Moses thus Exod. 25.18 And thou shalt make two Cherubims of Gold of beaten work shalt thou make them in the two ends of the mercy seat It would likewise follow 1 King 7 that Solomon had sinnd in his Architecture of the Temple when he made twelve litle Lions and set them over the Throne And when he made Oxen Lions and Cherubims or brasen bases Thus we see the end to which those Images are made and erected does alltogether alter the case To the Second I grant that Hezekiah broke the brasen serpents Image therefore must the Image of Christ and his saints be broken I deny it First because the Image of the brazen serpent was made by Moses 2 Kings 18. that they which were bitten by the firey serpents should look upon it and be healed so long as that end lasted the Image lasted but that ceasing it was fit for nothing else but to be broken Then the brazen serpent began to be an occasion of idolatry and they burnt incense to it so then it ought to be broken but the Image of Christ and his saints cannot be occasions of that amongst Christians for we retain the use of Images only as they are the representations of him from whom we have received so great benefits and of those his blessed servants who are to be our examples To the Third I grant to you that God is and ought to be worshipt in Spirit and in truth which that we may do the better we make use of images for they put us in mind of our duties and call us to a remembrance of those benefits we have received which cannot but inspire a devotion into a heart of stone And why I would fain know or wherein a spiritual worship should be at all hindred by the sight of an image more then the opperation of Sacraments be taken off by the sensible signes whereunder they lye and as under those visible signs we receive an invisible grace so are we led by the visible images of Christ and his Saints to the true and spiritual worship of those things invisible of which they are but the representations To the fourth I say there can be no danger at all of Idolatry amongst Christians for there is none so simple but knows that the veneration that is used referres not at all to the image of wood Stone or Brass but to the prototype or person represented and that is enough to rectifie their intentions then for the danger of unclean thoughts there is care sufficiently taken by the Church to inhibite Painters and Carvers all manner of laciviousness or probable dispositions towards it Then as to your argument that you think is so strange and in your opinion caries horns with it you will finde upon better examination that they are but a pair of ears You say either images are commanded or they are not if they be then we are to shew it in Scripture if they be not then you say it must follow that it must be a will worship or Idolatry I answer some things are commanded in Scripture and yet not to be observed as the observation of the Sabbath day holy or sanctifying it as the Scripture speaks as also the forbearing of things strangled and of blood c. It is enough to satisfie any reasonable Christian that the Church hath appointed images to be set up for the use of Christians as I say for profitable and almost necessary expedients to their devotion So I return your horn'd argument upon your self thus either to sanctifie or celebrate the Lords day that is the first day of the week is commanded or it is not if it be let Scripture be shew'd for it if it be not then it is will worship a fond and a vain thing to do it and that I am sure none of your Church will ever yeeld to That the use of Images is lawfull and profitable in the Church of God I prove by Scripture thus I must confess we have nothing express in the the new Testament for it and the reason I conceive was the fierceness of the primitive persecution which would hardly permit the persons of Christians to meet much less to adorn their meeting places with images or any thing else And yet we have it by universal Tradition that the use of images is Apostolicall and that we have our authority for the use of them from the Apostles themselves Then we have in our Ecclesiastical histories as how our Saviour sent his picture to Abagarus King of the Edessens which is yet as I am informed preserved and to be seen at Genoa Then we have again in the same story that our Saviour himself imprest the picture of his countenance upon a piece of linen cloth which he gave to Veronica by the virtue of which picture the Emperour Tiberius was recovered from a dangerous disease and for that reason Cesar would have decreed to Christ divine honours Then again we have in history and clear Tradition that S. Luke the Evangelist did draw the picture of the blessed virgin which was for many ages preserved in great veneration and to say that there were no Painters Mark 22 Carvers or Engravers in that age is most extreamly false for we finde our Saviour asking in the Gospel whose image and superscription is this But all this I must pass by because we have resolved to insist onely upon Scripture and in the old Testament we finde enough First we finde in Exodus as a foresaid Exod. 25.18 and thou shalt make two Cherubims of gold of beaten work shalt thou make them in the two ends of the mercy-seat Numb 21.8 Then we finde the Lord saying to Moses make thee a fiery Serpent and set it upon a Pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it be shall live and Moses did so and it was a certain cure to them Now this Brazen Serpent was the figure or Type of Christ hanging upon the Cross for as they that were bitten by the fiery Serpents were cured by looking upon the Brazen Serpent so all they that are bitten by the devil are cured by a faithful looking upon Jesus Christ Crucified as we finde in the Gospel of S. John from whence I think I may conclude The figure must of necessity be of less value than the thing that is figured as Moses who was likewise the figure of Christ was of much less value then Christ himself the Paschal Lamb less to be esteemed then our Eucharist and circumcision than Baptism If then the image of the Brazen Serpent was honour'd as we know it was how much more ought the image of Christ be honoured nay it is plain that the Serpent had not been honoured at all but as it was the figure or shadow of the image of Christ upon the Cross nor had it cured those that were bitten by the fiery Serpents but by the virtue of Christ who cures still
but once in the year and that is Saturday in the holy week neither is there any consecration at all made that day of the Sacrament But the Eucharist that was consecrated the former day is then receiv'd lest the Church of Christ should remain depriv'd of the comfortable fruits of our Lords Passion The other way of Oblation is cleerly Sacramental and yet nevertheless real by which Christ is daily offer'd in the Church and receiv'd by Priests in the Sacrifice of the Mass under the Sacrament in commemoration of the Passion Dead and that former Oblation once made upon the Cross So that the Priest in the person of the whole Church doth present to God the Father the Oblation made by the Sonne upon the Altar of the Cross and him offered and that is the Offering according to the order of Melchisedech However this Oblation may be but rightly call'd commemorative not that Jesus Christ is not rightly and truly offered but because he is offered here under a Sacrament invisibly and recordatively in remembrance of his former Oblation by his own command Numb 28.3 and according to his own Institution And this is the oblation that was signified by the continual burnt-offering in the Old Law in which there was a Lamb without spot to be offered every morning and every evening This second Oblation I say the Priests of Christ doe make daily by the command of Christ himselfe Luke 22. grounded upon those words Do this in remembrance of me For this word do cannot referre onely to a bare sumption or taking of the Sacrament as you would have it but an Action and Oblation otherwise they should not have had the power of Consecration by those words Christ perfected at once the Oblation of himself upon the Altar of the Cross in one bloody Sacrifice and by the frequent repetition of this unbloody one the fruits and effects of the former are daily deriv'd to us So that the Mass is not only a representation of our Lords last Supper but of his Passion Death and Oblation of himselfe and therefore our Eucharist is not onely a Sacrament as you say but it is also a real Sacrifice a Sacrament truly it is as it does represent and is taken but a Sacrifice it is as it is offered and sacrificed to God and by this reason our Mass in which this great Sacrifice is celebrated is called a Sacrifice too To the second and third In the like manner I shall answer both your following arguments for those Texts doe clearly speake of the first Oblation that Christ made of himself our Sacrifices here are but examples of that and yeâ— we offer still the same thing not as in the Old Law to day one Lamb and to morrow another but alwayes the same so it is still one Sacrifice for as he that is offered is one body not many so is our Sacrifice still but one Behold how we offer daily one Sacrifice which once was offered though as is aforesaid there is great difference in the manner of offering the one by a real bloody oblation the other by recordation and representation To the fourth That our Saviour did say that his blood was the New Testament c. I grant but deny that therefore the Mass should be so for that which he spoke was onely to confirme our Faith in the New Testament Exod. 24.8 for as Moses being to confirm the Old Testament took the blood of Calves and Geats c. and sprinkled the people saying this is the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words So Christ with his own blood confirm'd his New Testament unto us and enter'd into the Holy of Holyes Besides there be many things of the New Testament that belong not at all to the Mass as Baptism the Power of the Keyes c. Nay over and above all this it does not follow Heb. 9. that if the Mass were a Testament it should be therefore no Sacrifice for a Testament according to that of the Apostle includes the death of the Testator and the Mass being a Testament does imply the death of its Testator Jesus Christ and so by consequence must involve the Oblation To the fifth and last I shall clearly grant you again that the Mass is a recordation or remembrance of the Passion of Christ but not so nakedly as when a Lay person does simply communicate but it is a remembrance after this manner as it is the representative action of the whole Passion And this Jesus Christ said do ye not onely take ye but do ye that is if we joyne the precedents and sebsequents together consecrate offer take therefore that part of the Mass is called Action So therefore as there was a continual Sacrifice in the Old Testament so in the Law of Grace is Christ our Saviour made our continual Offering and shall continue so for ever till Anti-Christ shall come as our Doctors do affirm and then it shall cease for a while Now give me leave again to return you some proofes out of the Scriptures of the congruity and necessity that the Mass should bee a Sacrifice First Lev. 5.6.9.14 it is manifest that in the Old Law there was to be an offering for the sins of the people and it was alwaies the duty of the Priests to offer for their ignorances and sins and for their cleansing And what Religion was there ever so stupid as to pretend to the service of a Deity without some Sacrifice except some novel Christians to the very scandal of Jews and Turks Secondly Malach. 1.10 11. The Prophet Malachy does most plainly Prophesie of our great Sacrifice when he brings the Lord speaking to Israel I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept any offering at your hand for from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great amongst the Gentiles and in every place Incense shal be offered unto my name a pure offering for my name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of hosts Is not this a most plain Prediction of the Cessation of the Sacrifices of the old Law and the Institution of the Sacrifice of the new Law Nor can this be meant of that Sacrifice which Christ offered once upon the Cross because the Prophet speaks of a Sacrifice to be offered in every place and speaks but only of one oblation and that is nothing nor can be but the pure Sacrifice of the body of Christ so often repeared upon in our Masses and upon our Christian Altars Nay yet examine a little further in this great Prophet Malath 3.1 2 3. and you will finde yet a clearer evidence for our Christian sacrifice for being about his prophecies of the Messiah to come and having foretold the coming of the Baptist before him says plainly that the Lord shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of
Old Scripture to shew what a stamp of Majesty and Authority God Almighty fixt upon such assemblies and what respect the people always rendred them So it shall suffice to give you our Saviours own words and so conclude this point We find in St. Matthew thus Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 18. v. 18 20. for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Now I would fain know who can be convinced more evidently not to hear the Church then he that will not hear a Councell there can be no where a greater and more conspicuous consent than in a Council nor can there be any Congregations assembled more in the name of God then generall Councells are and yet you are pleased to cast contempt upon them But give me leave to tell you let the Authority of Councells be once taken away and all things in the Church will bee ambiguous and uncertain First all the antient Heresies that have been condemned by the authority of Councells and cast out of the Church may be reviv'd and reinforced upon Christians with as much reason as any primitive and Catholick Doctrine Then set up the Authority of Scripture alone against that of the Church and Councills and then Scripture it self will be uncertain for thrusting out that authority wich ha's commended sacred Scripture to us and commanded us to recive it what Scripture is it that opinionated men wil not reject and condemn for Apocrypha which will not save their own turns as some of your Doctros have notoriously done and so in fine we can never agree upon the point what is Scripture and what is not Thus must the Church of Christ fall into a most miserable condition for upon the arising of any doubt in matter of faith there can be no way found out to decide it but every particular person according to the proportion of wit in his own pate shall frame to himselfe faith of what form or fashion he pleaseth How then hath Christ provided for his Church a sufficientrule to go by and why should his Evangelioall Law be called the most perfect if he has not otherwise order'd a determination of all emergent coutroversies But thanks be to our most gracious God and Saviour he has abundantly done it for us as I shal more amply shew in my answers and replyes to the following heads of this your Paper which God give you grace with prudence and impartiality to petuse To what you alledge for Scripture to be the only Rule of our faith and against the Authority of the universall Church and it's Traditions I answer thus To the first I say that you are very much mistaken in matter of Scripture so I shall be bold to inlarge a little upon it for your better understanding And first it is to be observed that our Saviour himself writ no book at all neither commanded his disciples or Apostles to write any inso much as being to send them to plant his Church Matth. 28. he said not to them go and write but go and preach to the whole World Therefore we find the Old Law written in Tables of Stone but the Gospell had no other writing then but in the hearts of Christians So St. Paul plainly expresseth it Ye are our Epistle c. again 2 Cor. 3.2 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declard to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us not with ink but with the spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart c. This was before prophesyed by the Prophet Jerem. Behold the days come Jer. 31.31.302 3 saith the Lord that I will make a new Cavenant with the House Israell and with the House of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I wil put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I wil be their God and they shall be my people c. Again we find that the Church is much ancienter then Scripture for when the Apostles began to preach there was no Evangelical Scripture no Epistle of St. Paul extant and yet the Church was then purchased and sprinkled with the blood of Christ Acts 1. and governed by his unerring Spirit So the Apostles without any authority of the Scripture of the New-Testament proceeded to the election of Matthias and to the ordination or seven Deacons Acts 5.6 c. So Peter proceeded to the sentence against Ananias and Saphira which struck the breath out of their bodies c. Now we know that the Apostles were very diligent in preaching and sowing the word of God and yet we finde but very little that they left us in writing so it must follow that they taught a great deal more then they wrote which must have equal authority with their writings Yet further it is plain that the Scripture it self cannot be authentical without the authority of the Church for the Canonical Writers themselves were but members of the Church and how shall any private man know what Scripture is Canonical and what not but by the Church John 3. Why should any man believe the Gospel of St. Mark to be Canonical who never saw Christ and the Gospel of Nicodemus not to be so who both saw and heard Christ as St. John testifies of him and why should the Gospel of St. Luke the Disciple be receiv'd and the Gospel of St. Bartholomew the Apostle be rejected unless we humbly comply with the power and authority of the Church which hath so ordered it and clearly confess that the Church can judge of Scriptures Thus since it is plain that the Church is ancienter then Scripture and that no Scripture can be thought authentical without the authority of the Church Exod. 20. can any Christian be blamed for saying that he would never believe the Scripture but that the Authority of the Church commanded it over over and above all this the Authority of the Church over Scripture is hugely evident in many particulars of Scripture As first Matth. 28. Act. 15. the Scripture commands thus Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God c. And yet the Church changed the Sabbath into the Lords day by its own authority Matth. 28.19 20. and not only without but against known Scripture Again Christ said to his Disciples in the Mount that he came not to dissolve the Law but fulfill it and yet the Church in the Apostles Councel decreed and pronounced boldly for the Cessation
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
plain in this particular as we see it is for St. Peter and his Successors the very Analogy of reason would induce that Jesus Christ should appoint somebody for that great charge to govern his whole Church First let us look upon the Anology of the Christian Church and that of the Jews The Mosaicall synagogue was but a Type or shadow of the Church of Christ but the Synagogue was always govern'd by one visible head Namely the High Priest to whom all others were subject as is apparent out of the Books of Exod. Levit. Deut. Therefore the Church of Christ ought to be so governed For it is not fit that the more perfect government which by all is acknowledg'd to be Monarchy should be over the shadow that we know is more imperfect then the substance and and not over the substance it self which is the Church of Christ And as the Jewish Synagogue was the Type of our Church so undoubtedly their High Priests were the Types of our Popes and as they presided over the whole Jewish Nation as to the externall government so our Popes in like manner do over all Christian people Now I ask you how it can stâ—â— with reason That Moyses Peut 17.8 9. who was a Type of Christ too should provide for the Synagogue that if there should arise a matter of difficulty that they should come unto the Priests and Levites and to the Judge that shall be in those dayes and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of Judgement which are his own words and that Jesus Christ should neglect to provide in the same manner for his own beloved Spouse his Church Since then Monarchical Government both in Church and state is the best of Governments and was the practis'd government of the Synaogue and amongst the jews and is the only government in the triumphant Church in heaven why should not the same provision be made by Iesus Christ for his poor Militant Church upon Earth Or why should you or any body else oppose that happiness of ours which Christ has appointed for us unless it be out of a design to bring your selves and the whole Church to confusion and to do as was done in those days when there was no King in Israel when every one did what seem'd good in his own eyes which unhappy licence that you call liberty shall be ever part of my Litany Judg. 17.6 Judg. 21.25 that God would please to deliver me and all his faithfull servants from To what you alledge against the power of the Pope that he can neither by himself nor with all his Cardinalls and councills about him he able to determine any matter of Fath. I answer thus To the First I say that you are clearly in a great errour to think thiâ— the Law and the Testimony or any written thing was or could be judge of any controversie or difficulty whatsoever but the High Priest as appears by the Text aforecited out of Deuteronomy Then those words to the Law and to the Testimony are to be understood far otherwise than you imagine as is plain by the precedent words which are these and when they shall say unto you seek unto them that have familiar spirits and to wizards that peep and that mutter should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead then immediatly follows to the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them c. Now it is plain that the Prophet speaks here only against those who were wont to consult witches wizards and Sorcerers about future events and therefore they were remitted partly to the Law Deut. 18.9 1 Kings 22 7. which did expresly prohibit all that and partly to the Testimony of the Prophets who were appointed by God to foretell futurities to them The sense therefore of those words to the Law and to the Testimony 1 Sam. 28.7 is this if you will be inform'd of future events you ought not to consult witches wizards or sorcerers as Saul did because God had forbidden that by his Law to which I therefore remitted you but consult ye the Prophets of God whose office it is to foretell all future things that ye ought to know What does this make to the derision of difficult controversies or determination of matters of Faith Nothing at all sure unless you can think this Argument to be good It is not Lawful to consult Witches Wizards and Sorecters therefore onely Scripture is to be the Judge of controversies This sure is a very pitifull Argument and yet such as that do your great Rabbins and principall Doctors make use of to abuse you and themselves To the second I grant that Jesus Christ disputing with the Jews who denyd him to be the Son of God does remit them to the Scriptures but not to them only neither for he proves himself to be so by other Testimonies First he appeals to the Testimony of John the Baptist saying you sent to John and he gave witnesse to the truth Joh. 1.34 now his Testimony was this Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World and again I have given witnesse to the truth Joh. 5.36 because this is the Son of God Secondly he refers them to the Testimony of the miracles that he wrought amongst them But I saith he have greater witnesse then that of John for the Works which the Father hath given me to finish the same works that I do Mat. 3.27 Luk. 9.35 Joh. 5.39.40 bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me Thirdly he refers them to the Testimony of God the Father saying And the Father that sent me he hath given Testimony of me that was when he said from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him Fourthly and Lastly hee refers them as you urge to the Testimony of the Scriptures saying Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternall life So much as to say if you will not accept of the three first Testimonies of me which sure are most efficatious ones otherwise I had never produced them yet at least ye cannot reject the Testimony of the Scriptures in which you glory so much they themselves if you search and examine them as you should do give Testimony of me that Jame the Messias promis'd by God Why therefore will ye not believe c. Thus in my Opinion your Argument retorts it self upon you more then oppugneth us For you contend that only Scripture is necessary for the decision of controversies and difficulties in faith and yet you see that Christ himself does not so but remits us to those other Testimonies as well as Scripture now the Catholick Church does in this as in all things else imitate our blessed Lord and Saviour for in those controversies which she hath with all Adversaries she does not use the testimony of Scriptures
and yet that use was not universal neither as it appears in the second chapter of the Acts where it is said that the people continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine Acts. 2 4â—.46 and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers and verse 46. And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread there is no mention made at all of the Cup. But howsoever the use was then and there we are sure in the Western Church the Cup was never permitted to the Laity and that for many reasons First considering the multitude of Communicants some old some young some weak and some strong there would be great danger of spilling that most precious liquour 2. It would be very difficult to finde a commodious Vessel to contain a quantity equal to such a multitude from whence it might be taken without danger of effusion 3. The Sacrament under the species of Wine could not easily be conserv'd for the use of the sick because it would be apt to grow sower and corrupt to the moving of a nauceousness and a vomit in the Receiver 4. Without great danger of effusion it could not be easily carry'd from place to place as it should be to the sick 5. It would happen sometimes that some high irreverencies would be offer'd to that most celestial and worthy Sacrament 6. We have it related and attested from some most holy learned persons that some Religious men though Lay Brothers were importunate to receive in both kindes whilst the Priest was in the action of the Sacrament the Patin or Plate where the sacred Host lay appeared full of blood to the astonishment and satisfaction of all the beholders and the Petitioners gave off the importunity of their former request Over above all this we are to beleeve that it was a most ancient custom in the Primitive Church that the Laity should communicate but under one species Nay that it came from the very Tradition of the Apostles because the beginning of it could never yet bee shew'd nor can by any man Besides we know that there were some amongst the Jews that never did nor could drink Wine and in some Christian Countries there is a great difficulty and at some times almost an impossibility to get any Wine Now as for your inference that if the Church could take away one species it might as well take away both I utterly deny for the whole Christ being no lesse under one species than under both and as much fruit of comfort and spiritual nutriment to be had from one as well as the other the Church neither does nor can deprive any Christian of the Benefit of the whole Sacrament To the fourth and last I grant again that the Priest who is to consecrate does and ought to consecrate both species because he is to perform the representation of our Lords passion therefore the body and blood together are consecrated under both their proper species and the Priest in the person of the whole people present offereth and taketh it under both species and the whole people in the person of the Priest do or ought to beleeve that they receive and drink the very blood of Christ by a spirituall kind of taking which is very sufficient for them so there can be in them no guilt of omission at all Now here again give me leave to return to you some Texts that you may bee pleas'd to consider of and I hope you will receive the same satisfaction that I have done in the full right and reason of the point that it is sufficient for the people to receive the Sacrament under one kind only First be pleas'd to examine throughly the sixth Chapter of Saint Iohns Gospel where our Saviour so often calls himself the bread of life Joh. 6 3â— 33 34. My father giveth you the true bread from heaven For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world Then again Iesus said unto them I am the bread of life 48. And again I am the bread of life Again 50. this is that bread which came down froâ— heaven that any man may eat thereof and not dye And again I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eate of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Here our Saviour is pleâ—s'd to mention nothing but Bread Secondly St. Luke assures us Luk. 24.30 that our Saviour gave the Sacrament himself but in one kinde to the two Disciples going to 〈◊〉 And it come to passe as he sate at meat with them he tâ—â—k bread and blessed it and brake and gave to them and inmediately their eyes were opened c. And this was the onely time that our Saviour gave the Sacrament to the Lairy Our Saviour therefore taught us in St. Mat. 6.11 Matthew to pray daily for our substantial Bread no mention at all of Drink Then we find in the Acts of the Apostles immediately after the Ascention of Christ that the people continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread Act. 2.42.46 and in prayers And again They continued daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of bread c. Now for a further confirmation of all this St. Paul makes this inference 1 Cor. 5.7 8. For even Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the feast neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And in the tenth Chapter explains it thus For we being many meaning Priests and people are one Bread and one body 1 Cor. 10.17 for we are all partakers of that one Bread All these Texts as I am inform'd the Holy Fathers of the Primitive Church understood as the Church does now and being at the point of death themselves would never communicate but in one species To the Proofes that you are pleased to produce against the Sacrifice of the Masse I answer thus To the first Those Texts of the Apostle which you urge are clear to another sence than what you propose For you are to understand a twofold offering of Christ yet both reall and true for in both Christ is truly offered and sacrificed The first way of offering is that with which he once offered his living body and blood to God the Father upon the Altar of the Cross for the sinnes of the whole world and salvation of mankinde and of that great offering the Apostle onely speaks there shewing the excellency of that sacrifice above the sacrifices of the Law Of which sacrifice speaking likewise to the Ephesians Ephes 5.2 he saith he hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savâ—n Now this grand oblation is represented by our holy Mother the Church
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
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