thing upon their own knowledg sight or hearing as the Apostles did 1 John 1. 2 Pet. 1. 16. for scarce so much as one hundred years and this their Testimony also being but of human Authority it remaineth of necessity that some Books of Record must be received upon the Authority of the Author in whose Name they speak and the Divine Evidence of the Matter contained in them and hence we argue the Sufficiency of the Scriptures own Authority to command our reception of them speaking to us in the Name of God and carrying in themselves Divine Evidences in respect of the matters therein contained Papist Query 3. Baptist Anti-query 3. How know you that your Copies and Translations of the Bible are the true Word of God since the Original Writings are not come to your Hands What Copies and Translations of the Scriptures have you that are more true than ours And where are the Original Manuscripts of the Prophets and Apostles Seeing it was not the Pleasure of the Divine Wisdom to preserve and present to all Nations the very first Pieces of Paper in which the Divine Oracles were written but rather to preserve many Copies and cause them to be spread throughout the World. And seeing no sort of Christians dare pretend to have Translated any of those Copies by an infallible Pen but only according to the best Skill they have acquired or learned in the Original Tongues It would better become all Learned Christians to bend their Minds to rectifie what they may any Imperfection or Mistake that may be in any of the Translations rather than by such Queries as this to open a Gap to Vnbelief and Irreligion And though much might be said by a captious Person against the English Translation of the Papists yet to prevent vain Jangling we refuse not to be tried in the Cases depending in these Queries and Anti-queries either by their Translation of the Bible or by that which is allowed by Authority And seeing no Papist is able to produce the prime Originals let them beware how they quarrel with our Copies lest some quarrel with theirs and â—so instead of Edification they bring forth nothing but vain Contention and show themselves ungrateful to God and mischievous to men For what man of any Modesty would upbraid another because he never saw the Original Writings when neither himself nor any man living ever saw them nor is ever like to see them Papist Query 4. Baptist Anti-query 4. Where we differ about the Sense of the Word by whom must we be tried The dead Letter cannot explain it self When we differ about the true Church or the Meaning of Authors be they Fathers or Councils by whom must we be tried These cannot speak for themselves more than the Scriptures And whether the Scriptures being compared together do not explain themselves Also whether this be not an opprobrious and ignominious Speech for you to call the Scripture a dead Letter And whether the true Lovers of the Scriptures ever vouchsafed them such ill and indeed improper Language Of all the Seven Queries this is the most difficult see what we have said to this Difficulty in our precedent Epistle Let the Papists prove themselves to be the true Church and the Contention about the Power of the Church to decide Differences which may arise about the Meaning of the Scriptures will with more ease be brought to a period In the mean time as we must every one give an account of our selves to God so it is the Duty of every Christian to labour to understand the Scriptures Mat. 24. 15. Pro. 22. 20 21. Papist Query 5. Baptist Anti-query 5. What clear Text have you out of the Scriptures for the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son Or for changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday Or for prohibiting Poligamy or Infant-Baptism And whether there be not as clear Texts to prove unwritten Traditions Purgatory and the Real Presence Whether the Baptism of the true Church be not One And whether the one Baptism be not expresly found in the Scriptures and whether the Scriptures do not prohibit all Baptism of Water beside that one And whether the Papists have not confessed in many of their Books that Infant-Baptism is not found in nor grounded upon the Scripture And then whether it be not clear that all the Texts which speak of Baptism in Water do prohibit Infant-Baptism Also whether John 15. 26. 14. 26. 16. 7. be not clear Texts that the Holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Son Also whether 1 Cor. 7. 1 2 3. do not as much prohibit one Man for having two Wives as one Woman for having two Husbands And whether it do not clearly prohibit the latter Also whether there be any thathold the First Day of the Week under the Notion of a Sabbath among the Baptized Churches and yet whether there be not clear proof for the Religious Observation of it Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Also whether it be not absurd for you to ask for clear Texts to prove unwritten things Also whether Purgatory and the Real Presence as you hold them are not plainly destructive to some Articles of the Christian Faith. For is not this the Faith of all sound Christians 1. That Almighty God does love no Creature in this World so much as the Creature Man nor does he take any Creature on Earth into that nearness of Vnion with himself as the Souls and Bodies of those that shall be saved 2. That the blessed Body of Christ after his Ascension into Glory admits of no Change either by Addition to his Substance of his Flesh and Blood or Diminution of any part thereof from either Now it is most certain that the Opinion of the Real Presence by Transubstantiation of Bread and Wine into the very Body and Blood of Christ God-Man doth evidently militate against these clear Truths with the greatest opposition as will appear by these Considerations following 1. Though the Love of God to Mankind especially to all that shall be saved is exceeding great yet it is certain he never died nor ever will SO take them into Union with himself AS to Transubstantiate their Bodies into the Divine Substance of Christ and so make their Flesh of the same Essence with himself as he is God Blessed for ever And therefore it is in no wise to be believed That God Almighty so loves the Creatures Bread and Wine as to turn or transubstantiate the very Substance of them into the very Substance of the only Son of God whom we believe to be of one Substance with the Father It is also further to be considered That though the two Natures in Christ i. e. the Divine and Human are united after an unspeakable manner yet no Christian does believe that God did transubstantiate the Substance of the Humane Nature into the Substance of the Divine Nature and that the Forms of Flesh and Blood only does remain How then is
it at all credible that God should Deifie the Creatures of Bread and Wine by turning them into the Divine Essence as well as Human to be worshipped with the highest degree of Adoration which is proper to God himself Con. Trent Sess 13. Can. 6. And the Words of Bellarmin are very plain God saith he is verily and truly to be worshipped Mat. 4. But Christ in the Eucharist is very God Ergo. Thus much of the First Proposition And for the Second 2. It is to be considered That if the very Substance of Bread and Wine be really transubstantiated into the Substance of Christ's Flesh and Blood then they do either remain that same Substance of Christ's Flesh for ever or else they are after some time either annihilated or turned to Corruption But to say either of these is flatly to deny or oppose express Scripture which tells us That the Flesh of Christ saw no Corruption and that he continueth ever And for the first that Bread and Wine after the Words of Consecration remains for ever of the Substance of Christ's Real Body it is no way credible For then the Body of Christ must have received a mighty Augmentation since its Ascension For If all the Bread which has been consecrated for almost 1700 years shall be supposed to be all in one place at any time as sure the whole Flesh of Christ's Body is so it might for Magnitude compare with a Mountain And if all the vast quantity of Wine which hath been consecrated for the like space of time were supposed to be collected as sure all the Blood of Christ remains in his Body being impossible to be shed since he went into Heaven it might compare with a considerable Fountain of Water But both these are so very absurd that 't is hoped no Christian will affirm them and therefore that Doctrine of Transubstantiation which necessarily infers these and many more Absurdities is by no means to be received If the Papists shall reply and say That though the Bread and Wine be really turned into the Flesh and Blood Body Soul and Divinity of Christ yet it is not necessary that they remain so for ever I shall earnestly desire them to shew us what becomes of it then And I ask whether by such reply they do not make the Real and Glorious Body of Christ the most mutable thing in Heaven and Earth being according to this Doctrin subject to be really made and unmade every day and that in a thousand places on the same day If any who are little acquainted with the Doctrine of the present Church of Rome shall question whether they do indeed hold so gross an Error as to teach that the Bread and Wine in the Eucharist is turned into the very Substance of the Divine Nature of Christ as well as his Humane Nature he may see it fully asserted by a Learned Papist in a certain Catechism entituled An Abridgment to Christian Doctrine the last Edition Printed at Doway 1661. pag. 194 195. in these Words Quest What is the Blessed Eucharist Answ It is the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ true God and true Man whole Christ under the outward Forms of Bread and Wine Quest In what manner is Christ present under these Forms Answ By the true and Real Presence of his Divine and Human Nature and not Figuratively only as some would have it God in Mercy open the eyes of all that are thus blinded with the Doctrine of Transubstantiation which Word Transubstantiation the Papists confess is not found in Scripture See the said Catechism pag. 196. Papist Query 6. Baptist Anti-query 6. Whether Vniversality both for time and place be not an evident Mark of the true Church What Church can you name that hath that Mark And whether the Woman which St. John saw called Mystery Bablyon be not meant of Rome and whether her Cup was not universally received so that all Nations were made Drunk thereby Papist Query 7. Baptist Anti-query 7. Whether you have really this Mark that is whether you can fetch out of all Ages and Nations Professors of your Religion in particular you are desired to name but one or two in the first six hundred years after Christ of your Profession for example such as held the sole sufficiency of Scripture for the deciding Controversies and denied the Lawfulness and Vsefulness of Infant-Baptism Whether any man can shew this Mark as it is here called for without the help of Human History and whether Human History be infallibly true so as to be a ground for Divine Faith and whether those Human Records which concerned Christian Religion for the first three hundred years after Christ were not the most of them burnt by the Persecutors of Christians and whether those which remain have not been much altered and whether they are not in many things contradictory Also whether Infant-Baptism was so much as heard of in the first Century and then how should any be named which denied the usefulness of it in this Age And whether the first clear mention of it be not from Tertullian and whether the Learned do not confess that he opposed it in the third Century as an irrational and unwarrantable Custom Also whether that Church whose manner of admitting Persons into her Communion her Constitution and Government are according to the Scriptures Mat. 28. 19 20. Heb. 6. 1 2 c. be not the true Church of Christ And whether the Baptized Churches commonly called Anabaptists do not excel in these Particulars all other Churches whatsoever Of all the Marks of the Church so much stood upon by the Papists this of Antiquity leads and indeed it is of that importance that if they fail of this Mark they are like to miss all the rest and that they must fail of the best Antiquity in the case of their Baptism without which they can have no true Church will with much ease be made evident 1. Because by their own Confession Infant-Baptism which is the Baptism of the present Roman-Church is not grounded upon the Scripture Here they fail of Scripture-Antiquity which is the best 2. Because they have not one Credible Witness for Infant-Baptism in the first Century after Christ 3. Because it is acknowledged by themselves that they have changed the manner of the Administration of Baptism from Dipping to a little Sprinkling which indeed is no Baptism Whereas on the contrary the best Antiquity is as clear for our Baptism i. e. Believers Baptism as the light of the Sun many thousands of Believers being Baptized by John Baptist and more by Christ or his appointment John 3. 23. 4. 1. three thousand Believers Baptized in one day Act. 2. 40. And multitudes of Believers being Baptized in every Age since the Institution of Baptism yea all the Antient Fathers for the first three hundred years if not for the first six hundred years after Christ were Baptized Believers so that I should think the Gates of Hell cannot
of the Holy Spirit the first is consigned to then in Sacred Baptism the second in Prayer with the laying on of Hands in which way this Mother-Church received this Blessing as is evident from the ennumeration and order of the Principles of her Catechism and also from this Testimony that great Grace was upon them all Acts 4. 33. as also in that it is expresly said that this Church continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine a Principle whereof is Prayer with Laying on of Hands and from this Church this Doctrine and Holy Practice was carried by the Apostles to Samaria Acts 14. for it is not to be imagined they would there innovate a practical principle which had not first been taught in the Church at Jerusalem But God bearing witness to this service of Prayer and Laying on of Hands at Samaria with the same Blessing of the Holy Spirit fore-received at Jerusalem confirms it as an acceptable and needful Service for all Churches And accordingly it was received in the times next succeeding the Apostles days as many witnesses testifie amongst whom Tertullian thus Dehinc manus imponitur c. After Baptism the Hand is imposed by Blessing calling and inviting the Holy Spirit Tunc ille Sanctissimus c. Then that most Holy Spirit most willingly descends from the Father upon the Bodies which are cleansed meaning in Baptism and blessed Of the Resurrection of the Dead taught and believed in this Mother-Church In this Church it was where the Apostle gave witness with great Pâ—wer of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus in whose Resurrection assurance yea very full assurance is given to all men that there shall be a Resurrection of the Dead both of the Just and the Vnjust It was here that our Saviour shewed himself alive after he had been dead by infallible proofs being seen of his Disciples forty days conversing with them of the things concerning his Church and Kingdom It was here that many dead Bodies of the Saints did arise and come out of their Graves and went into Jerusalem and appeared to many after Christ was risen which was a full proof that the Resurrection is of the same numerical Bodies which are laid in the Graves disrobed only of mortality and all imperfections And this is that Resurrection of the Dead here called a Principle of Christ's Doctrine and of the Foundation of this Mother-Church Of the Eternal Judgment Believed by this Church It was to the Guides of this Church to whom our Saviour first made known this great priviledge that they should sit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel at that time when he should sit upon the Throne of his Glory Mat. 19. 28 who also is appointed of God to be the Judge of Quick and Dead Act. 10. 42. which great Article is here recounted among the principles of Catechism Heb. 6. 2. and called the eternal Judgment not only for that it is the last Judgment but because the effects of it shall be perpetual the pains to be imposed in this sentence of Judgment shall be of eternal duration to all wicked men who have contemned the Gospel of their Salvation and judged themselves unworthy of Eternal Life even that Life which then shall be given to Eternity to all such as have held fast the beginning of their Confidence and the hope of this their rejoycing stedfast unto the end Heb. 3. 14. As therefore the Tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of the World. The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that do Iniquity And shall cast them into a Furnace of Fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of Teeth Then shall the Righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father Who hath ears to hear let him hear Matth. 13. 40 41 42 43. Lo the eternal Judgment taught by Christ's own Mouth let all men be admonished to prepare for this Judgment for the coming of the Lord draws nigh Of the farther Order and manner of Worship used in this Mother-Church This did especially consist in frequently assembling themselves together to teach and preach Jesus Christ Acts 5. 42. or for the ministring of the Word of God and Prayers Acts 6. 4. In which we find no Liturgies or Forms of Prayer devised or imposed by the Apostles but these Services were performed by the aid of the Holy Spirit which as they were given for the work of the Ministry so 't is evident they have a remanency in the true Church till the whole be perfected Eph. 4. and it is this Blessed Spirit which helps the Church to make Intercession according to the will of God Rom. 8. 27. They were all very frequent at the Lord's Table breaking the Sacred Bread in remembrance of the Lord Christ giving thanks to God by him Acts 2. 41 47. nor needed they any Mass-Book or Common-Prayer-Book to direct them in either Christ's own Institution of his Holy Table and the holy Prayer which he had taught his Disciples with other Heavenly Rules contained in the Holy Scriptures was abundantly sufficient and are so still to every Faithful Man of God and Minister whom God and his Church hath called to that Work to furnish him to every good work It is also excceding plain that the Holy Table of the Lord is here called the breaking of Bread. And therefore though that Holy Bread and Wine be the Body and Blood of Christ yet they are these in such sort as they are also the Bread of the Lord and the Cup of the Lord 1 Cor. 11 27. And forasmuch as the Apostle here and in the next verse does expresly call the same things by these different titles the Body and the Blood the Bread and the Cup we must of necessity take him to speak Figuratively in one of these but in the latter to wit Bread and the Cup we have no Figure save that the Wine in the Cup is taken for the Cup which is an usual form of speaking and therefore of necessity these Words Body and Blood must be understood to be mystically spiritually or figuratively in the Bread and Wine and not the Bread and Wine to be mystically spiritually or figuratively in the Body and Blood of Christ It is also as certain that the whole Church this Mother-Church Acts 2. 42 did then receive both the Bread and Cup of the Lord as that any one of them did partake of both the whole Service being expressed by a Synecdoche a part for the whole which yet will better appear in that this Ordinance ought to be received by every Recipient as he is a Member of Christ not as he is a Minister 'T is true as I am a Minister I dispense this Mystery but I receive it as a Member saith St. Paul For YE being many are one Bread and one Body For WE are all partakers of that one Bread. It was
that are to partake of that Bread thereby may feed upon the Body of Christ which is the true Bread and by him live for ever Then he breaketh the Bread pronouncing the words of Christ This is my Body c. willeth the People to receive it in remembrance of Christ and as shewing forth the Death of Christ till he come the second time without sin to Salvation In like manner he taketh the Cup after the People have received the Bread and with Prayer suitable to that great Mystery it being sanctified he poureth out of the Wine remembring the words of Christ This Cup is the New Testament in my Blood c. partakes of it himself as he did also of the Bread and gives it to the Deacons to Communicate to all the Congregation and they all drink of it Then some word of Exhortation is given to the People under the consideration of the unspeakable Mercy of God in the gift of his Son to dye for us that we might live Eternally with him all is concluded with Prayers to the Lord for all his Blessings in the most joyful manner that the Minister is able to express them and then usually something is given to the Poor as every mans heart maketh him willing being not constrained thereunto but as the love of Christ constraineth him TO say nothing here of the Roman Church denying to give the Cup to the People the Priests only drinking of it nor of the Priest only partaking of the Bread and Cup in divers of their Masses the People only looking on neither of their Adoration of the Elements of Bread and Wine in these words I Worship thee I Glorifie thee I Praise thee Nor yet of that Passage in the Communion of the Mass Let us Worship the Sign of the Cross which are things too large to be discoursed in a Letter It shall suffice to set down the manner of their Celebration 1. All is done in an unknown Tongue which the People understand not 2. The Benedicamus Domino is sung ten times together and Ite Missa est is sung thirteen times with long and tedious Notes 3. The Priest is to say divers Prayers privately to himself 4. He is taught by the Rubrick to make thirty several Crosses upon the Bread the Cup the Altar and his forehead 5. Their Gestures are as followeth The Priest boweth his Body and lifting up himself kisseth the Altar on the right side then he boweth again and looketh toward the Host that is the Bread he joyneth his hands wipeth his fingers lifteth up the Host then he lifteth up his eyes and boweth himself and lifteth up his eyes again he boweth again and lifteth up the Host above his forehead then he uncovereth the Cup and holdeth it between his hands keeping his thumb and his finger together Then he boweth and lifteth up the Cup a little then to his Breast or above his Head. He setteth it down again and wipeth his fingers then he spreadeth his Arms a-cross He boweth his Body rising up he kisseth the Altar on the right side He smiteth his Breast uncovering the Cup he makes five Crosses with the Host beyond the Cup twice on each side under the Cup and before it Then he layeth his hands upon the Altar the Deacon reaching him the Paten he putteth it to his right eye then to his left he maketh a Cross beyond his head with it he kisseth it and layeth it down Then he breaketh the Host in three holding two pieces in his left hand and one in his right over the Cup which with a Cross he letteth fall into it Then he kisseth the Corporas the Deacon taketh the Pax from the Priest giveth it to the sub-Deacon and he to the Quire. Then humbling himself he first taketh the Body and then the Blood so he goeth to the right horn of the Altar the sub-Deacon poureth in Wine and the Priest rinseth the Cup and washeth his hands turning himself to the People Cometh again to the Altar and turneth to the People the second time Then bowing his body and closing his hands he prayeth to himself he riseth again making the sign of the Cross and bowing again goeth from the Altar Thus Brethren I have given you a brief account of the Ceremonious Observations of those who would be thought the truest Church on Earth though they have assuredly changed the Ordinances of our Lord more than any sort of Christians I have also set before you the purity and simplicity and yet the great utility of these two great Ordinances that you may be more inwardly affected with them but especially with him whom they so excellently represent for to this end are they ordained to set forth Christ and him Crucified Of all the difficulties with which you are likely to be tried in respect of your Religious Profession that Question which concerns the Judge of these and other Controversies in Religion is like to be the most dangerous because you have been little exercised in it as also because many persons of great Eminency and Authority are deeply radicated and very expert in an opinion diametrically opposite to yours for they say that the living voice of the Church assembled in a General Council of her Bishops and Doctors is the only infallible Judge to determine all Controversies in matters of Faith and Religion On the other side We have been taught and have constantly believed that it is all Christians Duty to rely chiefly and before all things upon the Authority and sufficiency of the voice of God himself as he speaks in the Holy Scriptures as the best and only infallible Decider of all Questions that shall arise especially in the Christian Church and since the holy Scriptures were written and received about matters of Faith and Religion And indeed it seems very strange that any man should think there is a better Judge than God himself of what is true and what is otherwise in matters of Religion and to be sure he speaks to us with the greatest Certainty and Authority by the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures And it is as strange that the Church who must derive all her Light and Authority from God and his Word should appeal men to her self rather than to him methinks they should say to us as Caesar's Substitute said to St. Paul Hast thou Appealed to God as he speaks in his Scriptures to God and his Scriptures shalt thou go And especially when this is the question What sort of Christians are the true Church of Christ for it seems then the most unreasonable thing in the World that any Party contending for this Title The Church should be her own Judge and seeing the Church cannot by meerly avouching upon her own Testimony only that she is the Church make any proof or demonstration that she is so it remains then that we must have some Infallible Rule by which to find the Church And now if God himself does not reveal to us
and these things come not lawfully but because they walk in the business of Darkness Behold now in Peace my bitterness is most bitter It hath been before bitter in the Death of Martyrs afterwards more bitter in Controversie with Hereticks now it is most bitter in the manners of those of our own House We can neither chase them away they are so mighty and multiplied without Number the Sores and Plagues of the Church are entred into the inward parts and are incurable and therefore is her Bitterness most bitter And in Psal 90. 6 11. O Lord Jesus thou hast multiplied the People but not encreased their Joy all the Christians almost do seek their own Profit they have removed the Offices to shameful Gain and into Works of Darkness and the Health of Souls is not searched for but the Pleasure of Vices Therefore are they shorn Therefore do they frequent Churches and sing Psalms They contend most impudently daily by Process for Bishopricks Arch-Bishopricks c. There remaineth nothing but that the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition be revealed And on the Conversion of St. Paul. Alas O Lord God for these are the first which do persecute thee whom we do see to love the highest Places in thy Church and do hold the Principality and by Power and strength have taken the Arches of Sion and afterward freely have set all the City on fire Their Conversation is miserable the Subversion of thy People is pitiful And speaking to the Pope he saith This Mortal Corruption hath not begun in thy days but I pray God it may end in thy time In the mean time thou art apparelled and decked up very gorgeously If I durst speak thy Seat is rather a Pack of Devils then of Sheep Did St. Peter do so Did St. Paul mock after that sort Behold the murmuring and complaint of all Churches they do cry out that they are cut in pieces and dismembred There are very few or almost none that do not fear the streak or Wound Thus far Bernard Let not then the Papists contemn or despise us because of some Defects in respect of Unity neither let us despise them because of the Discords which have been or are among them Let us beware of the cause of those Calamities and strive only for the true Form and due Power of Godliness then shall the Spirit of Hatred which hath inserted it self amongst Christians be rooted out and then shall that great Badge of Christianity unfeigned Love even the Love of God shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost possess the Room of all our bitter Contentions That thus it may be is the Prayer of Your Loving Brother Thomas Grantham Written in the Year 1685. Post-Script Concerning the Original Manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures BRETHREN BEcause our Learned Adversaries are wont to amuse weak Christians by telling them they knew not the Originals c. I thought fit to transcribe part of what I have formerly printed in Answer to this specious Objection In the Introduction of my Book of Primitive Christianity how vain and pernicious this Talk is about the Original will appear when you consider That no man living ever saw the very Papers in which the Prophets and Apostles did write the first Draughts of the Holy Scriptures and therefore none have the Originals but only Copies of Scripture And let not this offend any Man for It seems to have been the best for all Christians that after many Copies are taken and spread in many Nations these first Draughts should not continue long for had any now but so much Confidence as to say they have these very first Sheets of Paper to show how might they trouble the whole World with such a Report and how might they abuse the World and all the Churches in the World at pleasure as by adding or taking away and who should correct the Original Suppose the Roman Church had those Manuscripts in their Hands what Mists might they cast upon the Nations and who could come to the sight of them to discover any such abuse and the same may be said of any other potent Party But now the Originals being no where to be found but yet a multitude of Copies extant and the same translated by multitudes of Men into several Languages by this means all are forced to be more peaceable than perhaps they are willing to be since they have only Copies of the Divine Oracles and others have Copies as well as they so that they can none of them pretend to have ever seen the Original and therefore can they less quarrel about their Copies Thus hath God's Wisdom disposed herein better for his Church than She could have thought or desired And it is worth observation that scarce any of the Churches to whom St. Paul wrote had the Original sent to them except the Galatians but had only certain Copies written by divers Hands For Instance The Epistle to the Hebrews was written by Timothy as 't is said in the Post-Script The Epistle to the Romans was written by Tertius Four Persons wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians Post-Script Two Brethren wrote the Second Epistle Post-Script Tichicus and Onesimus wrote that to Colossus All these Churches had only Copies and for ought appears never saw the Originals And what if some of these Copies did accidentally vary some Word or Tittle are the Sacred Epistles ever the worse so long as the Holy Doctrine therein contained was not injured Can we think that when the Holy Apostles preached that they had still the very self-same Phrases This were idle to imagine and yet they had the self-same Gospel to preach in every Place I speak not this as if I approved of altering the Holy Writings no not in the least iota yet if accidentally in Transcribing or Printing there should be some such Failure I do not think that by and by that Copy were to be rejected or the Authority of the Scriptures therefore to be called in question that men might set up themselves above it Some under pretence of being the Church and others pretending the Spirit whilst they both reject the Church and the Spirit as held forth in and speaking by the Holy Scriptures A plain Instance of this we have in the Papists and most Paedo-Baptists who whilst they seem to admire General Councils Fathers c. they regard not the Decrees of the best Councils and Fathers which were held by the Apostles and Elders and Brethren at Jerusalem who among other things forbid the eating of things strangled and Blood which the Church observed for several hundred of years after for indeed they were delivered to the Churches to be kept not to be broken Acts 16. 1 2. and yet without all Conscience of these Decrees they feed upon Blood c. And on the other side how ridgidly do they impose the Decrees of the Trent Councils in the Case of Transubstantiation though never heard of before it was there invented insomuch as