it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life Thornes also and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee c. Gen. 3.16 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out af it wast thou taken c. Then he said unto the woman I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee c. Rom. 5. and as in Adam all sinned so all in him are to die as the Apostle tells us Therefore it is plain that though the guilt of original sin be taken away by repentance and baptisme it self there remains still a punishment of death and divers other penalties inflicted Mariam the sister of Moses Num. 12 after the sin o murmuring against Moses was committed was struck with a Leprosie but she was not presently cured no not by Moses his prayer to the Lord for her recovery but she was cast out of the Tents by the Lords command for seven days for the punishment of her sin though the guilt was forgiven her and she remained all that while in her Leprosie God forbid Moses and Aaron Num. 20 the going in and leading of their people with them into the land of Promise for their sin of unbelief at the water of Strife though without doubt God Almighty had forgiven the sin to those holy men So the sons of Jacob Gen. 41.21 for their offence committed against their brother Joseph conceived what they suffered to be very due to them and David after he had confest his sin of adultery and murder 2 Sam. 12.13 14 15. and was pardoned by the Prophet Nathan in these words the Lord also hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye yet addes howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great oncasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye and the Lord strake the childe that Vriahs wife bare c. See the punishment of Eli and his house after the sin was pardoned 1 Sam. 3 12 13 14. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house when I begin I will also make an end for I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile and he resprained them not and therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli 1 Sam. 4.14 c. that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever All this must undoubtedly be understood of a temporal punishment onely accordingly Hophni and Phinehas were slain Eli falling backward brake his neck and Phinehas's wife dyed in travell David we know had his great sin pardoned him for numbring of the people 2 Sam. 24.18 c. yet he was punished with a most grievous pestilence to the destruction of so many thousands and yet at last was commanded by the Prophet Gad to make a further satisfaction to reare an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Araunah c. and his offering cost him fifty shekels of filver We finde that the Ninivites at their grand repentance fasted and put on sackcloth Jonah 3.1 Kings 21.27 Ahabrent his clothes and put sackloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackeloth and went softly by which humbling of himself he did in part satisfie and pacifie the divine wrath conceived against him Jerem. 18.8 This the Prophet Jeremy most cleerly expresseth saying in the person of God if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evill I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them and according to the measure of the fault so ought the measure of the punishment to be as we read in the book of Deuteronomy Deut. 25 All this is clearly confirmed by S. John in his Apocalypse saying how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously Revel 18 7. John 5.14 so much torment and sorrow shall be given her but above all we finde it cleer in the Gospel where our Saviour after he had cured the man that was sick of the Palsie eight and thirty years he said unto him behold thou art whole sin no more least a worse thing come unto thee plainly intimating that this great and long infirmity was inflicted upon him for his sins and though those sins were probably pardoned before by the great mercy of God and patience of the person suffering yet the punishment lasted still upon him Now that prayer fasting and alms which are injoyned to penitents are necessary to the Sacrament of Penance appears plainly by these Scriptures We finde in Leviticus how God commands several sorts of Sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the Priests Levit. 4.5.6 Prince and People I pray you then observe how the Prophets call upon us for these duties therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning So the Prophet Joel Then the Prophet Daniel says more cleerly yet to Nebuchadnexzar wherefore O King let my counsell be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing of mercy to the poor it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity c. We sinde again how the Ninivites repenting at the preaching of Jonas proclaimed a fast and put on Sack-cloth from the greatest even to the lest of them The King himselfe arose from his throne layed by his Robe and covered himself with sack-cloth and sat in ashes crying all mightyly unto God and turning from their evill ways and the violence in their hands And God saw their works that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill c. is not here a plain fatisfaction performed by the Ninnivites and so accepted by God and as cleerly exprest by the Prophet and is not this repentance and satisfaction of the Ninivites highly commended by our blessed Saviour saying the men of Ninnive shall rise up in the judgement with the men of this generation that is obstenate impenitent siners Luke 11.32 such as refuse to satisfie for their sins and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonas c. That great preacher of repentance Mat. 3. Lxke 3. the holy Baptist crys out to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance does not our Saviour plainly pronounce a woe unto Chorazin and Bethsaida for their impenitence Mat. 11.21 22. assuring them that if those mighty works he did there had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes and therefore concludes that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement
up the other cheek that is to receive another injury rather than to revenge any Nor can it any way follow from hence that war is unlawfull for the invader as well as the defender ought not to make war out of any private affection to revenge but out of a right intention for the publick good otherwise war must be unlawfull indeed To the Third We find two parts of your argument to be answered to the first is Christs command to Peter Put up thy Sword again into his place then give us leave to tell you that Christ speaks not of war at all but meekly reprehends Peter for these reasons first because all the Apostles had askt leave to strike and healone without staying for Christs answer drew his Sward and wounded a servant of the High Priests Secondly because it was a rash and indiscrect thing that one man should assault such a multitude of armed men Thirdly because if it had been necessary our Saviour could have commanded Angels to have so defended him as he tells him I can ask the Father and he will send me more then twelve legions of Angels c. Fourthly because he would not have his death hindred as he said The Cup which the Father hath given me wilt thou not that I drink All this hinders not but that war may notwithstanding be lawfull if the just conditions of war be observed The second part of your argument consists in those words both out of the Gospell and Apostle he that killeth with the Sword must perish or be killed with the Sword which cannot be understood simply to be true for we know the contrary and that many bloody men die in their beds but both our Saviour and the Apostle alledge an old Law out of the Text whosoever shall shed mans blood his blood shall be also shed Gen. 9.6 Leviticus 24.17 and whosoever shall strike a man so as he dieth let him die the death Now that murtherers are to die by the law hinders nothing but war may be lawfull for otherwise it must have been unlawfull under the old Testament for then the Law was made against Homicides Now the difference between homecide and a lawful war if you know not we will tell you the one is committed against the publick laws of God and man as well against common justice as the Decalogue it must be therefore unlawfull The other is undertaken for the defence of publick justice and to keep off or repay a publick injury and that sure by all laws of God and nature must be lawfull To the Fourth I would fain know of you what Prince or Emperour did then believe in Christ whose aid the Apostles might have implored against Hereticks it was not that the Hereticks then did not deserve it but because the swords of the Princes and Emperours then were shut up in Pagan sheathes but when they came to serve the Gospel under Constantine then the Christians besought them upon all such occasions and to what you say that Hereticks are to be conquered with the sword of the spirit that is 1 Pet. 3. the word of God it is true that S. Peter teacheth us to be ready to give an account to every one that askes it of the faith that is in us and yet S. Paul adviseth us Tit. 3.10 11. to reject a Heritick after the first and second admonition and gives the reason knowing that he is subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself We beseech you therefore look to your self and all your party that you do not dispute out of Scriptures against known faith To the Fifth It is plain that our Saviour onely would not that one Tares should be pulled up to endanger the Wheat for so he explaines himself after Mat. 18. least whilest ye pull up the Tares ye pull up the Wheat also We grant also that heresies must be but yet there is a woe pronounced to him by whom they are and that must too implies no absolute necessity but a conditional one as they are foreknown to God so must be or else a necessity of the end which the Apostle implies that they who are approved may be made manifest this proves nothing against the punishing of a notorious Heritick To the Sixth We answer that when our Saviour said but ye shall not be so he did not forbid civil Magistracy but only instructed his Apostles that they being to be the future Pastors of souls should not meddle with secular businesses nor dominear after the manner of secular Lords but rather that they should attend their own charges and become patterns of humility to all and so in like manner when the Apostle tells us that there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptisme he excludes not Kings and Princes or other secular Lords Rom. 13.6 but only a plurality of Gods for there is but one God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords whose Ministers all other Kings and Lords are To the Seventh We say that in those Texts you urge the use of swearing is not forbidden but the abuse of it and that consists plainly in swearing vainly and in business of no moment and in calling God to witness a thing without evident necessity which is against the reverence that is due to God this abuse only Christ forbids in these words but I say unto you swear not at all that is Exod. 20.7 Deut. 10. without necessity ye shall not swear at all and this is explained in other Texts Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain again thou shalt not mention the name of God lightly or to no purpose now by these two words in vain and lightly or to no purpose it is plain that it is only forbid so to do rashly vainly or without necessity Now give us leave to reply That it is lawfull to make war against Turks Jews or Heriticks upon a reasonable and lawfull occasion or to punish them and that Christians may make war and bear Civil Magistracy yea give and take Oaths We prove by Scripture thus First As to the matter of war it is plain that when the Souldiers came to St. John Baptist and asked him what they should do Luke 3.14 he answered them do violence to no man neither accuse any falsly and be content with your wages here it is plain he forbid them not their trade which was to go to war but taught them how to do it honestly S. Paul tells the Romanes Rom. 13. that Kings and Supream powers carry not the sword in vain The Children of Israel we know got the possession of the Land of Promise by an open war of Gods own appointment as is abundantly to be seen in the Books of Joshuah Judges and Kings Nay the Lord commanded them to have a continual war against Infidells for so we find in the Book of Judges Now these Nations the Lord left to prove Israel by them even as many of
but once in the year and that is Saturday in the holy week neither is there any consecration at all made that day of the Sacrament But the Eucharist that was consecrated the former day is then receiv'd lest the Church of Christ should remain depriv'd of the comfortable fruits of our Lords Passion The other way of Oblation is cleerly Sacramental and yet nevertheless real by which Christ is daily offer'd in the Church and receiv'd by Priests in the Sacrifice of the Mass under the Sacrament in commemoration of the Passion Dead and that former Oblation once made upon the Cross So that the Priest in the person of the whole Church doth present to God the Father the Oblation made by the Sonne upon the Altar of the Cross and him offered and that is the Offering according to the order of Melchisedech However this Oblation may be but rightly call'd commemorative not that Jesus Christ is not rightly and truly offered but because he is offered here under a Sacrament invisibly and recordatively in remembrance of his former Oblation by his own command Numb 28.3 and according to his own Institution And this is the oblation that was signified by the continual burnt-offering in the Old Law in which there was a Lamb without spot to be offered every morning and every evening This second Oblation I say the Priests of Christ doe make daily by the command of Christ himselfe Luke 22. grounded upon those words Do this in remembrance of me For this word do cannot referre onely to a bare sumption or taking of the Sacrament as you would have it but an Action and Oblation otherwise they should not have had the power of Consecration by those words Christ perfected at once the Oblation of himself upon the Altar of the Cross in one bloody Sacrifice and by the frequent repetition of this unbloody one the fruits and effects of the former are daily deriv'd to us So that the Mass is not only a representation of our Lords last Supper but of his Passion Death and Oblation of himselfe and therefore our Eucharist is not onely a Sacrament as you say but it is also a real Sacrifice a Sacrament truly it is as it does represent and is taken but a Sacrifice it is as it is offered and sacrificed to God and by this reason our Mass in which this great Sacrifice is celebrated is called a Sacrifice too To the second and third In the like manner I shall answer both your following arguments for those Texts doe clearly speake of the first Oblation that Christ made of himself our Sacrifices here are but examples of that and yeâ— we offer still the same thing not as in the Old Law to day one Lamb and to morrow another but alwayes the same so it is still one Sacrifice for as he that is offered is one body not many so is our Sacrifice still but one Behold how we offer daily one Sacrifice which once was offered though as is aforesaid there is great difference in the manner of offering the one by a real bloody oblation the other by recordation and representation To the fourth That our Saviour did say that his blood was the New Testament c. I grant but deny that therefore the Mass should be so for that which he spoke was onely to confirme our Faith in the New Testament Exod. 24.8 for as Moses being to confirm the Old Testament took the blood of Calves and Geats c. and sprinkled the people saying this is the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words So Christ with his own blood confirm'd his New Testament unto us and enter'd into the Holy of Holyes Besides there be many things of the New Testament that belong not at all to the Mass as Baptism the Power of the Keyes c. Nay over and above all this it does not follow Heb. 9. that if the Mass were a Testament it should be therefore no Sacrifice for a Testament according to that of the Apostle includes the death of the Testator and the Mass being a Testament does imply the death of its Testator Jesus Christ and so by consequence must involve the Oblation To the fifth and last I shall clearly grant you again that the Mass is a recordation or remembrance of the Passion of Christ but not so nakedly as when a Lay person does simply communicate but it is a remembrance after this manner as it is the representative action of the whole Passion And this Jesus Christ said do ye not onely take ye but do ye that is if we joyne the precedents and sebsequents together consecrate offer take therefore that part of the Mass is called Action So therefore as there was a continual Sacrifice in the Old Testament so in the Law of Grace is Christ our Saviour made our continual Offering and shall continue so for ever till Anti-Christ shall come as our Doctors do affirm and then it shall cease for a while Now give me leave again to return you some proofes out of the Scriptures of the congruity and necessity that the Mass should bee a Sacrifice First Lev. 5.6.9.14 it is manifest that in the Old Law there was to be an offering for the sins of the people and it was alwaies the duty of the Priests to offer for their ignorances and sins and for their cleansing And what Religion was there ever so stupid as to pretend to the service of a Deity without some Sacrifice except some novel Christians to the very scandal of Jews and Turks Secondly Malach. 1.10 11. The Prophet Malachy does most plainly Prophesie of our great Sacrifice when he brings the Lord speaking to Israel I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept any offering at your hand for from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great amongst the Gentiles and in every place Incense shal be offered unto my name a pure offering for my name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of hosts Is not this a most plain Prediction of the Cessation of the Sacrifices of the old Law and the Institution of the Sacrifice of the new Law Nor can this be meant of that Sacrifice which Christ offered once upon the Cross because the Prophet speaks of a Sacrifice to be offered in every place and speaks but only of one oblation and that is nothing nor can be but the pure Sacrifice of the body of Christ so often repeared upon in our Masses and upon our Christian Altars Nay yet examine a little further in this great Prophet Malath 3.1 2 3. and you will finde yet a clearer evidence for our Christian sacrifice for being about his prophecies of the Messiah to come and having foretold the coming of the Baptist before him says plainly that the Lord shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of
imployed upon better things so the Lord give a blessing to our endeavours and sweet Madam be pleas'd to continue me in the quality of Madam Your most humble Servant N. The Messenger Arriving speedily back at my Ladies House and delivering the Letter with the inclos'd papers her Ladyship finding the Contents fell to the work iw mediately which you shall hear as followeth Madam the Doctrine that your Church delivers concerning good works is a Mother most strange erroâ—s and abuses of Christianity as confession free will c. Which gives me the boldnesse to make my addresse to your Ladyship wholly to that purpose So I shall first endeavour to overthrow your foundation that is your Doctrine of good works That good Works signifie nothing to the Justification much less to the salvation of a Christian by any way of merit iâ— most manifest out of Scripture 1. The Prophet Habakkuk tells us plainly of him that seeks his Justification by his Works that his soul which is lifted up Hab. 2.4 is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith The same is insisted on by our Saviour Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And St. Paul quoting the Prophet tells the Romans For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written Rom. 1.17 the just shall live by faith And again Gal. 3.11 to the Galatians â—ut that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith And again to the Hebrews Now the just shall live by faith What then is become of your grand confidence in good works Our Saviour tells the woman diseased with an issue of blood Matth. â— that her Faith hath made her whole And in the same Chapter assures the blind men because they believed that he was able to restore their eyes to them that therefore they should see and saying according to your Faith be it unto you their eyes were opened by this you may see the value that Faith hath in the esteem of God 3. The Scripture expresly tells us that Abraham believed in the Lord Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4. â— and he counted it to him for righteousness the same thing St. Paul repeats to the Romans to the Galatians Gal. 3.6 Jam. 2.22 and so St. James by all which it is plain that Faith is the only thing that justifies and gives the reputation of righteousness before God 4. We finde in St. Lukes Gospel that our Saviour bids us to say when we shall have done all things that are commanded us that we are but unprofitable Servants Luk. 11.43 we have done that which was our duty to do What is become of your doctrine of works Where is your merit in them by them or for them when after you have done all things fill'd the world with Hospitals Colledges Churches and Monasteries given all your goods to the poor mortified and macerated your bodies you are yet so far from meriting that you are but unprofitable Servants 5. Our Saviour tells us clearly and with a vertly verily I say unto you he that heareth my word Joh. 5.24 and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Can any thing be more plain then this that by Faith alone we are to gain everlasting life 6. Charity it self is but a fruit of Faith so that it is plain Faith alone may suffice to our justification and our Saviour taketh frequently works for Hypocritical and pronounceth a woe to such as depend upon them 7. Then it is plain there neither is or can be any such thing as good works and whosoever pretends to that righteousnesse is a hypocrite for the Prophet Isaiah tels us Isa 54.6 that we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags And again the Scripture tels us that there is not a righteous man upon the earth who does well Eccl. 5. and sins not And the Prophet David cryed out Psalm though a man after Gods own heart Enter not into Judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy fight shall no man living be justified Where is then your Justification by works And St. Paul that great Vessel of Election complains Rom. 7.15.23 that he was sold under sin for that which he did he allowed not he did not what he would but what he hated that he did and that he saw another Law in his members warring against the Law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the Law of sin which was in his Members what then must become of us poor creatures if we confide in our own works That Auricular Confession of Sins to a Priest is so farre from being a good work and acceptable in the sight of God that it is meerly to be esteemed Wil-worship and humane invention is proved thus It is plain out of the very Text which you so much urge for your opinion Joh. 20.23 which is in St. John Whosoevrr sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained That Christ commands nothing there concerning confession but only requires Priests to give their absolution 2. And St. James when he seems to command Confession speaks only of a brotherly Confession Confess your faults one to another Jam. 5.16 there is not a word of confession to Priests 3. Then our Saviour said not to the woman taken in adultery go and confess thy sins to a Priest but go and sin no more 4. Again we read of Peters tears and great repentance how he wept most bitterly but we read not a jot of his going to confession and yet his sin was most undoubtedly pardoned 5. Then I have read in Ecclesiastical History that Confession was in one Age wholly abrogated and forbidden in the Church That your Doctrine of satisfaction for sins is most dangerous if not desperate for Christian souls is proved thus 1. St. John the Baptist being sent to be a Preacher of Repentance to the people taught only the observation of the Commandments of God expresly forbidding them to do more then what was appointed for them to do nor makes he mention at all of any satisfaction for sins The Lord himself declares by his holy Prophet Ezekiel Luk. 3.13 that if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all his statutes and do that which is lawfull and right Ezek. 18.21 he shall surely live he shall not die Here is nothing imposed upon a penitent but to do Judgement and righteousness c. not the least word of satisfaction The Prophet Micah does most plainly deride all those that seek to make a satisfaction for their sins
then for them and in another place tells them that unless they repent Luke 15. they shall all likewise perish as those upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and to conclude all this least I again endanger to bring an obscurity upon this truth by too great a cloud of witnesses appearing for it S. Paul exhorts us all to approve our selves as the Ministers of God in patience 2 Cer. 6.4.5 in watching and in fastings so I presume you will not still deny that satisfaction is very requsite nay necessary to a perfect penitent To what you alledge against the doctrine of our Church in point of the Liberty of the will I answer thus To the first I answer by granting that all good comes from God the donor but some of those good things he gives through the action of our free-will and others he gives cleerly without it So we humbly confess our merits to be the gifts of God and given by God preventing cooperating and following us in all our thoughts words and actions but this does not at all follow that therefore our freewill cannot actively concurre to make a merit To the Second and Third I say in like maner that God of his great mercy prevents our freewills by moving them and mercifully cooperates assisting them and our Church prays Prevent us O Lord in all our actions c. so that when people do sin God Almighty cannot be made to be the Author of the sin or errour and when we read the text you urge thou hast made us to erre it is to be understood thou hast suffered us so to do or that thou hast hardned it is to be understood thou hast permitted our hearts to be hardned and by this the activity of the free-will is so far from being hindred or deprived that is plainly implied and proved To the fourth I must most cleerly acknowledge with the Prophet that the way of a man is not in himself as to the executions of all his elections in which whether he will or no he may be many ways hindred but the elections themselves are in man with the supposition of divine help and therefore mans will is said to be free not of his actions but action which consists in his judgement and his determination to do or not to do To the fifth I confess it to be an extravagant thing for a man to rebell against or expostulate with his Creator as for any thing formed to do the same thing with or against the workman that formed it or an instrument with the Artificer for every creature is an instrument of the divine power but by all this I cannot see how the liberty of mans actions in a concurrence with the Creator is at all infringed but seems to me rather confirmed the Creator making the Creature instrumentally to cooperate with him To the sixth What our Saviour there adviseth not to take thought how or what to speak for it should be given in the same hour c. was only to take away all anixiety and solicitude of fore thniking Now the case of the Apostles knowledge and ours are very different for theirs was altogether infused and their freewill was meerly passive in the execution of divine dictats it is to be understood far otherwise with us who are bound by our good works freely to cooperate with divine grace To the seventh I humbly conceive that text of the falling of sparows not to concern the matter of free will at all but only that our Saviour would have us cleerly to understand and beleive how all things are Subject to the providence of God To the eighth and Last We must grant that there is no man saved but by grace not by his works excluding grace because works signify nothing without grace For as S. Paul tells us Rom. 8. the sufferings of this present world are nothing to the future glory that shall he revealed in us And to that text that none can come to him unless the father draw him we do acknowledge that there must be such a drawing by the divine grace preventing and coopperating but how to acquiesce in and submit to that divine drawing and not to harden our hearts against his divine drawing nor to shut our ears if we mean for to hear his voice calling to us that is the part of our own free-wills So I beseech you good Mirs N. to have a care least you be found resisting to those divine ealls and attractions which his divine grace is always offering to you and consult with those cleer texts of Scripture that I shall here recommend to you We finde the Lord saying to Cain Gen. 4.6 why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen if thou do well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door c. does not our Lord her cleerly convince Cain of his freewill How more plainly yet does God Almighty expostulate with the Isralites and require their obedience to his law Deut. 30.10 11 12 13 14 15. and the freedomes of their wills For this commandment saith he which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off it is not in heaven that thou shouldst say who shall go up for us c. neither is it beyond the Sea c. But that word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it See I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evill c. can any thing be cleerer for the liberty of mans will The Prophet Jeremy tells us Jerm 5. that these which remain of this last and worst generation shall chuse death rather than life There is choice given to the Jews whether they will serve the Lord Josh 24.15.21 2 Sam. 24.13 Num. 30 or no and the people said nay but we will serve the Lord. There was a choyce given to David which of the three plagues he would have There was a choyce given to the husband in the old law concerning the vow of his wife now there can be no choyce at all without liberty of will Job tells us Job 5. Numb Deut. Psal 107 108 118 that the righteous shall be saved but in the cleaness of his own hands How much do we read of the freewill offerings in the old Testament and David declares that he will freely sacrifice to the Lord again my soul O Lord is always in my hands my heart is ready O Lord my heart is ready and nothing more frequent than such expressions clean throughout the Psalmes The Prophet Isay yet more largely speaks to this purpose Isay 1.16 v. 19. wash ye make ye clean put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evill c. and then presently after if ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebell Isay 46.12 ye
before the face of the fire Deut. 4. Heb. 13.19 and for this we beg the mediation and intercession of the blessed Saints in heaven To the fifth To what you urge out of the Apostle to Timothy that there is but one Mediator I do acknowledge that there is but one Mediator of Redemption that is Jesus Christ because he alone redeemed Mankinde nor is there any other name under heaven by which we can be saved but that hinders not but that there may be more Mediators of intercession so then there is but one Mediator by Redemption as but one Saviour for he is the only good Shepherd who gave his life for his flock but there are more Mediators by intercession as the Scripture names more Saviours Mediators and Redeemers too Moses says of himself that he was set apart or chosen for a Mediator between God and the children of Israel Again he raised up a Redeemer Deliverer or Saviour to them one Othoniel Deut. 3. Judg. 3.9 Nehem. 9 Gen. 4.1 and Nehemiah tels us how God did raise unto the children of Israel Saviours and Pharoah calls Joseph a Saviour To the sixth I say that as to the injury which you pretend done to God by the invoking of his Saints I have sufficiently answered already in my return to your first Arguments for the injury which you alledge done to Christ I answer in like manner if this be a good consequence Christ is our only Mediatour therefore we do an injury to him to invoke the Saints in heaven then this must be likewise a good Argument therefore it is injurious to Christ to invoke the Saints upon earth and that you all are guilty of praying one another to pray for you and doubtless you do not do amiss in it Again if we shew our diffidence and distrust in Christs Mediation by invoking the Saints in heaven then it will follow likewise that you diffide in Christs mediation by invoking one another or any Saints upon earth As for your supposition which indeed is the strength of your Argument that the Saints in heaven do not hear our prayers nor know what is done amongstâ—ns and therefore must be much less able to help us and as to the places of Scripture which you pretend to bring to that purpose I answer that they all signifie nothing for here we speak not of those who in the time of the Old Testament were either in Hell or in the Limbus that was appointed for them but of the Saints that since the time of the New Testament are in heaven we may safely grant that all those were ignorant of what was done here bua that proves nothing as to these last beattifi'd souls in heaven And yet I know you 'l be importunate to know how the Saints should be capable to hear our prayers and understand our inward affections and desires I would ask you again how the Saints in this life can know the secrets of other mens counsels and contrivances 1 Sam. 19. Samuel knew all things which were in the heart of Saul and told him all that was in his heart 2 Kings 5.26 2 Kin. 6.33 Did not Elishah know all things that were done by his servant that was at a great distance from him and so the same Prophet knew all the secret Counsels of the King of Syria Dan. 2.26 Did not Daniel know the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the interpretation of it before he sent to him and did not the Apostle Saint Peter know the hidden fraud and close collusions of Ananias and Saphira And to conclude I would fain know what things were they which were hidden from the Prophets though never so close from the eyes of men And can these things be done on earth and not possibly be done in heaven Now that this veneration or invocation of Saints is expresly commanded in Scripture I cannot say nor see any reason that it should be first it could not be well in the old Testament where the people were so prone to idolatry and the Patriarchs besides were but in a Limbus Esay 63. reposed till our Saviours triumphant entry into heaven so they could not be beatified or made capable of hearing of prayers of men and therefore it was said Abraham knows us not and Israel does not acknowledge us Again under the Gospel it was not absolutely commanded least the Gentiles that were newly turned from Paganisme should believe that they were brought again to the worship of earthly gods for that was their use to worship their deified persons not as Patrons but as very Gods indeed as at Lyraania they would have sacrificed to Paul and Barnabas Besides if the Apostles and Evangelist had taught expresly that the Saints are to be prayed to it might have been thought as a piece of arrogance in them as if they had been after death ambitious of that honour to be done to them The holy Spirit therefore would not by express Scripture teach this doctrine of veneration and invocation of Saints but the Church being once establisht quickly found by the Miracles and succours that those Saints performed to men that they were to be worshipt and invoked with prayers that they would please to pray for us and this is a worship far different from that which we pay to God therefore no way prejudicial to the divine Majesty no though express Scripture as I said we have none for this yet very much inclining to and favouring of our purpose That the saints the freinds of God are to be implored that they will please to intercede for us I prove by express Scripture thus Our Saviour in S. Johns Gospell saies thus if any man serve me John 12.26 him will my Father honor if therefore God does honor his saints why should not we mortalls give honour to them Our Saviour saies again in S. Mat. 25.40 Mathews Gospell verily I say unto you insomuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my bretheren ye have done it unto me the honour therefore that is given to the saints of God he takes as done unto himself We finde in Job how Eliphaz saies to him Call now if there be any that will answer thee Job 5.1 and to which of the saints wilt thou turn which words though Eliphaz spoke yet Job reprehends them not but takes it as wholsome councell from his freind Again in another place Job 42.1 9 10. the Lord himself saies go to my servant Job and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept least I deal with you after your folly c. so they did as the Lord commanded them the Lord also accepted Job and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his freinds c. Then we finde how Absalon after he was reconciled to his father 2 Sam. 14.28 staid two years in Jerusalem before he saw his fathers face so a sinner though reconsiled to God will not
all that are bitten by the devil As to the breaking of it by Hezekiah I have hinted already that the end for which it was made ceased it was of no use longer then the children of Israel were in the wildernes for there was no more danger of Serpents in the land of promise But the image of Christ Crucified is made to this end to represent to us our bleeding Saviour and to call to minde those benefits that we receive by that his bitter death and passion now this end must last till the end of the world therefore his image is still to be retained and kept with honour for ever 2 King 8 Besides the brazen Serpent after the end of its making ceased began to be as a foresaid an occasion of Idolatry which the image of Christ cannot be amongst us Christians for we know it is set up to no other intent of purpose then to represent our Saviour and his benefits to us Again Levi. 26.1 Josh 24.26 we finde in Leviticus forbidden to make idols or graven images nor to rear up a standing image nor to set up any graven stone in the land and yet we finde that Joshua took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was by the Sanctuary of the Lord and so the Altar that was built by the children of Reuben and Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh was permitted to them though contrary to their Law so soon as they had satisfied their brethren Iosh 22. that there was no intention of Idolatry in their so doing and in the like maner did Samuel which I have before insisted upon Again if to set up Images in the house of God had been absolutly Idolatry 1 Kings 7 would Solomon have done it Nay it was done by Gods own order so many Lions Oxen and Cherubims and all carrying a divine morall or signification with them had never sure been set up in that glorious Temple the beloved house of God if they had not been as well usefull as lawfull and specious And so let the use remain in the name of God and the abuse be taken away In the last place I beseech you tell me now if that Scripture and the whole Church were filent in this case by what reason you proceed when you endeavour with so much charge and artifice to paint adorne and preserve the statues and Pictures of Princes and great persons the pictures of Parents Children husbands and wives you will not deny but this you do and you think well done too What madness therefore must it needs appear to be in you to contemn the picture of Christ Spit upon his Images or throw durt in the faces of them beat e'm down abolish or exterminate them would not any indifferent person say that sees those actions that you have a greater kindness for a parent kinsman child or freind then you have for your Crucified God I must tell you that a good honest Pagan would blush and be troubled at it a good Jew would no doubt be pleased at the action yet angry with all those that did it and none but the Devil could rejoyce and make sport with it I am sure I pitty it as the action of poor blind men that are led by those that are willfully blind that is blinder than themselves To what you are pleased to alledge against our doctrines of Indulgencies Purgatory and prayer for the dead I answer thus To the first Now first as to the matter of Indulgencies you say you have but one blow to give me but that must be a mortall one and that must be out of S. Paul to the Romans well I shall freely and humbly grant all that the holy Apostle saies that nothing that we suffer heer can be compared to the glory that we are to receive by his favour heâ—reafter But you must understand that as the works of Jesus Christ upon earth so are those of his saints heer as well satisfactory as mertorious For he merited both for himself us For himself he merited because by the humility of his passion he merited the glory of his Resurrection for so S. Paul tells us Phil. 2.9 10. that being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross wherefore God hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name c. Then he merited for us Rom. 5.17 18 19. as S. Paul declares to the Romans for if by one mans offence death reigned by one much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by Jesus Christ therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life for as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous c. For all this his works were meritorious Now they were satisfactory not for his own sins because he had non as S. Peter tells us Who did no sin 1 Pet. 2.22 Esay 5.4.5 6. Ephes 5.2 1 Pet. 2.24 neither was guil found in his mouth but for our sins as is apparent out of scripture he was wounded for our transgression and brused for our iniquities the chastisment of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all c. therefore S. Paul tells us that he hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour and S. Peter saies that his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree that we being dead to sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes we are healed 1 John 2 2. and S. John assures us that he is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours onely but also for the sins of the whole world just so we are to conceive of the works and sufferings of the saints which as they are meritorious are more then enough and infinitly beyond their merit remunerated as the Apostle whom you so urge does diliver to us But as they are satisfactory for punishment we do finde that there are many saints who have satisfyed and suffered more than they ought to have done for their own sins as is plain in holy Job Job 6.2.3 in whose book and divers others of holy writ it is said that he suffered much more than he deserved and S. Paul speakes it most plainly of himself Colos 1.24 thus who now rejoyce in my sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bâ—dies sake which is the Church Can any thing be more plain than this for the doctrine
of Indulgence that the residue of his satisfaction and sufferings should be added to the sufferings of Christ and applyed to the body of Christ that is his Church out of the treasury of Indulgencies And sure this satisfaction of the saints does turn to their greatest glory As for example if the satisfaction and suffering of Laâ—erence does pay the punishment due to John being a penitent will not Laurence have a kinde of additionall joy in heaven for that his satisfaction has paid for his brother John and so the works of the saints as they are sattisfactory and penall are perfectly remunerated to the Saints in that others enjoy the benefit of them being aplyed by the Churches indulgencies And this you may please to accept not onely for a sufficient answer but also a reply as to this particular To what you are pleased to alledge against our doctrine of Purgatory I answer thus To the first I grant that which those texts you urge requir which is that after the day of judgement there shall be but too places for those which are grown in years and that is all which can be enforced out of those Texts But as yet there are as also ther were in the old Testament more places or receptacles for souls And truly granting that there were but too I would fain have you or any man to tell me where the fouls of those were who died and were afterwards raised again to life I would fain know I say how the son of the widow of Sarepta was raised by Elias how the Shunamites son was raised by Elisha how the Son of the widdow in Naim and the daughter of Jarus the Ruler of the synagoge and Lazarus in Bethâ—ny were raised by Jesus Christ how Tabitha was raised by S. Peter and Euâ—yous by S. Paul I would fain know I say where the souls of these persons were between the time of their death and there raising to life They could not be in Hell for from thence there is no redemption Nor in heaven for then it had been so far from being a benefit as it would have proved a loss if from the joys beatitudes there they should return to miserable mortal life It must then follow of necessity that they were in some third place distinct from heaven and from Hell so call it what you will your argument is answered To the second I answer and grant what you collect out of those Scriptures which you quote that the righteous after this life ended are presently admitted into heavenly glory but I must tell you not all the righteous neither who leave nothing to be purged out of them after this life they questionless are admitted presently into heaven But they that have any thing to be expiated left in them shall be admitted in Gods good time but so as by fire as the Apostle tells us Nor are your testimonies out of Scripture any thing importing to the contrary Fâ—r that to day shalt thou be with 〈◊〉 in Paradice was a singular thing and particular priviledge indulged to the good Theife to whom Christ did most liberally forgive all his sins without any further obligation of temporall punishment after death â—ut this is not granted to all no more than the priviledge of one is to be drawn into a president for another Then out of that Text I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ nothing else can be collected then that the Apostle had a great desire to live with Christ which desire you and I may likewise have especially if we can truly say with the same Apostle I do chastise my body and bring it into subjection Such a mortification as that on earth may give us indeed a present life in heaven which God of his mercy grant us both and all the world besides if so be it may confist with his blessed will To what you say against our doctrine of praying for the dead which is a consequence of Purgatory I answer thus To the first To what you alledge out of the Prophet Jeremy I answer that the Prophet Jeremy does not speake it absolutly of all the dead but of one onely that was the King Joachas who died in captivity in Egypt so saith the Prophet Weep not for the dead neither bemoane him but weep for your following Kings undâ—er whom you are to suffer greater Tribullation To the Second I grant that Christ did forbid the widdow to weep for her Son but it was because he was immediately to raise him from the dead so she was not to weep for him as dead but to be comforted for the miraculous life which he was to receive I must profess that I see not a word against Purgatory or prayer for the dead in all this To the Third and Last I say that which you bring so confidently out of S. Paul as a most invinsible and unanswerable argument give me leave to tell you comes off but very lamely for you for the words of the Text do sufficiently cleer themselves that ye sorrow not for those that sleep as others which have no hope so we agree that to weep for the dead out of any dispaire of a future resurrection is so far from being the practice of our Church that we hold it to be a sin or to weep for a dead friend out of diffidence that we shall never see him again or a fear that we have for ever lost him is very injunious to God and Christianity but when we weep adâ—prayers to our tears in the behalf of our dead friends we are so far from weeping as those without hope that we testify our Christian Confidence and assurance in the Security of his condition for being in Purgatory he is sure of salvation though he may stay some time for it to pay the temporall punishment there due for his sins heer That there is a third place which we call Purgatory and that the prayers of the faithfull upon earth are very helpfull to them I prove thus First we finde it delivered at large by S. 1 Cor. 3.12 13 14 15. Paul in these words Now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of which sort it is if any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire Here it is most plain that though a man do works to be burnt as shall appear in the day of every mans particular judgement that is his death yet he shall be saved by fire that cannot be meant of infernal fire for from thence there is no redemption it must be then understood of Purgatory Our Saviour in the Gospels implys Purgatory plainly though under a Parable in these words Matth. 5.25.26 Luke 12.38 Agree with thine adversary quickly whilest thou art
unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea Now it is certain that the Infants were as well in the cloud and in the Sea as their Fathers were and were so also figuratively baptised Again S. Heb. 6.4.6 Paul has a remarkable passage in his Epistle to the Hebrews which is this For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost c. If they shall fall away to renew them unto repentance This must be understood of the renewing by baptisme which cannot be reiterated not of repentance which we know may be though you and some other Hereticks deny it and from thence infer a renovation of Baptisme Again to the Romans for if through the offence of one many be dead Rom. 5.15 16 17 18 19. much more by the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by on man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many and a little after saies as by one mans offence death reigned by one much more shall life by one Jesus Christ and again as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous from hence we infer that as both men and childeren were capable of death by Adams fall so both men and children are capable of a regeneration by Christ 1 Cor. 15.20 Rom. 6. This the Apostle confirmes again to the Corinthians when he tells them for as in Adam all dye that is children as well as men even so in Christ shall all be made alive that is children too as well as men and that is by baptisme by which we are all incorporated into Christ as the same Apostle saies in another place Then we finde that the Apostles did usually baptise whole families and housholds Ags 16.14 as in the Acts Lydia was baptised and her houshold and St. Paul saies he baptised the houshold of Stephanus c. 1 Cor. 1.16 now in those housholds there were undoubtedly children too and this has been always so universally practised in the Church that no sober Christians can doubt the truth of it And if there be yet any room for a doubt be pleased to take this argument along with you Whoever are capable of justifying grace may by Sanctifying grace be freed from original Sin and so by consequence must be capable of the remedy of originall sin and that is biptisme bâ—t infants are capable of justifying grace as is plain in the example of S. John Baptist of whom it is said that he was sanctifyed filled with the holy Ghost from his mothers womb Therefore sure children must be thought capable of the remedy against original sin and that is baptisme So now I shall proceed to prove some thing of the character imprinted on our souls by Baptisme which it seems gives your party somuch scandall Now that this character of ours is plainly prefigured and spoken of in the old Testament as first in Exodus Exod. 12 7. where we finde that the blood of the Lamb was to be sprinkled on the two side-posts and on the uper dore-posts of the houses where the passover was to be eaten that so the destroying Angel might pass them by So Christ in Baptisme by the merit of his blood does sign the side posts and uper dore posts of our souls that they may be preserved from the malice of the devil Again we find that this Christian character of ours was perfectly prefigured in the mark which Ezekiel speaks of Ez. 9.4 by Gods command v. 6. And the Lord said unto him go through the midst of Jerusalem and set T. a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh that cry for all the abomination that be done in the midst thereof a little after when the Lord commanded to slay utterly both old young both maids little children but charged them not to come near any one upon whom was the mark you may observe by the way that the mark was to be set upon young as well as old little children too to be preserved from the hands of the destroyer that mark T then spoken of is presumed by all the learned to be the Tipe of our character in Baptisme Then this mark is most clearly prophesied of exprest by the Prophet Isay 66.18 19. where speaking of the conversion of the Gentiles the future glory sanctity of the Christian Church he saith It shall come that I will gather all nations tongues they shal come see my glory I will set a sign among them I will send those that escape of them unto the Nations to Tarshith Pul Lud that draw the bow to Tubal Javan the Isles afar off that have not heard my fame neither have seen my glory they shal declare my glory among the Gentels Hear the Prophet plainly forsees prophesies the sending of the Apostles Disciples into Africa Jndia as well as Europe and that this sign or character which we treat of shall be establisht amongst all Christians But now the new Testament is so plain express in this point that we admire how any knowing Christian can dispute it First St. Paul saies to the Ephesians 1.13 14. in whom also after that ye beleived ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance c. by which text it is evident that the faithfull in the regeneration of Baptisme are signed sealed and marked by the holy Ghost that the sheep of Jesus Christ may be known and distinguisht from others Again the same Apostle repeats in the same Epistle Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption that sealing of the holy Ghost is the only character that we speak of and which is seems gives you so much scandall St. Iohn in like manner is very large in his discourse upon this sealing of a Christian in his whose book of his Revelation 7.2 3. but particularly in one place produceth an Angel ascending out of the East and haveing the seal of the living God crying with a loud voice to the four Angells to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the Sea and saying hurt not the earth neither Sea nor the treas till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads what is that seal I pray but our most sacred Christian Character which we receive in Baptisme Thus we weak women have been bold M. R. to shew you some of our little skill in Scripture by offering to your serious consideration these sew Texts not doubting but your better Bible abilities will soon furnish you with more If your own obstanency of Spirit which you call Text-fastness will permiâ— to you a right understanding For it is impossible that any one who keeps so contant a reading and conversation in Scripture as most of you do should not be satisfyed in what is there declared against all sorts of such Phanatick Spirits unless they be resolved as it is to be feared most of you are to prejudicate nay to violate the sense of the holy Spirit it self You know none are so blinde as they that are so willfully nor so ignorant as they that will not understand from which perversity if not reprobation of sence we do humbly pray Allmighty God to deliver you and all other missed Souls of mistaking Christians and give you all that humility and resignation of Spirit as is requifit for all those that will grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and his holy word So faâ—e you well and believe that we are M. R. Your friends in Christ M. N. FINIS