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A33507 The whore unvailed, or, The mistery of the deceit of the Church of Rome revealed being a brief answer to a book entituled, the reconciler of religions, or, A decider of all controversies in matters of faith, written by a professed Roman Catholick who subscribes his name A.S. in which he endeavoured to prove the Church of Rome to be the true church ... / by a servant of the Lord, Josiah Coale ; whereunto is added the 14th Chap. of A.S. his book in which he declares the Protestant ... not to be true preachers ... Coale, Josiah, 1632?-1668. 1665 (1665) Wing C4760; ESTC R37745 41,902 55

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that gave them this knowledg 2 Cor. 4.6 And was not this light the Law that was the Apostles Schoolmaster till Christ Gal. 3.24 And is not the Law which is light Pro. 6.23 written in the hearts of all people And is it not a sufficient Schoolmaster now to bring people who are taught by it unto the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Christ as it did the Apostles then What need then is there of erecting Academies for people cannot attain to the knowledg of God by Natural learning 1 Cor. 1.21 Nor thereby be made true Ministers of Jesus Christ Yet I am not against having an outward School house or some convenient place for the educating or bringing up of children in Natural Learning which is good in its place but that any can thereby be brought to the knowledge of God or made true Ministers of Jesus Christ that I cannot own Neither was this way of making Ministers by natural learning or setting of them up by man in being untill people had forsaken the right way and went into Cains way and Balaams and then the envy and murther began amongst the profest Christians and then they could not endure sound Doctrine but heapt up to themselves teachers according to their own hearts lusts who knew nothing but what they knew naturally as bruit beasts c. and this the Apostle Paul foresaw and wrote of to Timothy 2 Tim. 4.3 and Peter prophesied of them also 2 Pet. 2. and John and Jude saw them come 1 John 2.18 Jude 10.11 so that by natural learning and ordination of man no true Minister of Christ was ever made or sent forth but contrariwise the Apostle Paul was made a Minister viz. not of man nor by man nor yet by natural learning but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1.1 so we do not understand that in the Apostles dayes they did erect Academies or that they had any need of them and indeed I cannot but look upon it as an ignorant question to be proposed by A. S. upon this account But to his next Query viz. What Churches and Monasteries did she build Answ I answer this is as ignorant a question as the former and great foolishnesse to ask what Churches the Church built however this I say they who were Members of the true Church did build up one another in their most holy faith Jude 20. And as for Monasteries or Monk houses we hear of no such thing that was in being in the Apostles dayes neither do we believe that there is any need of them for we do not read in the holy Scriptures that ever the true Church in any generation built such places but we know that many such places have been erected and built within the borders of the great City Babylon since the Apostacy began and since the right way was forsaken and many other Superstitious inventions and Idolatries as before hinted hath been set up relating to the beasts and Dragons worship all which God hath determined to throw down and when the desolation of all these things cometh and the seven Mountains upon which the Whore sits comes to be laid waste according as hath been prophesied in ages past Isa 42.15 And when the great Whore comes to drink the cup of Gods fury which is already filled into the hands of the Saints of the most High to pour out unto her Rev. 12. I say then shall she know that God hath spoken by me and that I have herein declared the truth according as I received it from and by the spirit oft he Lord. And thus much as to his Queries But then he speaks of another clear and easie way to find out the true Church to try all Churches by the true Catechisme and see which of them all sayes it truly believes it rightly c and that which doth is the true Answ I answer to try all Churches by their Doctrine and practice and see which is most agreeable to the Principles Doctrines and Practice of the true Church in the Apostles dayes is indeed a way that I do very well approve of and if all controversies betwixt you and us might be decided after this manner laying aside all carnal weapons carnal laws prisons fires and the like which hath been the weapons that the Church of Rome hath defended her self with for many age● past and doth at this day I say then it would be indeed well and we shall be very willing to engage with you wi●h spiritual weapons bring the best you can form or find out but for carnal weapons we are redeemed from them and the weapons of our warfare are spiritual so I say upon equal termes we shall be very willing to dispute the matters with you that are in controversie betwixt us and they who are found either you or us in Doctrine life and practice to be most agreeable to the true Church in the primitive times shall be owned and acknowledged to be the true Church now at this day And they who are detected to be in the steps practises and Doctrines of them whom the holy Prophets Christ and his Apostles testified against shall be concluded to be the false Church now at this day and upon these termes as I said before we shall be very ready and willing to joyn issue with you at any time or place that you wi●h us shall agree upon And whereas A.S. saith that all the Schismaticks Sectaries and Hereticks in the world cannot truly say that prayer that Christ taught his Disciples viz. Our Father which art in Heaven c. for said he they are continually doing the works of the Devil and are his children and consequently cannot truly call God Father I answer therefore the Church of Rome cannot call God Father for she is and long hath been doing the works of the Devil the murtherer as before proved therefore she is of her father the Devil and cannot call God father in truth and in righteousnesse Then A. S. rambles through several other particulars in which he controverts with Sectaries c. whose cause I am not concerned to plead only this small hint before I have given to prove the Church of Rome one of those Sects who cannot speak the fore-mentioned words truly and so I shall leave the Sectaries with whom A. S. controverts to plead their own cause for the thing that was chiefly in my heart when I took in hand to write this brief reply was to prove the Church of Rome not to be the true Church and the chief Arguments by him produced to prove her the true Church I have already in brief answered Again A. S. in his 6th Chapter makes it his business to prove the Church to be the Judge of all controversies in matters of faith and saith that not every man nor human reason nor the private spirit nor the Bible is this Judge and to prove it he quotes Matth. 18.17 where Christ said tell the Church c. Ans To
which I answer That the Judgement of the true Church of which Christ is Head in matters of faith I do not deny for being governed in all things by the Head Christ to whom all Judgment is committed John 5.20 the Judgement thereof must of necessity be true for the strength of Israel cannot lye and ought to be submitted unto by all But the Church of Rome being not the true Church she being not governed by the invisible Head Christ to whom all Judgment is committed as before proved Therefore she is not Judge of controversies in matters of Faith And the true Church to whom Christ said he that heareth you heareth me were such as heard Christ and in whom the spirit of the Father spake Mat. 10.20 But the Church of Rome doth not hear Christ as hereafter I shall prove therefore they who heare the Church of Rome do not hear Christ But surely when A.S. began this work of deciding controversies he had forgotten that the Church was the only Judge in that particular and not every man nor the private spirit for had he considered that he being but a particular man would not have undertaken the Churches work as appears by the Title of his book he hath for he calls it A brief Decider of all controversies in matters of Faith which book we have cause to judge is his own only work and not the Churches in which we find him condemning himself for the thing which he is doing for as appears by his aforesaid Title himself undertakes to decide controversies and in his 6th Chapter he affirmeth that the Church is the only Judge or decider of all controversies But this is that his confusion may the more appear as it hath done in many other things as may be seen in this small Treatise and surely if the Pope have no better servants than A. S. to do his work for him he had better keep them idle than to employ them in such a work for in the end they will bring more shame to him than they will honour for such like confusione and other abominations hath already made the very name of the Pope an ill savour to all true Christians And one thing more in A. S. his 6th Chapter I cannot well omit to observe where he saith the spirit inspireth when he will and you hear his voice but cannot tell whence from God or the Devil he doth come or whither to heaven or to hell he doth go and then saith so is every one that is born of the spirit and to prove this he quotes Luke 9.55 where Christ said ye know not what spirit ye are of Now consider the blindnesse and ignorance or else the wilful wickednesse of A. S. who jumbles a deal of Scriptures together blasphemously wresting of them to his own destruction or at least to the destruction of his own work in hand thinking thereby to blind the minds of people and with his good words mixed with blasphemies and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple as his predecessors have done in the long night of Apostacy which hath been over all nations since the Apostles dayes But it s in vain for him to strive to accomplish his end for the day is dawned unto many and there is an eye opened in many thousands in this Nation of England that gives them to see over and beyond all this Babylonish or confused trumpery and stuff and have a feeling of that which was before Babylon was and shall out last Babylon to the praise of God and to the glory and honour of his name who is blessed for ever Well Although it was so that Christ said unto his Disciples you know not what spirit ye are of yet consider the time when he spake these words was it not before they were born of the spirit although called to be Apostles for Christ said unto them you must be born again John 3.7.8 and that he would send them the spirit of which he said they must be born which should lead them into all truth John 16.13 and he did not say as A.S. doth that they should not know whence from God or the Devil the spirit came or whither to heaven or to hell it went oh horrid blasphemy in A. S who saith so is every one that is born of the spirit as much as to say that he that is born of the spirit knows not whether he be from God or the Devil or whither he shall go to heaven or to hell oh wickednesse indeed Christ said no such thing as A.S. doth although that blessed worthy saying of our Saviour and Lord Christ was and is very true viz Marvel not that I say unto you that you must be born again for the wind bloweth where it listeth and men hears the sound thereof but cannot tell from whence it cometh nor whither it goeth adding even so is every one that is born of the spirit John 3.7 8. Mark they that were born of the spirit were unknown to the world for said the Apostle after they were born again the world knows us not So although they were in the world and men saw them yet the world knew them not no more than they knew from whence the wind came and whither is went which they heard the sound of and indeed so is the state of the true Church in the world at this day And the Apostles did know from whence the spirit came and of what spirit they were after they received the spirit of truth and were born of it for Christ told them John 14.16 that he would pray the Father and he should send them the Holy Ghost the Comforter John 16.7.13 which should abide with them for ever and they did receive it and were led by it into a heavenly habitation Eph. 1.3 for they were made to sit together i● heavenly places in Christ Jesus so it s hereby clear that the Apostles knew from whence the spirit came and whither it led them and it s also plain that A.S. either wilfully or sottishly wrests the words of Christ and by his additions to them would make them import another thing than was intended by him of purpose to divert people from being led by the spirit of God or to disswade them from adhering to the leadings of it under pretence that they cannot tell whence from God or the Devil it doth come or whither to heaven or to h●●l it goeth when indeed Christs words in themselves importeth quite another thing as above shewed Wherefore let all mind and obey the spirit of truth which will lead into all truth and condemn sin in the flesh and will lead out of all unrighteousnesse and errours and heresies which the Church of Rome is full of and that spirit which condemns the abominations of the Whore and all sin and unrighteousnesse that is the spirit of God and comes from God through the Son of his love who is the light of the world that lighteth every man that cometh
unto all Christians therefore it is not lawful for Christians to swear at all And that spirit that tolerates swearing or would set it up as a religious act is an an●ichristian spirit because it is against the command of Christ And although the Apostle might or did call the Lord to witnesse concerning the truth which he spake yet that doth not prove that the Apostle swore as A. S. affirmeth that he did neither do we read that ever any of the Apostles did either propagate or tolerate swearing since Christ forbid it But contrariwise the Apostle James saith Above all things my breth●en swear not neither by heaven nor by the earth neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea and your nay nay least you fall into condemnation So that although A.S. would wrest the words of Christ to perswade people that his intent was they should not swear but in truth and in righteousnesse yet the words of Christ and the Apostle whom all true Christians are to heare doth clearly import that their intent was that people should not sweare at all by any oath whatsoever But this Antichristian spirit which opposeth the doctrines and commands of Christ and his Apostles we have had large experience of and we have oft-times seen that it leads people to swear and also to forswear themselves both which are an abomina●ion to the Lord and in the transgression against God and the new covenant Ninthly and A.S. saith the Apostle said salute one another but the devil saith salute not one another for Christ saith he sending his disciples bid them salute no man by the way Luke 10.4 this Devil follows all Quakers but alas Christ● meaning there was that none should hinder them by the way c. Answ To which I answer here again A. S. goes about to make us believe that the commands of Christ are the impositions of the Devil or at least that the Devil stirs up people to keep the commands of Christ the first of which is bl●sphemy in the highest degree and the second is little lesse for if the Devil would teach people to keep the commands of Christ then might they serve Christ and B●lial but as Christ said that cannot be And indeed we do experimentally see and finde that the Devil alwaies opposeth the keeping of Christs commands As now in A. S. Who would diswade them from it under pretence that its the devil that leads them to it And as to his saying this Devil follows all Quakers I answer its true but alas its intentionally to destroy them for it was said to the Serpent in the beginning that the seed of the woman should bruise his head and he should bruise its heel Gen. 3.15 And even so it s now come to passe for the Lord Jesus Christ the promised seed Gal. 3.16 being become the leader of his people and the Angel of Gods presence going before them the Devil as A. S. saith comes after them and follows them with his fiery darts of persecution and Serpent like is snarling at the heel But blessed be the Lord he that goes before them and is in them is greater and mightier then the Devil that follows them and he hath been their preserver hitherto and I doubt not but he will unto the end preserve all who trust in him And as concerning Christs words there needs no meaning to be given to them for he meant as he spoke but if they did according to A. S. his own conclusion he is not the interpreter but the Church Therefore A.S. being not the church but a particular man according to his own argument his interpretation is not to be heeded Again he saith every man is not the Interpreter for saith he every man is a liar and indeed he hath confirmed unto us that himself is a liar because he hath belied the intent of Christs words aforesaid by giving his meaning to them Then saith A. S. Yet these deluded souls think that this their deluding spirit is of God and why forsooth because it reprehends them of sin c. and did not Judas his spirit rebuke him of sinne and notwithstanding induce him to desperation and to hang himselfe Answ Here A. S. is again putting light for darknesse or calling the spirit of truth a deluding spirit for is not that the spirit of truth that reproves the world of sin John 16.7 8. Did not Christ say that he would send the comforter that should reprove the world of sin and we never read of any other spirit that did reprove sinne but the spirit of truth which A. S. blasphemously calls a deluding spirit neither did I ever read that a deluding spirit was the comforter which that spirit that reproves for sin is as Christ said And again is it not clear that A.S. puts light for darknesse in calling that a deluding spirit which reproves sin for the Apostle said that whatsoever things are reproved are made manifest by the light for whatsoever makes manifest is light Eph. 5.13 and the deluding spirit is darknesse it self so that hereby it manifestly appears that A.S. cannot discern betwixt light and darknesse so is a miserable blind guide indeed And though the spirit of truth did rebuke Judas for his treachery doth it therefore follow that it was the same that led him to hang himself no this is great ignorance in A.S. to affirm for he might as well have said That the same spirit that led him to betray his Master did afterwards rebuke him for it but then his ignorance would have somewhat more plainly appeared But it was indeed the same spirit which led Judas into that presumptuous act as to betray his Master that afterwards led him to desperation and to hang himself and that spirit which let him see his wickednesse which he had done and rebuked him for it was light for whatsoever makes maninifest is light Eph. 5.13 Eleventhly then lastly he saith Thus far have we degressed for the Conversion of Quakers c. Answ To which I say that if he have no better way to convert Quakers nor no better arguments to produce in order to their conversion then what he hath made use of in his pretended reconsiler of Religions he were better be silent and save his labour for I cannot believe that a thousand such books will ever convert or rather divert one Quaker nay nor convince them neither except it be of his own grosse ignorance or wilful wickednesse of which there is enough appears as before manifested Thus having briefly answered the most remarkable arguments produced by A. S. to prove the church of Rome the true church and also the several particulars by which he endeavoured to render the people called Quakers as a people led by a deluding spirit I find the rest of his book consists of divers arguments in which he controverts with Sectaries and their Bibles and Ministers c. whose cause as aforesaid I am not ingaged in therefore it doth not