthc
Gods Servants by Thoufands, or hundrefj
Thoufands ; if all the forelaid Popes in tVl
ages 800, 900, icoo, noo, Erred nof|
fure there is no fuch thing as Errour in
World.
But perhaps by the Church is ipeant Ge-
neral CoHflCl S.
But i. If they Erred not in their De-
crees, doth ir follow that therefore they
had no Errour ?
2. But did not the fecond Council at
Efhejus Err ? Where they tell us that Sc/a
tttri Navtchla, only the Popes Meffen-
gers eicaped the Herefie ? Did not the
Council of Calcedon Err in their Opinion ,
when it determined that the Reaibn of
Homes Primacy was becaufeit was the Im-
perial Sear, &c? Were all the Councils
free from Errour that were for the Arri-
*ns ? And thole that were againft them ?
And all that were for the MomthtUtes ?
And thofe that were againft them ? And
all that were for Images, and thofe that
were againft them, &c ?
Butatlaft they come to this, that the
Pope may Err, and Councils may Err, but
when they agree, they cannot Err: A
happy meeting of Erring peribns, if they
are both cured by ir. But lure it is not the
meeting : For the Pope is at Rome, when
the Council is at Trent, Ephefa, Cenflan-
twopuy £~c. M a Council may Err, and
the Pope Err, what proverh it impoftble
for them to agree in Errour ? The Pope
and Council at Latcran 4th. agreed for
the
(44)
the Popes depofing Princes that Exrer-i
initiate nor all out of their Dominion!
that deny Tranfubftantiaticn, &c. W«
this no Errour ?
Obj. But this was not a matter of Faith
Au(. Is it no matter of Faith with them .
Whether it be Lawful or not, according re
Gods Law, to kill men that believe theii
Senfe6, andtodepofe Princes? And whe
ther Subjects may break their Oath:
of Allegiance, and forfake their Prinot
if the Pope Command them, and all be
caufe their Prince will not be a Murthc
rer or Perfecutor ? Thefe are no matter
of Faith with them ? But fure they hav<
made them Articles of their Religion
£*v£ skbsr the Rebels, and MurtheTers
and Pope and Council Err, or elie God
Law and Gofpel Err.
The Judgment of the Reformed Catho
licks is this,
i . That there is no man living withoo
Errour.
2. That the Apoftles of Chrift weo
Commiflioned to deliver his Gofpel to the
World, by Word and Record, and ha<
his promile of his Spirit co lead them int.
all Truth, and keep them from doing tha
WorkErroneoufly which they were conn
mifHoned to do : (Tho* not to make ther
able
C45)
ibfolutely free from Sin or Erronr in all
other things.) And therefore the Scrip-
tore written by them is free from Errour,
by Virtue of the fpecial promile and
Spirit.
5. That all trne Chriftians, (really re-
generate,) are free from all Errour, in-
confiftent with true faving Faith, and Ti-
tle to Salvation.
4. That therefore the Church as it figni-
fierhonly the faid regenerate true Chrifti-
ans, hath no Damning Errour,, or none
but what is pardoned, as confiftent with
faving Faith and Holinefs.
5. That the Univeri'al Viftble Churchy
is the whole Company of men on Earth,
that profefs true laving Faith, and are by
Covenant Vow Baptized into this Pro-
feffioa : And that all this true Vifible
Church, profe(feth no Errour, inconfiftent
with their Profeffion of the forefaid faving
faith : Becauie the profejfion of faving
Faith is ejfentialto vifible Chrijlianity^ and
tathe vifible Church.
>; For mark, that I fay not that they
profefx no Erronr inconfiftent with fine ere
Faith in themselves fabjetiively , nor yet
iKjras to objective Faith, may nor by un-
i'c: C9nj(cjitcnce overthrow it : For there is
uch a concatenation of Divine revealed
\ Truths,
Truihs , that ic is a doubtful c: . whethei
any one Errour (which all men have,) dc
not by remote Confequence iubvert ;.ht
very Foundations. But no true VifibU
Church or Christian, io profejftth any one
Errour, as not to profefs the tffential point.
of Faith and Godlinefs, tho 7 they mi\
think fallely that both are trne. There-
fore Proteftants teach, that unfeen Con
Sequences are not to be io charged ot
thole that fee them not, and hold faft thi
(injured) Truth, as if it wetea known o
direct denyalof the Truth.
6. But every Church, aad every man
being imperfedt both in knowledge, Faitl
and Holinefs, have all ibme Errour : Fo
to be objedively defide, is to be of Divin
Revelation : And all the Scripture is D;
vine Revelation. And if the queltion be
Whether any Pope, Council or Church
underftand all the Scripture without air
Errour ? judge by Commentators , an<
common Experience.
And now what faith the Deceiver a
gainft all this ?
i. He citeth I fa. 59. 21. God hat!t
promifed to preferve his Word in thi,
Church : Ergo, the Church cannot Errl
A forged Confequence, no more follow?
cth, but that the true Church (hall ncf
loi
( 47 1
pfe or forfake Gods Word : For then it
ybuld ceafe ro be the Church :
But i. Not that the beft Churches un-
lerftand all that Word without any Er-
our.
2. Nor that any particular Church vifi-
;Ie may not apoftatize, or turn Hereticks,
>r corrupt Gods Word, and forbid men
ufe it in a known Tongue, as the Pa-
>ifts do.
Next heciteth Joh. 14. 16. As if all
he Church had the lame promife of the
>pirit of Infallibility, as the Apoftleshad:
f lo, then,
1 . Papifts are none of the true Church,
)ecaule they have many Errours.
2. And if the major part be the Church,
er than a minor Sett, then all other
riftians that are 3giinft Popery are free
>om Errour, for they are twice or thrice
\i rr :iy as the Papiiis.
3. And when the far greater part were
Amam , they were free from Errour :
yea , the Council of Sirminm, to which
1 Liberia profefled full confenr. Or
lid Chrirt break his promife to all thefe ?
If the Pope or all his Prelates, have
is full a promife of the Spirit as the A po-
nies, then they may write us a new Bible 7
,nd Word of God, as they did : No won-
der
(48 )
derthen if the Canons and Decretals be ;|
much Gods Word as the Bible ? But \vh 1
then do they not confirm their Canons b I
Miracles as the Apoftles did ? And whw
did fo many Popes contradict each other I,
Had both Stephanas^ FormofiUy NichoLt. |
and the forefaid Johns that denyed the Lif i
to come, &c. the fame Gift as the Ape
files ? Surely we may well fay to them a •
St.famcs^ Shew me thy Faith by thy Works t
They did (hew it by moft odious Simony \
Gluttony , Drunkennefs , Lying witl i
Maids and Wives, even at the Apoftolicl i
Doors , Murdering Chrifts Members fr
Thoufands , Silencing faithful Preachers !
Depofing ELmperours, Commanding Peri
jury and Rebellion, even to Sons againfl (
their own Fathers: Forbidding all Churcl
Worftiip of God to whole Kingdoms foi
many years, when a King will not obey
the Pope : By fuch Works they (hew|
their Faith ! O the power of Satan, and
the horrid pravity of man , when fuch
things are not only Juftified, but trufted tl
for Juftification, and made confiftent will
a Church that never Erred. \l
Indeed thefe Errours crept in by De-.j
grees, which maketh it difficult to Expc i- l
.tors of Scripture Prophefie, to knowjuft);
the year whea the mifchief became for
ripi
(49)
, as to prove Rome to be Babylon Apo-
ftateio Pagano-Chriftianity, and the Pope
to be Anttchrift. But if I iee a man Ra-
ging mad in Bedlam, I will not make it an
Anideof my Faith, that he is Sane mentis*
becaufe 1 know not juft when his amenti*
t delnatio , or MelanchoUy became a
' '•■ tia* or Furor.
The Deceiver alfocireth, Mat. 18. 17.
Becaufe men mud hear the Church'
where a Sinner dweiierh , th,atcal!eth hint
:o Repenrarice after due Proof and Admo-
iition , therefore the Pope and his Pre-
pares cannot Err. An Argument liker a
^enfion, than a ferious Proof: Did not
he Pope then Err , when Bifhops and
councils have in vain called him to Re-
r Doth not the Church Err then moft
amnably, that commandeth Murder
rea.'on , and moft heynous Sin, and is
le Leader of the Impenitent ? Muft we
ike fuch then as Heathens and Publicans >
lit as the man thin\eth, lo the Belt tint?
h. Do bur Fancy that by the {Church \
meant only the Pope and his Clergy •
that all is fuch Sin which the Pope
Uech io, tho* God command us, and
sn all fuch Texts will fcem to them w
whanhey would have them!.
*> The
( So)
The man alfo citeth, Eph. 5.27. viz.
Chrift will prefent his Regenerate Church.
perfect and lpotlefs in Judgment. Whai
then ? Ergo, the Vifible Church on Earth
bath no Errour or Spot : And Ergo, th*
Pope and his Clergy are this Vifible per
fe£t Church. And why not as wefi Con
(tantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, or Je>
rufalem, the Mother Church? Which par
is it that, is the whole, or indefectible
What is profaining Gods Word, if thi
be not ? If any fhould be forbidden th
Scripture, it is thefe prophaning Priefts.
The Eighth acenfed Point.
That the Church hath been hidden an
Invisible.
Anf. We do not think that the Pop,
and his Clergy-Church have been hidde '*
and invifibie. Their Wars, even in Ita
and Rome, for many. Ages made them V
fible : Yea, and palpable too : TheKinj
and Emperours that they Fought again
or Depoled, knew them ; above icoec^
Waldenfes and Albigenfcs felt them to th
Death : Qu& Rcgio in terris talis non pier
labor is. Whether this man knew not rn
Proteftants Judgment herein -; or wtfj
ther he would not have, his Reader kne
I I
ir
it is.
C 5< )
I cannot tell ; but I (hall tell you what
1 . Protectants commonly hold, That as
the Word [Church'] fignifieth the Com-
pany of fine ere Christians, and Heart-can.
s to the Bapti final Covenant, fo it is
(tble to Man that knoweth not tha
Heart. Inward Faith and Love which de*
nominate them , are not Icen by others,
dare any deny this ?
But as the Word ZChurch] fignifieth
rfality of men baptized yrofefiinr
priftiantty in public^ Afiemblies, fo it was
lever invifibie, fince iuch publick profet
ion and Aflemblies firft began.
3 . But when the Pagan Perfecutors for-
ed their meetings into Woods and Cells
nd Pits, called Conventicles, and toNight-
leetings, they were hidden from the Per-
:cutors, as well as they could hide them-
•Ives : And lb they were, when they
:d themielves from the Arrian Perfecu-
™ of Vmns, Confvumr.u, Genfericm,
and from the Verfiians : And
■ 2 of Tbolmfe, Piedmont, Bo-
and others that hid themielves, and
-m the Cmlados, ander Simon M$nt-
* , and„St. Dcmomck, and others that
i them. Chrill himfeff fled te
Wee, from Perfecutors. His
D Dii-
( 50
Difciples were met fecretly for fear of the
Jews, when Chrift appeared to them
when Peter was inPrifon, many were af
lembled by Night in a Conventicle, at tht
Houfe of Marks Mother, to pray for him
ThePapifts thera'elves keep hidden Meet
ings, where they cannot bave more pub
lick.
4. God hath not promifed his Church
fuchconftant Profpericy, as that in ever
Age any Nation (hall have publick Ltbert|
without all Periecution ; much lets tha
thevfhallbe ftill uppermoft, and Maftei
of the World, and have Kings and Ehr
perours always for them.
5. But we cannot lay, that yet th
Church hath been fo low fince (he days
Coufi tntine, that all Princes have dilbwne
the Eflentiakof Chiiuianky, and we hoj
it never will be fo.
6. huiall Ages and parts of the Chuicl
have not been cqiuiiiy pure and founcf:
fome Ages the ArrUm were mod : In tl
Reign of Thcodofiw Junior, Aia :
the £ntkhi*ns prevailed : In the days
Philippic™ the Monothtiacs prevailed,
that at one of their Councils Binim fan
There were InnhmerabU BiJJjops : In o .
Emperonrs time thofe prevailed that wt
againii Images j in Irene* s and Thecdotr
tin!
es, thofe tmit were for them : Some-
tirre the Bifhop of Rome had moft Power,
and fometime the Bifhop of Confl amine*
, and Alexandria : For an Hundred
years, even much of Italy forfook him,
and let up a Patriarch at Aqmleia as their
Head : Through many Ages the Citizens
of Rome themielves expelled him or
Fought againfl: him.
Now in all thefe Cafes, the Church, as
prcf ffwg Chr i ft inanity ^ was ftiUfifible : Bur
which of all the parts was the fitreft and
fonndeft , was known to none but the
jennd farts themfelves. And when and
where the Errours became to great as re-
ally to nullifie, or invalidate the Profeffion
of Chriftianity, this was known only to
thofe near, that had opportunity to know
the mind of the acculed : For Noxa Ca*
put fcquitur: One man, iho' a Prince os
Prelare, canno: make all his Subjects He-
reticks by his Errour.
So that nothing hath been more Vifibf^'
than that there hive ftiil been profeffed
Chriftians, a:id \b an Uuiverfal vifible
Church on Ear:h. Bat which parts of
this Church have de fatto been Sound ^
and which Corrupt , and what Errours
have nullified their Profeffion , and what
only ble/mjljt it y this hath never been vi-
D 3 fible
fible to the Erroneous ; W( For no mar
knoweth that he Erreth ;) buc ic hath beer
vifible to the Sound. And fo, that the I
Church of Rome yet Profefleth Chriftiani-'j
ty 7 we know : Bur whether their Erroun \
prove them Babyicn , or nuliifie thehj
Chriftianiry , muft be known only t>yl
trying the guilty Individuals.
Here the Cheaters fay to the Ignorant.
If the Church hath bce?i Always PifibU \{
where voa* jour Church before Luther }
Anf. i. Where-ever there were men
profefiing^Chriftianity and Baptized, and
not Apoftatizing. Were there none Tuch^
in the World-, muft we be put to prove
where there were any Christians before
Luther? Were not the Hearers grofly
Ignorant , the Cheaters would have no
Confidence in fuch Fopperies as thefe.
Obj. But the Church of Rome prof eft Chri'
ftianity before Luther.
A?if. It did fo , and as Chriftianx we
nre of the fame Church with them,. we
know no Univerfal Church, but the t
ftianasfuch, that is, all Chrifiians as mly
Headed byChrifi If you cannot tell whe.
ther before Luther there were any Chri.
ftians in the World, (in Abaffia, tjypt.
Syria , Armenia, the Greeks •> Mafcov . .
&c.) it's your groLs ignorance of Hiftory.
But
( 55 )
Bui whether Papifts, Arrians, Ektychians-,
N lorians , Menothelites , Phantafians^
Image- Worfhippers, do invalidate their
profeflion of Chriftianity , by their con-
trary Errours and Crimes, it much more
concerneth themielves, than us to enquire
and judge.
But tho' thofe that nullify not their pro-
feffionof Chriftianity, are all of the tame
Church Univerfal that we are of,yet we pro*
fefs that their New humane Churchy which
is [only the Pope as Headend all that adhere
to bim at [nch,~] are no Church of Chrift
at all. AH Chrij} ians as Juch are pans of
the Chrijlian Church: But a Policy con-
fining of a Vice-Chrifl and his SkbjeQu
is a Rellellious Ulurpation, and no Church,
Forma denominat : As Chrift is the Head,
all are of the Church that truly cleave to
him as Head : As the Pope is the pre-
tended Head, they are all a pack of
Rebels.
And now what an ignorant Cant is it to
fay, The Church' cannot Apofiati^e^ Ergo,
it cannot Err \ Ergo, the Pope of Rome,
'and his hireling Clergy cannot Apoftatiz*e j
•and Ergo, They c wnot Err ! Tell me,
whether Rome be all the World ? And
i whether the Church of Rome, and theChri-
flian World, be Words of the lame fig-
D j m£,
(5
nification in any Dictionary ? And whethe*
an Alexandrian Catholic^ or a C. P. are
Catholic^ be not as good Sencc, as a Ro>
man Catholic 1 *^? And whether the Texts or
Fathers, that you nam* prophanely., will
prove that the Church of C. P. Alexan-
dria , Antioch, or Jemfalem, can never
Err, or Apoftatize , or be Invifible?
And whether your own Jefuits confeis not
that Rome fhall do fo too, in the Reign of
Antichriji ?
In the mean time take this anfwer.
i. The Church as intimately Sanftified,
and fincere, was ever invifible.
2. The Church Univerfal, as profefling
Chriftianity , was ever Vifible, tho' oft
hid by Perfection.
3. Whether Rome, C. P. Jerufalem be
a true Church or Apoftate , is invifible to
thofe that knew them not
4. That the Papal Church, as informed
by a Univerfal Vice-Chrift , is a falfe
Church, is Notorious. This is oyr Judg-
ment.
The Ninth accufed Point.
That the Church was not alvrays to retnair.
C4tbolicl^ or Vniverfal : And that thi
Chftrch of Rome is not [nch a Church.
Anf.
( 57 )
Jr?f. The firft parr is a meer flat Lye:
f We hold thac the Church is always to re-
main Univerfal, till it be preienred perfeA
in Giory : If it remain not Univerfal ,
what becomes of it ? Is it a pare of tome-
thing elfe, or annihilated ? If Chrift have
no Churchy he is no Head of the Church,
and io no Chrift. What Proceftanc
Church ever laid any fuch thing, as you
falfly charge them with ?
That the Church of Rome is not fuch a
Church , that is , Is not the Vniverfal
Church, indeed we not only fay., but think
the contrary, fitter for a man Drunk than
Sober ? What, is Rome all the World ? Is
jAbaffu, America , Mefofotamia , Aiufco-
vy , A fni , Thrace , England , Scotland^
Sweden, Denmark^ no part of the World,
yea, of the Chrifiian World ? And is not
the Chrift i an World, the Church Vniver-
fal ? Reader, here is a Controverfy wor-
thy the Wits, Learning and Honeftyof
all the Famous Fathers, and Dolors, and
Juglersof the Roman Carholick Church.
The Queftion is, Which of the Rooms in
the Hcufe is the whole Houfe ? One faith
that the Kitchin, or the Co!e-Houfe, or
the Houfe of Office, is the whole? Houfe.
i|\Ve Proreflamsfay, tha: no one Roon is
the whole , but Hall , Parlors , bining*
D 5 Room,
(SBJ
Room-, and all the Chamber?, and Clo
lets, and Kinchin, are the w hole } and if
the CoteHoufe, and Houie of Office will
needs be parts, we will nor contend witlf
them, but we will never grant that the}
are either the whole , or the beft part L
Tho' by Fire and Stink, they think tc J
force us to it.
But the ancient Writers diftinguifh be
tween the C^tholick Church, and a O*.
tholick^ Church : By the firll: is meant th(
whole Church: By the iecond is mean
fuch a particular Church, as is not Schil
matical, but a true and found part of th<
whole.
But what could thefe Self-Condemner:
fay more againft themielves , than thm|
openly to confeii, that thei; Sedi claimed
to be the whole Church, and Jo Trayte
ropfly ucchyrcheth two or three parts o
the Church of Chrift, and Damneth mofi
£hriftians,for not being Tray tors to Chrift,
as they ?
To confute his bafe abufe of Scripture ;
is ntedlels and irkibme.
The Tenth point accufed.
7h*t the Churches Vnisy 7 is not neecjfjrj
\ui>ts of faith.
< 59/
\ ft This we verily hold, for all that
'God hath revealed in Scripture to be be^
lieved, arr noinis of Faith, (if the Word
be ufed intelligibly by theie men.) But afi
the poincs of Genealogies, Topography,
Chronology , Prophecy in Scripture, are
revealed to be believed , therefore they
are points of Faith i and if Unity in all
theie is necefiary to the Unity of the
Church , then no Church on Earth hath
Unity : Certainly Rome hath not, whole
Commentators and Doctors difagree a-
bout many hundred Texts of Scripture,
and Sixtns 5th. and Clemens 8th, Popes,
! about the very Tranflation of many hun-
dred Texts.
Theie men mud now fay, that we are
not bound to believe ail Gods Word, or
elfe they muft cotifefij that their Church
hath not Unity.
That which Reformed Catholicks hold
is, t. Firft points of Faith, for revealed
to be believed,) areiome of them Eflen-
tial to Chriftianity, and of ueceflity to Sal-
vation , and lb me but Inrergrals, if not
lb me Accidents : The firft all the True
Church sgreeth in : The lecond not : As
who is Antichrift ? or Babylon f or the Ten-
Horned, or Two-Horned Beaft in the
\tionsi What is the Time, Tim
and.
( 6o %
and half a Time, with an Hundred fwch «
Bur in general, all beliere that all Gods
Word is true. It might convince theie
men, in that it was long before all the
Churches received all the Canonical!
Books of Scripture, and ^et all received!
rot all their Apocryphal Books. And arc!
thefeout of the Church ? Or are none oil
thefe Books ro be believed ?
The Eleventh, Taint ace fifed.
That St. Peter was net Ordained by Chrifn
the fir ft Head or Chief among the Jfpojllesfll
And that ameng the Twelve^ none nas grea~
ter or lejfer than other.
AnJ\ Meer Falfehood, asundiftinguifht,
The word Head is ambiguous j this Wri-
ter hath a Head^ itfch as it is, that other
Heads much differ from. Reformed Ca<
tholicks hold, that Peter is called firjt in
numbring them : That he was by Chrift
in many mftances, preferred before others :
That he was an Eminent Speaker , and
worker of Miracles : That all the Apoftles
were not Equal in parts and worth } but
ibme herein greater than other. What,
was Judas no lefler than the reft, that was
a Thief and Traytor * John was Eminent,
ly the Diiciple whom Jelus loved.
But
I
( 6i )
But we hold, x. That as John -was not
made Lord or Ruler of the reft , by be-
ing Loved more, io Peter s Prehemineqce
made him no Alafttr cr Ruler of the reft :
The twelve Apcftlcs were chofen Relative-
ly, to the twelve Tribes. Peter as Reuben
. was the firfij and dtr.yed Chrift, and was
called Satan, with a Get bthtnd me, (Mat.
!tf.) as Reuben defiled his Fathers Bed.
But as Levi was the third, fo was James
the firft SanBifed Jpoftle .• And as Judu
the fourth, is called the Law-giver, from
rthem the Scepter flionld not depart, &e. fo
John the fourth is the Diiciple of Eminent
Love ; and Love is the Everlafting Grace,
when Faith and Prophefie ceafe. But
Chrift made no one of them Ruler of the
reft.
Proved, 1. No Text fpeaketh any fuch
thing : And the Headftiip of Governing
Power , would have been of fuch grand
necefTity to be known, that Chrift and his
Apoftles muft needs have plainly and of:
inculcated it.
2. Peter never Exercifed any fuch Pow*
er ; what mention is there of any Laws
or Mandates of his to the other Apo-
ftles ?
3. The reft never fought to him for
Laws or Orders.
4- The
( 62 )
4. The Schifm and Controverfie* of
Chriftians were never decided by appeal
ing to him as the Judge*
5. When fome ac Corinth would have
made him their Head, and faid, / am of
Cephas, Paul reproveth them as carnal, (
faying of all , What are they but MinijierS\
by whom ye believed ?
6. /V'/*/ reprovech him, Gal.i.
7. The Jewifh Chriftians contend a-
gaiufthim, for Eating with Gentiles, All
1 1 . whom he fatisfiech by proof from God
and not by pleading his Supremacy.
8. He never once claimed any fuch
Power.
9. Paul, 1 Cor. 12. tells us of" none in
the Church greater than Apoftles. Bat the
reft were Apoftles as well as he.
10. No fuch Article was ever put into
the Churches Creed.
We grant that Chrift did in instituting
the Apoftles Office, inftitute a disparity of
Minifters in his Church, and this to be con
tinued in the Ordinary continued part of
their Works, but not in the Extraordi-
nary. And we grant that in putting Peter
firft, Chrift intimated, that among men oi
the fame Office, there may for Order
fake be a Priority ; as the/ Prefident of a
Synod or Coiledge, or the Fore-man of a
Jury.
it
(^ )
Jury, or a Chiel-Juflice, or the Speaker
of a Parliament : God is not the God of
Confufion , but of Order , as in all rhe
Churches : If a Parifh cr ag Independant
Chuich have one grave Pallor, with di-
vers young Affiftants, that were but his
Scholars, nature will give him Tome awing
Prehcminence among chem. We ore not
againil iuch a Primacy among Biilhops, or
Arch-Bifhops : Buc*this is nothing to a GV-
vmiing Office. And if Peter had had iuch^
what's that to the Pope of Rome i
The Twelfth Point ace a fed.
That a Wcman may be Head, or Supreme
Govemefsof the Church in allCanies, as
the Ute Queen Elizabeth v.
Anf A cheat by Confufion and Equivo-
cation.
The Church hath two forts of Govern-
ment: One by the Ward of God^ and the
[Keys called Eccleiiaftical. The other by
the Sword, called Princely or Magiftratical :
never had King or Queen that claimed
,the former, and i Enemies of Go-
vernment deny the latter : Queen £/*£*-
and ai! our Kings fince have p'ublickly
by Office ol
ys and I nits? which maketh the
Clergy
.
(<H)
Clergy Tryers and Judges what to Preach
and whom ro Baptize and receive tc
Church Communion, abfolve or Excom
municate. Bpt ask this Deceiver, Mnfi
the Church ' have none to Govern by th
Sword ? All Chrijlians are the Churchy anc
fo all Chriftian Princes are dtpofed , be
caufe they are Chriftian*. Or muft the
Clergy have no fuch Government ovei
them ? Yes, the Pope^ fay the Papal Ca-
nons ; he is Sword bearer over the Cler
gy : So you iee what Chitrch-pcwer is come
to. But I trow, few Papilt Kings wii
grant that they have no Sword-Govern
ment over the Clergy, left every Prief
be Mailer of their Houfes, Wives, anc
Lives. The King is no Phyficain, 01
Philofopher, no Architect, Shipwright
Pilot, &c. but may he not be King an<
Ruler of all thefe ? He is no Clergy- mat
or Prieft, but the Ruler of the Clergy.
But they fay, it muft not be in Caufe.
Ecclefiaftical. Anf. Caufes Ecclefiaftica
have two lorrs of Government, in orde
to two Ends. As if one be accafed fo:
Preaching againft God or Chrift, or the
Life to come } or for Perjury, Adultery
Murder, &c. Here the Bijhops are Judges
(and the Church,) whether this man b*
Guilty in order to his Communion or Excom
muni
( 6% J
,>:.., ?;<?;/, ox Admonition. But the King
Bnd his Judges are to Judge, xvhether toe be
" Guilty , and fo whether to be Imfrilcned,
\Fincd, Banijhed^ &c. fo far as Cau.es of
JReligion or Church, are to be punifhed
by the Swo? d , the King is Head or Go-
vernour, and Judge: who would think
that a fort of men that deny this, (hould
have the Face to fay that they are Loyal
to Kings, or any forcing Government:
Muft Kings Burn or Kill, as many Thou-
fands at the Popes command as the Pope
will call Hereticks, and yet never have
power to judge whether they are fuch,
fand do deferve it ? O ! how much worfe
[than Hangmen , 'would fuch men make
all Kings and Magiftrates!
Was not all the Chriftian World in a
fad cafe then , when the Pope was under
the Arrian Gothi^ and the Subject of a
Foreign Art an muft Rule all Kings and
[Kingdoms?
No man of Brains can be ignorant that
Popedom cr Prelacy, do not always make
men mortified Saints, (that oft have been
fcarce Men, much lefs Chriftians;) nor
that the Prince hath a great Power, both
in Choofing and Ruling the Clergy that are
his Subje&s. It fell out happily , that
Thecdoriek the Arum, (and divers Spanifi
Arian
(66 )
Avian Kings,) were an honeftibrt of men I
but lbre they were very mighty Prince!
at Rome^ when one Subjecft of an Arnai I
Goth , was Ruler of all the Kingsancl
Souls on Earth, (dejnre, fay our DeceiJ
vers.) And if the 7V><, fliould poiTef: J
Rome , as he doth C. F. ail Kings anci
Nations mult be fubjett to his Subject I
And what Power he hath over the four Pa f
rriarks of C. P. Alexandria, Anticch, anil
Jerufalem, is too well known, 'And whet I
Baronim, Binnim, &c. tell us of famou -.
Whores, (Marozsa, and Theodora,) tha '
made, and Ruled and unmade Popes J
how was the World Governed ? As i
was faid by a Lord Mayors Child, tha
he Ruled all London, laying, my Fath.e i|
Jluleth London, and my Mother RuletU
my Father, and I Rule my Mother ; i\ i
might it be faid, theie Whores Ruled aP
the Kings and , Nations of ChriHians 01*
Earthy (if the Roman claim be Currant 1
for they made and Ruled Popes that claim B
ed the Rule of all the World.) O ! hov J
much greater was a Roman Whore, (Ma ■&
roz.ia, Theodora, &c.) than Pal/ as, Venus]
or the great Diana of the Ephefiaxsl Bu )j
the miichief was, that they were muta :1
ble, and could unmake a Pope, as well a «
make him, and let the Cuy and Countr 2
b
/ the Ears: as tALqua Venus Teucris\
,," \is tut qua fuit. And if at) King* muft
oe Subjefts to the Suhjed, (or Chaplains)
:>f him that can win Rome, let us v 1
hat he may not be a Mabotnttan,
>r Art an .« And why laid I
when an Anti-arian Pope, can Minder
li-ftians by Thoufands, whe
-ick would not have h«rc them.
The Thirteenth Point annfed.
That Antichrift foall not be a particular
pan, and the Pope is Anticbrift.
: Anf. This is Popifh Stating Cafes ;
^roteftants find in the Creed, the Name
>f Cbrift % but not the Name of Amichrift j
fnd therefore while they know and truft
thrift, they think it not neceffary to Sal-
tation to know Antichrtft : But they be-
itve Chrift,who laid, that « aiyjhould cows
n his Name jayi^g, I am Cb.ijt and dec.
nany, even before the Deftrucftion of the
; and rhey believe St. John , that
nid, there are many Anticbrifts already :
rhe Fathers and Papifts fay, there is fomc
Great A/jticbrt/} to come towards the
nd cf the World: Moft Proteftants
uhat is defcribed, in
i ■:/">. and Rev. 12. 13, 17. To con-
fute
?4
Mil
(68 )
fute King James , Bifhop George Do
name. Dr. Henry More, (above all)
Mtde, C 'Invents , Grafferus, &c. will v
ouire more than this Writers Impertine
cies. There are many Proteftants th
think it a meer miftake, that there will fcj
any one Anticbrift fo Eminent as to obfcur
all the reft : And they pretend not to judg|£
of Anticbrift by the Apocalyps, but by t
Ten Commandments , and all the Gofpel
And they believe, that be is Anticbrift the
nfurpeth Chrifts Prerogative, and yet o\
fofetb his Kingdom : And fuch they thin
the Eaftern Antichrist Mahomet is th
tnojt notorious, and the Weft em Antichrij<
the Pope is his Second ; in that he claimet
Chrifts Prerogative of Governing 'all Nat
ens of the Earth as Vice-Chrift, and yet
Lies , Malice and Blood, fuppreffeth h.
true Gofpel, Grace and Kingdom ; confut
this if you can ; Amending would bs yot
beft defence.
We doubt not but Anticbrift s pad:, ha\
been Individual men, fuch was Barcbochi
ba, and fome fay Herod, and fome Dicclt
fan, but undoubtedly Mahomet : And
the Pope be the Weftern Anticbrift, it
the Individual Popes that are fuch} bt
many of thofe Individuals may make
Succeflion of Antichriftian Policy. At
fw
( 6 9 )
D*\ More, and Cluverus of this, \C
ycu are able.
We lay not our oppoGcion to Popery
chiefly, on the dark Revelation, Prophe-
cy, or on the queftion, Who is the Jnti-
thrift : But on the plain Word of God:
If wc find a Succcffion of men, claiming Om-
xipotertcy and Cbrtfts Prerogative, to Go-
vern all Kings and Nations on Earth, and
this by bare and bafe VJurpation and Novel-
ty ', and find thefe men ft tip their numerous,
falfe, treafonable^ inhumane Canons, and
forbid and revile Gcds Law and Word, and
find them turning Gods \Vor\\:ip into unintel-
ligible Mummery end Stage-Shores , and
Ce)e;nony y and find them living as Lea
on Bloody yea, on the Blood of Ihoufands
. .JiChriftians, and damning and fe-
from the far greater part cf the
C f.n World ^ becahfe they refufe Sub-
jccltcn to this upsrpirg Vice-Chrifi , and
all to fire and Ruinc that rencui.ee
.me Senfes , and worflrip not
ad pretended t o it deify cd by daily mime-
i Miracles of the bafefi Vrie'is , and
. Pill not be fitch Execu-
' - : 'fi l fyi' r: %> t ^ !Cir Subjc'fts in Ptr-
jwy and Rebellion : We will no: differ
with you fur the Name, whether you will
call thoie that are fuch, Antiehrifis, or
JDia-
( 7°)
biMifiJ : Whether luch a State be t\
Babylon, qifarworfe, as finning again
more Light, and by more horrid abuie
the Name of Chriit againft himfelf.
The Fourteenth accufed Point.
That no 02*77, nor any but God, can f
aive or retain Sins.
Anf. Falle as undiftinguifhed. \ V j
hold, i. That to forgive Sin, being th
forgiving of the pnni\hment of Sin, an<
the obligation thereto , i . Parents ma
on juft caufe forgive Corrective panifh
ment to their Children , and Matters u
their Servants.
2. N4agiftratesmay on juft cau r e, for
give Corporal putriihme-nt to Subje&s.
3. Equals may forgive injuries t<
Friends and Enemies.
4. Patiors may on juft caufe, forgive
the Church penalries , of Excommunica
tion , which they had power to. inflict .
And all the Flock mull forgive and rtceivi
che penitent accordingly.
5. When a Shiner by Faith and Repen
tance, truly performeth the Coudition o
Gods pardon expreiTed in Scripcure, the
Minifters of Chrift are b^ Office authori.
zed to declare and pronounce him pardonec
bi
(70
>yGod, and by the 'Sacraments of Bap-
ifm and the Lords Supper to Invert htm
a a pardoned State, by delivering him a
Sealed pardon : But only Suppofitively^ If
ris Faith and Repentance be fincere, elfe he
lath not Gods pardon of the Divine Punifl)-
Tient. This is all true and plain , and
mough.
But we deteft their Do&rine that fay,
r. That men can pardGn the Spiritual and
Eternal Punifhment, any othenviie than
:onfequentIy declaring and delivering
Gods pard. - 1, which (hall hold good , if
die Prieft refute to declare or deliver it.
2. Or that Popes or Priefts pardon,
iPurgatory pains, and MafTes, and Money,
and the Redundance of Saints Merits, and
pleafing the Pope, conduce thereto.
But if you will Sptak fo abfurdly, as
to lay, that if the King lend a pardon to a
Traytor or Murderer, the Mtfjwger par-
dhim } we leave you to your ph rales.
None of the Texts or Fathers cited,
k for any more than what we hold.
The Paftors are to declare men pardoned,
God pardonerh : And while they la
. c ge according to Gods Word, it is par-
d in Heaven: But not if they pardon
ie d ui.vinitem.
Tbi
( 72 ;
The Fiftcetith ace h fed Point.
Th.tt we ought not to confefs our Sins
azy m*in bat to God only.
Anf.* This is a mere impudent Lie
I- We ought to confefs our Sin, to t\
Magiftrate ac his Judicature, when we at
juftly accufed of it.
2. And to thofe that we have injurec;
when it is needful to repair the wrong, c
to procure their forgiveneis.
3 . And to thofe that we hav? tempted it
to Sin, or encouraged in ir, when ir isneec
ful to their Repentance.
4. Andto&me faithful bofome Frieoc
when it is needful that fuch know 01
Faults, that they may watch over us, c
advifeus, or pray for our pardon and dt
liverance.
5. And w r hen in Sicknefs , danger
Death, or other Affii&ion , we get th
-Paftors of the Church to pray for us ; w
fhould confeis our Sin to them, that the'
may know on what caufe they ipeak u
Gsd for our forgivenels.
6. And in any cafe of Guilt, Trouble
Fear, or Difficulty, in which we need th<
Paftors Couniel for our fafety, eafe anc
peace of Confcience, ourfelves and othe
Friend
( n )
Friends being infufficienr hereto, we (hould
confefsour Sins to the Paftors, whofe ad-
vice we feek : As a Patient muft truly open
lis Cafe to his Phyfician, and a Clyent to
its Councellor, if he will not be deceived*
by deceiving them. Is all this no Coa-
feflion ?
But Proteftants believe not, i. Thatwe
muft go to a Phyfician for every Flea-bi-
ting, or Scratch, or Cut-Finger, or to a
Lawyertogive him an account of all our
Anions, Money , ot Lands ; nor to Priefts
in cites that our ielves or ordinary Friends
ran iafely and latisfadtprily refolve.
2. Nor that our Conftffbr muft needs be
11 Fdfift Prieft, or one chofen by the Pope*
pr our Enemies i and not by our felves.
3 . Nor that we muft open all our Se-
- ro him i or make any Confiffun^ which
do more hurt than good \ nor over far
jo truft rhe Fidelity of a Knave, nor a
,[■ '. ?£\td oruntryedperfon.
tad we have reafon to fufpedl
Jhem that are importunate to know our
Jecrets.
5. And when ConfeflTion is required^
s in order to obtain a falfe forged pardon^
nd to fet up the Domination of Ufurpers
ver men's Confciences , and over the
'Vorld, it's then unlawful ; If Proteftants
E would
(74)
would force Papifts to confefs all the
fecret Sins to them, would noc this fan
Deceiver lay, it were unlawful ?
The Sixteenth accufed Point.
7 hat Pardons and Indulgences were n
in the Apples time.
Anf. Another meer Lie, as undifti
^juiftied. Such Pardons as I before own<
uvere in the Apoftles times : But the P
pifh feigned pardons were not.
The Seventeenth accufed Point.
That the attions andpajfions of the S*it\
do ferve for nothing to the Church.
Anf. Moft impudent calumny and fal
hood. i. We hold that the Prayers
all the Saints on Earth, are of great ii
portance for the Churches welfare.
2. And that their Doctrine, Counfih/
and Reproof is lb too , they being 1 ai
Lights of the World, and the Salt of r c
Earth.
3. And that their Example is of gn
benefit ro the Church and World , wl. { {
iheir Light fo (hineth before men, that tfy.
may fee their good works , and glorife tk
father which is in Heaven*
I
(7S)
4 And their Charitable Worksof them-
selves, fu re are beneficial to the Church;
And fo is their Defence of the Truth.
5. And their Sufferings Glorifie Gods
Power, and his promises of reward;
and they encourage others to Viftorious
Conftancy. Do all thefe ferve for no*
thing to the Church ?
6. Yea , we are fo far from holding
what he feigneth, that it is not the leaft
caufe of our hatred of Popery, that it
liveth by the Defamations, Slander, Per-
secution, and cruel Murder of Saints.
7. Yea, as jibels^lood cryed againft
Cain, fo the Blood of Martyrs, and dead
Saints, cryeth for Vengeance againft the
Perfecutors of the Church.
8. And feeing Chrift faith, that the Chil-
dren of the Relurrettion are like or equal
to the Angels, we have reafon to believe
that even now they are perfetted Spirits,
Heb. 1 2. 24. And knowing that Angels
are very ferviceable and beneficial to the
Church on Earth, we know not how far
:he Spirits of the juft are fo too.
But we have a lufficient Mediator and
Advocate with the Father, whole Sacrifice,
Merits, and Advocation are perfect, and
need no fupplement : And the Spirits of
pe juft do praile him as faved by his Me-
£ z cits.
( 76)
tits, and never boaft that they have <
their own a Redundancy to fave other
But we all with thankfulnefs confeis, th
God ufeth to blefs the Houfes of the Fairt
ful ; the Children for the Parents fak<
and hath expreft this in the Decalogu
and by many Promifes : Yea, that Y
Would have fpared Sodom, had there bet
but Ten Righteous per fons there : And a P<
tiphars Houfe, and a Prifon may be ble
in part for Jofephs fake. And when P;
rents are Dead, this blefling may be c
their Children , through many Generat
ons. And God jtmembred J&rahan
\ when his Pofterity provoked him. Davi
had a fpecial promife for his Seed. Not
of this is denyed by us.
1 at, i. There is no Merit in any mai
Works, but their Rexvardablenefs by Got
free Grace and promife, for the fake
Chrifts meritorious RighHoufmJs, Sacrific
And IntCiCeffiGn > their Imperfcllion beh
pardoned through him , and their Hoiine
■ : amiable to God.
2. No man ihall be faved for anothe
Merit, or Holinefs, or Works, that
noc truly Regenerate and Holy himfelf.
light etnth accnfed Point.
*ai no man can do Works of Supererro~
on.
Supererrogation is a fuftian word
of your own , by which you may mean
What you pleafe.
i . No man can perfor o God, more
fc)utythanhe oweth him: It's a Contra-
aiftion \ Duty is quod debetur.
2. No man can profit God by any thing
that he doth.
3. No man, fave (Shrift, lived wirhout
all Sin : And he that finneth doth not all his
t)uty, or keep all Gods Law perfectly*
And he that doth not a/i, doth not all and
more.
4. There is no Mora! good done by
any man, which was not his Duty, and
Gods Law commanded not : For Gods
Law is perfrft, and therefore obligeth to
all Moral good : And as Sin is the Tranf-
: tt on of the Law, fo Moral good is the
conform Obedience to the Law.
5. God hath not Counfeh to Moral afli-
on^ which are not obliging Laws, and make
notour Duty. For to keep them is Mo-
^od, and the Law were imperfeft if
it obliged not to all fucb good. If the
E 3 Coun-
( 78 )
Counfel oblige ut norma officii^ it's a Law :
If it oblige nor, it's vain.
6. But there are many anions that are
neither Commanded , nor Conn felled j nor
forbidden : But thofe arenot Moral actions,
as being no objects of oar Choofing or Re-
fnfmg by Reafons Condufl. The ntctns\<
oculorum, our Breathings our Pulfe , the
Circulation of the Blood , &c. are no
Moral adts, Commanded or forbidden, but'
necejfuated : Manmaketh it no aft of de-
liberation and choice, which Foot he (hall
fet forward firft, or juft how many Steps
he (hall go in a Day ; which of two equal
Eggs he (hall Eat, and an hundred fuch,
Thefe are neither Duty nor Sin, Com-
manded, nor Counfeiled, nor forbidden j
neither virtuous or vicious.
7. And there are innumerable adb'ons,
that are not the Matter of any Common-
JLaw or Counfel, and To as fuch, are neither
Sin nor Duty, which yet as Circumftanti-
med and Gloathed with Accidents, are to
this or that man either Duty or Sin.
This not underftood, maketh thefe Ig-
norant CVi/w/?/ abufe the words of Chrift
and Paul? about Chaftity, and Marriage.
And becaufe Chrift faith, every man can-
mot receive this Sayings and Paul, {lie hath
not Sinned : He that Marrieth doth ive/t 7
and
( 79 )
md be flat doth not, doth better*, theyga-
1 ther that there are Moral allions which
re not beft, and yet no Sin.
The true pie in folution is from the two
laft Confiderations. 1. God h&:h made
no Law commanding or forbidding Mar-
riage, or Celibate as Jack, or in Common*
To Marry is no Sin, confidered meerly
as Marriage- 2.. But God hath made
-aws again tud injurious Mar-
riages, and to guide ;ien to know, when
Marrying is a Duty or a Sin. 3. And if
any ones cafe were fo neutral, as that ic
could not be difcerned, whether Marrying
w^re a hurt 01 benefir, ic would be no Mo-
ral, eligible or refufeable action. 4. But
to fomc it is a great Dnty by accidents,
and to fome a great Sin. Therefore P«hI
never meant that it was no mans duty, and
no mans fin, but only that (imply as Mar-
riage it was no mans dnty or fin y or the
matter of a commanding or forbidding Law,
but only by accident, it may beiuch to one
m than to another.
That this U Pauls meaning, the Papifts
mull: confeis. For 1. Do not ihey lay
tharthe Marriage of Priefts, Fryars and
Nuns are Sin? 2. If any one Marry an
Infidel , or utterly unfuirable Fitrfon,
without neceffity , againft Parents witls,
E 4 or
( 8o )
or one that is impotent, or hath the Pox,
or that he cannot maintain, &c ? Is not
this a hainous Sin ? What elfe fignifie
Gods Law, and mans, againft unlawful
Marriages.
And if one cannot live chaftly withoot:
Marriage, and Parents command it, it is
jiot a Sin to refufe ? The Law faith, Let
aR t kings be done to Edification , and whet her
ye Eat or Drin\, or whatever ye do, do all,
to the glory of God, And is it only Coun-
fel and no Command, to Marry or not
Marry as it makes to Gods Glory or a-
gainft it ? There are few a&ionsof a mans
Life, that make lo much to his hurt, and
fitter mifery, as unwiie and unmeet Mar-
rying. And is this no Sin ? May they not
fee Panls meaning then, if they were but
wiUing ? It is hard to imagine a cafe in
which fo important an aftion as Marriage,
can be neither Sin nor Duty.
2, But fometime men ufe the word
£S*tf>3 and [Sinners,'} for meer Wick-
ednefs, and fuch Sin as is inconfiftentwith
a ftare of Salvation. And we eafily grant,
that all Sins are not fuch Sins as thefe : But
Gods Law is perfect , tho' man be im-
perfeft, and forbiddeth all Sin, even the
ieaft^
3- But
B(Sx )
rhe Herefies of Popery >
5 iaith, [ To do that which is
„ , .:ct neceffary, becznfe one may
heverthelefs be fa-ved : Bnt he voho omitteth
vhat is com-, i.mdzd, (unlefs he do pennance 7 y
cannot efcap: Eternal fains.']
i . See h re whar a frivolous CounfelleS
hey moke C rift, when it's not necefiary
o follow his Couniel.
2. See here how they make Necefflty to
3e only of that which a man cannot be fa-
yed without : When Saul a Perfecutor*
and Blaiphemer, an Infidel, Murderer,^?,
may befaved, if he be truly Convi<Sed~
Obedience hath it's Neccffuy, tho' we kne\ar
hat God would forgive Diiobedience, to
the Convicted.
3. See here how they damn themfelves-
and all mankind, every man lining omittetb
what is commanded many hundred times,.
for which he doth not that which they call
Pennance. He is a Lyar , that faith he
bath no Sin, fpecially of Omifliom Gods
Law bindeth us all to Believe, to Hope,,
todefire Holinefs and Heaven, to love
God and our Neighbours, and ourEne*
mies , with a ftronger degree of Faith^ .
Hope, Defire, and Love, than we do:
~ >ery Prayer, and Meditation is finfully
feftive ; Every hour hath fomg omifliorv
E 5 <*?
( 2 2 )
of improvement : And all this h not re-
xnembred, nor all confeft to a Prieft, noi
all known or obferved by any Sinner:
And fome omiffion we are guilty of at oui
very Death, by gradual defeft of Faith,
Hope , Patience , Love, Content, and
Joy. And muft all thefe goto Hell ?
4. Seeing by Penance they mean nol
bare Repentance, but making God iatis-
fattion by a task, of Penalty laid on their
by a Prieft, ye fee how they damn them-
felves, would be the Mafters of all other!
Salvati n, by their Pennances.
5. But it's like that Purgatory is inclu
cled by them in Pennances \ or elie n<
man fhould go to Purgatory, but all tc
Hell : For all have many omiffions o
commanded Duty, which they did nt
Pennance for in this Life.
6. But you fee of how fktle value the 1
judge Chrifts Sacrifice* and Merit, tha
pardoneth no omiffion of a duty wit ho h
Pennance, and Satisfaction truly.
The Nineteenth aeenfed Point*
That by the fall of Adam, we have a
hft our Pr it-will, and that it is nrf in 0%
\owertQthwfe goody but only Evil.
Jin
(8? )■
r . Reader, I mud de fire thee not to-.
|udgeof all t Learned Papifts, by this
river : For if rhou haft read the loads
f Voluminous Conrroverfies about Grace
nd Free-will among themfelves, it will
main dopbtful to :b-e 5 whether this mans
ting /roteftants Do&rine, prove
him ignorant of it, or a willing Cheater*
He tells you not,that this is as much a Con-
iroverfie among themfelves, as with the
Proreftants. He tells you not, how Aug*-
fiinc and Talagius managed it, and that
their Pope Celcfiine took Angujlines part:
He tells you not, that the Tbomifts, bomi~
means y Oratorians, and moft Nominals %
and Sccti(ts, fay as much againft Free-will
as we do, and we as much for it as they.
He foppofeth that you never read what
Lomb&rd, Aquinas, Bradwardim, Cajc*
tunc , Ferraricvfis , Zumel, Banner , Al~
z. , lALgtdins Komi, Cafrcolns, and
a Multitude more, fay as much, and many
more, againft Free-will, than the Prote-
ftants: He tells, you, not that even the
I med J e [nits, Snare z., Vafqne^, Bel-
larminc, with Pmottus, and many fuch,
are as much againft Free-will , as moft
Learned Proteftams, The man takes you
for a Herd of filly Animals , that know
, but that he faith true, what ialfhood
lO*
( 8 4 )
foever he fhall tell, you : But the truth of
the Controverfieisthis :
i. The Proteftants loath fo filly a Ha-
ting of Controverfits , as this chat of
Free-will without diftinAion : And fo of
Fewer.
2. They know that Fhyficat, Moral %
and Political Freedom of will, are not all
one thing. Phyfical Freedom or Power, is
that by which the natural faculty of the
will , can determine it (elf to ad, (not
without a fuperiour Cauie, bur) without
any extrinfick or intrinfick Coattor, or nt-
€tjfitating caufe of Ev \ ,
Moral Freedom and Power, is that by
which the will is from under the overftrong
Byas of a vicious Dtfpofition, or deceiifut
Argument.
3. political Freedom is, when no Law
of God or Man obligeth him to any Evil,
but all to good.
Protheftants hold, 1. That Phyfical Li-
berty and Power, is common to man, as
man. That is, that he wants not natural
faculties to choofe aright , but a right
lncl;nuion\ At;d that he finneth not for
want of fuch faculties, but for want of
their right difpofition and aftion.
2. That all men have jt^ft io much, and
no nr.CK'e Moral Liberty and power, as they
have
ce, to Relieve their *
ted wills and difpcfnions, and to help thera
in the act. No man is freed from vitiont
hi inations, further than Gods Grace freetb
him, which is much more where there is
[fecial Grace and prong, than where there
is but common Grace or weak. And that
the Thraldom or Imfoten:y of the Vinous,
is bat the difeafe of their wills, and aggra-
vation of their Sin: e.g. Where the
Drunkard or Fornicator lakh, / cannot
forbi in: He is lb much the worfe
and more unexcuteable.
3 . Every man hath Rot only Political Li-
berty to avoid Sin, but much more, even
Gods urgent Precepts , Promises , and
Threats: God doth not only give us
Leave j but commandeth us not to Sin.
i . It is the very Effence of the mil to
be a natural power or faculty of willing good
and n tiling evil, a* fueh, as fo apprehended
by the mtelleft , and commanding the infe-
rior faculties, feme politically, and fome dc-
fpotically, fome difficultly, fome eafily, fome
perfectly , feme imperfectly , according to
\iis resolution and their receptivity.
2. Libert as hommu, when a man may
have what he choofeth, is more than Li-
bert** Voluntatis, which is but the A:
of it's lclf ^examination', as w.t.iout i
Oiflt
haint it is a f elf determining
its own elicite a&s 5 confidered cowpari-
lively.
Which is, i. Liberty of contradiction-
or Exercife, vi^ to^ will or not will, nill
or not nill. 2. Liberty of Contrariety, or
Specification of the Ad , viz*. To wik
this or nill it. 3. Liberty of Competition^
to will TKr object or That : To nill 1 1
or r/^r , (of which fee £</krf Baronim
his Metaphyficks.)
The will hath fuch various forts of Li*
berty, and the word £ Free-will"] is fc
ambiguous, that it is a fhame, and irkiome
to read a pretended Teacher , ftate a caft
thus indiftinftly , Whether we have Free-
will ox power to choofe good and rcfufe evil
He is no man that hath no fuch Free-wil
and power. And no man hath*// forts o
Free-will and power. Nay, as Liberty i
oppofed to Necfffity^ every man is neceffi
tated to will Good as Good, and nill Evil a
Evil y and can do no otherwife : And when
ever he willeth Evil, it is fub ratione bom
miftaking it for good : And who-ever nit
Icthgood, dorh it falfely, fnb ratione mah
The will is free from Constraint to Sin
God will not ib conftrain it; Men, De
vils, Objects, cannot. He that had rea
but their Pennattw and Gibievf onl}
wool
( 8 7 )
•:o rid fee what a fhame it is thus confu-
=dly ro talk for or againft Frce-ivtll.
Bl c thar which Prorefiants deny, is this.
. They deny that mans will in his unre-
■enerate State, is free from zVhiow Incli-
nation, or from the Conduit of an Erring
ntellctt, or from the Byafs and Tetnpta-
ion of Stnfuahty, or vitiated Sevfes and
hnagination } or frcm the Temptations of
Jatan and the World.
2. They deny that the will thus Vitia-
ed and Tempted, will ever deliver itfelf
without Gods Spirit and Grace} being ra-
her inclined to grow worfe.
3. They deny that this Grace is ferfctl
n any in this Life, as without ail defefl in
iegree, or totally freeth any man from
til Sin : and therefore they deny that
my mans will is perfe&ly and incul-
[>ably free from every degree of vice
and danger.
4. And as that degree of common
Grace which is in the unregenerate, is but
|uch as confifteth with the predominance
or Reign of Sin, lb thar will ot every un-
regenerate man in that prstvity. is as a il
to it's own vitious
tour , Objects, ana Temp r s', bt
not delivered as to the predominance.
5- Yet
CSS)
5. Yet we believe that common Grace
is fuch, that theie men are not utterly void
of all good Inclination , and knowledge :
and therefore that in Moral Sexce, every
man can do more good y and lefs Evil than
he doth : And that men perifh, becaufe nor
only they will not (by pravity) do what
they have natural firength to do, but alfo
becaufe they will not choofe and do whai
morally they might have chofen and done :
as to the wills own power.
6. And we (til) fay, that whenever a
man finneth, ic was not becaufe it was na»
turally impojfible to do otherwiie , (as to
touch the Moon, to fee without Eyes, or!
through the Earth, &c. y ) nor for want ol
natural faculties? nor doth God by Grace,
give man other natural faculties, making
him an Animal of another Species : But
men fin becaufe they will fin , aud they
will becaufe they are tempted and now viti*
onjly inclined ; from which their wills are
made free only in that meafure, that Gods
Grace doth fanttifie them.
If our Prieft would have told us, what
there is in all this Do&rine of Free-will,
that he dare accufe, (and what dare he
not cccufe, ) we fhould have feen caufe
to confider of his Arguments : But now he
citeth Scripture as in a Dream.
Tl?2
r wemieth accufed Point.
t it is irnpoflible to keep the Command-
ems of God, tbo affiftzd ' with all his
rat . . Holy Ghojv.
Anf. Still meer Confufion. Proreftants
iftinguifh, I. Impoffibility as natural or
It /it j 2. Of Grace as per/ eft or Imperfect,
id as determitately Operative, or only
Iffifiing and not Determining.
And they hold, i. That no Duty is Im-
ijfible, ( or the performing of no Com-
mandment,) by meer Phyfical Impojfibility :
'he realon is, becaufe God commandeth
o Phyfical lmpoffiblts : Such as before
amed, to fpeak without a Tongue, to
. j e without Light or Object , to know
lings not knowable or revealed , to
?ad without any 'Teaching or Learn-
If a man indeed difable himfelf, as put
v 'ih Eyes that he may not rend, or cue
•uc his Tongue^hat he may not Preach;
he difabling aft is vitioufly aggravated*
rom good to which he difabled
limfelf, as if it ftill had been his Duty :
Jut we cannot fay that God ftill command-
th him when Blind to Read, or when
3umb to Speak, &c. Indeed God chang-
ed
(90 )
cth not his Law ; but recipitur ad modni
recipients : The man hath changed hi
Capacity, aud is now no Subjett capabl
of fuch aii Obligation or Command ; tho
he be capable'of punifhment for difablin:
himfelf, and Non-performance : Sin is n
further Sin than it is Voluntary, by th
wills Omjfion or Aft^ immediately or me
diately.
2." But that it is Morally by otrtf pravh
now Impojfible^ for any man to keep all Goa
Commandments and never Sin ; what need
there more than fad experience of the mat
ter of Faft.
i. Did he ever know the man himfelf
that from his firft uieof reafon to his Death
did fpend every minute of his time as Goc
commanded him, and did Believe, anc
Love God and Man, and all good, witl
as great Love as God commanded him
And was as free from every Fault
Thought, Paflion, Defire, Fear, Care
Trouble, Pleafure, Word and Deed a
God commanded ? He w*uld be no imal
Sinner that were fo felf ignorant, proud
unhumbled , as to fay that he is n«
Sinner.
2. Why elfe do thefe Priefts force a
men to confefs their Sins to them, if me
be fuch as never finned ?
3. Wh
( 9' )
n. Why othey compofe all their Li-
rgies and Offices for their Churches,
:th Confe.Tions of Sin ; and Prayers for
rgiveneis ?
4. \\ hy do they Baptize all, if they
ve no Sin ? And in what Sence do they
ve them the Eucharift ?
5. How little uie do they feign fuch
en to have of a pardoning Saviour ?
6. In what Sence (hall fuch fay the
)rds Prayer, Forgive m our Sins or Tre£
ffes?
7. Doth not the Text exprefly call him
-yar that faith he hath no Sin j as afcre-
}d: And Chrift condemn the Pharifee
3t juftiBed himfelf, and joftified the
|nfeffing Publican ?
I But it's like he will fay that he did not
lean, that any man dot is keep all the Com-
\tnds % but that he can do it, tho* he da
^t. jinf. I again fay, 1 . He can as to
Unral flrength, if he were but perfeRly
t&conftantly willing : But it cannot be that
b fhould be fo willing without Grace, and
•race is not perfect in this Life. 2. The
;ore he boafteth of his Power to keep all
ods Laws , the more he condemneth
mielf that can and will not. 3. And fru~
*a fit pottntia qn& mtnquam & a nemine
dncitnr in an am ; If he confels that no
man
(90
man doth it, he muft confefs fuch a Mor\
impoffibility as the Prophet meant , thl
faid, Can the Leopard change his Spots,
the Blackjnore his Skin ? Then may th\
that are tccuftomcd to do 'Evil, ham
do well.
But perhaps he meant not that it is pofil
ble to keep all the Commands, for all oil
Lives, but tot fome foort time ? I anfwe
i. While a man hath the ufe of his Rej
fon, he doch not reach the commande
degree of Faith, Love, Joy, Heavenly
nefs, one moment of time : But indeec
when a man is ajlsep, in a Swoan, an Api
flexy , (lark^ mad, &c. he may for ttu
time breaks no Command, nor keep any.
But perhaps he fpeaketh but of fincet y
Obedience, and not of abfolute finleis pel
fetfion. Anf. If fo, he is a deceive t
ieign that we deny it : But their Dod
of Perfeftion and Supererogation is con
trary.
Obj. But he fpeaketh not what man c*\
do without Grace, bat by it's ajfijl-.. ct
Anf. Grace maketh oo man abfolutely Go;
lefs, and perfect in this Life.
Let him know, that Proteftaws do no
only fay that man by Gods Grace n a\
keep Gods Commandments fincerely, (thp
not finlefly and perfectly, ) bat that nc
mil
C 91 )
f Age and , Reafon (hall be faved
oth not fo.
2 . And that tho' all our Obedience be
iperfett , the Imperfections are pardo-
?d, and our Obedience accepted and re-
garded, for the Merits of the perfect O-
sdience , Sacrifice , and Interceflion of
ur Saviour.
, The One and Twentieth aceufed Point.
i bat F Aith only Jnftifieth, and that good
'forks are not abjolntely necejfary to Sal-
tation.
Anf. Many wordy Controverfies are
lade about things, that in Sence men are
ommonly agreed in. 1. We all believe
5ods Word, that they were deceived that
bought they could be juftified either by
le Law of Innocency or Nature, or the
,aw of Mofes^ or any merirorious Works
f their own,without,or as a lupplem-.nt to
ie Sacrifice , Merits and free Grace of
thrift our Saviour, and Faith in him.
2. By Faith is meant Chrifiianity : In
he Goi'pel it i^all one to be a Believer , a
Difctple of Chritty and to be 4 a Christian.
\ he Chriftian Faith is that which is ex-
>reft in the Baptifmal Covenant, believing
n and giving up our felves to, God the
Father,
C 94)
Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft : To Chr
as our Prophet, Prieft and King, i\>
faved by his Merits and free Grace: Ai
this is put in oppofition to the Works
Adams or Mofes.L&Wi or any other th
are conceited to luffice and merit, withe
the forefaid Redemption by Chrift. Ai
is not this the true Doftrine of all tr
Chriftians ?
2. Thefe good Works that are our (
bedience to the Law of Chrift, are but tl
performance of our Bapciimal Covenan
and the Fruits of Faith, without which
is dead Hypocrifie, and are of abfolu
neceffity to Salvation , to all that ha^
time to do them.
Againft the charge, That we are Sinne
deferving Hell, we are juftified by Chri
believed in : Againft the accafation, Th,
we are Infidels , Ungodly, Hypocrice j
we muft be juftified by our Faith, Godl
nefs, and Works, orperifh.
But wedoalfohold, i. That if a mc
be convitted, as the Theif on the Crof
andftioulddiefuddenly, no outward goo
which he cannot do, rs abtoiutely necefT
i-y to his Salvation, but only his inwar
Faith, Love, and Repentance, and Coi
feffion jf able.
2. Wl
(9-J )
2. We do firmly hold, that Works done
ith a conceit of obliging God by Merit,
commutative Juftice , or as conceited
ffkient without a Saviour, and the p»P
>n of their failings, arefuchas morefur-
er Damnation than Salvation, at leaft
thofe that hear the Gofpel.
3. And we are no Papifts, and there-
re believe not that ignorant words of
rayer in a Tongue not underftood, and
earing Reliques, and going on Pilgrima-
?s, and needlefs coflfeflmg to Prielts, and
ibjeftion to an univerfal Vice-Chrift, and
ving upon the Blood of Saints, Murde-
ng the Living, and praying to the Dead,
pd the Sons honoaring their Days, Re-
cks and Monuments, whom their Fathers
urnt or Periecuted ; thefe are not Good
Vorks necefiary to Salvation, as is plain,
dath.is. and Revel. 14. 17, 18, c
Vedo, with Paul, renounce all Works of
ur own, that are thought to make the
leward to be of Debt and not of Grace,
nd that are let in the leaft oppofition or
ompetition with Chrifts Merits, or any
•lace lave commanded Subordination to
im.
The
The Two and Twentieth acenfed Point.
That no Good Workj are Meritorious*
Anf. The word Merit is ambiguoi
and fo abufed by Papifts, that indeed t!
Proteftants are (hyer of it than the Fathe
were, left the ufe of it fhould cherifh tl
abufe.
i . There is Merit of man, and of Go
2, And this in Commutative Juftice(co
ceited,) or only in Governing diftributi-
Juftice. 3. And this is either accordi:
to the Law of Innocency or Mofes^ or a
cording to the Law of Chrift.
Now Proteftants hold, t. As to t!
Name , that *|iW and *f j*, worthy ai
worthinejs, are Scripture words, and tu-
be ufed ^ and Merit jsbut of the famefi
nification, and we condemn not the Anc
ents that fouled it : But the worft Sent
mull not be cherifhed.
2. Do they hold, 1 . That no Creata
can merit of God in Commutative Juftic
that giveth quid fro quo to his Benefi:
God receiveth not from Man or Angeh
unlefshe will call Acceptance and Con
placence Receiving.
3. None but Chrift merited of ftri
Governing Jnftic^ according to the La
( 97)
>l S ... Innocence, nor by any Works
mat mm from the charge $f Sin
md ; r o/* Death*
3 . All at Age chat will be faved, muft
d Works according to their Capa-
ity, for Chrifi is the Author of Salvation y
o all thcje that obey him. Heb. 5. 9.
iho 1 they obey noc an unknown Prieft
at Rime.
Bu: all thefe Works are our Obedience
o Chrifis own healing Governmen:, fuel*
is the Laws of a Phyfician to the Sick-
tod we all agree, that he will Judge (that
s > Jufttfic or Condemn in Judgment) all
n according to their Works, that is, ac-
rording to the Law and it's promulgation t
)y wkich in their feveral Ages and Nati-
>ns he governed them.
4. Your own Doctors chat know what
hey fay, tell us, that by ^r^they mean
lothing but the Rtwardabls quality of their
r, related to Gods promife through Chrifis
! t its. And doth any Proteftant Church
leny thio ?
The Three and Twtmieth accufed Point.
- That Faith once had, cannot fofitly Its
( ** )
jthf. Still confuted (lander and deceit.
Proteftants hold^ i • That the Faith no
reoted^ prevalent and faving y is frequently
loft, fuch as youcal] fides in for mi*.
2. That even fincere Faith may be loft
as to the Aft for fome little time, that is
fufpended in a deliqHmm , as Veters am
theirs, Luk- 24. that faid, We trufied thi,
had been he , &c.
3. That many lofe to the Death fom
degree of their habitual Faith.
4. But they differ in the reft, juft a
^ou do among your felves, Dominican
end Je frits. 1 . Some think that no on<
(at Age at leaft) in a State of fuch Faith a:
at prefent would have faved him,doth eve*
totally lofe it. 2. Some think that man)
have but fuch iofeable Grace as Adam had
x. As being not Eleft to Salvation, anc
therefore not in Gods decree of Preierva-
tion and Perfeverance, 2. As having 2
Faith not Rooted and Confirmed : And
thatthefe may fall from a juftified Stare:
But that , 1. The Elett. 2. Nor the
Confirmed, never fall away. This was
jfuflins Judgment, and his followers, ol
which fee Fojfii Thefes. And is that >
frit honeft that feigneth this proper to the
Proteftants, where the Controverfie is the
fame among themfelves ?
7h
(99 )
7 our and Twentieth tccufed Printl
That Cod by his will 4nd inevitable dei
ee*> hath ordained from all Eternity^ wb*
til be Damned and who Saved.
Anf. What a falfe Deceiver is this f
at would make us believe, that this is
oper to the Proteftants, when it is the
ommon Dodhine not only of the DomU
cans, but of the very Jtfuits themfelves*
d all their Church.
i. None of them dare fay, that men
e Damned or Sa? ed without Gods fore-
lowledge, nor againft his abfolute will,
i overcoming his Power.
2. None of them dare fay, that this
re-knowledge of God was not from
;ernity, but that he knew one day what
knew not before.
3. All that the Jcfuits themfelves fay,
[ that God decreed it upon this fore-
towtedge, and that he hath a Scientis
did, what will come to pafs, fofitis qui-
[drnm, if luch and i'uch things be done
man ; and that this fore-knowledge in
der of Nature is before the Decree *
it both from Eternity. But Cardin Came-
cenfis ( Petria de Aliaco,} hath irrefra-
blycoufnted this impofing Priority and
Fi Pofte-
( IOO )
Posteriority of aft on God ; tho' I thin
force Divine ads as denominated onl.
Relatively from the order of Objects
may be fo diftinguilhed *
4. In-all this, we lay not, that God hai
by his will and decree ordained from Ece;
nity, (or in time) that men /W/ fin, o
mil and choofe Evil, but only who fhall b
Damned for fm, which God never will*
or caufed, but forefaw ; not as if hewer
an idle Spectator, but a willing fnfpende
of his own afts, ib far as ro leave Sinner
to their felf-decermining wills.
5. But God being the caufe of Good
and Men and Devils of Evil, our Salvatioi
is of him , and our Deftiuihon of ou
felves ; and therefore God decreeth no
Men's Salvation or Salification., meerl
on forefight of our Faith, but decreet
our Faith it ieif : Siu he perrmtreth
t>ut Faith he effeð , and decreeth to
Effcft.
6. As for them that feign that we fay:
that God decreeth that ionic fhall be Savec
and others Damned however they Live
it is but the dictates of the Father of Lies
We iay that God at once decreeth th<
End, and the Means ; as he doth not de^
tree that men fhall live though they neithe
Ear nor Drink, nor that they fhall hav<
* ^f^.%t> , Corn
( ioi )
r i, hough they neither Plow nor Sow f
r at they fhall Eat and Drink, and IWe
er by ; and that they fhall Plow and
w, and mannure the Soil, and fohave
orn. u So God doth at once decree,
chat this and that man fhall have the
c means of Grace, (efpecially a Saviour
1 and the Golpel,) and (hall faithfully ufe
(< rhem, and be Sanftitied by them, and
<c fincerely obey God, and overcome the
<L World, the Flefh and the Devil, and
14 perfevere to the End, and that for
< € Chrifis Merits he will give rhem rile
" Grace of his Spirit, and pardon th
u Sins, and bring them to Glory, j Ail
this is our Decree of God.
But he doth not decree that men fhall
fin, that they may be Damned : For (in is
no Work of God, nor a means appointed
by him for Men's Damnation, no more
than a Righteous King doth make men
Traytors or Murderers, that he may Hang
tht in. But he juftly denyeth his Grace to
many that forfeit it by willful Refiftance*
Di obedience, and Contempt; though he
take not the forfeiture of his Eleft.
He is deceived and wrongeth God that
maketh him the Author of Mens fin : And
fo dorh he that fdgneth God to lend his
Son to redeem the World, and his Word
F 3 and
I
( ic2 ; <
and Minifters to call them, and \i% Spiri!
to renew them, and all this at Rando.^i
not knowing whether it may not be all {oft
or leaving it chiefly to the Free-wil) oi|
them, whofe wills are contrarily inclined
and vitiated ? Whether Chrift and all hii
Preparations fhall be loft ?
The plain Chriftian that holdeth bu
to thefe two points, that onr Deftruttion
*f our /elves, but our help and Salvation of t
God, and that God is the firft andchiefcanfa
of all good , and Mtn and Devils of all
Evily is liker to be wife with Sobriety and
Safety , than the Ignorant Intruders into
Gods Secrets, and the prating Calumnia-
tors that fpeak Evil of the things, which
they underftand not ; and repreach thofe
that fpeak not as Rafhly and Ignorantly as
themielves, eveninfome equivocal unex-
plained words
MethinksPapifts fhould be fo kind to
God, as feeing the Pope can tell who is a
Damned Heretick, and to be kill'd, (even
all that believe not in the Pope, or are not
his Subje&s, ) and who is in Purgatory,
and how long he (hall ftay there : Or how
many years Torment the Pope can Ihor-
ten : They fhould allow God to know a
little more, and that not as one whofe
Power and Grace is Conquered by im-
potent
( io* )
btent Worms, againft his abfolute Will
The Vive and Twentieth Ate u fed Point.
That every one ought Infallibly to ajfurt
vmfelf of his Solvation , and to believe that
h is of the number of the Predeftinate.
Anf. I would fain exeufe the man as far
is 1 can, and therefore I hope, that as the
man was excufable that did eat Snakes for
Snigs, (or Eels,) fo he read lome Pamph -
lee of an Antimonian, either Crtfp or 5.
marfli , or fome other fuch, or talkt with
(bme of their filly Novices, and thoughthe
had Convers'd with the Reformed Catho-
licks, or read the Confeffions of the Re-
formed Churches.
The firft Sentence is a Fundamental
Truth , and a damnable Falflwod , as the
Equivocal words are varioufly understood.
And is it not pity that the Priefts of the
Infallible Church, (hould put things fo dif-
ferent into the fame words, and that in an
accufation of ib many Churches and Nati-
ons ; when yet God himfelf is feigned by
them to write by his Spirit fo Unintelli-
gibly, that without thefe Doftors skilful
Expofition, it is but like to make men He-
reticks, (that is, Adveriartes to the Pope
and his Clergy.)
f 4 r#
2*0 a/fare cur [elves of t>ur Salvation £may
mean, to give all diligence to make our Sai
lotion infallibly fare : This every one
ought to do.]
Or it may mean, that every man ought
to believe it as an infallible Truths that he
fall be favedr\ The next Sentence feem-
e:h to make this his meaning in the firft ;
Which if it be, he is a fahe Calumniator
of the Reformed Churches.
But if the firft be his meaning, and he
■deny it, he is an open Enemy to Man's
Salvation.
What is all the Scripture for, and all our
Religion, but to make fure of our Salva-
tion? 2 Pet. \. 10* Give all diligence to
make your Calling and Eicttion fare. And if
no man can be fure, to what purpofe hath
God made fo many promifes of it , ex-
prefling the Conditions, (to them that be-
lieve, that love,God, that foriake all for
him,) if no man can know whether he
perform the Condition, and that he is with-
in this promife ? why doth God lay down
fo many figns to difference the Children of
God from the Children of the Devil, if
they cannot be difcerned ? Sure Heaven
and Hell be not like ; and yet are the Heirs
of Heaven and Hell undiftinguilhable ? Is
the Image of God and the Devil fo like
that
io5 )
Hlatnonetan know them afunder? No,
: iheman char hath had them both ? And
,vhv doth God fo afcen call on Believers to
; oyce , if ihey cannot know whether
he> (hall be in Heaven and Hell for ever ?
f \ ou fay, he is nut fure to perfevere^ ma-
ly Pap it: s grant that the Conf.rmed may.
And why may uot Bradford^ Heoper, San-
icrs^ and Thousands el(e, that are Dying
by the Sacred blood-thirfty Church, beat-
lured whea they are Dying, that they have
forfaken Life and alJ for Chrift.
Bat oportet mendacemcffe mcmorem flill :
Why do you not tell men when the Pope
is lelling them Pardons, and faving them
out of Purgatory , that when all's done
they can have no aflurance of Salvation?
yea, that they ought not to endeavour to
makeitibre? And whole now is the fafe
Church and Religion , if a Papift can ne-
ver be fure that he fhall be laved in your
Church and Religion ; nor lure thai he is
in a State of Salvation/ That is, that he
is a true Chriftian, and hath Charity, and
is an honeft man ?
ft man that hath got true *nd clear
Evidence that he hath a Confirmed Faith\
and Hope , a?id loveth Gody ♦< i :bovc
ally ought conlequently to take i: for an
infallible Truth, chat fo Dying, he fl !
F- ? b*
( io6 )
be faved : Elfe he muft either give G<
the Lie, that hath promifed it, or he mt
be fuppofed to be deceived when he thini
eth that he belie veth and loveth God. (
But that every man maft believe th
he is of the Number of the Predeftina
to Salvation, is a damnable Doftrine, b
caufeit requireth all the Millions of ungot
ly men to believe a Lie, yea to believe
as a Divine Truth, and to make God bot
the Author of the Lie, and of the dece
of our felves by this Command. An
when Millions are not of the Number c
Sanftified, and therefore not of the Pre
deftinate, if they fo continue, what ca
more harden them in their Impenitence
than to tell them that they muft all believ.
that they (hall be faved ? How man'
hundred Proteftant Books, and thoufam
Sermons tell the World that it is th<
Preachers earned drift, to fave Wicket
men from fuch Prefnmption, which make:
men call them terrible Preachers ? Ever}
man is bound to believe Gods promife tc
be true, and that he himfelf (hall be faved
if he be a true penitent ianftified Chriftiao,
and fo continue, and that elfe he (hall be
Damned ; and not to diftruft God as un-
willing to continue the Grace he hath gi-
ven him.
Ti
i
(.07)
x and Twentieth ace fifed Poiml
at every man bath net an Angel Guar*
or Keeper.
• Anf. i . We hold that every true Chri-
i ian, even the ieaft, hath his Angel who be-
M oldeth the Face of his Father in Heaven:
■ jid that Angels are Gods Miniftring Spi-
4 its, for the good of his Eleft 9 and that
aaey guard us and pitch their Tents about
s, and bear us up in their Hands , and
:eep us in and from Danger, and rejoyce
t the Converfion of a Sinner, and that we
ve in invifible Communion with them,
ind (hall be like them.
1. But whether every Chriftian have
me Angel to himfelf alone, that guardeth
no other, or one Angel guard Hundreds
or Thoufands : Or whether fome ( as
Lower Officers are fet over a few, and
others as General Officers are over whole
Kingdoms,) we leave to the determination
of the Infallible Pope, who is bolder with
iGods Secrets than we dare be.
3. But till now, I thought they had not
been fo prefumptuous,as to aflert that every
man hath a Guardian Jingel. Where is
there one word of God for this ? Is every
man an Heir of Salvation 7 or one of
Chrifts
( ic8 ) j
Chrifts little ones, or under his promifiP
Had Cain and Jnda* fuch Angels, and ;[*'
the Sodomites ? I
Chrift made it an argument ot Terra]
to Perfechtors 1 that they offend \uch at h*W
fitch Angels with God : And dare you pair M
them as Devils, and Burn them, or MuiU
der them by the Dragons Dragoons, i|f f
you believe that every man hath fuch ,|f
Guardian Angel ? Surely Saints, tho' cailecp
Hereticks, have fuch. I
The Seven and Twentieth accused Point* (
That the Holy Angels fray not for usXi
nor know our Thvttghrs-#nd di fires on Earth.
Anf A falfe aect-fation. We lay not
that they pray not for us, nor that they
know not our defires, nor any of our*
Thoughts. We fay that Angels are not
fuch Strangers to Saints and finccre Godli-
neis, as not to know that all Gedly men de-
fire the Hailowing of Gods Name, the
coming of his Kingdom, and the doing of
his Will on Earth as ir is done in Heaven :
They that know what Grace is, and what
our Prayers are, know much of our de-
fires : And we do not think that Angels
know lets of our Thoughts than Devils,,
who we feei jo oa* Trouble are not alto-
gether
s
( iop )
igethtr unacquainred with them. And
^i thofe Angels that rejoyceat a Sinners Con-
verfion, are nor unacquainted with ir.
n And as to their Playing, we know not
fchowit is that Angels exprels their defires
ito God ; but we all agree that they defire
our welfare, and therefore may befaidto
. pray for ir, if all notified Defire be Prayer.
We fuppole that they know and Love us,
far better than we know and Love each
orher.-
But we read that the Heretical Gnoftickf-,
or their like,did deceive men, £by Volunta-
ry Humility, and worflrippinjr of Ana els, in-
truding into thofe things which they had not
fttn, vainly pnft tip by afiejhly mind, ] CoL
2. 1 8, 1 9. Therefore we dare not pretend
to Papal Infallibility, nor boldly to con-
jecture, how far it is that our Thou£hrs
arc known to Angels, nor how much they
are ignorant of them ; nor when , or how
oft , or bow far, or in what manner they
pray for us: How far particularly, and
1 far only generally , &c. Had this
knowledge been needful to us, God would
have revealed it .- Much lefs do we know
what Angel or what departed Soul of a
Saint hath the care or charge of our Sheep,
and of our Cittel, and who of our Pigs
and Geete, and who ol our fruits and
Corni
(no)
Com • abundance of thefe things we leai
to the Infallible Church : As we do theiH
acquaintance in Purgatory, while our ac-
quaintance and Converfation in Heiven,
can reach no higher than the profpeft
which we have in and by the Glafs *f Scrip-
ture Revelation.
The Eight and Twentieth acenfed Point.
That we may not fray to them.
Anf. i . We may defire Living Saints
to pray for us, and this may be called
Praying to them : So a Child prayeth to his
Father or Mafter. But we pray not to
dead Saints nor Angels : i. Becaufe we
have an hundred Commands to pray to
God, and not one to pray to them, and
where there is no Law, there is no Tranf-
greflion or Sin. Therefore while we are
lure it is no Sin to forbear it, and know
not but it is Sin to do it, we go the fafe
way : If they fay, it is againftthe Popes
Law or his Clergy's, we fay with P«/, it is
a imail thing to us to be judged of man,
(who can but kill our Bodies,) we have
one that judgeth us, even the Lord* Lee
the Pope Damn us if he can.
2. As the firft Commandment forbid-
deth us to have any God but one, fo the
.lecond
ond forbiddeth us to worfhip fo as the
eachens did their Idols, becaufe it is Bo-
ily interpretative Idolatry and Scandal :
ut the Heathens ufed to pray to their un-
er Deities , whom they judged to be
uch like that which the Papifts judge of
ngels, and prating to Invifible Spirits is
|o imitate them as lcandaloufly as praying
oward Images : No wonder therefore
hat you fo utually leave out the fecond
ommandment.
3. Gods Word is the Rule of all accep-
table Religious Worfhip, (tho* but a Ge.
ncral Rule in many Modes and Circum-
ftances,j and therefore we fear fwerving
from it.
4. Angels themfelves never demanded
it, nor Chrift befpake it for them, yea,
they twice forbad it John : See thon do
tt not.
5. Angels being more holy than we^
are more for the Glory of God, and the
hatred of Creature arrogance and Idolatry j
and as God calleth himfelf fpecially Jea-
lous agairfft bodily Worfinp like the Idolater s+
in the fecond Commandment, fo Angels
are more jealous againft it than w$ are.
6. As Angels faid, See thou do it not, fo
tontrarily Satan tempted Chrift, with the
pffer of the Kingdom and glory of the World \
to
( IT2)
t& fall down and worfliip hhn. Thetfefoi
we had rather hearken to the Angels thdh
to Devils: And fear, rhey that do otherh
wife, vorfhip Devils for Angels, becauli
only Devils have fought ibch Worfhipl
And the Devil oft turneth himielf as intfl
an Angel of Light to deceive, as hi
Minifteis do into Minifters-of RighteouG
nefs.
7. We know not when Angels hear us.
and when they do riot : And therefore
know not when and how ro pray to them.
8. As we arefure that God would have!
bid us do it, if he would have us do ir,
fo we know that he is allfufficient to tell
them what and when to doe for us; and tc
fray to him is the way to fecure their
Service.
9. And we know that there is one Me-
diator between God and Man, whole Io»
terceffionis fufficient.
1 o. And we know that Chriftians pray-
ing to Angels and feparated Souls, greatly
hardeneth the Heathen World that pray
to leparated Souls, and Daemoift that are
thffir Sub deities.
11. And when thefe men faf not, we
wnft pray to Angels, but voe may do it ;
what horrid Murderers are they, that will
Burn, Kill, and Damn men, for not doing
( iM )
ihat they thinly they may do , »
y way? or Divine Obligation ? Wny
He they ir noe at belt, as par: of their
brks of Supererrogarion ?
1 2. The Deceiver prophaning the Scrip-
?, i. Puts Jacobs Benediction defiling
Angels guard on his Son, to be a
*yer co Angels. Yea, when the Fa-
ers fay , that Angel was Chi ill him?
If.
2. And Jacobs words to the Angel that
feared to him, to be a reafon tor our
aying to unieen Spirits: If they appear
us, we fhall the better know what and
hen tofpeakto them.
The Nine andTventieth accnfed Point.
That the Angels cannot help us.
j4nj. This is too grofs ftating of Con-
roverfies for a Collier or a Cobler, tho'
[lot for a Doftorof Infallible Church.
i. We lay, that not only an Angel, but
I Man, on Ais, fas Balaams,} a blaft of
Wind, Flics, Frogs, Lice (as in £?>? r
:an help us, when God lendeth them to
lelpus.
2. We believe that Angels are fpecially
Empowred and willing for it. So that
they
( iH)
they are GodsEminertt Miniftring Spir]
for the good of his Eleft.
3. But we believe that they can do n|
thing for us, but what God empowre
and CommiflTioneth them to do. He th
Cnrfeth thofe that trnfi in man, and ma
FUJI) their Arm, inftead of tracing Got
will fo Curfe them that fo trufl in Angel
But yet we may and muft trnft man an
Angels, according to their feveral mea
fures of Gods authorizing and enablin^
them. The great Mercies of Proredioi
and afliftance that God giveth us by Angels
is the matter of much of our daily thank
to God : And I am daily thankful to Angel;
themielves ; and I think 1 love them bet
ter than any Friends on Earth , becaufe
they are better, and love God better : And
I am the willinger to Die, becaufe I fhaB
go to the World of Love, where as God
and Chrift is Love, fo Angels love God,
and we for his fake, better than I love my
ielf, while our Papifts that pray to Angels,
devour the blaod of Saints.
The Thirtieth aecuftd Teint.
That no Saint Deceafed, hath after ap
feared to any on Earth.
Anj
Jinf. A meer falfe Cafufflny. What
oteftant Confefiions have any fuch Ar-
c:Ie? How know we what hath been
e me of that kind in all the World to this
y ? Read but Dr. More, and Mr. GUn-
h Books of Apparitions, and Mr. Am~
oft, and Mr. L*wrtticts Books of our
mmanion with Angels. Read Z*n-
iu* , Luther, McUntton , AfanltHS,
IavaIu, &c. and you may fee that this is
o Proteftant affertidn. We know that
hriffc appeared to SmhI, and that many
odiesof Saints aroie at Chrifts Death,
nd appeared to many : And what tha (
iVitch of E ndor fhowed as S*mnel 7 we
;nownot: We only lay, i. That it is
mich liker that Apparitions are ofteft
made by Devils or bad Spirits that dwell
n the lower Regions, than that bleffed
Spirits come from Heaven. 2. But yet
feeing Angels thence appear, we cannot
fay that Holy Souls never dp. 3. But
lhac God will not have it to be any ordina-
ry or trufty means for Men's Salvation :
For we cannot know when it is a Holy
Soul, and when a Devil : And they that
will not believe Mofcs and the Prophets,
[and Chrift,) neither will they believe tho*
3ne rofefrom the Dead : It's no Article of
our # Faith, that they ever did appear or
eot.
( u6 ) \
«£ An i l [ thefe men rh, " nk othenvtjil
Z2, m A? i. his Opinion more th ^ tT>
72* W «,</ Thirtieth ace U fed Point.
That the Saints Deceafed, know not nh*
fajjeth here on Earth.
■ -^w/: Confufion and Cammny. Ther
1$ knowledge Immediate by Intention
and ^ f by Notification from other]
And there is knowledge perfeil, and i;
part.
i- We take not on us to know the erf.'
tent of the knowledge of feparated Souls.
And thefe proud Infallible men know no
more than we, but fo much lefs, in that
they know not their own Ignorance : Yet
neither Lilly, nor any Aftrologer, nor
Conjurer, that ever I heard of, that pre-
tendeth the greareft acquaintance with Spi-
rits, did ever pretend to make their Opi-
nions of them nee? ffary to Salvation ; '
Dor to kill all Diflenters as Hereticfcs, bu
the Vice-Chrift and his Church, we can-
not know all that they pretend to know
And why muft we needs know whethei
ever fuch Souls appeared ? If they did,we
will tvy what they are by the word of God,
w'hich
(H7)
tiich is our Rule, And why muft w<?
low how much they know ? We know
tac they are not Omnifcienr, nor Omni-
refent. And how much they know by
relent Intention, not one o» thefe Pre-
fers know. That they know more
\an we, and know much by the notices
f Angels or one another, and fpecially
•f the General Srate of Chrifts Kingdom
»n Earth, we make no doubt: And what
thrift himfelf maketh known to them, we
enow not. O ! what lore of men are
^efe, that forbid us to Read the Word of
3od, and yet obtrude on us (on difmal
Penalties,) to many things more than all
the Bible doth contain !
The Tvcc and Thirtieth Acctfcd Point.
1 I r the S >i?its pray not for w.
A>f. Equivocal and falfe. i. All Saint*
on Earth pray for us : It is pirc of the
Communion of Saints.*
2. We iay of the Prayer of departed
Souls, the fame that we laid before of the
Praver of Angels. Their Genera! Re-
iquefts for the Church and againft Enemies,
| cweth not to us what extent their know-
ledge of particulars hath, nor what parti-
culars they ask, ner that every Chriftian
can
r n8 )
can lay that they pray for him, and t\
bis particular cafes.
The Three and Thirtieth acenfed Point, j
That Vfe ought not to bejeech God, to gray
qht prayers in favour of the Saints, or theii
Merits : Nor do we receive any benefit
thereby.
Anf. This is before anfwered to the
tjth. Accufation. 1 told you that we hold,
that* God bleffeth Children for their Hol^
Parents fakes, their Relation making the
welfare of the one to be the others : And
God bleffed others for Jofephs fake, ancL
fometimes preferveth whole Countries fo&
the fake of the Godly there : And onu
what account, and how far, I wilj not a^|
gain repeat.
And the Union *nd Communion of
Saints in Heaven and Earth are fo near,]
that 1 dare not fay that God doth any ]
good to any one faithful Soul, that is not -
in fome refpeft for the lake of all the reft i '
as the Cure of an aking Tooth is for the
fake of all the Body: That is, i. For the
good of the whole. 2. And done out of
love to the whole.
But this will not fatisBe confounding De- \
reivers. No doubt it is dead Saints that 1
hei
meaneth : And whit he meaneth by
tits, 1 fuppofehe knoweth nothimfelf;
?Ife he would htve told us .• How far
own, or abhor the pretence of Merits,
tewed before. All Saints are faved by
full fufficient Merits of Chrift , and
e none at all of their own, unlefs the
iablenris of Grace freely given them
called theit Merits, as a thankful Child
re defer veth his Fathers Love, (that is,
more Lovely) than a Rebel that fcorneth
n i and a piece of Gold deferveth to
efteemed above Dirt ; and a Nightin-
le above a Toad. Yea their own Je-
f raft/Hex,, not only denieth all Merit of
>d in Commutative Juftice, (as all live
m*ns and a few fuch Sots do,) bat alfo
point of diftributive JnfUce^ by which
feemeth to deny Merit more than Pro-
ftants do- For by Merit we mean but
for* I altitude, for the r crowd of a free
A or who is dlfo RcElor, when the or-
r:r of a free Gift fu [fended en officii!
mdttions, is fafiurtiaMy m*de * means of
oenring Obedience.
Whatever God htth promifed to give
for other Men's fake, that he will fa
ve. But our Faith (hall not go beyond
> Promile : If God have told us any
ier-, who Saint Nicolas, and Sr. Becket,
and
C 120 )
and ^i.Chrijhophcr, and St. Jo*n,
Jam, tnd'St.lVtnifridaxei and what i
were ro us more than others, and
they were real Saints, and that he
promised us Mercy for their fakes, ar
us pray to him for their Meriting for
let them fhew us this in his Word.
if it be only the Popes Command and Pf
mite, let his Subjetts obey and trull it.
We are certain that none but Saints ar
faved : And why then muft I go to God
for the Merits of St.NiehoLts y or St Bridget
any more than for the Merits of all i\
reft, which are many Millions ?
As God is jealous of his Honour agair
Idols, fo is he of Chrifts Honour agair
jinti thrifts and falie Mediators, and
muft do nothing that feemeth to aicril
any part of Chrifts proper Office of Mi
diation to any Creature : And doth it
feem fo, if we pray, Lord bear, pan
and favc me for t be Merits of Beetle
Bridget, &c. For what more can we iaS
of the Merits of Chrift?
But ftill mark, that thefe men lay
that, rt>? nuift pray thm for the Merit
Saints, but that we may : And muff all
Burnt or Damned that will not do all that
the Pope thinks they m&y do ?
m
J 21 )
] r we i -< e ?;<? benefit by them, is a
>rged Calumny and not our Doftrine:
Ve believe that the y*n?j had benefit by
ttrabam, Mofcs , David, when they
ere Dead : And that the Reformed Char-
lies have had benefit by the Blood of the
iartyrs, fhed by the Blood-thirfty Pa-
ifts to this day; and that the whole
Church hath benefit by the Writings of
hryfoftom , Naxjanzjene, Attguftine, &c.
\nther, Calvin, &c.
The Tone and Thirtieth ace u fed Point.
'! hat we ought not exprefly to pray them t*
ray or intercede to God for Hi.
Ar.f. There was enough faid of this be-
ne, about praying to Angels.
When God bids us pray to dead Men's
ouls, we will do it. Till then your fey-
)g we may do it, proveth neither may nor
mfttom. Why then cannot you keep
four [may^ to your felves ? Never a Con*
irer in England cm tell \xs y how far Souls in
ieaven can hear, nor where and when they
re prefentor within hearing; nor which
i them are ((^whether al^or one,or which :
>io nor whether thoie Saints that under-
rood not Latin on Earth, do underftand
^atin Prayers feat up from Earth, when
G the
( 122 )
\he Speaker himfelf underftandeth then
,ot. Alas! Chriftian Reader , what j
dark uncertain Worfhip, like Charming
would this Infallible Church compell met
to offer the mod Holy God, while thej
^ccufe his Word of enfnaring dangerous
obfcurity.
We will pray to thofe alive, that wd
know do hear us, to pray to God for us,
for the fake of Chrift : But it's but profa-
nation of the Scriprure, to lay, that bacauli
Luke 1 6, a man in Hell fuppoied to fee and
hear Abraham, did pray him to fend La.
sLartu on Earth ^ therefore we that nei-
ther fee nor hear the Dead, (hould pray to
them. But Dives prayed in vain, and fo
may you. And what if thofe Souls fnould
prove to be in Purgatory ? Muft we pray
both to them that are in Purgatory, and for
them alio ? And is it certain that the Pope
and all his Church, are lure which Saint is
not in Purgatory, when ail are there! or
worfe flay they,) that ever finned and did
not Pennance for it ?
The Five and Thirtieth accufed Point.
That the Bones or Relicks of the Saints are
not t9 be kept or refcrved \ no l r irtnc proceed*
in? from them after they be ome dead.
j4#f
I2 J J
} nf. i. Where hath God Commanded
as ro keep them, for the Virtne that pro-
\ :c(deth from them ?
2 . We deny not but a man may keep
a Skeleton or Skull, and if it be his Fa-
thers, we will accufe him no higher than
{ of Imprudence and Paflion. But what
proof have you of Virtue proceeding from
Bones, till you fee it by experience ? Is it
any appointed mean* for God to work
I "Miracles by? And how know you that all
were Saints that the Pope calleth fo ? Had
all the Debauched Popes of Anno 800,
900, iooo, skiU Infallible to know Saints
frcm Hypocrites ? And hath God promifed
Virtue to all their Bones i And are you
fure that they are their Bones f Alas ! what
numerous Tricks have men to truft to, to
deceive themfelves and others, that yet
will not obey Chrifts plain Commands,
and truft his promife !
The Six and Thirtieth accufed Point.
That Creatures cannot be Sanftified, or
made more holy than they are already of their
own Nature.
Anf. A down-right flander. i. We be-
lieve that all men that fliall be faved, are or
G 2 flud
t
1
( 124 )
•(hall be Sanflified, and made more
than they are of their own Nature.
2. We believe that to the Pare,
things are Pure^ and are Sanctified by th<
Word and Prayer : And that whatever w<
Ao % wefhould do it to the glory of God : At$
when a Chriftian devoceth and uleth his
Food, Eftate, and all to Gods Service, it
is Sanctified.
3. We believe that a Temple, a Font,
a Table, and Utenfils, may well be le r
Sarated from common ufes to Gods Wor-
lip: And that Separation is a fanttifying
of them.
To be Santtifitd or Holy 1 is but to be
feparated from common nfe, to Gods [fecial I
Service , according to the nature of thje
thing ufed.
1 . Godly men are SanUifyed and Saints,
tecaufe by Soul-confent andi Devotion,
iand Practice, they are fincerely leparated
to God, from the flavery of the World, -
the Flefti and the Devil \ being Habitu-
ally and Predominantly lovers of God and
Holinefs, by the grace of Chrift and the
Holy Ghoft.
2. Profefled Chriftians are Sacramen-
tally Sanftifyed, when by outward Bap-
tilm, they aredevored to God in Chrift.
3. Fv^
( 125)
3- Even bad Minifters are externally
m&ifyed, as feparated and confecrared
o a Holy Office.
4. Temples , and Books, and Church
Itenfils are fanftifyed, when by men they
tre leparared from common and unclear
ifage, ro Gods Worlhip. So that tho'
Holinefs in all be this feparation to Godj
fet, as the Perfons and things are not the
ame, lb neither is their Holinefs in fpuic,
but only in gtntrc.
And there is a Super (titioiu and an IdoU-
row Moi\^Holinc\s^ when men will de-
vote that to God and Holy ufes which he
abhorreth, or accepteth not, nor ever re-
quired of them : And lay as the Hypo-
crite Phariises, it uCorban, who required
this at their hands ? The Hypocrites and
hdolaters have always been forward for
rhis unrequired Mock- Holinefs, to quiet
their Consciences , inftead of real laving
Holinei's. It's Cheaper and Eafier to have
HolyAVarer, Holy-Oil, Holy-Spittle,
Holy-Images, Hcly-CrofTes, HoIyVeft-
ments of many lores, Holy- Altars, Holy-
Shrines , and Pilgrimages, Holy-Bonef f
and Chips and Places, than to have Holy-
Hearts and Lives, which loye God, and
Grace, and Heaven, above all this World
and Life it ielf, and by the Spirit mortify
aH flelhly Lufts. G 3 Tif
C 126)
The Seven andTbirtieth acenfed F<ri .;.
That Children may be faved by their pa- 1
rents Faith, without the Sacrament zf Ho-\
ly Baftifm-
Anfs Can you unriddle this charge ? |
Whether the man mean that they may be
laved by Baptifm without their Parents
Faith ? Or that both muft be conjoyned as
neceffary to Salvation ? He will not tell
us that.
1. That God hath made abundance of!
promifesto the Seed of the Faithful, and
taketh them into the Covenant of Grace
with their Parents, and faith that they are
Holy, 1 Cor. 7. 14 \ Proteftants have co-
piously proved againft Anabaptifts and Pa-
pills. But it is Gods Mercy, and Chrifts
Merit, Grace, and Covenant, that they
are faved by : The Parents Faith is but that
Qualification and Relation, which maketh
them receptive and capable of this faving
Grace. The Parenrs Faith faveth them-
ieives, but as the Moral qualifying difpo-
ution and condition of Gods faving Gift :
And to Infants it is required, not that they
be Believers, but Believers Seed, devoted
to God by Parents or Pro-Parents, whole
they are.
2. We
I 2'
2. Wedoabtnor, but regularly, where
I may be had, rhis Dedication (hould be
plemnly made by Baprifmal Covenanting :
Jisk the Anabapcifts whether we hold not
[his I ;: we believe, that as private M*r-
j . lakftk Husband and Wife before God y
[\ iolcmn Matrimony is neceffary for
y Order, without which they may
Jbe puniihed as Fornicators : So if an In-
JfuP.: be the Child of one believing Parent,
dedicated to God, he is Holy and in the
Covenant \\ irh the Parent, (and were
l unclean:) But that before the Churchy
he is not regularly to be judged in Cove-
nant till it be lolemnized in Chriite appoin-
ted way by Baptifm.
Still excepting where Baptifm cannot be
had ; and there even fober Papifts fay,
that the fatam, the Vow, or defire, will
ferve.
• And this neceflity is manifold : i. When
the Child dieth, before Baptifm could be
had.
Where there is no capable Perfon to
do it, or that will not utterly deprave it.
3. When the Parent is an Antipoedo-Bap-
fift, and omitteth ir, thinking it a Sim
If they think that the Infant is not faved by
the Parents Faith, why (hou/d they think,
that believing Parents Children are dam-
i 4 ned
( fi» )
qedl)ecaufe the Parent Erreth 10 iuc
external thing ?
Bur Papills, that turn other parts of Hp r
Ifnefsinto Form and Ceremony, and m
a Religion of the Carkais mortifyed,
would here alio perfwade People, thai: the 1
very outward art of Wafhing, is of lex
great moment with God, that though it
Were the holyeft Perfons or their Seed, '
a miftake, or a delay, or furprize of Death,,
will damn them if they be not Baptized,
(or Martyred.) This tendeth to Subjeii,
til to the Mercy and Dominion of the:
Priefts, that they may feem more necefia-
ry to Salvation than they are, or at leaft
their external Forms , by Lay-men or,
Women Bopnxersadminiftred.
Cor?ftamine\\\m(t\f, the Churches great
Deliverer, was not Baptized till near his ?
Death : Are they fure that he was till then
in a ftate of Damnation, and had been ,
Damned if he had lo Died ? Methinks in
gratitude, the Church of Rome , (hould
have eaft him no lower than the Torments
of Purgatory.
The Eight and Thirtieth acenfed Point.
That the Sacrament of Confirmation is
n%t ntceffary> nor to be uffd.
Anf
( t29 )
Anf. You may fo mean by the Wcr4
Sacrament*] and {Confirmation^ as that
;e dp deny them. And you may fo mean,
s thac we are more for them than yoa
*es
i. If by a Sacrament, you mean one t of
5ods Inftirutjpn 5 appoinredby him ro be his
olemn Delivery and Inveftkure in a ftate
if Chtfftianity or neceflary Grace ; and
f by Confirmation you mean Arch-Bifhops
inointing Infants, or Ignorant Children, or
^erfons, with hallowed Oyl , compoua-
led once a year, nnd his Ceremonious
voicing them, and. fuch other Formalities j
:hen we deny that iiich Confirmation is any '
Inch Sacrament, nor is necefTary, or to be
tried*, becaufe Holy things are not to be
mortyficd and profaned.
2. But if by a {Sacrament'] you mean^ j
but a Solemn renewal of our Covenant
with God in Chrift j and by Confirmation
you mud, that thole Baptized in Infapcy
fnouldat due Age, under ft andingly^ under
the Pafiors hand or Care, profels their fe~
rious perlbnal Confent to that Covenant
Which by others they imputatively made
tn Baptilin •, we are lb far from denying:
this, that we think till this Solemn ferjouat
Covenanting, and ovoning their Baptifm with
under ft an ding and feeming ferionfnefs 7 be
G 5 made
I H? )
mad. the Entrance into the (late of Adh
Church Communion, the woful Corrupt
on of the Church is never to be well he
led j but while one fide turn Confirmati*
into a dead Shadow and Mockery, and tV
Anabaptifts icandalized Herefie, are all fc
Rebaprizing inftead of Confirmation, In
yhanation and Schifm will gratifie Satat
You know, that the Engiifh Bifhops prs
ftile Confirmation, and the Liturgy defer
beth it as I here do : And are the Churcl
of England no Proteftants ? And diver
Proteftant Non-Conformifts here have a
bout 29 and 30 years ago, written (ul
Treatiles for Confirmation.
- The Nine and Thirtieth accufed Point.
That the Bread of the Suffer of cur Lord
vpos but a Figure, or Remembrance of the
Body of Chrift, received by Faith , anm
not his true and very Body.
Anf. 1. Proteftancs hold, that as al!
words are to be taken according to the
ufage of the 5ubje<ft or Science that they
are ufed about, Phyfual Terms Phyfically,
Rhetorical Rhetorically , Geometrical ,
Aftronomical , Arithemettcal, according
ly, Law Terms according to Lay, and
Moral and Theological Terms Morally
and
Jcally i Ao, if as Naturalifls%
p. '; -\ e matter of that Sacrament
. r 3 ' f : If as Mora lifts
' >d Theohgftej , we lay, r> u t be Body and
o chnft : As if you ask of a Gold
, silver Coyn , what ir is in a Natural
, f, we fay, i* &* Gold and Silver : But
yea ask in a Civil, Political and Law-
c/uc, we fay, ir is a 20 /. f/>*f, a J*-
5 a Carohss piece , or ft is a Crovon^
r a Shilling. So we fay chat Sacrament ally
Morally, and Relatively, that which is
ally true Bread and Wine, is yet alio
1 ';;«• #^y *»*/ JStosirf of Chrifi : And
tfe fay net that if is only a Figure and R&
b; anct, but it is fttcb a Figure as is
::ry Fleft) and Blood:
!And it is ro Dt \u y and Jnveji h$ in 4
Union Chrifi bin tj elf \ and
;- . ■ tee,
. r-roxythi:. rativc of aPrince
Marrieth a Foreign Lady, is more than a
Remembrance ; ana !o is his Image, if it be
uied in the Marriage. A Key, or a Twig
and Turf, by which Inveftiture in Houle
ad Land is delivered y and a Staff and
, by which Biftiopricks were of old
ured by Inveftiture, are all more than
bbare Remembrance.
2. As to your implied Doiti in? of Trail*
tub-
fubftantiation, that after the v/orxis of Con I
iteration, there is left no real Bread and I
Wine, it is Copioufly and undenyabjyl
proved a Novel Oodtrine,lb monftrous, as J
if it had been formed to engage Mankind*'
in a Renunciation of Chriftianity, Huma-r
nity, and common Senies, and to be an
obliging profeflion of this Renunciation/,!
It is enough for us to believe, that after thef I
true Consecration , it is no more /; i>
Jh-cdd and Wim, (as after the Coyning a,|
ao/. Piece, a Crown, or a Noble, or an Ij
Angel, it is not vittr Gold, but the faid na- I
ifted Coyn.) But if ever Satan (hewed b
bimlelf a Dragon, under the Name of an \
Angel of Light, it was when he made the \\
Canons of the 4 th. Laterane GtnexsX Coun-
cil unde* Innoctnt the %d. that fet up Tran. j
fubftantiation, and the Murdering of all 1
that deny it, of depoling Princes that will
not exterminate them. This adjunfts and
effects will (hew the difference between
this Counterfeit Sacrament and Chrift.
Ghrifts Sacrament was inftmited to be a
Sacrament and Covenant of deareft Lovs
between God and Man, and one another :
But asSatan, when he CovenarXeth with
Witches, tofellhim their Souls, mufthave
itfealedby his fucking their Blood, ibtho
leal that he fet to theM(mftert>fTrm f ttbftari4
tia-
r m )
uio^, wis that his Church and re muft live
the blood of thofe that own it not.
But what will convince men, rhat by
oile and Worldly Intereft have Conque-
bd all that is proper to a man, yea, or a
ving ienfible Animal.
1. They pretend Chrifts Words, This
f my Body, when they know that it was
(is ordinary parabolical phraie, and they
vill take this Phyfically and Angularly as
iifferen: from all the reft. Tho' he fay t
! Am the Door, I am the Vine, and ye are
'he Branches, and my Father is the Hnf~
band-man, and the Field is the World, and
the Tares are the Children of the I Picked one,
EndtheHarveft is the md of the World , and
he Readers are the Angels ; they that re*
eived the Sad try the High-way , arc they
that, &$. Andfohe lpeaketh ufually.
2. They know that in 1 Cor. ix. Paul
calls it Bread after the Confecration, three
times in the three next Verfes : And would
they have Burnt Paul for a Heretick ?
What cart they devife againft thefe plairt
words ?
3. They fenrence all to Death and
Hell that will believe (heir Eyes,Tafte,Fet f-
ing or any Senfe of themfelves, and all
others , that perceiveth true Bread And
Wmf.ihtx -ConlccrauoR.
4. Here-
( M4 J
4. Hereby they make God as Crtdtol
the Grand Deceiver of the World, by de
luding all Men's Senies.
5. And hereby they overthrow all cer
tainty of Faith Divine and Humane. Foi
Senfe and Humanity are before Faith and
Chriftianity^ and their perception prefup-
pofed : And if Senfe be prefuppofed fal-
lible, yea falfe, Faith muft needs be fo:
For we are not fare that ever we faw a
Book, or Man, or Light, or heard man
fpeak, or what he faith : And how czn he
believe Gods Word or the Popes , or
Prietts, that is not fure that ever he heard*
orfawthem ?
i. They feign every fottiftr filthy Prieft,
to work more Miracles at his pleaibre, by
his tranfubftantiating, than Chrift or his
Apoftlesdid.
7. They enable a drunken Prieft to un-
dce Bakers and Vintners , by laying the
words of Confecration Intenttone Co
erandi over all their Bread and Wine : And
then they have none left.
S. They feign Chrift to have eaten his
own Body by his Body, and either that
the fame Body did eat it feif, or that he
had two Bodies that did eat neither.
9. They feign that his whole Body did
eat his broken Body, and that his Diici-
pies
es did cat it, before it was bnoken ;
I id drank his fhed Blood before it was
led.
i c. When two General Councils C. P.
■Jie $th. and Nice the id. tell us, that
4 thrifts body in Heaven now is not Flcfh And
Mood , and PmmI faith 1 Cor. 1 5, that
lefh and Blood cannot it: her it the Kingdom
yet they maintain that Chrift hath
600 years a body of F/r/T; and
, --- — 7 -—
■lefhand B
If Cod, yet
bad thefe 1 <
Shod.
1 1 . They feign abundance of Accidents
without fubjeft Subftances, that are the
Accidents (Quantity, Quality, ore.) of
nothing.
12. They feign a ibttifti Prieft to make
his Maker day by day.
13. When Chrift faith, He that eat eth
m) I' Up, and drinktth my Blood, pall live
for ever ; they feign the mod wicked men
to eat his Flefh and drink his Blood.
14. They feign Mice to eat God.
1*. They feign every wicked man to
eat his God, and digeft part of him into
his own Flcfh and Blood, and cad out the
other part into the J ak
\6. They teach men to commie Idola-
try, by worshiping Bread as God.
1 7. All this is enforced by Fire and
S\w r J, againil the Blood of Holy men.
I All
18. All (his is Novel thrcfit, contrail
to the Doftrine of the Univerlal Churdl
For a Theufand years after Chrift anl
more.
19. It's contrary to P*nl\ Querel
iCcr. i2. Arc all xvortys of Mir at lei \
underftood Negatively .
20. It's feigned a fufficienr ground t<\
depoie Princes 1 and deftroy \vhoJt|
Lands.
But thefc things, and fpeciaily the for-l
ged Miracles of the Traniubitantiation,!
are more largely confuted in many Trea*
tites* I
What hope of ending any Conrroverfies
with Papifts, that agree not with us in the
credit of Senfes as Heathens do ? Can we*
bring any Controverfie to a plainer ifTue^J
than to all Men's common Seales, about;
due Obje&s and due Mediums? And is '
there any difputing where no principle is % >
agreed on ?
"to
The Fortieth accufed Point.
That rPe ought to receive under both kinds,
and that one alone is not fttjjicient.
Anf. Ic concerneth them that deny
this, either to keep men from Reading
Gods Word, or to tell them it is falfe,
and*
•J* (157 )
ii the Pope's is true that contradideth it :
{hat is a flat defyance of God or his
ord, if this be not ? Chiift faith, Math.
\^1, 28. Drinl^ ye all of it : For this
1 my Blood of the JNew-T eft anient, which
flxd for many, for the remiffton of fins.
* pd St. Taul faith, 1 Cor. 11.23. / have
k reived of (he Lord -that which I delivered
you : That the Lord Jefus, the Night in
inch he was bttrayed, took. Bread, &c.
erf. 25. jiftir the fame manner alfo he
o\the Cup, xthen be had Supped, faying
his Cttp is the Ncio-Teftamcm in my blood :
'Ijji do ye as oft as yon drink, ir, i* re mem-
ranee if me : For as often as y* eat this
read, and drink^ this Cup, ye do fljew the
ords Death' till he come : Wherefore who-
btver frail eat this Bread , and drink, this
\!np of the Lord unworthily, jhaU be guilty of
\he body and blood of the Lord : But let a
nan examine himfelf, and jo let him eat of
hat bread, and drvnk^ of that Cup.
Thefe words do lb plainly lay y it is
tread after the Confecration , and do fe
Mainly require all to drink of the Cuf, as
veil m to eat of the Bread, that the Infallh-
)Ie Clergy are fain to accufe the Light of
^arkneis, the Text of deceitful Oblcu-
■ity, till the Pope and his Prelates have ex-
wyrided it, by giving it the Lye : Juft
like
like the Knave in Ignoramus Play/ th
Proclaimed the man to be Mad , fro
whom he intended to extort Money, th
is, for binding and abufing him. What
it to proclaim Chrift and Paul to be Foot
that could not fpeak Senfe, if this be not?
But the Doftors have alio contradidlioi
to charge on Chrift, even that elfe-uhei
hefairh, [He that eateth his FUjh ftm
live for ever: 2 dnf. i. That is, Hethk
tmftcth in a, Sacrificed Chrift as the means*
his Salvation, at bread is the means of na
tural Ltfe : He that would notuuderftan*
cannot underftand the plaineft Words 4 ,!
Bat doth Chrift fay, that any man eatetlX
hisflefh, that drinketh mt his blood 1 Qr that
he fliall have Life r that doth the one without
t ht other? 1
2. And feeing they take every Rogu*
that eateth their Wafer to eat Gtri
Flefti, do they not here falfly fay thac
fuch fhall have Eternal Life: O happ
( miferable ) Church , that hath Eterna
Life, how wicked foever, for eating th
Wafer, and calling itChrifts Flefh !!Am»
all this, thatF*/>fe may not be thought t
be meant by eating,
3. But feeing it muft needs be eating b
the Teeth, or by Flelh eating that is meant
they Ime found out a crafty literal way
Chri
( i39 )
if . f a ith that belo-vtthtnd cherifl>ctbhss
cfhts body, of bis jfcffc, «i'0"
,< And fo they that Murdered a Mil-
eooin/W, and iocooo m J«^
A Burnt them in £*/*«*, ©"J** the
M Countries, and Tormented and Kii
i ,hem in *.***■, and many other
, , did learn the limal rvay 'f <*""{
- FUh And who doubts but the
f ceU hem that they (hall ,f hereby *
f/they draw it out by ftreams Perhaps
helms' ttV^Z)
le of gnawing them, and thus they feed
In ChTifts b&y, J^V^ bring
heir Matters beat Witches if they bring
L not account at every Meeting , ol
bme milchief thatthey have done.
3 . And what but fiat oppoliuon o
Chrift, mould move thefe men to forbid
ene half of his Sacrament which he caUs
the Ne*-Teft*mtnti» his blood? Une
would wonder what (hould be then Mo-
tive: It is no matter of Pteafure Profit,
or Honour : This very Deceiver had more
( M° )
wit than to pretend Anriquity for it,
any one ancient Doftor of the Church
They dare not deny (lave to Ignorant!
and Fools,) that it is a N&velty contrary
to unqueftioned Confent and Prafltce
all Chrifts Church, for above a thouiar
years, or near at teaft. It is undenyafc
againft Chrifts InftitHtion and Comment
againft his Afoftles Doftrine^ and Script*
TraUice \ againft all the Judgment and Pr
iftice of the ancient Church, againft tY
Nature and Integrity of the Sacramenrj
againft the Concord of the Church, that
will never Unire againft all thefe, againft
the Senfe and Comfort of Believers.
What then doth over-rule lb many men to
Tear the Church, to Murder fo many Bv-
hemians as they did, &c. for fuch a thing
as this is ? Reader I will tell thee al] that I
know : The Devil is in conftant War a-
gaiuft Chrift and his Kingdom, and the
Souls of men : As he thought he could
have triumphed in making Job curfe God
to his Face ; lo he would fain fhew that he
can make Chrifts own pretended Minifters
oppofe and defpife the plaineft of his Com-
mands, and defie his Word and him to his
Face. To this he gets by the baits of
Worldly Wealth, Honour and Dominion,
a fort of Flefhly Worldly men to be Bt-
(hops,
R( 141 )
ft, whofe very hearts are againft the
s of Chrift: And puffing up thefe
nen by degrees, he tells them how they
imft be Great, and arrogate Power equal
o Chrift s Apoftles, and i'o domineer over
fhe Souls of men ; and all this on pretence
oi honouring Chrift : And having gotten
,a Generation of grofs ignorant debauched
[Villains, into the Papal elevared Seat, and
the Ruling Church Power, when feme
poor Woman once or twice ihed fome of
the Wine, oraPrieft chanced to fpill it,
their prophane Holinefs decreed that they
(hould drink the Wiae no more (lave the
Clergy,) but fhould eat Chrifts Blood,
yhich they faid was in his Flefh, and a
while they dipt the Wafcr in Wine ; and
then pretended Infallibility being their
yain Glory , they muft not change left
they (hould ieem to be fallible, and (hould
Repent ; for Repenting undoes Satans
fungdom.
The One and Fortieth accufed Point.
That there is not in the Church 4 true
.: .-. proper Sacrifice } and that the Aiafs is
not a Sacrifice.
Anj. True and proper, if the words are
iiutlligjble,are put againft falfe and equtw-
cal
C M2 3
cal or figurative. And what man can
us which Sence of the word Z Sacrifice]
muftbe taken for the only proper Senc\
when with Heathens and Chriftians tfc
word is ufed in fo many Sences, and the^
are fo many forts of Sacrifices ? This mail
would not tell you whether it be the Thing
or the Name that he controverteth 5 thaij
would be to come into the Light. If i
be the things we never doubted but divert
things are and muft be in the Churck^
which are called Sacrifices, fomeinScrip-
ture,and fome by Papifts : And fome thin£
by them called Sacrifices, are in theiij
Church which God isagainft.
If it be the Name that is the qaeftioity
we know that in a General Sence it ma\
be given to many things of different Spe-
cies, and equivocally yet to more ; but
which Sence to call proper among fo many 7
let quibling Grammarians tell him: We
ftrive no further about Names, than tend-
eth to preferve the due Judgment of
things.
. Sometime a Sacrifice fignifieth a fecwd
thing offered to Gtd by way ofwbrfhip.
Sometime more ftriBly, fomewhat fappo-
Jed highly to gratifie or pleafe him, offered '
to expiate fome Crime that dijpleafetb him^
or by pktfivg t0 procure fome benefit from him.
Among
Among Heathens and Jews, there were
arious forts of Sacrifices : Some Hilafti-
al, Ibme Euchariftical : Some ofrhings
jfelefs, and fome of Living Creatures;
$ere ftriftly part was hurnt and fo offered
o God, and part given to the Prieft, and
>art eaten by the Offerers.
We hold, i. That Jefus Chrift offered
lis Body on the Crofs a Sacrifice to God
or che expiation of Sin, as a thing pleafing
o God, in a fence which no other Sacri-
fice ever was or is } not that God delighted
in his Blood, Pain or Death as fuch ^ but
as (inis gratia, it was the mod excellent
mear;s to demonftrate his Wiidom, Love,
Juftice, and Mercy, and fave a finful race
of men, with the honour of his Law and
Government.
2. We hold that Chrift hath inftituted
ttts Sacrament, to be a vifible Reprefwtta-
tun of this his Sacrifice, both for Comme-
moration and for attual Inveftiture and Col-
lation of Chrift to be our Saviour, and
Head in Union, and of his Grace and Be-
nefits, Pardon, Reconciliation, Adoption,
Judication , Sanftification, and Title to
Glory. And we know that the ancient
Churches called this often a Sacrifice : Not
in the fame fence as Chrift was our Sacri-
fice ^ nor as the Mofaical Types were Sam
crificu ;
( 144 '
crifices ; but a Rcprefentativc Saetr/fictj
preferring Chrifts own. But we are t
Ihier to ule the name Sacrifice, where P
pifts apply ic to Idolatry.
3. We know that all Ohriftians ai
bound to dedicate themfelvesroGod, antf
even .to lay down their Lives when he re-
quirethir; and bound to ofler him peni*
tent ConfefTion, Praife, Thanksgiving,
and to give Alms to the poor, and ferve
and honour him with all their Wealth and
Power. And all thefe are called Sacrifices
in Scripture, becaufe they are [acred oh
Lit ions, acceptable to Cod through the merits
of Chrifts Sacrifice.
Is not this man a Calumniator then/
that faith we hold, £ that there is not in the
Church a true and proper Sacrifice,] unlets*
he call none true and proper but what no
man can offer to God.
But what fay we to the Sacrifice of the.'
Mafs ? We fay, that for the Prieft to pre-
tend that after his words, Bread is turned
into Chrifts Fle(h in a Phyfical fence, and
Wine into his Blood, and that this is our
God, and that he facrificeth this God to
God, and eateth and drinketh him id la-
crificed, and that all that fo receive him
have Eternal Life : This is a prophanation
of Holy things, a deceiving of Souts, a
blaf-
' ( '45 )
biafpheming of Chrift , and Idolatry a-
gai it God. And all facrificing in their
Mai?, char is more than a Reprefentation <tf
Cbrijis own facnficing himfelf for Comme-
/ ; ut t and Communication 'of the gifts of
hi* Teftametn , and the exprtffion of our
Gratitude^ and Dcvoiednefs to God by him y
is their own prophane invention.
How do they offer his broken body ttid
blood (bed, any other wfe than Rcprefent*
tivdy, unlels they kill him, and eat him
when he is Dead ? Ic was only a Repre-
fentation of his own facrificed Body and
Blood, wbich he made at the Sacrament
himfelf} not then broken and died, butt*
be broken y flain , and (hed loon after*
(unlets he had two bodies, one dead and
one olive.) The Sacrament indeed was
called a Sacrifice by the ancient Churches*
bo gnifie that it is not Chrilts body as
now ghrificd m Heaven that is th^re Re-
frefented^ but his body as once fiefii and blood
facrificed on the Crofs : And how can ir be
that, but by Representation^ facrificing it
was kiting ic : Do they kill Chrift a thotr-
land thoufand times over , yea, and kill
tin body ? He hath no exiftent
Fielh and Blood in Heaven, fpeaking pro-
perly and formally •, but a Spiritual glorified
I on Earth :
( 14* )
And doth every Prieft tarn Chrifts Spi;
tual glorified body into Flelh and Blov
again ? O what a Mais of prophanation a
their Mais,
Tho Two and Fortieth acatfcd Point.
That Sacramental Vnftion^ is not to
ufedtotheSick^.
jinf.ln thofe Hot-Countries, anointing
their bodies was ufed as a great rttreih iJ
ment for Delight and Healch. And Chnftl
and his Apoftlesapplyed it to the Miracu-j
lous ufe of Healing, as Chrift did Ciayj
and Spittle to a blind Man : And whilej
that miraculous ufe continued, St. Jam cm
bids thole that are fick 3S a puuifhmtnt ion
fome fin, to lend for the Elders of thej
Church, that they may pray lor the paf*
don of his fin, and for his recovery, a?;d
anoint him with Oil, and if he have net;
finned unto Death, (that is, a Capital
Crime,, which God would have Magi-
strates punilh with Death, and will do fo
himfelf,) his Sin lhaii be forgiven, aud he
(hall be healed.
See now the Malice cf the Prince of
Darknefs, He that tempterh men to call
out half the fubftance of the Lords Supper,
a&erly to fhew what they can and will,
and
i47 )
daredoagainft his Word, and temp-
men co Forbid the very Scripture ic
fetf, yet to nndoe , he will over doe, and
draw men to be wife and Righteous over
| much : Who would think thefe men are
'againft the fufficiency of Scripture, that
will turn its temporary occafional a&ions
inro perpetual Sacraments ? They make
. Confcience of wafting Feet, of bearing Palms,
Mptehe Holy-Xijs (but on the Pax) and a
Sacrament of anointing the fick : And why
| they make not a Sacrament of anointing
I the Blind with Clay and Spittle^ of waging
at jordan or Siioam Pools, and of the faid
x Kifs, and wafting of Feet, of bearing
Palms, of the Popes Rirfir.g on an jifs % &c.
I know not.
But for the Name of a Sacrament, (bring
firft a Military, and then a Church Term y
nor u!ed in Scripture) we will not quarrel
Vuh them: They may laxly extend ic to
fcfrnoft any Ceremony or fign Religjoufly
iffed*, rightly or wrongly. But, i. They
uie that to the Dying, when they judge
thetn pajl hope, which S:. James ipake of
ufing for Recovery.
2. They u!e that as an ordinary thing,
which was to be ufed only for miraculous
Cnres : and yet (hew not that they have
the Faith or gift of Miracles, nor cure any
fcyit. H 2 3. They
( M* J
3. They force men to that feigned
crament now ceafed with that gift, whic
was ufed to none but fuch as Voluntarf
defired it. Why are they not content
to ufe it themielves, bur they mu(> force a!
Others to it as ; cceflarv ? Whac Man,
Woman, or Child, do \ou read of in aU
the New-Tefta.i em, that vvas anointed
in order ro Death, 'ave a W«,man that
meant no luch thing, that 'anointed Chrift
in Health? Where read you rhat Dra-
goons or Inquifitors inforced i., and drag-
ed naked the bodies through the Streets,
and Buryed them in DunghiU, or where
Dogs may eat them, if they lefule it?
Whole Sacraments can we think are
theie?
The Three and Fortieth acenfed Toint.
That no Interior Grace is given by Jnipo-
fition of hands in Holy Ordirs : Andthii
ordinary Vocation and JMiffion of Fajl^rs r
[is not necejfaiy in the Church.
Arif Contranly the Reformed Catho-
. licks hold, t. That God often gave mira-
culous in:*rior gifrs to ir en, by the Impo-
fition of the Apoftles hrnds.
2. And. if hepleaic he may now blefs
■'iDmWation to the met if ; " . . ' - vm
EC M9 )
for the Miniftry ; and when he doth
fo, we know not.
But we hold, i. That men fhould be
fuppofed by the Ordinances to be true
Chriftians, and to have competent Mini*
fterial Abilities before they Ordain them.
2. That now miraculous gifts ceafe, no
man cm tell when any other inward Grace
is given by Impofuion of hands in Ordina-
tion, than Relative, which is Obligation
and Authority for the work of the Mint-
ftry. And Darandtis and other of their
School-men, (ay that their Indelible Cha*
rattzr is no other. And the reft know
not what to make of it.
3. If we read of Multitudes of Debau-
ched, Ignorant, Apoftatical Popes and Pre*
lates, and many Ages of Church Barba-
rifm, and Bruitifhnefs, (even in BtronixS)
Gcncbrard, and the fierceft Papifts 5 ) and
if we fee Priefts after Ordination to be Ig-
norant, Drunkards, Fornicators, unajbte
and unapt to Teach, haters of a GocIIy
Life, we cannot tell what Grace it is that
thefe men are laid to receivein Ordination :
Whatever it is, it will not keep them out
of Hell, as it keeps them not from ferving
Satan.
4- We take an ordinary Calling and
Mifiion to be ordinarily needful to the
H 3 Church-
( Mo)
Chnrch Mirriftry. This Calling confifteth,
i. In neceffary Ability without which
God fendeth none. 2. [r wiliingnefs and
Consent. 3. In the Ordination by Senior
Paftors, where it may be had. 4. And
to fix them in relation ro particular Con-'
gregations, the mutual conlent of them-
trlves aud the Flocks.
5. Put we know Rules of meer Order
are for the things ordered, and the Edifice
ticn of the Church, for which all Chnrch
Power isgivoi, and God Commandeththat
mM.be done : And we know that God who
will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, would
not have us deftroy the fubftance by pre-
tence of a Ceremony, And that in feve-
ral Cafes, Minifters may be lawfully called
without Impofition of hands, and Canoni?
cat Qrdination. As, i» In cafe men be
caft into Infidel Countries, where no Bi-
(hops or Paftors can be had : As by Ship-
wrack., or Merchants Faftory, or Embat
fadors, or when a Bifhop with them dyeth
by the way : They muft not be without
all publick Church Worihip, for want of
an Impofing Biihop.
2. In cafe Persecution drive all the Bi-
Ihops out of reach.
3. In cafe theperfecutedBifiiops refufe
to Ordain for fear of luffering.
4. I»
( l« )
Irr cafe the Bifhops beHereticks, or
i ierablellfurpersandno trae Bifhops,
wanting the. EfTentials of a Qualification
and a Call.
5. In cafe the Biftiops impofe any falfe
Oath , Subfcription , Covenant, or Pro-
feffion, or any other Sin, as the Conditi-
on without which they will not Ordain,
( which is the cafe of all the Papirts Pre-
lates ; ) their Ordination in thefe cafes is
not necefTary.
6. We know that in fach cafes the Mi*
niftry faileih not, but there may be a true
fucceffion of Paftors, though regular Ca-
nonical Ordination be interrupted. For
there is nothing neceftary after Gods L j
which fpeciheth the Office by ftared.Jn
tiuion, but only the determining who th$
Perfons are that God wenld have in,
this Office: Which may be well knowa
without Canonical Ordination^ where that
cannot lawfully be had. There are inftan-
ces in the ancient Churches, that when
fome Eletfed to be BHhops, fled or hid
1 rnfieives) the Biihops Ordained them
ablent, by writing, without impofition of
hands.
7. Yea, we know that if in any one
Chusch orNarion, the fucceflion were. ta+
tally interrupted f for many years, God
H 4. hath
( #2 )
ith left means fufficient to rtftbre
%. His Word defcribeth the Office, and
;giveth the Authority and obligation to the
Perfon when determined of. 2. That
Determination may be made, i. By ttite
due Qualification of the Pertbn : 2. Tile
invitiagNecefThieiof the People and op-
portunity. 3. Mutual Consent; and with-
out thefe the Ordination and Miffioh of a
Bifhop is vain.
8. The Church of Rome more needeth
this Dodhine than the Proteftants : For ir
is notorioufly certain, that regular Succeffi-
on hath failed oft and long in the Papacy,
and confequently in its Clergy. 1. There
is no more notorious interruption than by
the utter incapacity of the Unqualified:
And fuch have been thofe that were Chil-
dren or declared Sots, Beafts, Simonifts,
filthy Lechers, Hereticks, Infidels, Schi(-
inaticks, by General Council, and the
moft Papal Hiftorians. Their Succeflion
now is from EHgtnius the 4th. depoied as
an Heretick by a General Council.
2. When there have been two or three
Popes above twenty times, no man know-
eth which was the right.
3. Either Election is in the power of
fome in fpecial, or not ; if not, the 7V^r,
or Heathens * or Hereticks, may choole
a
( t& )
_^pe.- If it be, Then who have the
3 outr ? lcs known thacac firft the Biftop
jA Rome u a<s choien by the People of one
•Congreganon : Afrer by the Clergy and
jpeopie of the Chriiiians of the City: Af-
«r that by the Biihop* of the Dioceis :
.Sometimes by the Emperors: Or Arriam
Kings ( with the Clergy and people : )
Sometimes by. General Councils : Some-
times againft General Conncils, by an Ar-
med I action : And of late times by things
CaUed a Colledge of Cardinals. If all thefe
were lawful, no one fort have the Ele&ing
Power : If any was unlawful, the Succel-
fion hath been interrupted,
4. Either the Ordination of a Superior
b neceilary, or not : If yea, then the Pope
"-having do Superior, was never truly Or*
-dained : If nor, then a Presbyter may be
-Ordained without a Bifllop. Rome k
*nore concerned to anl'wer thefe thing*
than we.
The Four and Fortieth accufed Point.
That Friefts and ether Religion* perforrs
who have flowed their Chaftity to God^ in,ty
/; cely Marry notrxthftandin* their fVwv
CM4;
jinf x. Muft none keep Vows but
Trieftsand Religious People.
2. The known Dodrine of the Prote.
ilants about Oaths and Vows (which you
may lee in Sandtrjon dt Juramento^) is,
i. That Antecedently it is unlawful to en-
Xnareour feives by unneecffary Vows, of)
tfeat which is out of our Power, or to mu«
Jable, that it may hereafter be made our
Puty which now is not. 2. But having
once Vowed, we. muft diftinguifli of the
Inipfwgi the making of the Vow, and
the Matter of iu And that, i. Though
it was by Parents, or others unlawfully im-
fofed, 2. And by our feives, by temerity
an lawfully mad* or from, 3. Yet it the
Matter eonf;deratis1hnfidtrandi& be mccfi
fary or lawful^ the Vow muft be kept :
But il it be Sin that is Vowed, it muft noc
be done. Becaufe Man's Vows cannot ab-
rogate or iufpend G$ds Laws. Can any
of your Caiuffts deny this ?
Therefore, if Boys or Girls Vow Cha-
ility, and it prove thar they cannot keep
it without fin , the Matter becometh to
them unlawful, and they muft break it :
As for infiance : \. If the> cannot kesp
k without apparent hurt.to their Souls by
Luft\ 2. Or if the Heir of the Crown*
«r iome great Eftate, Vow it, and if he-
keep
f .55)
keep if, the Kingdom or Church is like
luffer by it. 3. If Parents or Prince
c amenmnd the Vow in Youth.
Put if they c v; keef r>, and that k*tpi*£
I ome not Sin by eonfcquent accidents or
r grs^ they ought to l^sep it; though
they muft repent of their rafh unlawful
. ; : ng it. Gods Law is perfect, and
\eth Duty enough for us, and we
fhould not foolifhly make more as Law-
givers to our lelves, when we are confei-
ous how far fhort we come of keeping
Gods own Laws.
The Five and Fortieth acenfed Point.
That Failing and abftinencc from certain
Mtzts^ vr not grounded on Holy Scripture*)
nor caufeth any Spiritual good.
ill deceitful Confufion : Proteftants
hold, i« Fafting is a needful Duty to teve-
ral Perions in feveral cafes. As, 1. To
take down the Flefh when it groweth too
ftrong in Luft. 2. For the cure of many
Dileales from fuinefs. 3. To exercile
our Humiliation in times of publick Dan-
ger and Calamity, or of perfonal repent
tance for fome great Sin, or under tome
"affliction that callcch for great Humilia-
%. They
( mO
2. They hold that Abftinence is need-
ful id it's time and place, as Fading is in
it's: And that all Eating and Drinking is
unlawful, which gratifieth the Appetite by
Quantity or Quality againft Men s health*
and the jaft Rules by which we fhould
fudge what is healthiul : Yea, thai bare
Eating and Drinking to pleaie the Appe-
tite, which doth not tome way conduce to
fit us for our Duty, is Sin.
3. We know that the fame Meat and
Prink fx>r Quality and Quantity which is
beft for one, is hurtful and mortal to ano-
ther : And we know that Fafting is as Phy-
(ick, whether for Heakh, or for the Saul :
and if we are fallen into the hands of (uch
Phyficians, as will tyeall the Laud and all
the World to take the ftime PhyGck, and
.on the fame days, to take a Purge or a
Vomit every Wedneiday,, Friday , and
Holy Evens , we (hall obey them when
we are a-weary of our Lives. I think our
London polled ges would deride {itch pre-
icribers*
4. And if any will tell us that we (hall
merit of God, and lave our ielves by for-
bearing the courleft fort ofFlefli, and eat-
ing the more coftly FiLh, Junkets, Sweet-
meats , and drinking Wine and ftrong-
Drink > we ubJior fweb Mqck-FaRs, for
G?4
( M7 ;
_ ;>d wifl not be mocked : But Hfpocrites
turn all Religion into a Mockery. I have
heard thofe called ftricl prea/e Proteftants,
accufed as being againft abftinence and
Fading i and upon enquiry 1 found that
thoie of my acquaintance, eat and drink
lels all the year, than their accuiers of nly
acqwaintance do on their Mock-fafting- days.
To fuch their Diet would ieem a ftricft:
Faft, % evenCW*'«* thai macerated his bo-
dy, with eating bur a few bits once a day,
is by iome Papifts called a fenfual Glutton,
(though Maffonnu faith the contrary.)
The Six and Fortieth ace h fed Point.
That Jefm Chrift defcended not into
Htll, nor delivered thence the Souls of the
Fathers.
jinf. i. And do not thefe falfe Accu*
fers know that both the Creed which we
all profefs, and the Articles of the Church
of England, fay exprefly that Chnji de±
feended into Hell? 2. And thofe ahar dif-
like the Tranflation of aV^into HtU, yet
grant Chrift went into *<Ak • and that's all
the Scripture faith: So that all the doubt
is but what «tJte fignifieth ? Whether the
Hell of Torment, or more Generally the
ttnfeen /?*;**/ r fe[ar*tc Souls J If you mean
the
( 158 )
the Iaft, what Protectants deny it ? If yoa
mean the firft, what pre<umptuou< cruelty
is it, to believe that a!! che Souls of the
Fathers were in Hell, till the Deach of
Chrift ? Chrift alleadging, / am the God f
Abraham , of lfaac , and of Jacob , fure
meant not, that God was their God, be-
came they were in Hell : Was La^rus in
HelS when Abraham faid, Novo he is Com-
forted f It was a Hell of Joy and Com-
fort : Were Samuel , Ehjha , Job, Da-
niel, &c in Hell ? Was Afofes in HelJ^
that appeared in Glory on the Monnt with
Eli as ? But what is it that the Infallible
Church cannot make good , when they
have once prefumed to affirm it ?
21?* Seven and Fortieth accafed Toint.
That there u no Purgatory Fire^ or other
Trifon, wherein fin may befatisfiedfor after
this life.
sfcf* i. Which way this Church came
to be fo much acquainted with Hell, and
Purgatory, and Prifons, and facisfying in
them, in the other World, more than is
revealed in the Word of 'God, we know
not, unlets forne have told them that come
thence, or from Heaven. But for our
pans,, we think Gods Word more trufty
thaa
( M9)
than Dead men whom we know net : God
fendeth us to the Law, and to the Tefti-
tncny : If thry fpcak not according to theft %
it is bteahfe there is no Light in them, Ifa.8.
20. Abraham preferred Mofes and the
Prophets before one from the Dead % The
prophane citation of Scripiure by him for
iuch a Purgatory-Prifbn, and SatisfatfHon,
needs no aniwer lave the perufal of the
Texrs.
What mean rhefe men by [faisfyirrg
for Stn jQ 1. If they mean that Satisfa-
Cltcn by the mtr it s whereof G od pardoneth fin
Without dishonour to his Juftice, Govern-
rmnt, or Law :2 Chrift, and he only, hath
thus fully fatufied for fin, already, and
there remain eth no wore Sacrifice for fin\
for by one offering he hath perfected for
ever them that are fxnftified
2. But if by fatisfying for fin, they
mean that all muft fv.fftr all the fxmftment
that their fin deferveth, then God forgiv-
eth no fin at all : For to forgive the fia> js
to forgive the punilhment : And then
they renounce the Office y Sacrifice and
Blood of Chrift, which are for the pardon
of Sin : And they renounce Bapriim and
the Lords Supper that give and Seal it ;
And they caft away all hopes of Salvation^
and damn ail Mankiud : Tor all Sin deferv-
eili
od
(l60 )
rth fome degree of Damnation- in •. Htll
But if the Pope can pardon, lure God
doth pardon iome : To deny pardon, is
to deny all the Scripture, and aii humane
hope and mercy,
3. But if by [_/ati<fying for fn^] they
mean that God when he forgiveth through
Chrift the dejlrnaivc evcrlajiing l } uw\h-
wnt) will yet require fome corrective tem-
foral fumjhmerit, with which he is laid to
be fatisfied^ in that he requireth no more*
we contefe de re, that iuch a thing there is
in this World ; Death as Death, and Pain
as Pain are iuch ; and the Curie on the
Earth , and the lois of iome degrees of
Grace- they are all corrective Penalties;
And if any fay that a lower degree of Glo-
ry for theioliof fome degree of Grace is
fiidh 5 or that the feparation of the Sotri
from the Body till the Refurreftion^ hath
fome nature of Penalty; we ftrive with
no man about fuch things : But de nomin*
we juftly here diflike the Word, [~ Satis*
fying]"} becaufe in common Sence, it ioun-
cieth as fome Compenfittior?) and fomewhat
that is of the fame nature with Chrifis Ja~
tjsjattion? and that is all that Juftice re-
quireth to purchafe our pardon. And it
encourageth the ill ufe of it by Papifts,
that make it meritorious*
And*
( i6i )
A*>d de re we believe bo fuch Pirga-
tory, (ffiich-ieis the Popes Powtr to deli-
ver men out of ir, for Mafles or the like,)
feecaufe God teDs us of no fuch thing. And
the Primitive Churches never owned it :
jfufufiine firft Teemed to doubt of it : But
I find none before that tver held if, unlets
you will call Origens Opinion fuch, that
thought the Devils an4 Damned fhonld
have a time of Deliverance, (no ur called
Herefie.)
As to i Car. 3. 13, 15. Is there no fiery
Tryall of miftaken Dottriue, and of the
Erroneous in this Life ?
As to Job. 11. 22. What an Expofnor
is this : I know {faith Martha^) that what-
ever thou wilt as\^ of God y he will give it
thee : Ergo, Lax^arns was delivered oat of
Furgatory. As well he may fay, All Saints
fha/l have a Refurrettion : Therefore all
tre in Purgatory. Or God denyeth
Chrift nothing ; Therefore there is a Pur-
gatory.
So A&s 2. 24. Whom Cod hath raifed
*/>, having loo fed the fains of Dcath^ he-
caufe it was not poffible that he Jhonld he
holden of it. Here he noteth two things.
1. That where Chrijl vrat, there wot. fains,
Anf. As if Death it (elf were not a Pe-
nalty : It was Chrift* pains, or penal State
of
( i*a)
of Death, thatPr^r mentianeth, and the
man himfelf here cdnfeffeth that Chrift
had no fain in that place. 2. But he faith
that it was not Ghrifts, bm 'ethers f*in that
is faid to be Joofed ; when the Text plain-
ly faith, 1. That it was Chrifts pains of
Death. 2. Loofed by his Reiurrettion.
3. Becaufe it was impoffible that he,
(3iot they) (hould,be held of it.
So 1 Cor. 15. 24. Becaufe there is no
mention of Baptizing for the Deadfie feigo-
erh a Purgarbry meant. And Luk* 16. 9.
That Receiving at Death into the everlaft-
ing Habitations^ proveth a Purgatory :
When yet they fay that Purgatory is to
none an everlafHng Habitation : And Lak.
23. 42. Becaufe the Thief would be rcmemi
bred by Chnji in his Kingdom^ Souls may
be holpen after death out of Purgatory:
As if it was Purgatory that was the Para*
dife with Chrift, where that Thief was to
be that day : Is it not tedious but to read
fuch prophanationof Gods Word ?
The Eight and Fortieth accufed Point.
That it is not lawful to make or to have
Images.
Anf. This Lie hath conquered the blufh-
ing Paffion. 1. Can fuch men beiteva
that
( 1&1 )
there are no Protefrant Painters ?
Are there none of aheir Shops in London,
or Holland ? Do none but Papifts make or
fell Pictures ? Are not the Statues of Kings
at the Exchange ., the Stocks- Market,
Ch&rwg-Crcfs f. Are there no Images on
our Coyn ? Nor our Baaners ? Nor on
the Elcutcheons of the Nobility and Gen-
try of this and other Lands : Are there
no Images at the Sign -pods in all London,
nor. in all the Cities, and Market- Towns
in the Kingdom ? Nor in any of the
Church-Wtndows ?
But perhaps they will fay, tho we fpeak
fo nniverfally (to deceive the ignorant,)
yet vpc Tfttant it of Images of 'Religious fig-
nification and nfe. Art], And do rtot all
t\& Lutherans keep them in their Chur-
ches? Are they not continued in moA
Church- Windows in England ?
Obj. But at leaft us true of the Calvi-
tiifts or Puritans? Anf. i. And will yoo
therefore (lander the reft ? 2. But we mitft
not haftily believe any thing that falie ao
cufers lay ? Have not the Holland Cafvi-
nifts multitudes of Pictures ? Did you ne-
ver lee Bez,a and others, hones vtrorum
Ulnjirium, nor Mr. Samhrl Clerics Lives
with Images ? Nor the Paritans Englt(h
Geneva Bible, with rhelroagesof the Hi-
dories ?
( i<4 )
ftories ? Nor the Dutch 'Quarry-Bricks
for Chimneys, on which molt of the Hi-
ftory of the Bible is painted? O! for
Truth or Modefty.
2. But we confefs that there are fome
Images Bawdy ? fome Superftitious, Ido-
latrous, or Blaiphemous, which we leave
to fuch as choofe them , they being not
for our ule, (of which after.)
The Nine and Fortieth accufed Point.
That it is not lavpfnl to reverence ltnnges,
nor to give any honour to infenpble things.
jinf. Methinks you {hould fometime
fpeak truth, if it were but before you
are aware, i . Proteftants commonly
hold, that they (hould give Honour to at
Inftnfible things : They are all the work
of God j difhonouring or not honouring
the Creature, or Work, is dijhonouring or
pot honouring the Crearor and Maker as
fuch. The due praife and honour of a
Building, a Book, &c. is necefliry to the
due praife and honour of the Auchor!
Do you think ProtelUnts Condemn the
l8th. Pfaim, the 104th. Pfalm, the 145,
and all the reft that Magnifie the work* of
God ? Is there any above a Beaft, that
doth not honour and praite Sun, Moon;
Stars,
J
C 165 )
jSxars, Heaven and Earth, Sea and Land,
as the works of God ? Yea we honour
every Plant and Flower, every Vegetable
and Mineral, knowing that God is woir-
de;ful and unfearchable in all. What is
Phvfick. Aftronomy, Geography, but the
(hell of knowing and honouring Gods
Works, and God in them,
2. And the Image of Kings, of Hofy
Men, are purpolely made and Printed by
Proteftanrs, in Love, Honour, and Reve-
rence ro the perlons Living or Dead, whom
they reprdrnt : You may fee many
Rooms adorned with the Images of the
Fathers, and of late Divines : For their
$tUu<rn they love with fome lore of ho-
nour the Pictures of thofe whom you
! st burnt as Hereticks : See whether you
find chem not in John Fox his Adts and
V numents.
3. but we are warned oft enough by
Gcd, and by the miichievous effects of it
iii the Churches, againft all Idolatrous arid
icar.dalou*, and enfnaring refpeft and ufe
of images; which arerenher falie Repre-
i -rations, or are uled contrary to the fe-
cond Liommandmenr, to Corporal Idola-
try though nor mental, in fuch likenels to
the Heathen u'e of their Demons Irrnrcs
s ' ' '
i66
feemeth to be but a change of the objett
Peribns ; or may tempt others ro unlawful
ufnge of them: Eipeclally the ufe being
not commanded us of God, while it is
dangerous.
And we abhor the Papifts Ofliiflion of
the fecond Commandment, and turning
the Tenth into two, left the people ftiould
perceive the evil of i'uch Imagery. No
wonder that their Proielytes muft be kept
in Ignorance, and forbid the Scriptures in
a known Tongue, without a fpecial Li-
cence, when they muft not ordinarily read
or hear all the Tea Commandments, even
theie Ten written by God himfelf in
Stone, are too much for them to be trufted
with i and yet all the Mais of Ceremonies,
and Ocean of Canon Law?, are not too
much : And he that muft be killed for not
obeying thefe, muft not know all Gods
own Ten Commands ; yea many have
been burnt for having his Word Tran-
flated.
4. And to pray before the Image of
Saints, and then to 4 fay, we do not fray to
them but to thofethat they reprefenr^ is
but to do what the Heathen Idolaters pro-
miled to do to their Demons : They ufu-
ally faid , We be not Inch Fools as to think
Wood, and Stone, and Gold, and Ima-
ge**
to be God. But as the firft Com-
mandment forbids us ro have any Gods bur
the true God j iotheiecond ibrbids us to
[tern to have any more y tho 7 our minds de-
fpife them, or by their way of Image rvor-
#//>, to feem ro be of their mind ; For as
a man that ufeth the common Words of an
Oath, without any purpofeto Swear, is a
prophane Swearer wirh the Tongue,,
( which the mind fhoald better rule,) rho'
his wind Swear not } fo he that on his
Knees in Religious Prayer , looketh on
Images, as the mediate Objeft of his
Worfrip , his adl is bodily Idolatry^
and his mind is guilty by not better ru-
ling ir.
Where God affixeth the mention of his
Jtaloufie, even ro the Third and Fourth
I oration, calling the bowers to Images,'
'c that h*te him ; ir is needful to us to
be jealous of our anions : For our God is
a Cojiiuming Fire. And we are not igno-
rant of t;he Doctrine of your St. Thoni*s %
who iaich that the Image is to be Wor-
fhipped, with the Tame fort of Worship
as that which it reprefenteth , and the
Image of the Crucifix, with Latris t
<.a led Divine Worship.
The
( 168 )
The Fiftieth ace tt fed Point.
That no ?nan hath jmen Cod in any Form y
and that therefore his Pi&Hre or Image
not be made.
Anf. i. But what if it were Lawful to
Paint God? Is it Necejfary ? Why may
you not be contented to have a painted
God your felves? Muft all be burnt and
damned as Hereticks that are not of your
mind ? VVHl you be jealous againft thofe
that bow not to a painted God, as God is
jealous againft thofe that doit ? God faith
ThoHjJjait not bow down to them, nor worjhip
them: Where faith he, Thou ihah bow
down to them, and workup them ? Or bow to- j
w^rds them, and fay, It is not to them?
2. God faith , Than jhalt not make to
thy (elf the liken* fs of any thing in H \
venor Earth, to bow down to them and
worflup them. Bowing down pu-rpofely
towards thern, and before them, is inter*
pretatively bowing down to them, wor-
shipping them. And God would not be
fo worshipped: 7/tf. 40. 16,25. To whom
wtll ye liken Cod ? Or what l^enefs will ye
compart unto him ? To whom will ye li\en
~ nil 1 be f qui!* faith *h: Holy m* }
ft
( 1*9)
Jec ~6. i. D^r. 16.22. H^b. x3.
c Molten Imago is a Tcfcher of
,\ 1
I is Blasphemy ro make a Pi q ;tire or
3 e of God, bat what he maketh him-
fclf; as if wefaid, Cod is like that Imags
er Creature.
But this Deceiver tells us, how God
appeared to Adam and others, in a hu-
mane or tbrne certain fhape. Anf. 1 • And
yet he hath ofc and earneftly forbid mak-
ing Images of him to worfhip.
2. Anthofomorfhits, that take God to
have parts like man, are Condemned as
Heretick* by the CJharch of Rome it felfc
Every notifying fign of Gods attributes^
is not called his Image ; and man is called
his Image, for the Divine Impreflions on
his Soul, which cannot it felf be feen and
Pictured. If God appear by an Angef,
and that Angel appear in humane (hape,
we are neverthelels forbidden to worfhip
God pillared as a man. Sun, Moon,
Stars, yea, every Creature notifieth God
to us - , yet may we not paint him like
thet'e, or any other Creature. Did not
Gods tranlcendency , and his exprefs
Word plainly and frequently reprove this,
Popery had fome i'mall excuies.
I *
IS ^ they deny Chrifts ar.d his ApofticS
Words, that no man hath fan 6W iX
ahy tjme, fave his Son , they repioacfl
him : To fee his Works, is only to iee
that which notifieth him, and not him-
ielf: Elfe every Pagan and Brute feeth
God. We deny not but the Sun, and
JFVrr, snd a man may be piftured, and
that God being partly notified to us by
thefe, (and every CreatureJ may be laid
lb far to appear in them ? And when did
he appear fo wonderfully as in Shrift .•
A&dyetit being not his EJfence in it fe!f
that we fee in them, but his attributes in
part; an Image of a man, of the Sun,
Moon, Stars, of a Horfe, or a Dog, or
a Toad, is not to be called an Image of
God, elieGodmay have as many Images
as Creatures,
Tht One and Fiftieth accufid Feint.
«
That BUffwg or figning with thefigt? of th
Qrfifoj is not founded in Holy Scripture.
jitf. The mat* would not tell you whe-
ther he mean the Lavrfulnefs of the Crols
<>nly, or alio the vecejfuy of ufingit. But
what are his Proofs ?
i. IUv. 7. 3- Hurt not the Earthy nor
JiiiS. till vrc have ftaicd 7 (ire rcaa
figned,)
t
f
iP%
('7' )
I
. , . - .God >n ttxir
U here any mention of Crofting $r Blef-
fug with the Crofs T An Angel in prophe-
tical Vifion, is bid to mark or leal the
Servants of God, as thofe that are not to
be deftroyed , when God commifTioneth
other Angels to deftroy the Perfecucors :
Therefore the Prieft muft fign all Chriftians
wiih the Crofs. And I would they did not
infer as #ne did from Ezxk. 9« 4, 5. [_And
I to the other hefaid^ go ye after him* through
the City and [mite \ let not your Eye ff*re,
neither have ye fity, flay utterly Old and
Tiling, and little Children and Women ; but
come not near any man on whom is the markj
and begin at my Sanfttt*ryr\ And thus what-
ever Plague or Death God bid Angels ex-
ecute on his uncurable Enemies, Idolaters,
and Perfecutors , the Devil will teach
men, that Priefts and their Hang-men may
execute on all that are not marked in the
* Forehead with a Crofs ? But as long a*
;e is fo like to Babylon, they were bet-
ter teach men a truer Expofition of the
relations. Thus they can prove, that
the Scripture is but like a Note of Wax,
by ufing it as if it were fo. It Was Idola-
trous Perlecuting Rome that was to be de-
ftroyed, and it was thofe that had Gods
I 2 mark,
( *7* )
mark, and not the Beads that were to be
fecured. And who is that Idolatress per-
ftcutsng Btfift f
Ther-xc Text ii Mar J^ to. 16. Chrrft
fHt his hands on Children, aiid khfftdt them.
And would he make men believe, that we
deny Chrifts blefling them or ciders/ Or
that Paftors may btefc the p-ople in s is
$tame? Is here ever * vvortl c>f ilgu^g
jyith the Crofs ?
The other is Luke 24. So.
*Ht as far as Beth*,' :? s
hands and blejfed them. 1 rne
yrieft muft Crofs men in the a i
Reader, this is the fafhion of ; leri's
confuting the Reformed Carholicks, and
proving Popery, and ufing Scripture. And
have they not reaion to challenge the fote
Interpreting of it ? Let but the Pone nnd-
%ts Priefts expound it, and it fhall aH fpe ?. :
for them, and (peak Blood and Fireagafrift*
all that obey chem not : But till then,
they are it's Enemies, becaufe ic is the
greateft Enemy to them,
2. But iuppole Chrifts biefling had been
CroflTing: .With what Face do they feign
Protectants in England, to beagainft Cr of-
fing tn the Forehead ? When the World
knoweth that the Church of England is
aotoaly for it, but Ejeð and Sifencerh^
i i aU
( 17? )
lers that will Baptize the Child of
the moft Godly Chriftians withont it.
And they know that all the Churches called
I btranuihit. Are none of thefe Pro*
reft ants ?
3. And though thofe called Non-Con^
nifts, are not for the ufing of it as a
t eating Symbol of Chriftianity in Bap-
:ai Covenanting, to bind the Ccvenan-
to that Confefiion and holy warfare
which is the promiied duty of the Cov?~
1 \, ", nor for denying Chriftendom
t ofc that refufo this ufe of the Cr
(out of a fear left this Covenanting
make it a human Sacrament added to Bap*
tiioi;) yet I meet with few of them that
Condemn the ancient Chriftians, th«
lived among Heathens , (who fcorned
them as worfbiping a Crucified God,) fo*
their feafonable Crofling themielves m
thofe Heathens fight, meerly to (hew that
they were not afhamed oi luch a Crucified
Saviour ; (not thinking what Papifts would
hring it.toatlaft. )
The Twe and Fiftieth acenfcdTointl
)at the pthlick Service of the Chftrch^
\ht not tok*faui\ hnt in a Language th*t
the People may Hvderftand %
I 3. J$
^74 )
AnU The Reformed Catholicks indeed
hold this, with. thefe exceptions : i. That
by Ailhz meant the Ordinary Congrtgdt
...-;; nor meaning that if a French-* .-,.: ,
or a Dutch wtv, ccme in among the v ,
they muft needs-ipeak to him apart in
own Tongue.
2. That if any Ruftick, I!!irerate : or No-
tices, underiland not many : -words in the
Translation of the Bible, or ibme apt
wof ds of the Mmifter, we muft not there-
fore change the Tranflation, nor forbear
thoie apt words that are fVited to the more
intelligent; but help to amend the under-
(landing of the Ignorant.
But that in Publkk and Private , the
Congregation (houLdunderftand what they
hear as the Word of God, and what is
laid in Cpnfeffton, Prayer and Praife to
God, this we- hold as a matter of grand
importance.
i. Becaule it's purppfely, plainly, and
popioufly decided lb by the Holy Ghoft^
in the Apoftle Paul, i C*r H- Do but
read the Chapter and judge.
2. Becaufe Chrift always Preached to
the people in a known Tongue*
3. He prayed, Job. 17. in a known
3f©;jgue, and tapght rhejn io to pray.
4.. The
c m )
The Apoftles where ever they
. e, Preached and Prayed in a known
Tongue.
5. They wrote the Goipels, the Atts,
ar>J all the'irEpiftles, to whole Churches*
in the Tongue moft commonly known ta
the Reader , and lb to be read to, or
by all.
6. It was their (landing Rule; Let *ll
fa done to Edification.
7. Their Preaching and writing was all
for Teaching : And it is no Teaching to
ipeak to men in a ftrange Language,
(onlefs we be teaching them to under-
hand itj
1 8. fraying is the exprefling of known
'Jr/ires to God: It's no Prayer that ex-
prefferh no Defire, and Jgnoti nulla Cttpi*
do : There is no Defire, lave fenfitive Ay-
perite, that fuppofeth not Knowledge that
the thirrg is good and needful. The words
of a Parrot are not a Prayer* And ton*
frffion of S'n is the aft of a penitent Soul*
and it is no Repentance or Confeffion that
IS but words of they know not what : It's
no penitent Confefiion to hear or fpeak
words , not underftood what Sin they
fignifie.
And to give God thanks, implyeth that
we underltand what Mercies or bene-
I 4 fits
( '7* )
fits the words exprefs. And to pmfe 6od
h underftandingly to magnifie h\% perfecti-
ons or Works. So chat words without
underftanding them, are no more to be
called Prayer, Praife, Cocfeffion, Thank f-
giving, than the finging of a Bird is, or
the Crowing of a Cock.
9* No reafonable man wonld be thus
ierved or converfed with : A Parent in-
deed can underftand an Abha^ or a look
frqjn an Infant \ but it is on fuppofition,"
that the Infant himfelf perceiveth what he
wourd have : And if it be not by intel-
le&ual but fenfuive perception, k is na
more a Petition to his Pather, than a
Dog* waiting for Food, tho' the perfon
deierves more pity. So God underftand-
eth the meaning of Spiritual Groans, in
one that wants words for large expreflion r
But that fuppofeth that it is true inward
defires after him which thole Groans
fignifie.
But publick worfhip reqwreth * conjun-
ction of Soul and Service, and therefore
a conjuncft underftanding : Elfe there i*
no true Union and Communion in the wor-
fhip. Foroneibund of tfords with dif-
cord of defires, is no Chriftian Union and
Communion. It muft be fuppofed that
either the Hearers are not praying at a\l r
ot
( 177 )
or elie that every one is fee, ^ying
after bis own thoughts for various thing
without any Concord.
What melody would it be for all : l ;e
Church to fing in as many Tunes as ;-.■■■
fons ? What King or Judge will take It for
a Petition, for a man to talk gibberifh to
him, or fayheknoweth not what?
10. Even Papifts deride Quakers, for
meeting to fay nothing.* And what diffe-
rence is there, when they hear and fay
nothing underftood, faving that the Voice
maketh it a more pompous Mockery,
than the Quakers Silence? O ! who would
have thought that the primitive manner of
publiek worflhip, (hould ever have dege-
nerated into fuch a prophane abufe of God
and man, againfl; plain Scripture, univer-
sal practice, and humane Reafon ? And this
as a pan of a grand defign to kill the Life;
of all true Religion, and delude Souls,
with the deiid Carkafs of mortified For-
malizes, and Ceremonies i and that men
fhoiila think that Souls are live J as \\ , -
ai J doprereod, todo Cures by Cb'M
of words not underilood i they ferve God
with empty (hells , when they have cad
away the Kernels: Like the i'-.v '. *r<-
mh- Woman, that loukt for a Chrirt to
come to tell theoi, whether m this Monn-
t*un
( r?8 )
tain or at Jcrufalem men eifght to worfop,
little knowing what it was ro worship
God as a Spirir , in Spirit and Truth,
when ic fnould be neither at that Mountain,
oratJernfaUw.
But hath this man no Scripture. (aga?:,ft
Scripture ?) Yes , L/*^. t . 8. £ The People-
were praying without , white the Pricjt was
offering Inc en fe within.'} Therefore the
publick Worfhip may be performed, ib
as the people under Itand not : Tha%
i. The Prieds aftion only out of their
fight is the publick worfhip, and the peo-
ples praying is not io. 2. The offering
Irfcenfe, is Praying j or becaafe the peo-
ple are not to do the Prieds Office in
Ihcenie and Sacrificing, therefore Mini-*
fters mud pray 'and praife God alone,'
without the people, and all this publick
worfhip. 3. If the Levirical Sacrifices
were offered by the Pried alone, Chrids
Gofpel worfhip mud be performed by
the Pried alone, the people not knowing
what he faith : And the precepts and ex-
amples of the New-Tedament, mud all
be reduced to the Levitical Order of In-
cenfe and Sacrificing. 4. And is he fure
that all the people in the outer Court,
prayed they knew not what, 6r in an
unknown Tongue > What ufe is Scripture
tff'totheiemen ? Hi*
( *79 )
His next is, Lmit. 16. 17. None w.u
to.£» , with 'he Prieft to nuke attornment
Congregation, &c. An\. You iee
: itthefetaen are Judaizers, and fee up
the Levirical Law for the Churches Rule
of Service, as if Chrift had not changed
the Law. But our Queftion is not now,
Whether their Prieft have any folitary au
tonement to make for the Congregation ;
but whether Chrift hath not inftitured fuch
pablick worfhip, in which Minifters and
people maftunderftandingly joyn ? Doth
their Prieft celebrate their Mafs atone,
opt of the peoples fight or hearing, in a:
SanOuary while they are in the outer
Court ? Do not their people aflemble to
their Mafs ?■ Will they.ftand to it, that;'
their Church renounceth all wot (hip of
God in Holy Aflemblies , fave by the
Prieft alone? And is this the Holy Catho-
lkk Church?
And the man here profeffedly calls the
Friefis folitary attion, the public^ Service}
rvbixb is far the people, and not by them, and
therefore they need not nnderftand\ and all
the peoples Prayers are private and JJjould
be understood; fo that (the Myftery ope-
ned,) either the Prieft * all the Church*
or elfe they have n^fubUc^ Church Service^
if they muft meet, that every one m4y
have
C 180 )
have a fecret Prayer of his own, snd may
only fee the Priefts Service called pub-
lick. And by this he pretends that he
anfwereth /W, \ Cor. 14. Adding mo
filamelefly, 1. That it feemeth there by
the Text, that the common Service cf the
Church, was not then m a Tongu<
monly underllood. 2. Becaufe there was
one tofupply the place of the ideots, to lay
Amen^ where he faith, that the Gins?**
mtn^ mo ft deceitfully and maltcioufiy In-
flated, \He that is an Ideot, how fwiV he ■■ f
Amen Vy And raileth at them for patting
\Sobeit. 3 O! what is man, and how
incredible is the pretended infallible Cler-
gy, that can expert that all men truft their
Souls on fuch palpable deceit ! Wbeft
St. V*ul fpent a great part of the' Chapter
tediffwade thofe that by Infpiration, could
fpeak ftrange Languages, that they (hould
not ufe them in the Church, as being un-.
edifying, or at lead not without an inter-
preter ; this man gathers, that the com-
mon Service was in an unknown Tongue ?
As if this diflwaded ufe of lb roe Prophets
gift, were the common Service. 2. And
when he diffwadeth them from Praying
in an unknown Tongue, or giving thanks
in itf faying, elfe how can he that ocenpi- L
etk the Room oftht unUarned fay Aw ,
this
( iSi )
mat) feignech, that yet they were to
;' wkj in an unknown Tengue f and '
one was to /apply the place of the Jdeot
or unlearned , in faying Amen. ( See
verl. 2;.) Faal would have all fay Amcn^
tl .:• man fays cue was tv do it for them :
Pant argueth that therefore they rnuft
Ijpeak to the undcrftanding of the unlearn-
ed : This man turneth his own words
a gain ft him : Doth his Sapdter of the Jde-
ots place himfelf, underitand or not ?
If not, Panl faith, Hew can he fay Amen ?
If he do, how doth he.iupply the place
of the Ideots, that are fuppofed fhould
fay Amen i and cannot ?
For the fake of this Chapter and Irv
Ptance, Khali never think any words lb
plain, that Papifts caanot turn againft their
w >ft evident lenfe.
But what is the Man*s pretence for this
erroneous Confidence ? Why, the Vulgar
Latine Tranflateth it, Qai /applet Ice ,
inftead of Qui implet locam : And that La-
tin Tranflator by. /applet meant the fame
as implet y pc/fidct vel tenet : d+vzhnyZ* js
well known to fignifie to fill ftp : Their
own Expofitors are many of them for the
Sence which this Dodtor chargeth as de-
and malicUuflp given : Cornelia* a
| de faith that, aW^SV is D tn ao im-
plere.
( 1*5 )
flere, <vcl fimul & Commumtcr 6?mes ty-
r plere,\o fill again, Ot all together , or in
common to fill : It is not Qui f applet i'iltm
indotti , but Ojti locum occupat inter m-
dottos, or Idiots locum tenet.
And fo it is expounded by the anci-
ents, Chryfoftom , Oecumtnim , ' Thcophj-
laft. '
And are not thefe Roman Priefts noto-
rioufly Perjured, that all Swear. to ex-
pound the Scripture, according to the
unanimous confent of the Fathers, when
as (befides that the Fathers have but few
of them written Commentaries on thfe
Scriprures , there are very few of them
that unanimoufly agree, of the Sence of
the one half of the Scripture Texts, but
either fay nothing of them , or differ :
And not only in this, but in mod points
named by this Bo&ors Touchftone, he
and others go flat againft them ?
And what meaneth the man to rail at
them, that lay So be it, inftead otAmen
Is it not a true Tranflation ? But; he will
prove that it (hould not be Tranflated,
end confequently that Strzict nfay be * [aid
in an unknown Tongue, for Anien is not
Crcci^ bat Hebrew. Anf. I. Who can
ftand before thefe Arguments, if they be
but backt with Guns and Swords, or
Smrth*
*£ynbfitld Fires> which are too hot for any
!\ nfu t r fave Patience. He may alib prove
it from Chrifts Words on the Crofs, Eloi
; . : I ,:. v ibacthani : ForChrift was now
the moft publick Prieft, and was offering
the moil publick Service by his Sacrifice;
1 ' o, the publick Service fhould be in ah
unknown Tongue : And it may be, they
may find fome other umranflated word,
that (hall confute not only all the Bible,
but all the Septuagint and Vulgar Latine
Tranilations.
But feeing thefe Men's Arguments are
tec hot for me to anfwer, as they might
know that the Church of England refuieth
not AMEN, fo neither will J, (rhough
as 1 can prove, that the Corinthian Church
were Hebrews and Gentilesmixr, and that
Amen wasunderftood by both} fo Prore-
ilants ufe it as a word underftood. )
From the Serf ents Seed and hu decc^
itug fulfil Lies : From Cain and his : * -
cttfohrs, and the malignant and Blood-ihir*
Jty Enemies of Abels faithful acceptable wor-
Jhip ; from fitch a worldly and fiffrly S*z-
crcd Generation as take gain for Godlincf,
and makf their worldly carnal inter eft the
Standard of their Religion, and their proud
1: ;i nation to pAfs for the Kingdom of
(thrift : From an Vfurpng ViccChrift,
whofc
nnhiion is fo bonndlcfs y as to txttm
K thi phetictt , Prie/lly and Kingly
Mc*d'\\u\ ver all the Earth, even *i the
and to that which is proper
to God hirruelf, and our Redeemef :
From a Leprous St ft , which Condsmneth
the far greateft fart of aU Chrifts Church
on Earth, and feparateth from them,
and calleth it felf, the whole and only
Church : From that Church that de-
creeth Deftrudlion , to ail that renounce
not all humane Senfe, by believing that
Bread is not Breads nor that Wine is
Wine , but Chrifts very Flefli and Blood,
who now hath properly no Flefli and
Blood, but a Spiritual Body; and that
decreeth the Excommunication, Depo-
fition , and Damnation , of all Princes
that will not exterminate all iuch ; and
abfolveth their Subk&s from their
Oaths of Allegiance : From that Beaft
whofe Mark is PER Perjury, Perfidi-
mfmfi r , and Perfection, and that think
they do God acceptable Service, by kil-
ling his Servants, or tormenting them;
and thSt Religion which feedeth on Chrifts
JF/e/fr, by Sacrificing thofe that he calleth
his Flefli and Bones , Ephef. 5. From
the infernal Dragon, the Father of Lies,
Malice > and Murder , . and ail his
Miai*
C iS> )
Minifters and Kingdom of Darknefs;
GOOD LORD make hafte to de-
liyer thy Flock i and confirm their Faith,
Hope, Patience, and their Joyful defire*
of the great , true, final, Glorious De-
liverance, AMEN. A M EN,
AM E N.
B 1 K I Si.- vi
This Baok^ xvm delivered by Mr. Baxter
h.mfclf to the Bookseller , And not beings
J ten by hs the Ant hours of the Epiftle to
the Reader, till the Sheets were »rinttd %
tbcfe ERRAT A's mnfi be correttcd.
P\%e 76. line 24. read zfttr God threvgh hit,
Page 81.I. 14. read Contorted for C .
Page 94.I.24. read convened for ton . . ...
Page 96. 1. 2 1 . read they de bold % for do the) I
Page 97. 1. 1. read finlefs for fwcelifs.
Page ntf. 1. 9. read intuition fcr intembx*
Page 1 19. 1. 17. read Rtncus for Ramus.
Page 149. 1. 4. r. Otdamrs for Ordinincts.
\\ 150.1. 15,16. r. preference for;- ... .
Page lalai.r. Councils for Counrii.
Page \6i. I. 1*. r. there is mention*
Paje 165. 1. 3. r. Vegetable.
Fagc 1 55. 1. 27, 28. T.prtfejjid for ;r;»i/W.
tBooh Printed for John Salusbury
at the Sun over agatnfl the Royal
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by Richard Baxter.
The Certainty of the World of
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The. Harmony of the Divine Jt-
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by our Lord Jefus .Chriir, &c. By
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Two Sermons, opening the Nav
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Five Sermons on various Occasi-
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