all of them by Inspiration from God which is most solid This therefore must needs be the sense of his Church which he may be acquainted with twenty wayes that I know not of And here his Protestant vizor which by and by he will utterly cast off fell off from him I presume at unawares That he be no more so entrapped I wish he would take notice against the next time he hath occasion to personate a Protestant that although for method purely adventitious and belonging to the external manner of writing Protestants may affirm that one Epistle is more methodical then another according to those Rules of method which our selves or other Worms of the Earth like to our selves have invented yet for their solidity which concerns the Matter of them and Efficacy for Conviction they affirm them all equal Nor is he more happy in what he intimates of the immethodicalness of that Epistle to the Romans For as it is acknowledged by all good Expositors that the Apostle useth a most clear distinct and exact method in that Epistle whence most Theological Systems are composed by the Rule of it so our Authour himself assigneth such a design unto him and the use of such wayes and means in the prosecution of it as argues a diligent observation of a method I confess he is deceived in the occasion and intention of the Epistle by following some few late Roman Expositors neglecting the Analysis given of it by the Antients but we may pass that by because I find his aim in mentioning a false scope and design was not to acquaint us with his mistake but to take an advantage to fall upon our Ministers and I think a little too early for one so careful to keep an handsom decorum for culling out of this Epistle Texts against the Christian Doctrine of good Works done in Christ by his special Grace out of obedience to his command with a promise of everlasting reward and intrinsick acceptability thence accrewing Thus we see still Incoeptis gravibus plerunque magna professis Purpureus latè qui splendeat unus alter Assuitur panâ—us Sed nunc nonerat his locus Use of Disputing has cast him at the very entrance of his Discourse upon as he supposeth a particular Controversie between Protestants and Roman-Catholicks quite besides his design and purpose But instead of obtaining any advantage by this transgression of his own Rule he is faln upon a new misadventure and that so much the greater because it evidently discovers somewhat in him besides mistake I am sure I have heard as many of our Ministers Preach as he and read as many of their Books as he yet I can testifie that I never heard or read them opposing the Christian doctrin of good works Often I have heard and found them pressing a universal Obedience to the whole Law of God teaching men to abound in good works pressing the indispensable necessity of them from the commands of Law and Gospel encouraging men unto them by the blessed promises of Acceptance and Reward in Christ declaring them to be the way of mens coming to the Kingdom of Heaven affirming that all that believe are created in Christ Jesus unto good works and for men to neglect to despise them is wilfully to neglect their own Salvation But opposing the Christian Doctrine of Good Works and that with sayings â—ulled out of St. Paul 's Epistle to the Romans I never heard I never read any Protestant Minister There is but one expression in that Declaration of the Doctrine of Good Works which he saith Protestants oppose used by himself that they do not own and that is their intrinsick acceptability which I fear he doth not very well understand himself If he mean by it that there is in good works an intrinsical worth and value from their exact answerableness to the Law and proportion to the Reward so as on rules of Justice to deserve and merit it he speaks daggers and doth not himself believe what he sayes it being contradictious for he lays their acceptability on the account of the promise If he intend that God having graciously promised to accept and receive them in Christ they become thereupon acceptable and rewardable this Protestant Ministers teach dayly Against the former Explication of their acceptability in reference to the Justice of God on their own account and the Justification of their persons that perform them for them I have often heard them speaking but never with any Authority or force of Argument comparable to that used by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans to the same purpose But this tale of Protestants opposing the Christian Doctrine of Good Works hath been so often told by the Romanists that I am perswaded some of them begin to believe it however it be not only false but from all circumstances very incredible and finding our Author hugely addicted to approve any thing that passeth for current in his Party I will not charge him with a studyed fraud in the finding it so advantagious to his cause he took hold of a very remote occasion to work an early prejudice in the minds of his Readers against them and their Doctrine whom he designeth to oppose When he writes next I hope he will mind the account we have all to make of what we do write and say and be better advised than to give countenance to such groundless Slanders CHAP. II. Heathen Pleas. General Principles WE have done with his Method or manner of proceeding our next view shall be of those general Principles and Suppositions which animate the paraenetical part of his work and whereon it is solely founded And here I would entreat him not to be offended if in the entrance of this Discourse I make bold to mind him that the most if not all of his Pleas have been long since insisted on by a very learned man in a case not much unlike this which we have in hand and were also long since answered by one as learned as he or as any the world saw in the age wherein he lived or it may be since to this day though he died now 1400 years ago The person I intend is Celsus the Philosopher who objected the very same things upon the same general grounds and ordered his Objections in the same manner against the Christians of old as our Author doth against the Protestants And the Answer of Origen to his eight books will save any man the labour of answering this one who knows how to make application of general Rules and Principles unto particular Cases that may be regulated by them Doth our Author lay the cause of all the Troubles Disorders Tumults Warrs wherewith the Nations of Europe have been for some season and are still in some places infested on the Protestants So doth Celsus charge all the Evils and Commotions Plagues and Famines wherewith mankind in those dayes was much wasted upon the Christians Doth our Author charge the Protestants that
by their breaking off from Rome with Schisms and Seditions they made way for others on the same principles to break off seditiously from themselves So did Celsus charge the Jews and Christians telling the Jews that by their Seditious departure from the common Worship and Religion of the World they made way for the Christians a branch of themselves to 〈◊〉 them and their worship in like manner and to set up for themselves And following on his Objection he applies it to the Christians that they departing from the Jews had broached Principles for others to improve into a departure from them which is the sum of most that is pleaded with any fair pretence by our Author against Protestants Doth he insist upon the Divisions of the Protestants and to make it evident that he speaks knowingly boast that he is acquainted with their persons and hath read the books of all sorts amongst them So doth Celsus deal with the Christians reproaching them with their Divisions Discords mutual Animosities Disputes about God and his Worship boasting that he had debated the matter with them and read their Books of all sorts Hath he gathered a Rhapsody of insignificant words at least as by him put together out of the books of the Quakers to reproach Protestants with their Divisions So did Celsus out of the books and writings of the Gnosticks Elionites and Valentinians Doth he bring in Protestants pleading against the Sects that are fallen from them and these pleading against them justifying the Protestants against them but at length equally rejecting them all So dealt Celsus with the Jews Christians and those that had fallen into singular Opinions of their own Doth he mannage the Arguments of the Jews against Christ to intimate that we cannot well by Scripture prove him to be so The very same thing did Celsus almost in the very words here used Doth he declaim openly about the obscurity of Divine things the nature of God the works of Creation and Providence that we are not like to be delivered from it by books of Poems Stories plain Letters So doth Celsus Doth he insist on the uncertainty of our knowing the Scripture to be from God the difficulty of understanding it its insufficiency to end mens Differences about Religion and the worship of God The same doth Celsus at large pleading the cause of Paganism against Christianity Doth our Author plead that where and from whom men had their Religion of old there and with them they ought to abide or to return unto them The same doth Celsus and that with pretences far more specious then those of our Author Doth he plead the quietness of all things in the World the Peace the Plenty Love Union that were in the dayes before Protestants began to trouble all as he supposeth about Religion The same course steers Celsus in his contending against Christians in general Is there intimated by our Author a decay of Devotion and Reverence to Religious things Temples c Celsus is large on this particular the relinquishment of Temples discouragement of Priests in their dayly Sacrifices and heavenly Contemplations with other Votaries contempt of holy Altars Images and Statua's of Worthies deceased all Heaven-bred Ceremonies and comely Worship by the means of Christians he expatiates upon Doth he profess love and compassion to his Countreymen to draw them off from their folly to have been the cause of his writing So doth Celsus Doth he deride and scoff at the first Reformers with no less witty and biting Sarcasms than those wherewith Aristophanes jeered Socrates on the Stage Celsus deals no otherwise with the first Propagators of Christianity Hath he taken pains to palliate and put new glosses and interpretations upon those Opinions and Practises in his Religion which seem most obnoxious to exception The same work did Celsus undertake in reference to his Pagan Theology and Worship And in sundry other things may the parallel be traced so that I may truly say I cannot observe any thing of moment or importance of the nature of a general Head or Principle in this whole Discourse made use of against Protestants but that the same was used as by others of old so in particular by Celsus against the whole Profession of Christianity I will not be so injurious to our Author as once to surmise that he took either aim or assistance in his work from so bitter a professed Enemy of Christ Jesus and the Religion by him revealed yet he must give me leave to reckon this coincidence of argumentation between them amongst other instances that may be given where a similitude of Cause hath produced a great likeness if not identity in the reasonings of ingenious men I could not satisfie my self without remarking this parallel and perhaps much more needs not to be added to satisfie an unprejudiced Reader in or to our whole business For if he be one that is unwilling to fore-go his Christianity when he shall see that the Arguments that are used to draw him from his Protestancy are the very same in general that wise men of old made use of to subvert that which he is resolved to cleave unto he needs not much deliberation with himself what to do or say in this case or be solicitous what he shall answer when he is earnestly entreated to suffer himself to be deceived Of the Pretencesâ— before-mentioned some with their genuine inferences are the main Principles of this whole Discourse And seeing they bear the weight of all the pleas reasonings and perswasions that are drawn from them which can have no further real strength and efficacy then what is from them communicated unto them I shall present them in one view to the Reader that he loose not himself in the maze of words wherewith our Author endeavours to lead him up and down still out of his way and that he may make a clear and distinct judgement of what is tendered to prevail upon him to desert that Profession of Religion wherein he is ingaged For as I dare not attempt to deceive any man though in matters incomparably of less moment then that treated about so I hope no man can justly be offended if in this I warn him to take heed to himself that he be not deceived And they are these that follow I. That we in these Nations first received the Christian Religion from Rome by the Mission and Authority of the Pope II. That whence and from whom we first received our Religion there and wiâ—h them we ought to abide to them we must repair for guidance in all our concernments in it and speedily return to their Rule and Conduct if we have departed from them III. That the Roman Profession of Religion and Practise in the Worship of God is every way the same as it was when we first received our Religion from thence nor can ever otherwise be IV. That all things as to Religion were quiet and in peace all men in union and at agreement amongst themselves
the life which will be maintained in it springing only from secular advantages and inveterate prejudices would together with them decay and disappear Neither can any thing but a confidence of the ignorance of men in all things that are past yea in what was done almost by their own Grandsyres give countenance to a man in his own silent thoughts for such insinuations of quietness in the World before the Reformation The Wars Seditions Rebellions and Tumults to omit private practises that were either raised occasioned and countenanced by the Pope's absolving Subjects from their Allegiance Kings and States from their Oaths given mutually for the securing of Peace between them all in the pursuit of their own worldly interests do fill up a good part of the Stories of some ages before the Reformation What ever then is pretended things were not so peaceable and quiet in those dayes as they are now represented to men that mind only things that are present nor was their Agreement their vertue but their sin and misery being centred in blindness and ignorance and cemented with bloud V. That the first Reformers were most of them sorry contemptible Persons whose Errors were propagated by indirect means and entertained for sinister ends is in several places of this Book alledged and consequences pretended thence to ensue urged and improved But the truth is the more contemptible the Persons were that begun the work the greater glory and lustre is reflected on the work it self which points out to an higher cause then any appeared outwardly for the carrying of it on It is no small part of the Gospels glory that being promulgated by persons whom the World looked on with the greatest contempt and scorn imaginable as men utterly destitute of whatever was by them esteemed noble or honourable it prevailed notwithstanding in the minds of men to eradicate the inveterate prejudices received by Tradition from their Fathers to overthrow the antient and outward glorious Worship of the Nations and to bring them into subjection unto Christ. Neither can any thing be written with more contempt and scorn nor with greater under-valuation of the abilities or outward condition of the first Reformers then was spoken and written by the greatest and wisest and learnedst of men of old concerning the Preachers and Planters of Christianity Should I but repeat the biting Sarcasms contemptuous reproaches and scorns wherewith with plausible pretences the Apostles and those that followed them in their work of preaching the Gospel were entertained by Celsus Lucian Porphyry Julian Hierocles with many more men learned and wise I could easily manifest how short our new Masters come of them in facetious wit beguiling eloquence and fair pretences when they seek by stories jestings calumnies and false reports to expose the first Reformers to the contempt and scorn of men who know nothing of them but their names and those as covered with all the dirt they can possibly cast upon them But I intend not to tempt the Atheistical wits of any to an approbation of their sin by that complyance which the vain fancies of such men do usually afford them in the contemplation of the wit and ingenuity as they esteem it of plausible calumnies The Scripture may be heard that abundantly testifies that the Character given of the first Reformers as men poor unlearned seeking to advantage themselves by the troubling of others better greater and wiser than they in their Religion was received of the Apostles Evangelists and other Christians in the first budding of Christianity But the truth is all these are but vain pretences those knew of old and these do now that the Persons whom they vilifie and scorn were eminently fitted of God for the work that they were called unto The receiving of their Opinions for sinisters end reflects principally on this Kingdom of England and must do so whilst the surmises of a few interested Fryers shall be believed by English-men before the solemn Protestation of so renowned a King as he was who first casheer'd the Popes Authority in this Nation For what he being alive avowed on his Royal word and vowed as in the sight of the Almighty God was an effect of Light and Conscience in him they will needs have to be a consequent of his lust and levity And what honour it is to the Royal Government of this Nation to have those who swayed the Scepter of it but a few years ago publickly traduced and exposed to obloquy by the Libellous Pens of obscure and unknown persons wise men may be easily able to judge This I am sure there is little probability that they should have any real regard or reverence for the present Rulers farther then they find or hope that they shall have their countenance and assistance for the furtherance of their private Interest who so revile their Predecessors for acting contrary unto it And this Loyalty the Kings Majesty may secure himself of from the most Seditious Fanatick in the Nation so highly is he beholding to these men for their duty and obedience VI. That our departure from Rome hath been the cause of all our Evils and particularly of all those Divisions which are at this day found amongst Protestants and which have been since the Reformation is a supposition that not only insinuates it self into the hidden Sophistry of our Authors Discourse but is also every where spread over the face of it with as little truth or advantage to his purpose as those that went before So the Pagans judged the Primitive Christians so also did the Jews and do to this day Here is no new task lyes before us The Answers given of old to them and yet continued to be given will suffice to these men also The truth is our Divisions are not the effect of our Leaving Rome but of our being there In the Apostasie of that Church came upon men all that darkness and all those prejudices which cause many needless Divisions amongst them And is it any wonder that men partly ledd partly driven out of the right way and turned a clean contrary course for sundry Generations should upon liberty obtained to return to their old paths somewhat vary in their choice of particular Tracts though they all agree to travail towards the same place and in general steer their course accordingly Besides let men say what they please the differences amongst the Protestants that are purely religious are no other but such as ever were and take away external force ever will be amongst the best of men whilst they know but in part however they may not be mannaged with that prudence and moderation which it is our duty to use in and about them Were not the Consequences of our Differences which arise meerly from our solly and sin of more important consideration then our differences themselves I should very little value the one or the other knowing that none of them in their own nature are such as to impeach either our present tranquillity
with them in his temptations thrusting them on and intangling them in their persuit As to the Contests about Religion which I know not with what mind or intention he terms an empty airy business a ghostly fight a skirmish of Shaddows or Horse-men in the clowds he knows not what principle cause or sourse to asoâ—ibe them unto That which he is most inclinable unto is That there is something invisible above man stronger and more politick then he that doth this contumely to mankind that casts in these Apples of Contention amongst us that hisses us to warr and battail as waggish Boys do Doggs in the street That which is intended in these words and sundry others of the like quality that follow is that this ariseth from the intisements and impulsions of the Devil And none can doubt but that in these works of darkness the Prince of Darkness hath a great hand The Scripture also assures us that as the Scorpions which vexed the world issued out of the bottomless pit so also that these unclean spirits do stir up the powers of the Earth to make opposition unto the Truth of the Gospel and Religion of Jesus Christ. But yet neither doth this hinder but that even these religious fewds and miscarriages also proceed principally from the ignorance darkness and lusts of men In them lies the true cause of all dissentions in and about the things of God The best know but in part and the most love darkness more than light because their works are evils A vain conversation received by tradition from mens fathers with inveterate prejudices love of the world and the customs thereof do all help on this sâ—d work wherein so many are imployed That some preach the Gospel of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all their strength in much contention and contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered unto the Saints as it is their duty so it is no cause but only an accidental occasion of differences amongst men That the invisible substances our Author talks of should be able to sport themselves with us as Children do with Dogs in the street and that with the like impulse from them as Dogs from these we should rush into our contentions might pass for a pretty notion but only that it over-throws all Religion in the world and the whole nature of man There is evil enough in corrupted nature to produce all these evils which are declaimed against to the end of this Section were there no Daemons to excite men unto them The adventitious impressions from them by temptations and suggestions doubtless promote them and make men precipitate above their natural tempers in their productions but the principal cause of all our evils is still to be looked for at home Nec te quaesiveris extra Sect. 3. Pag. 34. In the next Section of this Chapter whereunto he prefixes Nullity of Title he persues the perswasive unto Peace Moderation Charity and Quietness in our several perswasions with so many reasonings and good words that a man would almost think that he began to be in good earnest and that those were the things which he intended for their own sakes to promote I presume it cannot but at the first view seem strange to some to find a man of the Roman party so ingeniously arguing against the imposition of our senses in Religion magisterially and with violence one upon the other it being notoriously known to all the world that they are if not the only yet the greatest Imposers on the minds and consciences of men that ever lived in the earth and which work they cease not the prosecution of where they have power until they come to fire and fagot I dare say there is not any strength in any of his queries collections and arguings but an indifferent man would think it at the first sight to be pointed against the Roman interest and practice For what have they been doing for some ages past but under a pretence of Charity to the souls of men endeavouring to perswade them to their Opinions and Worship or to impose them on them whether they will or no But let old things pass it is well if now at last they begin to be otherwise minded What then if we should take this Gentleman at his word and cry A match let us strive and contend no more Keep you your Religion at Rome to your selves and we will do as well as we can with ours in England we will trouble you no more about yours nor pray do not you meddle with us or ours Let us pray for one another wait on God for light and direction it being told us that If any one be otherwise minded than according to the Truth God shall reveal that unto him Let us all strive to promote Godliness Obedience to the Commands of Christ Good works and Peace in the world but for this contending about Opinions or endeavouring to impose our several perswasions upon one another let us give it quite over I fear he would scarsely close with us and so wind up all our Differences upon the bottom of his own Proposals especially if this Law should extend it's self to all other Nations equally concerned with England He would quickly tell us that this is our mistake he intended not Roman-Catholicks and the differences we have with them in this Discourse It is Protestants Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists Quakers that he deals with al and them only and that upon this ground that none of them have any Title or pretence of Reason to impose on one another and so ought to be quiet and let one another alone in matters of Religion But for the Roman-Catholicks they are not concerned at all in this Harangue having a sufficient Title to impose upon them all Now truly if this be all I know not what we have to thank you for Tantúmne est otii tibi abs re tua aliena ut cures eaque quae ad te nihil at tinent There are wise and learned men in England who are concerned in our differences and do labour to compose them or suppress them That this Gentleman should come and justle them aside and impose himself an Umpire upon us without our choyce or desire in matters that belong not unto him how charitable it may seem to be I know not but it is scarsely civil Would he would be perswaded to go home and try his remedies upon the distempers of his own family before he confidently vend them to us I know he has no Salves about him to heal diversities of Opinions that he can write Probatum est upon from his Roman-Church If he have he is the most uncharitable man in the world to leave them at home brawling and together by the ears to seek out practise where he is neither desired nor welcome when he comes without invitation I confess I was afraid at the beginning of the Section that I should be forced to change the Title before I came to
those things but only in that Tyrannical usurpation of the Popes and irregular devotions of some Votarys which latter ages produced CHAP. XIII Reformation THe story of the Reformation of Religion he distributes into three parts and allots to each a particular Paragraph the first is of its occasion and rise in general the second of its entrance into England the third of its progresse amongst us Of the first he gives us this account The pastor of Christianity upon some sollicitation of Christian Princes for a general compliance to their design sent forth in the year 1517. a plenary Indulgence in favour of the Cruciata against the Turk Albertus the Archbishop of Ments being delegated by the Pope to see it executed committed the promulgation of it to the Dominican Fryers which the Hermits of St. Augustine in the same place toâ—k ill especially Martin Luther c. Who vexed that he was neglected and undervalued fell a-writing and preaching first against Indulgencies then against the Pope c. He that had no other acquaintance with Christian Religion but what the Scriptures and antient Fathers will afford him could not buâ— be amazed at the canting Language of this Story it being impossible for him to understand any thing of it aright He would admire who this Pastor of Christianity should be what this plenary Indulgence should mean what was the preaching of plenary indulgence by Dominicans and what all this would avail against the Turk I cannot but pitty such a poor man to think what a loss he would be at like one taken from home and carried blindfold into the midst of a Wildernesse where when he opens his eies every thing scares him nothing gives him guidance or direction Let him turn again to his Bible and Fathers of the first â—or 500 years and I will undertake he shall come off from them as wise as to the true understanding of this story 〈◊〉 he went unto them The Scene in Religion is plainly changed and this appearance of an Universal Pastor Plenary indulgeâ—â—es Dominicans and Cruciata's all marching against the Turk must needs affright a man accustomed only to the Scripture-notions of Religion and those embraced by the Primitive Church And I do know that if such a man could get together two or three of the wisest Romanists in the world which were the likeliest way for him to be resolved in the signification of these hard names they would never well agree to tell him what this plenary Indulgence is But for the present as to our concernment let us take these things according to the best understanding which their framers and founders have been pleased to give us of them the Story intended to be â—old was indeed neither so nor so There was no such solicitation of the Pope by Christian Princes at that time as is pretended no Cruciata against the Turk undertaken no attempt of that nature ensued not a penny of indulgence-Money laid out to any such purpose But the short of the matter is that the Church of Mentz being not able to pay for the Archiepiscopal Pall of Albertus from Rome having been much exhausted by the purchase of one or two for other Bishops that died suddenly before the Pope grants to Albert a number of pardons of to say the truth I know not what to be sold in Germany agreeing with him that one half of the gain he would have in his own right and the other for the pall Now the Pope's Merchants that used to sell pardons for him in former dayes were the Preaching friers who upon Holy-dayes and Festivals were wont to let out their ware to the people and in plain terms to cheat them of their money and well had it been if that had been all What share in the dividend came to the venders well I know not probably they had a proportion according to the commodity that they put off which stirred up their zeal to be earnest and diligent in their work Among the rest one Fryer Tecel was so warm in his imployment and so intent upon the main end that they had all in their eye that Preaching in or about Wittenberg it sufficed him not in general to make an offer of the pardon of all sins that any had committed but to take all scruples from their Consciences coming to particular instances carryed them up to a cursed blasphemous supposition of ravishing the blessed Virgin so cocâ—sure he made of the forgiveness of any thing beneath it Provided the price were paid that was set upon the pardon Sober men being much amazed and grieved at these horrible impieties one Martin Luther a Professor of Divinity at Wittenberg an honest warm zealous Soul set himself to oppose the Fryers Blasphemies wherein his zeal was commended by all his discretion by few it being the joynt-opinion of most that the Pope would quickly have stopped his mouth by breaking his neck But God as it afterwards appeared had another work to bring about and the time of entring upon it was now fully come At the same time that Luther set himself to oppose the pardons in Germany Zwinglius did the same Switzerland And both of them taking occasion from the work they first engaged in to search the Scriptures so to find out the Truth of Religion which they discovered to be horribly abused by the Pope and his Agents proceeded farther in their discovery then at first they were aware of Many Nations Princes and people multitudes of learned and pious men up and down the world that had long groaned under the bondage of the Papal yoke and grieved for the horrible abuse of the worship of God which they were forced to see and endure hearing that God had stirred up some learned men seriously to oppose those corruptions in Religion which they saw and mourned under speedily either countenanced them or joyned themselves with them It fell out indeed as it was morally impossible it should be otherwise that multitudes of learned men undertaking without advising or consulting one with another in several farr distant Nations the discovery of the Papal Errors and the Reformation of Religion some of them had different apprehensions and perswasions in and about some points of doctrine and parts of Worship of no great weight and importance And he that shall seriously consider what was the state of things when they began their work who they were how educated what prejudices they had to wrestle with and remember withall that they were all Men will have ten thousand times more cause to admire at their agreeement in all fundamentals then at their difference about some lesser things However whatever were their personal failings and infirmities God was pleased to give testimony to the uprighâ—ness and integrity of their hearts and to bless their endeavours with such success as answered in some measure the Primitive work of planting and propagating the Gospel The small sallies of our Author upon them in some legends about what Luther should say
speech So doth our Author advance his Wisdom and Judgment above the Wisdom and Judgment of all Churches and Nations that ever embraced the Faith of Christ for a 1000 years all which notwithstanding what there is of truth in any of his insinuations judged it their duty to translate the Scripture into their Mother Tongues very many of which Translations are extant even to this day Besides he concludes with us in general ambiguors terms as all along in other things his practice hath been What means he by the Bible's own Sacred phrase opposed to a prophane and common one Would not any man think that he intended the Originals wherein it was written but I dare say if any one will ask him privately he will give them another account and let them know that it is a Translation which he adorns with those Titles so that upon the matter he tells us that seeing the Bible cannot be without all the inconveniences mentioned it 's good for us to lay aside the Originals and make use only of a Translation or at least preferre a Translation before them What shall we do with those men that speak such Swords and Daggers and are well neither full nor fasting that like the Scripture neither with a Translation nor without it Moreover I fear he knows not well what he means by its own Sacred phrase and a prophane common one Is it the Syllables and words of this or that language that he intends How comes one to be Sacred another prophane and common The languages wherein the Scriptures were originally written have been put to as bad uses as any under Heaven nor is any Language prophane or common so as that the Worship of God performed in it should not be accepted with him That there is a frequent loss of Propriety and amplitude of meaning in Translations we grant That the Scriptures by Translations if good true and significant according to the capacity and expressiveness of the Languages whereinto they are translated are divested of the Majesty Holiness and Spirit is most untrue The Majesty Holiness and Spirit of the Scriptures lyes not in words and Syllables but in the Truths themselves expressed in them and whilest these are incorruptedly declared in any language the Majesty of the Word is continued It is much that men preferring a Translation before the Originals should be otherwise minded especially that Translation being in some parts but the Translation of a Translation and that the most corrupt in those parts which I know extant And this with many fine words prety Allusions and Similitudes is the sum of what is pleaded by our Author to perswade men to forgo the greatest priviledg which from Heaven they are made partakers of the most necessary radical duty that in their whole lives is incumbent on them It is certain that the giving out of the holy Scripture from God is an effect of infinite love and mercy I suppose it no less certain that the end for which he gave it was that men by it might be instructed in the knowledge of his will and their obedience that they owe unto him that so at length they may come to the enjoyment of him This it self declares to be its end I think also that to know God his mind and Will to yield him the obedience that he requires is the bounden duty of every man as well as to enjoy him is their blessedness And can they take it kindly of those who would shut up this gift of God from them whether they will or no or be well pleased with them that go about to perswade them that it is best for them to have it kept by others for them without their once looking into it If I know them aright this Gentleman will not find his Countrey-men willing to part with their Bibles on such easie tearms From the Scripture concerning which he affirmeth That it lawfully may and in reason ought and in practise ever hath been segregated in a language not common to vulgar ears all which things are most unduly affirmed and because we must speak plainly falsly he proceeds to the worship of the Church and pleads that that also ought to be performed in such a language It were a long and tedious business to follow him in his guilding over this practise of his Church we may make short work with him As he will not pretend that this practise hath the least countenance from Scripture so if he can instance in any Church in the world that for 500 years at least after it set out in the use of a Worship the Language whereof the people did not understand I will cease this contest What he affirms of the Hebrew Church keeping her Rites in a language differing from the Vulgar whether he intend before or after the Captivity is so untrue as that I suppose no ingenious man would affirm it were he not utterly ignorant of all Judaical Antiquity which I had cause to suspect before that our Author is From the dayes of Moses to the captivity of Babylon there was no Language in vulgar use among the people but only that wherein the Scripture was written and their whole Worship celebrated After the captivity though insensibly they admitted corruptions in their language yet they all generally understood the Hebrew unless it were the Hellenists for whose sakes they translated the Scripture into Greek and for the use of the residue of their people who began to take in a mixture of the Syro-Chaldean Language with their own the Targum were found out Besides to the very utmost period of that Church the solemn Worship performed in the Temple as to all the interest of words in it was understood by the whole people attending on God therein And in that language did the Bible lye open in their Synagogues as is evident from the offer made by them to our Saviour of their Books to read in at his first entrance into one at Capernaum These flourishes then of our Orator being not likely to have the least effect upon any who mind the Apostololical advice of taking heed lest they be beguiled with inticing words we shall not need much to insist upon them This custom of performing the Worship of God in the Congregation in a Tong unknown to the Assembly renders he tells us that great act more majestick and venerable but why he declares not A blind veneration of what men understand not because they understand it not is neither any duty of the Gospel nor any part of its Worship St. Paul tells us he would pray with the Spirit and pray with Understanding also of this Majestick shew and blind Veneration of our Author Scripture Reason Experience of the Saints of God Custom of the Antient Churches know nothing Neither is it possible to preserve in men a perpetual veneration of they know not what nor if it could be preserved is it a thing that any way belongs to Christian Religion Nor can any