she is not the true Church Secondly Again A.S. saith and diabolically affirmeth in the second Page of his pretended Reconciler of Religions that the true Church is composed of both good and bad wheat and tares which I do abominate to acknowledge and is blasphemy in him to affirm for the true Church is built of Living stones 1 Pet. 2.5 elect and precious or as A.S. affirmeth of living believers but no living believers can be truly called the bad nor the tares but elect and precious and all that are living or precious are the good therefore the true Church is built of the good only Thirdly But if the Church of Christ which A.S. in his second page affirmeth is the kingdome of Christ be composed of both good and bad then according to his own affirmation the kingdome of Christ is part good and part bad which is horrid blasphemy in A.S. to affirm Oh grosse darknesse and confusion Are thou a Member of that Church that calls it self the light of the world Oh dark dull gloomy light the Lord God Almighty bring all his people out of that dark Cell that they may walâ— in his marvellous light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world which makes all things manifest of what sort it is Fourthly But if you say that Christ likened the kingdome to a net that was cast into the Sea which gathered of all kinds I answer he did so yet when it came to land there was none composed or gathered into the vessels but the good only and the bad were cast away Matth. 13.48 Therefore the true Church is not composed of both good and bad but of the good only Fifthly But if you object that the tares and wheat were both to grow together in the field I answer they were so untill the harvest and the field is the world Mat. 13.39 but the true Church is not of the woâ—ld Joh. 17.14 but when the reapers were sent forth which were the Angels that had the Gospel to preach Rev. 14 6. who went to disciple people and to baptize them into the true Church Mat. 28.19 Their commission was to compose or gather the wheat only and to seperate the tareâ— from it and to bind them in bundles for the fire Mat. 13.30 and therefore the true Church is not composed of both wheat and tares but of the wheat only Sixthly Farther If you say that there was some in the true Church in the Apostles dayes that were false brethren and these were bad I answer Though they were amongst them yet they were not of them as the Apostle said 1 John 2.19 Therefore the true Church is not composed of both good and bad but of the good only But to râ—tuâ—n to the fifth part of A.S. his argument where he saith that the Church of Rome is known to the world in her Bishops Pastors and Believers c. and therefore she is visible Answ Although that proves her visible yet it doth not prove her to be the true Church but the contrary for the true Church that was the light of the world was not known to the world John 17.14 but the visible Church of Rome is known to the world as A.S. himself affirmeth therefore she is not the true Church but the contrary Again the true Church wrestled not with flesh and bloud neither was her weapons carnal but spiritual and she wrestled with spiritual wickednesses that were in the high places and broke down the strong holds of iniquity 2 Cor. 10.3 4. but the Church of Rome wrestles with flesh and blood and kills mens bodies about Religion as the whole Christendome knoweth and the spiritual wickednesses are still standing in her as afore proved and as all the world sufficiently knows therefore she is not the true Church Sixthly The infallibleness of the true Church of which Christ is supreme head and governour I do not go about to deny but that the Church of Rome is infallible that I do deny For First Although A.S. hath affirmed that she hath alwayes remained since Christs time unto this day without interruption c. yet he never proved it neither can he do it for as before I have said we never read that the true Church in Christs dayes was found in such things neither was such things then found in her as is now found in the Church of Rome and which the Church of Rome is now found in by which it is clear that she hath not alwayes remained since Christs time in the state she now stands Secondly But if she hath alwayes remained since Christe time to this day without interruption aâ— A.S. saith she hath then she cannot possibly be the true Church for the true Church was interrupted since the Resurrection and Ascention of Christ and yet remained as hereafter I shall shew and in the Apostles dayes her interruption began and some of the Apostles foresaw it and said of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things Acts 20.30 and when they were arisen they withstood the truth as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 so here the interruption of the true Church began and after this John saw the Dragon interrupting or persecuting her into the Wildernesse where she had a place prepared of God that they might feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Rev. 12.6 13.14 ver concerning which I shall have occasion to speak more hereafter so on this wise the true Church was interrupted since Christs days But A.S. saith that the Church of Rome hath alwayes remained since Christs time without interruption Therefore she is not the true Church Thirdly And whereas A.S. farther saith that the Church of Rome shall alwayes remain to the end of the world and therefore she is infallible I answer He hath not at all confirmed that by any proof neither hath he any farther proof than his own affirmation except he would produce that saying of the Mother of Harlots viz. I sit as a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow Rev. 18.7 And indeed what would be a very pittiful Argument to prove the Church of Rome infallible but none other can he produce except he could first prove her to be the true Church which he is never able to do his best argument by which he hath undertaken it being already confuted Therefore we have no more cause to believe his affirmation than we have to believe the sayings of the forementioned mother of Harlots for they are both alike to us and though she said she should see no sorrow yet John who was in the spirit of the Lord said that in one day her desolation should come Rev. 18.8 And although A.S. saith that the Church of Rome shall alwayes remain to the end of the world yet I say in the name of the Lord and by the same spirit that John was in That the one day of which John spake is already dawned in which the desolation of that Great Whore
then that which is already laid 1 Cor. 3.11 which is Jesus Christ So he is the first and the last the beginning and the end and A.S. his affirmation is nothing worth for his purpose nay it 's worse then nothing for it discovers his deceit and ignorance though I perceive his intent and aime was to gratifie his Master the Pope by pleading his Supremacy under pretence of setting Peter above the rest of the Apostles when indeed its manifest enough that his intent was to set up the Pope as Lord and Master over Gods heritage Gentile like contrary to that saying of our one Lord Christ viz. be not many masters for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are brethren Mat. 23 8. So that Peter was not set up as a visible head over the Church of Christ as A.S. saith the Pope is over the Church of Rome neither was Peter above other of the Apostleâ— but a fellow servant with them and they all fellow workers together with Christ 2 Cor. 6 1. and Paul was not at all inferiour to Peter in relation to his spiritual authority for he himself said yet not boâ—stingly but truly that he came not behind the very chiefest Apostles 2 Cor. 12.11 So that Peter was no more the rock then Paul was and what was Paul or what was Apollo or Peter either But Ministers by whom the Church believed 1 Cor. 3.5 so it was not the work of the Apostles to set themselves one above another for they abased themselves that the Lord Jesus Christ might be exalted Neither did they preach themselves but Jesus Christ the Lord and themselves servants c. 2 Cor. 4.5 by which it appears that the Pope doth not truly succeed Peter in the same spirit that he and the rest of the Apostles were in who had the spirit and mind of Christ who made himself of no reputation Phil. 2.7 but the Pope truly succeeds those whom the Apostle saw would come that should be covetous boasters and prâ—ud blasphemers 2 Tim. 3.2 as doth appeare by his preaching up himself and his boasting of his great power and superiority witnesse Fox his Acts the first Volume pag. 1023. and so on where you may read at large how several of the Popes of Rome have sufficiently declared themselves to be covetous boasters and proud blasphemers and have also laid themselves open enough to the view of all who have an eye to see so that I need not produce any farther Argument to prove the Pope a proud blasphemer Then next A.S. in his third chapter undertakes to prove That neither all sects nor any one of them is the true Church c. Whose Cause I am not engaged in nor intend to plead therefore I shall let that passe But his fourth and fifth Chapters contains several Arguments by which he undertakes farther to prove the Church of Rome to be the true Church together with some Queries propounded To which I intend to return a brief and sober Answer 1. First A. S. saith That which was once the true Church is now c. But the Roman Pontificial was once the true Church c. I answer I do not deny but that there was a true Church at Rome in the Apostles dayes but that the Church now at Rome is therefore the true Church that doth not follow for as I have before proved the true Church in the Apostles dayes was far different both in Discipline and Practice from the Church of Rome that now is But then A.S. saith If the Roman Pontificial did fall what Church did she fall from If she did faile when c I answer Paul in the first Chapter in his Epistle to the Church of Rome spake of some who when they knew God did not glorifie him as God but became vain in their imaginations and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man and so not likeing to retain God in their knowledg God gave them up to a reprobate mind and they were filled with unrighteousness fornication and wickedness covetousness envy murther c. Rom. 1.21.23.28 29. And is not this the very state of the Church of Rome at this day is she not now filled with these things Surely yes Thousands of thousands must acknowledg it if they consider it and speak the truth Oh the murthers acted by her and the blood she hath drunk as before hinted and the adulteries committed within her borders Indeed these and many other her abominations are innumerable as she her self full well knows therefore she is indeed falne and deeply revolted from that pure spirit in which the true Church stood in the Apostles dayes Thence she is falne and the time when she fell was when she began to enter into these aforesaid abominations that is now found in her Well 2. But then A.S. saith That if the true Church be infallible she must have alwayes remained without interruption since Christs time to this day c. I answer although the true Church be infallible yet it doth not absolutely follow that she must have always remained without interruption unto this day for as I have already proved the true Church was interrupted by the Dragon and was persecuted into the Wildernesse but she did not fail but remained there and had a being there a place prepared of God for her concerning which I shall have occasion to speak more fully shortly 3. But A.S. saith That no other Church on earth hath remained unto this day without interruption besides the Roman Pontificial and therefore she is the true Church I answer no she is not therefore the true Church but the Whore for as I have already proved the true Church was interrupted and yet remained 4. But then said A.S. If any can say that there hath remained any other Church on earth since Christs time unto this day without interruption and error let him tell what was she or what is she where was she or where is she what is her name what Bishops Pastors and Believers had she or yet hath she what Emperors or Kings did adhere to her or now do what general Councils did she hold what Hereticks did she condemn what Accademies did she errect or confirm what Churches or Monastries did she build c. And then said he To these and such like Interrogatories all the Schismaticks Sectaries and Hereticks in the world cannot answer Answ To which I answer Although all the Sectaries in the world cannot answer those questions yet there are many who are members of the true Church not of the Church of Rome that can answer them and first I say there hath remained another Church since Christs time to this day besides the Roman Pontificial thaâ— now is though not without interruption yet the true Church as before proved was interrupted And as to those questions viz. What was she or what is she c. I answer she was in Johns day a wonder in Heaven a woman cloathed
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 ageâ— past and doth at this day I say then it would be indeed well and we shall be very willing to engage with you wiâ—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 wiâ—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
THE WHORE UNVAILED Or the Mistery of the Deceit of the CHURCH of ROME REVEALED BEING A brief Answer to a Book Entituled The Reconsiler 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 But what his arguments therein produced are worth for his purpose may be here seen in this following Treatise Also his reflections upon the Principles of the People called Quakers Answered With a brief Discovery of the true Church in which the Doctrine of Perfection is vindicated by sound Scripture Arguments By a servant of the Lord Josiah Coale Whereunto is added the 14 th Chap. of A.S. his Book in which he declares the Protestant or Sectarian Ministers not to be true preachers nor sent of God which I thought meet to publish herewith that the Sectarians or Episcoparians may answer for themselves O thou that dwellest upon many waters abundant in treasures thine end is come and the measure of thy Covetousness Jer. 51.13 For out of the north there cometh up a Nation against her which shall make her land desolate and none shall dwell therein chap 50.3 And a mighty Angel took up a great stone like a milstone and cast it into the sea saying thus with violenâ—e shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all Rev. 18.21 Their Idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not they have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not they have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat they that make them are like unto them so is every oâ— that trusteth in them Ps 115.4 5 6 7 8 But our God is in the heavens he doth whatsoever he pleaseth ver 3. Printed in the Year 1665. TO THE READER Reader ALthough the Author of the pretended Reconciler of Religions did in the conclusion thereof seem to Challeng an Answer to all particulars therein laid down according to the Chapters and Numbers thereof yet I did not look upon his Challeng to be any obligation to me to proceed according to his directions neither indeed was it needful or necessary that I should answer his desire therein for it would have required more time than I was willing to spare for that work and more labour than I was willing to bestow about it because there is an easier way which I have taken to do the work as effectual as though I had gone through with every particuler there incerted For when the foundation of a building is Raced the whole building will fall as effectually as though a man should begin at the top and pull down all one stone after another and with a great deal lesse labour it is done So for my Comodaty I have observed that Rule in answering the aforesaid Book by Racing the Foundation of the Contents thereof or answering the chief Heads by which he therein endeavoured to prove the Church of Rome to be the True Church upon which all the rest of his Book hath its dependancy and those Heads or Particulars being Confuted the rest must of themselves needs fall or of necessity be of no validity and so not worth spending Ink and Paper about upon consideration of which I doubt not but the Reader will find as good satisfaction in what I have hear written concerning the Church of Rome as though I had answered all his particulars particularly And so to the Grace of God do I commend thee J. C. The Whore unvailed c. GReat is the controversie at this day throughout the whole Christendom concerning the way of worship and salvation and great is the confusion that is about faith and religion c. Even amongst all professing Christianity and many and cruel are the murthers that have been acted by them one against another about faith and worship since the apostacy bebegan and since people forsook the right way and went in Cains way and in Balaams Jude ver 11. For then persecution began amongst the profâ—st Christians and not before and when the right way was forsaken then people went into envy and then they withstood the truth even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses and then they began to be scattered from the holy mountain of the Lord where nothings hurts nor destroys to the baâ—ren mountains where they have been destroying one another and there in the dark and cloudy day of Antichrists reign they have been worshipping the many headed beast that then arose and also the dragon that gave power to the Beast to make War with the Saints and they who have been worshipping upon one mountain they have cryed salvation is here And they who have been worshipping another head or upon another hill they have cried that salvation was to be found there For the seven heads of the beast are seven mountains upon which the whore sits that drinks the blood of the Sainâ—s And so they fell out one with another about the way of salvation and upon these barren mountains unto which people are in vain looking for salvation the strife and the envy hath been And there people hath been killing one another about the way and themselves all out of the way in an Antichristian destroying persecuting spirit as their fruits declares for the Spirit of Christ never led the true Christians to prosecute any about Religion neither doth any who are in the right way kill and destroy mens lives about religion Nay they that do so are not true Christians but of an Antichristian spirit for I testifie in the name of the Lord and for God that the Spirit of Christ doth not nor never did admit or allow of persecution or of destroying menâ— lives about worship faith towards God neither are any of them all true Christians whatsoever they professe that are found so doing For it is not a bare profession of Christ and of zeal for his cause and crying up ordinances c. that makes people true Christians or that gives them acceptance with God or will make them well pleasing unto God But that which makes a man a true Christian is his obedience unto that Spirit which baptizeth into the true faith by which righteousnesse is wrought Heb. 11.33 and into Christ who is the Author of faith and will bring him to have the mind of Christ as the true Christians had and will make him partaker of his divine nature and will teach him to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and to do to all men as he would they should do unto him which is according to the Law and Prophets that Christ came to fulfil And indeed there is nothing that can bring a man into this true Christian state but only the wâ—rking and operation
of the Spirit of Christ in his inward parts which all ought to obey and submit unto For the persecuting Jews who were uncircumcised in heart and ears and did alwaies resist the holy Ghost they professed as great zeal for God and his cause as the Apostate Christians now do and they looked for the coming of the Messiah of whom all the Prophets prophesied and profest they would adore him and reverence him c. and said that if they had been in the daies of their fathers they would not have slain the Prophets Mat. 23.31 who prophesied of the coming of Christ and so they had seemingly a great zeal for God and his truth But alas a murdering spirit was found in them for notwithstanding they professed that they would not have killed the Prophets yet they killed the Son who was the end of the Prophets And although the Prophets signified the time when Dan. 9.24 and the place where the Messiah should be born Mic. 5 2. yet when he was come according to the Prophets which they profest These professing Jews would not own him nor receive him Joh. 1.11 because he reproved their hypocrisie and their murdering spirit Joh. 8.40 But they crucified and slew him And this is the very state of the Apostate Christians at this day for who is there now amongst them but wiâ—l profess as great love to Christ as the Jews in Christs dayes did to the Prophets who prophesied of him who is there now amongst them but will say had we been in Pilats daies we would not have crucified Christ nor delivered him up to be crucified aâ— the Jews said of the Prophets yet notwithstanding their so saying they do as the Jews did for now in this day of his spiritual appearance which they professe they look for and expect they are found persecuting of him in his Members under the same pretence that the Jews persecuted him in their day viz. as a Blasphemer c. And so the Persecutors were in all ages bâ—inded by the god of the world who was a murtherer from the beginning and though they could see the iniquities of their fathers and predecessors in persecuting and killing the Prophets yet the envy of their hearts was such that they could not see their own iniquities in persecuting and slaying the son who was greater than the servants whom their fathers slew so as I said before it is not a profession of Christ and his Ordinances or zeal for his cause that makes people true Christians neither is God worshipped upon any of those mountains where the persecuting and destroying one another is but the worship of God consisteth in obedience to that spiâ—it of truth which condemns all those works of darknesse and cruelty and in his own mountain of holinesse where nothing hurts nor destroys Isa 11.9 And such is the Father now seeking to worship him that will worship him there and is now gathering his sheep from off the barren mountains upon which the Whore siâ—s where they have been scattered in the dark and cloudy day of Antichrists reign and where the wars and fightings are even to his own holy mountain where they shall learn war no more Isa 2.4 And this is the work that the envious and murtherous one opposeth and bestirrâ— himself with all his force and might in his instruments of cruelty and men of war arming of them with all kind of weapons that possibly he can form to fight against this appearance and work of God for so it hath been that since we who are reproachfully called Quakers were raised up to be a people to bear testimony for the name of the Lord and of the working of his spirit and power we have alwayes been even as a But for all the Archers of Babylon even from every mountain to shoot at And our sufferings hath not been only in our persons and estates as the spoyling of our goods and scourgings and cruel mockings and imprisonments many unto death as this Nation to her anguish must be made to know but even all sorts of Babylons Meâ—chants or they that trades in every part of her or within her subburbs have oft made it their business to write and print against us endeavouring thereby as much as in them lay to render us odious to our own Nation and to Nations about us under pretence that we were Papists and Jesuits and that we propagated Jesuitical principles c. but they being almost if not altogether weary of that work finding it to be to no purpose for the truth which we professe hath still got ground and flourisheth through all these things now at last the Papists or Jesuits themselves who I perceive have a secret hope of a day once more in this Nation they begin to put out their heads and to print against us and so both Protestants and Papists even every head horn of the Beast after whom the whole world wonders are â—â—uâ—d pushing against the Laâ—o and the Saints Rev. 17.14 For of late a cerâ—ain Pamphlet accidentally came to my hands written by a perfect Roman Catholick who subscribed his name A.S. in which he seems to shew himself sensible of the great distractions that are throughout the whole Christendome about the true way of worship and conâ—eâ—ning the true Church and fiâ—st states a Question viz which is this Church c. and afterwards makes it his businesse to prove the Church of Rome to be this true Church and that by divers Arguments by him stated in a Syllogistical manner And I also finding the Author of the aforesaid Pamphlet therein smiting at the people of God called Quakers and endeavouring to render them odious by affirming they are led by a deluding spirit c. I found my self somâ—what concerned to return a brief reply to his chief Arguments therein produced by which he haâ—h in vain endeavourd to accomplish the aforesaid work by him undertaken A.S. His first Argument produced to prove the Church of Rome to be the true Church consisteth of nine particulars as followeth viz. That is the true Church and no other which is one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church which is visible infallible inerrable in which is power of miracles out of which none can be saved But the Româ—n Pontificial that is to say the faithful people dispersed all the world over in communion with the high Priest Bishop or Pope of Rome is such and no other Therefore the Roman Pontificial alone is the true Church Reply To which I reply that the true Church of which Christ alone is Head and Supreme Governour is in it self one holy Apostolick Church c. I shall not go about to deny but as touching that grand Question by A.S. stated before his Argument here inserted viz. which is this Church c. I answer this is a thing indeed disputable amongst many yea amongst many thousands yet not at all questionable nor yet doubtful unto me for I am well satisfied therein and in all other
reason Thirdly but for all A.S. in his Epistle Dedicatory hath made such a great noise about miracles wrought by a Roman Catholick Priest in and about London and Westminster yet when he comes to prove that the Church of Rome is powerful in miracles then he doth just as much as nothing but takes an easie way to get out from that thing which seemingly he undertook to go thorow with by referring of us for a witnesse of his affirmation to nostre dame de Loretto nostre dame de montague nostre dame de hall and to the whole world c. Now what a pittiful proof or witnesse is this which A.S. directs us to For as the Apostle saith the whole world lies in wickedness 1 John 5.19 and wonders after the beast by whom lying miracles are wrought Rev. 13 3. So that the miracles which the world bears witnesse to are lying miracles for the world knows noâ— Christ nor his Church 1 Joh. 3.1 by whom true miracles are wrought for when Christ wrought miracles amongst the world they did not bear witnesse to him but said he did it by the Prince of Devils Mat 9 34. So that the witnesse that A.S. calls for confirmeth my forementioned affirmation viz. that the miracles in the Church of Rome are wrought by the Dragons power in the beast and false prophet that the whole world wonders after Fourthly and for nostre dame de loretto and the rest mentioned they signifie nothing as to our satisfaction in this particular because they are altogether unknown to us neither can we attain to a certain knowledge of them if we would for the information of the Church of Rome is to us no satisfaction so as I said before that A.S. for matter of proving his affirmation hath done just as much as nothing only made a shew like a cloud without rain But methinks if there were so many miracles wrought daily by a Roman Priest about London c. as A.S. seems to make a noise of he should have instanced some of them particularly for our satisfaction but seeing he hath not instanced any we have just cause to believe that there are none at all Ninthly So to proceed to the ninth part of A. S. his first Argument viz. Out of the true Church none can be saved I answer that thing I do not at all deny for all that are saved are of the true Church but that none can be saved out of the Church of Rome that I do deny for the Church of Rome is not the true Church but the Whore that drinks the blood of the Saints as afore-proved therefore out of the church of Rome people may be saved Wherefore let all who expecteth or desireth salvation make hast out of this great City Babylon And run for your lives towards Jerusalem the holy City the true Church the Lambs wife in whose light the Nations of them that are saved must walk Rev. 21.24 lest you perish within the borders of Babylon whose desolation shall certainly come in one day Yea Death and Mourning and Famine â— for strong is the Lord who is now arisen and judgeth her Well But if the Church of Rome say that she doth not drink the blood of the Saints but the blood of hereticks c. and therefore she is the true Church 1. I answer so or to that effect said the destroyers and murderers in all ages even they that put Christ to death they did it not in their own account as he was the Son of God but as a blasphemer and the Apostles were persecuted as spreaders of heresie and shedders of sedition and not as Saints and servants of the Lord in their adversaries account Act. 24.5 and thus the murthering persecuting spirit hath in all ages as at this day sought to shelter it self but this covering must now be ript off for the power of God is arisen that rends the vail of darknesse and the day is dawned that makes all things manifest 2. And farther If they were hereticks c. whose blood the Church of Râ—me drinks yet that doth not argue that she is the true Church but the contrary for the true Church did never drink the blood of hereticks nor persecute any because they were hereticks but the greatest punishment that ever Christ appointed for hereticks was that they should account them as Publicans and Heathens Mat. 18 17. 3. So its clear that Christ the power of God and the true Church that had the mind of Christ did never kill nor persecute any because they were hereticks or did not believe nor yet because after they believed they made shipwrack of faith But laboured in the spirit of love and meeknesse to restore them and to convince them by sound doctrine but if they refused to receive admonition or to submit to the Church after due admontion given then they let them receive the punishment aforesaid and refused to have fellowship with them and this was the greatest punishment that ever the true Church inflicted upon any though they were rebellious and this was the way to make true believers of people which force and compulâ—ion by penall laws will never do Though its true compulsive laws may make many of them hypocrites who fears man more than God but they who fears not man that can kill the body and can do no more but fears the Lord God almighty above all such will not bow to the compulsive Laws of men which violates the righteous Law of God in their own hearts no more then Sbadrach Meshach and Abednego would bow to the image that Nebuchadnezzar set up though for their stedfastnesse they suffer the pangs of death as many of their predecessors have done whose blood the Church of Rome hath drunk Thus much in brief to the nine particulars of A.S. his first Argument by which I perceive he thought he had infallibly proved the Church of Rome to be the true Church but what his Argument is worth for his purpose let all who reads this Judge And the next thing he undertakes is to prove Peter to be the rock or foundation upon which Christ builds his Church and to accomplish this design he rambles through several languages into which the Scripture hath been translated and in the conclusion he saith a great lie to Peter then Christ said upon thee I will build my Church c. when neither of the several Languages which he makes use of to prove it saith any such thing according to his own interpretation of them and indeed its blasphemy in A.S. to affirm it But then he saith that Christ is the primary rock and Peter the secondary rock Reply But how can that be that Peter should be a secondary rock for A.S. cannot prove that God ever ordained or appointed a secondary rock to build his Church on neither do we in all the Scriptures read of a secondary rock once mentioned for the Apostle affirmeth the contrary saying Another foundation can no man lay
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 iâ— 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 hâ—â—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 anâ—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 brethâ—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 abominaâ—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 Christâ— 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 blâ—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 Bâ—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