things that appertain to the way of Life and Salvation but that the Church of Rome is the true Church as A.S. affiâ—meth and by his many Arguments hath endeavoured to prove I do not acknowledge but deny and doubt not but I shall in this short ensuing Treatice prove the contrary to the satisfaction of every judicious Reader First Although the true Church of which Christ is invisible Head is one yet the oneness of the Church of Rome is not a sufficient Argument to prove her to be the true Church for wherein doth her oneness consist farther than in Idolatry Superstition Murther and such like abominations of which much might be mentioned which was never practised by the true Church in the Apostles dayes but in these things the Church of Rome is one witnesse her worshipping Idols or images bowing to that shee calls her Altars and the rest of her Superstitious Ceremonies witnesse the killing burning or drinking the bloud of so many thousands as she hath done for many hundred yeares pâ—st as the whole Christendome full well knows therefore the Church of Rome is not the true Church Secondly And consider was not the company of Priests one in Hosea's dayes who murthered in the way by consent whom the Prophet compared to troops of Robbers Hos 6.9 And is not the Church of Rome one as they were for hath not she murthered many by consent of most of her members in the way that she is in consider these things But then A.S. saith that she is one in matters of Faith and governed by one invisible Head Christ and by one visible Head the Pope the true successor of Peter c. and therefore she is the true Church Answ 1. I answer that she is perfectly united in matters of Faith I utterly deny witnesse the History of the Counsel of Trent which copiously relates the Divisions and Contradictions amongst them there about matters of Faith But admit thaâ— it were so that she were one in matters of Faith that doth not prove her to be the true Church unlesse she could prove her Faith to be the true Faith by which righteousnesse is wrought Heb. 11.13 And which is made perfect by works of righteousnesse James 2.22 But the Faith of the Church of Rome is not the true Faith as her works of unrighteousnesse before mentioned clearly make manifest therefore the Church of Rome is not the true Church Secondly That the Church of Rome is governed by one invisible Head Christ that I also deny and her fruitâ— before mentionâ—d and which I shall hereafter mention sufficiently declares the contrary and as Christ said to the Jews If you were of Abraham you would do the works of Abraham but now you go about to kill me thus did not Abraham So say I of the Church of Rome If she were governed by the one invisible Head Christ as the true Church was then she would have the mind of Christ who came not to destroy mens lives but to save them as the true Church had 1 Cor. 2.16 but she hath not the mind of Christ Witnesse her destroying the lives of many not onely of those that believe not but of those that beliâ—ve Therefore she is not governed by the invisible Head Christ and consequently is not the true Church but the Whore that drinks the blood of the Saints Thirdly But that the Church of Rome is governed by her visible Head the Pope I shall not go about to contradict for although that proves her to be one in subjection to the Pope yet it doth not prove her to be the true Church because Christ never ordained a visible Head to his Church but that the Pope is the true successor of Peter as A.S. affirms that I do deny and it remains for him to prove it or for some of his servants to do it for him for after Peter was converted he never gave consent to the murthering of any as the Pope hath done many Therefore he is not the true Successor of Peter 2. That the true Church is holy or as A.S. saith the spotlesâ— body of Christ that I do acknowledg but the Church of Rome of which the Pope is visible head is not holy nor the spotlesse body of Christ 1. For the spotlesse body of Christ the true Church was baptized with the holy Ghost and with fire the spirit of Judgment and of burning and thereby her filth and her spots were purged away from her and she was washed from Idolatry and covetousnesse c. as the Apostles testified 1 Cor. 6.11 and thereby she was fitted for Gods Kingdom and was made to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and had the mind of Christ 2 Cor. 2.16 who came not to destroy mens lives c. Luk. 9.56 But the Church of Rome is not washed from Idolatry nor free from Murther as her worshipping of Idols or Images doth testifie and as her killing and destroying about Religion and worship beareth witnesse which the spirit of Christ never allowed of nor the spotlesse body of Christ never practised Therefore the Church of Rome is not holy nor the spotlesse body of Christ And as to that affirmation of A.S. in the third Number of his first Chapter viz. Every man as he is Regenerated in Christ and a member of his body is holy and a saint though as he is the son of Adam he is a lyar and a sinner Answ To this I answer That the most part of all the Sectaries in the world will joyn with him in that particular therefore he need not so much â—ry against them but the true Church will not own that Doctrine neither can I own iâ— because it is the Doctrine of Devils and the spirit of God testifies against it For it is impossible for any man to be both a saint and a sinner at one season for if that could be then might a man serve two Masters which Christ said could not be Luk. 16.13 And the Apostle said He that commits sin is the servant of sin Joh. 8 34. and is free from righteousnesse Rom. 6.22 So hath no part in Christ who is the righteousnesse of God And whosoever loveth or maketh a lye shall not enter the holy City which is the true Church Revel 21.27 Therefore is no member of it Now let A.S. consider his ignorance for according to his own confession the true Church is built of living believers elect and precious but he that is a lyar and a sinner is dead for the soul that sins shall dye Ezek. 18.4 Therefore he that is a lyer and a sinner is not a living believer nor yet holy and a saint Yet I do not deny but that he that is regenerated in Christ and is baptized into him and is thereby made a member of his spotlesse body is holy and a saint for by and through the second Adam he is redeemed out of the first fallen Adams state Well But A. S. saith That all the members of the Church
the Church of Rome shall come and as surely as when Sodom was overthrown the Cities round about it were overthrown also 2 Pet. 2.9 Jude ver 7. so certainly when this great City Babylon is overthrown and made desolate the suburbs thereof shall be overthrown and made desolate also The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it and therefore she must fail in her prophesies and cease in her being which as A.S. saith the true Church cannot Fourthly And farther the Church of Rome is variable in her Judgments as the diversities of Councels that she hath held concerning matters of Faith beareth witnesse for the following General Counsel hath oft times excluded that which was concluded on by the former and surely both cannot be inâ—â—llible they being quite contradictory one to the other Read the 15th chapter of F. H. his book entitled THE GLORY OF THE TRUE CHURCH DISCOVERED c. wherein the contradictions of the General Counsels which the Church of Rome hath held are sufficiently made manifest so that I need not trouble my self to insert them here and thereby its evident enough that the Church of Rome is not infallible Fifthly Again if A.S. or any other could prove that the Church of Rome had alwayes remained since Christs time yet as aforesaid that is not a sufficient argument to prove her infallible or that she cannot fail nor cease For consider the Dragon that old Sâ—rpent called the Devil who was a murtherer from the beginning who gave power to the beast that carries the Whore that drinks the Saints blood that said she should see no sorrow waâ— before the dayes of Christs appearance in the flesh yet the Dragon is not infallible But the Church of Rome is upheld by the Murtherer or carried by the Dragons power in the beast as the Murthers acted by her beareth witness therefore she is no more infallible than the Dragon is Seventhly And as to the 7th part of A.S. his Argument wherein he saith the true Church is inerrable and then saith that the Church of Rome is this inerrable true Church for all the Sectaries Schismaticks and Hereticks in the world saith he could never yet shew wherein she erred nor ever shall Therefore she is inerrable Answ 1. I answer although the Hereticks could not prove that the Church of Rome hath erred yet there are many who are members of the true Church of which Christ is Head and supreme Governour alone that can prove wherein she hath erred and doth still grosly erre from the Doctrine Practice and Discipline of the true Church as it stood in the Apostles dayes for the Apostle in his dayes said let every man be fully perswaded in his own conscience Rom. 14.5 and did not go about to force people to conform to such things that they were not perswaded of in their consciences nor to compell them by outward laws to conform thereunto but the Church of Rome doth not admit that every one should walk or act according as they are perswaded in their own consciences but goes about by outward laws to compell them to conform to that which she calls her holy Ordinances and Institutions which many for conscience sake towards God dare not conform to because they know them to be invented Idolatries and they who cannot for conscience sake submit to her impositions or drink of her cup of abominations then to be sure she will drink their blood Witnesse the blood she hath drunk for above this thousand years past of them that could not for conscience sake towards God conform to her Ordinances And therefore she hath erred from that spirit which was in the true Church and from the Apostles Doctrine and is still in the errour Secondly In the true Church in the Apostles dayes every one as he had received the gifâ— of the spirit of God so he might administer 1 Pet. 4.10 an◠〈◊〉 Prophets might speak two or three and if any thing was â—ealed to him that stood by he might speak and the first shouâ—â— be silent 1 Cor. 14.29 30 31. But this is not the order of the Church of Rome as is sufficiently manifest to all Christendom therefore she hath erred from the Apostles Spirit and order and is still in the error And thus I might produce many more arguments to shew wherein the church of Rome hath erred and doth erre only my desire is to be as brief as may be so that satisfaction may be given for which I doubt not but this is sufficient as to that particular 8. And as concerning miracles in the true Church I do confesse and beâ—r witnesse that there are miracles wrought in her daily but that all miracles are an argument sufficient to prove a people to be the true Church that I do not acknowledge but deny For First the Magicians of Aegypt could by their Sorceries or Inchantments imitate those things in the sight of the Aegyptians that Moses and Aaron did by the power of God Exod. 8 7. and he false prophet he wrought lying miracles before the beast that carries the Whore insomuch that he caused fire to come down out of heaven in the sight of men Rev. 13.13 14. and chap. 19. ver 20. And this the Whore might have said was done in confirmation of her faith and doctrines as A.S. doth yet neverthelesse it was done by the Dragons power who was a murtherer from the beginning For he gave power to the beast that carries the Whore to do such things Rev. 13.2 and therefore the miracles in the Church of Rome if now there be any is no infallible evidence to prove her to be the true Church Well 2. But then it may be some will say that this is harsh judgment and how can you tell but that the miracles wrought in the Church of Rome are wrought by the power of God or how can you distinguish between miracles wrought by the power of God and miracles wrought by the dragons power Answ I answer we have an infallible way to judge in this particular For all miraclâ—s wrought by the murdering power are not wrought by the power of God but by the Dragons power for the Dragon that old Serpent who is called the Devil was a murderer from the beginning but Christ the power of God is not a murdering power for he came not to destroy mens lives but to save them Luke 9.56 Therefore the miracles wrought by Christ the power of God are not wrought by a murdering power But the miracles â—n the Church of Rome if now there be any are wrought by a murdering power for the many murders she have acted sufficiently testifieth to the whole Christendom that a murdering power rules in her By which its clear that the mirâ—cles wrought in the Church of Rome if there be any are wrought by the Dragons power and not by the power of God So that my judgement concerning the miracles in the Church of Rome is not harsh but according to the spirit of truth and sound
reason Thirdly but for all A.S. in his Epistle Dedicatory hath made such a great noise about miracles wrought by a Roman Catholick Priest in and about London and Westminster yet when he comes to prove that the Church of Rome is powerful in miracles then he doth just as much as nothing but takes an easie way to get out from that thing which seemingly he undertook to go thorow with by referring of us for a witnesse of his affirmation to nostre dame de Loretto nostre dame de montague nostre dame de hall and to the whole world c. Now what a pittiful proof or witnesse is this which A.S. directs us to For as the Apostle saith the whole world lies in wickedness 1 John 5.19 and wonders after the beast by whom lying miracles are wrought Rev. 13 3. So that the miracles which the world bears witnesse to are lying miracles for the world knows noâ— Christ nor his Church 1 Joh. 3.1 by whom true miracles are wrought for when Christ wrought miracles amongst the world they did not bear witnesse to him but said he did it by the Prince of Devils Mat 9 34. So that the witnesse that A.S. calls for confirmeth my forementioned affirmation viz. that the miracles in the Church of Rome are wrought by the Dragons power in the beast and false prophet that the whole world wonders after Fourthly and for nostre dame de loretto and the rest mentioned they signifie nothing as to our satisfaction in this particular because they are altogether unknown to us neither can we attain to a certain knowledge of them if we would for the information of the Church of Rome is to us no satisfaction so as I said before that A.S. for matter of proving his affirmation hath done just as much as nothing only made a shew like a cloud without rain But methinks if there were so many miracles wrought daily by a Roman Priest about London c. as A.S. seems to make a noise of he should have instanced some of them particularly for our satisfaction but seeing he hath not instanced any we have just cause to believe that there are none at all Ninthly So to proceed to the ninth part of A. S. his first Argument viz. Out of the true Church none can be saved I answer that thing I do not at all deny for all that are saved are of the true Church but that none can be saved out of the Church of Rome that I do deny for the Church of Rome is not the true Church but the Whore that drinks the blood of the Saints as afore-proved therefore out of the church of Rome people may be saved Wherefore let all who expecteth or desireth salvation make hast out of this great City Babylon And run for your lives towards Jerusalem the holy City the true Church the Lambs wife in whose light the Nations of them that are saved must walk Rev. 21.24 lest you perish within the borders of Babylon whose desolation shall certainly come in one day Yea Death and Mourning and Famine â— for strong is the Lord who is now arisen and judgeth her Well But if the Church of Rome say that she doth not drink the blood of the Saints but the blood of hereticks c. and therefore she is the true Church 1. I answer so or to that effect said the destroyers and murderers in all ages even they that put Christ to death they did it not in their own account as he was the Son of God but as a blasphemer and the Apostles were persecuted as spreaders of heresie and shedders of sedition and not as Saints and servants of the Lord in their adversaries account Act. 24.5 and thus the murthering persecuting spirit hath in all ages as at this day sought to shelter it self but this covering must now be ript off for the power of God is arisen that rends the vail of darknesse and the day is dawned that makes all things manifest 2. And farther If they were hereticks c. whose blood the Church of Râ—me drinks yet that doth not argue that she is the true Church but the contrary for the true Church did never drink the blood of hereticks nor persecute any because they were hereticks but the greatest punishment that ever Christ appointed for hereticks was that they should account them as Publicans and Heathens Mat. 18 17. 3. So its clear that Christ the power of God and the true Church that had the mind of Christ did never kill nor persecute any because they were hereticks or did not believe nor yet because after they believed they made shipwrack of faith But laboured in the spirit of love and meeknesse to restore them and to convince them by sound doctrine but if they refused to receive admonition or to submit to the Church after due admontion given then they let them receive the punishment aforesaid and refused to have fellowship with them and this was the greatest punishment that ever the true Church inflicted upon any though they were rebellious and this was the way to make true believers of people which force and compulâ—ion by penall laws will never do Though its true compulsive laws may make many of them hypocrites who fears man more than God but they who fears not man that can kill the body and can do no more but fears the Lord God almighty above all such will not bow to the compulsive Laws of men which violates the righteous Law of God in their own hearts no more then Sbadrach Meshach and Abednego would bow to the image that Nebuchadnezzar set up though for their stedfastnesse they suffer the pangs of death as many of their predecessors have done whose blood the Church of Rome hath drunk Thus much in brief to the nine particulars of A.S. his first Argument by which I perceive he thought he had infallibly proved the Church of Rome to be the true Church but what his Argument is worth for his purpose let all who reads this Judge And the next thing he undertakes is to prove Peter to be the rock or foundation upon which Christ builds his Church and to accomplish this design he rambles through several languages into which the Scripture hath been translated and in the conclusion he saith a great lie to Peter then Christ said upon thee I will build my Church c. when neither of the several Languages which he makes use of to prove it saith any such thing according to his own interpretation of them and indeed its blasphemy in A.S. to affirm it But then he saith that Christ is the primary rock and Peter the secondary rock Reply But how can that be that Peter should be a secondary rock for A.S. cannot prove that God ever ordained or appointed a secondary rock to build his Church on neither do we in all the Scriptures read of a secondary rock once mentioned for the Apostle affirmeth the contrary saying Another foundation can no man lay
with the sun that and there she was and the Moone was under her feet and upon her head a Crown of twelve stars Rev. 12.1 And having brought forth a man child that was to rule all Nations with his rod of Iron the enmity of the Dragon then arose who sought to devour the man child but being by the hand of God prevented of his purpose on the man-child ver 5. he then cast out his flood of persecution after the woman ver 15. of whom this ruler was born and drave her into the Wildernesse whither she fled from him to her place prepared of God that they might feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore dayes Rev. 12.6.14 and there she hath been and there she hath fittâ—n aâ— in a sollitary place and in a mourning state and condition out of which she is now returning and is now coming up out of the Wilderness and is descending from God as a Bride adorned for her husband Rev. 21.2 and her name is the Bride the Lambs wife the holy City ver 9. new Jerusalem And now is Jerusalem shaking her self from the dust of the earth in which she hath been trodden of the Gentiles and now is she putting on her beautiful garments and now doth the solitary begin to rejoyce and the barren that did not bear begins to break forth into singing Isa 54.1 And the things that many Prophets desired to see and could not see is now seen and revealing glory to God in the highest The day is come which we have waited for we will be glad and rejoyce in it and now the time times and half a time is expired in which the true Church hath been fed in the Wildernesse and now is the forty and two months expired also for which time the holy City hath been trodden under foot of the Gentiles Rev. 11.2 in which time the beast had power given him to continue Rev. 13.5 and the Whole world wondered after him and worshipped him and in that time it was given unto him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them and he received power over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations that all that dwelt upon the earth should worship him whose names were not written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world if any man have an ear let him hear Rev. 13.7 8 9. And this was the time that the true Church was in her mourning state which now begins to be over Glory to God for ever the day of rejoycing is come And for her Bishops Pastors and Believers that she had I answer Christ was and is her Bishop and chief Pastor 1 Pet. 2.25 And the rest after the Apostles dayes were they that fed her in the Wildernesse and her Believers were those that had the Testimony of Jesus Rev. 12.17 whose blood the Whore drunk And they are now her Believers whose blood the Whore thirsts after And as to that question viz. What Emperors or Kings did adhere to her or now do Answ I answer On this wise did the Pharisees Query with those Officers whom they sent to take Jesus and bring him unto them saying Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him Joh. 7.48 Well what Emperors or Kings did adhere to him at that time Was he not therefore the true Christ because the Rulers of the world and the Pharisees rejected him And what said the Apostle to the true Church in his day You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighthy nor noble c. but God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise c. that flesh might not glory in his presence 1 Cor. 1.26 27. And farther the Apostle who preachâ— Christ said That he preached the wisdom of God in a mistery which none of the Princes of the world knew c. 1 Cor. 2.7 8. By which it appeares that none of the Princes of the world knew Christ the Wisdom of God 1 Cor. 1.24 And the true Church was in the world as Christ was for the Apostle said as he is so are we in this present world 1 Joh. 4.17 And the world knows us not ver 1. because it knew not him So that notwithstanding the Princes of this world knew not Christ when he was amongst them and although the Rulers believed not in him nor did adhere to him when he was come yet that did not argue that he was not the true Christ And notwithstanding iâ— was so that the true Church was unknown to the world and was composed not of many wise men after the flesh nor of the Nobles of the earth but was persecuted by them as she is at this day yet she was the true Church for all that And seeing it was so that the Princes and Rulers did not adhere to her in the time of her flourishing state when she was cloathed with the Sun how can it be expected that they should adhere to her in her persecuted state and in her mourning wildernesse-state for a rich man shall very hardly enter the kingdom Mat. 19.23 but there is more in them words And moreover seeing the Kings of the earth committed fornication with the great Whore and went into her how then can it possibly be expected that they should adhere to the true Church Surely all who have a spiritual eye open may be hereby satisfied as to this particular And farther as to that Query viz. What general Councils did she hold and what Hereticks did she Condemn Answ I answer she hath not been in a capacity in her wildernesse state to hold general counsels as in the time of her flourishing state yet the mighty God hath alwaies been her wonderful counsellor Isa 9.6 and the members of her hath stood in and held to his counsel according to the manifestation thereof received by them Not loving their lives unto death as the Church of Rome well knows who have drank the blood of many of them or shall know to her sorrow and pangs And as for the true Churches condemning hereticks the Church of Rome knows that those members of her whose blood she hath drunk did alwaies condemn those heresies that are healed and the idolatries acted in the Church of Rome and did alwaies give testimony against her superstitious inventions and denied to have fellowship with her therein and looked upon her as reprobated from the true faith as Fox his Acts copiously relates and this was a great condemnation as the Spirit of Christ gave commission to the true Church to passe upon hereticks And again as to that question viz. What Academies did she erect Answ I answer A peoples Erecting of Accademies is not an argument sufficient to prove them to be the true Church for what Academies or Universities did the Apostles Erect or confirm or attain the knowledg of God in Was it not the light that shined in their hearts
that gave them this knowledg 2 Cor. 4.6 And was not this light the Law that was the Apostles Schoolmaster till Christ Gal. 3.24 And is not the Law which is light Pro. 6.23 written in the hearts of all people And is it not a sufficient Schoolmaster now to bring people who are taught by it unto the knowledg of the glory of God in the face of Christ as it did the Apostles then What need then is there of erecting Academies for people cannot attain to the knowledg of God by Natural learning 1 Cor. 1.21 Nor thereby be made true Ministers of Jesus Christ Yet I am not against having an outward School house or some convenient place for the educating or bringing up of children in Natural Learning which is good in its place but that any can thereby be brought to the knowledge of God or made true Ministers of Jesus Christ that I cannot own Neither was this way of making Ministers by natural learning or setting of them up by man in being untill people had forsaken the right way and went into Cains way and Balaams and then the envy and murther began amongst the profest Christians and then they could not endure sound Doctrine but heapt up to themselves teachers according to their own hearts lusts who knew nothing but what they knew naturally as bruit beasts c. and this the Apostle Paul foresaw and wrote of to Timothy 2 Tim. 4.3 and Peter prophesied of them also 2 Pet. 2. and John and Jude saw them come 1 John 2.18 Jude 10.11 so that by natural learning and ordination of man no true Minister of Christ was ever made or sent forth but contrariwise the Apostle Paul was made a Minister viz. not of man nor by man nor yet by natural learning but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1.1 so we do not understand that in the Apostles dayes they did erect Academies or that they had any need of them and indeed I cannot but look upon it as an ignorant question to be proposed by A. S. upon this account But to his next Query viz. What Churches and Monasteries did she build Answ I answer this is as ignorant a question as the former and great foolishnesse to ask what Churches the Church built however this I say they who were Members of the true Church did build up one another in their most holy faith Jude 20. And as for Monasteries or Monk houses we hear of no such thing that was in being in the Apostles dayes neither do we believe that there is any need of them for we do not read in the holy Scriptures that ever the true Church in any generation built such places but we know that many such places have been erected and built within the borders of the great City Babylon since the Apostacy began and since the right way was forsaken and many other Superstitious inventions and Idolatries as before hinted hath been set up relating to the beasts and Dragons worship all which God hath determined to throw down and when the desolation of all these things cometh and the seven Mountains upon which the Whore sits comes to be laid waste according as hath been prophesied in ages past Isa 42.15 And when the great Whore comes to drink the cup of Gods fury which is already filled into the hands of the Saints of the most High to pour out unto her Rev. 12. I say then shall she know that God hath spoken by me and that I have herein declared the truth according as I received it from and by the spirit oft he Lord. And thus much as to his Queries But then he speaks of another clear and easie way to find out the true Church to try all Churches by the true Catechisme and see which of them all sayes it truly believes it rightly c and that which doth is the true Answ I answer to try all Churches by their Doctrine and practice and see which is most agreeable to the Principles Doctrines and Practice of the true Church in the Apostles dayes is indeed a way that I do very well approve of and if all controversies betwixt you and us might be decided after this manner laying aside all carnal weapons carnal laws prisons fires and the like which hath been the weapons that the Church of Rome hath defended her self with for many ageâ— past and doth at this day I say then it would be indeed well and we shall be very willing to engage with you wiâ—h spiritual weapons bring the best you can form or find out but for carnal weapons we are redeemed from them and the weapons of our warfare are spiritual so I say upon equal termes we shall be very willing to dispute the matters with you that are in controversie betwixt us and they who are found either you or us in Doctrine life and practice to be most agreeable to the true Church in the primitive times shall be owned and acknowledged to be the true Church now at this day And they who are detected to be in the steps practises and Doctrines of them whom the holy Prophets Christ and his Apostles testified against shall be concluded to be the false Church now at this day and upon these termes as I said before we shall be very ready and willing to joyn issue with you at any time or place that you wiâ—h us shall agree upon And whereas A.S. saith that all the Schismaticks Sectaries and Hereticks in the world cannot truly say that prayer that Christ taught his Disciples viz. Our Father which art in Heaven c. for said he they are continually doing the works of the Devil and are his children and consequently cannot truly call God Father I answer therefore the Church of Rome cannot call God Father for she is and long hath been doing the works of the Devil the murtherer as before proved therefore she is of her father the Devil and cannot call God father in truth and in righteousnesse Then A. S. rambles through several other particulars in which he controverts with Sectaries c. whose cause I am not concerned to plead only this small hint before I have given to prove the Church of Rome one of those Sects who cannot speak the fore-mentioned words truly and so I shall leave the Sectaries with whom A. S. controverts to plead their own cause for the thing that was chiefly in my heart when I took in hand to write this brief reply was to prove the Church of Rome not to be the true Church and the chief Arguments by him produced to prove her the true Church I have already in brief answered Again A. S. in his 6th Chapter makes it his business to prove the Church to be the Judge of all controversies in matters of faith and saith that not every man nor human reason nor the private spirit nor the Bible is this Judge and to prove it he quotes Matth. 18.17 where Christ said tell the Church c. Ans To
which I answer That the Judgement of the true Church of which Christ is Head in matters of faith I do not deny for being governed in all things by the Head Christ to whom all Judgment is committed John 5.20 the Judgement thereof must of necessity be true for the strength of Israel cannot lye and ought to be submitted unto by all But the Church of Rome being not the true Church she being not governed by the invisible Head Christ to whom all Judgment is committed as before proved Therefore she is not Judge of controversies in matters of Faith And the true Church to whom Christ said he that heareth you heareth me were such as heard Christ and in whom the spirit of the Father spake Mat. 10.20 But the Church of Rome doth not hear Christ as hereafter I shall prove therefore they who heare the Church of Rome do not hear Christ But surely when A.S. began this work of deciding controversies he had forgotten that the Church was the only Judge in that particular and not every man nor the private spirit for had he considered that he being but a particular man would not have undertaken the Churches work as appears by the Title of his book he hath for he calls it A brief Decider of all controversies in matters of Faith which book we have cause to judge is his own only work and not the Churches in which we find him condemning himself for the thing which he is doing for as appears by his aforesaid Title himself undertakes to decide controversies and in his 6th Chapter he affirmeth that the Church is the only Judge or decider of all controversies But this is that his confusion may the more appear as it hath done in many other things as may be seen in this small Treatise and surely if the Pope have no better servants than A. S. to do his work for him he had better keep them idle than to employ them in such a work for in the end they will bring more shame to him than they will honour for such like confusione and other abominations hath already made the very name of the Pope an ill savour to all true Christians And one thing more in A. S. his 6th Chapter I cannot well omit to observe where he saith the spirit inspireth when he will and you hear his voice but cannot tell whence from God or the Devil he doth come or whither to heaven or to hell he doth go and then saith so is every one that is born of the spirit and to prove this he quotes Luke 9.55 where Christ said ye know not what spirit ye are of Now consider the blindnesse and ignorance or else the wilful wickednesse of A. S. who jumbles a deal of Scriptures together blasphemously wresting of them to his own destruction or at least to the destruction of his own work in hand thinking thereby to blind the minds of people and with his good words mixed with blasphemies and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple as his predecessors have done in the long night of Apostacy which hath been over all nations since the Apostles dayes But it s in vain for him to strive to accomplish his end for the day is dawned unto many and there is an eye opened in many thousands in this Nation of England that gives them to see over and beyond all this Babylonish or confused trumpery and stuff and have a feeling of that which was before Babylon was and shall out last Babylon to the praise of God and to the glory and honour of his name who is blessed for ever Well Although it was so that Christ said unto his Disciples you know not what spirit ye are of yet consider the time when he spake these words was it not before they were born of the spirit although called to be Apostles for Christ said unto them you must be born again John 3.7.8 and that he would send them the spirit of which he said they must be born which should lead them into all truth John 16.13 and he did not say as A.S. doth that they should not know whence from God or the Devil the spirit came or whither to heaven or to hell it went oh horrid blasphemy in A. S who saith so is every one that is born of the spirit as much as to say that he that is born of the spirit knows not whether he be from God or the Devil or whither he shall go to heaven or to hell oh wickednesse indeed Christ said no such thing as A.S. doth although that blessed worthy saying of our Saviour and Lord Christ was and is very true viz Marvel not that I say unto you that you must be born again for the wind bloweth where it listeth and men hears the sound thereof but cannot tell from whence it cometh nor whither it goeth adding even so is every one that is born of the spirit John 3.7 8. Mark they that were born of the spirit were unknown to the world for said the Apostle after they were born again the world knows us not So although they were in the world and men saw them yet the world knew them not no more than they knew from whence the wind came and whither is went which they heard the sound of and indeed so is the state of the true Church in the world at this day And the Apostles did know from whence the spirit came and of what spirit they were after they received the spirit of truth and were born of it for Christ told them John 14.16 that he would pray the Father and he should send them the Holy Ghost the Comforter John 16.7.13 which should abide with them for ever and they did receive it and were led by it into a heavenly habitation Eph. 1.3 for they were made to sit together iâ— heavenly places in Christ Jesus so it s hereby clear that the Apostles knew from whence the spirit came and whither it led them and it s also plain that A.S. either wilfully or sottishly wrests the words of Christ and by his additions to them would make them import another thing than was intended by him of purpose to divert people from being led by the spirit of God or to disswade them from adhering to the leadings of it under pretence that they cannot tell whence from God or the Devil it doth come or whither to heaven or to hâ—â—l it goeth when indeed Christs words in themselves importeth quite another thing as above shewed Wherefore let all mind and obey the spirit of truth which will lead into all truth and condemn sin in the flesh and will lead out of all unrighteousnesse and errours and heresies which the Church of Rome is full of and that spirit which condemns the abominations of the Whore and all sin and unrighteousnesse that is the spirit of God and comes from God through the Son of his love who is the light of the world that lighteth every man that cometh
THE WHORE UNVAILED Or the Mistery of the Deceit of the CHURCH of ROME REVEALED BEING A brief Answer to a Book Entituled The Reconsiler of Religions or a Decider of all Controversies in matters of Faith Written by a professed Roman Catholick who subscribes his name A.S. in which he endeavoured to prove the Church of Rome to be the true Church But what his arguments therein produced are worth for his purpose may be here seen in this following Treatise Also his reflections upon the Principles of the People called Quakers Answered With a brief Discovery of the true Church in which the Doctrine of Perfection is vindicated by sound Scripture Arguments By a servant of the Lord Josiah Coale Whereunto is added the 14 th Chap. of A.S. his Book in which he declares the Protestant or Sectarian Ministers not to be true preachers nor sent of God which I thought meet to publish herewith that the Sectarians or Episcoparians may answer for themselves O thou that dwellest upon many waters abundant in treasures thine end is come and the measure of thy Covetousness Jer. 51.13 For out of the north there cometh up a Nation against her which shall make her land desolate and none shall dwell therein chap 50.3 And a mighty Angel took up a great stone like a milstone and cast it into the sea saying thus with violenâ—e shall that great City Babylon be thrown down and shall be found no more at all Rev. 18.21 Their Idols are silver and gold the work of mens hands They have mouths but they speak not eyes have they but they see not they have ears but they hear not noses have they but they smell not they have hands but they handle not feet have they but they walk not neither speak they through their throat they that make them are like unto them so is every oâ— that trusteth in them Ps 115.4 5 6 7 8 But our God is in the heavens he doth whatsoever he pleaseth ver 3. Printed in the Year 1665. TO THE READER Reader ALthough the Author of the pretended Reconciler of Religions did in the conclusion thereof seem to Challeng an Answer to all particulars therein laid down according to the Chapters and Numbers thereof yet I did not look upon his Challeng to be any obligation to me to proceed according to his directions neither indeed was it needful or necessary that I should answer his desire therein for it would have required more time than I was willing to spare for that work and more labour than I was willing to bestow about it because there is an easier way which I have taken to do the work as effectual as though I had gone through with every particuler there incerted For when the foundation of a building is Raced the whole building will fall as effectually as though a man should begin at the top and pull down all one stone after another and with a great deal lesse labour it is done So for my Comodaty I have observed that Rule in answering the aforesaid Book by Racing the Foundation of the Contents thereof or answering the chief Heads by which he therein endeavoured to prove the Church of Rome to be the True Church upon which all the rest of his Book hath its dependancy and those Heads or Particulars being Confuted the rest must of themselves needs fall or of necessity be of no validity and so not worth spending Ink and Paper about upon consideration of which I doubt not but the Reader will find as good satisfaction in what I have hear written concerning the Church of Rome as though I had answered all his particulars particularly And so to the Grace of God do I commend thee J. C. The Whore unvailed c. GReat is the controversie at this day throughout the whole Christendom concerning the way of worship and salvation and great is the confusion that is about faith and religion c. Even amongst all professing Christianity and many and cruel are the murthers that have been acted by them one against another about faith and worship since the apostacy bebegan and since people forsook the right way and went in Cains way and in Balaams Jude ver 11. For then persecution began amongst the profâ—st Christians and not before and when the right way was forsaken then people went into envy and then they withstood the truth even as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses and then they began to be scattered from the holy mountain of the Lord where nothings hurts nor destroys to the baâ—ren mountains where they have been destroying one another and there in the dark and cloudy day of Antichrists reign they have been worshipping the many headed beast that then arose and also the dragon that gave power to the Beast to make War with the Saints and they who have been worshipping upon one mountain they have cryed salvation is here And they who have been worshipping another head or upon another hill they have cried that salvation was to be found there For the seven heads of the beast are seven mountains upon which the whore sits that drinks the blood of the Sainâ—s And so they fell out one with another about the way of salvation and upon these barren mountains unto which people are in vain looking for salvation the strife and the envy hath been And there people hath been killing one another about the way and themselves all out of the way in an Antichristian destroying persecuting spirit as their fruits declares for the Spirit of Christ never led the true Christians to prosecute any about Religion neither doth any who are in the right way kill and destroy mens lives about religion Nay they that do so are not true Christians but of an Antichristian spirit for I testifie in the name of the Lord and for God that the Spirit of Christ doth not nor never did admit or allow of persecution or of destroying menâ— lives about worship faith towards God neither are any of them all true Christians whatsoever they professe that are found so doing For it is not a bare profession of Christ and of zeal for his cause and crying up ordinances c. that makes people true Christians or that gives them acceptance with God or will make them well pleasing unto God But that which makes a man a true Christian is his obedience unto that Spirit which baptizeth into the true faith by which righteousnesse is wrought Heb. 11.33 and into Christ who is the Author of faith and will bring him to have the mind of Christ as the true Christians had and will make him partaker of his divine nature and will teach him to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and to do to all men as he would they should do unto him which is according to the Law and Prophets that Christ came to fulfil And indeed there is nothing that can bring a man into this true Christian state but only the wâ—rking and operation