Hands and we are to be taught the Mysteries of the Resurrection and Eternal Judgment This Catechism saith he is perfect And indeed in the whole New Testament we meet not with such an excellent Epitome of the Christian Doctrine as in this place which was written to this mother-Mother-Church 'T is true we have some mention of a Form of Doctrine delivered to the believing Romans And Timothy is commanded to hold fast the Form of sound Words which he had heard of St. Paul Christ is said to be the Apostle and High Priest of our Profession the Author and Finisher of our Faith we are willed to contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints But none of these places do shew us as the Text under consideration what this Form of Doctrine this Form of sound Words this Profession and this Faith was in respect of the Composition and Foundamentality of them nor can there any thing be assigned that is so properly the Analogy or Rule of Faith as these Principles of Catechism Happy had it been if all Christian Churches had held fast this Catechism though no more had ever been composed Unity in the Truth would have been better maintained by this one than by so many as are now extant And sure this being of Divine Composure and Authority the Principles of the Oracles of God the Beginning of the Word of Christ must needs outweigh all others being but of Human Composition To begin with the first Principle of this Church let us consider 1. Repentance from Dead Works We are first to consider why Repentance is put in the first place even before Faith sure it is because no unrepenting Sinner can have the Faith of Justification therefore this Principle of the Christian Faith must follow Repentance There is indeed a Faith which we may call the Faith of Mankind to believe there is a God that will both punish Sinners and reward the Righteous and this Faith must needs precede Repentance Heb. 11. 6. This Repentance as it was a Principle of this Mother-Church comprehends three things a true Sence of Sin in the exceeding sinfulness of it in which respect it is said They were pricked at the heart and cried out or said Men and Brethren what shall we do Act. 2. 37. which is accompanied with Godly Sorrow and with Amendment of Life without which Repentance is rather to be repented of than to be esteemed any part of the Foundation of Christian Religion Repent ye therefore and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out Act. 3. 19. Without which Repentance there is no Remission Luk. 13. 5. Except ye repent ye shall all perish saith our Saviour How blessed had it been if this Doctrine had been preached and Men brought to the Obedience of it before they had been admitted to Membership in the Church of Christ The not keeping to this Rule has filled all National Churches with unregenerate unconverted Persons to the Scandal of the Christian Religion 2. Of Faith towards God in this Mother-Church The Excellency of the Faith of this Mother-Church appeared in these things That they gladly received the Word of the Gospel of their Salvation Act. 2. 40. To the illumination of their Souls and the expelling the darkness of Errour and Unbelief by this Faith they had their Hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience and their Confidence in God had a great Recompence of Reward in the Love and Expectation of which they willingly endured a great Fight of Afflictions whilst they were made a Gazing-stock both by Reproaches and suffering the spoiling of their Goods with joyfulness and were willingly Companions with and charitably compassionate towards those that were in Bonds for Righteousness sake working the Work of God ministring to the Saints labouring in Love all which are Arguments of true and lively Faith. Heb. 6. 10 11. Heb. 10. 32 33 34 35. He that reads and considers this Excellent Epistle written to this mother-Mother-Church wherein we may be sure no new Doctrine is delivered but the same corroborated which they had received shall find that the true Knowledge and Belief of Christ was amongst them in respect of his Divinity Chap. 1. in respect of his Humanity Chap. 2. in respect of Priestly Office and Sacrifice with all other Offices to which he was appointed of God in the residue of the Epistle of which we cannot now speak particularly 3. Of the Doctrine of Baptism in this Church The Lord Christ had fully taught the Guides of this Mother-Church the Doctrine of Baptism both by Word and Example and thereby had informed them of a three-fold Baptism The first delivered by Precept himself making the People Disciples by teaching them to repent and believe the Gospel and then appointing his Disciples to dip them in the River in which respect it is said that Jesus made and dipped or Baptized more Disciples than John Mat. 4. 17. John 4. 1. John 3. 22. His own example being an unquestionable Rule for the manner of Baptizing he being Dipped of John into Jordan as the Greek hath it Mark 1. 9. and then coming up out of the Water And of this whole Church it is said their hearts were sprinkled from an evil Conscience and their Bodies washed with pure water For Baptismal Water is therefore purer because it is Sanctified for our Religious use both by the Person of Christ and by the Word of God. And of this Church was first required that every one of them should repent and then be Baptized and of them it is also said that they that gladly received the Word preached by St. Peter were baptized Acts 2. 38 40. They were also instructed concerning the Baptism of the Holy Spirit it being the Promise of the Father made to all the called of the Lord and was particularly applied to them and poured upon them in the way of Faith and Obedience To be willing to be Baptized with Afflictions for Christ and the Gospels-sake they were also taught by our blessed Saviour in his Discourse with some of his Disciples and by his own Sufferings Luke 12. 30. of which they were also partakers Heb. 10. 32. as also all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus must expect the same And it would be considered by what Rule any man can take upon him to make Baptism the first Principle seeing Christ himself has made it the third Principle and by what Rule any man can call Sprinkling Baptizing Dare they speak as they act that is dare they say I sprinkle thee in the Name of the Father c. Would not their Conscience flie in their Face if they should so speak and yet behold they prevaricate in action and lye in expression in that which they call their Baptism God will surely send the proudest prevaricators in this case a Quo warranto for their presumptuous dealing herein Of the Laying on of Hands in this Church There are two great Blessings belong to all true Christians Remission of sin and the Gift
and these things come not lawfully but because they walk in the business of Darkness Behold now in Peace my bitterness is most bitter It hath been before bitter in the Death of Martyrs afterwards more bitter in Controversie with Hereticks now it is most bitter in the manners of those of our own House We can neither chase them away they are so mighty and multiplied without Number the Sores and Plagues of the Church are entred into the inward parts and are incurable and therefore is her Bitterness most bitter And in Psal 90. 6 11. O Lord Jesus thou hast multiplied the People but not encreased their Joy all the Christians almost do seek their own Profit they have removed the Offices to shameful Gain and into Works of Darkness and the Health of Souls is not searched for but the Pleasure of Vices Therefore are they shorn Therefore do they frequent Churches and sing Psalms They contend most impudently daily by Process for Bishopricks Arch-Bishopricks c. There remaineth nothing but that the Man of Sin the Son of Perdition be revealed And on the Conversion of St. Paul. Alas O Lord God for these are the first which do persecute thee whom we do see to love the highest Places in thy Church and do hold the Principality and by Power and strength have taken the Arches of Sion and afterward freely have set all the City on fire Their Conversation is miserable the Subversion of thy People is pitiful And speaking to the Pope he saith This Mortal Corruption hath not begun in thy days but I pray God it may end in thy time In the mean time thou art apparelled and decked up very gorgeously If I durst speak thy Seat is rather a Pack of Devils then of Sheep Did St. Peter do so Did St. Paul mock after that sort Behold the murmuring and complaint of all Churches they do cry out that they are cut in pieces and dismembred There are very few or almost none that do not fear the streak or Wound Thus far Bernard Let not then the Papists contemn or despise us because of some Defects in respect of Unity neither let us despise them because of the Discords which have been or are among them Let us beware of the cause of those Calamities and strive only for the true Form and due Power of Godliness then shall the Spirit of Hatred which hath inserted it self amongst Christians be rooted out and then shall that great Badge of Christianity unfeigned Love even the Love of God shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost possess the Room of all our bitter Contentions That thus it may be is the Prayer of Your Loving Brother Thomas Grantham Written in the Year 1685. Post-Script Concerning the Original Manuscripts of the Holy Scriptures BRETHREN BEcause our Learned Adversaries are wont to amuse weak Christians by telling them they knew not the Originals c. I thought fit to transcribe part of what I have formerly printed in Answer to this specious Objection In the Introduction of my Book of Primitive Christianity how vain and pernicious this Talk is about the Original will appear when you consider That no man living ever saw the very Papers in which the Prophets and Apostles did write the first Draughts of the Holy Scriptures and therefore none have the Originals but only Copies of Scripture And let not this offend any Man for It seems to have been the best for all Christians that after many Copies are taken and spread in many Nations these first Draughts should not continue long for had any now but so much Confidence as to say they have these very first Sheets of Paper to show how might they trouble the whole World with such a Report and how might they abuse the World and all the Churches in the World at pleasure as by adding or taking away and who should correct the Original Suppose the Roman Church had those Manuscripts in their Hands what Mists might they cast upon the Nations and who could come to the sight of them to discover any such abuse and the same may be said of any other potent Party But now the Originals being no where to be found but yet a multitude of Copies extant and the same translated by multitudes of Men into several Languages by this means all are forced to be more peaceable than perhaps they are willing to be since they have only Copies of the Divine Oracles and others have Copies as well as they so that they can none of them pretend to have ever seen the Original and therefore can they less quarrel about their Copies Thus hath God's Wisdom disposed herein better for his Church than She could have thought or desired And it is worth observation that scarce any of the Churches to whom St. Paul wrote had the Original sent to them except the Galatians but had only certain Copies written by divers Hands For Instance The Epistle to the Hebrews was written by Timothy as 't is said in the Post-Script The Epistle to the Romans was written by Tertius Four Persons wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians Post-Script Two Brethren wrote the Second Epistle Post-Script Tichicus and Onesimus wrote that to Colossus All these Churches had only Copies and for ought appears never saw the Originals And what if some of these Copies did accidentally vary some Word or Tittle are the Sacred Epistles ever the worse so long as the Holy Doctrine therein contained was not injured Can we think that when the Holy Apostles preached that they had still the very self-same Phrases This were idle to imagine and yet they had the self-same Gospel to preach in every Place I speak not this as if I approved of altering the Holy Writings no not in the least iota yet if accidentally in Transcribing or Printing there should be some such Failure I do not think that by and by that Copy were to be rejected or the Authority of the Scriptures therefore to be called in question that men might set up themselves above it Some under pretence of being the Church and others pretending the Spirit whilst they both reject the Church and the Spirit as held forth in and speaking by the Holy Scriptures A plain Instance of this we have in the Papists and most Paedo-Baptists who whilst they seem to admire General Councils Fathers c. they regard not the Decrees of the best Councils and Fathers which were held by the Apostles and Elders and Brethren at Jerusalem who among other things forbid the eating of things strangled and Blood which the Church observed for several hundred of years after for indeed they were delivered to the Churches to be kept not to be broken Acts 16. 1 2. and yet without all Conscience of these Decrees they feed upon Blood c. And on the other side how ridgidly do they impose the Decrees of the Trent Councils in the Case of Transubstantiation though never heard of before it was there invented insomuch as
unto this Church or the Guides of it unto whom our Blessed Saviour delivered that Mystical Doctrine which offended so many of his Disciples John 6. 53. Verily verily I say unto you Except ye eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you which yet cannot be rightly understood of a corporal eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood because he expresly says Verily verily I say unto you He that believeth on me hath everlasting life Verse 47. And it is certain there were many that did truly believe on him at that time among whom S. Peter and the rest that stood by him when so many forsook him Now these things must all be true 1. That none of Christ's Disciples had Life in them at that time but such as did eat the Flesh and drink the Blood of Christ 2. That S. Peter and the rest of the Faithful had eternal Life in them at that time 3. That the Lord's Table was not yet instituted And therefore from these Premises it follows that our Saviour speaks not here of his Disciples now eating and drinking his Flesh and Blood in the Lord's Table and therefore cannot with any shew of Truth or Reason be understood of eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood carnally or corporally but spiritually even by believing in him Of the several Orders of Ministry in this Mother-Church This Church was endowed with a three-fold Order of Ministry 1. Messengers or Apostles whose work was more especially to gather constitute and take care for the Church in general 2. Elders whose work was especially to feed the Flock committed to them in particular 3. Deacons whose work more especially was to take care of the Poor and to distribute the Alms of the Church to the ends for which they were given and consequently all Churches ought to maintain this Order of Ministry unless they can shew that God has repealed this Ministery in part or in whole 'T is true some things were pertinent to the Apostles here which were temporary and extraordinary which Churches in after-Ages are not to expect but it is also true that some things were ordinary and fixed in that Office for the continual use of the Church and therefore to remain for ever viz. Their care for all Churches their travels and labours to plant and settle new Churches their withstanding false Apostles as themselves are true Apostles Their authority to appease strife and contention which may arise among particular Pastors and Churches which things being demonstrated in our Christianismus Primitivus to which we refer we shall not here enlarge This part of the Apostolical Office was conferred on many in the Apostles days who were also entituled the Angels of the Churches Rev. 2. 1 c. which in English is Messenger of the Churches Of this Order was James the Lord's Brother in this Church at Jerusalem and such were Timothy Titus Sylvanus Andronicus and Junia with others A Ministry as needful as any both for the unity of Churches and the management of the most important affairs of the Gospel both in the Church and in the World as experience may convince men if nothing else will do it And here it were easie to bring in the full Test of the best Antiquity but this Letter will not bear it Of the Discipline or Government of this Mother-Church It was unto the Guides of this Cuhrch to whom our Blessed Lord first gave Rules for the Government of his Church Mat. 18. whence we learn that in cases of personal Trespasses and sins of Infirmity or Weakness all possible Love Patience and Charity should be exercised by one Christian towards another and the Offender upon confession of his fault forgiven unto seventy times seven Offences so abundantly should Charity appear among the Members of Christ But it was also in this Church where wilfull Iniquity was punished with great severity as the Hypocrisie and Deceit of Ananias and Saphira and the like severity was shewed against Simon Magus for his Pride and Covetousness in aspiring to a Ministry for which he was not qualified and to which he was not called by Heaven's Donation and due vocation from the Church without which woful experience hath taught the Chrian Nations that it is in vain by Money or for Mony to make Men Ministers in the Christian Church In this Church was held the first and best of General Councils for setling the Churches in peace when troubles did arise among themselves by means of false Teachers c. And because the Churches in all Ages and Nations may have perpetual need of such helps it shall not be amiss that we consider the Quality and Authority of such Assemblies lest otherwise we be abused by Usurpation and Tyranny and first of the occasion of the calling this present Assembly Acts 15. This Assembly was called upon the greatest occasion that ever was namely the Repealing or rather shewing the Repeal of many Divine Ordinances and freeing the Christian Church from their Obligation because they were either fulfilled or too burthensome for his Church as indeed St. Peter avers they were so heavie that neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear them And the endeavours of this Council was successful to the removal of them and the settlement of the Churches in the Faith and to the great encrease of their number Asts 16. From whence we may safely conclude that if Moses's Ceremonies which were from Heaven were a hindrance to Peace and growth in the Christian Church much more must all Ceremonies devised and imposed by Human Force and Power only be an obstruction to it Let us therefore stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not be entangled in the Yoak of Bondage whether of Legal or other devised Ceremonies As for the quality of the persons of whom this Assembly did consist 't is plain they were Messengers Elders and Brethren and these did all freely deliberate upon the matters in question offering their Reasons pro contra and the Dicision was made not by the interposition of Power Apostolical but by the clear evidence of Truth and Reason to which they all agreed The Apostles acting here as Grave Fathers giving free Audience and faithful Advice to which when all agreed the conclusion was made in all their names as appears Acts 15. 22 23. Then pleased it the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church to send chosen men of their own Company to Antioch and wrote Letters by them after this manner The Apostles Elders and Brethren send greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles c. From the sweet concord here we suppose all Churches should do well to constitute their general Consistories of such seeing such helps she may have still in things ordinary to each Office if she render not her self unworthy of them Now for the quality and authority of the Decrees made by this or succeeding Assemblies the case is clear of
it self These were such things as seemed good to the Holy Ghost not that the Holy Ghost now revealed them but brought to remembrance what the Scriptures had said concerning them and partly by what before that time had been shewed unto St. Peter by a certain Vision of God's accepting the Gentiles though not cleansed according to Legal Purification And therefore till the Holy Ghost reverse those Decrees they are to oblige all Churches to keep them inviolable And in this point as indeed in all the rest the Baptized Churches in this Age do stand a witness against the disorder and disobedience of most of the Christian Nations in the World who make no Conscience of abstaining from Blood c. though they know the true Churches did Religiously observe these Decrees for several hundreds of years after Tertullian tells us The custom of Christians is to abstain from all Blood and things Strangled so that it is not lawful for them when they feed at their Tables to meddle with the Blood of any Beast It is further safely concluded from hence that all decrees of General Councils are so far obliging only as the things decreed are proved to be true and not because they are decreed in Council only for here St. Peter proves that Churches are free from the obligation of Legal Ceremonies because they wear a Burthen too heavy to be born 2. Because God had accepted them already without them And James the Angel of this Church proves or confirms the same by the Scriptures and these Arguments and Probations satisfied the Assembly And it 's certain the things prohibited by these decrees were always forbidden even to Noah and his perpetual Generations Gen. 9. 12 c. Nor does this Assembly excommunicate or anathematize all that shall doubt of the Necessity of their Determination but very sweetly tells the Brethren they shall do well to comply with their advice for they knew that every Church had Power to punish offenders and to them they seem to leave that Care and not to take the Power of any Church out of their Hands as the manner of some is Of the Case of Infants or whether they were admitted to Baptism in the Mother-Church In all that is said of the Plantation and growth of this famous Church or in that excellent Epistle which was a long time after written to them there is not one Word to be found of any one Infant being brought to Baptism and therefore we hold to the Negative of this Question and it is observable that though here Infant-Circumcision was absolutely excluded yet is there no Argument urged for it from their Baptism which had been very considerable had there been any such usage in this or the Gentile Churches And because it is granted now by many and these the most Learned too among whom the Papists that there is no Scripture for Infant-Baptism c. But that it stands upon the Authority of Ecclesiastical Tradition all that we shall say to that Plea in this place is to desire any Man to shew who delivered this thing to the Churches and by what Authority whether divine or human For seeing Tradition signifies a thing delivered it is fit the Person or Persons delivering such a thing should be known to be Persons lawfully impowered to deliver such a Tradition before we can with safety receive it But how then shall Infants be saved if Baptism belong not to them I answer out of the mouth of St. Peter Verse 11. By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ they shall be saved And sure a man might as well ask how can Infants be saved without Faith and Repentance seeing it is said he that believeth not shall be damned and except ye repent ye shall all perish c. And what answer could any wise man make save this the grace of God sufficeth them having Christ's express word for it that to them belongs the Kingdom of Heaven and this he spake to unbaptized Infants too which is therefore so satisfactory that we need no other evidence If any man say the words which St. Peter spake in Council Acts 15. 11. are not meant of Infants and therefore not pertinent to my purpose I shall only desire him to consider that those words were spoken in opposition to this position That without Circumcision after the manner of Moses the Gentiles could not be saved Now we know it was after the manner of Moses to Circumcise Infants and therefore doubtless these false Teachers did question the salvation of Infants dying without Circumcision Therefore these words of St. Peter which teaches that by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ both Jew and Gentile shall be saved have their clear extent to Infants as well as to any other persons whatsoever I shall here only refer the Reader to what we have farther written in a Treatise upon this Subject entituled The Controversie about Infant-Church-Member-ship and Baptism epitomized Of the Reverence due to Saints Angels and to the Blessed Virgin in particular according to the usage of this Mother-Church It was in this Church where the Holy Virgin Mother of our Lord had her Conversation and Society being with that select Company consisting of an hundred and twenty names Acts 1. 15. among whom this most blessed Woman is expresly named and by whose Presence this Mother-Church was honoured above all others And here is the last mention that is made of her in the holy Scriptures And this honourable mention of her by name and as the Mother of our Lord which doubtless calls for great Reverence in the hearts of all God's People is all the honour that the Word of God does here confer upon her This Church makes no Prayers to her nor to Christ in her name nor taught the succeeding Churches to do so yet surely she was the greatest Saint that ever was and if we have no ground from any direction nor President in the Scripture to perform such Devotion to Her we cannot with any shew of Reason or pretence of Truth do it to any other Creatrue Saint or Angel whatsoever And it is remarkable that though this Church had occasion to make express mention of David in their Prayers Acts 4. 25. yet do they not use his Intercession at all But this Honour they give to Jesus Christ that through his Name such things might be done as might confirm the Truth against all Opposers Nor does the Holy Ghost give any notice of the Worshipping of Angels Saints nor the Holy Virgin in particular in that Sacred Epistle which was sent to this Church after the death of Blessed Mary the Mother of Jesus so that this Mother-Church seems altogether unacquainted with such Devotions And much more may we assure our selves they paid no such Devotion to the Images of these or of any of them If any affirm the contrary we answer them in the words of Jerom Non Credimus quia non Legimus And with Apollinarius we dare add nothing to
the Priest cannot deceive us when the Prophet tells us that though the Priests Lips should preserve Knowledge and that we should seek the Law at his Mouth yet they had caused many to stumble at the Law because they had been partial in the Law Mat. 2. 8. It supposes whoever falls under the Sentence of the Priest is as surely damned as he is cast or hanged that falls under the Sentence of a Judge in Law. Which may be false for the Priests did joyntly sentence our Blessed Saviour Saying We have a Law and by our Law he ought to die It 's true whatsoever the Church doth bind on Earth is bound in Heaven but then nothing is bound on Earth unless she judge righteously for it is written that the Curse causeless shall not come Prov. 26. 2. and seeing she may be deceived at least by false Witnesses She may condemn the Innocent though She had no mind to do so which shews She is not infallible whatever men talk to the contrary I do not like this Opinion therefore because it leaves not Liberty for those whom the Church condemns to appeal so much as to Almighty God who knows the Hearts of all men whilst the Church knows them not But I answer to the Objection by saying 1. There is a Judgment Authoritative this indeed must be referr'd to the Church and no wise Man ever thought otherwise and the Members of the Church must be content to abide the Sentence of the Church though they be innocent till God clears their Innocency but all this while we suppose the Church we speak of to be a true Church and that She judges according to Evidence and yet because She knows not all Secrets nor all things contained in the Scriptures we also suppose She may possibly mistake though never so Honest But 2. There is a Judgment of Knowledge or Discretion by which Men receive the Truth of the Gospel as understanding and so believing it to be so and by the same Judgment he refuses what is false as understanding it to be so and till his Understanding be well informed or rationally satisfied by convincing Evidence he cannot if he have the Understanding and Spirit of a Man do either the one or the other And hence it is that Salvation and consequently the means to obtain it are offered to men in the manner of choice Josh 24. 15. Chuse then this day whom you will serve Heb. 11. 25. Moses chose rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a season And forasmuch as all Men are not called at the same moment but some receive the Truth in their Youth others in their middle Age some not till Old Age all the Liberty which we contend for is that Men may have the free use of the Means by which they may know the Truth and be allowed to understand it before they be admitted to Sacred things that they may not only be able to give a Reason of the Hope that is in them but also be able to do as they are also exhorted Prove every man his own Work that he may have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Gal. 6. 4 5. Thus much in answer to this Objection There is no Man living that would more gladly than my self give to the Church of God all that Honour and Obedience which God hath allowed Her but to say She cannot err is to make Her more like God than She is I think all that can be safely affirmed is That She shall not sail so as utterly to cease from being but that God will have a Church in the World to be his Witness to the end of the World though the Apostacy be never so great or seemingly universal And as it pleased God to foreshew the great Apostacies which should be found among the Christian Nations So he was graciously pleased to intermix some words of comfort that when it should so fall out that the Spouse of Christ should be like the Dove in the secret places of the Stairs Cant. 2. 14. or thrust into Prisons and out of sight which might cause the Faithful even to think there was no Church remaining like that of the Prophet who desired rather to die than to live because he thought the Faithful had utterly failed and himself left alone I say that then they should remember that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against the Church and therefore God hath always had a Church however she might be obscured Finally Brethren my Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you is that you may be of one Mind and Judgment in all the Will of God and especially in these Sacred Principles before mentioned and in the Constitution of your Ministry in respect of the Threefold Order of Ministers under which the first Churches were undoubtedly governed viz. Messengers Elders and Deacons And I do the rather advise to this because some have been pleased to publish in Print that there are only two Offices remaining in the Church of Christ viz. Elders and Deacons This Presbyterian Principle will I fear undo such as receive it They boldly tell us that the Office of Timothy and Titus was Temporary as if they had none to succeed them What I have formerly written in the defence of the first of these Offices is extant among you and as yet unanswered and to that I refer you Our Divisions have been and will be if continued very prejudicial to the Truth it self and our Adversaries know how to make use of them against us and our Holy Profession though they cannot be Ignorant of the great Divisions which were in the Churches in the Apostles Days nor should they be ignorant of their own and to the end they may see they are no more happy in that matter than their Neighbours let them consider what Bernard hath written of them as he is quoted by the Learned in Cant. Serm. 33. His Words are to this effect From whom shall the Church hide her self All are Friends and all are Enemies all are Kinsfolks and all are Adversaries all are Houshold Servants and there is none at peace all are Neighbours and all seek but their own Profit They are Ministers of Christ and serve Anti-Christ they do walk in the Honour of the Goodness of the Lord unto whom they do no Honour Thereby cometh that Beauty of the Harlot which thou seest daily in their Apparel as the Players of Comedies As in the Apparel of a King thereby thou seest the Gold in the Bridles Saddles and Spurs Thereby are the Tables beautified with Meats and Vessels Thereby cometh Drunkenness and Gluttony Thereby proceedeth the Harp and the Viol Thereby are the Presses running over and the Garners full answering the one to the other Thereby are the Boxes full of Oyntment and sweet Savour Thereby are the Purses filled Therefore would they be and are the Princes of the Churches The Provosts Deans Arch-Deacons Bishops Arch-Bishops
they have punished with the cruelest Death such as in Conscience could not subscribe unto it God give them a better Vnderstanding and more Moderation for the future But ye Brethren as you have received these Holy Decrees among the rest of the Heavenly Rules left unto us by the most Antient Fathers even the Apostles of our Lord so walk in them and keep the Ordinances as they were delivered by them who received them of the Lord. Now the Lord increase our Faith that we may be able to stand fast in the Truth and to overcome all Difficulties So prays your Brother Thomas Grantham Hear the Church c. OR AN EPITOME OF THE CHIEF CONTROVERSIES BETWEEN THE PAPISTS AND THE Baptized Believers By THOMAS GRANTHAM Let that therefore abide in you which you have heard from the Beginning if that which ye have heard from the Beginning shall remain in you ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father and this is the Promise which he hath Promised us even Eternal Life 1 John. Unto the perfect Words of the New-Testament nothing may be added and from which nothing may be taken away by him that will lead a Life agreeable to the Gospel Apollinar l. 5. c. 14. LONDON Printed in the Year 1687. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Christian Friend IT is now about six and twenty years since it pleased a Learned Papist to send seven Queries to the People commonly called Anabaptists in the County of Lincoln about which many Papers were exchanged and in the Year 1662 some part of them were Printed under the Title of the Baptist against the Papist or the Scripture and Rome in Contention about the Supreme Seat of Judgment in Controversies of Religion To which the Querist never replied in Print but only sent me a few Notes in Manuscript which seven Queries with my seven Anti-queries I shall annex to this Epistle The Truth is I did then and do still look upon this sort of Christian-Adversaries so I call them to be the most subtil as well as coherent with their Principles keeping close to their Arguments and using all very much the same Mediums and were the Truth with them as in many things I am satisfied it is not this very thing would be their high Commendation But missing the Heavenly Mark more is the pity they must needs be the more dangerous wherein they stand opposed to the Truth of which being very sensible I cannot as I love plain Truth and the Souls of all Men but indeavour as much as in me is after a Christian sort to undeceive if it may be some of them and to prevent others from being deceived by them I speak not this as fearing them but as truly loving them as they bear the name of Christians and doubtless are as zealous in their way as any tho I do verily believe they are under the greatest mistakes of any that profâ—ss the Christian Religion except professed Enthusiasts That I treat them in Love is no new thing let my Words written more than twenty years since witness now in my Epistle to the Reader thus you find them Not that I envy those of the Papal Church or desire them any evil Not that I desire they should be exposed to a Suffering Condition for matters of Religion or that they should be denied any liberty in that Respect which I desire my self nor for any other prejudice God knoweth do I publish this small Treatise c. And what I said then I say now being verily perswaded by the Scripture and all good Principles which I could ever meet with that they and all men living soberly and quietly under the Government ought to have at least a friendly connivance under our differing sentiments from the established Form or Order of Worship c. But I am no Dictator I must leave these things to the pleasure of God and the prudence of our Governors only this is my Determination in Christ's strength to live and die faithful to what I know of the ways of Truth and to my own Conscience Praying constantly for the happiness of my Prince and all his peaceable Subjects Tho. Grantham Hear the Church The Third PART CONTAINING AN EPITOME OF THE Controversies depending between those who are commonly called PAPISTS and those commonly called ANA-BAPTISTS Occasioned by Seven Queries propounded by a Learned PAPIST LET the Christian Reader know that it is no idle Conceit of the Parts of the Author above his Brethren nor yet above his Adversaries many of whom are undoubtedly Men of very rare Parts and Accomplishments which moveth him thus to appear and to call forth all the Strength of Rome in Argument to defend their Church and Religion against the poor Baptized Churches in this Nation But it is only the Clear Evidence of Truth on their side as contained in the holy Oracles of God which gives Boldness to this great Undertaking Which in all due Humility Christian Love and yet with holy Confidence is thus attempted for a fair Trial of the Case or Cases depending between the Parties above mentioned In the Name of God therefore let us proceed to the Particulars of the Seven Queries sent to the Baptists by a Learned Papist which indeed contains the Sum of the Controversies between the said Parties Papist Query 1. Baptist Anti-query 1. Whether we are to resolve all Differences in point of Religion only out of the Written Word of God What Controversie in point of Religion can you resolve without the Written Word of God And whether the written Word of God be a perfect Rule for Matters of Religion The first Part of this Anti-query concludes in the Negative the latter Part in the Affirmative and affords as I think this undeniable Argument That which is the only perfect Rule to all Christians in the greatest Matters of Religion and that without which neither Christ the Church nor Christian Religion can be known is the only infallible Rule by which all Controversies in point of Religion are to be resolved But the Holy Scriptures are the only perfect Rule to all Christians in the greatest Matters of Religion and that without which neither Christ the Church nor Christian Religion can be known Ergo The Holy Scriptures are the only infallible Rule by which all Controversies in point of Religion among Christians are to be resolved Papist Query 2. Baptist Anti-query 2. How know you precisely what is the true Word of God Whether some Book must not of necessity speak for it self or be received for God's Word upon its own Evidence and whether the Holy Scriptures do not best deserve that privilege And whether it be not too great presumption to say There are no Holy Books but those which you and we have received for such seeing those which we have tell us there were other Holy Writings which never yet came to our Hands nor to yours Forasmuch as no Society of Christians in these days can bear witness to the truth of any
thing upon their own knowledg sight or hearing as the Apostles did 1 John 1. 2 Pet. 1. 16. for scarce so much as one hundred years and this their Testimony also being but of human Authority it remaineth of necessity that some Books of Record must be received upon the Authority of the Author in whose Name they speak and the Divine Evidence of the Matter contained in them and hence we argue the Sufficiency of the Scriptures own Authority to command our reception of them speaking to us in the Name of God and carrying in themselves Divine Evidences in respect of the matters therein contained Papist Query 3. Baptist Anti-query 3. How know you that your Copies and Translations of the Bible are the true Word of God since the Original Writings are not come to your Hands What Copies and Translations of the Scriptures have you that are more true than ours And where are the Original Manuscripts of the Prophets and Apostles Seeing it was not the Pleasure of the Divine Wisdom to preserve and present to all Nations the very first Pieces of Paper in which the Divine Oracles were written but rather to preserve many Copies and cause them to be spread throughout the World. And seeing no sort of Christians dare pretend to have Translated any of those Copies by an infallible Pen but only according to the best Skill they have acquired or learned in the Original Tongues It would better become all Learned Christians to bend their Minds to rectifie what they may any Imperfection or Mistake that may be in any of the Translations rather than by such Queries as this to open a Gap to Vnbelief and Irreligion And though much might be said by a captious Person against the English Translation of the Papists yet to prevent vain Jangling we refuse not to be tried in the Cases depending in these Queries and Anti-queries either by their Translation of the Bible or by that which is allowed by Authority And seeing no Papist is able to produce the prime Originals let them beware how they quarrel with our Copies lest some quarrel with theirs and â—so instead of Edification they bring forth nothing but vain Contention and show themselves ungrateful to God and mischievous to men For what man of any Modesty would upbraid another because he never saw the Original Writings when neither himself nor any man living ever saw them nor is ever like to see them Papist Query 4. Baptist Anti-query 4. Where we differ about the Sense of the Word by whom must we be tried The dead Letter cannot explain it self When we differ about the true Church or the Meaning of Authors be they Fathers or Councils by whom must we be tried These cannot speak for themselves more than the Scriptures And whether the Scriptures being compared together do not explain themselves Also whether this be not an opprobrious and ignominious Speech for you to call the Scripture a dead Letter And whether the true Lovers of the Scriptures ever vouchsafed them such ill and indeed improper Language Of all the Seven Queries this is the most difficult see what we have said to this Difficulty in our precedent Epistle Let the Papists prove themselves to be the true Church and the Contention about the Power of the Church to decide Differences which may arise about the Meaning of the Scriptures will with more ease be brought to a period In the mean time as we must every one give an account of our selves to God so it is the Duty of every Christian to labour to understand the Scriptures Mat. 24. 15. Pro. 22. 20 21. Papist Query 5. Baptist Anti-query 5. What clear Text have you out of the Scriptures for the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son Or for changing the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday Or for prohibiting Poligamy or Infant-Baptism And whether there be not as clear Texts to prove unwritten Traditions Purgatory and the Real Presence Whether the Baptism of the true Church be not One And whether the one Baptism be not expresly found in the Scriptures and whether the Scriptures do not prohibit all Baptism of Water beside that one And whether the Papists have not confessed in many of their Books that Infant-Baptism is not found in nor grounded upon the Scripture And then whether it be not clear that all the Texts which speak of Baptism in Water do prohibit Infant-Baptism Also whether John 15. 26. 14. 26. 16. 7. be not clear Texts that the Holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father and the Son Also whether 1 Cor. 7. 1 2 3. do not as much prohibit one Man for having two Wives as one Woman for having two Husbands And whether it do not clearly prohibit the latter Also whether there be any thathold the First Day of the Week under the Notion of a Sabbath among the Baptized Churches and yet whether there be not clear proof for the Religious Observation of it Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Also whether it be not absurd for you to ask for clear Texts to prove unwritten things Also whether Purgatory and the Real Presence as you hold them are not plainly destructive to some Articles of the Christian Faith. For is not this the Faith of all sound Christians 1. That Almighty God does love no Creature in this World so much as the Creature Man nor does he take any Creature on Earth into that nearness of Vnion with himself as the Souls and Bodies of those that shall be saved 2. That the blessed Body of Christ after his Ascension into Glory admits of no Change either by Addition to his Substance of his Flesh and Blood or Diminution of any part thereof from either Now it is most certain that the Opinion of the Real Presence by Transubstantiation of Bread and Wine into the very Body and Blood of Christ God-Man doth evidently militate against these clear Truths with the greatest opposition as will appear by these Considerations following 1. Though the Love of God to Mankind especially to all that shall be saved is exceeding great yet it is certain he never died nor ever will SO take them into Union with himself AS to Transubstantiate their Bodies into the Divine Substance of Christ and so make their Flesh of the same Essence with himself as he is God Blessed for ever And therefore it is in no wise to be believed That God Almighty so loves the Creatures Bread and Wine as to turn or transubstantiate the very Substance of them into the very Substance of the only Son of God whom we believe to be of one Substance with the Father It is also further to be considered That though the two Natures in Christ i. e. the Divine and Human are united after an unspeakable manner yet no Christian does believe that God did transubstantiate the Substance of the Humane Nature into the Substance of the Divine Nature and that the Forms of Flesh and Blood only does remain How then is