soon after him he left or at least designed they should leave something to remaine as the ordinary or perpetual means to teach it to others What is meant by the means Where by the means of teaching it I mean not any sort of meanes humanely authorized onely or fallible in its teaching or instrumentall only to some other creature or profitable only or necessary in some respects onely or sufficient to teach some part of it onely or to some creatures onely but the proper principall necessary and sufficient to teach every creature every particular of it and divinely authorized and assisted to that end and so deserving to be stiled in absolute and simple sense the Angel of the Lord or interpreter of his will to humane creatures the guide of mankind in the way to heaven the light of the world the Pillar or ground of the truth the Judge of the Christian Law the Chaire of Christ the Schoole of the Gospell the steward depositary or dispenser of the mysteries of faith the store-house or treasury of divine knowledge wisedome or truth the power or powerfull instrument of God unto salvation of all that believe or use it and its voice doctrine or teaching the word law oracles doctrine or Gospell of God Christ truth grace life or salvation c. the faith the truth the seed of grace the faithful word the sword of the spirit the forme of sound words or doctrine the depositum or treasure of heavenly truth left by Christ or his Apostles the whole revealed will or counsell of God the guide of faith the rule of religion c. Or of which it is or may be said it shall teach you religion if there arise a matter too hard for thee thou shalt goe to it to enquire ask or seek the Law of God at it or its mouth in controversie it shall stand in judgement it shall preserve knowledge it shall shew thee what thou oughtest to doe follow it make it your rule or guide prove all things by it by it we know the spirit of truth and spirit of error it is able to make you wise to salvation or to save your soules or to shew you the way to eternal life he that believes or followes it shall be saved or unto which God Almighty ever said Teach people or teach the Gospell To whatsoever creature these attributes offices properties phrases speeches or any one of them or any other to the same sense is rightfully given or appertaines that 's the meanes I speak of 8. Ground This meanes what ever it be is somewhere or other in H. Scripture set forth and named to us in most plain and expresse manner as being the fundamental of all fundamentals as to us within the Christian religion without which first known and certaine it is in vain for any man to talk of religion or to presume to judge of what is true or false pious or superstitious necessary or not necessary in any matter pertaining to it and which when it is known and certaine no more remaines for any man to doe that desires to know what he is to believe doe or avoid to obteining eternall salvation but only to find it out and hear believe and practice what it teaches comands or forbids as Gospell §. 2. The Question to he handled proposed Hither to you and we agree in our principles as rational men and Christians But then the Question is What is that means And it lies betwixt two The Church and H. Scripture For either he left them in quality of a Society or Community such as our Lawyers call a body corporate to have a permanency by succession and then the Church will be it or they were to leave some writing to teach in their stead or office at their death and then the Scripture will be it or he left them in quality of a Society as to some part of the office and they were to leave the Scripture in the other part and then both will be it By the Church then throughout this treatise What is meant by the Church I meane nothing els but a company or some company of men For this is description sufficient for the intent of this Treatise which is onely to distinguish her from the Scripture and the persons of the Apostles Nor do I mean by her the whole society so called nor any part of her as to any effect of justifying grace or salvation but properly and immediately that part by which she teacheth as I speak by my mouth and a University teaches by her Professors In which sense our B. Saviour used the name when he said Tell the Church Mat. 18.17 and S. Paul the Church is the pillar of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 And so in fine the quaestion is Whether the Church or the Scripture or both be the meanes left by Christ or his order for teaching his Gospell §. 3. The importance of it And it is as appeares sufficiently by what is said already the most transcendently-fundamental one possible to be within the Christian religion seeing by this meanes it is to be taught and all questions in it to be resolved And consequently it is of most transcendent importance what wee hold in it as you will quickly see if you but reflect on the consequences of it For 1. If H. Scripture be it 1. All reading of other books consulting Ministers or Divines going to Church to hear their Catechising or Sermons conferring or arguing one with another or any other acts or meanes whatsoever to this end to instruct or direct our selves in religion will be vain and superfluous yea improper but every one is to goe to the Bible and it alone and by it self alone For supposing it left in this office there will be no denying but it is as plain and intelligible by it self alone to any child or other novice having the use of reason as to the learnedst Divine in the world 2. No creature using it for his guide can offend God by any heresie superstition or prophanesse unlesse he believe or practice contrary to what it teacheth him according to his understanding of it 3. It will be out of the power of the Church to hinder or restraine any creature from reading and using it at his pleasure in any language 2. On the other side if the Church be it 1. all reading of Scripture by the people unto this end will be vain and superfluous yea improper but every one is to seek the Gospel at her mouth and hers onely 2. It will be in the power of the Church to permit or restrain the use of the Bible unto the people more or lesse thereafter as she in her prudence all things considered and not some only and in her charity to their souls shall judge it most expedient for them to their salvation 3. No man though baptized in Christs faith though believing never so humbly and firmly and practising never so fervently all that he finds in Scripture may
of Scripture as we shal see anon rather discouraged namely from S. Pauls Epistles by reason of some things in it hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 I cannot think it likely he would encourage them to the reading of this of least use and more abounding with things hard to be understood and easie to be wrested by them to their damnation then any one of S. Pauls Epistles or any other Book in Scripture 2. Grant he meant lay-Christians yet not any or every one not a Nicolaitan Apoc. 2.6 not one of Diotrephes Congregation 3 Io. 9. for certainly such a one would read it but to his greater damnation but such a one as was under his Angel or Catholick Pastor whose hearer he was as well as its reader Blessed are such readers of it woe to others CHAP. IV. Examining the proofs for the necessity of Scripture THirdly nothing can be called the means to any end to which it is not simply necessary See then if you can prove that H. Scripture is simply necessary to the teaching of Religion viz. either that there was any necessity for its writing more then necessity of command for some few pieces of the Old Testament and the Apocalipse in the New Apoc. 1.10 or that since its writing Religion cannot be taught or subsist without it 1. Argu. 2 Pet. 1.20 Holy men of old wrote as they were moved c. Answer True but moving is not commanding 2. Argu. S. Iude 3. It was needful for me to write Answer But 1. Needful is short of necessary 2. Nor did he mean needful absolutely but onely that resolving to write he saw it needful to write to them to that end or of that subject to exhort them to contend earnestly c. CHAP. V. Examining the proofs for Scripture's being sufficient FInally nothing can be called the means to any end but it must be sufficient to it Which Scripture cannot possibly be to the teaching of the Gospel unless it contain expressely every particular of it I think it vain to say importing to salvation because the Gospel can consist of none but do so in some kinde or other I say expresly because els there will need some other means with authority for as good none at all as not w th authority to deduce the inferences apply the general rules or examples of it to particular doubts or cases which is the main part of the office of teaching and so it could not deserve to be called the means If then you think H. Scripture does not contain every particular of the Gospel expressely renounce your principle If you think it do see if you can prove it 1. Argu. S. Luke 1.3 Acts 1.1 S. Luke calls his Gospel a Treatise of all things that Iesus taught or were believed among Christians And the Gospel cannot consist of more Answer 1. Yes it may namely of those as are in S. Iohn's Gospel or Epistles revealed long after S. Lukes death 2. Grant it did not he did not mean all in proper or logical sense for all absolutely but in vulgar sense onely for the generality greater or notable part usual in Scripture and particularly in him Luke 24.14 27. Acts 1.19 2. 12. 3.11 c. it being evident he wants divers particulars that are in the other Evangelists and some of them of the most fundamental in Christian Religion namely the divinity of Christ the number and names of the persons in the Godhead the institution of the two Sacraments of Baptism and Penance 2 Argu. 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Scripture is profitable for doctrine c. that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work Therefore it contains expresly every particular of the Gospel Answer A very weak inference there being a great distance 1. betwixt every particular of the Gospel and every good work which are but a part of the particulars 2. betwixt every good work absolutely and every good work of the sorts there spoken of pertaining to a Divine viz doctrine correction c. 3. Betwixt profitable to furnish for them and containing them expressely CHAP. VI. Examining the proof of things less yet VVHat do I speak of proving such things as these See if you can prove but so much as any of these that follow namely §. 1. From Old or New Testament n. 1. That God Almighty ever ordained or expressed any intent the lay people should read the Bible or have it to read in if they pleased to instruct themselves in Religion 1. Argu. Deut. 6.7 Thou shalt write these words upon thy walls teach them thy children c. Answer Nothing to the purpose For 1. He doth not speak of or mean perhaps words written but commanded by him 2. Grant words written he doth not say thou shalt read them If you say he meant it give a reason why then he should not name it as well as he named the other teaching meditating writing and as well as he named it with the other when he spake of the Law as to be used by the chief Ruler Deut. 17.19 Ios 1.8 Nor can you say he necessarily implyed it in those commands of writing teaching and meditating on it for they might be performed sufficiently to their intent as now they are by pious Catholicks without reading it namely by being taught the commandments and other the principal parts of Gods Law most useful for them by the Priests Exod. 24.12 Deut. 31.9 19.21 2. Argu. Deut. 27.3 Thou shalt set up great stones and write upon them all the words of this law plainly Sure to the end people should read them Answer It may be so But it expresses no such intent It doth this and that 's all it expresses that it should there remain as a witness Nor is it likely that he meant the whole book of Deuteronomy much less Genesis and the rest of the Pentateuch for what a wall would that ask sure longer then that hill Ebal could contain but onely the ten Commandments with perhaps some other moral precepts admonitions and exhortations most useful for the people and needing no interpreter and the blessings on the obedient curses on the transgressors Ios 8.34 Now such a writing in that manner set forth is a different thing from the Bible H. Church at this day permitting people the one in Primars c. when she will not the other 3. Argu. Deut. 31.9 Moses delivered the Law into the hand of the Elders as well as the Priests Sure vvith intent they should read it Answer Very likely but not as to instruct themselves in Religion but to guide themselves by it in judicature as it contained the Civil Law of that Nation 4. Argu. Esa 24.16 Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord and read c. Spoken to the people Answer 1. It may be not 2. Grant it it names not nor perhaps meant the Bible nor any Book as to instruction in Religion but onely some Prophecy then written touching the Captivity
guide or direct us in matters of practice or conscience must be able to consider and judge of the person and case in all its circumstances and apply his counsel and resolution to every one severally which S. Paul calls rightly dividing the word 2 Tim. 2.25 To Souldiers one counsel to Merchants another S. Lu. 3.10 To new vessels one sort of wine to old another Mat. 19.17 To tender souls one sort of doctrine the Lord is sweet to all c. Psal 145.9 to presumptuous ones another It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10.31 In one case to say thou maist not bow down to or afore any Idol in another thou maist 2 King 5.18 In one case to say thou maist not do any work on the Sabbath in another thou maist Mat. 12.5 And to this end must be able to be interrogated by his consulter Mat. 19.3 22.17 1 Cor. 7.1 yea again and again if need be Mat. 19.7 For many times the resolution to one question begets more and new doubts yea and to interrogate him too to see if he understand the resolution aright and to proceed with him till he do For we are apt through passion interest self-love c. to mistake not onely the cases but their resolution too 3. Again every one hath different principles or notions in his understanding whereby he judges of things differently from another and is apt to interpret the Scripture or doctrine of the Church to be for his opinion or sense and hence arise Sects When therefore any controversie is on foot needing decision the judge must of necessity be able to hear and weigh what is alledged proved on both sides and thereupon to give sentence in such manner as the parties litigant and all other concerned may and until they do without their own pervicacy be in fault know and understand for which side it is given and so cease further strife touching it Nay many times the very sentence it self will beget new controversies touching its sense requiring another sentence and that another c. and so the judge must be able from time to time as there is occasion to explicate even his own sentence Other teaching then this is a meer Chymaera devised by the Devil and his instruments to delude souls Now this therefore the Scripture is no way proper of or by it self alone because it is void of these faculties for it saith nothing in speech properly so called and what it saith in its kinde of speech Rom. 4.3 or God in or by it is no more then mute letter or word and so one and the same to every reader And so the reader without some one to interpret that mute word may easily think it speaks to him or his case when it is to another or saith such a thing in sense when it doth the contrary §. 4. Not Plain Proved first from 2 Pet. 3.16 The fourth reason because it is not plain no not in fundamentals as you call them without the Church for its interpreter And for this needs no other proof but to shew you the Sects now afore your eyes in England and betwixt Divines even your learnedst and in points fundamental if any may be called so but these that there is a God a Christ a Scripture But I shall give you three proofs for it out of Scripture it self The first shall be that speech of S. Peter The unlearned wrest Paul's epistles as they do other Scriptures also unto their own destruction 2 Pet. 3.16 Spoken no doubt of Christians and at least past their Catechisme nay its very probable of Divines and them alone My reason is because it is not like he would have called them whose duty or calling it is not to be learned the unlearned but rather the simple or ignorant And it is in charity and reason to be supposed they whoever he spake of if Christians read it with a love of the truth and desire to finde it there and of a godly intent to promote themselves in knowledge and piety and not without humble and hearty prayer to God to give them his H. Spirit to illuminate them to the understanding of it Yet presuming to expound it to themselves without the means apponted by God for its interpteter their prayer and diligence was abominable to him and therefore they left by him to strong illusions of the Devil in misunderstanding of it and that in points fundamental for in no other can damnable error be committed Nor will it help to say he speakes not of all things in Scripture but some onely For there being no Catalogue given of those some nor rule or mark for discerning them from the other and all people being apt to think those things true and plain in Scripture which they have been bred up in the belief of his speech is in effect as if he had said indefinitely The things in Scripture are hard to be understood but by the learned As if a Physician should say of a book of pills In this are some pills which the unskilful mistake to the poysoning themselves it would be in effect as to say The pills in it are dangerous to be used but by the skilful §. 5. Causes in the stile The second shall be a demonstration from the causes not all but a few of the principal and most common and obvious which are partly in the stile partly in the form Those I shall name in the stile are 1. That the sense of it is sometimes proper sometimes figurative and often without an interpreter unevident whether in fundamental points or importing to salvation for I shall be careful not to instance in any other For instance in these speeches This is my body VVhose sins ye for give 2. It hath oftentimes divers proper senses to wit literal and mystical and sometimes unevident whether e.g. in this speech Esau have I hated Rom. 9.13 3. It hath oftentimes divers literal senses to wit prophane or grammatical and Ecclesiasticial And sometimes unevident whether e.g. in this speech Not as Lords over cleron 1 Pet. 5.3 whether cleron signifie Clergie or Heritage 4. It hath oftentimes divers grammatical senses and sometimes unevident whether be it e.g. in this speech Thou art Petros Mat. 16.18 whether Petros signifie Peter or a rock And in this Esau have I hated whether hated mean a positive aversion or onely a not or less loving as it sometimes means Deut. 21.15 5. It abounds with phrases proper to the H. Ghost and terms of Art in Theologie which therefore without some Master in that science to interpret them to us are no better then so much Greek or Gibrish especially because the writers supposing the reader a Catholick understanding the language of the Church took no care to explicate them or annex a Dictonary Nor can you say their sense may be found out in time by it alone and an understanding reader by considering the occasion scope coherence of the
left by Christ for the meanes of teaching his Gospell Conclusion of the praeface YOu see the true state of the quaestion the tenetts of each side and the importance of what you hold in it That which remaines for this Praeface is to admonish you that your principle is notoriously false repugnant to holy writt and mother of all the sects in these parts of Christendome and therefore to beseech you dear Christian brother as you desire to please God heere and see his blessed face hereafter to search the Scriptures with the noble Bereans whether those things be so or no as your Ministers have taught you out of it touching the Scriptures being left for your rule and guide To help you in it if God shall put it in your heart that you may not be gull'd as now you are with the meer sound or superficies of words but dive to the depth of the sense of it for that is properly to search it is all the businesse of this ensuing treatise Wherein I shall first prove our tenet then defend it against your objections in the third place examine what may be said for yours and in the last refell it And when you have thus the whole matter laid afore you you will be able to judge righteous judgement which now you give upon hearing one tale told or at least the other but by halves and for the greatest part falsely Be the event of it what it will it cannot but be worth so small a paines either by confirming you in following for your guide and rule that which you doe or by its own mouth shewing you to that which you should And I shall be bold to adde thus much for a further encouragement that if you can finde any one text for your Tenet and not a multitude most plainly and expressely against it if any one against ours and not a multitude most plainly and expressely against it if any one against ours and not a multitude most plainly and expressely for it I will advise you to keep your own still and take all your perill upon my head hoping if you doe not you will think it reason to forsake it and embrace ours And I suppose you cannot say but as the Israelites did to Elijah in somewhat a like proposall Thou hast well spoken 1 Kin 18.24 THE First Treatise SHEWING That Christ left the Church for the meanes to teach us his GOSPELL THE FIRST PART Proving it CHAP. I. Proving it from the Law WEe say Christ left the Church for the meanes to teach us his Gospel And are able to prove it from the Lavv the Prophets the Gospels the Acts and the Epistles To begin with the Lavv. 1. It is certain all things happened to the old people in figure of something but more excellent to correspond to it in the nevv 1 Cor. 10.11 So their meanes of teaching a figure of ours and figures require fulfilling as vvell as Prophecies S. Ioh. 3.14 19.36 2. Presumption of reason is that vvhat sort of meanes the divine vvisdome saw most proper and therefore made choice of and used as the meanes of teaching Religion from the begining of the vvorld untill Christs time the same he vvould aftervvard unto the vvorlds end untill he that denies it shevv reason to the contrary Novv I am sure you vvill grant me that afore the vvriting of the Lavv some company of men vvas the meanes to that end And if afore after it Because 1. You vvill not find that that Lavv made any alteration in the office more then this 1. That it determined it to the family of Aaron vvhereas till then it had been one of the rights of Primo geniture Gen. 25.31 2. and added 1. To the matter to be taught 2. To the Teachers the help of a Record 2. That Lavv expresly settles it in Aaron and his posterity That ye may teach my Statutes c. Lev. 10.11 Thou shalt go to the Priests to enquire and they shall shevv thee Deu. 17.8 They shall teach thy Lavv c. Deu. 33.10 3. Hereunto accord the sayings of the Prophets Ezek. 44.23 Mal. 2.5 and the practice of that Nation noted aftervvard upon divers occasions The Priests taught the people 2 Chr. 17.9 They caused the people to understand the Lavv Neh. 8.8 See more if you please to the same purpose Eccl. 12.9 Agg. 2.11 4. Both Law and practice continued the same as vvell after the old Canon vvas finished as afore See S. Mat. 2.4 19.26 S. Mar. 10.17 12.14 S. Lu. 4.20 Act. 15.22 22.3 And appeares particularly by our B. Saviours ovvn both practice vvhen he vvent into the Temple to hear the Doctors and ask them questions S. Lu. 2.46 and rule given by him to the people They sit in Moses Chaire all things therefore c. S. Mat. 23.2 vvherein I pray note vvell 1. That Moses Lavv had setled in the Priests and others by them authorized a Chair for teaching Religion untill Christ should erect his in place of it 2. That the authority of that Chair vvas divine and consequently equall in the substance of the authority unto that of Moses Lavv it being his Chair as much as the other his Lavv. 3. That the people therefore vvere bound to obey its reaching absolutely and universally all things vvhatsoever 4. And not for its consonancy vvith the Scripture but sufficiently for the meer authority of the Chair All things therefore CHAP. II. Proving it from the Prophets THe Lavv hath testified vvell to our Tenent But vve have a more sure vvord of Prophecy To instance in a fevv of the plainest First proof Esa 2.2 Micah 4.1 Esay and Micah thus In the last daies shall the Mountain of the Lords house be established in the top of the Mountains and all Nations shall flovv unto it saying Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he vvill teach us of his vvayes c. for out of Zyon shall go forth the Lavv and the vvord of the Lord from Ierusalem Where 1. by the last daies it cannot be doubted but he meant the daies of the Gospel Heb. 1.1 1 Cor. 10.11 2. Nor but that by the Lords house he meant the Church so called 1 Tim. 3.15 vvhich he calls the Mountaine of Gods house and namely Mount Zion because she vvas to be born or compleatly severed from her mothet the Synagogue on that Mount Psa 87.1 5. as she vvas on the day of Pentecost Act. 2.1 vvhen the H. Ghost as her ultimate soul vvas infused into her it being certain by consent of all Writers Christian that upon that hill vvas scituate the house in vvhich the Apostles the B. Virgin and other first-born in Christ Heb. 12.22 after his Ascension assembled to holy duties In regard vvhereof as the Synagogue Mother of the Ievves by reason she began as to her last and compleat state at the publishing of the Law on that Mount was called
Mount Sinai So she Mother of us Christians vvas called Mount Zion Gal. 4.26 And this must of necessity be granted to the truth of this and divers other places which all agree in this that the Church and publique preaching of the Gospel by her was to begin on that Mount Psa 2.6 48. per totum 110.3 c. So this for certain is one of those Prophecies of which our Saviour said Thus it is written and thus it behoves that the Gospel be preached in all Nations beginning at Ierusalem Lu. 24.43 The sense of the place thus opened it yeelds four points most plainly and fully to my purpose viz. 1. That the Church was to be the ordinary meanes for teaching mankind the Gospell They shall say Come let us go up to the house of God and he in or by that house will teach us his wayes c. 2. That her teaching was to be Gods teaching he to be the principall teacher though invisible she but his mouth He shall teach us According to what is elswhere assured to all her children or scholars they shall be al taught of God Esa 54.13 3. That the word by her taught is heere called 1. Gods word and Law therefore it of divine authority and she a teacher divinely authorised 2. In simple sense the Law and the word of the Lord 4. That she is to continue in all the same office and authority of teaching wherein she began at Mount Zyon untill she have taught the Gospel to all nations which will not be till neare the worlds end Mat. 24.14 Second proof Esay 59.20 Again Esay The Redeemer shal come to Zion And this is my covenant with them of Zion saith the Lord My Spirit which is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever Not possible to be understood of any person or company but the Church Consequently assuring unto Gods Elect under the Gospel that he will teach them unto the worlds end all the same word of his by the mouth of the same Church with all the same divine authority and assistance as he did the primitive Saints at Mount Zion on Whitsonday when he first put his Spirit upon her and his words into her mouth Act. 2.5 Third Proofe Ezek. 44.23 To the same effect Ezekiel Sadoc and his sons shall teach my people c. in controversie they shall stand in judgement c. This Sadoc was he upon whom the High-Priesthood was transferred from Eleazars line 1 Kin. 2.27 And so here the typical name of the Apostles upon whom it was transferred from Aarons line Consequently this place assures unto Gods people under the Gospel a race of faithful Pastors therefore teaching no errors in the office of teaching Religion unto the worlds end according to that I will raise me up a faithfull Priest and will build him a sure house and he shall walk afore my Christ for ever 1 Sam. 2.35 Fourth Proofe Mal. 2.4 Most plainly Malachy Ye shall know by the wonderfull performance of it that I have sent this Commandement unto you that my Covenant of teaching might be with Levi the Apostles and their Successors The Law of truth was in his mouth the Priests lips should it is their office preserve knowledge and they shall seek the Law at his mouth for he is the Angel or as yours prophanely the Messenger of the Lord of Hoasts See more if you please to the same purpose Psa 19.1 unto v. 7. compared with Rom 10.18 and Mat. 5.14 and Psalm 68.11 16 18. compared with Eph. 4.11 Esa 30.20 and 60.11 and 62.6 Ier. 3.14 and 33.15 to the end and 50.5 Ezek 37.21 all assuring unto the Church a race of Teachers divinely authorized unto worlds end Nor can you say these places meant the Church as preaching Scripture or her doctrine as consonant to it when you cannot shew that any of the Prophets foresaw that any one tittle of the Gospel was ever to be written CHAP III. Proving it from the Gospels ACcording to the exigence of these types and Prophecies as our Saviour himself saith S. Lu. 24.44 he instituted the office of teaching the Gospel in his Church as is manifest First Proofe S. Mat. 5.14 First from that attribute given by him to his Apostles as Pastors and consequently to his Pastors for the time being for ever Ye are the light of the world as much as to say the Sun or fountain of spiritual light unto mankind which therefore if it should once lose its light by teaching any error in faith the whole world must necessarily remain in darknesse and oh how great darknesse Mat. 6.23 ever after For wherewith should the Sun be enlightened Second Proofe S. Mat. 7.24 13.19 24 14. 26.13 S. Lu. 8.11 11.28 S. Ioh. 8.47 10.16 12.47 Secondly from those titles ordinarily given by him to his word as preached calling it in simple sense the word his word his voice the word of God the Gospel the seed of all grace in the soul whereof faith the first and constantly naming preaching as the ordinary means on his part of teaching it and hearing on the peoples part of coming to the knowledge of it Nor can you say by these titles he meant the Scripture preached or the Churches doctrine as consonant to Scripture when you cannot find he ever intended or as man foresaw that any one tittle of his Gospel should ever be written Third Proofe S. Mat. 18.17 Thirdly from that rule of his to all his for ever Tell the Church c. plainly implying he meant to leave her as the ordinary Supreame Iudge in all causes pertaining to his Court and a Judge divinely authorized for else none could be bound absolutely to hear her under pain of eternal damnation which is here implicitely threatened to such as neglect to hear her for no lesse is due to heathen and he would not have such refractory persons worse to us then they are to himselfe nay he saith it shall be more tolerable in the day of Iudgement for Heathen then for them S. Mat. 10.14 Fourth Proofe S. Mat. 28.19 Mar. 16.15 Fourthly most plainly and fully from the Charter it self for the founding of this office recorded by two of the Evangelists Iesus said to them his Apostles Goe ye into all the world teach all Nations preach the Gospel to every creature baptizing them teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you He that believes you or your teaching or the Gospell by you taught and is baptised shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned In which words I am sure your self will not say but he left them as the first and temporary meanes of teaching his Gospell and baptizing And if for the first for the ordinary or perpetuall by vertue of those incorporating