use of that element ordained by Christ our Lord and joyned with a true faith because the defect of faith doth prejudice the integritie of the Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We believe that Baptism is a Sacrament instituted by the Lord which unless a man hath received he hath not coÌ„munion with Christ from whose death buriall and glorious Resurrection the whole vertue and efficacy of Baptism doth proceed Therefore in the same forme wherein our LORD hath coÌ„manded in the Gospel we are certain that to those who be Baptized both Original and Actual sins are pardoned so that whosoever have been washed In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost are regenerate cleansed justified But concerning the repetitioÌ„ of it we have no coÌ„mand to be Re-baptised therfore we must abstaine from this incoÌ„venience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We beleeve that the other Sacrament was ordained of the Lord which we call the Eucharist For in the night wherein he was betrayed taking bâ—ead and blessing it he said to his Apostles Take ye â—at this is my Body and when he had taken the Cup he gave thanks and said Drinke ye all of this this is my Blood which was shed for many do this in remâ—mbâ—ance of me And Paul addeth for as often as ye shall eat of this Bread and drinke of this Cup ye do shew the Lords death this is the pure and lawful institution of this wonderful Sacrament in administration whereof we confess and profess a true and real presence of Christ our Lord but yet such â—â— one as Faith offereth â—o us not such as devised Transubstantiation teacheth For we belive the faithful do eat the Body of Christ in the supper of the Lord not by breaking it with the teeth of the Body but by perceiving it with the sense feeling of the Soul sith the Body of Christ is not that which is visible in the Sacrament but that which Faith spiritually apprehendeth and offereth to us from whence it is true that if we believe we do eat and partake if we do not believe we are destitute of all the fruit of it We believe consequently that to drink the Cup in the Sacrament is to be partaker of the true Blood of our Lord Iesus Christ in the same manner as we affirmed of the Body for as the Authour of it commanded concerning his Body so he did concerning his Blood which commandment ought neither to be dismembred nor maymed according to the fancy of mans arbitrement yea rather the institution ought to be kept as it was delivered to us When therefore we have been partakers of the Body and Blood of Christ worthily and have communicated intirely we acknowledge our selves to be reconciled united to our head of the same Body with certaine hope to be coheires in the Kingdome to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We believe that the Souls of the dead are either in blessedness or in damnation according as every one hath done for as soon as they remove out of the Body they passe either to Christ or into hell for as a man is found at his death so he is judged and after this life there iâ— neither power nor opportunity to repent In this life there is a time of Grace they therefore who be justified here shal suffer no punishment hereafter but they who being not justified do dye are appointed for everlasting punishments By which it is evident that the fiction of Pargatory is not to be admitted but in the truth it is determined that every one ought to repent in this life and to obtaine remission of his sins by our Lord Iesus Christ if he will be saved And let this be the end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. This compendious and brief Confession of us we conjectur will be a contradiction to them who are pleased to slander maliciously accuse us and unjustly persecute us But we trust in our Lord Jesus Christ and hope that he will not relinquish the cause of his faithful ones nor let the rod of wickednessly upon the lot of the righteous Daâ—id in Constantinople in the Moneth of March 1629. CYRILL Patriarch of Constantinople Courteous Reader thy favour is desired in some escapes of the Press these which are but literal not altering the sense pardon and pass by these which are more gross amend as followeth In Epist Ded. Page 5. Line 10. Read callida l â—0 for way hold Read waxe bold In the Epistle to the Reader p. 8. l. 2 for Church r. Christ p. 16. l. ult for the r. theâ—e p. 18. l. 12. for calumnies r. calamities page 19. line 27. for perswaded read disswaded page 21. line 17. for δ◠r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 26. l. 5. for 17 r. 14. In the Debate p 8. l. 13. for although all r. Apocryphal p 19. l antep del lay p. 33 l. ult r. proceed p. 34. l. 17 for Paliner r. Parmen p 37. l. 21 for a r. the. p. 46 l. antep r. Praxeam p. 48 l. 6. r. conjuncta p. 69. l. 25. for tradition r. citation p. 88. l. 23. r. lament p. 103. l 20. del Thirdly p. 107. l. â— r mortalitate p 121. l. 13. r. were made p. 129. l. 18. r. breasts p. 130. l. 19. for of r. in p. 138 l. 19. r. statue p. 160. l. 9. for according to r. accordingly p 161 l. penulâ— r. non continentur p. 175. from l. 10. to 17. read all that period in p. 177. l. 1. for that r. not p. 234. l. 20 adde or as some 23. p. 268. l 23. r. let them testifie p. 270 l. 25. r. comminations p. 284. l. 17. r in company p. 284. l 5. r. none can In some copies though but in few there will be found these errours in Ep. Ded. p. 2 Peope for Pope p. 3. l. 9. Sacraments for Sacrament l. 20. modestly and humbly for modestie humilitie p. 4. l. 17. underminding for undermining l. 18. teares for tares in pres of the Greek Confession twise δ for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If any testimonies be repeated that is to be imputed to the Impunger not to the Defender A DIALOGUE Betwixt a Papist and a reformed PROFESSOUR who protesteth against the Errours of Popery written for information of the Simple who love the truth that they be not ensnared by the temptations of the time PAPIST QUESTION I SEEing this Age is so controversall how shall it be discerned who hath the Truth PROTE ¦ STANT Answer A By the Scriptures The written word of God is the only infallible determiner of faith and manners It hath livine Authoâ—ity heavenly Majesty to a right discerner it maketh spirituall impressâ—ons on the soâ—l to it as chief judge on Earth all â—â—â—eals should be made Is 8. 20. To the â—â—w and the Testimony Papists Reply To this Answere a Papist replyeth that it is not satisfying and rendereth five reasons why the Scipture cannot be
A VINDICATION OF THE REFORMED RELIGION From the Reflections of a ROMANIST Written for Information of all who will receive the Truth in Love By WILLIAM RAIT Minister of the Gospel at DUNDIE 2 Cor. 13. 8. We can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth Cyprianus ad Pompeium epist 74. Quae ista obstinatio est quave praesumptio humanam traditionem divinae dispositioni anteponere net animadvertere indignari irasci Deam quoties divina pracepta soluit praeterit humana traditio Sine causa colunt me mandata doctrinas hominum docentes ABERDENE Printed by IOHN FORBES Younger Printer to the Town andVniversitie dwelling on the Mercat-place 1671. To the truly Honorable and really Religious The Laird of HALGREEN Elder Grace and Peace be multiplied SIR The great work of a Christian in the world is to preferr Heaven to Barth the law of the Lord to the law of sin Gospell concernments to all earthly interests when the one cometh in competition wiâ—â— or opposition to the other The first fall of man as the schooâ— termeth it was Aversio a Deo and conversio ad creaturam A turning from God to the creature Then sin obtained precedencie to Grace folly to Wisdom lust to the law of God Our health and safety cometh in by recoverie and cure our victorie by a reserve therefore God sent his Son into the world with the Gospel remedy to turn us from ungodliness and worldly lusts Titus 2. 12. to wean us from the inordinate love of the substance and shaddowes of the world 1. Iohn 2. 15. to espouse our love to himself that we may be presented as a chaste Virgin to Christ 2 Cor 11. 2. For this we pray we preach we lâ—bour we make use of Ordinances and goe about every duty This is the scope and course of a Christian and whatever hindreth this design is not to be approved by him Wood hay stuble is not a Gospel cure Pure Religion and undefiled can only better the heart mortifie corruption subdue the body of death subject the whole man to the soveraignety of Iesus Christ mend the world and make men live holily righteously and soberly When this salve was rightly applyed in the primitive Church O how wonderfully did the Lord bless the cure and proved the medicine to be good by great successe How were men bound to their duty by the awe and love of GOD on their hearts that the very Heathens and Iewes â—â—eto amused and forced to give testimony to the doctrine that it was of GOD. But when men afterwards did beginne to mixe the wine with water and handle the word of GOD deceitfully They then became lovers of pleasure more then lovers of GOD then fell they in dotage with the pompe and pride of the world Which disease did break forth notoriously first at Rome thence it spread and infected many Churches Vrbs rea stagitiies urbs leâ—â—i causa putanda es Vrbs fera Tibrinae cui famulantur aquae As heathen Rome usurped dominion so Rome now being animated by the Pope and his Complices taking advantage by the division of Princes and encreasing her wealth by their wrack like some who live near the Sea as if there had been no law of Christ to deny our selves take up our cross and follow him turned the Gospel-simâ—â—â—citiâ— into state-policy and the Ppoe degenerating from the â—hristian carriage of primitive fathers sought secular greatness chiefly put on a triple Crown followed the pompe of the world And all this is done under the name of Christ pretence of Religion and in ordine ad spiritualia which maketh the sin more sinful and their way irreconcilable with the dogâ—atick saith of a Christian who believeth the Scripture The Church of Rome was once famous for Gospel profession Her saith was spoken of through all the world in Tertullians time who lived in the second centurie Rome hath this character from him lib de praescript adversus Haereticoâ— Felix Râ—mâ— cui totam doctrinam Apostoli cum sanguine suo profuderunt legem Prophetas cum Evangelicis Apostolicis literis miscet inde potat fidem eam aqua signat Spiritu Sancta vestil Eucharistia pascit martyrio exhortatur adversus hauc institutionem nominem recipit Happie Rome to whom the Apostles poured forth their doctrine with their blood who mixeth Law and Gospel together and drinketh in saith that way taketh on the Baptismal seal thus cloatheth her self with the graces of the Holy Ghost feedeth by the Sacrament of the Supper confirmeth the doctrine by martyrdome and receiveth none but on thâ—se termes Quantum mutatur O how great an alteration is there Rome is not like that which is was once For then they were made martyrs for the faith now they make martyrs for the same faith then they had pure ordirances now they pollute them all with superstition and humane inventions Bernard lib. 4. de consid ad Eugen. Invisi Terrae Coelo impii in Deum temtrarii in sancta seditiosi ad seiuvicem simplicissimi dissimulatores malignissimi proditores quos nominem amantes nemo amat c. The pâ—imitive Fathers studied modelty humility and Gospel carriage Cornelius to Cyprian in his Epistles breatheth forth much self-denyal Cyprian thaâ— holy Martyr at the Council of Carthage saith neque euim quisquoeÌ„ nostrum se Episcopum Episcoporum constituit i. e. None of us maketh himself an universal Bishop And divine Augustin writing to Hieromâ—pist 97. uttereth himself thus in multis rebâ—s Augustinus Hieronymo minor est this was Gospel like But now the Pope is the Prince of pride naming himself infallible consequently incorrigible by the same reason impeccable â—amomâ—is peccans in eo quod peccat errat Every man erreth in as much as he sinneth saith the school If our hope were in this life only and no retribution hereafter or if the Alcoran were our rule this deportment being full of carnal wisdom proclaimeth them witty politicianes But seeing the contâ—aâ— is sure by the undoubted word of GOD this their way is soâ—â—ly and it is admirable how understanding men approâ—â— their sayings This their way hath wronged Christianity highly and many sad effects have followed upon this pompous alteration of the Primitive frame First It hath turned many Italians who live near the Court of Rome voide of all true Religion and dyed them with Atheisme So that as it is reported of them in Print they will call proverbially their Idiots Christians and when they would name a fool they say he is a Christian as if Christianitie were a fable and high follie A discerning person who travelled through Italie many years ago told me that he heard some of them publicklie blaspheme Iesus Christ by words which should not be repeated and yet go unpunished This is the fruit of their state way For now it is far more like to the state of Rome noâ— the old Church of Rome Secondly It exposeth Christian
à DEO arbitrio simul both from free will and GOD. So Molina Here they confound justification and sanctification And by this way we are not compleetly justified till we die ere the work of sanctification be perfected fully we must be Saints in light Secondly That free gift of grace is parted betwixt GOD and free-will if this Doctrine hold For Bellarmin saith we co-operat with GOD in justification it self and the beginning of faith So by it that emphatick place Rom. 8. 34. cannot be interpreted aright it is GOD who justifieth If man had no part nor hand in the Creation how can he have it in the first Conversion seeing that is a new Creation Thirdly They make the formal cause of justification inherent righteousness which is ragged by their own confession as appeareth from this reflecter Then it is no fit covering for our nakedness for it self needeth a covering Can it satisfie divine justice being so imperfect Augustin telleth the contrar on Psalm 42. Whosoever liveth here albeit he live righteously if that righteousness be strictly judged wo to hâ—m Fourthly It is not safe nor comfortable for ourselves That same Father telleth us again de bono perseverantiae cap. 6. â—e live more safely when we attribute all to God wholly then when we commit our selves partly to GOD partly to our selves Now this inherent righteousness as put on in the second justification is the birâ—h of merits and free-will say all Papists then positively and mostly thy own The merits of Christ are a far off cause causa formalis immediata is thy own righteousness the consideration of this made Bellarmin confess de justif lib. 5. cap. 7. tutissimum est in sola DEI misericordia conquiescere It is safest to repose on the mercy of GOD not on thy own righteousness A dying Christian seriouâ— about salvation will indeed find it safest and surest We again mantain that a converted man is under previous law work of conviction contrition humiliation and the fallow ground of the heart is thus prepared and broken up by the plowing of the Word but a man may come this length and go no further the dispositions have not alwayes a necessar connexion with that new birth Nor is the seed of faith still sown in such as are under the spirit of bondage He who â—asteth of these powers may fall away There be a relative difference between these acts in the Elect and others Secondly When faith the free gift of GOD Phil. 1. 29. is sown into the heaâ—t and planted there as it is native to the child to seek the breasts so it leaueth and leadeth the man in its first motion to the righteousness of Jesus a Mediator who is The Lord our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. and he maketh mention of his righteousness even of his only The Lord hath so appointed it he is made of GOD to us righteousness 1. Cor. 130. faith apprehendeth that as the ship-broken man doth a plank whereby he commeth to land by that we are justified before GOD. Inherent graces cannot satisfie the justice of GOD nor make perfect obedience to the law nor pay the penalty which it requireth But Mediatory righteousness can do all this So the causes of justification are these the final cause is the glory of GOD and mans salvation The efficient the favour mercy and good will of GOD. The meritorious the obedience of Jesus Christ The formal the imputed righteousness of that blessed Mediator The instrumental cause or condition as some word it is faith Rom. 3. 24. 25. so we are justified by faith alone as Abraham was before GOD and this giveth glory to GOD Rom. 4. dethroneth the boasting of men and is the sure safe scripture way Now when we say that faith alone justifieth by laying hold on his righteousnes and applying it we still hold that faith which justifieth to be pregnant with good workes such as love heart-cleansing new obedience patience zeal and other fruits of the spirit This adversaries deny not to us Bellarmin doth us this much right for he acknowledgeth that we hold good workes to be necessar to the justified Non necessitate efficientiae sed prasentiae So they justifie our faith to ourselves and others but faith justifieth the man and workes have no place in that act We do not deny that good workes have room and are necessarie for working out of our salvation they are via regâ—â— but in the point of Justification they are excluded Our justification is the Lords act of gracious absolution tendred to us through Christ When we receive the sentence faith the hand of the soul layeth only hold of it And it is not said in Scripture love in his blood or patience or real in it but faith in his blood by which we are justified cloathed and covered Remission and righteousness commeth in this way This animateth all our graces and we hold justification and salvation of free grace Ephes 2. 8. 9. Fourteenthly You set up free will in faln man almost as it was under the Covenant of § 14. Iust workes in the state of innocencie and do attribute Election partly to that Idol More that without Christ we may merit congruously and naturally dispose our souls for grace But the Scripture saith Rom. 11. 6. Election is meerly of grace and if by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace were no more grace but if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise workes were no more workes Nay We cannot of our selves as of our selves think a good thought 2. Cor. 3. 5. and without Christ we can do nothing Iohn 15. 5. being by nature children of wrath dead in sins and trespasses Ye say we set up free will in faln man as it was in the state of Innocencie wheâ—eas we Papist Reply put great distinction betwixt free will in these two states as you may see in our School Divines yet Christ by his grace hath so set it up that with the same grace a man may choose to do good and refuse to do evil Both Scripture and Fathers are clear for this Scripture Deut. 30. 19. I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live And 1. Cor. 7. 37. He who hath determined in his heart not having necessitie but having power of his own will to keep his Virgin Is not here free will asserted necessitie clearly excluded How then can you call it an Idol or if a man have not free will wherefore sorveth preaching and exhortation to perswade a man to that which is not in his power Protestants say there is no good action in the power of a man Why then do they perswade Roman-Cathâ—licks to turn Protestant seeing Conversion being a most holy and good work is nor in our power or free-will Or how could it stand with GODS wisdom to command men what they could not do Or with his justice to condemn