A COLLECTION OF Texts of Scripture WITH Short Notes upon them And some other Observations against the Principal Popish Errors IMPRIMATUR Julii 9. 1688. Guil. Needham LONDON Printed for W. Booker over against the King's-Head Inn in Old-change 1688. The Epistle to the Reader IT is agreed on all hands that the Mind and Will of God revealed to us howsoever the Revelation be made is the proper and adequate Rule of Conscience by which we are to direct both our Faith and Practice And that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain at least a part of this Divine Revelation is granted by the Church of Rome it self From whence it will clearly follow that whatsoever is contrary to that Revelation which we have in the Holy Scriptures ought not to be received for Divine Doctrine and Truth unless we will suppose an inconsistence in Divine Revelation or that God doth contradict himself which none will have the folly to assert We must remember therefore how we have received and heard in the Holy Scriptures and hold that fast And if there be any Doctrine or Tradition which contradicts the Doctrine of God delivered in the Holy Scriptures or makes his Commandment therein contain'd of none effect we are taught by our Saviour to reject it So that if an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven and much more if a Father or if a Church preach to us any other Gospel than what is therein delivered to us we should do the same Whether the Doctrines that are contested between us and the Church of Rome are of this Nature is the Question in dispute To make a right Judgment of which we need but consider the several Doctrines and then compare them with the Holy Scriptures and observe their agreeableness and disagreeableness thereunto To assist the Reader in which is the Design of this small Treatise wherein you have a Collection of the chief Points in Controversy between us and in the head of the several Chapters is first set down the Romish Doctrine as it is defined and received or generally taught in the Church and then the Texts of Scripture are subjoined with short and easy Notes and Observations deduced from them to apply them to the present purpose whereby it is easy to make a Comparison between the several Doctrines and the Scripture and the Contrariety between them will be manifest to the meanest Capacity But yet that it might be made more useful to prevent all misunderstanding and to make the Matters in Difference the more clear where it was thought needful the Controversies also are briefly stated and some farther Considerations added and the principal Objections are briefly obviated So that it is hoped it may be of good use to all that desire to be guarded against the Errors of Rome especially to those that have not Mony to buy or Time or Capacity to read and understand larger or more learned Discourses for whose service it was principally intended And some such Thing in so plain and easy a Method seemed to be desired The Gentlemen of the Church of Rome we may be sure will not be pleased with this Method because we do not take the Scriptures in their Sense and with their Interpretations But those we think are Comments which destroy the Text and therefore we have no mind to them And we should not have the Text neither by their good will for they do not love that that dangerous Book should come into the hands of the Common People for fear lest they should think that the Text is against them But however they endeavour to make themselves Masters of the Sense and Interpretation that that may be for them Thus if the Text be ready to strike them they put out its Eyes by the Exposition that it shall not know how to direct its Blow and then they are safe enough But we cannot think our selves obliged to take every thing upon trust that they say But they refer us also to Tradition and the Consent of the Fathers for the understanding of the scripture-Scripture-Doctrine which we are not against But unless we will take this Tradition and this Consent of the Fathers from their Mouth likewise they will not be pleased So that as they would have it our Faith must be ultimately resolved only into the present Voice of their Church And we must not condemn any of her Doctrines because they say they shall not be condemned that is they will be Judges in their own Case for fear of the worst It is well known that we make use of Tradition and the Judgment of the Fathers as well as they And we do not fear to refer our selves to them in the Matters contested between us but then they must give us leave to make use of Tradition a little more Catholickly than they do and not to seek it only from the Voice of their Church For we hope as long as we have Eyes we may read the Fathers as well as they and we do not know why we may not as well understand their Sense as also the Sense of the Holy Scriptures having the same means for it only the worst is we want Infallible Parts which we do not know but they may want as well as we But what is it but a great derogation from the Holy Scripture and the Holy Ghost the Author of it to think that of it self it is equally apt to deceive as to instruct to induce into Error as to lead into Truth What is this but to level it with the Heathen Oracle that spake always with that ambiguity that no Body knew what to make of it and therefore they were as soon deceived by it as not But yet is not this in effect the very Sense of the Church of Rome Or why else doth she so studiously with-hold the Bible from her Members for fear lest they should have more hurt by it than good if they take it by it self What is this but under pretence of taking care of her Children to call her Father and Husband whom she pretends so great respect to all to naught and to commend her self that she hath more tenderness and love to her Children than they But is it not rather her own Grandeur and Height which she takes care of which these Doctrines do subserve to And therefore she is resolved to maintain them and must use the means for it which iâ— by with-holding the Light that would discover them For it is to be truly feared that if the Bible were in every one's Hand and read with any attention it would soon scatter this Darkness which the Church of Rome well perceives And if that be to deceive the Scripture will deceive And if Instruction consists only in learning their Errors the Scripture will never instruct us to the World's End So that in this the Church of Rome is in the Right and is a very wise Mother for her self but let others judg how kind she is to her Children or
XXVIII That those Masses are to be approved and commended where the Priest communicates alone 172 XXIX That the Sacrament is to be administred in one kind only and the use of the Cup kept from the People 175 Some Prejudices of the Church of Rome answered Sect. 1. They accuse our Doctrine of Novelty 181 2. They say we had no Call 184 3. They Object to us the Divisions that are amongst the Reformed 188 That there are some Places more Holy than others and that it is a Work of Piety to go in Pilgrimage to them 192 That the Sacraments do confer Grace by the Work done 196 Of the Holy Scripture and Traditions CHAP. I. That all saving-Truth is not contained in the Holy Scripture but partly in the Scripture and partly in unwritten Traditions which whosoever doth not receive with the like Piety and Reverence as he does the Scriptures is accursed Concil Trident. Sess 4. Decret de Can. Script COntrary to that which is written in the second Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. vers 15. The holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus That which is able to make us wise unto Salvation contains in it all saving Truth that is all that is necessary to be known in order to Salvation For how else can it make us wise to Salvation How can the Holy Scripture make us wise unto Salvation if it doth not contain all saving Truth or all that is necessary to be known in order to Salvation Vers 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works Mow if the Man of God who is to instruct others and to declare to them the whole Counsel of God so far as is necessary for their attainment of Salvation be perfectly instructed for the discharge of his Duty from the Scripture then the Scripture must needs contain all saving Truth or all that is necessary to be known both by him and every particular Christian in order to Salvation And note that it is not our part to show what those Scriptures then were which the Apostle here intends they being confessedly the same which are still contained in the Canon of it But whatever they were it is plain from the Apostle that there is no saving Truth but what is contained in them which yet doth not derogate from the usefulness of those Books which were added to the Canon afterwards whatever they were they being useful however as Comments upon the former to clear up what was before less clearly delivered or to declare some Truths of less necessary importance though all that was necessary to Salvation was delivered before So that we must needs apprehend the Scripture as it is now to be a compleat Rule of Faith without taking in any thing of unwritten Tradition to piece it up or compleat it Before Divine Doctrine was committed to writing Men had no other Rule but natural Light or immediate Revelation or Tradition of what was before made known And when the Lives of Men were long Divine Doctrine might better be conveighed this way than it can be now And in our Saviour's the Apostles Time this might serve the turn for the present Age in which there was a continuation of extraordinary Gifts and especially to the immediate Auditors of these inspired Persons But in the shorter Age of Men this was not thought a safe or sufficient means to conveigh down Divine Doctrine to the following Ages And therefore it was thought more expedient to put down in writing what was to be made known to after-Ages for the more sure preservation of all such Truths from Corruption and to be a standing Rule to which they might have recourse upon all occasions Thus God himself wrote the Ten Commandments in Tables of Stone And Moses by God's direction wrote the Law as the Prophets afterwards did their several Prophecies or a brief Summary of them For it is said 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given b◠inspiration of God. And sometimes we find express direction for the writing of some things which were to be transmitted to future Ages As Exod. 17. 14. Write this for a Memorial in a Book And Isa 30. 8. Now go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the Time to come for ever and ever And Psal 102. 18. This shall be written for the Generation to come Whereby is intimated the great need of writing then to conveigh a certain notice of things to future Ages and which implies the Incompetency and Insufficiency of Tradition for that purpose And when once it had pleased God to commit the Holy Rule to writing we find the Scripture commended for a perfect Direction Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul. And Tradition is no where commended or any order given to have recourse to it in any case but to the Holy Scripture alone Thus Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Thus Joshua was directed to govern himself in all his Actions by the same Holy Rule and therein should prosper and do wisely Josh 1. 7. That thou mayst observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my Servant commanded thee Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left And vers 8. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein The same also did Joshua prescribe to his Successors Chap. 23. 6. And the King when he sat upon the Throns of his Kingdom was to write him a Copy of this Law in a Book and read therein all the days of his life Deut. 17. 18 19. And this was the way to have him prosperous and to prolong his days Here is nothing at all left to Tradition nor any recourse to be had to it but to the written Law alone intimated as perfect to all the intents and purposes of a good and holy Life There were no other Ordinances to be observed but what were contained in the Law which forbad all Additions Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish from it So again Chap. 12. 32. so Prov. 30. 6. Add thou not unto his Words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a 〈◊〉 For this the Children of Israel were condemned Jer. 32. 35. that they built the high Places of Baal to consecrate their Sons and their Daughters unto Molech which I commanded them not The Reformation of the Church therefore under Jehoshaphat that good King was made by the Scripture That was their Rule alone 2 Chron.
17. 9. The same practice was observed under the Reign of King Hezekiah 2 Chron. 31. 3 4. Accordingly our Saviour and his Apostles refer to the Scripture as the only Rule and confirm their Doctrines by it but no where have recourse to Tradition for any thing Thus for the obtaining amendment of Life and the avoiding of Condemnation Luke 16. 29. They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them And this he commends for as great efficacy to that end as if one should come and arise from the Dead to speak to them So Joh. 5. 39. For the attainment of the knowledg of himself and Life everlasting Search the Scriptures says he for in theâ— ye think ye have eternal Life and they are they which testify of me He doth not reprove but allow encourage this thought in them Luk. 24. 27. Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself But makes not the least use of Tradition So also he refutes the Pharisees by the Scripture Mat. 22. 31. Thus the Apostle St. Paul Act. 26. 22. witnâ—ssing both to small and great and saying none other things that these which the Prophets and Moses did say should come to pass He teacheth at Rome that Jesus was the Christ by the Scripture Act. 28. 23. He combateth all sorts of Errors by the Scripture see his Epistles to the Romans to the Corinthians to the Galatians c. To end the Difference that was agitated at the Council of Jerusalem St. James alledges the Scripture Acts 15. 15. So that the Scripture is that which is every were referr'd to as the Rule of Faith and Manners but not one word said of Tradition to that end It having pleased God when once the Scripture was Indited to leave nothing to Tradition though sometimes he was pleased to reveal himself farther by immediate Revelation till all the Books of the Holy Canon were perfected On the other side Tradition is so far from being commended that the use of it is decried as the foundation of many Errors and Wickednesses and Superstitions and their adhering to the Traditions of the Fathers is censured Thus Mark. 7. 1 c. When the Pharisees saw some of his Disciples eat Bread with defiled that is to say with unwashen Hands they found fault For the Pharisees and all the Jews except they wash their Hands oft eat not holding the Tradition of the Elders And when they come from the Market except they wash they eat not And many other things there are which they have received to hold as the washing of Cups and Pots and brazen Vessels and Tables Which they observed as a part of religious Worship received by Tradition from their Fathers though not commanded in the Law of Moses Like the Holy Water of the Church of Rome the Incensings and Garments the Salt and Spittle and Exorcisms and Wax-candles used in Baptism the Priests shaving the Head after the manner of a Crown which they profess to have received from Christ and his Apostles conveyed to them by the Tradition of the Church through all Ages though there be not one word of any of it in the Holy Scriptures See Council of Trent Sess 22. cap. 2 c. Cathechism Roman par 2. cap. 2. § 59 c. But our Saviour condemn'd all the Traditions of the Fathers so received by them for vain Worship because not written in the Law Ver. 7 8. So I doubt not but we shall have reason 〈◊〉 do the like with those of the Church of Rome by the same Warrant The Apostle reckons it his great Fault before his Conversion Gal. 1. 14. That he was exceeding zealous 〈◊〉 the Traditions of his Fathers which were superadded to the Law which was the very foundation of Pharisaism and a ground of very great Superstition among them Therefore 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Ye know that ye are not redeemed by corruptible things from your vain Conversation received by Tradition from your Fathers but with the precious Blood of Christ Here also we have an intimation from St. Peter of many vain Observations which the Jews took up by Tradition from their Fathers So that the Tradition of their Fathers was so far from being a sure Rule to them that it was a means of very great Corruption which the Christians are redeemed from Therefore there was that Exhortation Ezek. 20. 18 19. Walk ye not in the Statutes of your Fathers neither observe their Judgments nor defile your selves with their Idols I am the Lord your God walk in my Statutes and keep my Judgments and do them The vanity and uncertainty of Tradition for a Rule of Faith sufficiently appears by these things And how much the use of it is decried as mischievous and hurtful And if it was so in the Church and State of the Jews which was but of a very narrow compass and thereupon it might be supposed then to be a more certain means of conveyance of Truth how much more reasonably may we think it to be so in the Christian Church diffused through all Nations where by reason of the multitude and distance of Christian Teachers and Professors it must needs be much more easy for superstitious and conceited Men to obtrude their Innovations and to back them with the pretence of Tradition of which there hath been many Instances And hence such Difference hath arisen between Traditions themselves as is plain in the Controversy in the Primitive Church about Easter and many others And can we think that our Saviour should leave his Church to such an uncertain Rule now when there is so much need rather to have it more exact and setled Should that be a Rule of Faith in the Christian Church which was wholly disallowed and decried in the Jewish Or is Tradition now become so much altered that it is become so sure and harmless above what it was If Tradition be taken for a natural Means there is nothing more uncertain in a long tract of Time. And sure our Saviour would not leave his Church to such uncertainty when he might do better If it be pretended to be assisted with Infallibility that shall be examined afterwards It is plain that the Christian-Inspired Writers also saw it needful to write down the Doctrine of our Saviour to transmit it to After-ages they did not think Tradition was a sure means of conveyance then no more than it was before Therefore St. Luke wrote his Gospel to the most excellent Theophilus that he might know the certainty of those things wherein he had been instructed Luke 1. 4. implying that the other way of conveyance by Tradition is not so certain And St. Peter I will not be negligent says he to put you always in remembrance 2 Pet. 1. 12. And vers 13. I think it meet to stir you up by putting you in remembrance Mens memories are not so very good to retain Divine Things unless they are excited and quickned
And vers 15. Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance Which seems to be done by his putting St. Mark to write this Gospel from his Mouth Thus St. Jude says That he gave all diligence to write unto them of the common Salvation and that it was needful for him to write unto them vers 3. And if it was needful for that Age it was much more needful for After-ages We may be sure our Saviour and his Apostles would have that done which was needful in their own Judgments for Mens Salvation And we are likewise assured by St. John that it is done fully as it was needful it should be done that nothing might be left to the uncertainty of Tradition John 20. 31. These things are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have Life through his Name He shows that the writing of these Things is needful to be a Foundation of right Faith to Men and that enough was written then in his own and the other Gospels and Writings which it is said he had seen to be a Foundation of that Faith in Men which is needful to their eternal Salvation So that no saving Truth was left to be conveyed by Tradition at all which yet does not argue the uselessness of what Books were after added as was said before 1 John 1. 4. These things write we unto you that you may rejoice and that your Joy may be full So that the Scripture giving us sufficient knowledg as to what concerns our Faith and Comfort in order to Eternal Salvation how can we imagine any deficiency in it but must needs suppose that it contains in it all the material Objects of Faith and Matters of saving Practice Or how can we depend upon Tradition as distinct from the Scripture which was ever so decried for uncertain mischievous and 〈◊〉 Therefore we conclude with our Church That Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to Salvation 〈…〉 whatsoâ—ver is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any Man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation Artic. 6. It is a sufficient evidence of the vanity and uncertainty of Tradition unwritten that amongst all the Sayings and Works of our blessed Saviour which St. John tells us were so many John 21. 25. That if all the things which he did should be written every one I suppose that even the World it self could not contain the Books that should be written Yet there is not one of all these come certainly to our knowledg but what is written in the Holy Scriptures And we have fair warning also given us of Tradition now in the New Testament 2 Thess 2. 2. Be not soon shaken 〈…〉 or be troubled neither by Spirit nor by Words nor by Letter as from us as that the Day of Christ is at hand Let no Man deceive you by no means By which it appears that even in the Apostles Times there were forged Writings and feigned Traditions which some had the boldness to obtrude for Apostolical Doctrines This is a fair warning to us now much more in these later Ages to give but little heed to any thing however pretended to be never so much Apostolical that is not contained in the Sacred and Apostolical Writings which are owned to be undoubtedly such And indeed how can we believe that the Evangelists and Apostles in all the Writings that they wrote and it does not appear that they wrote any other besides those we have when they write many things that are not so absolutely necessary to be known in order to Salvation yet should omiâ— so many things that are so as the Church of Rome pretends And that when they speak so often of Baptism for Instance that they should never tell us of the Salt and the Spittle the Exâ—cisms and Wax-candles but speak only of being baptized in Water in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost or that they should never when they speak so much of Worship tell us of the worshipping of Saints and Images or of praying for the Dead when they give us so many directions about Prayer c. We must hold fast the Traditions say they which we have been taught by the Apostles 2 Thess 2. 15. But we cannot believe that these and such-like things were ever taught by them when we have nothing at all of any of them in all their Writings And that exhortation could be then meant only of those things which the Thessalonians had heard from them and were very sure of that they were Apostolical Doctrines And which we doubt not were no other but what were after set down in the holy Writings and in them conveyed to us It is impossible for the Church of Rome to shew that they were any other by Tradition only when the traditional conveyance of Points is evidently so uncertain and that which we have been so warned against Yet after all note that all this is nothing against the Tradition of the Universal Church as a means of delivering down to us the Holy Scriptures themselves the number of the Books and the Names of the Authors c. Nor against that which is concurrent with Scripture or corrolorative of it in any Point of Faith or Practice but against that which is urged as a Rule of saving Faith and Practice distinct and different from it and sometimes contrary to it and is pretended to be the Tradition of the Universal Church from the Apostles Age but can never be proved to be so There is no fear of falling into Error therefore either through Ignorance or Infidelity as to such Traditions But we must say as our Saviour Mark 12. 24. Do ye not therefore err because ye know not the Scriptures And as the ignorance of Scripture is the Source and Fountain of Error so on the contrary then to follow the guidance of the Scripture is the way to be preserved from Error CHAP. II. That the Holy Scripture is dark and obscure Bellarm. de Verbo Dei. lib. 3. cap. 5. UPon this ground it is that they withhold the Scripture from the common People pretending that they are not capable Judges of the Sense of it and if they should read it more prejudice than benefit would arise to them from it But this is contrary to that which is written Psal 19. 7 8. The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the Simple The Commandment of the Lord is pure or clear enlightning the eyes Can Darkness enlighten Mens Eyes or can it make wise the Simple if it be not Intelligible by them Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a Light unto my path And vers 130. The entrance of thy Words giveth Light It giveth understanding unto the Simple When a Man hath but begun to
Confusions and therefore there is such an one This is to argue from our own Fancies what God should do and not what he has done And they might as well conclude the Being of an Universal Infallible Judg over all the World in Temporal Matters for the Peace of the World which yet we see is not appointed as such an one over the Church for the Peace of the Church But it is not to be expected that all Differences in Religion should cease in this World for there must be Heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. As there were Heresies even in the Apostles Times though they were Infallible which is an Argument that Infallibility in any if it were is no certain means to prevent Heresies or Divisions If Men be modest and humble and teachable God hath provided sufficient means for their direction in the plainness of the Rule which he has given in all things necessary and appointing Guides for their direction in doubtful things if they will follow their instruction But if Men be governed with Prejudice and Passion they would not hearken to an Infallible Judg if there were one And Christ the Judg of all will take an account of such Men in due time when the Great Judgment-Day shall come Then the Tares shall be gathered together and bound in bundles to be burnt and the Wheaâ— shall be gathered into the Barn Mat. 13. But this Judgment in the mean time is to be suspended till that Day shall come But that Men may judg for themselves in some things without an Infallible Judg our Adverâ—aries themselves are fain to allow For how else 〈◊〉 they judg in the Controversy about the Infallible Judg himself whether there be such an onâ— or 〈◊〉 and who it is and of the Scriptures and Reasons that are brought to prove it And if they may judg of this Controversy and of these Scriptures and Reasons without an Infallible Judg then why may they not also of others which are as necessary and of other Scriptures and Reasons in other Points which are as plain as they And then there is no need of an Infallible Judg at all As for the pretended Infallibility of the Church of Rome for the qualifying it to be such a Judg If the Church of Rome be infallible then it must be so either as it is a Christian Church and because it is so And then all Christian Churches would be Infallible likewise and not that only Or as it is an Apostolical Church planted by the Apostles if it were so and then all the Churches that were planted by the Apostles would be so likewise and this would give no particular priviledg to the Church of Rome Or as it hath continued down a succession of Pastors from the Apostles by whom there is a safe conveyance of Apostolical Doctrine and Tradition to the present Age But if this be so then all the Churches that have had such a Succession will be Infallible likewise as well as the Church of Rome as the Grecian Church which hath had the like Succession and upon this Principle the Church of England may come in for a share too But indeed this proves the Infallibility of no particular Church at all because of the uncertainty of Tradition therein notwithstanding such Succession which may arise from many Causes No more then it did the Infallibility of the Jewish Church notwithstanding that it had a continual Succession of the Priests and Pastors as much as the Church of Rome or any other Church whatsoever can pretend unto And therefore we are not to have respect to any Church Pastor or Pastors as Infallible nor to bind up our Judgments to them as such upon the account of any such Succession Aaron was called to the High Priesthood immediatly by God himself but was he therefore infallible or were the People bound to follow him when he made an Idol Exod. 32. Vriah was a Priest by an uninterrupted Succession from Aaron was he therefore Infallible or to be followed when he overturn'd the Service of God and Introduc'd Idolatry into the Temple Caiaphas the Chief Priest was so by an uninterrupted Succession for 1500 Years ought he therefore to be followed when he condemened Jesus Christ for a Blasphemer or were the Resolutions of the Council where he was President Infallible when Jesus Christ was declared worthy of Death The Pharisees sat in Moses Chair and the Disciples are bid observe and do whatso 〈◊〉 they said unto them ought one therefore with them to have rejected Jesus Christ By that word therefore whatsoever he doth not mean every thing without limitation but whatsoever was agreeable to the Law of Moses So that they were to judg for themselves what was or what was not so agreeable Mat. 16. 6. It is foretold that ravening Wolves should arise from among the Bishops of the Churches Doth their Succession of Orthodox Bishops oblige the Sheep of our Lord therefore to follow them as Infallible The Son of Perdition was to sit in the Temple of God but was he therefore Infallible or to be followed in his Revolt If the Church of Rome be then Infallible and yet not so upon the former Accounts Is it then by reason of its Relation to its first pretended Bishop St. Peter who was Infallible and by reason of his dying there and his leaving his Priviledges to his Successors of that See But though St. Peter was Infallible how doth it appear that this was more than a personal Priviledg and in which therefore he was to have no Successor As the Infallibility of the rest of the Apostles was a personal Priviledg and in which they were to have no Successors As for St. Peter's Headship over the Church and that of the Bishops of Rome as his Successors it is refuted in the foregoing Chapters But if the Church of Rome be Infallible none of these ways and yet is so then must it not be by virtue of some particular Promise by which Infallibility is annexed to the Church But where is that Promise As for the Apostles calling the Church The Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. If it proves any thing it proves the Infallibility of the Church of Ephesus and not that of Rome For the Apostle speaks of that Church in which Timothy was Bishop which was the Church of Ephesus But indeed it signifies the Churches Duty and not her Performance and may be likewise applied rather to Timothy himself than to the Church As for that saying Mat. 18. 17. Tell it unto the Church If that proves the Infallibility of a Church it proves the Infallibility of every Church And so the Church of Rome will get nothing particularly by it for the Direction is given to every particular Member in case of Scandal offered by him to his Brother And whither is such an one to make his Complaints but to the Church of which he is a Member And indeed it is only an Institution of Church-Discipline in every Church
Grace to the outward Circumcision nor yet to the Water of Baptism The use of these Sacraments was not to work that Grace which they had before but to be a solemn Engagement to them to perform their part of the Covenant and to confirm the Promise of God to them And therefore we find also Faith required before Baptism can be administred Acts 8. 36 37. What doth hinder me says the Eunuch to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayest Faith is pre-required before Baptism and therefore is not wrought by the Sacrament of Baptism We find indeed that upon the solemn profession of their Faith by their admission of the Sacrament of Baptism there were sometimes greater measures of the Spirit poured out upon some Acts 19. 5 6. But it was in consideration of their Faith which went before Baptism that these Measures of the Spirit were given to them Their Baptism was only a testification of their Faith Ephes 1. 13. After ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise So when Baptism is called the Baptism of Repentance it is not because Repentance was wrought by it but because it was a Sign and Testification of it and farther engaged to it We therefore also find that Justification and Salvation are every-where in the Scripture ascribed to Mens Faith and Repentance and not to the Sacraments as they would be if the Sacraments were the proper and immediate Causes of that Grace by which we are justified and saved Thus Rom. 1. 17. The Just shall live by Faith. And so Gal. 2. 20. I live by the Faith of the Son of God. And this Faith and so all Grace and Holiness is wrought by the Spirit by means of the Word Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And John 3. 8. As the Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit God oftentimes in an imperceptible manner conferring his Grace and not confining it to the Sacraments So that the Sacraments do not give but only seal to us the Promise of Grace and Life 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. In the Ark of Noah a few that is eight Persons were saved by Water The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth now save us But by Baptism I mean not the putting away the filth of the Flesh or that the outward Act of washing the Body serveth to this Salvation which God doth not lay on any outward Ceremony otherwise than as it is an Act or Exercise of our Faith and Obedience But the Answer of a good Conscience towards God in the Covenant of Baptism when a Person being ask'd doth really and faithfully engage and promise to believe in and give up himself to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Baptism is but the celebration of this saving Covenant and it is covenanting sincerely that is the Condition of Salvation and washing is but the Sign As Rom. 2. 25. Circumcision verily profiteth if thou keepest the Law but if thou be a breaker of the Law thy Circumcision is made Vncircumcision So it may be said of Baptism with respect to the Gospel It is not any Sacrament in it self that gives Grace or Justification or acceptance with God but thereby the Benefits promised are sealed to them that perform the Conditions Thus vers 28 29. He is not a Jew whom God will accept and justify who is one outwardly only in the Ceremony Neither is that Circumcision acceptable which is only outward in the Flesh and therefore 't is not the external Sacrament which gives the Grace but he is a Jew justified and accepted of God that is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter or Ceremony whose Praise is not of Men but of God. The like may be said of the Christian and his Baptism So Gal. 5. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision nor the outward washing of Baptism neither but Faith which worketh by Love. 'T is this and nothing else that avails to the Christian's Salvation But if the Sacraments themselves did work Saving-Grace the same might be as well affirmed of them It is said indeed Rom. 6. 4. We are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we should also walk in Newness of Life The meaning of which is this that we by our Baptism enter into a Profession Engagement or Undertaking to give over all Sin and to live a new regenerate Life in conformity to the Death and Life of Christ This Profession was represented and signified by their going down into the Water and being as it were buried in it and then rising out of it again It is not Baptism which works this Grace of Mortification but that proceeds from our believing Reception and hearty submitting our selves to the form of Doctrine delivered to us by the Spirit of Grace in the Gospel vers 17. And it is by the Spirit that we are enabled to mortify the Deed of the Body Rom. 8. But Baptism testifies and represents our Profession and Engagement to do it It is said also Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ his Spirit and Nature and are become his Members There being baptized into Christ signifies those that have sincerely consented to that baptismal Covenant of which the outward Baptism was a Badg and Profession It was not by virtue of their Baptism but by 〈◊〉 of their Faith which they professed in their Baptism that they became Members of Christ Vers 26. Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus According to John 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed in his Name So John 3. 5. Except a Man be born of Water and the Spirit c. It is the Spirit 's Regeneration which is asserted and which is only mentioned vers 8. But this spiritual Regeneration was represented by the Water of Baptism So Tit. 3 5. The washing of Regeneration that is Regeneration signified and sealed in Baptism or which is to the Soul as a laver or washing is to the Body to cleanse it from Sin. So Ephes 5. 25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctif◠it and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word It is the Regeneration it self which is there intended by the washing of Water which is said to be wrought by the Word because by the means of the Word we are cleansed from the filth of Sin as the filth of the Body is cleansed by the washing of Water But yet this Regeneration is signified and represented in Baptism and there all do make a profession of it ERRATA PAge 52. line 5. read Judiciously P. 67. l. 19. r. is directly P. 81. l. 3. r. what words P. 84. l. 3. r. beneficial P. 104. l. 30. r. God is said P. 118. l. 20. r. yet He. P. 123. l. 9. r. with them P. 140. l. 24. r. in to the understanding P. 145. l. 23. r. from these words P. 147. l. 21. r. rite P. 152. l. 16. r. even after P. 168. l. 32. r. throw on Advertisement of some Books lately printed against Popery 1. A Modest Enquiry Whether St. Peter were ever at Rome and Bishop of that Church 2. The Fallibility of the Roman Church demonstrated from the manifest Error of the Second Nicene and Trent Councils which assert That the Veneration and honorary Worship of Images is a Tradition Primitive and Apostolical 3. A Demonstration that the Church of Rome and her Councils have erred by shewing that the Councils of Constance Basil and Trent have in all their Decrees touching Communion in one kind contradicted the received Doctrine of the Church of Christ 4. A Treatise of Traditions Wherein is proved That we have Evidence sufficient from Tradition 1. That the Scriptures are the Word of God. 2. That the Church of England owns the true Canon of the Books of the Old Testament 3. That the Copies of the Scripture have not been corrupted 4. That the Romanists have no such Evidence for their Traditions 5. That the Testimony of the present Church of Rome can be no sure Evidence of Apostolical Tradition 6. What Traditions may securely be relied upon and what not The Second Part.
lost and corrupted with Errour Superstitious and Idolatrous Worships that the Doctrine of the Gospel was almost quite extinct and false Legends humane Traditions and Constitutions had taken place of the Word of God and were come in the room of the Divine Commands and Institutions So that 't is no wonder if in those Ages we could not shew any one Congregation or number of Persons and Professions that always held the same Doctrines that we do Though there were always some that opposed and groaned under the growing Superstitions of their Age. Luke 18. 8. I say unto you saith our Saviour when the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith on the Earth What then at that time shall be the Face of the Church If you will believe Cardinal Bellarmin all the publick Ceremonies of Religion and Sacrifices shall cease De Rom. Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 7. And if there be nothing of the publick Ceremonies of Religion how should the Church then have a visible State And as for the Roman Church in particular the Apostle gives some intimation of her Defection as great as that of the Jews Rom. 11. 20 21 22. CHAP. V. That Multitude is a Mark of the Church Bellarm. de Eccles lib. 4. cap. 7. THis doth not agree to the Church alone nor yet always to it nor to the purest part of it in opposition to others If we should go to the Poll the Mahometans would outnumber the Christians And the Professors of the True Doctrine are many times but few in comparison of the rest of the Church and much more in comparison of the rest of the World. And therefore this is a very improper Mark to distinguish and know the Church by in all Ages As especially in the first Age and in the Time of the Arians and in the Reign of Antichrist So that to assert it for a Mark agreeing to the Church Universal is false Luke 12. 32. Fear not little Flock for it is your Father's good Pleasure to give you a Kingdom The Church is called a little Flock and Babylon that is opposite to the Church is called a great City Rev. 16. 19. Consider the Course or Series of the History of the Church For after more than sixteen hundred Years after the Creation of the World the Church was composed but of eight Persons that entred the Ark Gen. 7. 13. Near two thousand three hundred Years after the Creation of the World the Church was composed but of seventy Persons that went down into Egypt Exod. 1. 5. and all these but of one Family And though it was much encreased in Moses's Time yet then it was still but one People wandring in a Wilderness It was confined to the Jewish People alone for many Ages and to a few Proselytes that came into them And as to the Jewish People it self and more than three thousand Years after the Creation of the World besides the two Tribes that worshipped at Jerusalem there were in the other ten but seven thousand that had not bowed their knees to Baal And these so little appearing that the Prophet Elijah thought he himself had been left alone 1 King. 19. 10. Of what side then was the Multitude there were four hundred lying Prophets and but one true one 1 King. 22. In our Saviour's Time the whole Christian Church consisted of twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples and some few followers besides which were not many nor very constant in their Profession John 6. 66 67. For from that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him So that our Saviour said also to the Twelve Will ye also go away If the Apostles had followed some sort of Maxims they had answered Yes Sir we are going too for the Multitude is not of thy side Again Chap. 12. 37 38. Though he had done so many Miracles before them yet they believed not on him That the saying of Isaias the Prophet might be fulfilled which he spake Lord who hath believed our Report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed It seems then the Church was not made up of Multitude Mat. 27. 20. The chief Priests and Elders perswaded the multitude that they should ask Barrabas and destroy Jesus To follow the multitude then one should have cried against the Saviour of the World Let him be crucified vers 22. Acts 1. 15. In those days after the Ascension of Christ Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples and the number of the Names together were about one hundred and fifty There was no great Assembly of Christians then in the World. In After-Ages the Church indeed was much increased but yet at some times was so over-run with Errors that the number of the Orthodox was inconsiderable in comparison of the Hereticks And it is prophesied Rev. 13. 3 4. that all the World would wonder after the Beast and worship the Dragon which gave power unto the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying Who is like unto the Beast who is able to make War with him Few Disciples follow Jesus Christ but behold the whole World runneth after the Beast And vers 7 8. It was given unto him to make War with the Saints and to overcome them and Power was given unto him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations And all that dwell upon the Earth shall worship him whose Names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb. How should all the Inhabitants of the World worship the Beast and yet Multitude be of the side of the Church So Rev. 17. 1 2. it is the great Whore that sitteth upon many Waters now vers 15. The Waters which thou sawest where the Whore sitteth are Peoples and Multitudes and Nations and Tongues And the Kings of the Earth have committed Fornication with her and the Inhabitants of the Earth have been drunk with the Wine of her Fornication So that the great Whore commands Kings and a multitude of Peoples and Nations This is that the Church of Rome vaunts of so much but we shall think never the better of them for their Multitude nor yet the worse of our selves though we were fewer than we are having had such fair Warnings as to this Matter This is no sufficient Argument of their being the true Catholicks for having the greatest number of Professors of their side unless they likewise retain and profess the Catholick Faith the same Christian Religion which all good Christians in all Ages and of all Nations have ever constantly profess'd And if we do this we are true Catholicks though we are the lesser number if it be so But upon Calculation it has been judged that the number of the Reformed is not much unequal to theirs But no wise Man ever judged of the Truth of Religion by the major Vote which is an Argument to none but Fools Exod. 23. 2. Thou shalt not follow a Multitude to do evil But if Multitude were always in the right this had been a very improper
Doctrine that was delivered in the Promises of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah And for the same reason there was no necessity that Miracles should be wrought by our Reformers it being their Business not to teach any new Doctrine but to restore what was already taught and formerly confirmed by Miracles And it is moreover to be observed that neither our Saviour nor his Apostles did insist upon Miracles alone as the only Test of the Truth of their Doctrine but in conjunction with the Predictions and Prophecies of the Old Testament which were fulfilled in our Saviour's Person and in his Works and Doctrine as may appear by our Saviour's own method which he took for the conviction of others Luke 24. 25 26. where he appeals to all that the Prophets have spoken concerning himself And by his referring them to the Scriptures for their information John 5. 39. And so St. Peter corroborates the Testimony of the Resurrection of Christ with David's prediction of it Acts 2. 22 24. And refers likewise to the Prophecies of the Old Testament as the most sure Rule 2 Pet. 1. 16 17. And St. Paul in his preaching said none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Act. 26. 22. So that the Jews were to receive our Saviour and his Doctrine not barely upon the account of his Miracles but as in conjunction with the Doctrine and Prophecies of the Old Testament and so as having all the concurrent Characters of a Divine Revelation And we have much less reason now to receive any Doctrine from any Persons or Church upon the account of any Miracles wrought or pretended to be wrought by them unless it be likewise conformed to the Doctrine of the Scriptures already delivered and confirmed by which it is to be tried We are also forewarn'd in the Scriptures that it may please God sometimes to permit Signs and Wonders to be wrought for the trial of Men whether they will adhere to the True Doctrine already delivered and sufficiently confirm'd And the false Prophets and Teachers shall make use of such Methods to propagate their false Doctrines Therefore this can be no proper Mark or Character of a true Prophet true Doctrine or a true Church Thus Deut. 13. 1 2 3. If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee a Sign or a Wonder And the Sign or Wonder come to pass of which he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other Gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet or that Dreamer of Dreams â—or the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Soul. Mat. 24. 24 25. False Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall shew great Signs and Wonders that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I have told you before Is not this a fair warning 2 Thess 2. 9. That wicked One viz. the Son of Perdition his coming shall be after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders This is the very Mark and Livery of the Son of Perdition Rev. 13. 13 14. And he doth great Wonders viz. the Beast that had Horns like a Lamb so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men and deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles that he had power to do in the sight of the Beast And some it seems shall be deceived thereby For the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter Times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits 1 Tim. 4. 1. The so many pretended Miracles of the Romish Church then give us cause of suspicion that all is not right It is for them to pretend to Miracles that want other confirmation of their Doctrine but when we preach only the Doctrine already confirm'd we do not need them Gal. 1. 8. But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preach'd unto you let him be accursed It is in vain to alleadg Miracles to confirm a false Doctrine for it is not the preaching or apparition of an Angel is enough to recommend it and if not so then not any other Miracle So that we are to try the Doctrines now not by Miracles but by its consonancy to and correspondency with the Doctrine of the Scriptures already establish'd And we must judg of the Miracles themselves by the Doctrine and not the Doctrine by them And as we are to judg of the Doctrine so we are to judg of the Church that teacheth it And have cause to suspect Miracles now as the Marks of Deceivers who we are foretold shall pretend to them than to take them as Tests of true Doctrine or Marks of the true Church It is the Character of the Pharisees never to be contented with the Miracles that have been sufficiently wrought but still to expect more Mat. 16. 1. But we are contented with the Miracles already wrought by our Saviour and his Apostles And since we teach no other Doctrine than what was taught by them we may say of good right that their Miracles are our Miracles and that they authorize our belief So that we shall think not one jot the worse of our selves now for want of this Mark nor one jot the better of the Church of Rome for its pretending to it CHAP. VIII That St. Peter was supreme Pastor and Governour under Christ and had a primÌ„acy of Dominion over the Church and that the Pope is so as his Successor Catechism Roman par 1. de 9. Artic. Symbol §. 11. THis is the main Foundation of all the glorious Pretences of the Bishop and Church of Rome Upon this it is that they arrogate so great Authority to themselves over all the Churches of Christ throughout the World and over all their Members The Roman Church is defined to be the Mother and Mistress of all Churches Fourth General Council of Lateran Can. 2. Council of Trent Sess 7. Can. 3 c. And the Roman Bishop defined to be the Vicar of God and Christ and the Successor of St. Peter and to have the supreme Pastorship over the Vniversal Church Council of Trent Sess 6. de reformat cap. 1. Sess 15. cap. 7. But the very Foundation of all that St. Peter had such an Headship and Rule over the whole Church above the rest of the Apostles is overthrown by many Texts of Scripture Mark 10. 42 43 c. Jesus called unto them and said Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and their great Ones exercise Authority upon them But so shall it not be among you but whosoever will be Great among you shall be your Minister and whosoever of you will be Chiefest shall be
Servant of all If our Saviour had intended a primacy of Jurisdiction or Authority to St. Peter over the rest of the Disciples would he have exprest himself in such universal Terms so absolutely denying this Authority and Superiority to all Would he not have excepted St. Peter's Right and Priviledg which he intended to him But here 's an universal Negation of such supreme Authority to all of them indifferently without any such Exception Mat. 19. 28. Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the Regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory ye shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Israel The Apostles are here represented sitting equally upon twelve Thrones Is not this to let us understand that they were to have an equal Authority Whereas if St. Peter was to have had a superior Authority one would think he should have had a Throne too superior to all the rest Mat. 23. 8. Be not yâ— called Rabbi or Master for one is your Master even Christ and all ye are Brethren Here is no assignation of any Mastership to St. Peter as Christ's Vicar But all the Disciples are joined together in an equality of Brotherhood under Christ their Lord. Luke 22. 24. There was also a strife among them which of them should be accounted the Greatest Note that this Dispute was but the Evening before the Passion of Jesus Christ after these words were spoken Mat. 16. 19. I will give unto thee the Keys If St. Peter had been then constituted the Chief of the Apostles there would never have been this Dispute among them touching the Primacy For our Saviour upon this Dispute said not one word that he had given it to St. Peter But on the contrary Vers 25. 26. The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Benefactors but ye shall not be so Which certainly excludes such a Supreme Authority as is claim'd by the Pope John 20. 22 23. Jesus Christ breathed upon his Disciples and said unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whose Sins ye remit they are remitted and whose Sins ye retain they are retained Note here that the Power of binding and loosing which was promised to St. Peter Mat. 16. 19. is here given to all the Disciples indifferently Therefore that Promise conveyed no special Priviledge or Authority to St. Peter but what was given in common to them all Ephes 2. 20. Ye are built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-Stone Note that the Apostles and Prophets are here put in the same rank and are all equally called Foundation-stones as St. Peter was called a Rock Matth. 16. 18. and James and John Pillars as well as he Gal. 2. 9. To Jesus Christ alone belongs the Preheminence So Rev. 21. 14. And the Wall of the City had twelve Foundations and in them were the Names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. You see here still the Apostles advanc'd to the same degree of Honour Buâ— note that the Apostles are not called Foundations in respect of their Persons but in respect of the Doctrine which they held or preach'd And in the Text Matth. 16. 18. Thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church The Rock there mentioned is expounded by many of the Ancient Fathers as St. Chrysostom St. Ambrose St. Austin c. of the Doctrine which St. Peter confest that Christ was the Son of the living God. Which Christ calls a Rock and that upon which he would build his Church with allusion to St. Peter's Name that spoke it which signifies a Stone And upon this Doctrine all the Apostles indifferently founded the Churches where they came as well as he John 21. 17. Where our Saviour three times saith to St. Peter Feed my Sheep What is there contained in that or signified by it but what is equally the duty of all other Pastors of the Church So that here is no Priviledg conferr'd only to him but a Duty injoined which concerns all but is there particularly three times repeated to St. Peter and urged upon him as the best expression of his Love which he then professed to his Lord and Master whom before he had thrice denied and perhaps was as a rebuke for that denial three times repeated 1 Pet. 5. 1 2 3. Here St. Peter puts himself in the rank of the Elders that is to say the Pastors of the Church and doth not in the least attribute to himself any manner of Domination and forbids the same to others The Elders which are among you I exhort who am also an Elder He doth not say who am supreme Ruler and Governor over all as he might and should have done to have inforc'd his Exhortation the more if it had been true For he should have magnified his Office as St. Paul did Feed the Flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof Which is the same Exhortation which our Saviour gave him And how then is it a special Prerogative belonging to him alone But then he adds likewise not by constraint but willingly not for filthy Lucre but of a ready Mind neither as being Lords over God's Heritage but being Enamples to the Flock Quite contrary to the Pride and Arrogance of many Bishops of Rome that lord it over all Consider farther there are no Indications of any such supreme Authority in St. Peter but the quite contrary in very many Instances St. Peter is not always named in the first place as Mark 16. 7. Joh. 1. 44. 1 Cor. 1. 12. Gal. 2. 9. He spake not first in the Council of Jerusalem but a great Dispute there had been before he began his Discourse Acts 15. 7. It was not by his Sentence that the Decree of the Council was stated vers 13. The Message to the Gentiles was not sent by him vers 22. The Decree of the Council was not publish'd in his Name vers 23. He shared the Ecclesiastical Charge with the Apostles as their Fellow and Companion in the Work of the Lord. Gal. 2. 9. And when James and Cephas and John who seemed to be Pillars perceived the Grace that was given to me they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of Fellowship that we should go unto the Gentiles as they unto those of the Circumcision St. Paul makes himself equal unto him in all things Gal. 2. 6. Of those that seemed to be somewhat whatsoever they were it maketh no matter to meâ— God accepteth no Man's Person They that seemed to be somewhat in Conference added nothing to me So 2 Cor. 11. 5. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest Apostles It had been good manners to have excepted St. Peter his Head and Lord at least St. Peter was sent in Commission by the rest of the Apostles Acts 8. 14. When the Apostles that were at Jerusalem
' s Judgment-Seat where I ought to be judged being a Roman So he acknowledges Cesar's Jurisdiction Yet to the Jews I have done no wrong as thou very well knowest though I were liable to their Courts If I be an Offender or have committed any thing worthy of Death by the Roman Laws I refuse not to die so he readily submits himself to the Trial of their Laws and to the Sentence to be inflicted according to them But if there be none of these things whereof they accuse me no Man may deliver me unto them to be punished by them I appeal unto Cesar the Roman Emperor as my proper and lawful Judg. And is not this a plain acknowledgment then of Cesar's just Authority But saith Bellarmine he was constrained to appeal unto Cesar because the Gentiles and Jews would have mock'd him and with good reason if he had appealed to St. Peter who was his Soveraign Prince and Judg. Recognet lib. de sum Pontif. de Cleâ— lib. 1. cap. 30. Is not this prettily said of so great a Cardinal CHAP. X. That the Church of Rome is Infallible and that it belongs to her to judg of the Sense of Scripture so that all Persons are bound up to her Judgment and Definitions Catech Roman part 1. de 9 Art. Symbol §. 18. Council of Trent Sess 4. Decret de Edit usu Sacr. libr. THis is contrary to all those Texts of Scripture that allow a Judgment of Discretion to every private Person in Matters of Religion whereby they are at liberty to judg for themselves and to try and examine the Doctrines which they are taught whether they be true or false or whether revealed by God or no. As 1 Thess 5. 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good How must we prove all things if we must take them upon trust without examination from any Person whatsoever 1 John 4. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World. So that we are not to give up our selves by an Implicit Faith to be led by any Persons whatsoever that pretend themselves Guides but examine their Doctrines before we receive them And here 's no referring of Christians to an Infallible Judg to whose Sentence and determination all are bound to submit which the Apostle ought in all reason to have done if such an one had been constituted in the Church and not to leave it to every Man 's private Judgment to examine these things as he doth 1 Cor. 10. 15. I speak as to wise Men judg ye what I say The Apostle implies a Capacity and Power in private Men to judg and discern of the Doctrine proposed And though he was guided by an Infallible Spirit yet he doth not expect that Men should blindly submit to his Doctrine but requires them to make use of this Power of discerning in themselves Acts 17. 11. The Bereans are commended for searching the Scriptures daily to know whether those things were so or no which were delivered by the Apostles themselves Gal. 1. 8. Tho we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which ye have received let him be accursed This plainly supposeth that Christians may and can judg in themselves when Doctrines are contrary to the Gospel and that they ought to do it and not blindly rely upon on any one no not an Apostle or Angel from Heaven 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you Christians must understand and judg of the Grounds of Faith themselves Mat. 7. 15 16. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps-clothing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Ye shall know them by their Fruits How should they beware of them if they cannot discern or judg of them and their Fruits We have warning given us of seducing Spirits that shall be in the latter Days 1 Tim. 4. 1. And how can it be but Men will be in danger of giving heed to them if they must not judg for themselves or cannot discern their Doctrines Mat. 15. 14. They be blind leaders of the Blind And if the Blind lead the Blind they both fall into the Ditch The Leaders of the People you see were blind And the People that follow blind Leaders shall perish with them This is a fair warning to us not blindly to submit to the guidance of any So that there is no other way but for the People themselves by a diligent and serious perusal and study of the Scriptures to judg for themselves what the right Sense and Interpretation of them is and what Doctrines are true or false not refusing the assistance of their Spiritual Guides who are appointed for their direction herein yet not giving up themselves unreservedly or unlimitedly to any as Lords of their Faith. If there were a Judgment of Authority vested in any Person or Persons in the Christian Church which might impose upon all and to which all were bound in their Judgments to submit why is not this Infallible Judg referred to by the Apostles How is a judgment of discerning allowed to every private Person which is inconsistent therewith But for Men to judg for themselves is indeed a natural Right belonging to Men as Men and as rational Creatures And no Man can judicially embrace the True Religion unless he be permitted to judg whether that which he embraces be the True Religâ—on or no. And supposing the Scriptures plain in all Things necessary to Salvation as hath been proved Chap. 2. so that every Man of ordinary capacity after competent Instruction in Matters of Religion may arrive to a sufficient understanding of all those â—hings that are so he may judg of them as well for himself as any Man or company of Men can judg for him For every Man can judg of what is plain And therefore 't is reasonable that those things which are plain to every Man should be left to every Man's judgment And there can be no necessity of an Infallible Judg to guide or determine him therein The Civil Magistrate or Judg only determines Mens Practice and outward Actions or disposeth of some of their Goods and Properties And that there should be such an one besides a Law or Rule is needful in Civil Government for the regulating Mens outward Actions and Properties But he doth not prescribe to our inward Sense and Judgment which is the thing that this Infallible Judg in Religion is pretended to do to whose Judgment Men must not only submit their Practice but their Judgment Which is quite a different thing from the former and therefore there is no parity of Reason from one to the other If they say It is needful that there should be such a Judg in the Church for the determining and ending of all Controversies and for the preventing and repressing of Heresies and
as little Godhead in the consecrated Wafer as hath been proved as in their consecrated Statues and Images and therefore Divine Worship belongs to it as little And whose Heart now would not rise at this that a Wafer should be adored and reverenced as God himself with the very same Worship That that must be worshipped for God which may be eaten or burnt or lost or carried away by Mice or must be supported or carried about by Men and cannot sustain it self That that is to be the Object of Divine Worship that hath neither Eyes to see nor Ears to hear neither Sense or Reason to feel or understand what is done to it Is this a God that is the work of Mens hands that the Plow-man sows and the Miller grinds and the Baker bakes when of the same Meal some may be used to other purposes and this is by the Priest made into a God to be worshipped Who can think on this without exceeding horror For supposing Transubstantiation not true as is proved before then they worship that for Christ by a mistaken supposition as if it were very Christ when it is not so but really the Elements of Bread and Wine and so do give that Worship to a Creature whatever their mistaken supposition of it be which is due to God alone which is properly Idolatry Neither will it excuse them to say that they suppose it to be Christ and that they worship the Sacrament only upon such supposition and that else they should not do it For if that would excuse their practice from Idolatry then it would serve as well to excuse the Idolatries of the blindest Heathens and most heretical Idolaters that ever were in the World who when they worshipp'd the Sun or Fire or any other Creatures for Gods they always did it upon this supposition that they were Gods or else they would not have done it neither And if a Papist should happen upon a mistake to worship an unconsecrated Wafer yet if he should do it upon the same supposition it seems that it would excuse him from Idolatry also which yet they themselves will not allow because his supposition is false And if there be no Transubstantiation so is theirs false also though the Wafer be consecrated And therefore upon their own Doctrine this supposition being false will not excuse them from Idolatry And it is not their good Intention will excuse their unlawful Act no more than it did the Jews in worshipping the Molten Calf when they kept a Feast unto the Lord. And in crucifying the Lord of Glory out of ignorant Zeal which they had Rom. 10. 2. And no more than it doth those that kill the Disciples of Christ and think that they do God service therein John 16. 2. For to have an Action morally good it must be conformable to the Rule both as to the Matter and other Circumstances as well as the End. And it is not a good Intention or End alone by it self that is enough to constitute any Action morally good CHAP. XXVIII That these Masses are to be approved and commended where the Priest communicates alone Council of Trent Sess 22. chap. 6. Can. 8. BUT this is a meer perversion of the Institution of the Supper and contrary to the Ends and Design of it Mat. 26. 26. Jesus took Bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it to the Disciples He did not keep it to himself and said Take eat He gave it them to eat and did not set it out or hold it up to be gazed or look'd on by them whilst they were to have no part or share in it themselves And he took the Cup and gave Thanks and gave it to them saying Drink ye all of it Not as the Priest doth in the Church of Rome who drinks all himself The Sacrament is a visible Right or Sign designed on purpose to express our gratitude to Christ and to keep up a visible Memorial of his Love in suffering for us to encrease and nourish our Faith in him for the receiving of the Benefits of his Death and Passion But how shall this be done in it or attained by those that are not concerned about the administration How do they express their Gratitude when they do nothing or how is their Faith advantaged by others using the Symbols which Christ hath instituted without the applicatory use of them for themselves Besides the Sacrament is designed to signify and confirm our Christian Communion one with another as Brethren partaking of the same Benefits and united and joined together in Christian Love and therefore it hath been called a Communion But how can there be a Communion where the Priest is alone by himself Acts 2. 42. 'T is said of the Primitive Christians They continued stedâ—astly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers This breaking of Bread was in fellowship with one another and with the Apostles in Church-Communion By breaking of Bread being understood the whole Celebration of the Supper the part being taken to express the whole So 1 Cor. 10. 17. For we being many are one Bread and one Body for we are all partakers of that one Bread. As many Grains of Corn make up one Loaf being â—â—oulded and joined together and many Members together make up the Body So Christians â—â—ited and joined become one Body in this Sacramental Communion And it is plain from the Apostle that one design of the Supper is to express and testify this Communion so that the Supper then is for Christian Communion And when the Supper is administred there ought to be a Communion But when the Priest receives alone there is no Communion 1 Cor. 11. 20 21. The Apostle censures them for their uncommunicating kind of celebration of the Lord's Supper When ye come together into one place this is not to eat the Lord's Supper Their coming together in one place signifies that there ought to have been a Communion together there But this they failed in For in eating every one taketh before other his own Suppâ—r Which he censures and then he repeats the Institution to shew that Christ intended that an Holy Communion together should be observed in these their Church-Meetings for the observation of the Feasts of Charity and the Lord's Supper Vers 33. Wherefore my Brethren when ye come together to eat tarry one for another to preserve Unity and Charity with the Brethren and with one another As for the Mass being a Sacrifice and that that may be offered alone by the Priest that is refuted before But however as a Sacrament it ought not to be administred alone but in Christian Communion and Fellowship 'T is not the Priest alone can celebrate it as such but other faithful People with him are likewise to meet and join together to hold this Sacramental Communion As for the Spiritual Communion by Faith in Christ which they say may be had by those who only look on and do not
is not done yet and how long then should we have stayed For these very Things which the Reformation rejects are still defended by her and all the Protestations and Applications that have been made to her have had no effect upon her to procure a Reformation on her part and we do not know when they will have But why must we stay till the Church of Rome had ordered the Reformation which we see would have been long enough What is the Church of Rome to us but as a Sister Church whatever she pretends of her Catholicism and Masterdom or Mistresship over the rest of the Churches which is refuted before And what hath she to do then to control our Reformation or to oblige us to stay her leisure Or why have not Princes and National Churches in themselves full Power and Authority to reform what is to be reformed in their own Precincts We see what the good Kings of the Jews Asa Hezekiah Josiah did And what did we do but what in a like case they did before And if the Church of Rome had had never so much an Authority over us yet if upon due Applications she would not reform Errors and redress Abuses and yet these Errors and Abuses be of a most pestilent and dangerous Nature to the Souls of Men and most contrary to the true Religion must we therefore persist in these false Beliefs and Practices whilst she thinks fit to retain them And hazard our Eternal Salvation in rejecting Divine Truth and contradicting the Light of our Minds and the true Gospel-Doctrine meerly out of respect to her Or must we not provide for our own wellfare our selves without which we should run the hazard of Eternal Perdition if others will not do it who ought Now this was the very Case The Corruptions of the Church of Rome were so very great both in Faith and Worship as may appear partly by this little Treatise and were so very dangerous and fatal to Mens Souls and so universally spread and so stifly maintained that there was no hope of a Reformation of them by that Church but the Council that was assembled to remove Corruptions setled them the stronger Because they could not be brought to a better mind to renounce these Errors must we therefore continue to err for company Or when we could no longer hold Communion with them without having a Communion in these Corruptions had we not a just cause then of separation from them Jer. 51. 9. We would have healed Babylon and she is not healed forsake her and let us go every one to his own Country It is just the same in our Case we have remonstrated to the Church of Rome her Errors and she hath not reformed them but on the contrary she hath excommunicated and persecuted with Fire and Sword those that have publish'd the Truth and therefore we had just cause to abandon her Communion 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty And Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my People that ye be not partakers of her Sins and that ye receive not of her Plagues Here is our Call to do as we have done when we could no longer abide in the Communion of the Church of Rome without being defiled with her Sins and partaking of the Torment which is prepared for her we were then obliged to come out of her Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them This we say the Church of Rome hath done so that we are required by the Apostle to mark and avoid them For Gal. 1. 9. Whosoever preacheth saith he another Gospel than that which ye have received let him be accursed And we have seen that the Church of Rome hath corrupted the Doctrine of the Gospel in many and very great Instances so that it looks like another Gospel than what was preach'd by our Saviour and his Apostles 1 John 5. 21. Little Children keep your selves from Idols And if the Church of Rome be guilty of Idolatry as hath been proved and we cannot keep to them without keeping to her Idolatry must we not then keep our selves from both For it is in vain to pretend that their Doctrines that is we say their Corruption is antient This was no warrant to the Jews formerly to follow the old Heathen Customs because of their Antiquity But saith Joshua Chap. 24. 14 15. Put away the Gods which your Fathers have served on the other side of the Flood and is Egypt and serve the Lord. And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the Gods which your Fathers served that were on the other side of the Flood or the Gods of the Amorites in whose Land ye dwell but as for me and my House we will serve the Lord. The like we say doth concern us And if others will persist still in their false Worship it doth not follow that we should do so too And therefore if the Worship of the Church of Rome be such as we prove it is in many Instances we are bound to renounce it though it were never so Ancient yea though it were older than Noah's Flood SECT III. They object to us the Divisions that are among the Reformed BUT what do they get by this Because there are Divisions among the Reformed is therefore the Reformation it self evil Or because we are divided among our selves in some things and some of us then must be in the Wrong doth it therefore follow that they are in the Right If this be an Argnment against the Reformation the same might have been an Argument against Christianity it self For as soon as Christianity spread it self abroad were there not Divisions then too amongst those that embrac'd it Some were for retaining the legal Ordinances and mixing the Ceremonies of the Law with the Gospel of Christ with whom the Apostles had great contention Some very famous Churches were leavened with this Error as that was which was in Galatia Other strange Heresies were broach'd in the Church of Corinth and obtained amongst many even in the Apostles Days And there soon arose many others that corrupted the Faith of the Gospel both in the Apostolical and following Ages Gnosticks Valentinians Marcionites Arians c. which spread far and wide and continued a long time Was this now a just Objection against Christianity that there were Divisions and Heresies among those that profess'd themselves Christians And how comes it then to be so mighty an Argument now against the Reformation We are sorry indeed to see it fall out so that there should be no better agreement amongst the Reformed and that there should any Heresies spring out of
there arose another Generation after them that knew not the Lord nor yet his Works which he had done for Israel And the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served Baalim And they forsook the Lord God of their Fathers which brought them out of the Land of Egypt and followed other Gods of the Gods of the People that were round about them and bowed themselves to them and provoked the Lord to anger And they forsook the Lord and served Baal and Ashtaroth How was the Face of the Church disfigured at that Time when they publickly worshipp'd false Gods He that would see the several Ecclipses of the Church of Israel then let him read this History of the Judges particularly Chap. 2. 3 4 6 10. And 2 Chron. 15. 3. When Israel was for a long season without the True God and without a teaching Priest and without the Law. In the Reign of Rehoboam the Son of Solomon ten of the twelve Tribes of Israel revoked from the Service of God and publickly worshipp'd the Calves in Dan and Bethel which were made by the Commandment of Jeroboam 1 King. 12. And if you desire to see how much the Face of the Church was disfigured and how often the Service of God was interrupted read the History of the Kings The ten Tribes were the greatest part of the Church of Israel But in them the Church was so obscured in the Time of Ahab that Elijah complained 1 King. 19. 10. The Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets with the Sword and I even I only am left and they seek my Life to take it away God had indeed reserved to himself 7000 Men that had not bowed their Knees to Baal And 1 King. 18. 4. When Jezebel had put to death the Prophets of the Lord Obadia took an hundred Prophets and hid them by fifty in a Cave and sed them with Bread and Water So that there was a Church then left in Israel but iâ— was so obscured that Elijah himself could not see it In the Kingdom of Judah also there was sometimes the same obscure State of the Church As in the Time of Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 24 25. For Ahaz gathered together the Vessels of the House of the Lord and cut them in pieces and shut up the Doors of the House of the Lord and he made him Altars in every corner of Jerusalem And in every several City of Judah he made high Places to burn Incense unto other Gods and to provoke to anger the Lord God of his Fathers Repeated again 2 Chron. 29. 6 7. There was no other Church of God then upon Earth but what was among the Children of Israel and Judah and there was not any one Temple dedicated to the Worship of the True God but that at Jerusalem But yet you see that was prophaned the Service of God banish'd Idolatry establish'd And what external Form of a Church then was there there where the true God was not acknowledged or served So in the Time of Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 4 5. Who built again the high Places which Hezekiah his Father had broken down and he reared up Altars to Baalim and made Groves and worshipped all the Host of Heaven and served them Also he built Altars in the House of the Lord whereof the Lord had said In Jerusalem shall my Name be for ever Which was as great a Promise as ever was made to any Church and if there had been any Promise designed ever to secure the State and Splendour of the Church in any place 〈◊〉 â—ould think this had been such an one If 〈◊〉 had been but a like Promise made or half 〈…〉 said of the Church of Rome what confiâ—â—nt boasting and brags should we have had yet you see Jerusalem and the Temple filled with Idols And it is moreover to be observed that at this time the State of the Church was so corrupt that there were no Copies of the Law to be found extant among the People but the Book of the Law was found in the restoring of the Temple by Josiah at the reading of which as a new thing the King was mightily terrified 2 Chron. 34. 18 19 20. which is a plain Argument that the Law was but little known and the Copies of it generally lost And the Prophet Jeremy saith Jer. 11. 13. That according to the number of thy Cities were thy Gods O Judah And according to the number of the Streets of Jerusalem which is yet called the Holy City Matth. 27. 53. have ye set up Altars to that shameful thing to burn Incense unto Baal And what Corruptions did the Prophet Isaiah complain of before Chap. 1. In the time of the Captivity the whole Land was a desâ—lation and an astonishment Jer. 25. 11. the Temple of Jerusalem was demolish'd and the Service of God beaten down So in the New Testament there are Prophecies of great defections and much obscurity that there should be in the Church 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. For the time will come that they shall not endure sound Doctrine but after their own Lusts shall they heap to themselves Teachers having itching Ears And they shall turn away their Ears from the Truth and shall be turned unto Fables So 1 Tim. 4. 1. The Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter Times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils or rather Doctrines concerning Demons or a sort of under-Gods or angelical Mediators with God speaking lies in hypocrisy having their Consciences â—eared with an hot Iron forbidding to marry and commanding 〈◊〉 abstain from Meats How well doth this agree to 4. Church of Rome Rev. 12. 6. The Woman by which the Church is represented fled into the Wilderness where she hath a place prepared of God there to lie hid for a time during the rage of the Dragon It is very unjust and unreasonable then to demand that at all times we should shew the visible State of the True Church Rev. 13. 15 16 17. The time is prophesied of that the second Beast shall cause that as many as will not worship the Image of the former Beast shall be killed And he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a Mark in their right hand and in their forehead and that no Man might buy or sell save he that had the Mark or Name of the Beast or the Number of his Name And how should the Church then during this Tyranny have a visible and flourishing State And the Papists themselves allow that in the time of Antichrist there shall be an universal defection for a time It is certain in Fact that many Churches founded by the Apostles themselves have quite fallen away to Mahometanism And in the time of Athanasius the whole World almost was become Arian And in the Ages just before the Reformation the Purity of the Church was so