not onely a power over all Bishops but Princes That it is not in the power of the Pope neither by himself nor with all his Cardinalls and councells to determine any matter of faith I prove thus by Scripture 1 We finde in Isay that we are commanded to the law and to the Testimony Isay 8.20 if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them as the Jews were commanded to their law and to their Testemony Luke 16.29 so are we Christians to our Scripture for our judge of all things in difference so our Savior brings Abraham in the Gospell saying that they have Moses the Prophets let them hear them woe are not therefore to have recourse for any matter of faith to Pope or any power else whatsoever 2 Again our Saviour commands us thus Starch the Scriptures for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life and they are they which testify of me John 5.39 Christ therefore remits us to Scripture onely for a judge of controversie 3 Again we finde in the Acts of the Apostles how those of Berea were commended acknowledgeed to be more noble than those of Thessalonie Acts 17.11 in that they received the word with all redyness of minde and Searthed the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Heer we finde I say that those of Berea did not overhastyly beleive what the Apostles themselves delivered to them but did examine all things by the Rule of Scripture is it not therefore fit that we should follow their example and acknowledge nothing but Scripture for our Rule and judge 4 It is manifest by reason that the judge of all controversie in matter of faith ought to be infallible for if the judge should erre all that follow his judgement must erre likewise now it is plain on tone side that Scripture is infallible being the word of God which cannot erre and on the other side that all men are lyars and subject to errours as we finde in the Romans Rom. 3.4 Psal 111 God is true but every man is a lyar Now the pope is but a man all the Cardinalls are but men nay councells themselves are but collections of men no man therefore that builds himself upon their judgement in point of faith can have any security at all but onely by depending upon the infallible and true Pâ—â—le of Scripture 5 Counsels we know have erred in matters of faith and made decrees one against another at least altered one anothers constitutions and if that any such things as councells are to be why should not lay men be made a part of them since they are a part of the Church as well as any preists or Bishops and their salvation as much concerned in those decrees as any Clergy men whatsoever it should be therefore as necessary for them to be present there That the Scripture it self is and ought to be the entire Rule of faith and that neither your whole Church nor all the Traditions of it have any power to prescribe to to us in matter of Faith I prove thus The authority of Scripture is greater then the Authority of the Church for the Church ought to be govern'd by Scripture the Word of God we know is to yield to no man nor is it lawfull for any man or power of men whatsoever to oppose or diminish it 2. We find expresly in Deuteronomy Ye shall not adde unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish out from it Deut. 4.8 that ye keep thn Comandements of the Lord your God which I command you all your tradition therefore are to cast away for they adde to the written Word of God 3. Again We read in another place of the same Book thus Deut. 1â— 32 Whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it That therefore is to be done onely which God commands what men require or adde of their own is unlawfull and not to be obey'd 4. St. Paul declares his mind in this particular very freely to the Galatians thus but though we or an Angell from Heaven preach any other Gospell unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed and presently repents As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you Gallat 1. thaâ— that ye have received let him be accursed I say therefore that we are to admit of no Traditions nor any thing else besides the Gospell Again We have most solemnly said in the Revelation of St. John Revel 22.18.19 That if any man shal take away from the Words of the Book of that Prophesie God shal take away his part out of the Book of Life And so if any man shall add unto these things God shall adde unto him the plague that are written in that Book Therefore it is not lawfull to adde your Traditions 6. 2 Tim. 3.16 17. St. Paul assures Timothy that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Therefore we have no need of Traditions Our Saviour tells such Observers of Traditions as you are Mat. 15.6 Thus have you made the Commandements of God of none effect by your traditions and the Apostle gives the like caution to the Colossians Col. 2.8 beware least any man spoil you through Phlosophy and vain deceit 1 Pet. 1.18 after the tradition of men after the rudiaments of the World and not after Christ And St. Peter puts the whole World in mind how they were redeem'd from their vain conversation receiv'd by Tradition from their Fathers Thus you see how much Jusus Christ and his Apostles were carefull to forewarn and forbid us and yet you will restore to us the vanity of those very Traditions 8. Again Rom. 1.17 how can that be said to be determined by the whole Church which the Pope with his Cardinals Gal. 7.11 and it may be his Bishops assembled in Councell does determine Heb. 10.38 when the Church is a Congregation of all the faithfull and a connexon of them in the true saith by which the just man lives as the Apostle tells us It is not therefore what all the Popes Cardinalls Bishops or Councills tell us though backt with all the strength of your Traditions which is to be believed for they can be at most but a part of the Church not the whole Church 9. Then Lastly when you speak of the whole Church you speak of what you no ways understand for it is a spirituall thing and hidden from the eyes of men it cannot be visible for if it were then it could not be an Article of faith as wee know it is so I would fain know what obligation can possibly come from such an
Heathen and a Publican Matth. 18. Now he that would tell the Church any thing in your sence must ramble all the World over to do it But it is plain that our Saviour by the Church there meant the Prelates and Presidents of it for presently after he speaks to his Apostles as to Prelates and give them the power of binding c. That you may the better understand this take along with you the whole context of that place of Denteronemy which I have before quoted to you and that you shell find to be this Deut. 17. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment between blood and blood between Plea and Plea between stroak and stooak being matters of controversie within thy Gaces then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shalt chuse and thou shalt come unto the Priests and Leviteâ— 8 10 11 and unto the Judge that shall be in those days and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgement And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place which the Lord shall chuse shall shew thee 12 13 14. and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee Accorto the Sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee according to the judgment which they shal tel thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand nor to the left And the man that will do presumptuosly and will not heark in unto the Priest that standeth to Minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the Judge even that man shall dye and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel I pray you observe there the power and great authority of the old Legal Priests and consider then the just power that the Evangelicall ones ought to have and do not forget to observe the dismall punishment of presumption and disobedience Then I pray you be pleas'd to observe how the Primitive Christians did follow the orders that were given by Moses in Denteronemy for we find in the Acts that when a great dissention arose about the businesse of circumcision the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider the matter and upon the issue of the dissention and disputation they determined to send Paul and Barnabas up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders there about this question and they did so and it follows it so pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church now what was the whole Church there not the whole Congregation of Christians but they went up to the Apostles and Elders about this question here it is plain that the Apostles and Elders were the representative body of the Church To the Ninth and last I utterly deny the whole Church to be such an invisible thing as you world have much less not to be understood for first if it were so hidden from the eyes and understanding of men why or how should our Saviour command us to tel the Church and if he hears not the Church Math. 18. Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 1.12 Ephes 1.5 Col. 1. c. Now if the Church were hidden how could any man tell it any thing and if it were not to be understood how could any men hear it Do we not find that the Church is the body of Christ and all Christians the members and this is plain in severall places of Scripture Now how can you say that body and those members are hidden and the Church to be only in clouds when St. Paul tells us plainly you are the body of Christ and members one of another c. Luke 11. It has been of Hereticks always to run into Dens and Caves and hiding holes the Church hâ—'s always put the Candle in the candlestick as the Gospel teacheth us The Church ha's been always visible to us in Councils in the Apostolicall Seat in Bishops Presidents and Pastor of severall Churches 2 Cor. 8.18 For if the Church were in the clouds and a meer Mathematical Phancasme as you would have it how could the Brother that St. Paul speaks of have his praise throughout all the Churches And the Prophet David repeats so often with thee is my praise and glory in the Congregation of thy people and in the Chair of the Elders Psalâ— 21. Psal 106. let thy name be praised and desires that he may see the good of his chosen that he may rejoyce in the gladnesse of his people and that he may glory with his inheritance c. Now I have been inform'd indeed that it ha's ever been the fashion of all old Hereticks to strengthen the Church with a narrow compass and draw it within the compasse of one of their convanticles I hope you will not be guilty of that fault and whereas you urge it for a matter of faith therefore not to be seen I ask you whether God the Creator be not to be seen in every thing that moves and has a being and yet the Creation is an Article of faith I ask whether Jesus Christ God the son was not seen in the flesh and to ascend visibly into heaven and yet matters of faith I ask again whether God the holy Ghost was not seen visibly to discend upon the Apostles and yet an Article of faith propoâ—'d by the same Apostles and so the same I say of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Now because I have been so large in my answers I shall not need to be otherwise then short in my replies but something I shall urge to you out of Scripture according to my former method and that Scripture alone cannot be the Rule of our faith I prove thus I shal begin with the Articles of your faith and ours contein'd in the Apostles Creed and aâ—k you whether alll those are to be proved out of expresse Scripture As first that Article of Christs discent into Hell the Church ha's ever believed it â—ecles 24. as it is propos'd locally but how shall we prone it I say out of Scripture if out of Ecclesiasticus where it is said I will pierce into the lower moâ—â— parts of the Earth you will say it is Apocripha If out of St. Paul to the Ephesians Eph. s 4.9 10. where is it said now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up farre above all things c. Some of your Doctors have found a shift for that too First they will say that he descended by his power not by his person Then they will tell you of his descen into the wombs of the Virgin c. Now as you are pleased to distinguish upon it what are we the better in that point for the Scripture Then in the Athanasian Creed how will you prove the one substance of the blessed Trinity if from
the Covenant whom you delight in saith the Lord of Hosts c. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purifie the sons of Levi and purge them as gold and silver that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness Then shall the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years What can be more plain then this Prophecy that the Saviour of the world should purifie his Priests that is our Evangelical ones to offer Sacrifices not in blood but in righteousness which can be nothing but our most holy Eucharist The Prophet Daniel comes yet if possible Malach. 3.1 2 3. closer to the purpose saying Many shall be purified and made white and tryed but the wicked shal do wickedly none of the wicked shall understand but the wise shall understand And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away the abomination that maketh desolate set up there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days This is a clear Prophecy of the coming of Antichrist and how long he shall reign during which time the continual Matth. 24. or daily Sacrifice and this our Saviour himself affirms shall be sulfilled that upon the coming of Antichrist there shall be an universal Cessation of our great sacrifice for almost four years and nothing but desolation of Churches Let them look to it therefore that are hinderers of this glorious and continual Sacrifice from being offered in private Churches least they be convinced to be the forerunners of Antichrist But yet more plainly let us hear what St. Heb. 5.1 2 3. Paul says in the Epistle to the Hebrews For every High Priest taken from amongst men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins Who can have compassion on the ignorant and on them that are out of the way for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity And by reason hereof he ought as for the people so also for himself to offer for sins Can any thing be more plain here the Apostle being to define the duty of a Priest declares it to be principally to offer for sins and whereas you say that no one man can offer for another St. Paul sure was of another Religion for he says the Priest ought to offer for the Peoples as well as for his own sins and to this purpose I have been told by those that are skil'd in Antiquity that it has been call'd the Sacrifice of the Mass ever since the beginning of Christianity So enough I conceive said as to this point To what you alledge of abuse in our Church by our Mass being said in Latine and not in English I answer thus To the first I shall for your satisfaction reserr you to the current of that whole Chapter of St. Paul to the Corinthians which you so urge against our Mass where it is plain that he speaks of Prophesying that is of preaching interpreting and expounding the Scriptures and sure it would be a very absurd thing that any man should undertake to preach to the people in an unknown tongue therefore the Apostle in the 19. verse explains himself thus Yet in the Church I had rather speak five words with my understanding 1 Cur. 14.19 that by my voice I might teach others also then ten thousand words in an unknown tongue I pray you mark those words that I might teach others which must be understood of Preaching not of celebration of the Mass or publick Liturgy of the Church To the second I answer as before that the understanding so required by the Apostle is principally meant of prophecying and preaching As for praying I shall not enter into the dispute for it is too nice a one for me whether prayers though not understood be not profitable and meritorious I am sure some of the most Learned Doctors have concluded that they are But to our present purpose I say that though the Laity do not all of them understand the words of the Mass yet they do perfectly all the Mysteries of it which they learn from their Cradles either by instruction of their Parents and Masters or by the preaching and catechising of their Pastors and Curats then having the words of the Mass in their own Mother Tongue delivered to them in their private Primars and other books they perfectly understand by those mysterious actions and Ceremonies that the Priest useth whereabouts in the Mass he is and what words he is about to say and this is manifest by the peoples actions there who sometimes kneel and sometimes stand up sometimes bow sometimes beat their brests and other times sign themselves with the sign of the Cross as the several passages in the Mass shall require By which external actions of theirs it is notorious that they understand more of the mysteries of the Mass then the most Learned Latinist in the world could not being instructed in the mysteries To the third and last As to this I might refer you for further answer to what has been said before for all your arguments upon this point touch but upon one string but I will yet shew you how much use and edification more the people doe receive by our Masse though in Latin First there is very much of the Holy Scripture in it and by that the Holy Ghost speakes and instils instruction into our hearts though delivered in any tongue Then the scope of the whose Masse is unknown to no body though never so ignorant for the end of the Masse and principal intention of the Church who ever hears must know whether he understand the words more or lesse to be the offering of the sacrifice for the living and the dead in the memory of the passion and death of our Saviour to the glory of God edification of his Church and the honour of our Blessed Lady and all his Saints And why should not so much understanding in a Lay person be enough to his edification Nay I I am confident that by their scantling of understanding their devotions are usually raised to a greater height than the most learned and intelligent Auditors who please themselves with a dry understanding of the words Nay it is evident that the devotion of a man may be very much hindered by too much attention to words So much I conceive enough to your Arguments to conclude a Latin Masse to be sufficient for the people but yet if this were all in difference between us I am perswaded the Church would easily permit you to have it in your own Mother tongue for in what language it is said is onely matter of Discipline But yet I have thought good to send you some Arguments likewise to convince you of the congruitie and conveniencie if not necessitie that the celebration of those Divine Mysteries should be still in Latin The Scripture tels
c. and assures them that that is the will of God In fine it is plain that the true Christian and evangelicall liberty is nothing else but as S. Gal. 5. Paul pleaseth to define it a redemption or absolution of us from the servitude of the law and of sin made for us by Jesus Christ and by which as he says in another place being dedicated to God and righteousness we receive the adoption of sons John 8.36 and of this freedom it was that our Saviour spake in S. Johns Gospel if the son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed and that freedom God of his mercy bestow upon us all Now that Humane Constitutions the commands of Councils and Bishops are to be kept and all Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies duely observed I prove by express Scriptures thus S. Luke recites our Saviours words thus speaking to the seventy that he sent out Luke 10.16 He that heareth you beareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that despiseth me dispiseth him that sent me Observe I pray you how he that despiseth the Prelates and Ecclesiasticall constitutions of Christs Church is judg'd by Christ himself to despise him and his holy Gospel S. 1 Thess 4.2 8. Paul speaks home to the Thessalonians in this point first tells them of the commandments that he had given them then afterwards be therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given us his holy Spirit Moses and Aaron when the people murmured against them told them frequently Exod. Levit. Numb Deut. that they heard their murmuring against the Lord and again what are we your murmuring is not against us but against the Lord. Observe what S. John says We are of God 1 John 4.6 he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour you had best therefore have a care of your selves Nay S. Paul proceeds a little more terribly in the point Let every soul saith he Rem 13.1 2. be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Now that men have power to make Laws and Statutes to obliedge consciences it is plain by the president of the Apostles Acts 15.19 who commanded the Christians then to abstain from things strangled offerings unto Idols and from blood with divers other Acts which they have left us Then we finde how S. Paul himself made Laws that you will not dare deny obedience to as for the constituting of Bishops concerning widdows and women to be veiled and not to preach in Churches of not for saking the unfaithful husband or wife and of many prophane and meer secular things and judgements as to be seen throughout in his Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles and yet S. Paul himself was but a man Nay it is plain the Priest of the old Law had power of making and altering of Laws Deut. 12. 1 Sam. 7 1 Kings 18. in mater of discipline we finde in Deuteronomy how the Lord commanded that no Altar should be set up but where was the Ark of the Covenant and yet Samuel whilest the Ark remained in Shilo set up an Altar at Masphar and Elias did the same thing in mount Carmel All this is abundantly confirmed by our Saviour Christ himself who bids us Mat. 18.17 if one shall neglect to hear to tell it to the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto then as a heathen man and a Publican Then for Traditions it is altogether as plain that they are to be observed first S. 2 Thess 2 Paul tells us that we must hold fast the Traditions we have received as well by his word as his Epistle Then that the Church of Christ ha's been and is to be governed by custome is playn by-another text of St. Pauls where he saies wee have no such custom nor the Church of God Again to the Philipians he says finally Brethren whatsoever things are true Phil. 4.8.9 whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whotsoeverthings are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any prayse think on these things Those things which ye have both learned and received and hard and seen in me doe c. Now what are all these things but Traditions and ecclesiasticall constitutions Acts 15.41.16 Wee finde in the Acts how Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cylicia confirming the Churches Acts 15.41 and so afterwards wee find how Paul Silas and Timothy passed through cities delivering the Doctrines and ordinances which were decreed by the Apostles Elders that were at Jerusalem observe that ordinances or decrees not one decree onely of the cessation of the legall rites and ceremonies Our Saviour not only gave a power to plant his Church by preaching but also governing which includes the power of making laws Acts 21.28 with out which there can be neither living nor governing and that is plain likewise out of the Acts take heed therefore unto your selses and to the flock over which the Lord hath made you overseers to feed as your translation reads it but ours to govern the Church of God and indeed what is a Bishop or an overseer made for unless to govern the preaching part may be performed by other inferiour priests and Deacons And does not Paul to the Hebrews call them Rulers Heb. 13.7.17 as in one place remember them which have the rule over you and again obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitabele for you Then the same Apostle requires the Corrinthians that all things de done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14 40. now it is plain that order supporteth a law and rule which the Church of Christ is or ought to be governd by Lastly St. Paul may very well conclude this business and dispute of Tradition which his positive command to the Thessilonians 2 Thess 3.6 Now we command you Bretheren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye with draw your selves from every Brother that walketh dissorderly and not after the Tradi tion which he received of us if this be not cleer I declare for my part that I can see no light To what you Alledge against our days of fasting and abstinence and especially the holy fast of Lent I answer thus To the first I say that our Saviour in the Gospells that you cite says not one word of fasting but endeavouring to take away that Jewish errour and superstition
should deny to be Bishops and yet have very conscientiously avoided marriage The Apostle would not therefore that a Bishop should be found guilty of so much carnality as to be husband to two Wives and the Church taught by Saint Paul ha's forbid bigamy ever since and St. Paul only here lays down the Rule of a Bishops continence that hâ—â— should not take a second Wife To the Fifth I grant chastity to be free but necessary after it is vow'd and then commanded nor does that at all oppose the liberty of the Spirit but promote it for God himselfe does freely and yet necessarily produce the holy spirit It is true likewise what the Apostle says that it is better to marry then to burn but the same Apostle tells you likewise that it is good for a man not to touch a Woman St. Paul would not have a man burn that is tempted of the flesh but he is burnt that is overcome with the flames of concupiscense and for such a man saith he it is better to Marry than to bee always wallowing in the mire if you will put any other sence upon St. Pauls words you wil make St. Paul himself to marry because he had a Prick in his flesh c. I do confesse that I believe it to be very difficult to contein but the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it as our Saviour assures us and St. Paul tels us That though we are tempted of the flesh yet God is faithfull who suffers not to be tempted above that we are able and will be always present to support us if we implore his help To the Sixth To what you urge out of the same Apostle to the Cor. That if thou marry thou hast not sinned c. I answer that St. Paul speaks plainly there of one that was free to marry or not to marry not I say of the Virgin that ha's dedicated it self to God already but of that which is free and at it's own dispose To the Seventh Whereas you say that our vows of Virginity are vain and indeed foolish because impossible I do truly grant as to nature an impossibility and so are many other things that are absolutely commanded But if you consider the assisting grace of God nothing is impossible and every man is capable to receive that whom God shal think worthy to bestow it upon and neither the Pope nor any of his do trust in their external mortifications at all but that God will please to assist those their endeavours with his Almighty grace which hee never denies to those that so dutifully and instantly ask it as they do There is something else that you say in your argument which though it be sufficiently answered I must desire you yet to advise better upon and think whether it was so well said of a woman for which very words Luther himself as I am inform'd lost much of his credit with his own Disciplcs To what you alledge against us for multiplying of Sacraments and making them as you say out of meer humane inventions I answer thus To the First Whereas you are pleas'd to begin so briskly with me and as I take it with a syllogism I professe I know not whether it be true or false in the form but one proposition I am sure is false First that we have any supernumerary Sacraments or any Sacrament that was not of Christs own institution as you shall see how I will prove anon To the Second Whereas you say you have sufficiently already convinced the Sacrament of penance to be none by overthrowing the parts of it Confession and Satisfaction I answer that I humbly conceive that I have sufficiently in my reply restor'd that Sacrament both in whole and in it's parts so shall insist upon it no further neither To the Third Whereas you say that our Sacraments of Confirmation and order are but meer constitutions of the Church and not of Christ I have but your bare word for it and so you must give me leave to deny it To the Fourth As you are pleased to give me something like an Argument so I shall give you something like an answer You say there can be no pretence for to make Matrimony a Sacrament but a few mistaken words of Saint Paul who had no power to make a Sacrament neither c. I concurre with you that Saint Paul had no power at all to constitute a Sacrament nor any but our Saviour Jesus Christ and that it was he who constituted it a Sacrament I shall prove â—non As for the mistaken words in which you pretend Sacrament for Mystery I do confesse that Matrimony is a mystery but how dare you therefore inferre that it is no Sacrament when we know that all Sacraments are mysteries and so the Greeks as I am inform'd do generally call all the seven Then that it is a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church as the Apostle tells us does it therefore follow that it is e're the less a Sacrament on the contrary the Apostle here explains how it is a Sacrament that is how it coms to be the sign of a holy thing and that not of grace only as all the others are but of something more that is of the union between Christ and his Church so upon the matter it is so farre from being no Sacrament that it may be well reputed as a double one with Reverence be it spoken To the Fifth Wheras you say we have a less pretence for our extream unction to make it a Sacrament I do in one sence submit to it for it is not so literally constituted a Sacrament by our blessed Saviour as the other was but yet it was of his own institution as we shall shew anon and if it were not I do not find any matter of false faith in it that an Apostle by the commandement of Christ and possest with his ful authority should have the power to institute a Sacrament But it is plain that our Saviour did institute it and Saint James only publish and declare it And though it were at sâ—me time doubted whether that Epistle were written by any body else besides Saint James yet it is plainly now admitted to be Canonicall and never denied yet by your own Church And truly he that shall refuse to hear the Church in this particular approving the Epistle of this Apostle will presently throw all Scripture into uncertainty and by the same reason may deny the Epistles of St. Paul or any other Apostles Now because you seem to take for granted that our Sacraments are for the most part humane constitutions and it is of faith that they are of divine institution 1 Pet. 3.15 and we ought to be as St. Peter adviseth us Always ready to give answer to every one that asketh us a reason of the saith and hope that is in us I shall take some pains to prove it to you thus As for our Sacrament of Penance as you
conceive enough said on your part against it so I conceive I have said sufficiently for it in my reply to those two parts of it Confession and Satisfaction to which I refer you So I shall make it my business now to prove the other four to be Sacraments and of divine institution and I shall begin with the Sacrament of Confirmation Every Sacrament is a sensible sign having an infallible assistance of the grace of the Holy Spirit and such I prove Confirmation to be by most express Scriptures thus We find in the Acts That when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had receiv'd the Word of God Act. 8.14.15 16 17. they sent unto them Peter and John Who when they were come down pray'd for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost Fâ—r as yet he was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Then laid they their hands upon them and they received the Holy Ghost Here was manifestly a confirmation after Baptism and a sensible sign to wit Imposition of hands by which the grace of the holy spirit was confer'd and that is enough to make a Sacrament Again we find in another Chapter of the same Acts Act. 19.2.3 4 5 6. That Paul being at Ephesus and finding some Disciples there said unto them have ye received the Holy Ghost since â—e believed and they said unto him we have not so much as heard whether there be any holy Ghost and be said unto them unto what then were ye baptized and they said unto him Johns Baptism then said Paul John verily baptized with the Boptism of Repentance saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on Christ Jesus when they heard this they believed on Christ Jesus And when Paul bad laid his hands upon them the Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with Tongues and Prophesy'd Here is I say again after Beliefe and Baptism an Imposition of hands by which the grace of the Holy Spirit was ferr'd Now that this Sacrament waa instituted by Christ himself is plain by the Gospells John 16. where he promiseth his Apostles the Comforter his Holy Spirit with which they should be confirmed by virtue from above now the mission of the Holy Ghost in the time of Penticost either was the Sacrament of confirmation it self or instead of it Mark 11.13 14. Matth. 10. again we find in the Gospels That they brought young children to Christ that be should touch them and his Disciples rebuked them that brought them but when Jesus saw it be was displeased and said suffer the little Children to come to me for of such is the Kingdome of God c. Now it is very probable that he did either institute this Sacrament then or at least infinuate it So enough I coceive said to that Now that the Sacramnot of Orders was instituted likewise by Christ himself and with a sensible sign conferrs grace I prove this by expresse Scriptures First we find that when Jesus had called unto him his twelve Disciples Mat. 10.1 he gave them power against unclean spirets and to heal all manner of sicknesse and all manner of diseases Then again Jesus going up into the Mountain and called unto him whâ—m he would and they came unto him and he made that Twelve should be with him Mark 6.7 and he sent them to preach c. And after these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them tweand two before his face into every City and place whither he himself would come Then again we find Luk 10.1 that taking bread he brake it giving thanks and saying this is my Body c. Do this in remembrance of me Then last of all look into St. Johns Gospel and you wil find yet a more express Ordination and mission As my Father hâ—th sens me so send I you Lâ—k 28. And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them receive ye the holy Ghost John 10. â— 21 22 23 Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retein they are reteyned Thus you have in the four Gospells the institution of this Sacrament Let us now look a little into the Apostolicall practise We find in the Acts Act. 13. â—â— As they ministred to the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them and when they had fasted and prayed and I did their hands on them they sent them away Here again is plain Ordination and Mission St. Paul gives direction to young Timothy how to behaave himself in his Ministry and then says 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given to thee by Prâ—phecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery Then again he says Lay not thy hands on any man over haftily and again the Elders that govern well are worthy of double honour Then the same Apostle tells Titus 1 Tim. 6. For this Cause I left thee in Creet that thou shouldst make Elders in severall Cities 2 Tim. 1. Then to Philemon he says of those Elders those that are of this sort have a great regard to thus you see what respect St. Paul had to holy orders and yet to admonish us further of our duties to them he makes it his humble request to the Thessalonians thus Phil. 1. We beseech you brethren to know them that labour amongst you and over you on the Lord and admonish you in the Lord and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peace amongst your selves See what charge St. 1 Thes 5.12.13 Peter gives the Elders The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder c. Feed the flock of God which is among you taking the eversighe thereof c. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear ye shall receive a Crown of glory that fadeth not away So St. Paul again in the Acts of the Apostles Exhorts the Elders of Ephâ—sus thus Take heed therefore unto your selves and to the Flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops or Overseers as you would have it for it is all one to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own Blood Act. 20.28 Geâ— 1.37 Observe that the Holy Ghost made them Bishops and Overseers and yet you will deny Orders to be a Sacrament but it is plain it is for Imposition of hands is the visible sign which carries with it the invisible grace of the Holy Spirit as you have seen at large proved by Scripture That Matrimony is a Sacrament and instituted by Christ I likewise prove by expresse Scripture thus First it is very probable that the blessing which God Almighty gave to Adam and Eve in Paradice was not unaccompani'd with divine
dead and that he sent two thousand Drachmes of silver to Jerusalem to offer a sin-offering doing therein very well and honestly in that he was mindeful of the resurrection for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead and also in that he perceived that there was a great favour laid up for those that dyed godly it was a holy and good thought whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead and that they might be delivered from sin 2 Tim. 1.16 18. But if you will deny the authority of this book you will not sure deny that of S. Paul who prays for the whole household of Onesiphorus some whereof were dead in all probability and Onesiphous himself dead in history before the writing of that Epistle wherefore he prays to the Lord to give mercy unto them and that Onesiphorus himself may finde mercy of the Lord in that day it is plain from hence that there is a capacity for mercy at the lastday by consequence therefore there must be a third place that is nesther Heaven nor Hell and so by consequence again prayer for the dead must be a a very good devotion and available to the case and release of those poor souls And to this truly if all Scripture were perfectly silent the practise of the Church of Christ has been cleer and universal that no prudent Christian can deny his assent if he be not resolved to shake the very foundations of Christianity it self which the gates of bell shall never prevail against Thus my Lady having dispatcht her answer and replies to this paper made hast to open the next which she found to this purpose following Madam this is the last paper that I shall be bold to offer to your Ladiship which indeed might have served for all the rest for it striks at the very root of all your Religion and what a pitiful weak and sandy foundation you have you shall see if you shall please impartially to confider what followes That your Pope or Bishop of Rome is not nor can be head of the Church of Christ nor S. Peter successor as you pretend nor has any priminary or superiority over other Bishops I prove out of Scripture thus 1 S. Rom. 12.5 Paul tells the Romans plainly that we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Heer the Apostle acknowledgeth no head but Christ and concludes Peter to be as much a member as any one of the faithfull and that not onely in respect of Christ we are members but in respect of our selves is cleer by those words every one members one of another so that Peter Pope or Bishop be he what he will is not onely a member of the body of the Church as he has relation to Christ the head but as he does relate to the other faithfull members 2 Again as the head and the other members make up one entire naturall body 1 Cor. 12 so Christ and his Church make up one entire mysticall body which is so made up of head and members as the Apostle tells us therefore all others besides Christ who is the head are but members of the body of the Church and none but Christ can be the head of the Church 3 We finde in the Gospells Math. Mark Luke John that Jesus Christ does equally commend the care of his Churh to all his Apostles for he said to all the rest as well as Peter as the father sent me so send I you again go ye and teach all Nations c. then again we know that he did teach and instruct them all equally and sent the holy Ghost to them all equally and indifferently at the time of Pentecost therefore Peter had no priveledge nor prehemminence over the rest 4 S. Gal. 2.11 Paul tells us that when Peter was come to Antioch he withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed therefore Peter was not then taken for the head of the Church For S. Paul had he beleived that would not have shewed such arrogancy and perversness as to resist the head of the Church in such an open manner 5. Then it is manifest that the Church of Christ could not be built upon the person of Peter for then the gates of Hell had prevailed against it and him when he was terrified from his faith by the voice of a silly wench And so by consequence it cannot be built upon his successors who are dayly guilty of such personall crimes 6 Again we finde that the Church of Christ is built upon a Rock and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 10 therefore it could never be understood of Peter for another foundation can no man lay besides that which is already laid as the Apostle tells us 7 Then it is very disputable whether Peter was ever at Rome and sure we are out of Scripture that he was eighteen years at least after our Saviours passion in and about Jerusalem where was then the Romane Church 8 Then again how could Peter be the Rock upon which he would build his Church when our Saviour himself said to him Mat. 16. get thee behind me satan he never intended sure satan should be the head of his Church as it is too much to be feared he makes himself now to be of yours 9 We cannot finde that S. Peter did ever exercise any power or jurisdiction over the other Apostles Acts 8. but they did plainly over him when they sent him and John into Samaria 10 Again Peter knew fullwell that such a power or superiority was expresly forbiden by our Saviour himself Mat. 20.25 Mark 10.46 Luke 22.24.25 in all the Gospeles you know saith he that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentils exercise Lordship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them but so shall it not be amongst you but whosoever will be great amongst you shall be your Minister who soever of you will be the cheifest shall be servant of all All which our Saviour spok rebuke a strife that was amongst them who should be the greatest Nay it is plain by the Text in all those Gospells that it is onely for the Kings and rulers of the Earth to take upon them power and Authority Bishops therefore of the Church have nothing to do with it therefore not the Pope 11 Nay our Saviour shews such a detestation of this affected superiority that he rebukes the Diciples for it and warnes them against it in severall other places of the Gospells and set a little child before them and tellls them Mot. 18.4 Mark 9.46 that whoosever shall humble himself as that little child the sames is greatest in the Kingdome of heaven c. How well your Pope is an immitator of Jesus Christ and follower of his commands I will leave your self to judge who takes upon him
unknown thing Apostles Creed and that is impossible for the eyes of men to discover or no find it out where it is That not onely your Church which I take to be but a part but the whole Church of Christ may and must erre sometimes in faith I prove thus The Jewish Synagouge where was the true Church of God and which was the true Type of the Church of Christ made often saylings in â—â—â—ch as first in the time of Moses when Aaren with all the people worshipt a Calf Exod. 32.4 Again in the time of Elias when there remain'd none faithfull but himself as he himself complains I have been very jealous for the Lord God of Hosts because the Children of Israell have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thy Altars 1 Kings 19 14. slain the Prophets with the sword and I even I only am left and they seek my life to take it away Then in the time of the Prophets Isaiah and Jeremy Isai 1.7 when we see there was an universall revolt of the people from the Lord. And Isay complains how the Ox knew his owner and the Ass his Masters Crib But Israel ha's not known me c. And the Prophet Jeremy complains thus for my people have committed two evills Jer. 3.13 they have forsaken me the fountains of living waters and heat'd them out Cisterns broken Cisterns that can hold no water c. And yet more plainly we may see in the Chronicles 2 Chro. 15.3 how Azariah the Prophet says that for a long season Israell was without a true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law And then last of all the Synagogue was seen to fail when it felf and all it's devises were abolisht by Jesus Christ And I hence conclude that if the Jewish Church did so grosly fail then the Christian Church may for the reason is the same of one and th' other Again that the Church shall fail in the time of Antichrist is rertain 2 Thes 2. for so the Apostle foretells thus Let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sins be revealed the Son of Pertution c. that is agreed on all sides to be Antichrist Dan. 9.27 but now Antichrist is revealed long time to the Bishop of Rome therefore your which you pretend to be universall ha's fail'd in faith long since We find it says again in Daniell that he shall cause the sacrifice and the Oblation to sence and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate c. Here is a plain Prophets of the fayling of the Church 4. The Church is frequently compar'd to the Moon in the Scripture Cant. 10. Revel 12.1 now the Moon we know is often fayling therefore the Church is not amiss compar'd to it and it's failings we have manifestly seen by the oppositions that some one or two honest and godly men have ever made to it as of Late John Wickliffe John Huss Luther Calvin and others to this very day 3. Lastly that your Church may and must erre I shall adde but this one Argument to prove out of Scripture that your Pope is Antichrist therefore your whole Church must be Antichristian and by consequence the most failing Church in the World The first not of Antichrist is that he must fall away from the faith 2 Thes 3. and that hee ha's done wee in defending of Purgatory invocation of Sauls sacrifice of the Mass c. vers 3. The second Note is that he shal sit in the Temple of God so the Pope sits in Rome as the Head Church of Christ vers 4. The third mark is that he shall shew himself as God and this the Pope plainly does when he makes himself the visible head of Christs Church The fourth mark is to exalt and oppose himself to and above all that is called God This the Pope does whilst he exalts himself above all Ecclesiasticall and civill power All these marks we have of him in that Chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians 1 John 2.23 Then a fifth mark we have of him out of St. Iohn that he must deny Jesus Christ This we know by the corruption of the Doctrine that concerns the mediation of Christ and introducing of new Mediators The sixth mark we have again that he is a Lyar and a worker of false miracles and that we see your Pope to do still at Lorettoy and other places The seventh and last is plainly set down by the same St. John in his Revellation that he causeth all both small and great Rich and poor free and bound to receive a mark in their Right-hands or in their Fore heads and the Pope plainly does when he imposeth his Character upon some and marks upon all when by the unction of his Chrisme hee signs the Fore heads of Christians when they take your Sacrament of Confirmation Revel 13.16 c. If this be not enough to prove your Pope to be the great Beast that leads you all into perdition I must profess I know not what is so I shal forbear to offer any further Arguments My Lady had no sooner read this Paper but she fell to work upon it as formerly and she was the rather encouraged being promis'd to be the last of her troubles upon this occasion So she proceeds To what you alledge against our Pope or Bishop of Rome that he neither is nor can be head of the Church of Christ or St. Peters Successor or have any power over other Bishops I answer thus To the first I answer that the Apostle there in that Chapter to the Romans speaks of Christ only as he is head of the Church by the internal influencies of his gifts of grace and so it is true that all the faithfull are fellow members as well Saint Peter himself and the Pope too as any other Christians nor in this sense can the Pope be thought to be head at all for all are to receive grace from Christ the head not from Saint Peter or the Pope But if you speak of Christ as he is head of the Churrh by his eternal Government of it then not only he himself but Peter also is the head for though to him Primarily and in his proper power the Government belongeth so secondarily it belongs to the other and by a power derived from him And whereas I know here you will be ready to reply that the Church has two heads which is monstrous I answer that a Kingdom is not to be said to have two heads when the King is absent and a Vice-king present with it for one is subordinate to another so the Church may have two heads one primary and the other secondary as aforesaid I le give you another example out of the Apostle who tels us that the man is the head of the woman yet the woman has another
would make little to the matter for wheresoever he was he was still a supream Bishop and though by the Revellations of the spirit he chose out Rome for his Seat yet he was chief Bishop of the World long before he was Bishop of Rome To the Third I answer thus that it was no wonder that our Saviour rebuk'd Peter for resisting the sence that he propos'd to him concerning his being put to death because he had not yet receiv'd the Keys he was not yet confirm'd nor was yet the fulnesse of the spirit yet come upon him Therefore he was not yet the Rock but Christ after his Resurrection fullfill'd that promise to him and founded his Church upon him Then very learn'd men are of opinion are of opinion that Jesus Christ said to those words to Peter but to the Divell himself who was the Suggestor of that mistake to him Again the fall of a person in point of opinion does not necessity take away his power Then again Peter not being yet fully confirm'd it is possible that he might have a Revellation from God the Father by which he might profess Christ to be the Son of the living God and yet that great mystery might be conceal'd from him as yet that Christ would be crucifi'd for the salvation of mankind and rise again the third day and because you are pleas'd to put the Divell upon us for our Head I would ask you what was the Rock our Saviour meant if faith as you pretend then I say Faith is so soon lost in a man as grace and the faith of one man must be as considerable to that foundation as the faith of any other man and so upon the faith of all the faithfull the Church is to bee built and if all the faithfull are to be the foundation what kind of Church will you leave to Christianity To the Ninth I answer that your argument is not good at all Peter was sent by the Apostles into Samaria therefore he was less then the other Apostles Joh. 6.20 Gallat 4. just so the Arrians as I have heard formed their Argument because the Father sent the Son as is plain in Scripture therefore he is greater then the Son for the Sender say they and you is greater than he that is sent Because Herod did did not send the three Wise men to worship the Child He was therefore not greater then they When it is frequent that the most principall persons are likely sent especially if it be from the body of an Assembly and that for their honour out of love and good councell not out of any Right of Authority in their Inferiours So we find in Josuah Jos 22.12.13.14 that when the Children of Israell heard what the two Tribes and the half had done the Children of Israel gathered themselves together c. and sent unto the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad 91. and to the half Tribe of Manasseth into the Land of Gillead Phineas the Sonne of Eleazer the Priest and with him ten Princes 1 Chron. 9.20 of each chief house a Prince c. Here you see how the children of Israel the inferiour sort of the people sent Phineas that was their Captain and Ruler over them as we finde in the Chronicles and divers other of their Princes it is plain therefore by your consequencies out of Scripture that your Argument has none He is sent therefore he is inferiour to him or them that send him To the tenth It is plain that Christ did only prohibit ambition and Tyrannie amongst his Apostles not power and order because they are of God as the Apostle Paul tels us Rom. 15. and he that resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God Our Saviour therefore intended only to teach humility to him that was the chiefest or presided over the rest not to take away his power You would take it I presume for a very ill Argument if any one should say Jesus Christ himself was a Minister or did serve upon earth and taught others to serve or minister likewise therefore Christ had no power when he was here Besides when Christ said He that is greatest amongst you Is it not plain that he does imply that there should be one greater in power than another though he does injoyn that greater to be as the lesser by way of humility and ministration or service To the eleventh and last I answer in like manner that all which can be collected out of those Scriptures is to shew that he could have all those that were his to rise to greatness not by power and ambition but by humility and innocency that when they were in power they should be as if they were not so and as little ones in humility and innocency that when they were in power they should be as if they were not so and as little ones in humility and innocency not as so in age and understanding Now you must give me leave according to my usual method to reply something upon you out of the clear and unforced Letter of Scripture and that the Pope or Bishop if Rome is and ought to be the heâ—â— of the Church of Christ as St. Peters Successor and has just power and superiority ever all other Bishops I prove thus First out of the Letter of St. Matthews Gospel after Peter had made his consession Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Barjona Matth. 16.16 17 18.19 for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I wil build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the keys of the â—â—osed in Heaven c. It is worth your observation how signally our Saviour insists upon St. Peters person for that he might be sure that none but those that were wilfully disposed should be able to mistake he calls him by his old name Simon then by his Fathers name Barjona then by his new name Peter which he gave him then and signifies a Rock and presently says that upon that Rock will he build his Church c. And that must plainly be said and meant of himself in his own person for presently after follows And I will give unto thee the Keys of Heaven c. And whatsoever thou shalt bind c. And whatsoever thou shalt loose c. Again we find how clearly the Primacy of St. Peter may be proved out of St. Lukes Gospell When our Saviour twice repeats his name Luk. 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Observe I pray you how our Saviour prays for him most particularly and above the rest and he askt two things
Romane from the most noble part the head of it and that she must be that Universal and for ever visible Church of Christ is plain because she ever has been so Let any man shew that any other Church has continued without errour or interruption and I will grant you all that you have said and can more require of me But if it be manifest that no one Church of Christ in the world has continued without errour or interruption but onely she it must follow that she is the onely true Church of Christ First the Jewish Church has been long since more then interrupted quite abrogated The Turkish or Mahumetan has not always been The Liaheran Calvinian and reformed Church of England are all new for they began with pretended reformation which was made by them and other particular Doctors so must of necessity imply novelty The Roman onely has persevered in its own place and ancient profession so must be for ever the Mother and Mistress of our faith as taught by the Spirit of God If any of you will say that your Church or any other their Church has continued visible and without errour I beg the favour onely to know by what name she was called and is what parts of the world she has possest does what pastors and Bishops she has had and still has what Kings and Emperours have adhered to her and still do What Hereticks have been condemned by her What Universities she hath confirmed What Churches and Monasteries built If none of this can be shown you must give me leave to persist in my former perswasion Now though I conceive enough said in my answer before as to the business of the popes being Anti-christ and that no obligation at all lyes upon me to prove a negative yet because that is so great a gudgeon and so vulgarly swallowed I shall undertake the taske a little further That you may better understand this controversie concerning Anti-christ you must know that the name of Anti-christ signifies as I am informed an enemy or adversary to Christ and that must be understood in a two fold manner first generally for any enemy of Christ as all Hereticks are and in that sense we are to understand the Apostle who tells us that even now there are many Antichrists that is many Hereticks that think evilly and maliciously of Christ of whom it follows in the Text They went cut from us but they are not of us and again in another chapter of the same Epistle And every spirit that confesseth not 1 John 4.3 that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist whereof you have heard that it should come and even now already it is in the world Secondly it is taken specially for the principall and grandest adversary of Christ of whom all the rest before spoken of are but forerunners and of this grand Antichrist it is that S. Paul speaks when he says 2 Thess 2 3 4. unless that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God c. Now first I shall prove that this special Antichrist is not yet come at all for it is agreed upon by all the learned that the Antichrist shall not come till after the overthrow and desolation of the Roman Empire and they ground themselves upon those express places in Daniel and the Revelations Dan 2.7 Rev. 17. but now we know that the Roman Empire is not yet over thrown therefore Antichrist cannot be yet come Then we finde in the Revelation Rev. 11.3.6 I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesie a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes clothed in sackcloath who shall have power to shut up heaven that it rain not in the dayes of their prophesie and have power over waters to turn them into blood c. but these two witnesses are not yet come fore Antichrist cannot yet be come himself In the second place I am to prove that the Pope is not Antichrist and first as before Antichrist is not to come but after the ruine of the Romane Empire but the Pope came and still is in the flourishing condition of the Romane Empire Then Antichrist is to kill those two witnesses or Prophets before spoken of but this the Pope has not done therefore Then again Antichrist is not to reign above three years and a half Dan. 7.25 Re. 11.2 Rev. 5.3 as first the Prophet Daniel informes us for a time and times and half a time and in the Revelation it is said for forty and two moneths in one place and a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes in another place but now the Pope has raigned for many ages Again the Antichrist is to be received by the Jews for their Messiah John 7.43 2 Thess 10. as both S. John and S. Paul do testifie but the Pope I am sure never yet was and very improbable it is that he will ever be received by them for their Mossiah Lastly Antichrist is to make fire come down from Heaven Rev. 13.13 as we see said in the Revelation but none of this has the Pope ever done therefore he can never be thought to be Antichrist Thus I have been bold to inlarge upon this particular it being so vulgar an errour and the grand pretext of all the schisme and heresie in the whole world for to justifie their defection from the Bishop of Rome and indeed it was a very artificial trick of the Devil and some of your Doctors to fasten that dirt upon him for who will be so mad to keep in communion with that man of sin or the Antichrist as most of your common people do most ignorantly presume him to be And so I have done with all your Papers but I hope I have not yet done with you and presume that you will do me the honour very speedily to see me that we may sit and discourse something further upon these particulars so the Lord give you understanding in all things and enable me to prove more fully that I am Mistress N. your most faithfull friend to serve you M. Postscript I pray you dear Mistress N. do me the favour to come and dine with me to morrow and bring your Husband with you so you shall more obbige your true friend M. So my Lady immediately closed up the Papers into one Packet which she sealed and presently sent it away by her servant FINIS THE DIPPER DROWNED By endeavouring to wade in the unfathomable depths of SCRIPTVRE Whilst the FEMALE DUELLISTS Swim over him 1 Cor. 27. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise London Printed by Peter Lillicrap 1661. THE DIPPER DROWNED By endeavouring to wade in the unfathom'd depths of Scripture c. Mris N. had no sooner received these papers but she went immediately with them to her husband the Doctor imploring his
back is fit for the Kingdome of God And again Remember Lots Wife Luk. 9.17 Gen. 19. Matth. 10. chap. 24. 2 Thes 2.7 Prov. 20.25 Matth. 22.31 who looking back was turn'd into a pillar of Salt Again he that perseveres to the end shall be saved that is till death The wise King Solomon assures us it is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy and after vows to make inquiry Our Translation reads it thus It is a ruine to man to devoure the Saints and after vows made to retract them Let all pious Votaries therefore according to our Saviours Words in St. Matthews Gospel Renden unto God the things which are Gods that is their Vows that through his mercy they may deserve to be saved To the second I freely grant that Vows of themselves and all the externall works of piety dictated from the severest Rules of Monastick life cannot renew the inward man yet doubtlesse they are very helpfull to the spirit and keep the body from too much oppressing the soul nay I 'le grant too that if those externall works as you call them be done that they make seen of men they are Hypocriticall if done clearly to the glory of God you must sure grant them at least to be laudable Besider the Apostle says not that bodily exercise profiteth nothing but grants that it profiteth a little if it be imployed to piety To the Third Whereas you say that externall works are enemies to Christianity and do extinguish faith and weaken hope c. They are so far from that that they are the very life and nourishment of faith for St. James tells us that faith without works is dead Jam. 2. and it must strengthen his hope for by works both his faith and he must be justified as was sufficiently proved to you in my last Paper Luk. 17. But indeed if he dare to presume in his works then he is not only guilty but condemned already For when we have done all that we can we must say that we are but profitable Servants To the Fourth Whereas you say it is grand presumption in our Votaries to oblige themselves beyond the Rule of Baptisme and the Evangelicall Rule c. It is plain that they make their Vows to no other intent or purpose then to dispose themselves to perfect the Evangelicall precepts and what they promis'd in Baptisme with more commodiousnesse and greater facility they undertake their Rules only to promote in their way to perfection and to enable themselves with more expedients in the service of God To what you alledge against our vows of chastity and restraining of Priests from Marriage I answer thus To the first I grant that it was indulg'd to the Priests and Levites in the Old Law to have Wives because they had a long time of vacancy from the exercise of their Ministry or Priesthood For there was a great multitude of them and they served by course The case is not the same now for our Priests are in dayly service of the Altar and commanded to be always ready and without delay to attend their Ministry so it would be very inconvenient for them to be clog'd with Wives besides the indecency of it Again they were to be only of one Tribe the Tribe of Levi that were to bee taken into their Priesthood it was therefore necessary for the conservation of the Tribe and propagation of the Priesthood it self which otherwise in one age would have fayled that their Priests should marry Besides we find that those that were to sacrifice in the Old Law did abstain somtime from their Wives likewise so that St. Luke testifies of Zacharias And then it came to pass that so soon as the days of his Ministration were accomplished Luke 1.23.24 he departed to his own house and after those days his Wife Elizabeth conceiv'd c. Over and above all this the Priests of the Old Testament did handle but their proposition bread with the flesh of Goats Oxen Lambs and the like but ours do dayly handle the precious body and blood of Christ As to the other part of your Argument that the Greeks and other Christians have a liberty for their Priests to marry I say you are mistaken for no Priest amongst them is permitted to marry after he is a Priest but one that has taken a Virgin to Wife may be afterwards made a Priest and if his Wife dye he must remain single So a married man may be made a Priest but no Priest can be made a married man To the Second That command of the Almighty which you insist upon to increase and multiply was given when the earth was to be replenish'd heaven too for then then there were but few to procreate now they are innumerable Therefore that command is not to be taken amongst those permanent Laws which were to oblige all Mankind and every particular person for then St. John the Baptist had been a sinner who liv'd and dy'd a Virgin Our blessed Lady had sinned who is the grand Example of Virginity Paul himself had sinned who was the great Counsellour of Virginity and out Saviour Christ had never commended Eunuchs for the Kingdome of Heaven In like manner that precept and repeated by our Saviour Whom God hath joyned let no man separate concerns not sure every one in the World though it be given to every one multitude of the World So the command concerning Tillage and Husbandry does not make it necessary that all the World should bee Husbandmen though some must bee Neither is it necessary for every individuall of mankind to imploy himself in procreation though it is necessary that some must make it their businesse to propagate And so it is in an infinity of other things that are necessary for a whole community and yet not at all for every single person but it sufficeth that it be done by some To the third I deny perfectly that the Church forbids marriages at all but when any man is ty'd by his own voluntary Vow to the contrary the Church prohibits the violation of that Vow for before his vow it was as free for him to marry as for a married man it is impossible to contract again The Church takes a care in this point onely that hee whosoever hee is that vowes shall not deliver up the power of his body to another which was before delivered up to Christ And the Hereticks which you speak of Mark 15. 1 Cor. 10. which Saint Paul mentions were those that succeeded presently after as I am inform'd that did absolutely condemn Matriages for unlawfull To the Fourth That Saint Paul commands Titus to choose a Bishop that was the Husband of one Wife we do not deny but sure you do not believe that hee commanded that a Bishop should of necessity be a married man for then neither he himself nor Titus neither had been Bishops nor many of your own whom you would take it ill if we
Church I beseech you be pleased to make your own application Over and above all this I shall prove that the Church is not only incapable of errour because it is the Spouse of Christ his body and called the Kingdome of Heaven but because she is governed by the perpetual presence power and authority of the Holy Ghost who is never to forsake her Joh. 14. and first our Saviour promiseth that be will ask the Father and he shall send another comforter and so accordingly he did not long after in the same Gospell Holy Father Joh. 17.11 keep through thine own name those that thou hast given me c. and he explains himself in the same chaâ—ter that he prayes not for them onely meaning his Apostles but for them who were afterwards to believe in him through their preaching 1 Tim. 3.15 Does not S Paul tell his Disciple Timothy how he is to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of God the pillar ground of truth how then can it possibly erre Then S. John tells us that our Saviour said that he had many things to say unto them but that they could not bear them then but when the spirit of truth should come he should teach them all truth Again the same S. John in his Epistle General tells us 1 John 2.20 that we have an unction from the holy one and that we know all things and that we shall be alwaies capable to distinguish a lye from truth it must be therefore the unction of the holy Ghost that alwaies teacheth the Church In fine Matth. 28.20 S. Matthew makes them the concluding words of his Gospel Go yet herefore teach all Nations c. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world Christ who is the way the truth and the life said this to his Disciples it is plain therefore that this Church which is the pillar and ground of truth that has him for its leader and the Holy Ghost for its teacher can never erre how probable is it then that it should be in an errour for above a thousand years together as you fondly imagine Then as the Church is but one so it is necessary that unity should be in the Church I prove out of the express words of S. 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there he no divisions amongst you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement and then in another place in the same Epistle sayes 1 Cor. 14.33 that God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints What then will you say for your selves that have nothing but confusions amongst you nay is it not more probable that God will rather inspire his own body that is the concord and unity of his Church than any private Doctors whatsoever that teach a dissent from it Nay how much this unity of his Church is desired by God himself is evident by what the same S. Paul writes to the Romanes Rom. 15.4 5 6. for whatsoever things are written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Again the same Apostle in the same Epistle laies an injunction upon the Romanes Rom. 12.16 whose faith he acknowledged before was celebrated over the whole world that they should be of the same mind one towards another not to mind high things but condescend to men of low estate and not to he wise in their own conceits which all they are and must be that are out of the Church Observe I pray you the most pathetical exhortation of S. Paul to this purpose Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowells of mercy fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one wind Nay the breach of this peace unity and unanimity in Gods Church is most passionately if it be lawfull to say so Jerem. 2.12 13. bewailed by God himself as the Prophet Jeremy expresseth it nay proposeth it as a matter of amazement to Heaven it self be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord foy my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water I pray you seriously examine with your self whether you do lesse by leaving off the Church the true and living fountain and digging to your selves broken cisterns out of Wicklif Huss Luther Calvin c. In vain sure hath God sent his Son in vain the Holy Ghost and yet more in vain hath he sent Apostles Martyrs Confessors Doctors in all ages to perpetuate the truth of his Church to us when a few of such precious persons as those of yours would have served the turn Here are only two things now as I conceive left to be cleared the one is that the Prelates and principal Persons of Christs Church assembled together do make the representative body of the whole Church the other is that the Romane Catholick Church is that universal Church disperst over the whole world As to the first it is sufficiently clear by many such Scriptures as thse And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice c. And the King and all Israel with him offered Sacrifice before the Lord now that this must be onely meant of the body representative of Israel is plain to sense and particularly exprest in the beginning of the Chapter Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the Tribes the chief of the Fathers of the Children of Israel unto King Solomon in Jerusalem 1 Kings 8.58.62.1 Thus it is plain that the heads of the Church assembled represent the body of the whole Church Then as to the clearing of the next point I must tell you a great mistake amongst you for you commonly speaking of the Church of Rome take it only for the particular Church which formerly was and still is there and so it is no more indeed than particular But if you take it for the collection of all the faithfull who being disperst over all the world did in old daies alwaies adhere and still do to the Bishop of Rome so it is called Catholick or Universal because diffused over the whole world and it is called