himself so by prom se to any place that he will always continue with them whether they abide in his Doctrine yea or nay And though Christ said The Gates of Hell should not prevail against the Church had this onely a Limitation to one place if it must needs be understood of a place outward because of these words afore-mentioned then why is it not extended as well to Antioch and the seven Churches of Asia and the rest afore-mentioned hath not the Gates of Hell and powers of darkness prevailed against them places and the Turks taken possession thereof And as for your Church at Rome which thou saith cannot err and hath always been visible and universal What saist thou to Marcilianus Christ's Vicar as you judge Whether did he not lose his keys when he sacrificed to Ido's in the tenth year of Dioclesian But it may be then thy Church must not reside in Christ's Vicar but in a general Council But hereafter we wil consider whether they have been alwayes one and could not erre Secondly That whereby the Roman Church gives us a Mark and Sign to be the true Church to wit Universality and Visibility makes her clearly to be a Harlot for John saw the true Church flye into the Wilderness for time times and half of time now if yours hath been visible and universal all this time times and a half then you are not the true Church for Universality comprehends all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and if this be the Seat of your Church then absolutely your Church is Mysterie Babylon and not the Lambs Wife for she sate upon Nations Kindreds Tongues Peoples and Languages which were Waters And here is your Catholick Visible Church measur'd with God's Measuring-Rod First To be the Harlot because she was never in the Wildernesse Secondly because her seat hath been so Universal and Catholick as Natious Kindreds Tongues Peoples and Languages hath been the seat of your Church which are the Waters which John saw and so truly may be called the Great City And as for Infidels being obliged to join to you this hath been because you have forc'd and compell'd by your power and outward force where you had dominion and to escape your tortures rather than by sound Doctrine or a holy Example Or Secondly Because your Religion hath stood in so many formalities and ceremonies which hath been very pleasing and so near unto the Heathens nature And thou says that one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible I say through faith God hath been seen who is invisible and Christ said Seek and ye shall find and the Kingdom of God is spiritual and invisible and the natural and visible eye never discerned it for the Church is in God and God is a Spirit and Christ is the quickning Spirit who is the Head of the Church which is his Body and the spiritual and invisible eye is that which discerns the Head and the Body and you that looke gazing after things that are visible have never discern'd the Members of the true Church of God as such neither have known them but have condemned them as Hereticks in all ages as your generation hath done who have been in Cains way Secondly If Unity Holiness Universal and Apostolick be the marks and figns of a true Church then yours is not the true Church no more then they you count Sectaries and Hereticks which thou saist are no more one than Cats and Dogs The comparison is odious and like a suarling catching spirit who would tear every one that cometh nigh thee And what if there be Protestants Puritans Anabaptists Independents and Quakers these titles are but nominal and there is not one amongst all these but they acknowledge one God and Jesus Christ to be the Head of the Body which is his Church and one Spirit by which the Saints are sanctified and they acknowledge Christs Doctrine in words and his Worship that it is in spirit and in truth and walketh nearer to the practice of the Apostles and the Church in their days than you do And if in some things they do vary why may not variety be allowed by thee where it is onely nominal and circumstantial as well as thou canst allow variety of Ave Maries Creeds and Pater Nosters which thou saist delighteth But why hast thou not judged at home Thou must not think to lead us like Animals by the Head as your Church doth poor ignorant people to receive every thing for Apostolick Doctrine because the Church of Rome calls it so and cryes Unity Might not the Sectaries as thou callst them return this upon your selves that you are not at unity and not one What meaneth the diversity of Orders in your Church which may be called sects that is Jerom's Order Austin's Order Gregory's Order Carmalites Crouched Fryars Franois Anthony's Bennet's Dominick's Trinity Basil Brigandine's Orders All these kind of Orders and many more with every one their distinct Service Formalities and Ceremonies what a heap of Sectaries are here and yet Rome cryes Unity Besides what contradiction in your Councils may hereafter be made manifest and in your Vicars one throwing down and condemning that which others have set up for Apostolick doctrine So if Unity be a mark of the true Church then you are without this mark and sign more than they which you call Sectaries Thirdly If Holiness be a sign of the true Church you are without this sign also more than the Sectaries as you are pleased to call them What cruel Murthers Massacres Tortures Bloodsheds hath been acted by your Church and that by Commission from his Holiness so call'd Christ's Vicar against them that have dissented from you upon good and warrantable ground onely upon the account of Religion because they could not acknowledge the Pope to be the Head and Christ's Vicar and receive all Decrees though never so repugnant unto the Doctrine of Christ yet because for Conscience-sake many have denied such things nothing but fire and sword have been threatned and the force thereof hath been known in many Nations as for instance in Germany and the Low-Countreys France Pyedmount Holland England and Ireland of late years many thousands massacred not in War but in holes hundreds of Houses burnt men women and children children taken from their Mothers Breasts knockt against the Walls toss'd upon Pikes and Spears wounded with Swords thrown into Lakes and Rivers stript naked starv'd in cold seasons through such like inhumane and savage cruelty Commissions given from your Nuntio's and Agents to rob to steal even Servants from their Masters even upon this account only to weaken enfeeble the Sectaries and Hereticks as you stile them to advance your Holinesse's Chair and to progagate your holy or rather unholy Church and Religion which things remain fresh in the memory of many Nations to this day besides doth not your Church tolerate Stews and Adulterous Houses in the Cities where you have Dominion Besides Pride abounds amongst
THE Rock of Ages Exalted above Rome's imagined Rock On which her CHURCH Is builded She proved not to be the onely Church of Christ her corrupt Doctrines reproved not to be Apostolick but contrary to the true Church of Christ in the Apostles Dayes Also Divers Arguments answered which may convince the Papists that they are not the true Church Wherein a Book is also answered called A Catechism against all Sectaries Newly published by C. M. in the Year 1661. By Francis Howgil a Member of that Church which is coming out of the wilderness LONDON Printed for G. C. at the west end of Pauls 1662. A Table of the principal things contained in this Book COncerning the true Religion what it is and where it is demonstrated Pag. 7 8 9. The Church of Rome proved to be the false Church P. 10 to the 20 and pag. 59. The Pope proved not to be the Head of the true Church and Christ proved to be the Head of the Body which is his Church and the Rock upon which his Church is built P. 20. to 24 Purgatory proved to be an erroneous Doctrine which is held forth by the Papists and their Praying for the dead proved to be another false Doctrine not commanded nor practised by Christ or his Apostles p. 25 to the 28 The Papists Doctrine which saith Christ is really and personally in the Masse and in the Eucharist proved to be Blasphemy and great Idolatry 29 to 36. The Papists Masse and their Ceremonies proved not to be Apostolical P. 36. to the 38 The Papists honoring of Reliques and Images of Saints and praying by Beads proved to be but the inventions and traditions of men and contrary to the doctrine which the Apostolick Church held forth P. 39 to 47 The Doctrine of forbidding certain kind of Meats and forbidding the Scriptures to be read by all answered P. 47. to 56. Concerning Miracles P. 76. Answers to eight Propositions set forth by C. M. in his Catechise aforesaid From P. 78. to the end A Booke entituled The Glory of the true Church discovered as it was in its purity in the Primitive time Written by the same Author The Rock of Ages exalted above Rome's imagined Rock on which her Church is builded c. GReat hath been the Havock and Spoile that the Beast which John saw rise out of the waters made against them in destroying them who received not his Mark in their foreheads and the cry hath been long Who is able to make war with the Beast and great hath the suffering been these many ages of the Children of Light and still is of the Members of the true Church of Christ which is in God which hath proceeded from her who sate as a Queen upon the Waters which are Nations Kindreds Tongues and People which hath been the seat of Mysterie Babylon the Mother of Harlots who hath held out her golden Cup of Fornication ful of Abomination false Doctrine and Error which the Nations have drunk of and the Kings of the Earth have been made drunk with and all have been in instability and have reeled and staggered up and down in the dark in the night of ignorance and have wildered in the Mysts oâ— Error and lost the true Foundation and are gone from the Rock upon which the true Church is builded which is neither Peter nor his Successor but Christ the true Foundation which abideth sure and all that believ in him and have their minds staid upon him know settlement and establishment in that which the Gates of Hell prevails not against But blessed be the Lord he is come revealed and made manifest who is able to make war with the Beast and his followers and a discerning is given unto his servants that they can distinguish betwixt the Cup of Fornication and the Cup of Blessing and betwixt the Table of the Lord the Table of Devils betwixt the true Church the Lambs Wife Mysterie Babylon the Mother of Harlots betwixt the Heavenly Treasure which is communicable to the Saints in Light who are Members of the true Church and the Merchandize and the corrupt treasure of the Harlot which the Nations Kindreds and Tongues have been forced to buy by reason of the forcing and compelling power of the Beast and so the Nations have been begotten into a strange nature into the cruel nature killing one another about the forms of Worship and shadows and the substance hath been known but to a few neither the Lambs nature which is meek and innocent and the Leaves of the Tree of Life which heals the Nations hath been known but to a few which is the cause of all the Broiles Murthers and Massacres Imprisonments and cruel Torments which the Nations have afflicted one another with who have professed Christianity but have been out of the life and out of the nature of the true Church which Christ is the Head of which is Wife unto the Lamb and herein is the true Church manifest from the false The false Church hath propogated and encreased her number of Members by force and awe and Cain's Weapons and many have been forced into a belief and a feigned kind of Profession rather than by sound Doctrine or answering God's Witness in Peoples hearts and consciences But the true Church who is of the Husband's Nature her weapons have been is and wil be spiritual and yet is mighty through God to beat down strong holds of sin wickedness in people and hath by sound Doctrine and a good example answered God's Witness in people's Consciences without forcing to any thing but recommended themselves to every one's Conscience in the sight of God and would have every one perswaded in their own hearts by the Lord of the truth which they believed and not to take things by tradition and hear-say as the false Church and her Members have done and so have had no assurance of God's Spirit in their hearts for what they did and so doubts have arisen in the mind because whatsoever is not of faith is sin But God is opening the eyes of many and enclining the hearts of many to seek after the assurance of God's blessed Spirit in their hearts for what they do believe And now Reader I shall present thee with a great fardal and bundle of the Whore's Merchandize and of the counterfeit Ware which she hath long deceived the Nations with which hath long laid as mouldy and rusty in this Nation but now new trim'd up and presented again to this Nation as for precious treasure and it is not to be concealed in a narrow corner or put off under hand so that this Merchant of Babylon hath presented it to publick view with a great confidence that people that hath been tossed up and down and have found no rest for their souls at last may come to make a trial of this Merchandize and see what it wil do but lest any should be cheated and deceived with such counterfeit Traffique I could not chuse
having the knowledge thereof but declare against the deceit thereof and to give warning unto all to beware how they touch tast or handle it lest they be defiled and corrupted by it and their understandings darkned and their Consciences defiled And the Merchandize is this tituled A short Catechism against all Sectaries by way of Question and Answer wherein all the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome are asserted for infallible and Apostolical wherein also it is holden out That the Church of Rome is the onely true Church out of which there 's no salvation and some Arguments to prove the same Also in this said Book all that are not of the Church of Rome arecondemned already as Hereticks Sectaries wholly to be without salvation Newly published and translated by C. M. and London printed for P. S. 1662. And though we have given publick Testimony both in word and writing in divers Nations in doctrine and practice yet such hath been the envy of many professors who have denied the Church of Rome that they have accused us for holding Popish tenents yet now on the other hand by this Popish Author we are condemned as Hereticks and Sectaries and to be without salvation And thus they who have been under the Beasts power in the Apostacy have tost us upon their horns from one to another and have pushed us this way and that way and every party and sect hath reckon'd us and join'd us with them whom they judged to be transgressors but it is a small thing to us to be judged by man's Judgment for our Judgment is with the Lord and he judgeth in righteousness and unto him we appeal who in his own day when righteousness comes to be revealed in peoples hearts they shall come to know us as we are and the truth which we believe and walk in as it is in Jesus But that such a heap and bundle of false Doctrine and Superstitious and Idolatrous practices may not go unreproved God hath put it into my heart to bear my testimony against it and all the confused heap of darkness which is laid down for Catholick Doctrine and to discover the deceit thereof lest any should be beguiled and led into the dark paths of Ignorance and Error and should become an Inhabitant of that City which hath shed the blood of the Prophets and Martyrs where now Christ is crucified First of all the Author saith There is but one true Religion wherein any can be saved Ans. 'T is true there is but one true Religion in the which salvation is witnessed which is confessed by all who profess Religion and every one wil needs lay claim to it and many have contended even by force and arms since the Apostacy entered in and hath kill'd and destroy'd one another about the name or sound without the thing it self and all Professors of Religion who are in that nature are not in the true Religion in which salvation is witnessed The true Religion standeth in the Power of God and to be exercised in those things which the Power of God directeth every one in who believe in it and to be obedient unto the commands of Christ and to keep his sayings and to follow his Example in righteousness and holiness and in that which overcometh the World and giveth victory over it and keepeth out of the pollutions of it And this is the pure Religion which purifies the heart conscience from dead works and teacheth to love Enemies Now the Church of Rome is manifest not to be in the one true Religion but have departed from this Faith and this Doctrine Let all Nations bear witness where your Religion hath been professed how you have kept this Faith and walkt in this Religion if any have dissented from you these many hundred years and that upon good grounds as Luther and Calvin which thou art so angry at and bring'st many Calumnies against and slanderous things and lyes of which thy Vessel is ful Now they with all others that dissent from you you have reckon'd and do as Sectaries and Hereticks And in case it were really so if you were in the true Religion and in the Faith of Christ you would not destroy so many mens lives as you have done within these thousand years I appeal to all Nations where your Authority hath been exercised how many have you kill'd tortur'd burnt to ashes and destroyed the Workmanship of God But it may be thou judgest such a distinction as this will cover a little as To hate their Heresie and to love their persons but how you have lov'd their persons I hope England hath not yet forgotten instance John Wickliffe whose bones you took up and burnt forty one years after his decease and how many hundreds more hathbeen burnt to ashes in England in later years as Hereticks and Sectaries whose blood yet speaks and cries for vengeance upon that City that Church and Religion which hath drunk the blood of the Prophets Martyrs So in what I have said the Church of Rome to all unbyassed spirits wil appear to be out of that one true Religion and that Faith and Doctrine which Christ deliver'd and so salvation is not to be looked for amongst killers and destroyers And so what I have said may convince the Author of this Book that they are not in the one true Religion in which salvation is witnessed And this Roman Church hath been always visible and universal since the Apostles dayes and Infidels have alwayes been obliged to join unto her yet one cannot be bound to seek that which is invisible And the marks and signs of this Roman Church are four comprized in these words I believe in the true Church which is One Holy Catholick and Apostolick Answ. That there was a Church at Rome in the Apostles dayes is not denied so was there at Antioch at Philippi at Thessalonica at Corinth and divers other places that I might instance which were as visible as Rome was and as much a City set on a Hill as Rome was and not inferior in Doctrine Gifts good Works to Rome at all but as to Precedency and Antiquity may claim priority before Rome And if he pleads that Peter was at Rome and as he saith was Christs Vicar and Bishop and if because of this Rome doth excel which the Scripture is silent in Jerusalem might claim priority before Rome in this for he we read of was more conversant at Jerusalem and a Minister of Circumcision and Paul ministred to Gentiles who preacht two whole years both to Jews and Romans which were Gentiles but it seems the very imagining Peter to bee Bishop of Rome hath made Pauls work void and hath turned his work out of doors but however he which hath usurped the Name of Christs Vicar hath turned both Peter and Paul their Life and Doctrine and Practice out of doors to set up Pride and Deceit But what blindnesse and ignorance is this to judge that God hath bound
you more than the Nations beside And so your Church hath neither this Mark nor Sign of Holinesse Fourthly As for your Church being Catholick and Universal you want this sign also If it be One Universal comprehends all Nations like as all the World in comparison were your Church What is Germany France England Scotland and Ireland nothing What is all the Turks Dominions of your Faith And thou saist In Asia Affrica and America all is coming to an end There is that risen and arising in America which must spread over the Nations the breath of the Lord bloweth which will daily dry up the Waters which is the Seat of your Church which you so much boast of And what have you converted all the Indians nay have you not hardened their hearts against the Name of Christ because of your cruelty and unholy conversation among them So that the Name of Christ and Christian is become as odious unto them as Mahomet is unto you And so you are without this Sign as that you are the true Church Lastly That your Church is Apostolick if this be the Mark of the true Church then you are without this also for you neither Apostolick in Doctrine nor Practice your weapons are carnal theirs spiritual their Head was Christ the Light of the World your Head is visible and carnal which darkens the World they turned people from darkness to light and to the Word of Faith in their hearts and to know Christ in them to justifie them But one of your Rabbies told us lately you had no such Doctrine in the Church of Rome as Christ in you The Apostles turn'd them to the Annointing and to the Spirit to be taught by it and to be led by it into all truth and to worship in it and you turn them to Images Pictures Crucifixes Beads and Altars and so keep people in outward things which feed the sensual and corrupt part Lastly they said bodily exercise profiteth little and most of your Worship stands in observing of days meats drinks washings sprinklings Altars Tapers lighting and bearing Candles bowing creeping to the Cross turning wheeling this way and that way in all time and parts of your Worship so that there is no time left for the heart to be exercised towards God And so you are not Apostolical and so are without this true sign of being the true Church of God But I shall descend to particular things which is asserted and seems to be proved but very weakly But we can expect no Wine but such as is in the Bottle It is asserted by this Author That the Pope is the Head of the true Church in which salvation is onely to be expected And his proof he brings is this Christ hath so ordained it in saying to Peter Matth. 16. 18 19. Upon this Rock will I build my Church and Christ hath given power to him and his Successors to be a Head to rule and govern the Church and as there is an Emperor to be Head of the Empire and a King of the Kingdom so Peter and his Successors are the Head of the Church and have the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to bind and to loose and to remit and retain sinnes The Apostolick Church hath this Doctrine That Christ was given to be the Head of the Body which is the Church which is spiritual though in the World yet not of the World and the Father hath committed all power in Heaven and Earth to the Son and hath ordained him to be a Leader a Teacher and a feeder of his Flock and to be his salvation to the ends of the Earth and his glory he will not give to another But it seems the Church of Rome hath soared so high in their conceits and imaginations that they judge all this Power to be given unto the Pope Peter's Successor as they say Now we do not read of Two Heads to the One Body which is the true Church Eph. 4. 4. 15. And so this is a contrary Doctrine then that of the primitive Church and Christ who is the Head of the Body he said Lo I am with you to the end of the world And so it is the meer arrogancy and pride of the Pope to be called the Head of the Church and an intrenching Christ's Power and Prerogative and that ever Peter was called the Head of the Church we do not read and that of the 16. of Matthew is but a poor proof to prove Peter to be the Head of the Church for Christ spoke unto his Disciples ver 15. and asked them Whom say ye that I am Peter as one amongst the rest said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God and Christ said Upon this Rock will I build my Church viz. Upon him which was revealed unto Peter by the Father the Son of God which was the Rock which the Fathers eat of and drank of Christ the Rock of ages and another Foundation can none lay said the Apostle then that which is laid already Christ the Rock and Corner-stone and not Peter for Christ is unchangeable and abideth for ever and so was not Peter though Peter and the rest of the Apostles received power from Christ yet in the 22. and 23. verses of the same Chapter he was gone out of the savour and discerning and Christ said unto him Get thee behind me Satan for thou savourest not the things of God and what though it could be proved that Peter was at Rome a Pastor an Elder or a Biship who fed the Flock and did feed the Flock and so might be reckon'd as an Elder and worthy of Honor in respect of his labour and diligence in the work of Christ is the Promise so entailed to Rome or to any place that the next that succeeds in that place must needs receive the same honor when he doth not the same work which is worthy of honor neither is in the same power but this I am sure of though the Church of Rome lay claim unto Peters Bishoprick as they say yet they have not done his work And secondly If Peter was at Rome and a Pastor yet he was not a Lord for Christ reproved that when they strove which should be the greatest and said unto them The Gentiles exercise Lordship one over another but it shall not be so among you and though Peter and the rest of the Apostles who were in the power of God had that which did open into the Kingdom of God and shut out that which did defile yet this we are sure of he sold no Pardons nor Indulgences for gain and filthy lucre as many have done whom you call Peter's Successors and Christ's Vicar and Universal Bishop and visible Head but it 's manifest how the Pope became visible Head and Universal Bishop not because of any work or labour in the Doctrine of Christ or the Work of the Gospel but by means of the Roman Emperor for while the Christians were under persecution and suffering there
was no talk of Visible Heads or much of Universal Bishop for then Rome had no more priority then the rest for the Churches at Constantinople at Jerusalem at Caesaria at Cyprus and Alexandria for the first three hundred years they had as much power in their several Churches as Rome had and often the Elders or Bishops of the aforesaid Churches did reprove sharply the Bishop of Rome But at last about five hundred years or upward Phocas to aspire to the Empire of Rome he murthered his own Master Mauritius and his Children to attain unto the Empire So at that time Boniface the third was Bishop of Rome and Phocas somewhat fearing and willing to have Boniface his favour condescendeth to all his Petitions and grants him to be Universal Head-Bishop over all Christian Churches and there was the first rise of Rome's visible Head for this frivolous reason of being Peter's Successor could never have raised him to that height but then the Emperors Power and Authority became to be the more forcible plea for before that time the Bishops of Rome were chosen by the Emperors consent but after he had got power Emperors could not be chosen but by the Popes consent and then came the Bishop of Rome to be a visible Head and be called Universal Bishop Christ's Vicar a Lord Spiritual over all the Churches and in process of time Lord temporal over all the Empire And thus your Church of Rome became magnificent and great and to sit as a Queen upon the Waters Nations Kindreds and Tongues as you acknowledge your Church of Rome hath spread over and here is a Héad and a Body which are joyn'd together in union Christ is the Head of the true Body which is his Church and his Wife and Antichrist he is the visible Head of his visible Church and Wife Mysterie Babylon The next piece of Merchandize which the Author brings forth to view is Purgatory and prayer to be made for the dead and also prayer unto the Saints and the Authors proof is 1 Cor. 3. 15. where the Apostle speaks Every mans work shall be tryed and that work which will not abide the fire must be burnt and this the Author calls the fire of another World and prayers for the dead he proves out of the 12. of Maccabees and prayer to the Saints He sayes it 's lawful to pray in this world unto good people and Paul while he lived did pray for others and also did beg their prayers And the Angel in the first of Zachary prayed for Israel and there can be no harm in praying to them that can pray for us Ans. Them that dwell in the shadow of death are like to speak out of thick darkness and they that have made a Covenant with death are loath to have it broken and they that have a mind to continue in sin while they live have a mind to put the evil day afar off and Judgement afar off and evil-doers will never have it time to give account for their evil deeds and so puts it off till they are dead and to another world and let the Devil have preheminence in their hearts while they live and reckon their sins venial and light faults this is contrary to the Doctrine of the true Church of Christ and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said The wages of sin is death and there is no sinne goes unpunished nor unjudged and Sion is redeemed through judgement and by the Spirit of burning and Purgatory is a fiction a falshood and a lye there is no cleansing from sin in another World Solomon saith As the Tree falleth whether to the North or to the South so shall the tree lye and the Word of God who hath received it in their hearts which is as a fire that purifies and the Blood of Christ is that which cleanseth from all sin there 's not any cleansing from any sin but by it there is no cleansing in another world but Purgatory hath been invented and prayer for the dead that thereby the Pope might be enriched and sell the invented Prayers and Ave Maries and so cheat people of their money and there 's no sacrifice to be offer'd for the dead who dye in their sins nor no remission after this life And as sor praying to the Saints the Scripture makes no mention of though Paul did pray for others and beg the prayers of others yet he prayed not for them when they were dead neither did beg the prayer of the dead but prayed for them who were believers in the true Church and desired the prayers of them that were living Members and were alive and lived in the world and were redeemed out of it and the Angel prayed not for the people of Israel when they were dead and that which thou calls Jeremy's prayer in the Maccabees was never spoken by the Spirit of the Lord nor the offering was not made in the will of God and the Prophet saith Though Abraham know us not and Israel be ignorant of us yet thou O Lord art our Father And the Lord said unto David Seek my face and call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and answer Not upon Mary Peter and Paul Dominick and Anthony Again it 's contrary to the practice of the Saints in the primitive times and contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said unto his Disciples Whatsoever you ask in my Name the Father shall give it you He doth not speak of any other Name neither is any Prayer or Supplication accepted of the Father but in the Name of Christ alone So these Doctrines are false and Doctrines of Devils never commanded nor practised by any of the Saints in the primitive times but onely have been invented and practised by the Apostates who have erred from the faith and Practice which was once deliver'd unto the Saints which the Church of Rome hath made shipwrack of in many things which I have made appear and I shall proceed to more particulars to manifest it lest any should be beguiled with such deceitful Babylonish Merchandize which the Nations are too much corrupted with already The next false Doctrine which the Author lays down is That Christ is really and personally in the Mass and in the Eucharist And his proof is Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. For saith he God who is Almighty is able to change Bread into his Body and Wine into his blood in the Mass as he did change the Water into Wine and make the World of nothing Hence also by the way you may learn that we are no Idolaters adoring the Eucharist because it 's no more Bread but whole Christ our God and Redeemer who placeth himself there by Miracle after the Priest hath uttered the sacred words of Consecration yet the external accident of Bread and Wine remain as our eyes represent to us but faith tells us the true Body of Christ is hidden under it and the substance and
very fulness that filleth all things Oh gross darkness and palpable ignorance which you have led people to believe and call this Idol that Rats and Mice may eat whole Christ God and Redeemer And you have destroyed and burnt to ashes many for Hereticks who could not believe this Doctrine Therefore all people it 's time to look about you and see where you stand and what you join unto If you cannot receive this Doctrine for holy and Apostolick by the Church of Rome not worthy to live and without doubt might not if this Church had but that Authority which sometimes it hath had in England but I hope the eyes of many are open to see and detect this damnable Doctrine So what I have said in this particular may be enough to confirm them who are in any measure in the truth and to keep them back who have desires after this fornication which the Nations hath drunk too much of But I proceed to another particular but before take a word or two about the ceremonies The Author sayes That ceremonies were used by Christ at his last Supper and they excite people to their devotion during the Sacrifice but for proof you must expect none from this Author and the Scripture is silent in the thing and Ceremonies and Formalities are so far from stirring up the mind to God that they indeed draw the mind to be busied in the exercise of them from waiting upon God from worshipping him in the Spirit such Worshippers are onely accepted of him The Masse is said in Latine and the rest of Divine Service for if it were not ignorant people might easily be mistaken if these Mysteries were done in the vulgar Language and because the Scripture hath been written in Latine Greek and Hebrew and these three Languages were written upon Christ's Cross and therefore these three Nations ought to use them at their Masse and Divine Service but the Priestly Garments and Ceremonies gives enough to understand what is done at the Masse and Divine Service Ans. This looks with a blâ—ck visage to be Apostolick Doctrine but however I shall search into it and examine it by the Apostles Doctrine before it be condemned It 's a good shift indeed to keep people from mistakes not to let them know what they say or do but this is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine 1 Cor. 14. 7 8 9 10 11 14 15. If a Trumpet give an uncertain sound who can prepare to Battel And except words utter'd be understood how shall it be known what is spoken If the meaning of the voice be not known unto him to whom it is spoken the speaker and the hearer are Barbarians one to the other And when one understands not what is spoken how can he be edified And all services ought to be done to edification So your Church is erred from the Apostolick Doctrine and your Masse and your Service doth not edifie at all but you are as Barbarians one to another for your Worship goes on in such a pack Road that the vulgar people would soon learn it and know it and it may be slight it if they should know the worthlesness of it and therefore the onely way you judge is to keep them in ignorance And what mysterie is there in the Masse and your Service seeing that it stands in crossings cringings and abundance of endless ceremonies and reiteration of words which are patcht up by many Authors contrary to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine But it seems the Priests garments and ceremonies gives understanding enough to the Auditors a dumb shew is enough for them like a Poppet Play to make them understand the Mysteries of your Mass an unbloody Sacrifice indeed in which there is no remission nor acceptation And here thou hast acquainted us with a Mysterie indeed Because Latine Greek and Hebrew was written by Pilate upon the cross of Christ therefore they are called Sacred Languages Sure the church of Rome hath lost both Faith and Reason Will any that hath a friend that should be crucified upon a cross and an enemy who condemn'd him should set over him words in Latine Greek and Hebrew in contempt that therefore a man should count the Crosse holy and the Language sacred as the Church of Rome doth is great ignorance and idolatry of which she is full therefore is not Apostolick nor the one true Church in which salvation is to be looked for as the Author would make people believe The next false and superstitious Doctrine which this Merchant of the Church of Rome holds forth for Apostolical is The Reliques and Images of Saints and also Prayer by the Beads by number and tale as Brick-makers sells their Brick And this the Church of Rome would put off unto us as Apostolical Doctrine The Reliques and Images of Saints are honorable in regard of the Saints which they have relation unto and God himself makes use of them for his Miracles Moses was enforced to honor the holy ground where the Angel appeared Exodus 3. and David commanded the Ark to be adored because it was God's foot-stool Psal. 99. 5. And to honor the Reliques and Images of Saints is no Idolatry for that is Idolatry to worship false gods and Christ doth not take it ill that we honor his Saints and Friends And to number our Prayers if Hail Mary be said upon Beads threescore and three times it 's because Mary lived so many years and the Prophet prayed seven times a day and Christ three times in the Garden And it 's not evil to say our Prayers by number and if five Pater Nosters be said it is in honour of the five wounds and what would there be amiss in this And it 's not Idiots that prays by Beads but Catholick Kings the Pope Cardinals and Bishops makes use of them and variety delighteth the mind and there is no better prayers then the Pater Noster Ave and the Creed Answ. The Reliques or that which remains for all the Saints and Members of the true Church of Christ to follow and to honor is To live in the same life that they lived in and to honor him who was their life by whose power they fulfilled the will of God and to walk in the same foot-steps is to honor him that was their life and them also who walked as examples of righteousness and that power by which they became examples of holiness and righteousness but for the Church of Rome to worship pieces of Cloth Dead Bones Painted Images which may as well be called the Images of Cain Ishmael Judas and all the seed of Evil-doers as well as the image of Christ or Peter Paul or Mary for any thing that they know which they have but receiv'd by story and is but as old Wives fables which Paul to Timothy reproved And hath the Church of Rome no better thing to put them in mind of the Saints life then a dead Picture or Image made by the hand of the
Crafts-man upon a wall or a board or parchment or paper this is Idolatry for Christ promised to his Disciples and to the true Church That he would send his Spirit to lead them into all truth which is an invisible thing and to bring to remembrance what ever Christ had spoken and whatsoever was necessary as to Salvation whether the Saints life and holy practices which they lived in or whatsoever else as conduced to their peace and justification with God and what Images did God make use of to shew his Miracles by This is but an old fable formed by the Apostate Christians whose minds are turned after shadows and vain shews and is erred from the invisible life and worships the works of mens hands 2. Though Moses did put off his shoo 's according to the command of the Lord where God appeared in power and glory to him What is this to your purpose as to create and form places and Consecrate them as holy and then command reverence and honor unto them this is but to worship the work of your own hands and though David say in the 99 Psal. 5 vers Exalt the Lord God and worship at his footstool for he is holy What of all this doth God call Reliques or Images his Footstool And if the Author do judge that it was spoken of Zion and Jerusalem outward where Aaron and the rest of the priests worshipped yet doth not Christ say It 's not at Jerusalem c. But they that worship God worship him in spirit and truth What doth not the church of Rome profess Christianity and Apostolick Doctrine and wil now turn Jews or imitaters of them What is Rome Jerusalem or Zion And must Pictures invented and dead pieces of bones and wood be recommended unto the Nations as holy things This is contrary to the Apostolick church and with the life of God is judged and the life of the Saints whom you honour in words and make pictures of and worships the works of your own hands and crucifies the life where ever it appears that they lived in and teacheth a contrary doctrine 3. Confession may be made in words of the true God and talk may be of his wonderous works and yet people Idolaters the church of the Jews who acknowledge the true God and had seen and heard of his wonderous works they eat and drank and rose up to play and these were Idolaters such is the church of Rome who take peoples minds up with garments and Vestments with Altars and Candles with Crucifixes Agnus Dei with Images formed by Painters with a piece of Bread called a Holy Host and Eucharist an unbloody Sacrifice who neglects the life and him that is the Head of the Body and his Witnesse in their hearts and consciences and leads them to worship and honour visible and carnal things and to busie their mindes in the exercise of outward things which profiteth little or nothing at all and so are Idolaters worshipping the works of your own hands which Christ and the Apostolick church bore testimony against for that which the creatures mind goes out after besides or without that which may be known of God in the heart is made an Idol of and the true God is not minded and them that honor Gods Friends and Saints walks in their footsteps live their life and honor their sayings but your Church is contrary who would kill and have killed about these invented Fopperies which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine God accepts not prayers by number nor tale nor for multitude of words which are without understanding and without the Spirit this Christ counted as evil and reprehended the Pharisees and said It was like the vain repetitions of the Heathen who thought to be heard for their much babling and the Salutation which the Angel gave to Mary is no prayer And that which is called the Apostles Creed is no prayer and them that are unconverted unto God may prattle and prate over the words in the unbelief and never have any acceptance of God And though the Prophet did pray seven times a day it was according to the motion of God's Spirit in his own heart which shewed him his state and necessity and what is this to imitators when they pray not with the same Spirit neither in the same words And what if Mary lived threescore and three years who gave commandment that Hail Mary should be said threescore and three times over The rest of the Saints are like to have but small shares of worship and honor if she go with all this in a day And what five wounds is that which the Church of Rome dreams of that five Pater 〈◊〉 must be said for the honor of With Deceit and Ignorance you wound him every day and your Pater nosters doth not honor him at all pattred oft over with your polluted lips who are given to speak lyes and your tongues to speak mischief which Christ accepteth not What are you all new creatures that say Our Father which art in Heaven Are you born again Are your Natures changed Sin you not Do you hallow his Name who do not love that which shews your evil deeds Would you see his Kingdom come which stands in righteousness Where will you appear Or how will you stand when he appears in his Power and Glory to take vengeance on all them that wis◠not that he should rule in their hearts who is the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world Would you see his wil done on earth as it is in Heaven when you walk contrary to his Doctrine which the Apostolick Church walked in and sets up a numberless number of Traditions and Inventions of men instead thereof which the Lord accepteth not and you pray not with understanding 5. As for your Beads which are neither Jewish nor Christian but meer Heathenish as to reck on the number or tale of that which you call your prayers by and though Kings Popes Cardinals and Bishops do the same this is but a small proof as for Authority Kings have drunk of the Whores Cup and Popes and Cardinals have usurped power that Christ never gave as to exercise Lordship and be Law-givers unto others for the Lord is the Saints Law-giver and the Saints Life and Judge and he will not give his glory to another for Kings have ' drunk of the VVhores cup of Fornication and Popes have usurped Authority and Cardinals have exercised Lordship over mens consciences yea and over great Kingnomes and States too And if they pray by Beads as others do set forms by number tale they are as much Ideots as the rest are who know not the Spirit to pray by And so this is no authority to prove your practice Apostolical and holy as for variety of prayers and worships it delighteth the carnal mind indeed but they that worship God in spirit and truth they pray by the spirit and in it as David and Christ prayed
whether seven times five times or three times and with understanding and that which they prayed in was not various but one and it 's by that one spirit which is not various by which the sons of God cry Abba Father and the variety of your formed charms bablings upon your Beads God hath no regard unto but is a smoke in his nostrils all the day And they that have exercised themselves in these things have not the witness of God in their own consciences that they are accepted of God and so I shal proceed to another Doctrine called Apostolical and holy and that is about Meats whether they may be lawfully eaten at all times The Author confesseth they forbid certain kinds of meats but it is but at certain times and they are forbidden not as they are evil and the Creatures of God but because they are forbidden by the Church and his proof is the Apple which Eve and Adam eat was not evil in it self but being prohibited so to eat that which is good of it self is not ill but to eat contary to the Superiors mind and order this is evil The Bible and Scriptures ought not to be read but leave is to be asked of the Superior because there are many hard passages which they which have little or no learning as Peter testifies in his second Epistle Chap. 3. some understands it one way and some another and therefore it is the fittest for Learned men to judge of them and they must judge whether people be in a capacity to read them Answ. And why are Meats forbidden at certain times Is this like the Apostolick Doctrine Are not all times and seasons in the hand of the Lord and are all good to them that believe and to the pure all things are pure all times and seasons all meats and drinks being sanctified by the Word which made them all holy unto all that do believe And if you forbid them not as they are Creatures of God but because they are forbidden I say who did forbid them or when were they forbidden by Christ his Apostles or the true Church of Christ in their day but on the contrary Christ taught That which goeth in at the mouth and in at the belly doth not defile the man but that which proceedeth out of the heart which is corrupted And Paul said What is sold at the shambles may be eaten and no question made for conscience sake for to the clean all things are clean and to the believing all things are pure and who limited such meats for such dayes and such times the true Church No but the Church of Rome who are going on in that Doctrine the Apostle spoke of the 1. of Tim. and the 4. which he reckoned a doctrine of Devils but here is your Argument that must bring you off because you forbid it not at all times I say if it be a Doctrine of Devils to forbid at all times then it is some part of the Doctrine of Devils to forbid at any time seeing time and things are all good in the hand of the Lord but if this Doctrine should hold what would become of your Dogg-days and of your Lent which has been patched up Week by Week by diverse Popes and of your Wednesday Friday and Saturday Fasts so by this account of yours half of the year is either unholy or else some meat is unholy for half of the year but there is few but sees your blindness that in this much need not be said but onely thus That which may be lawful in it self when it is prohibited by the Lord unto any particular then it becomes evil for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin But Christ alone unto whom all power is committed hath the sole power over the Heart and Conscience and for any to make Injunctions and Prohibitions contrary to him the same is Antichrist and so the practice which your Church commands is not Apostolical but you bring yoaks upon the true Disciples necks which they that are made free by the Son cannot stoop unto neither join with for whosoever doth goes into bondage And Christ is the Supreme Power unto whom all power is committed and when He justifies what Superior can condemn And there is no need of asking leave of them that are Superiors which reckons themselves as so seeing every man stands clear in the sight of God when he transgresses not against the Supreme Law of Christ in his Conscience and to offend any Superiors who lays any Injunction contrary to the Command of God is not to offend God neither to break his Command 2ly It seems all parts of Religion is monopolized by Mysterie Babylon in which Rome is comprised not onely Patents and Pardons sold for eating of meat but authority and licence must be given to every one that reads Scripture a thing which the Apostolick Church before the Pope had a being knew nothing of but on the contrary some were exhorted to read the Scriptures and some were commended for reading of the Scriptures and for searching whether the things were so as Paul testified and in this they were counted more Noble then they at Thâ—ssalonica but now it is become an ignoble thing and not at all to be suffered to read the Scriptures without Patent or Licence in the Church of Romes account who have laid down Ignorance to be the Mother of their Devotion But the danger is because there are hard passages which are not understood when people have little or no Learning as the Author saith What was it for want of natural Learning that Peter complained they wrested the Scriptures and therefore is it for want of natural Learning that the Scriptures are not understood and for want of this they must not be read as the Author saith Ignorant man what was Peter such a great Learned man a poor Boat-man or Fisherman whom the Scripture saith was illiterate in the Acts when they beheld Peter and John and that they were illiterate men and saw their boldness and took notice they had been with Jesus What was it want of natural Learning that Peter spoke of then he spoke against himself for he was illiterate but it was such a Learning that they wanted as this Author wants who is untaught by the Spirit and unlearned in the Doctrine of Christ and such wrest the Scriptures and do not understand hard sayings because the deep things of God are revealed through the Spirit of God and not by natural Learning as this Author who would sell Licences and Pardons for reading the Scriptures as they have done for eating Flesh in Lent but a story of Robin Hood a Comedy or a Play is more frequently read by the Members of the Church of Rome which begets into loosness and prophaneness a thing which this Generation is in love with rather then the Scriptures and though the Scriptures be applauded in words as for the rule of Life by many and a Judge of Controversies yet how should
kept holy to the Lord by him that witnesses the work of Redemption and this is according to the Apostolick Doctrine and if because of example the Christians whom you are pleased to stile Sectaries do observe the first day of the week in the Power of God for his Worship then they are as much if not more to be heard than you and have as much solid reason on their side as you and thou must not think to carry the matter on with such frivolous arguments as this to advance Mysterie Babylon for this is a a knowing age blessed be the Lord wherein the wisdom of God is revealed and that which comprehendeth all shadows types dayes times years meats drinks washings and other figures they are all seen over and he is come and manifest which is Head of the true Church and not the Pope who was is and is to come life it self truth it self power strength and everlasting satisfaction to thousands and ten thousands who have believed and to a numberless number which are yet to be gathered into God's sheep-â—old and into the narrow way of Christ which will deny and doth deny upon good grounds and infallible Testimony from the Eternal Spirit that the Church of Rome is either in whole or in part any part of the true Church of Christ. And seeing this valiant Champion hath made so fair a proffer that all their Priests Jesuits and Catholicks over all the world will turn to the Sectaries way as he calls them if they can but get a clear and satisfactory resolution to the following doubts Answ. I am one which do acknowledge my self to be reckoned by him as a Sectarian yet as a Sectarian is reckoned by the true Church of God in the Primitive time in the Apostles and Christ's dayes I do not reckon my self as such and that I am a Minister of the Everlasting Gospel I dare not deny seeing a necessity is laid upon me to acknowledge the same yet herein I do not glory but in him who hath called me for the work sake and I know the Teaching of Christ Jesus and his Doctrine and no other thing this many years have I published but that which I received of the Lord and from him by his Spirit which is according to the true Faith and Godliness which was in the Primitive Church before ever Rome did lay claim to be the onely true Catholick Church excluding all others but her self to be in the way that leads to salvation I which am as one amongst many thousands which God hath manifested his mind unto shal answer in clearness and according to Apostolick Doctrine and the manifestation of his Spirit but when I have so done I am afraid this Champion with the rest of the Priests and Jesuits and the rest of the Catholicks over the World wil hardly own his Challenge or consess that Doubts are answered yet however if it satisfie but one of a thousand I have my reward and shal put it to tryal The first thing the Author who it seems knows the mind of the Church of Rome in all things both as to Doctrine and Practice vvhich they do allovv of and the contrary they vvil deny he knovvs to the full or else he vvould never sure have made such a bold challenge The first thing that they vvould be resolved in is Whether any can clearly shew that any Teachers Doctors or Ministers are sent of the Almighty God to preach and reform the Roman Catholick Church and that they are not some who say the Lord saith when the Lord hath not spoken unto them neither sent them Ezek 13. 2. Ans. What the Roman Church and their Members will take for a satisfactory resolution as to themselves I somewhat question and do doubt the resolving of the most but however by the same commandment that the Apostles did evidence their commission that they were sent to reform the Church of the Jews and also them that had made defection from the Faith amongst the Gentiles this may be shown 1. The Apostles of Christ Jesus did declare their commission which they had received from Christ and for other proof they sought none amongst them that were auditors or hearers but the witness and testimony of God unto which they desired to be approved in the sight of God 2. They shewed the Jews that they held the types and the figures but did not receive or believe him who was the substance in whom they all ended they were sent to bear testimony to the true Light that lighteth every one that cometh into the World and to preach down dayes times months years fasts feasts sabbaths circumcision temples and offerings the priesthood and the sacrifice which were but to continue until th time of reformation and the bringing in of a better hope by which they drew nigh unto God and had an accesse unto him and they declared their Commission against a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels all which things the Church of Rome do stick in and vindicate for Apostolick Doctrine and many more things which the Church of Rome is run into contrary to the true Church of Christ and therefore had need of Reformation So that which is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles and practice of the primitive Church in the first hundred years is in the apostacy but Rome is in many practices and doctrines contrary to the true Church therefore needs reforming And so God hath manifested himself in this his day of Power and hath discovered the Church of Rome to be contrary in doctrine and practice to the true Spouse of Christ and hath stirned up and moved many by his Power and Spirit to preach the everlasting gospel and to declare also against the defection of the Church of Rome and her apostatizing from the Faith and they are not of those whom the Prophets spoke of which ran and the Lord sent them not for them were the false prophets in Israel and they were manifest by their fruits of which there are great store in Rome who are manifest by their fruits and they are such as are in Cain's way who would kill and such as are seekers of gain from their quarter and such as take the Jews tythes and these the Lord never sent to be Teachers or Ministers to bring to the knowledge of Christ but we deny all these things and your Church in the very ground and foundation and know that it will be swept away when the Beast is taken alive upon which your Church now rides then shall you see that that which you long put off among people as Apostolick Doctrine will not be received any more neither traditions nor inventions of men for the Worship of God The second doubt which the Author would be resolved in is Whether we can make good what Luther and Calvin with all Protestants have boasted that they would do to reform convincingly one of the silliest Roman Catholicks that is and to begin do it
and gone in their own traditions and inventions and have forsaken the strait way and the narrow path that leadeth to life and all are exhorted to come unto him who is the light and life of men that their souls may live and that they may witness assurance of the love of God unto them by his Spirit 's manifestation And now let us see whether the Author will keep to his word whether the church of Rome will all turn unto our way which is Christ the way the truth and the life or they will follow their visible Head the Pope who is changeable and doth not abide for ever who leadeth onely to an observance of outward things but neglects the weightier things to walk in And now I shall come to some Propositions which the Author saith hath been propounded which are unanswerable and the Propositions are against all Sectaries and the Propositions are laid down by Francis Costorus as the Author saith of the Society of Jesus which hath been laid down fifty years ago and they are in number eight and with them eight Propositions the Author saith he hath put all the ablest Ministers of Germany and the Low Countreys unto their wits end now I hope some will be able to give an answer and yet keep both their Faith Wit and Reason 1. The first Proposition is this That never since the Apostles time till the Year 1517. wherein Luther began his Doctrine were any found in the world who did consent with either the Lutherans Calvinists or Anabaptists or other Sectaries opinions nor ever shall any of the Sectaries prove that any of the Apostles or Evangelists were of their Faith so by consequence the Sectaries are without Faith they are the men whom the Scriptures in several places affirms that should come In the latter times false Prophets c. Answ. As I said before any opinion which Luther Calvin or the Baptized people do hold I shal not stand to vindicate it because they have so holden yet in many things they are separated from you upon good ground their Doctrine and Worship was far more consonant and agreeable unto the Apostles dayes then yours are but I am one that owns my self a Protestant who denies the Church of Rome and I do say this Proposition is silly poor and feeble and I do not believe that any was so hard put to it as to be brought to their wits end by answering of it for what need he talk of since the Apostles time till such a year we shal come to the Apostles time and age and if any society of people now are found the same in Faith in Doctrine in Worship in Life Practice and Conversation then they are the true Church And let Francis Costorus with the rest of the Roman Merchants take that Faith to themselves and that Doctrine to themselves and those particular points of Worship and Tradition to themselves since all the world hath wondred after the Beast and hath worshipped his Image and this was since the Apostles dayes And if the Church of Rome plead the whole world as for a proof John saw that Antichrist's false Prophets Deceivers were entred in then fifteen hundred years ago and the world went after them and he saw the whole world wonder after the Beast and the Whore sit upon the Waters Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and this comprehends the World the Whores seat and we matter not for her consent neither to Doctrines and Principles nor opinions nor for the approbation of them that have drunk of her Cup. But if we can prove a people which are gathered by the Word of God and thorow the preaching of the Gospel into the same Faith Hope Doctrine Life and Practice which the Apostls walked in then this is the Church which is coming out of the Wilderness again where she has been preserved while the Mother of Harlots has sit as a Queen and has been so visible as over all the World and hath made the Nations drink her Cup of Fornication and therefore your Unity in this thing and in this time is clear that the Church of Rome is not the Church of Christ but there are some whom Rome is pleased to call Sectaries that own the same Practice the same Doctrine the same Faith which the Apostles walked in and therefore this great Proposition is false That all that have separated from the Church of Rome have no Faith or a new fancied Faith and now I come to his second Proposition 2. Propositon The Religion and Faith of the Romane Church hath not been any way changed in any Article that belongs to Religion by any Pope Councils or Catholick Bishops but it is the very same Faith hath remained intire and inviolate from the Apostles to this present day There were Churches planted before there was any at Rome and the Faith which they received was that which did overcome the world and gave them victory over sin and death and the Religion which the Churches of Christ professed as Corinth Galathia Thessalonica and the rest of the Churches which the Apostles planted is no more like the Faith and Religion of the Church of Rome now then Black is to White as for instance Prove us out of the Scripture what foundation you have for Purgatory for selling Indulgences and Pardons for sins and vvhat Scripture have you for Auricular confession for an Unbloody Sacrifice for Prayer to Saints for worshipping of Images in the New-Testament for observing of Lent consisting of so many days And what Scripture and example from the Churches that were in the Apostles dayes before Rome was called a Church concerning prayer for the dead for yours crosses your tapers and candles for annointing with oyle and cream in Baptism which was onely invented by Pope Clement which another Pope Pope Silvester confirmed 315. Plat. Volat. Sabil And what example from the true Church for baptizing of Infants and for God-fathers and God-mothers in Christ's day when he planted the Church And that Infants should be baptized and onely at Easter and Whitsuntide was not this ordained by Pope Leo in the year 676. Lib. Council Volat. Pol. Chron. And was not Transubstantiation which you call the Body and Blood of Christ after the consecration when the Priest hath whispered over the Bread and Wine a few Latine words As Hoc est Corpus meum hic est enim sanguis meus c. The Bread is turned into the natural Body of Christ's flesh blood and bone was not this ordained by Pope Innocent held at Latterane by twelve hundred Romish Priests Monks and Fryars in the year 1215. decret de summa Trinitate Cap. firmiter And whether are not these articles of the Church of Rome yea or nay If I should traduce the church of Rome in their Bishops and Councils these 12. hundred years and upward I might bring a cloud of witnesses that the church of Rome is not the same in articles of faith in Religion
other Sectaries to shew where Matthew's Writing is called holy Scripture more than Nichodemus his Gospel and seeing they cannot prove the one no more than the other they must needs believe something that is not written in the holy Scripture Ans. I shall let Luther and Calvin alone they were men that God did honor and I do honor and many more as in their day they are at rest in the Sepulchers of their fathers where your reviling cannot touch them they prevailed in their Doctrine and Faith so much against you as you have not recovered in a hundred and thirty years neither I believe ever will so long as the Church of Rome will have any cause to call her self Christ's onely visible Church upon Earth And I do not believe Matthew's Writing onely because it is reckoned by you and us for holy Scripture but because we feel by the Spirit of God that gave forth all words that it is a declaration of those things which were brought to pass in his day and likewise Mark John and Luke testifie unto the same matter but for Nichodemus his Gospel as you are pleased to call it the Spirit of God doth not testifie in us unto the same but that it is repugnant unto the mind of the Spirit and is a meer patcht up thing in the corruption of time wherein many things are contained that are in opposition and contrary to Matthew Mark Luke and John their Declaration And so thy feeble Argument is answered which thou concludâ—st hath not been alterable these fifteen hundred years and let not him that puts on his Armour boast but him that hath overcome and puts it off 7. Proposition is That it cannot bee shewen for this fifteen hundred years that there hath been any Catholick that held that the Pope of Rome was Antichrist or that did rail at the most holy Sacrifice of the Mass or Invocation of Saints and Angels and usual Praying for the Dead and such like works of Piety belonging to our Faith and Religion which the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced for fifteen hundred years It is a wonder that this Author belonging to the the Church of Rome is not ashamed of his Arguments the silly Propositions that he hath propounded from another hand It seems neither this Author nor Francis Costherus whose Propositions the Author hath vaunted in and boasted of knows the Apostles Doctrine who said The whole world lay in wickedness and If any man loved the World the love of the Father dwells not in him and Christ said to his true Church Ye are not of the World therefore the World hates you and again I have chosen you out of the World and John in his day saw through the Spirit all the World wandering after the Beast and worshipping his Image and not the Image of God and saw all Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to be Waters and the Nations Kindreds Tongues and People to drink the Whores Cup and these the two Authors brings in for a great proof and for an unanswerable Proposition as that the whole World lies in wickedness in whom the love of God dwells not in and they that have drunk of the Whores Cup of Fornication and they that have wondred after the Beast to wit the whole World these are his dark cloud of Witnesses to prove that the Pope was never called Antichrist Will they that have received the Roman Faith and accounteth the Pope Christ's Vicar and the Visible Head call him Antichrist which hath exalted himself and the Church of Romes Faith over the whole world as the Author boasts That the whole world hath laudably practised and reverenced Invocation of Saints and Praying for the Dead for the Piety Faith and Religion of the Church of Rome for this 1500 years This proves the Church of Rome to lye in wickedness and to be contrary to the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostles And this doth not clear the Pope at all but rather makes him to be an Antichrist and your Church to be the ill-favored Harlot and not the true Church of Christ. Hast thou forgotten how John Bishop of Constantinople would needs be chief Bishop over all the rest of the Churches about the year two hundred fifty and upwards and how the other Bishops cried out against him for to be Antichrist But your Bishop he got to be called Chief-Bishop over all Christian Churches not by consent of the Elders nor Churches but by the means of Phocus a Heathen Emperor as before I have said and is not he much more an Antichrist And as for the Sacrifice in the Mass Invocation of Saints and Praying for the Dead which thou saist is a laudable practice I say none hath or doth reckon it worthy of praise but they that worship the Beast and his Image and have drunk of the Whores Cup and are erred from the Faith and Religion that the Apostles and true Church of Christ were in which all the world did that wondred after the Beast Lastly this I say He that teaches a Faith a Religion a Doctrine contrary to the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostles is an Antichrist But the Pope this 1500 years hath taught a contrary Doctrine therefore he is an Antichrist The first Proposition is evident from diverse testimonies of Scriptures who teaches onely to pray unto the Lord in the name of Christ and for them that are alive in the body and not for them that are dead The Second is proved by the Authors own testimony That the Pope and Church of Rome hath prayed unto the Saints and prayed for the Dead this 1500 years to his shame be it spoken therefore the consequence must necessary follow The Pope is an Antichrist 8. And last Proposition is this That the first Authors of the Christian Faith in Germany Italy Spain France England and Low Countries have acknowledged no other Faith nor brought any other to them then the Catholick Roman Faith which the whole Universe hath acknowledged which we have learned of our Forefathes therefore they that have brought in another are accursed That which the Whole Universe hath acknowledged in the Apostacy which lieth in wickedness seeing all hath wondered after the Beast and drunk of the Whore's cup since the Apostles dayes is but a lame and pitiful argument as to prove the Church of Rome the true Church and as for the Faith delivering such as it was to the Nations before-mentioned onely excepting Spain because it 's probable that the Apostle Paul spread the Faith there seeing that he said he had a purpose to come there into Spain which if he did thy boast may cease as for the planting of Religion there and we know he was no hypocrite but the same Faith and gospel which he had preached over the Regions he would preach there and his Gospel and Doctrine we find contrary to the Church of Rome he condemned diverse Doctrines which the Church of Rome holds as forbidding Meats
Marriages new Moons and Sabbaths and voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels and praying unto them and praying for the dead and if you brought the Christian Faith so called into the rest of the Nations first and the aforesaid Doctrines mentioned and preached them up for Apostolick Institutions then you brought in a Doctrine and a Gospel that is accursed which you have received of your fore-fathers who wondered after the Beast and received his mark and have been drunken with the Whore's Cup to wit the Universe which you lay claim to and none but you called Christians So that it is manifest your Visible Universal Church is the Harlot and hath brought in another Gospel and other Doctrines than the Apostles and so are anathomized for the Apostles preached the Power of God to be the Gospel and you have preached traditions inventions old Wives Fables and outward ceremonies for the Gospel and so have deceived the Nations and now when they begin to dislike your Traffick you are angry but the day hath made manifest that discovers all your deceit And now I have answered the substance of the Book and also the eight Propositions proposed by the Author and thee I am not yet at the wits end as thou saith the Ministers in Germany the Low Countreys have been neither at Wisdoms end but am in it and ready if you will lay down your carnal weapons to begin with thee and to vindicate the Truth as it is in Jesus against the Doctrines of the Church of Rome whensoever I shall hear of thee or any that pertain to your Church make such another bold attempt as to condemn all since the Apostles days for Sectaries Hereticks and Scismaticks who have dissented from you and shal indeavour in the strength of Christ to vindicate and contend though not with Cain's weapons for the Faith and Doctrine which was once delivered to the Saints before the Apostacy and now is manifest again in us and is with us when the Apostacy is coming to an end and the everlasting Gospel is to be preached again to them that dwell on the Earth and to Nations Kindreds Tongues and people that they may come to the true Foundation again and to the Rock of Ages again that they may be established in righteousness for ever the joyful sound whereof is going into the Borders of Babylon which will make the Inhabitants thereof to abhor their City in which they have inhabited and they shall return to Zion with Songs of Deliverance and everlasting joy upon their Heads because the hour of God's judgement is come and coming upon the Harlot and the Year of Redemption is proclaiming to the Captive and the dead shall be raised to life and shall hear the Word of Life and their graves shall be opened and they shall have victory over it and they that hear the voice of the Son of God in themselves shall live and shall deny the voice of many waters and the voice of your Church Mysterie Babylon whose seat hath been upon them And as for Doctor Baily which the Author asserts for his proof and layes down his Reasons wherefore the Church of Rome hath been and is still the true Church by way of demonstration He saith That the Church of Rome was an excellent flourishing Mother-Church this Church could not cease to be such but she must fall either by Apostacy Herefie or Schism Now Apostacy saith he is a renouncing of the Faith of Christ and no man will say that the Church of Rome had ever such a fall 2. He saith Heresie is an adhering to some private and singular Opinion or Error in Faith contrary to the approved Doctrine of the Church Ans. Whatsoever the Author is pleased to boast of the Church of Rome we do not find flourishing for Faith wholsome Doctrine and sound conversation more than other Churches that were planted before her as is evident both by Seripture and the best Ecclesiastical Histories which the Church of Rome her self will allow of and so I can say the Church of Rome hath had a fall and prove it too by Apostacy Heresie and Schism As First she is fallen from her first Love and from the Doctrine of Christ who taught to love Enemies and to do good to them that hate them and to pray for them that persecuted them Now the Church of Rome hath not loved their Enemies neither such as they reckoned as so but have persecuted them to death and to banishment who did not receive their Doctrine And this renouncing of that Faith which was once delivered to the Saints by Christ himself who taught to love Enemies and if they beat them upon the one check turn the other but the Church of Rome is out of this Faith and Doctrine and hath renounced this Faith of Christ and hath denied the power of God and placed it in a Man to wit the Pope that infallibility is in him And this is in the Apostacy 2. If Heresie be an adhering to some private Opinion or Error in Faith then the Church of Rome is in the Heresie for the Faith that was held among the true Churches was that which did overcome the world and give victory over sin and Faith in Christ was that which onely gave an interest into the Kingdom of God but Cardinal Bellarmine a chief Pillar of your Church hath asserted this for the Doctrine of the Church of Rome That a man hath a two fold right to the Kingdom of God first by the merits of Christ Secondly by the merits of man's good works or works of supererogation And this is an adhering to a singular Opinion and is an Error in the Faith that was generally held in the true Churches of Christ as witness He worketh in us to will and to do viz. Christ. So that there is nothing appropriated unto the creature as a creature 3. This is an Error in the Faith of the Church of Rome who teacheth and are taught That there is a place called Purgatory in which men are cleansed from some light faults or venial sins and this is contrary to the faith of the true Christian Churches and is no less than Heresie for the true Church or Churches of Christ taught That the blood of Christ alone cleanseth from all sin and that he is to wit Christ the propitiation for sin and the everlasting Sacrifice and Offering but you have other Offerings as the Sacrifice of the Masse which you call an unbloody Sacrifice which is contrary to the faith of the Christian Church in Christ's and the Apostles days and therefore is Heresie Again praying for the dead and praying to Angels and worshipping of Images is absolute Heresie and contrary to the Faith and Doctrine of the true Church of Christ. 4. And as for Schism the Church of Rome hath separated from many other churches in their practice and also have excommunicated them as Schismaticks and Hereticks witness the Eastern churches the church of Caesaria and
divers others as about your Lent your fasts feasts and invented holy-dayes which the true Church of Christ did not allow of but you have brought those things in as Apostolical and excommunicated all the rest that would not bow unto you As for example about the Feast of Easter the time when it should be celebrated though Victor the Bishop of Rome excommunicated all the Eastern Churches because they did not accord with Rome Euseb Lib. 5. cap. 23. At which Iraeneus Bishop of Lyons in France sharply reproved him ibid. cap. 23 So in many more things which I shall not now stand neither to trouble my self nor the Reader which the church of Rome hath departed in her practice from the primitive Church as you may see farther in a Book entituled The Glory of the true church discovered Published by F. H. And whereas the Author desires to be satisfied by what General Councils she was ever condemned or which of the Fathers wrote against her or 3dly By what Authority she was otherwise approved Ans. Because the Author is so confident in his assertions as though they were unanswerable I return this short answer which if I hear any more from the Author may be amplified For instance In the year 287. there was a Council of Bishops called at Sinvisâ—â— where the Pope was condemned which your Church hath taught could not err for sacrificing to Idols At a Council held at Carthage decreed That Clergy men should not meddle with temporal affairs At a Council held at Valentia in France a Decree was made that Priests should not marry and these were called Christians and some of Rome's Visible Universal Church And this was again reproved and condemned in the first Council held at Tolledo in Spain they decreed that Priests should marry And now Rome look to thy unity Again at a Council held at Caesar Augusta accursed all them that eat not the Sacrament in the Church but the church of Rome hath decreed that it may be kept and ready to carry abroad to sick people and upon other occasions out of the Church At a general Council at Constantinople decreed That Mary shall be called the Mother of God as though God were generated by natural generation which is Blasphemy The Council of Armenium decreed for the Armenians That Christ was not God The Council of Chalcedon which was one of the four Councils that Pope Gregory compared to the four Gospels and that their Decrees were sure and certain as the Scripture yet Pope Leo did not stick to condemn it and all of them as unadvised viz. the whole Council So Councils have erred as is evident and that which some have decreed for Apostolick Doctrine since the Apostles dayes other Councils have condemned as Heresie though called Christians as well as the Church of Rome and yet they have condemned that which some Councils did allow So the Pope hath erred the Councils have erred as is manifest in what I have said that I shall not trouble my Reader in large things which I could and might do upon another occasion if I hear any more from the Church of Rome 2. By what Authority she viz. the church of Rome is reproved In short Leo the fourth Bishop of Rome made void the the acts of Adrian Bishop of Rome Stephanus made void and abrogated the Decrees of Formesus and Sabian Christ's Vicars so called commanded that Pope Gregory another Vicar so called his Writings and Decrees should be burned And all these before-mentioned did say and the Church of Rome holds it as such that they were Peter's Successors So here one Father or Head of the church as they reckon the Bishop of Rome hath confounded another 3. The Nicene council determined That Images were not onely to be placed in the churches but also worshipped and the then Pope said that Images were lay-mens Calenders The Latterane council under Julius did repeal the Decrees of the Pissan council The Bazil council decreed that a council was above the Pope but the Latteran council decreed that the Pope was above the council that he that should think otherwise should be counted a Heretick Yet the Bazil council aforesaid decreed that they that judged that a council was not above the Pope were Hereticks And yet the Church of Rome layes claim to visibility and universality over all the World and yet one as distinct from another as black is to white and is as unsuitable as Snow is in Summer or Rain in Harvest One word more and I have done Boniface the eighth a great Father of the Church of Rome and a Pope That no man in the World can be saved unless he be subject to the Roman Church like this Author And Pope Paschal thus said That no Council could make Laws for the Church of Rome And so much of General Councils and of the confusion of the Church of Rome a few words more of Synods and I have done 1. Bernardus saith the Church of Rome was polluted with many Superstitions that the Bishops were biters of the Sheep rather than true Shepherds Sometimes saith he I have admired that there should be a Traytor among the twelve Disciples but now I much more wonder that among so great a company of Bishops and Prelates one upright Disciple cannot be found Apop Chr. Lib. 13 p. 260. Gregorius Theologus who lived about three hundred years after Christ did determine never to come more at Councils or Synods Because saith he there comes more evil than good out of them for the contention and ambitiousnesse of the Bishops is above measure said he Anno 300. D. Paraeus said Often hath the Truth suffered wrong in Synods because all that were assembled agreed in one error so that Truth came to be passed by with silence Iren. pag. 57. Again Gregorius Nazianzius used to say That he never had seen any good end of any Council or Synod Vide Inst. Clav. 4. Lib. 9. cap. 11. And some Synods have said That remedy was not to be expected from the Clergy who were the cause of the Disease Anno 1616. So the Author saith Whose company did the Church of Rome leave And from whom did she go forth And where was the Church that she did forsake that she should be counted Heretical and Schismatical I say She left the company and society of the Primitive Church in Christ's and the Apostles days and she went forth from the rest of the Churches that were planted as I instanced The Church of Rome in the year 193 did excommunicate all the Eastern Churches And where was the true Church that she did forsake saith the Author Not onely one I say but many to wit The Doctrine that the Apostles had laid down and preach'd at Antioch at Philippi at Corinth at Ephesus and the rest of the Churches of Asia And so the Church of Rome is proved to be an Apostate in the Apostacy in Heresie in Schism so that there is an absolute defection from the Life and Power of God which was manifested in the Apostles dayes and therefore the church of Rome is not the true Church What I have said as to the Doctrines and Grounds which have been laid down by the Author I shall refer it and the answer unto Gods Witnesse in every man's Conscience and if I hear any more of the Author his great Boasts or ambitious challenges which may reach to all that do dissent from the Church of Rome as to be Hereticks I shall engage in the strength of the Lord to vindicate the Truth however opposed and shall further if God permit be ready to give a more large and full answer unto the Doctrines and Practices and Worship of the Church of Rome and prove them to be contrary to the Scriptures and the Apostolick Doctrine and the Faith that was once delivered unto the Saints So in what I have said I hope may convince the Authour of his vain assertions and them that are enclined towards Babylon it may put a stop to that which would too readily close with every thing which goes under the name of ANTIQUITIE But in what I have said upon the whole matter I hope will be sufficient unto all who read with a single Eye without prejudice and unto such I say The Lord give them an Understanding that they may see and discern the way which leadeth to Life and Felicity from that which leadeth to the Chambers of Death and the pathes that take hold on destruction FINIS
nature of the material Bread is there no more Oh horrible Blindness and gross Ignorance great Idolatry and horrible blasphemy your Priests by their words it seems can make God who made all things and can make Christ the Redeemer then your Priests are greater then God and Christ for he which createth and maketh must needs be greater then that which is created and made And thou confesses that it is really Bread and Wine before the Priests sacred words are uttered of Consecration but afterwards it becomes the real and true body of Christ yea whole Christ our God and Redeemer So it is clear that the Priest hath power in your judgment to make the body of Christ to make God and whole Christ a Redeemer Oh that ever such gross darkness should enter into the hearts of the sons of men As for those two places in Luke 22. 1 Cor. 11. it is but a pitiful ground for you to plead that the material Bread and the material Cup is the very Body and Blood of Christ was not Christ present when he broke the Bread and gave the Cup and after too and alive Did they eat his Body when he was with them and drink his Blood Was his body broken for them then before he was offered up and was his Blood shed then before he suffered upon the Cross nay it 's manifest he was alive in the Real Body after they had earen the Bread and drunk the Cup and this was a sign unto them of his Suffering for them and of his Death and as the Apostle saith As oft as they eat the Bread and drunk the Cup they shewed forth the Lords death till he came And reveal'd himself in his own life and power and then they saw and feel'd that which was signified through the figure before that like as the Bread and the Cup did nourish the natural man likewise their souls were fed and nourished with the Bread of Life and the Cup of blessing which they knew and feel'd little of when Christ broke the Bread and gave the Cup and doth not Christ say I am the Door I am the Way I am the Vine and also This is my Body and This is my blood Why should one place be literally and naturally understood and interpreted and not another so 2ly And we do not question what Christ can do but what he did That he turn'd water into Wine we do believe and that God made the world of nothing is for thee to prove yet and that Christ made himself Invisible passed through his enemies somtimes without being seen we believe but that he made himself Invisible vvhen he broke the Bread and gave the Cup to the Disciples is clear contrary to the aforementioned Scripture and divers others or that he conveyed himself so invisibly into the Bread and into the Wine as you ignorantly suppose or that he was so under it as thy own word is so as that he was not seen visibly by the Disciples even when they eat the Bread and drank the Cup and after he bless'd it is utterly false for they saw him before he took the bread and when he took it and bless'd it and brake it and when they eat it and after they had eaten he was visible in all these moments of time is very evident both by Matthew Mark Luke and John in their Narration of the Supper and so all your twining and turning and vain arguments are made void 3ly We do not believe that ever any of your Priests turn'd Water into Wine or Bread into Flesh or Wine into blood of one sort or other much less into the flesh or blood of Christ for thou saist the external Accidents remain as our eyes represent unto us after Consecration but yet the nature of the material Bread is no more as your faith teaches you so it seems you confess the visible appearance which may be seen and felt as to the natural Aspect doth remain that the natural Elements of bread and wine still remain in sight but the substance nature and matter is no more in being I shall appeal to the light of Christ in your consciences whether this be true yea or nay Nay it is so ridiculous a thing that I dare appeal to any man or woman that have not lost their sences whether that which may be seen with the natural eyes and may be felt by the natural hands and tasted by the natural taste be not the very same in nature and matter after Consecration as before if the external Accidents do remain as you say it doth we will join issue with you in this thing for trial if you dare venture it and put it to proof you and we with a joint consent will chuse Bread and Wine and you and we will both eat and drink of some part of it before and then your Priest shall consecrate it and we will hear and see what he saith and doth provided that he shall onely speak to it or pray over it and then when he hath done we will both eat again and if it be not of the same substance and the same effect as to your own understanding sence and feeling as you are men and creatures which if there be no alteration but it remain the same in substance in taste in matter nature and quality with that before Consecration then you shall confess your error deny your Doctrine but if it be alter'd we will deny ours and join unto your Faith Or secondly If you will stand to trial and appoint time and place for two or three of you and two or three of us to meet together where both parties may be secure as to their persons you and we will take Bread and Wine and one part of it shall be unconsecrated and another part you shall be allow'd to consecrate as well as you can for the honor of your Church and that which is consecrated and that vvhich is unconsecrated shall be set together and shall be watched by some of each party and if that which is consecrated do corrupt and decay as that which is unconsecrated then you wil renounce your Doctrine and leave your killing about it but if it do not corrupt and decay as well as that which is unconsecrated then we will deny our Faith and confess that you are the true Church Lastly If you be not Idolaters there was never any in the world who say that to adore or worship the Bread and Wine after consecration is no more Bread but whole Christ your God and Redeemer who placeth himself there upon the Altar by miracle It 's a miraculous thing indeed that that which is given unto you by the Priest which enters in at the natural mouth and goes into the belly should be the body of Christ and whole Christ and very God and Redeemer as thou saist that one person should contain whole God seeing the Scripture saith that the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him for he is the
they be ruled that may not read them without a Licence or a Toleration from the Superior If it be lawful to read with Toleration it 's lawful to read without Toleration for the toleration of men neither addeth to nor diminisheth from any spiritual exercise and Timothy read the Scriptures of a youth and who gave him his Toleration And Apollos was a mighty man and a knowing man in the Scriptures from whence had he his License 3. Because thou judgest according to the judgement of this present evil world that they are onely fit to read the Scripture and give interpretations upon it who are naturally learned and have the wisdom of this world I say Nay the world by wisdom knew not God neither know him now and them that had natural learning rejected the Foundation them that had the Hebrew Language set Christ at nought they that had the Greek tongue withstood Paul and called him a babler them that had the Latine Tongue the Tongue of the Whore your Mother persecuted the Christians in the first three hundred years after Christ as your own Histories do relate So according to all these who had onely the knowledg in the natural Languages they did not understand the things of God and it was the wise builders which builded by art skill in the Earthly Wisdom that rejected the true Foundation and Corner-stone but on the contrary we say according to the Apostolick Doctrine that the Scriptures may be read and ought to be read for they are profitable for instruction and correction and information to make the man of God perfect and thorowly furnisht to every good work through faith in Christ Jesus And I would have the Author know that we do not look upon Cardinals Fryers Monks and Bishops to be the alone men of God so that they alone have the sole power to tolerate the reading of Scriptures for he is a man of God who is born of the spirit which sanctifieth and leadeth into the clear pathes of Equity and Righteousness who walks not after the flesh neither fulfils the lusts thereof and such there are and have been which have been unlearned in natural Tongues but this is the way to keep your Church in reputation to believe as you believe and every man to put out his own eyes and live by another's sight and hang his faith upon another's shoulders this is not like Apostolick Doctrine for the Apostle said Let every one be perswaded in his own mind not by other mens minds and he that believeth hath the witness in himself and hath it not to seek among the litteral Rabbies who darken Counsel through words and it is not for want of natural learning that one understandeth the Scriptures this way and another that way but because they want the understanding of that Spirit which gave forth the Scriptures which Spirit universally is given to all men and women a measure of it to lead into truth and through which the deep things of God are revealed And it 's not your Traditions Inventions natural Learning Schools Colledges Fryeries and Covents in which the Spirit of God is onely limited but every one that seeks finds whether learned or unlearned for of a truth God is no respector of persons And so the mind of Christ is manifest unto them that believe and the one Spirit into which the Saints were baptized is that which opens the Scriptures truly as they are and discerneth the times and the seasons and fulfilleth it in the hearts of them that believe and manifests the state unto which they were spoken And if the Scriptures be so hard to be understood by reason of the hard sayings or because of the Translations what have you been doing these fourteen hundred years with all your learning with all your Councils Popes Bishops and Clergy that you have not translated them aright or so plain that they may be understood by all that reads But then your Doctrine Worship and Practice would be soon manifest not to be Apostolical nor consonant and agreeing to the practice of the true Church of Christ. And now I come to the effectual Arguments and pregnant wayes which the Author tells of which will work upon the Sectaries to make them return to the Catholick Church which he saith they have groundlesly forsaken and now I shall come to try his arguments and search the force of them which he layeth down as the most efficacious way to convince all Sectaries as he is pleased to stile them to come to the Church of Rome but the hope of this man will be like a Spider's Web for unto all whose Eyes God hath illuminated in any measure will come to see the weakness of this Philosophy and vain deceit which he hath laid down as a chief instrument to convince all that the Roman Church is the true Church and that salvation is onely concluded in her 1. The first argument he takes from Matth. 18. 17. Christ sends us to the Church saith he if any neglect to hear her they must be counted as Heathens and Publicans From hence this is the Argument That that Church is to be heard in which there is most assurance to be had that one is in the way to salvation but in the Roman Church there is most assurance therefore the Roman Church is to be heard Ans. The Minor is false and also the Conclusion That Church which hath the foundation of its assurance without it is not the true Church of Christ neither is to be heard but the Roman Church hath onely their assurance of salvation without them therefore are not to be heard it is manifest their assurance stands onely in outward things as Antiquity and Visibility which are not the alone Marks of the true Church Cain was ancient enough and there were them that were in Cain's way before Rome was so highly elevated and that for Universality and Visibility there is no assurance in that for all the World hath wondered after the Beast and the Whore hath sitten upon Nations Kindreds and People and so the first argument is denied and proved to be false I shall lay down another 1. That Church which hath always been so visible and Universal since the Apostles dayes as hath had its seat over Nations Kindreds and Tongues is not the true Church of Christ but the Harlot but the Church of Rome hath been universal over Nations Kindreds Tongues and People therefore the Church of Rome is the Harlot and not the true Church of Christ. But I shall not traduce thee in thy vain deceit but return thy arguments upon thy self which thon chargest upon others 1. As first That Church is not to be heard whose Authors and Doctors are Cozeners and Impostors 2. But all are Cozeners and Impostors but the Church of Rome Again That the Church of Rome hath the Marks of the true Church and no other as Antiquity Miracles holiness of life Universality Again That the Church of Rome takes the
narrow way that leads to life Again Because the Church of Rome keeps Sunday instead of Saturday by Tradition therefore she is the Church of Christ. To the first If that Church is not to be heard neither her censures regarded whose Authors and Teachers have been Cozeners and Impostors then the church of Rome is not to be heard nor her censures regarded because the chief Authors have been Cozeners Cheaters and Impostors who have been out of the power of God and have taught for Doctrine the traditions of men as Purgatory prayer for the dead onely to cozen and cheat by to fill the Bags and Coffers of the Popish Clergy which Doctrine is contrary unto the Doctrine of Christ and the Apostolick Church therefore the Church of Rome is not to be heard 2. That the Church of Rome hath the marks of the true Church and no other as Antiquity Holiness of life Miracles and Universality This is false there were Churches before Rome that had these marks and there hath been since and are now more then the Church of Rome Antiquity some of them called Sectaries will allow you a thousand years to be called a Church and yet prove you Apostates both in Doctrine and Practice Your Miracles are but cheats deceits and lying stories if your own Authors be searched you confess most of your Miracles are wrought by your Images works of your own hands 2. Antiquity without Truth proveth nothing and holiness of life if your Church be holy which is prophane tolerating as I said before Whoredoms Stage-Playes vain sports and pastimes which draw people from the fear of God and many foolish sopperies which I shall not now mention so that there are them that have dissented from you which are more ancient in the Faith more holy in life and conversation more agreeable in doctrine and practice to the true primitive Church then you are And as for Miracles which are wrought by the true power and finger of God there hath been and are more amongst them called Sectaries than in the Church of Rome The blind have received their sight the Lepers have been cleansed the Lame have been made to walk and the deaf have heard and the dumb have spoken the dead have been raised and many that have been bound by Satan fourty yeares are loosed and there are thousands that are Witnesses of it and can testifie the truth thereof even in this time and in this year in Scotland England Ireland Germany and America 1662. So there is a true Church which hath the Marks of the true Church of Christ more than the Church of Rome therefore the Roman Church is not the alone true Church 3. To the third argument That the Church of Rome keeps Gods commandments and walks in the narrow way of Christ's counsel therefore she is to be heard How she keepeth the commandments of God is known if he mean the ten commandments Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in Heaven or Earth neither bow down nor worship them Now you make Images of things in Heaven as of God and Christ and the Holy Ghost and of Mary and as for things in Earth you have Images of all sorts witnesse your Masse-Houses called Churches your Cloisters Fryaries and Covents so that every place is filled ful worship unto them is taught by you for Doctrine contrary to God's Doctrine your distinction of Latria Doulia wil not serve for it 's meer deceit he that honors an Image and bows down before it in his heart whether you may judg it represents this or that is an absolute Idolater knoweth not the spirit which Christ said he would send to the true Church which should bring all things to their remembrance both what he did and said and the Saints life and example to remembrance without your Pictures And how you are in the narrow way is known to many thousands that you do not walk in it at all neither take up the crosse of Christ which is to crucifie the lusts affections and desires of the flesh but taketh up outward crosses and bears them on your necks or pin them on your sleeves or hang them about your necks and all because Christ was crucified on the cross And here you are honorers of Pilate and the Jews who crucified Christ upon the crosse as a blasphemer rather then honorers of Christ and the strait and narrow way you are ignorant of and Christ's sufferings you are strangers to What! your Popes are as Emperors your Cardinals as Lawgivers your Ecclesiastical Officers as Lords of great possessions in the Earth except some begging Fryars which you have prest into a voluntary humility without necessity And how do you love your Enemies How many Indians have you destroyed and killed as dogs and how many that have professed the Name of Christ have you burned and destroyed as though they had been Wood and onely fewel for the fire And how can you say your Pater Noster about which you make so much ado and say Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us if the Heathen have trespassed against you if them you call Sectaries have trespassed against your Church how do you forgive them and how do you fulfil the Law of Christ and keep his Counsel seeing that you are out of his Doctrine away with such deceit and hypocrisie God hath found it out and is judging it by his Saints who rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh nor in fleshly Traditions and Imaginations but lives in the power of God and walks in the Spirit and therefore because you walk contrary to the Command of God and Christ's Counsel and are out of the narrow way that leads to life your Church is neither to be heard minded nor heeded The fourth Argument that the Church of Rome is the true Church because they keep their Sabbath of the Sunday by Tradition and not upon the Saturday as the Jewes did and therefore the Church of Rome is to be heard because they have Tradition solid Reason on their side Thy speech bewraies thee which bespeaks thee rather a Heathen then a Christian for the Heathens had a day that they celebrated to an Idol made like the Sun called Sunday and another day which they celebrated to an Idol called Saturnus called Saturday and in this your Church is not to be heard who is out of the form of sound words but the Seventh day was the Jews-Sabbath which none that professes Christianity ought to keep seeing that Christ put an end to the shadows and the Saints Sabbath is a stranger to the Church of Rome he that hath overcome the World and the Divel onely knows God's rest and the true Sabbath of which the Jewes was a figure and the Sundays thou calls it is no more a Sabbath reckoned by the Lord of Life then that which thou calls Saturday for every day is
in the matter of the real presence after Consecration What Luther and Calvin have said unto you as about your Worship Doctrine and Practice hath been made good by themselves while they were living and in the body and what they said did not onely inform the minds of many of the Roman Catholicks but reform'd them too which were not of the silliest amongst you not onely one but thousands did see your error and deceit though they in some particulars did but differ from you But now that is manifest which denieth your Foundation in the very ground And what I have said as about the real presence of Christ's Body being in the Bread and Wine after consecration if thou dare put it and endeavour the trial thereof according as I have in reasonableness propounded unto thee it wil convince many of the Roman Catholicks of their error or else many of the Protestants of their error and so if thou dar'st adventure it make no more boasts but let it come to trial as before is propounded unto the Church of Rome if she or any of her Agents dare admit of it 3. The third Argument which he promiseth If it can be proved from the Scripture which he calls God's written Word that the Sabbath-day is commanded by God to be kept on Sunday and that little Children are to be baptized What others have said as to these two partibulars who were but departed a little way from you in diverse things as to their judgments I shal not stand to vindicate because the Church was rather but a coming out of the Wilderness rather then come already into her first purity but I am one of those amongst many thousands in Europe who denyes the Church of Rome as to be the Bride the Lamb's wife and yet I shall not vindicate either the one nor the other but deny both as amongst Christians viz. 〈◊〉 to keep the Jewish Sabbath upon Sunday as the Author calls it and Sprinkling of little Children is like the other an invention in the Apostacy never that we read of commanded commended or practised in the Apostles dayes as such The first day of the week the Apostles met together and worshipped God not by virtue of the Jewes commandment but in the power of God and you onely have them both and keep them both by Tradition and Custom without Commandment and so are out of the power of God and out of the Saints life 4thly The Fourth Argument Can the Sectaries with reason and ground sufficient condemn all Catholicks that were so many Ages before Luther and Calvin for being no better then Heathens and convince me that adhering to you I shall be more secure in my salvation then in joining to them that have time out of mind been of the onely saving Religion Ans. The Sectaries have not gone about to condemn every individual man before Luther and Calvin for no better than Heathens we believe some were and we believe many were as bad if not worse they that walk in the practice of the Heathen and bring forth fruit but not unto God are in the Heathens Nature but the generallity of the Church of Rome have for these many hundred years brought forth no better fruit than the Heathen and therefore are in the nature of the Heathen for like as the Heathen persecuted the Christians in former dayes even so hath the Church of Rome persecuted the true Christians in their day and in this are no better than Heathens instance the bloodshed murther cruel deaths you have put many unto since you have had the Name of a Church and therefore are no better than Heathens in nature And for Antiquity it proveth nothing without Verity and there can be no assurance in your Church seeing that it stands upon tradition and hear-say and outward performances and bodily exercises that profiteth little but some whom you call Sectaries have more assurance for it is the Spirit of God that gives it and as there is obedience yeilded unto the Lord that Spirit he giveth them assurance and them that are born of it do overcome the world and his Spirit beareth witnesse to their spirits that they have overcome by which they cry Abba Father And this Spirit of truth that leadeth into all truth bringeth more assurance unto them that are led by it and worship it in than can be had in all your outward Formalities Ceremonies and Traditions 5. Argu. Can you make evident at least that in your Flock and Luther and Calvin their Guides there is more holiness and virtue than can be found among the Catholicks and that you go the narrow way that leads to life I answer Yes I am one among many thousands who are not of the Church of Rome yet am of Christ's Flock which he hath cleansed by his blood and revealed his virtue in and his holy life and it 's made manifest that they are in the narrow way more than the Church of Rome they are in the way that leads to life and abide in Christ's Doctrine We love them that hate us we bless them that curse us we pray for them that persecute us but so doth not the Church of Rome but kill them and persecute them that oppose her We say Without righteousness and holiness be revealed and wrought in our hearts we can bring forth no fruit unto God neither can be members of the true Church but if any conform unto the practice of your Church in outward things he is counted a good Member of your Church though righteousnesse and holiness self-denial humility and love be wanting Therefore we are the Church in which there is more holiness virtue and life enjoyed than in the Roman Church 6. Can you shew us any miracles that ever were wrought in testimony of your Religion or that the Catholicks Miracles are wrought by Belzebub And now thou hast askt us a resolution of the doubts and let all that are illuminated judge how we are deluded It 's an adulterous generation that seeks a sign and what Christ wrought was reckoned as no miracles by them that are in the unbelief yet these signs have accompanied the Gospel which is the power of God the blind have been restored to sight and the dead have been raised and the deaf have heard and the lame have been made whole and this hath been witnessed by many and we have a cloud of witnesses which your Church know not of and by the effectual working of God's power these things have been done which doth give testimony and confirm our Religion And for your Miracles the most that ever I heard of hath been done by Pictures and Images as you have testified which are but fabulous stories And now let them who are lightned with the true Light of Christ judge who are in the delusion and now let all judge whether these be not satisfactory Resolutions unto the aforesaid Doubts or Questions which may convince them that have erred from Christ the power of God
but divers Popes I might prove have made distinct articles and divers Councils and Bishops so that I might clearly prove and can and shall if God permit me with life if I hear any more of the church of Rome or the Author of this Book that I shall prove that the church of Rome in the articles of her Faith is not the same that the church of Christ was in before Rome was planted a church 2. I shall prove if need require her universal Councils as she calls them to vary and her Bishops to be different in their Decrees and that her faith in points of Religion is not the same from the Apostles day to this time as the author of this Book would make people believe but what I have said to this unanswerable Proposition as he calls it may be sufficient to convince both the Author and them that are doubtful in their minds about this particular 3. Proposition is That neither the Sacraments nor Ceremonies or any Doctrine of the Church of Rome contain any thing that is contrary to the Scriptures but learned Doctors maintain the same and that there is no alteration in any article of faith And then the Author makes a conclusion though full too hastily That they which dissent from the Church of Rome which he is pleased to stile Sectaries and Hereticks have no reason to withdraw from the Catholick Church Ans. As for that which you call the Catholick church of Rome we find such diversity of Orders and constitutions one distinct from another that to begin to enumerate them all would take up much time before one ended and would prove tedious to the Reader to view over the variety of Constitutions and Decrees that have been made concerning the ceremonies Sacraments as they call them and other Doctrines of the church of Rome which at this time is not my intention but Pope Alexander commanded that unleavened Bread should be used in the Supper in the year 1119. Lib Concil grat Sabil Before that time the outward Bread was indifferent whether it was leavened or unleavened notwithstanding the Greeks do use leavened bread unto this day in that which is called a Supper and they use Wine onely in the Cup but the Church of Rome mingle Water with their Wine according to Pope Alexander's Decree And the Doctrine of Transubstantiation of turning the bread into the body of Christ and wine into the blood as they say was an unknown Doctrine in the Apostles dayes and also among the Greeks until Pope Innocent the third 1215. Likewise Honorus the third he made a new Ordinance That the Sacrament of the Altar as the Church of Rome terms it should be worshipped and kneeled unto of the people and also it should be born unto the sick yea and that with Candle-light though it be at noon-day in the year 1214. D. 3. Tit. Cap. 10. Lib. Council Pant. And Innocent the third ordained that the Sacrament of the Altar should be kept under lock and key that such as were like to dye might not want spiritual comfort at the time of their death Lib. Council Cron. Pant. Pope Innocent the 8th permitted that the Priests of Norduegia might fing Masse with Water for lack of Wine in the year 1484. Math. Palm Pant. And as about the ceremonies about the Sacrament or Masse in a Council held at Rottomage it was decreed that the Sacrament should not thenceforth be given to Lay-men nor Lay-women in their hands any more but the Priests should put it in their mouths contrary to the use and practice of the primitive church yea and of the church of Rome it self many years after Lib. Council c. And so here the church of Rome is contrary to the former churches and to their own church of Rome in former times though C. M. would elevate the Propositions of Francis Costorus a Jesuit unanswerable 4. Proposition The Author saith It cannot be proved that any have been admitted Priests but were duly consecrated by Bishops Whence we infer That Lutherans Calvinists and other Hereticks are no true Ministers neither are of Divine Priesthood because they give to people a meer piece of bread and nothing else and they have no power to absolve people from their sins but send them away entangled with sin as when they came to them Ans. As for the consecration of the Priests of Rome you have consecrated many who are out of the Doctrine of Christ who are traytors to Kings and Governments and it 's a Maxime and a thing meritorious in your church to slay a Heretick that is one dissenting or not consenting to your corrupt principles and as one deceiver hath ordained and admitted another so hath your Bishops and Popes ordained the rest to execute their drudgery and corrupt traffick and as I have offered unto thee before if it be not a piece of bread and wine except mingled with water according to your changeable Ordinances before-mentioned put it to trial upon the terms I before mentioned that you may be made manifest to be deceivers or else we to all people And as for your Absolutions Pardons it hath been that which you have sold for money which made Luther and divers of your own church to deny you because it hath been contrary to Christ and the Apostles Doctrine And as for forgiveness of sins it properly belongs to Christ and to them that are in the same Power to them that confess forsake and turn from sin to pronounce forgiveness and mercy but the members of your Church confess from day to day unto your Priests that are as much entangled in sin as they who do confess and neither do repent nor find mercy at the hand of the Lord and your confessors and they that do confess they are defiled as much with sin when they end their work as when they began 5. Proposition It cannot be found in the holy Scripture that nothing is to be believed but what is clearly and expresly contained in the same Hence follows the overthrow of the ground work of the Sectaries who say that nothing is to be believed but what is expresly set down in the Scripture Ans. What others have said as to this particular I shall not now stand to vindicate because it is not my work to vindicate every particular judgement and person who believe contrary to your church but I say many are of that mind that are not of your church that things may be believed to be true according to the manifestation of God's Spirit though the Scripture in express words doth not declare the same yet you to bring in fabulous stories which you call unwritten verity that are to be believed though never so repugnant unto the Scripture and to the truth contained in it this we cannot receive neither believe and this will never be attributed by the Lord unto any for unbelief although you say it 6. Proposition The Author saith He would fain have Luther and Calvin and the