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A65715 A sermon in confutation of R. H. the author of The guide in controversies Shewing that his most plausible arguments produced against Protestants, do more effectually conclude for Judaism against Christianity. By Daniel Whitby, D.D. chantor of the church of Sarum. Whitby, Daniel, 1638-1726. 1679 (1679) Wing W1736A; ESTC R222007 21,763 39

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Numb xi 17. Moreover God promised to the Sanhedrim that he would put the spirit of Moses upon them and in compliance with that promise he came down in a Cloud and took the spirit which was upon Moses and gave it to the seventy Elders so that they Prophesied and did not cease Or 6. Do they argue for their infallibility because the Church is stiled by St. Paul 1 Tim. iii. 15. the pillar and the ground of truth by reason of that truth which is preserved by her Governours Answ God also hath declared touching his Priests Mal. ii 6. Zech. viii 3. that the law of truth was in their mouth and of Jerusalem that she should be called the City of truth And if the Church of Judah hath since failed so also hath the Church of Ephesus of which alone St. Paul affirmeth that it was the pillar and the ground of truth 7. Eph. iv 11 12. Do they conclude that the Church-Guides must be infallible because God hath placed in the Church some Apostles some Prophets some Pastors and some Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine Answ Were not the Jewish Priests placed also for this end for the work of their Ministry the perfecting of their Saints the edifying of their Flocks Were not their lips to preserve that knowledg which should restrain the people from their errors Ezek. xxxiv 4. Were not they appointed to heal that which was sick and bring again that which was strayed Or Lastly Do they triumph in that promise of our Lord Matth. xvi 18. that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against the Church Answ Jer. xxxiii 20 21. God also promised that his Covenant made with his Levites Priests and Ministers should be as certain and perpetual as that of day and night So that I need not add that by this Phrase Essay Chap. 3. Christ only promiseth that pious Christians shall not for ever be detained under the power of the grave which I have elsewhere shewed to be the natural and only import of these words the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church Moreover the plain meaning of the foregoing words viz. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church is as a Si quia dixerit Petro Dominus Super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam id circo praesumis ad te derivasse solvendi ligandi potestatem qualis es evertens commutans manifestum domini intentionem personaliter N.B. hoc Petro conferentem sic enim exitus docet in ipso Ecclesia exstructa est id est per ipsum ipse primus in Christi Baptismo reseravit aditum caelestis Regni De Pudicitia cap. 21. p. 574. B. Tertullian well informs us only this Thou who hast first of all my Disciples acknowledged me to be the Christ thou shalt first preach this Doctrine to the World and by so doing lay the first foundations of a Christian Church Which he accordingly performed first laying the foundation of a b Acts 2.41 Church among the Jews by the conversion of three thousand souls And after laying the foundation of a Church amongst the Gentiles by the conversion of Cornelius and his friends Christ having to fulfil his promise c Acts 15.7 made choice of him among the rest of the Apostles that the Gentiles by his mouth should hear the word of the Gospel and believe Now to pretend to be St. Peters Successor in this matter is in effect to say that the foundations of a Christian Church are not yet laid If therefore Roman Catholicks conclude from these ambiguous and obscure places for the infallibility of Councils or of the major part of the Church guides concurring with the Pope in any Sentence or Decree although these places do not speak one syllable of any Pope or major part of the Church-Guides and much less of the Romish Prelats and less of their infallible assistance what Ovations and Triumphs would they have made had it been said expresly of their Cardinals and Councils as it is said of Jewish Priests that they were set for judgment and for Controversie had God fixed his glorious presence at Rome as he did at Jerusalem and setled there a seat of Judgment and a continual Court of highest judicature as was that Sanhedrim which in Jerusalem was setled had he dwelt in St. Peters as he dwelt in the Temple had he left with them as he did with the Jewish Priests a standing Oracle a Vrim and a Thummim to consult with on all occasions so that this plea being much stronger for the infallibility of the Superiors of the Jewish Church than for the infallibility of the whole Western Church or any of its Councils the Roman Doctors must acknowledg either that they fallaciously urge it against Protestants or must confess that it stands also good against the Christian and is a confirmation of all those traditions which were condemned by our Saviour and a sufficient plea for all those errors and corruptions which as the Prophets do complain were generally taught and practised by the Church-Guides in the declining Ages of the Jewish Church V. Stillingfl Sermon upon Acts 24.14 p. 39. For if these Arguments be good now they were so then and if they were good then for ought that I can see the High Priest and the major part of the Church Rulers of the Jews were always in the right and Christ and his Apostles with the Holy Prophets must be in the wrong Moreover had we no evidence from Scripture may the Jew say in prosecution of this Argument reason seems very strongly to conclude for this submission of the common people and some few Priests to the concurring judgments of their Church-Guides and of the major part of Jews who joyned with then in condemnation of your Jesus as a Blasphemer and false Prophet and of his followers as Hereticks and Schismaticks or men who worshipped God after that way which by the Jews was called Heresie Acts 24.14 ibid. v. 5. and were Ring-leaders of a Sect. For still to argue after the manner of the Romish Doctors 1. Is it not reasonable to conceive that they who were Gods Ministers appointed for this very thing to judg in controversial matters and to make tryal of such as did pretend to Prophesie as was the Jewish Sanhedrim I say is it not reasonable to conceive that the assistance of the Holy Spirit should be vouchsafed to these Rulers of the Church and Doctors of the Law rather than to those common people who bore no such relation to God had no commission from him to direct others in the meaning of his word but had so many and such express injunctions to seek it at the mouth of their Church-Guides Can we
errors as you charge her with as matters of the Christian faith what assurance can you have she hath not erred in defining the Canon of Scriptures and delivering some Book or Books for the word of God which are not so This is the sum of all the pleadings of the Roman party in their own behalf And they are only such as the Jewish Doctors might have pleaded with as much plausibility against our Lords Disciples and that first Christian Church which they planted in that Nation For 1. Where may they say Vid. Stillingfl Sermon 24. Acts xiv will you produce the men of former Ages who taxed the Jewish Church with such errors and corruptions as your Jesus did and bid men beware of the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees that is the most holy and learned Members of our Church Do not the Christians themselves acknowledge that we were once a right vine and the beloved of the Lord how or when therefore did we cease to be so If by Schism produce that major part or body of the Jewish Church from which we separated when first your Jesus like another Luther appeared among us Or if by Heresie we ceased to be so by what Church what Councils were we condemned Who can believe that God would ever suffer such dangerous Doctrines to prevail in his own Church and raise up no Church Guides no Prophets to discover things so destructive to her very being till these new Teachers and Reformers first arose Where then had God a true Church in the world if not among the people of the Jews what other Church could Christ or his Apostles mention besides that which he so often taxed with voiding the Commandments of God and rendring his worship vain because of some traditions which they had received from their Forefathers If then God suffered this Church to be all over-run with such a fatal leprosie and gave no clear discovery thereof where was the watchful eye of Providence Where was that God who promised that he would put his name for ever in Jerusalem and that his eyes and heart should be perpetually there But suppose that Providence was unconcerned did all our Pastors fall asleep at once or could they all conspire to deceive posterity Were not the Oracles of God committed to us Jews did not you Christians receive them from us if then our Church might teach her Children such destructive errors as you charge her with how can you be assured that she hath not erred even in that Canon of Scriptures which from her you have received Now though this instance which I have largely prosecuted may be sufficient to shew the vanity of the most plausible pretences of R. H. against the Protestants both in his Rational account and his Discourse It might be farther manifested that they as strongly plead for the Heathen world against the Jew for the Mahumetan against the Christian for the Priests of Baal against Elias and those seven thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal for the prevailing Arian against the Orthodox for the Fornicator the Simoniack the Covetous and the Debauched person in all those Ages in which these were the Epidemical Vide. Appen Chap. 3. §. 10 16. and almost general diseases of the Clergy that is from the tenth to the sixteenth Century and lastly for Antichrist himself when he according to the predictions of the Scripture and the confession of many Rnman Catholicks shall drive the Church that is the Orthodox Professors of the Faith into the Wilderness and slay the Witnesses of Christ and of his Doctrine But To conclude If this be truly the result of the most specious pretences of the Roman party to draw our souls into their deadly snares if all their fairest pleas do make for Judaism more naturally than they do for Popery If what they urge to prove ●he Potestant Divines to be Deceivers of the people doth more strongly prove our blessed Jesus a De●eiver which is the highest Blasphemy I hope that ●o true lover of this Jesus will be much tempted ●y such pleas to entertain a good opinion of the Romish Faith It being certainly that Faith which cannot be established but on the ruins of Christianity nor embraced by any Protestant but ●o the greatest hazard if not the ruin of his ●oul FINIS