Apostles unless it had been also delivered in writing and unless those writings had been brought down to our Hands And blessed be God! there was such a Delivery in the Books of the New Testament In which Books the Apostles bearing witness as they do to the Scriptures of the Old Testament that they were Written by Divine Inspiration and that they are able to make us wise to Salvation through Faith in Iesus Christ and delivering the Faith in Iesus Christ as they do in their own writings to the end that all men may believe on him to Eternal life Therefore in these Books of the Old and New Testament together we have a Standard of the Apostles Doctrine and we have not the like for any other than what is written in these Books Here is all that we can surely call the Doctrine of the Apostles unless we know more than the Fathers of the Primitive Church They through whose hands this Doctrine must pass before it could come into ours knew nothing but what they had in the Scriptures This was constantly their Standard and Rule of all things in the words of St. Chrysostom Who says again All things that are necessary are plain and manifest in the Scriptures So St. Austin says All things that belong to Faith or Life are to be found in plain places of Scripture St. Basil saith Believe those things that are written inquire not into things that are not written St. Ierom Non credimus quia non legimus we believe no more than we â—ead In like manner say many other of the Fathers And though they did sometimes quote the Apostles Traditions for Ritual things yet in matters of Faith if they prove any thing from Tradition it is either the Written Tradition of Scripture of if Unwritten 't is no other than the Creed as it were easie to shew in many Instances And withal they believed there was nothing in the Creed but what they could prove from the Scriptures and they did prove it from the Scriptures upon occasion in every Particular So that in their Judgment it is not only a sufficient but the only Measure of the Doctrin of the Apostles And by this we may judg as to matter of Doctrin who are and who are not Members of the Apostolical Church The next Character is this that they continued in the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Fellowship a word that has diverse senses in Scripture In this place it seems to be the same as Society They were in the Apostles Society or Communion Now to continue in their Society considering what they were men deputed by Christ for the Government of his Church it could be no other than to continue as Members of that Body which Christ put under their Government But how can any be so now they being dead so many Ages since and their Government so long since expired with them No their Government is not expired though they are For it was to continue till the end of the World So that according to the common saying among the Jews Whosoever one sends being as himself So our Saviour having sent the Apostles saith Whosoever receives you receives me In like manner whosoever were sent by the Apostles were as themselves And whosoever continued in their Fellowship were in the Fellowship of the Apostles Now their Government is declared to have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Bishopric And in this Office they were equal among themselves as our Saviour describes them sitting on twelve Thrones and judging the twelve Tribes of Israel It is observable that this was after his Promise to St. Peter Mat. xvi 16 c. Which Promise I consider by the way because 't is so much pressed by the Romanists to prove a Power which Christ had given St. Peter over the rest of the Apostles If Christ had truly given it we must then have considered whether St. Peter left any Successors in that Power And if so why not St. Iohn the Apostle by Survivance why not the Bishop of the undoubted Mother-Church at Ierusalem Why not the Bishop of some other City where the Scripture has assured us that St. Peter Preacht rather than of Rome where if he did preach we have not a word of it in Scripture These and sundry more such Questions would have risen upon that Hypothesis of such a Power given to S. Peter But it is out of Question that the Apostles never so understood those words of Christ. They knew of no Power that was promised to St. Peter more than to themselves in that Text. For after this they were at strife among themselves who should be chief After this they disputed it again and again and Christ chid them every time but never told them I have promised it to Peter Nay it appears that Christ did not intend it by his open Declarations to the contrary That it should not be among them as in Secular Kingdoms and Monarchies It appears more plainly in the fulfilling of his Promise For he both ordained the rest with S. Peter without any Difference And when they all together had received the Holy Ghost in this Chapter St. Peter stood up with the eleven ver 14. And upon him and them Christ built his Church even all these who continued not only in his but in the Fellowship of all the Apostles Now if all the Apostles were equal in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Government then it is certain that their Successors must be so in like manner Though one must have Precedence before other for Order's sake as St. Peter had usually among the Apostles when they were together And though one may be above others in the same National Church as all Primats are by Human Laws Yet none by the Law of God hath Authority over others I say none among their Successors any more than among the Apostles themselves So St. Cyprian declares oftentimes in his Writings Not to mention the like as I might from many other of the Fathers Now the Bishops in after times in their several Churches were undoubtedly held to be the Successors of the Apostles We have as great a consent among the Antients for this as we have for the Observation of the Lord's Day And it is evident from the Primitive Writers that they lookt upon Communion with their Bishops as Communion with the very Apostles They held it the Duty of every Christian to obey them in Spiritual things They held it the Duty of every Bishop to govern and feed his own Flock To attend to that only and not to usurp upon his Brethren But all as occasion served to do all good Offices one for another and to join their endeavours for the common Concernments of the Church And for them so to govern the Church and for the People to live under their Government in Spiritual things This was to
known in all Countrys where the Scripture was written And they writ it for every one to read as it appears in plain words in their writings And the Ancient Fathers required all men to read it all the Laity even the meanest of the Laity they Condemned the neglect of it they commended them that read it day and night There is nothing more frequent in the writings of the Ancient Fathers Yet now it is found out that the Laity may hurt themselves with reading it How so It will make them Hereitics One would little expect it that had read what the Fathers say of this matter But now it is Heresie to disbelieve the Roman Church And no doubt to read the Scripture will bring men to this But whose fault is it Surely theirs that instead of reforming their Church have rather chosen to silence the Scriptures Which being done in favour of their Doctrines it appears that they themselves I mean the governours of their Church have been sensible that some at least of their Doctrines are not the Doctrines of the Apostles In the next place for the Apostles Fellowship which I have interpreted to be Union under lawful Pastors and Governors They can by no means allow this Character to our Church or to any that submits not to their Universal Pastor Which title they appropriate to the Bishop of Rome and him they swear in their forementioned profession of Faith to be the Vicar of Christ and the successor of St. Peter the Apostle And to shew how far they dare go against evidence they swear also that his Roman Church is not only Mistress but also the Mother of all Churches Not to say in how many things he that will be Supream Pastor invades the just rights of other Pastors who are all in the judgment of Primitive times the Successors of the Apostles of Christ Or how little he hath to shew for his claim to a succession in that Power from St. Peter either in Scripture Story or in the writings of the Primitive Church I shall only desire you to consider these beginnings of Christianity in my Text. When the whole Church was comprehended in three or four thousand believers and they were all together with the Apostles at this time in Ierusalem It is certain that then there was no Bishop nor no Christian at Rome So that then for the Bishop or Church of Rome to be any thing which they swear they are in those Articles of their Faith was surely no part of the Apostles Doctrine Nor did the Fellowship of the Apostles consist in subjection to St. Peter Though he was the first in Order yet that he had Authority over the rest there is no ground to assert There is much evidence against it as I have shewn from sundry places of Scripture Nor granting this to St. Peter which they can never prove can they bring down a title from him to the Roman Bishop He hath a better pretence to succeed the Roman Emperors in Monarchy than he hath to succeed any of the Apostles And indeed that was the design as they know that are skild in the writers of antient times Rome seemed a place designd for Empire and when the Emperors faild then the Bishops set up in their stead What the Emperors could not hold by Arms the Bishops would fetch in by Religion And so they obtrude upon all Christians in truth a Secular Monarchy instead of that which my Text calls the Fellowship of the Apostles Thirdly for the two Sacraments of the Apostles they tell us of seven which were instituted by our Lord Iesus Christ. In this Chapter we read of Baptism p. 41. and we read of breaking of Bread in my Text. Here are two but where are the other five They were not thought of at that time for ought that appears to us in Scripture Nay it doth not appear in a thousand years after It was eleven hundred years after when Peter Lombard wrote his Book of the Sentences before which they cannot find the least mention of that number of Sacraments But to speak of no more than that mentioned in my Text. Where is the breaking of bread As they receive it in the Roman Church there is neither breaking nor bread in their Sacrament Where is the Communion of Christs Body and Blood Their daily Worship is the Mass. But their Mass is no Communion The Priest only Consecrates and eats while all the people stand by and adore Was there ever such a thing heard of in the Primitive times In those times none were suffered to be present but only such as received And if any were present they were punishable if they did not receive What could they have thought of such a Sacrament as is now the daily Worship of the Roman Church Sure enough in the Apostles Church as oft as they met to Worship God they All did eat of that one bread 1 Cor. x. 17. And they All were made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. xii 13. And whereas of this last our Saviour having said to his Disciples who were then Lay-men Drink ye all of it St. Mark takes particular notice that they all drank of it which practice we see was followed in the Apostolic Church The Roman Church will let her Laity drink none of it None of the Cup of blessing which we bless But the Cup of Unblessed Wine the Ablution as they call it A trick which they brought up in those corrupt ignorant times I know not why if not on purpose to deceive the people that they may not miss the Wine though they have none of the Blessing So far they are removed from the Original Church in her Sacraments Lastly for the Worship of God here called the Apostles Prayers There are many things in the Roman Church whereof some were forbidden by the Apostles and others cannot consist with their Doctrine The chief part of her Worship is the Sacrifice of the Mass and that is declared in the Creed before-mentioned to be a true proper propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead This horrible affront of Christs Sacrifice and abuse of his Sacrament together was brought in upon the back of that Doctrine of the Corporeal Presence When according to that Doctrine the Priest hath made Christ Next he is to kill him or do somthing as bad for they pretend to sacrifice him to God How this is done the Divines of that Church are not yet agreed It were well if at least they could tell Why they do it For they had need for such a Sacrifice to have a clear Institution from God But they cannot pretend to that There is nothing clearly for it in all the Texts that they bring out of Scripture This they were told aloud at the Council of Trent and others since have acknowledged it They
either common to other Societies as well as a true Church or if they are proper to such a Church they are elsewhere no less nay much more in some others than in theirs As for the Essential Properties here in my Text they are but four and those are from an Infallible Authority The like whereof cannot be shewed for any other Therefore our Church desires nothing more than to be tried by these Tokens If the same way of Tryal does not please them so well in the Roman Church we cannot wonder at it for these make no way for them but against them in every Particular I shall make a short Proof of it trying their Catholic Church as they call it by these Characters of the Primitive Apostolick Church And first for the Doctrine of the Apostles If the Publick Profession of that without any other be required of any true Church and if the Scriptures contain all the Doctrine of the Apostles as it was firmly believed by the Fathers in the Primitive Church How come they of the Roman Church to find out so many Doctrines of which there is no mention in the Scripture nor in any of the Primitive Fathers In what place were they kept to be made known in after-times that were not known to them that lived in or near the Apostles times But they have I know not how many such Doctrines and they are properly Doctrines of their Church They are declared by their Councils with most dreadful Anathemas to all those that shall presume to deny them We see they Unchurch us we know what they have done more and may guess what they would do more to us for denying them But they have them in their Creed the Creed that is sworn by all their Clergy They swear first the old Nicen and add to that the new Roman Creed They conclude it in these terms Hanc esse veram Catholicam Fidem extra quam nemo salvus esse potest That this is the true Catholick Faith without which no man can be saved What a horrible thing is this to couple together I believe in God and in our Lord Iesus Christ with I believe the Doctrines of Transubstantiation Auricular Confession Image-Worship Purgatory Indulgences and what not some of which things some of themselves do confess are not so much as once mentioned in Scripture and none of them is mentioned there in plain words not in any words that were understood so by the Fathers for many Ages after Christ. For the Doctrine of Transubstantiation Besides that we find nothing for it but many things against it in the Ancients so many that we are sure it could not be the Tradition of those Times We see at its first birth it was declared to be a Novelty and a Falshood by Rabanus Arch-Bishop of Mentz and by other of the learnedst men that lived eight or nine hundred years after Christ. We find at that time and for two hundred years after it was a rude lump which askt much licking over to perfect it And then having both Shape and a Name it was defined to be of Faith by Pope Innocent in his Lateran-Council above twelve hundred years after Christ. For Confession to a Priest the necessity of it was unknown to the Fathers of the Primitive Church Nay above a thousand years after Christ it was held disputable in the Roman Church And though the Practice of it was imposed by Pope Innocent in his Council of Lateran yet even then it remained disputable as to the Doctrine till it was made to be of Faith by the Trent Council For their Doctrine of Image-Worship than which nothing can be more contrary to the Scriptures as they were understood by the Primitive Fathers we know it was established by the second Nicen Council and we know what a Council that was But it was condemned in the same Age by two as numerous Councils that of Constantinople a little before it and that of Frankfort immediately after it And the matter was held in debate all that Age in both the Eastern and Western Church till at last it was setled in the East according to the Nicen Council which they have so much out done in the Roman Church that even the Greeks charge them with Idolatry And they are not wholy excused from it by many of their own Communion For their Doctrin of Purgatory it doth not appear that any one of the Ancients hit upon it among all the different Opinions that they had concerning separated Souls till St. Austins time and yet then we are as sure it was no Catholic Tradition as we can be of any thing of that Age. After near two hundred years more it was believed by one of great Name from whose fabulous writings it got Credit And so crept by Degrees into the Faith of the Roman Church But it is received by no other Christians For their Doctrin of Indulgences It is so confessedly new It was at first so ill grounded and so wickedly designed that God seemed to have suffered them to run on into this to shew the World as afterward he did by this Example what Stuff the Lusts of men left to themselves would bring into the Christian Religion It were easie to shew the like in all their new Articles of Faith Most of them I shall consider as they come under the other Heads of my Discourse The mean while these may pass for a sample of the rest They all sprung up in late corrupt Times and went at first as Private Opinions only but being found to make well for the Interests of the Clergy they were concerned to bring them in credit with the People And they took a way for it that could not fail in such an Age by forging New Revelations and Miracles when by these means worthy of their Doctrines they had brought them into the Christian Faith then beside the Interest that first brought them in there was another reason to continue them It was necessary for the Credit of the Infallibility of the Roman Church Touch that and you shake the whole building of Popery even to the Foundation that is the Papacy it self To secure that they are brought under this miserable necessity of holding all for Catholic Faith that is once received in the Roman Church Whatsoever she bringeth forth must be fathered on the Apostles though there is not the least Colour for it in their Writings But to shew how little trust they have in the Apostles writings there needs no other instance than this that their Church hath forbid her Laity to read them and hath taken a course that if they read they cannot well understand them The Scripture was writ by the Apostles in the most vulgar language of their times the Greek which was the mother tongue of most and well
Thess. Hom. 3. Ib. Tom. IV. p. 234 19. c Aug. de Doctr. Christianâ l. 2. c. 9. Edit Basil. 1541. Tom. III. Col. 25. D. In iis enim c. d Basil. M. Hom. 29. Edit Paris 1618. Tom. I. p. 623. C. e Hieron adv Helvid Edit Basil. 1524. Tom. II. p. 13. B. a Iren. adv Haer. l. 1. c. 2. 3. alii passim b Cyprian Testim ad Quirinum lib. 1. 2. proving all things of Faith and Life from the Scripture Constantin M. apud Theodorit Hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 7. Edit Vales. p. 25. D. Offers the Scriptures for deciding all Controversies touching the Faith So Athanasius and others prove every disputed Article And when the Heretics produced Tradition on their side the Fathers always held them to the Scriptures a Mat. xxviii 2c b Mat. x. 40. c Act. i. 20. d Mat. xix 28. Luke xxii 30. a Matth. xviii â— xx 24. b Mat. Luk. xxii 24 c Mat. xx 26. xxiii 8 9 10. Luke xxii 26. d Joh. xx 21 22 23. a Usually but not always for at Jerusalem St. James being Bishop there had the Precedence Act. xv â—al ii 9. b Cyprian de Unit. Eccl. c. 3. Edit Paris 1649. p. 208. The other Apostles were also that which Peter was they had an equall share both of Honor and of Power Epist. 51. p. 80. Every Bishop orders his own affairs and is to give account to God Epist. 54. p. 95. Every one has his own Flock to govern of which he is to give account to God Conc. Carth. de Bapt. Haeret. p. 353. No Bishop can be judged by another or can judg another But we all wait for the Iudgment of Christ who is the only One that has Power both to put us into the Office and to judg of our Discharge of it Tertullian de Praescript c. 36. Edit Paris 1641. p. 245. Run over the Apostolic Churches in which are yet the very Chairs of the Apostles Ye have Corinth Ye have Ephesus Ye have Philippi Ye have Rome Cyprian Epist. 26. p. 42. Christ said to Peter Thou art Peter and I will give thee the Keys c. From thence by course of times and successions is derived the Ordination of Bishops in the Church Epist. 74. p. 163. The Bishops have succeeded the Apostles being ordained in their stead a Iren. contra Haereses l. III. c. 3. We can reckon up them who by the Apostles were made Bishops in the several Churches b Epist. 68. p. 136. The Church is a People united to their own Bishop and a Flock adhering to their own Pastor Ibid. Polycarpus by the Apostles made Bishop of the Church of Smyrna c Epist. 66. p. 128. To Steven Bishop of Rome Therefore my dear Brother there is a numerous body of Bishops united together by the bond of Concord and Vnity that if any one of our College should attempt to make a Sect and to tear and spoil the Flock of Christ the rest may come in to help and as good and compassionate Shepherds may gather the Lord's sheep into the flock a Matt. xxviii 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 make Disciples so Acts xiv 21. But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disciples is as much to say as Christians Acts. xi 26. b Matt. xxviii 20. c Matt. xxvi 26. Mar. xiv 22. Lu. xxii 19. 1 Cor. xi 24. d Matt. xxvi 28. Mar. xiv 24. Luke xxii 20. 1 Cor. xi 25. a 1 Cor. x. 16. b 1 Cor. x. 16 17. xi 26 27 28. c Matt. xxvi 29. Mar. xiv 25. d Matt. xxvi 27. e Mark xiv 23. a Luke xxiv 53. a Plin. lib. â— Epist. 97. b Justin M. Apol. II. Edit Paris 1636. p. 97 c. c Plin. ib. d Justin ibid. p. 98. D. e P. 97. C. f P. 64. D. g P. 97. C. and for all others every where that we may learn the truth c. h p. 63. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 64. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i P. 97. D. 98. D a Bellarmin de Conciliis Ecclesiâ lib. 4. a In the form of Profession Prescribed by Pius IV. according Decree of the Council of Trent Sess. XXIV Decret de Reform cap. 1. 12. b Concil Edit Labb Tom. XIV Col. 946. B. c Of Transubstantiation this is confest by Did in Can. Missae Lect. 40. beginning that Whether the Bread be turned into Christs Body or remains with his Body it is not found exprest in the Scriptures Bellarmin de Eucharist III. 23. Tertiò addit mentions others of their Church that had said the like and he grants it not improbable that it could not he proved out of Scripture till the Scripture was declared by a General Council meaning as he there shews that of Lateran above twelve hundred years after Christ. Of Auricular Confession Gloss. in Decr. de Poenit. dist 5. beginning Semeca saith it was instituted by some Tradition of the Vniversal Church rather than by the Authority of the New or Old Testament Panormitan super Quinto de Poenit. Remis c. Omnis utriusque saith I am much pleased with that opinion of Semeca For there is not any plain Authority which shews that God or Christ instituted plainly that Confession should be made to a Priest Biel in Sent. IV. 17. G. saith It was delivered by word and deed without any Scripture For Image Worship Bellarmin de Eccl. Triumph II. 12. can find only two Texts of the New Testament Mat. 5. 33. Swear neither by Heaven for it is Gods Throne nor by Earth for it is his Footstool and 2 Tim. iii. 15. From a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures Of Purgatory Baconthorp in sent 1. 4. dist 49. q. 1. saith Others think it cannot be proved by the Authority of Scripture Petrus à Soto saith It cannot be plainly proved from testimonies of Scripture Chemnit Exam. Conc. Trid. Sess. 25. beginning Perion saith he knows no place of Scripture to prove it Bulenger saith It is hard to bring any express and clear Text for it Chamier Panstr Tom. III. l. 26. c. 2. §. 3. For Indulgences St. Antonin Summ. Moral part 1. Tit. 10. c. 3. beginning Of Indulgences we have nothing expresly from Scripture nor from the sayings of the Antients but of the late Doctors Cajetan opusc Tom. I. tract 15. c. 1. Of the Rise of them no Authority of Scripture or Antient Doctors Greek or Latin have brought this to our knowledg only within these three hundred years it hath been written c. Bishop Fisher Assert Luther Confutatio Art 18. p. 135. grants there is neither Precept nor Counsel for it in Scripture a As that What we receive in the Sacrament is Bread in it's own nature and essence and that it nourisheth our Body c. That wicked men receive no other but Bread though to the Faithful it is truly Christ's Body and therefore it is called his Body That it is a Sacrament a Sign an Image and