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
which was that to eat meat with unwasht bands made the meat unclean and the eater two tells them that not that which goeth into the mouth defileth c. This I say was onely to rebuke that foollish errour of theirs for he could not mean it absolutly otherwise they that in the Apostles time should have eaten meats offered to Idolls things strangled or blood or poyson willingly and knowingly should not have been defiled but so we know they were Over and above let it be granted that all meat whatsoever which enters the mouth passeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught does not defile a man Yet when a man shall against the commandment of God and his Church or the custome and Tradition of it or against his own vow or with the scandall of his neighbour take any meat whatsoever it does and must of necessity defile him for this proceeds out of an evil and malicious heart that is from a plain contempt of God and his Church in so slighting their precepts Thus if the Rechabites had drunk wine though in it self good they had defiled themselves because it was against the comand of their father And it is plain that God approves their abstinence for that very reason and pronounceth a blessing to the whole family for being obedient to the precepts of Jonadab their fatherâ— In the like manner the Angel Gabriel foretold of John the Baptist Luke 1. Mat. 3. Mark 1. Luke 3. that he should neither drink wine nor any strong drink and that his fool should be Locusts and wilde hony Now I would aske the question whether if the Baptist had transgrest that rule he had offended or not but enough of this To the second I say the Apostle in those words that you so much insist upon means onely that he would not have such a judiciall observance continued amongst Christians as to hold some meats absolutly unlawfull and perpetually forbiden as swines flesh excepting onely what was decreed against in the Councell of the Apostles Acts â— But the Church of Christ beleives every creature of God to bee good though for a while and to mortify the old mans he commands an abstinence from some Again the Apostle speaks not heer at all of fasting or mortification of the flesh but because certain heretickes there were that held some creature to proceed from an evil principle the Apostle goes about to beat down that opinion and tells them 1 Tim. 4. that every creature of God is good to be received with thanks giving and that is our religion though we hold not that every good thing is good at all times and seasons nor does the Apostle heer command it should be so To the Third You are to understand that by the old law some creatures were unclean but that Typically and by signification onely though the Jews were so sottish as to beleive that they were so in their one nature This errour the Apostle goes about to destroy saying to the faithfull all things are pure and so by consequence to be eaten in their seasons but that it is not lawfull to abstein from a sort of lawfull meat for a certain time is a wonder to me how you could draw into that Apostles sence who was himself as he says so often in fastings and some of the fathers as I have read in story never drank wine or eat flesh in all their lives To the Fourth I answer in the like manner that the holy Apostle would not have his Collosstans nor any other faithfull Christians judged about meat and drink and holy days after the old Jewish fashion and not a word of fasting there To the fifth I shall freely grant to you that it is by the spirit that we are to mortify the deeds of the flesh but I must tell you again that the spirit receives strength from the weakening of the flesh and crusifying of it with fasting as the Apostle himself whom you urge explains it to the Gallatians Gal. 5.23.24 when he first tells them that Temperance is the fruit of the spirit and after assures them that they who are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts c. but above all I pray you observe what he says to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.25 26 27. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things c. I therefore so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the aire but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection least that by any means when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast away Thus it is plain that S. Paul thought that he advanced the vigour of his spirit by his subjugation of his flesh To the sixth and Last As for your pretence of Christian liberty I have shewed you plainly before that it pertains not a jot to this purpose As for what you say that Jesus Christ himself never made any distinction of meats nor commanded any such thing I grant it for he employed himself whilst he was on earth in matters of greater moment to our Salvation and left those things which were to expedite and promote our way to heaven to the direction and government of his holy Spirit that was to animate his whole Church Besides though our Saviour says nothing of destinction of meats he does not withstanding much of fasting and to give us example did most miraculously practise it in his own person so now I presume you will give me leave to prove my part And first I prove that the Church does lawfully forbid certain meats for certain times by express Scriptures thus First the Apostles themselves being assembled in counsel laid an injunction upon all Christians Solemnly so to do in these words For it seemed good unto the holy Ghost and to us c. Acts 15.28 29. that ye abstein from meats offered unto Idolls and from blood and from things strangled c. S. Rom. 14.20 21. Paul declares freely to the Romanes that we ought not for matter of meat destroy the worke of God all things indeed are pure but it is evil for that man who cateth with offence it is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor any thing whereby thy Brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak c. heer is a perfect abstinence commanded for certain times and particular reasons Again he says to the Corinthians that meat commendeth us not to God for noither if we eat are we the better neither if we eat not are we the worse c. and then concludes wherefore if meat make my Brother to offend I will eat no flesh whilest the world standeth least I make my Brother to offend heer again is abstinence for certain time and certain reasons Then that such an abstinence is acceptable to God see the express words of the Prophet Daniel speaking of himself Dan. 10.2.3 I Daniel was mourning
one Argument against so foul a thing and that is this either Images are commanded or commended for good meanes of divine worship or they are not if they be then shew it by Scripture if they be not then it must follow that it is a piece of will-worship and that all Images are meer fond and vain things That your Doctrines of Indulgences Purgatory and Prayer for the dead are derogatory to Gods glory and abusive to the world Iprove by Scripture thus And First as to your business of Indulgencies I shall give but one blow and that I presume will be a mortall one out of Saint Paul to the Romanes where he saith for I reckon that the sufferrings of this present time Rom. 8.18 are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in me If then the merits of the Saints upon earth are more then enough rewarded by the glory which the Lord is pleased to confer upon them in heaven how can there be a superabundance of their merits pick'd up by your Church and laid up in a storehouse or treasury for the Pope to take out at his pleasure and apply to the use and advantage of other men which is as I am inform'd the prophane and sottish opinion of your Church Then as to your Doctrine of Purgatory I shall disprove it thus The Prophet Daniell mentions but two ways for soules to go The one to everlasting life Dan. 11.2 Matth. 25.46 John 5.29 the other to everlasting contempt Our Saviour does mention no more And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into life eternall so St. Matthew And again in St. Johns Gospell They that have done good unto the Resurrection of life and they that have done evill unto the Resurrection of damnation How dare any man invent a third place upon his own head when God himself ha's appointed but two Again the Scriptures plainly tells us that those which are to be saved go immediately to Heaven without any stop or stay by the way therefore your Purgatory must needs be very much out of the way Luk. 23.43 As first we find in Saint Lukes gospell our Saviours own words to the Thief upon the Cross And Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise that is understood immediately after his death without any delay in Purgatory Phil. 1.23 or else where Then again St. Paul tells the Philipians that he had a desire to depart and to be with Christ therefore after departure the saved soul goes immediately to Christ without any rubbs stops or stays by the way what then is become of your pitifull purgatory So I presume I need not trouble your Ladyship with any more arguments to convince so foul an errour I shall only produce one or two more against your prayer for the dead which is a consequent of your Purgatory and so conclude this Paper That your Doctrine of Prayer for the dead is an impertinent piece of devotion and contrary to Scripture I prove thus 1. It were enough for the satisfaction of any resonable person in this point to have disproved purgatory as I have done already for if there be no Purgatory there can be no prayer for the dead usefull at all but I will proceed more particularly to prove against prayer for the dead thus The Prophet Jeremy not only forbids to pray but to weep for the dead saying Weep ye not for the dead Jer. 22.10 neither bemoan him but weep for him that goeth astray c. If the dead be not in a condition to be wept for they are mch lesse in a condition to be pray'd for and by consequence again there can be no Purgatory 2. Luk. 7.13 Our Saviour again in like manner forbids the Widdow to weep for her Son that was dead so still it follows if there ought to be no weeping then no Purgatory and if no Purgatory then no prayer for the dead 3ly and Lastly for the Explication of all that ha's been said 1 Thes 14.13 14 15.16 17 18 and the conviction of all gainsayers Observe what St. Paul says to the Thessalonians But I would not have you be ignorant brethren concerning them which are asleep that ye sâ—rrow not even as others which have no hope for if we believ c. So to the end of the Chapter comforts them with an assurance of resurrection to life eternall without any the least mention of Purgatory or prayers for the dead This Paper my Lady had at sooner peras'd but she disposed her self immediately to her pen and writ as followeth To what you are pleased to alledge against our Doctrine for the invocation of the Saints in Heaven I answer thus To your first second third and fourth I shall answer together and with good reason for there runs the same fallacy along with them all and I do wonder you should be so deluded by the Sophismes of your Doctors for those very Arguments that they have furnished you withall against us in this point do as well take away the Intercession of Christ himself and the prayers of the Saints living upon earth as the intercession of the Saints in heaven For if this be a good consequence God is only to be worshipt therefore it is not lawfull to invoke the Saints in heaven then this must be a good consequence too God is only to be worshipped therefore it is not lawfull to invoke or desire the Saints on earth to pray for us For this word only exclude as well one as the other and must of necessity as well condemn the invocation of the Saints Militant which all of you use and the Apostle himself did too as the invocation of the Saints Triumphant Besides we do acknowledge it to be our duty to pray and ask of God and to pray and ask in Jesus his name and to pray and to ask with confidence as the Apostle would have us but nothing of all this can make an exclusion of the Saints For by the Saints as our fellow Members we pray in the name of Jesus our head wherfore our Church always doth conclude its Collects of the Saints with through Jesus Chirst our Lord and you are to understand that though God be most good most gracious and merciful yet he is a God of order and disposeth of all things so sweetly that all Inferiours may lead us to Superiours and so in this particular case our Church is likewise well pleased that we should come boldly to the Throne of Grace to the fountain of Grace Father of Mercy and God of all comforts but this she tels us that we may more commodiously do it by the Saints then only by our selves who are most miserable sinners and so must of necessity be abhorred by him And the Scripture tels us that our God is a consuming fire and we may justly fear lest we perish before his face as wax melteth
for him First an indefectibility of his faith and then a power to confirm the rest of the Apostles and all the faithfall Again we find in St. Matthews Gospell how Christ before all his Apostles saith to Peter Go thou to the red Sea Math. 17.27 and cast an book and take up the Fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt find a piece of money that take and give unto them for me and thee here it is plain that though the rest of his Disciples were present he paid only for him and made him equall to himself in the payment We find in all the Gospells where there is any description of the constitution of the Apostles or any mention made of them Math. 10. Peter is still nominated first Mark 3. as the head of all the rest which would not have been done but in regard of his Primacy Luke 6 and so it has been ever understood by the Church Then we find that though all the Apostles were present at our Saviours apparition by the Sea Coast Joh. 21.7 onely Peter did come upon the water of the Sea to him Luke 5.4 which was no doubt a sign of his singular power and prerogative above the rest In like manner though all the Disciples were commanded to loose their Nets onely Peter was commanded to Launch into the deep But above all we find the performance of that long promis'd Primacy made to St. Peter most expresly in St. Johns Gospell Jesus saith to Simon Peter John 21 Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more then these he saith unto him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my Lambs He saith unto him again the second Simon Simon sonne of Jonas lovest thou mee He saith unto him 15 16 17. yea Lord thou knowest that I love thâ—e He saith unto him feed my sheep He saith unto him again the third time Simon Simon Sonne of Jonas lovest thou me and he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus saith unto him feed my sheep Here it was that Peter receiv'd his pastorall charge which was but promised him before and in the presence of all the Apostles the care of Christs sheep was committed to him as to the Prince of the Apostles Now to Feed Ezek. 34. Isai 44.56 Jerem 26.22 Psalm 32. in Scripture is very frequently taken in Scripture for to govern Rule Pastors likewise for Kings as may be seen throughout the Prophets But that I may contract my self in this Copious Theam I shall endeavour to summe up all the Prerogatives of St. Peter that are given him in Scripture and then leav your self to judge whether he was not intended by our Saviour to be Primate and Superiour First it is manifest that he alone of all the Apostles had the honour to have his Proper-name changed and a new one given him by Christ Secondly in the Repetition of all their Names Peter is always put first Thirdly the Scripture always speaks of Peter as a Prince and of the others as Subjects Fourthly Peter speaks in the Name of all the rest as the chief amongst them Fifthly onely to Peter was the first Revellation made of the Divinity of Christ Sixthly onely to Peter was made a promise of the infallability of his faith and stability of his chair Seventhly Christ paid Tribute only for himself and Peter and for none of the rest and as much for Peter as himself Eightly Jesus Christ after his Resurrection made his first Apparition to Peter alone of all the Apostles and all this you cannot deny to be perfect Gospell Now you may please to take notice of these Eight Priviledges or Prerogatives spoken of in the Gospell were before he was actually instated in his Primacy for that was not till after our Saviours Resurrection so these that I have already mentioned were but as signes or previous dispositions to his future Primacy and power which how he afterwards executed you shall see in these particular prerogatives more First to Peter alone it was absolutely said Feed my sheep there was his power confer'd and confirm'd upon him Secondly Peter by his own Authority call'd all the rest of the Apostles to the election of a new Apostle in the place of the Traytor Judas and directed the Ordination of Matthias into that Apostleship Act. 1.15 16. as we find in the Acts. And Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples and said men and buethren c. Thirdly Peter only in the day of Penticost defended all the rest of the Apostles when they were said to be full of Wine for the Text tells us that Peter standing up with the Eleven did lift up his voyce and said unto them c. Which was the first miracle wrought in Christs Name conformable to the gospel 4ly Peter when Jobn was present cur'd he lame man so the Gospell justifi'd and defended that action and Christianity together against the Jews in a set Sermon Act. 3.4 13 c. Act. 4.8 5ly St. Peter argues the case in the Counsell and defends himself and John Sixthly Peter does the first act of justice and first first instance of a coercive power in the Church Act. 5.3.4 5. Act. 8 20. Acts 2. when he pronouncedsentence of death upon Ananias and Saphira Seventhly Peter was the only person that proceeded to justice against Simon Magus for his wicked marketting of the Holy-Ghost 8ly he was the first that did publickly did preach the Gospel to the Jews after thedescent of the Holy ghost 9ly He was the first that did likewise preach the Gospel to the Gentiles to whom only the heavenly Visions offered for the calling of the Gentiles Act. 10.12 13. and by which he was commanded to take a particular care of them as his own cure and as their proper Prelate When he saw the great Sheet let down to the Earth wherein were allmanner of fore-footed beasts and creeping things of the Earth c. And there came down a Voyce from Heaven to him Acts 15.7 Rise Peter kill and eat by which he as head was commanded to incorporate the Gentils into the Church of Christ c. Tenthly and lastly he was the first that gave his Vote and spoke in that great Councell at Jerusalem and was chief Authour of that decree against the Legal Rites and Ceremonies Here are plainly Ten parts or pieces of his pastorall prerogative that he exercised after the Resurrection of our Saviour when he was establisht in his pastorall charge by those Words Feed my Sheep And if all the maâ—ks and promises of this prerogative given in the Gospell nor all these confirmations and matters of fact since will not prevail to satisfie you in St. Peters Primacy I shal despair ever to bee able to satisfie you in any thing And yet truly if that Scripture had not been so punctually
latter end of the Text would have answered the begining for we graunt as aforesayd that the Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is worshiped with mens hands as though he needed any thing that you are pleased I say to leave out and we deny as well as you that God is so to be worshipt in our Churches as if he stood in need of any help of ours To the Third What you urge again out of S. Paul we grant that we are to pray in all places that is to be understood sure of all places of convenience and what place can be more convenient than that which is dedicated consecrated and devoted to that onely use Besides S. Paul said that onely to refute a vulgar errour which was that it was not lawfull to pray any where but in the Church To the Fourth We do not deny but the Temple of the Jews was so destroyed as our Saviour prophesied and that so it ought to be but that signifies nothing to our Churches for as the Evangelical Law succeeded the Jewish Law so the Evangelical Priesthood succeeded the Jewish Priesthood and our Churches their Temple and our unbloody Sacrifice their bloody ones To the fifth We freely grant all that our Saviour sayes as you urge and that the true worshippers of him shall do it in spirit and in truth and we pray you what hinders but that we may do that in our Churches and what is in the text more reougnant to our Churches than to your woods caves and nasty conventicles To the Sixth The Prophet Jeremy whom you urge does most expresly testifie there that the Temple was his most choice and beloved place and addes those words and I will dwell with you in that place Notwithstanding he tells them in the Text you quote that they are not to trust in that for the sanctity of the Temple should not be a priviledge to them if they took wicked courses This is all the scope of the Text and the context To the Seventh We grant it to be true that God is in every place and hears sinners every where does it therefore follow that we must have no Churches This was Jaroboaws argument sure to the Israelites to keep them from their going up to the Temple at Jerusalem when he told them how impertinent a piece of worship it was to take so long a journey to so little purpose You Anahaptists therefore may be very properly in this point called Jerohoites going about to disswade Christians from the use of Churches as he did there the Israelites from their Temple but because we perceive you are a Latinist we shall refet you to a learned Jew to teach you a more Christian religion Joseph lib. 8. c. 12. and that is Josephus who will tell you Deus est ubique sed in uno loco vult orari honorari plusquam in alio God is every where but in one place he wil be prayed to and honored more than another and what you seem to fling against tho riches ornaments of our Churches is nothing to the purpose supposing that we must have Churches at all consecrated to divine use sure common reason tells us that they are not then to be like Burnes nor our Priests to go like Beggars who serve in them what you produce out of Persius is little to the purpose and you shew your self to be a true imitater of your grand Patriarch Martin Luther who when he went about to prove that all things in this world came by a fatal absolute and inevitable necessity produceth a Heathen Poet for his Authority certa stant emnia lege so when we bring clear Scriptures and you are pleased to produce Ethnick Poets we conceive our selves not bound to answer to their authority how valid soever you take it to be for we know they knew not God therefore they are not to be received by us as any authority But of this we shall tell you more hereafter To the Eight I say you have done very bravely to make all Christian Princes and Magistrates to be Pilates and Herodes and whereas you say that Christ asserted Pilates power the contrary is plain out of the Text for our Saviour there clearly taxeth him of sin when he sayes that he that betrayed him into his hands had the greater sin Now that Pilate had a power given him from above our Saviour sayes it but in reference to God that is permissively onely that God did permit to him onely that power for we know it was his own will to offer himself if the Text be understood as in reference to Cesar and the supream civil power you then gain nothing by your argument To the Ninth We will grant you that all saithfull Christians are Priests as they are also Kings that is to be understood spiritually because God reigneth in them by his free grace and they by the unction of his holy spirit do play the Kings over and govern the powers and faculties of their souls and senses hut yet besides those Kings which may be beggars there are and were alwaies Kings and external external Governours In like manner all the faithfull who offer to God their faith and faithfull prayers c. may be said to be spiritual Priests and that Priesthood needs no ceremonies but it is plain that besides this internall Priesthood there is and must be an external one in the Church Take for example every faithfull Christian is the Temple of God for so S. Paul sayes to the Corinthians ye are the holy Temple of God but yet besides those Temples there must be external Temples affixt to certain places in which do meet the Congregations of the faithfull Then as to the words of the Text you quote you may as well infer out of another that all the Jewes were Priests too Enod 19.5 6. for we find in Exodus how God tells them Now therefore if ye will obey my vaine indeed and keep my Covenant then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all peoples and ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and a holy Nation c. This was said to all Israel and yet you will not deny but there were particular Kings and Priests besides In fine you know well enough the difference between a Priest of your making and a Priest of Gods making a Lay-Priest and a Hierarchical one but you are willing to let your selves be cheated by that sophisme of equivocation that you may do again as Jeroboam did set up your Lay-Priests to hinder people from going to Rome as he did to hinder the Israelites from going to Jerusalem So here again you are Jeroboites To the Tenth We say that you torment and turn that Text of the Apostle to the Corinthians to a most heretical sense for though we are all one body in Christ yet sure it is a most sottish inference to say that therefore we are all the hand or
grace But howsoever the institution of our Saviour I 'm sure could not be without it Matth. 19.1.6 and first he is pleased to repeat the words of the first Institution For this cause shall a man leav his Father mother shall cleave to his Wife and they twain shall be one flesh wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh What therefore God hath joynd together let no man put asunder Now if God hath joyndthemtogether it must be a divine conjunction and that cannot possibly be without divine grace But this is most fully exprest by St Paul to the Ephesians thus Wives submit your selves to your own Husbands as unto the Lord for the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the body therefore as the Church is subject to Christ Ephes 5.22 23 225 so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it c. And then concludes for this eause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joyned with his Wife and they two shall be one flesh This is a great Mystery or Sacrament chuse you which Here the Apostle clearly proclaims it a Sacrament because the Conjunction of man and wife is the visible sign of that Sacred Conjunction between Christ and his Church Again to the Hebrews he says thus Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled Heb. 13.4 but Wheremingers and Adulterers God will judge Now if there were not a divine and Sacramentall grace in marriage how could the Bed be undefiled Again to the Corinthians he adviseth every one to have his own Wise 1 Cor. 7.2 for the avoyding of Formeation yet it is not to be supposed that any man by the help of a Wife onely be she what she can be of virtue and beauty can be capable to avoyd Fornication without the said Sacramentall Grace Again to the Thessalonians thus 1 Thes 1. Let every one amongst you know how to possess his Vessells in sanctification and honour now sanctification we know cannot be without divine grace Then he tells Timethy that a woman shall be saved by Childbearing if she remain in saith and love now to beget children without the grace of this Sacrament would be more probably occasion of damnation than salvation Then again to the Corinthians he saith 1 Cor. 7.12 13 14 If any brother hath a wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away And the woman which hath a busband that believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy which must needs be understood as by the grace of this holy Sacrament I shall conclude all concerning this Prov. 19. with what the wise King Solomon tells us that a house and riches we have from our Parents but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Thus we must acknowledg God to be the immediate Authour of Marriages as we say matches are made in heaven and by the grace of this Sacrament onely to be made happy That extream Vnction is a Saeroment likewise and a visible sign of an invisible grace I prove by ezpress Scripture thus We find in Saint Markes Gospell how our Saviour called unto him the twelve Mark 6 7 8.9 10 11 12 13. and began to send them out by two and two and gave them power over unclean Spirits c. And after he had given them their mission fully with orders how to behave themselves in their business we find that they went out accordingly and Preached that men should repent and they cast out many Devills And then anointed with Oyle many that were sick and healed them This it is not to be thought that they did this upon their own heads but by their Masters command by whose power they did those mighty works and having his command sure then none can deny but it was his Institution Then this Sacrament is so loudly proclaimed by Saint James that I admire how any Christian can believe in Scripture and doubt the other It any sick among you says the Apostle James 5.14 15. let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with Oyle in the Name of the Lord c. and if he have committed sinns they shall be forgiven him Here is plainly a most visible sign and as plainly a most extraordinary grace accompanying it that is to say remission of sins Thus you may clearly see how extream Unction is a Sacrament of our Saviours own Institution or at least plainly impli'd to have been instituted by him and that by the action of the Twelve Apostles before his face whilst he was upon earth and at large declar'd to be so by the express words of one of the Twelve that is Saint James Over and above this we have the universall tradition of the Church of Christ that in these matters of faith we know cannot erre and that alone indeed might have been a sufficient proofe of the verity of it if our Saviour himself his Apostles and Evangelists had been silent in it The truth is that the Evangelists being to write in short for if they had writ at large the whole world had not been able to contain the books that might have been written as Saint John tells us of the Acts and words of our Saviour Jesus Christ made it their principall care to deliver punctually to us onely those things that were most highly necessary to our salvation as we see how amply they have set down the Sacraments that were absolutely necessary as Baptisme Pennance and Eucharist and as for confirmition and extream Unction they do not so much as insist upon because they are not of absolute necessity to salvation though they are very great expedients towards it the one to confirm us in grace after Baptism the other to remove the reliques of sin after a hearty repentance And it is the opinion of the learned in this point that the benefit of this Sacrament is such that a penitent with attrition onely receiving this Sacrament receives likewise such a grace along with it that by virtue of it his sins though mortall may be forgiven him Thus I conceive enough said as to this and all the rest of your last paper and when you please I am ready for another and to serve you with any thing that may lye within the power of Your faithfully loving and true friend M. This paper my Lady had no sooner dispatcht but she sent it away by one of her servants sealed up and by him she roceived this Answer Madam I have received your Ladyships Letter and Paper
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
the second I deny that there shall be an universal falling away of the faithfull in the time of Antichrist but of some onely And in that methinks you contradict your self for you say that Antichrist is already come and yet you affirm that there are some faithfull lest Then it is a great dispute as I have understood amongst the learned whether the Apostle out of whom you take your proofe speaks there of a falling away from the faith for many of the most learned are of opinion that he only speaks of a falling away from the Romane Empire But that euriosity I shall not further meddle withall it being out of our road and above our pitch To the Third In truth methinks it is a very sad course of arguing that most of your Church are pleased to use that is if you can find any one Text that is never so obscure if it can be fashioned at all for your turn you will entirely insist upon it though there be hundreds of clear Texts to the contrary As for example This Text you urge out of Daniel is very dark That he shall cause the Sacrifice and oblation to cease I am sure these Texts are very clear That the gates of hell shall not prevail against it again I am alwayes with you to the end of the world and again I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and again The Church is the pillar and foundation of truth These Texts I say are clear and need no Interpreter the other that you quote is so obscure that the greatest learning in the world may be at a stand to understand it For most understand that place of the failing of the Synagogue and the cessation of the Jewish Sacrifices not at all of the Christian Church And those that do interpret it of the Christian Church make it to be the cessation of publick worship only not of the Christian faith To the Fourth I grant that the Church is frequently compared to the Moon but never as to her failings but in these respects following First as the Moon in the beginning of the moneth is very litle and so by litle and litle encreaseth till she grow full andperfect so the Christian Church in the beginning of its rise took up but very litle room afterward encreased and spead it self by degrees that at last it should diffuse it self over the face of the whole world Secondly as the Moon receives corporeal light from the Sun so the Church receives its light of faith and holiness from the Sun of righteousness that is Christ Thirdly as the Moon is subject to changes so is the Church in this life for sometimes she flourisheth in the splendor of peace sometimes is oppressed with persecutions but never totally fayles it may be clouded for a while but never quite extinguished You see then in what the similitude between the Moon and the Church consists and no similitude as I am informed is obliged to run upon four feet The Church cannot at all be like the Moon in her failings but more resembles the earth as she is likewise called in Scripture for her firmness stability unmoveableness Then why should you bring that similitude to the prejudices of the Church when there are so many to the favour and honour of her throughout the sacred Scripture where you may find that she is as frequently called the Sun as the Moon an enclosed Garden a Fountain a Paradise a fair Dove the City of God the Land of the living the woman cloathed with the Sun the Queen in a vesture of gold c. and many more such honorable titles as those you cannot but your own reading find out in Scripture and those methinks all dutifull children should be more ready to give to their Mother then to throw dirt in her face or to asperse her with calumnies as for the honesty goodness of Wicklif Huss Luther and Calvin I will not meddle but only ask you who were the one or two honest and godly men that in the ages before them did ever so contradict the Church if you know not any such why do you so rashly affirm it if you do I should desire you to name them and let us know whereabouts they lived Howsoever by your argument you make the Church of Christ to be in a worse condition then the Synagogue of the Jews Gal. 4.11 when we know the Church is our Mistress and the Synagogue but a servant but the Synagogue was never so deserted that but two onely were to be found in it Nay in the time of Elias Rom. 9.4 when it was thought to be most forsaken yet there were found in it seven thousand how can you possibly think the Church of Christ should be ever left so desolate as but two honest and godly men should be found in it when we find it so clear said in the Prophesie of Isay Isay 54.1 that the Church should be of a far larger extent and more fruitfull in its children than ever the Synagogue was so I pass to your last and grand concluding argument which proves the Pope to be Antichrist and then I hope I shall make an end with you To your last argument and that which you presume will conclude me as you have layed it I look upon it to be the weakest and least signifycant that you have alledged yet for truly all those markes of Antichrist that you produce upon the Pope are meer trifles and tricks of some of your Doctors invention and truly would agree better in the application to themselves than to his holiness and how imposible it is that they should be applicable to him I 'le pass through every particular The first note that you give of Antichrist is that he must fall away from the faith now defending of purgatory invocation of saints and sacrifice of the Mass cannot be called falling from the faith because the most ancient fathers of the Church have allways been of that opinion Your Doctors therefore are most manifestly fallen from the faith that so expressly oppose those received Doctrines The second mark you give of the Beast is that he shall sit in the Temple of God and that you say the Pope does as the head of the Church at Rome Truly I doe humbly conceive the case to be very different between sitting in the Temple of God at Hierusalem and sitting in the Church of Christ at Rome Antichrist shall sit in the Temple of Hierusalem and be adored of the Jews the Pope sits in the Church of Christ at Rome which all you have most unhappyly forsaken The third marke you say is that he shall shew himself as God and that the Pope plainly does you say whilst he makes himself the visible head of Christs Church but sure that is not all one as to shew himself as God For Peter himself shewed himself as visible head as we have proved already but onely Antichrist shall shew himself as God The
fourth marke you make is to exalt and oppose himself to and above all that is called God and that you say the Pope does when he exalts himself above all ecclesiastical and civil power here give me leave to tell you that Moses was above all ecclesiasticall and civil power and yet in that he was not exalted above God Thus four markes of Antichrist you are pleased to take out of the Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians your fifth marke followes out of S. John That he must deny Jesus Christ which you say the Pope does by the corruption of the doctrine that concernes the mediation of Christ and introducing of new mediators but that I have proved to be a corruption of yours as you wil see in my last paper The sixth marke again you make to be that he is a Lyer and worker of fals miracles so you say the Pope does at Loretto and other places I wonder your understanding is so weak as to think that we think that the Pope does the Loretto miracles but God If you would prove any thing as to this point you should prove indeed that the Pope does those very miracles which the Scripture foretells that Antichrist shall do Revel 13.13.15 as that he should make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men Then that he should make the Image of a beast to speak c. neither of these miracles as ever I heard of hath been attempted yet by any pope The seventh and last marke you give is that he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark c. and the pope you say plainly does that Revel 16.13 ch 14.9 when he imposeth his Character upon some and marks upon all as by the Sacrament of confirmation wherein he useth the unction of his Chrisme to sign the foreheads c. Here are cleerly three conditions required by the text to the accomplishment of this mark first that it should be common to all great and little rich and poor bond and free Secondly that he should impose his Character either in their foreheads or right hands Thirdly that none but he that has his mark or character shall be priviledged to buy or sell Now let any man shew that those conditions do at all suite with the unction of Chrisme and Isle rest fully satisfied otherwise this argument which you so fondly boast of hath no force at all So according to my former method I shall be bold to reply and to conclude your trouble and mina upon this occasion That the whole Church of Christ cannot possibly erre and that the Roman Catholick Church is that Church disperst over all the world I prove by most express Scripture thus How that the Catholick Church is the body of Christ the spouse of Christ and the kingdom of heaven is clear by many Scriptures what probability then nay what possibility is there that a thing so nearly related to him and in so high dear and honorable relations should be forsaken by him First That the Church is his body is plain out of S. Paul who tells us Eph. 4. that God laid all things under his feet and gave him to be head of the whole Church which is his body and the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all wherefore walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called with all humility and meekness with patience and long suffering supporting one another in charity Cap. 5. and carefull to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through you all and in you all Then to the Corinthians again 1 Cor. 11. Rom 12. and to the Romanes he sayes ye are the body of Christ and members one of another Then that the Church is the Spouse of Christ is plain out of other Texts as first out of the Canticles My Dove Cantic 6.9 my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her c. And in another place A garden inclosed is my Sister my Spouse Cant. 4.11 a spring shut up a fountain sealed and therefore S. John sayes of the new Hierusalem which is the Church of Christ Rev. 21.2 that he saw her coming down out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband And S. Paul more largely and plainly yet tells the Ephesians thus Wives submit your selves unto your Husbands as unto the Lord for the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church Ephes 5.22 23 24 25 26 27. and he is the Saviour of the body therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy without blemish Now examine I pray you what a prety piece of Christianity it is to impute impurity and errour to it Then that the Church is called the Kingdome of Heaven too Mat. 20. is as plain by Scripture first out of S. Mat. 22.2 3. Matthews Gospell For the Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a man that is an householder which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard Then again The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a certain King Mat. 25.1 2 3. which made a marriage for his Son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bid to the medding c. Then again The Kingdome of heaven shall be likned to ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridgroome and five of them were wise and five were foolish c. Many more such Parables we find in the Gospells but these three will be enough for our purpose to draw from thence these three conclusions first if the Church be called the Kingdome of Heaven how should errour falsity and uncleaness raign in it so many hundred years as you pretend it has when the Kingdome of Heaven we know is the Kingdome of truth and purity Secondly It is plain that God goes out even untill the evening to hire labourers whereas you do and must maintain that none were hired in the Church for above a thousand years but your late upstart Doctors Thirdly It is plain that the Church here militant is a collection of good and bad for our Saviour saies plainly that of the Virgins five were wise and five foolish and so fishes good and bad come to the net of the
steple houses Nay did not Jesus Christ live a poor life upon earth and counsell poverty to all the followers of him what need have we then of all those splendid sumptuous buildings and statly ornaments and rich revenues of your Churches which are but golden snares for to entrap Christian souls and our Saviour himself declared as aforesaid how much he abhorred and did afterwards destroy the riches of Solomons Temple and a heathen Poet himself could say at vos dicite Pontifices in sacro quid facit aurum nempe quod veneri donatae a virginie puppe Yet you will persist in that foolish idolatry 8 Then that your Churches nor your Churhmen are to be priviledged or exempted from the jurisdiction of the secular power more than others I prove by the express precept and president of our Saviour who not onely suffered himself to be judged by Pontius Pilat a meer lay man John 19.11 and a heathen but aproved his power granting expressly to him that his power was given him from above what reason then have any of your Churchmen to refugiate themselves under any pretended priviledge or be exempted from the secular power more than we 9 Nay that all faithfull Christians are Priests and the Lords Anointed and that by Baptisme it self 1. Pet. 2.5 9. is plain by many express Scriptures And therefore Peter twice in one chapter inculcates it thus first ye allso as lively stones are built up a spirituall house an holy preisthood to offer up Spirituall Sacrifice acceptable to God by Jesus Christ and again but ye are a chosen generation a Royall Preisthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light By which it is plain that all good Christians are as much priests as any of your black coats what soever and this is likewise affirmed by John who tells us that he loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood and made us a Kingdome and priests to God his Father 1. Cor. 12.13 10 Then the Apostle Paul tells us that by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles whether we be bond or free and have been all made to drink into one spirit it must follow therefore Rem 12 that we are equally Preists with any of you Nay does not the same Apostle tell us yet more plainly that we may do the office of Priests which is to offer Sacrifice when he chargeth us to present our bodys a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is our resonable service and cannot we do that as well as you 11. Last of all for your Canonicall hours and formall prayers in your Churches and by your pretended preists I can for my part finde as little aggreeable to Scripture for first our Saviour to discountenance that kinde of devotion Matt. 7. tells us plainly that not every one that says unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of heaven Then if that kinde of praying were of any use or force with God at all then the Lord would be in a manner necessitated and constrained to his actions by those prayers but that we know he cannot be Over and above if such praying were prevalent with God what need will there be of living in obedience to his Law or of any good works at all 12. Again our saviour Christ tells us that our Father in heaven knowes what is needfull for us Matt 6. before we aske him to what purpose therefore should we pray at all to him onely do his will and leave the rest to his own goodness For so the Prophet Malachy assures us likewise Malac. 3.13 that they are his own words I am God and am not to be changed You gain nothing therefore upon his decrees by your prayers 13. Then that our Saviour Christ was clearly against that kind of praying appears by those words Matt. 6. but when ye pray use not vain repetitions as the Heathens do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking Methinks you should therefore be ashamed of your many repetitions and prayers at your Canonical hours forsooth when you know that there is no such thing as Canonical hours commanded and besides that nothing should be read or said in any congregation but what is for the edification of Christians souls That it is not lawfull to make war with Turks Jewes Heathens or Heritcks or to persecute them for any cause of conscience nay that Christians cannot justify to make war at all or to bear any civil Magistracy whatsoever or give or take any oaths I prove by express Scripture thus 1. First it is plain that to wage war against Turks Jews Heathen or Hereticks is to resist the will of God and his holy Sprit visiting our sins upon us and punishing us by their hands and our duty is to fight with prayers and tears not with the the sword As the Apostles did 2. Then we finde our Saviour Expresly forbid all kinde of resistance and returns of injury for injury when he says in Matthews gospel Matt. 4.39 But I say unto you that ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also 3. Nay more expresly yet we have it in the same Gospell Mat. 26.52 Then sayd Jesus unto him put up again thy sword into his place for all they that take the sword shall perish by the sword and that this was so understood by the Apostles primitive Christians is plainly held forth by John in his Apockalyps where it is said Rev. 13.10 he that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword heer is the patience and the faith of the saints so that all war must be simply and of it self unlawful 4. Then we find that persecution for cause of conscience is utterly unlawfull for the Apostles and primitive Christians did never seek to princes to give them any force to defend them against any â—ersecutors whatsoever nor do we find the Gospell or Apostles teach us any thing but submission to our Sufferings and that all the enemies of Christ are to be over come onely with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God 5. The Lord in Matthews Gospell commands again expresly that the Tares which the enemy sowed should not be pulled up Matt. 13.30 but that both be let to grow together till the Harvest that is the end of the world and then he will say to the Repers gather ye together first the tares and binde them in bundells to burn them but gather the wheat into my barne 1. Cor. 11.19 So that Hereticks as well as Turks Jews and Infidels must be let alone to grow till the end of the world and Paul plainly asserts the necessity of that
Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan Judg. 3.1 2. only that the generation of the Children of Israel might know to teach them war at the least such as before knew nothing thereof Observe I pray you the great care the Almighty took to teach the Children of Israel the art of war Observe again the strict command that Samuel by Gods command giveth to Saul Now go and smite Amaleek 1 Sam. 15.3 and utterly destroy all they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel and ass This was you 'l say a severe command and commission for war Indeed the whole Old Testament is so full of instances how the Jews by the command and assistance of God did not onely resist Infidells but invade them as in Abraham Mases Joshuah c. that it would be vs endless as needless to make a recital of them Jer. 48. Nay we find high words in Prophet Jeremy cursed be he that refrains his sword from blood and to sum up all this that the trade of war is and must be lawfull is plain that God himself does own it as to be the Patron and defender of it and calls himself therefore the Lord of Hosts and when the Pharisees askt our Saviour whether it was lawfull to pay tribute to Cesar which was for to pay souldiers wages he answered them give to Cesar the things which are Cesars In the next place we prove that it is lawfull to punish Hereticks now the first punishment that is spoken of in Scripture is excommunication and that is plain out of St. Matthew Mat. 18. If he bear not the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican that is let him be separated from the Church by excommunication so in the place before quoted out of S. Paul to Titus Tit. 3. 2 Thess 3 2 Joh. 2. so to the Thessalonians so S. John which for brevity sake I forbear to recite The next punishment to be inflicted upon Hereticks as enemies to God is death and first it is plain out of the Old Testament Deut. 13.5 And that Prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God c. Then again in the next chapter it is said That he that shall grow proud Deut. 14. and refuse to obey the commands of the Priest who at that time ministers to the Lord he was to die the death by sentence of the Judge that the evil might be taken from Isaael The reason of this Law holds still that the evil may be taken out of the Church And again in the same Book it is expresly said that the Prophet who shall arrogantly dare to deliver in Gods name Deut. 18. what he had not commanded him to say or anything else in the name of any other Gods Levit. 24. should be put to death Then Blasphemers were to be led out of the Tents 1 Kings 18. and stoned to death and why not Heritics so we find Elias the Prophet of the Lord killed the Prophets of Baal Then as to the New Testament we find our Saviour calls false Prophets or Heriticks Wolves in Sheeps cloathing Matt. 7. but within were ravenous Wolves now such ought to be killed if the safety of the flock cannot otherwise consist Acts 20. So S. Paul sayes that he knew that ravenous Wolves would enter not sparing the flock such therefore ought to be put to death If Jesus Christ whipt the mony-changers out of the Temple John 2. what should he do if he were in the earth to the Heriticks that are in his Church Ananias and Saphira in the beginning of Christianity Acts 5. for a little diffembling in matter of money were put to death how ought they to be used then that make it their business to cozen and cheat Christians of their souls nay to defraud God of them Last of all St. Paul chargeth the Galatians Galat. 4. 2 Cor. 10. and Corinthians too to be in readiness to prosecute and punish all disobedience and in another place speaks it out plainly Galat. 5. I would they were even cut off that trouble you so enough we conceive said as to this Then that it is lawfull to beare civil magistracy is first plain out of our Saviours words Matt 22.21 render to Cesar the things which are Cesars and to God the things which are Gods by those words he does suficiently justify all civil Authority But S. Rom. 13.1.2.3.4 c. Paul in that whole chapter to the Romans most expresly asserts it Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained by God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and after that again he says the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vain for he is the minnister of God a revenger unto wrath unto him that does evil c. Again to Timothy he sayth 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and all in Authority c. Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2 27. Yet again to Titus he sayth put them in minde to be subject to principalities and powers to obey rulers c. and St. Peter commands us expresly to feare God and honer the Kings Now last of all that a lawfull oath may be lawfully taken and given is plain by Apostolicall practice for we finde that S. Paul did very frequently swear which he should never have done Rom. 1.19 2 Cor. 1.23 Phil. 1.8 1 Tim. 5.21 if swering had been absolutely forbiden 〈◊〉 our Saviour as you pretend it was First to the Romans he says God is my witness Then to the Corinthians he says I call God for a record upon my soul Then to the Philipians again God is my witness or God is my Record how greatly I long after you all in the bowells of Jesus Christ then again to Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and all the elect Angels c. and to close up all this pittifull controversie Heb. 6.26 the same St. Paul affirms in his Epistle to the Hebrews that every controversie ought to be ended by an Oath and accordingly this practice has obtained all over Christendome and ever since the beginning of Christianity that in all judgements and Tribunals when a man cannot clear his innocency by witnesse he ought to attest it by his Oath and then the controversie ceaseth By all these Texts that we have produced out of Scripture it is most plain to any reasonable man that it is onely as we said before in our answers to your arguments that the abuse of Oathes is forbidden not the use of them To what you aledge against the Baptisme of infants