Calvin Beza or any of our own Authors if you do not meet some Comedies or Romances If you read our modern Writers you shall find their Books to be stuft with Arguments stolen from Strapleton Peron Bellarmin and other Popish Doctors whereas they ought to take their Doctrine from Luther Calvin and our other first Reformers Apostles raised by Gods Heavenly Spirit Oracles by whose Mouths and Pens he delivered the pure and Orthodox Doctrine of the Gospel Heavenly Fountains from which we ought to drink the Doctrine of the Reformation Therefore I have made a particular Study for the Comfort of my Reader not to profane this Treatise with any quotation of any Popish Writers none but our own Doctors Secondly my Reader will be pleased with this Treatise because I do not oblige him to believe the Contents of it if he mislikes any Doctrine couched in this Book let him not believe it what I pretend is to maintain his Liberty for to believe or not believe what he pleases and that none can say black is his Eye for believing whatever he judges to be the Sence of Scripture let all others think of it what they will for our Rule of Faith as I will prove being Scripture as each Person understands it who can be so bold as to check you for teaching and believing what you understand Scripture to say some Doctrines there are in this Book delivered by Luther Calvin Zuinglius Beza and others which our Church of England and some others do call Blasphemies and scandalous Tenets and their irreverence and arrogance it run so far as to condemn those Blessed Men for teaching such Tenets and say that they swerved from the Truth and had their frailties insomuch that many of us are ashamed to own those great Men to have been our Reformers and Leaders This is an impiety altogether insupportable it cannot be suffered with Patience that such Apostolical Men who were undeniably our first Masters of the Reformation should be so vilified and abused Therefore I do prove that there 's no Doctrine delivered by them but is to be esteemed and called the Doctrine of the Reformation And can be according to the Principles of the Reformed Church believed and taught by any Reformed Child For what is our Rule of Faith in the Reformation but Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it Consequently what is the Doctrine of the Reformation but what any Person of sound Judgment understands to be of Scripture Whatever Doctrine therefore Luther Calvin or others judged to be of Scripture How can you deny it to be the Doctrine of the Reformation or blame them for teaching and believing it If you do not like The most you can in Justice do is not to believe it But you cannot justly say it 's not the Doctrine of the Reformation because it 's Scripture as understood by Persons of good Judgment Nor can you in Justice blame them or any other for believing it if they like it For must not we believe what we judge in our Consciences to be the Doctrine of Scripture Lastly my Reader will be pleased with the sincerity and plain dealing of this Treatise As much as we are all offended by the dissimulation and double dealing of our Modern Writers whose aim and scope in the Books they give out seem to be nothing else but to say somewhat whereby they may be thought to be no Papists and nothing is less found in their Writings than the pure and Orthodox Doctrine of the Reformation And what is to be bemoaned that you 'll hardly see in the Houses or Hands of the Flock the Works of Luther Calvin or our other first Reformers they are hid from us to keep us in ignorance of the true Reformed Doctrine and we see but Bramhall Tillotson Taylor Stillingfleet Thorndike and such others whose Doctrine is neither Popery nor of the Reformation but a new compound of both they do so mangle the Questions controverted with their Scholastical subtilities and distinctions as if they were ashamed to own openly our Tenets and did endeavour to get the Opinion of moderate sober Men with the Papists by drawing as near as their Interest can permit them to their Doctrine Ask them if we be obliged to believe the Doctrine and Sense of Scripture delivered by a general Council Our first Reformers resolved roundly that we are not Nay Luther says expresly we are bound to gainsay and work against the Decrees of any Council But our modern Doctors answer with a pretty Distinction There 's a a civil obligation quoth one but no Obligation in Conscience There 's an obligation in Conscience says another provided you do not believe they are infallible You may believe they are infallible objectively or terminatively says another but not subjectively They are infallible in Fundamental Points says another but not in inferior Truths Another will come yet and say they are absolutely infallible in all Articles and thus by little and little the Papists gain Ground against us and the lustre of our Reformation is clouded by the Cowardliness or Insincerity or Hypocrisie of our modern Teachers 1 Kings 18. How long halt ye between two Opinions If the Lord be God follow him But if Baal then follow him Luther Calvin Beza and our other first Reformers were raised by God to teach us the purity of the Gospel Let us not be ashamed to follow their Doctrine To speak Preach and Believe as they did Therefore I do propose the Doctrine in this Treatise in its native Colours that if you like it you may believe it and if any be so bold as to say you believe false or scandalous Doctrine you must answer It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation because it 's Scripture as understood by Persons of Judgment and the greatest Oracles we had And if you do not like it you may deny it but beware never to blame or check any other for believing it This is the Holy Liberty of the GOSPEL and of our Primitive REFORMATION First DIALOGUE ISMAEL I have read your Preface and Principles and methinks you drive to establish a new Religion for that unlimited Liberty which you assert for to believe or not believe whatever we please with a safe Conscience is not allowed by any of our Reformed Congregations and it were to be wish'd you should rather stick to some one of the Congregations now Established than to erect a new one for we have but too many already Isaac The Lord forbid I should think or speak otherwise than as becometh a true Child of the Reformation If you will oblige me to believe Scripture as interpreted by the Lutheran Church the like I say of any other Congregation and deny the Tenets of all others what difference betwixt me and a Papist in the Election of my Religion For the Papists Religion must be no other but Scripture as Interpreted by the Pope and Councils my Religion must be Scripture as interpreted by the
can you say I beat you from all Religion when I directly perswade you to follow the Rule of Faith of our Reformation Scripture as each person of sound judgment understands it let this be your Religion if you will be a true Reformed whatever you judge in your conscience to be true let the Church of England or France or any other say and believe what they will you are to believe but what you judge by Scripture to be true and this is the Religion of the Reformation Ismael I would gladly know if it be lawful to chop or change the Text Isaac It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that you cannot because God has forbid to add to or take away from his word and therefore we condemn the Papists for their Tradition obtruded upon the Flock as the Word of God It 's also the Doctrine of the Reformation and the practice of our best Reformers when the Text does not speak clear enough that for to refute Popery and establish our own Doctrine we may add or diminish a word or two which is not to change the Word of God but to make it speak more expresly as when Luther had a mind to prach Justification by Faith alone finding the Text said but Man is justified by Faith he added the word Alone and made the Text very clear against Popery which formerly was somewhat obscure Zuinglius being to teach the Figurative presence of Christ in the Sacrament found the Text This is my Body to be too pat against his Doctrine and instead of Is put in This signifieth The Church of England being to preach the Kings Spiritual Supremacy could not convince the obstinate Papist by the Original Text which said 1 Pet. 2. submit your selves unto every humane creature for the Lord's sake whether it be the King as excelling or to c. But in King Edwards time they altered one word and made the Text thus submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man whether it be to the King as being the chief head and the following impressions of the Bible in the year 1557. and 79. say To the King as supreame And so the true Doctrine is clearly convinc'd out of Scripture as also the lawfulness of Priests Marriage for the Text before the Reformation said 1 Cor. 9. have we not power to lead about a woman sister and now our Bibles say have we not power to lead about a Wife being our Sister hence it 's evident according to the Doctrine and practice of our Reformation that when you have a mind to establish a Doctrine which you judge to be true you may change the Text and make it speak to your sense and meaning provided you judge your sense to be true Ismael What do you think of Justifying Faith Does Faith alone justify us Isaac It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that without charity it cannot because St. Paul says 1 Cor. 13. If I have Faith so as to move mountains and no Charity I am nothing It 's also the Doctrine of the Reformation that it is impious and wicked to say Faith alone without Charity does not justify this is Scipture as interpreted by Luther a man of sound judgment Who say quoth Luther that Faith alone though perfect it be cannot Justify without Charity say impiously and wicked because Faith alone without any good works doth justifie Believe which Doctrine you please both are of the Reformation Ismael Luther was insolent in checking the Doctrine of St. Paul. Isaac Probably he did not reflect that it was the Doctrine of the Apostle and if you will have it to be a Check of St. Paul Luther will answer for himself Be it says he that the Church Augustine or other Doctors also Peter and Paul nay and an Angel from Heaven should teach otherwise than as I teach yet my Doctrine is such that it seteth forth Gods Glory I know I teach no Humane but Divine Doctrine It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that Faith alone without any good Works and notwithstanding all Sins you are Guilty of doth justifie you This is Scripture as Interpreted by Luther who says nothing can damn you but Incredulity as nothing but Faith can save you of Whitaker Wotton Fulk and Beza whose words I related in our precedent Dialogue which I believe you remember and I need not repeat It 's also the Doctrine of the Reformation that good Works are meritorious of Grace and Glory Hooker and Harmonia confess say it 's the Doctrine of Scripture and what any person of sound Judgment judges to be the Doctrine of Scripture he may believe it for this is our Rule of Faith. It 's likewise the Doctrine generally of all our Church that good Works are not at all meritorious Tindall called by Fox a Man of God and a constant Martyr judges this to be so true that in his Treatise de Mammona iniquitatis he says Christ himself did not by all his good Works merit the Glory And tho' the Scripture says expresly he did Calvin affirms that it 's a foolish curiosity to examine and a rash proposition to say Christ did Merit It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that tho' good Works be not meritorious nor have not the least Influence in our Justification or Salvation yet they are absolutely needful for both in as much as that true Faith cannot be without good Works because they are the Marks and Signs of a living Faith by whch alone we are Saved this is the Judgment of the Church of England expressed in the 11 and 12 Articles of the 39 and of Melancthon in locis Commun de Bonis operibus and you may believe it You may also believe and it 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that good Works are so far from being needful that they are prejudicious and hurtful to our Salvation and the best way to be Saved is to do no good Work at all this is Scripture as Interpreted by Illiricus Flacius Amsdorsius quoted in Act. Colloq Aldeburg pag. 205. and 299. and Luther was so deeply perswaded of this truth tho that Christ said If thou wilt enter into the Kingdom of Heaven keep the Commandment Luther says it 's an obstacle to our Salvation to keep them Where it is said quoth he that Faith in Christ doth indeed justify us but that it is necessary also to keep the Commandments there Christ is denyed and Faith abolish'd because that which is proper to Faith alone is attributed if the Commandments And again says he if Faith be accompanied with good Works it 's no true Faith that it may justify it must be alone without any good Works This is Scripture as interpreted by such eminent and sound Men and consequently the Doctrine of the Reformation and who doubts but that any Doctrine of the Reformation may be believed Hence forward when you hear the Preacher exhort you to good Works you may believe him if you please
and have a Mind to spend your Monys because he Preaches the Doctrine of the Reformation or you may laugh at him and believe not a word he says because he Preaches against the Doctrine of the Reformation Ismael These are dangerous and scandalous Tenets destructive of Piety and Christianity and let Luther and those Authors you quoted say what they please the Reformation nor no honest Man will ever believe such abominable Doctrine Isaac I do not say that the Children of the Reformation are obliged to believe them They may believe as you do that all are wicked Tenets But if Luther and the others cited judge in their Conscience these Tenets to be the Doctrine of Scriptures and if Peter John or James like their Interpretation I say they may according to the Principles of our Reformation believe them and be as truly Reformed Children as you for our Rule of Faith is Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it and in believing those Tenets because they judge them to be the Doctrine of Scripture they stick fast to and follow our Rule of Faith Why is Figurative Presence and the Kings Supremacy the Doctrine of the Reformation tho' denied by Papists Lutherans and Presbyterians but because the Protestants judg it's the Doctrine of Scripture If therefore those great Authors I quoted and any other with them judge those Tenets to be the Doctrine of Scripture they can be justly called the Doctrine of the Reformation Must Protestants be forced against their Judgments to deny real Presence and Supremacy because Lutherans say it's wicked Doctrine And why must Luther Illiricus Flaccius and others be forced to deny those Tenets tho' Protestants or Papists judge them to be damnable Let each one believe what he thinks to be the Doctrine of Scripture and he will still be a true Reformed Child Ismael Does not our Reformation teach that 't is possible to all Men assisted with God's Grace to keep the Commandments Isaac This is the Doctrine of the Church of England and consequently of the Reformation It 's also the Doctrine of the Reformation delivered out of Scripture as Interpreted by Luther Calvin Willet and several others that it 's impossible to any man assisted with what Grace soever to keep the Commandments None has ever yet says our great Calvin and God has decreed none shall ever keep the Commandments Again The Law and Commandments were given us to no other end but that we should be damn'd by them inasmuch that it is impossible for Vs to do what they command The same Doctrine is taught by Luther in several places of his Works by Willet and by our Brethren the Gomarists of Holland and many of our French Synods Believe which you please both Doctrines are of the Reformation It 's also the Doctrine of Luther and Calvin that God does not cast men into Hell because their sins deserve it nor save men because they merit it but meerly because he will have it for He crowns those who have not deserved it says Luther and he punishes those who have not deserved it 't is Gods Wrath and Severity to damn the one 't is Gods Grace and Mercy to save the other Calvin also Men are damn'd for no other cause but because God will have it so he is the cause and Author of their Damnation their Damnation is decreed by God when when they are in their Mothers Womb because he will have it so this is also the belief of our Gomarists in Holland of many French Churches and of several learned Calvinists though the Church of England denies this Doctrine none will dare say it is not the Doctrine of the Reformation because it is Scripture as Interpreted by such eminent men of our Church Ismael I will never believe such execrable Doctrines nor will I ever be of any Congregation which believes them Isaac I do not advise you to believe them but to give others leave to believe them if they think them to be the Doctrine of Scripture as Luther Calvin Willet Gomarists and others do You must not if you be a true Reformed Child hinder any man from believing nor be displeased with him for believing what he Judges in his Conscience to be the Doctrine of Scripture for this is our Rule of Faith. Will not you be of the Congregation and Religion of those who follow Scripture as their Rule of Faith and Believe what they Judge in their Conscience to be the Doctrine of Scripture Ismael Yes I will and am of such a Congregation for this is the Rule of Faith of the Reformation Isaac Why then you must be of the same Congregation with the Gomarists Luther Calvin and the others who believe those which you call execrable Doctrines because they follow Scripture as they understand and believe those Doctrines because they Judge them to be of Scriture You both follow the same Rule one goes one way and the other another and both are of the Reformation The Church of England understands by Scripture that God is not the Author nor cause of Sin that he does not force us to Sin who doubts but that this is therefore the Doctrine of the Reformation But Calvin Brentius Beza and several others understand by Scripture That God is the cause and Author which forces our Will to Sin That Man and the Devil are but Gods Instruments to commit it That Murthers Incests Blasphemies c. are the Works of God that he makes us commit them And who doubts but this also is the Doctrine of the Reformation being Scripture as Interpreted by such eminent and sound Judgment God says Calvin directs moves inclines and forces the Will of Man to Sin insomuch that the power and efficacy of Working is wholly in him Man nay and Satan when he impells us being only Gods Instruments which he uses for to make us Sin. Zuinglius Willet Beza teach the same Sixth Dialogue ISMAEL I am weary of hearing such horrid Blasphemies my Heart trembles to hear you say that such abominable Tenets may be believed according to our Rule of Faith and Principles of the Reformation I beseech you let me hear no more of such stuff I conceive very well that Mens Judgments and Consciences are not to be constrain'd to believe or deny this or that Tenet because the Pope or his Infallible forsooth Church will have it so Isaac And must they be constrain'd to deny or believe because the fallible Church of England or France will have it so Ismael No I do not say they must have Patience and hear me speak a while I say that Scripture must be our Rule of Faith and not any Pope or Church or Congregation and that we are not to be forced by any to believe but what we understand to be true by Scripture and that if we Judge by Scripture any Doctrine to be false and contrary to Gods Word we must not be forced to believe it But we must
extraordinarily by God and replenished with his Spirit to teach us the Gospel And if we be to seek for the Pure and Orthodox doctrine of the Reformation ought not we to be sway'd rather by Luther Calvin Melancthon Zuinglius Beza and our other first Reformers than by a few Ministers and Bishops of England who tho' they be Wise and Pious Men yet they are not of that stamp as the others And if our present Congregations presume to correct them and say they overlash'd in their doctrine will not the Papists say if they have been such scandalous Masters and false Teachers why did you receive their Reformation And as they erred so grosly in such prime Articles of Christianity why do you fear and suspect they have also erred in the rest Secondly the Papists will say if as they Reformed us you Reform them then you must expect and permit that others may reform you and forsake your Doctrine as you forsake theirs Ismael I wish you could make out that the Reformation was in its full Perfection in its beginning had you read some Writers of ours perhaps you would judge otherwise Musculus â—… learned Lutheran writes thus Thus it is with â—s at Present that if any be desirous to see a great Rabble of Knaves turbulent Spirits deceitful Persons Cozeners and Debauch'd Men let him go to a City where the Gospel is purely Preached and he shall find them by Multitudes for it 's more manifest than the by light that never were there more unbridled and â—nruly People among the Turks and Infidels than the Professors of the Reformed Gospel Luther himself says as much The World grows daily worse and Men are now more covetous revengeful and licentiius than they were in Popery Mr. Stubs says no less After my Travels round about all England I found the People in most Parts proud malicious ambitious and careless of good Works Mr. Richard Gefery in his Sermon at St. Paul's Cross Printed Anno 1604. I may freely speak what I have plainly seen that in Flanders never was there more Drunkenness in Italy more Wantonness in Jury more Hypocrisie Turky more Impiety in Tartary more Iniquity than is practised generally in England and particularly in London Certainly our Reformation at present deserves a better Character never did the Ale-houses and Taverns complain more heavily of want of Trading which is a Proof of our Sobriety the Churches which we see a Building in London is a good Testimony of Piety and we are so far from any smack of Hypocrisie that you shall not see in all London the least appearance of Vertue so hiddenly it's kept from mortal Eyes but what you may meet in our honest Quakers Isaac I confess our Congregations as now they are are very good both in Doctrine and Manners but I say also that the Doctrine and Manners of our Reformation at its first beginning was as pure as Holy and as true as now it is or ever it will be Nay supposing and granted their Manners and Doctrine were so corrupt as those Doctors mention I say that amidst all those Vices their Life was as Holy Innocent Blameless and Pure as yours is now And that you may be convinc'd of this Truth know that Calvin expresly teaches We believe the Sins of the Faithful he means of the Reformation are but venial Sins not but that they deserve Death but because there is no damnation for the Children of Grace in asmuch as their Sins are not imputed to them And again he says We can assure our selves we can no more be damn'd for any Sins then Jesus Christ himself Luther is of the same Opinion As nothing but Faith doth Justifie us so nothing but incredulity is a Sin. Again No Sin is so great that it can condemn a Man such as are damn'd are damn'd only for their Incredulity Whitaker No Sin can hurt a Men who has Faith. The same is taught by Wotton Fulk Tindal and Beza It 's therefore the Doctrine of Scripture as Interpreted by these Persons of great and sound Judgment that Incests Murthers Intemperance or whatever else you call a Sin Incredulity excepted either is no Sin at all or but Venial Sins which do no harm nor cannot damn the children of the Reformation if therefore our Brethren lived in the beginning of the Reformation as those Authors relate they lived according to Scripture as Interpreted to them by Men of sound Judgment and this being our rule of Faith and Manners they did not ill but very well in following it Ismael They were men of the Reformation it 's true who taught these Errors and dissolutition of Life and good Manners insomuch they swerved from the Spirits Holiness and Purity of the Reformation and must not be believed nor commended Look upon the Reformation as now it is and you will not find any such scandalous Doctrine or Corruption of manners Isaac They were not only Men of the Reformation but the greatest Oracles of it which you will not match with any of our preseâ—â—… Congregations and it 's not pardonable in any Reformed Child to say such Oracles Extraordinarily raised by God to teach the Purity of the Gospel should have taught either Errors in Doctrine or dissolution of Manners They taughâ— what in their Consciences they understood by Scripture to be true if you will not be so it revent as to say that they were Knaves who spoke and taught against their Consciences and Knowledge Therefore they taught the Doctrine of the Reformation purely and truly The Consequence is Evident For what is the Doctrine of the Reformation but what wise learned Men of sound Judgment think and understand by Scripture to be true Why is figurative Presence the Doctrine of the Reformation though denied by Lutherans who are Reformed also but because Wise Learned Men Judge by Scripture as they understand it it 's the true Doctrine or can you give me any other Rule of Faith by which we may know what Doctrine is of the Reformation and what not but Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it Or what Rule can you give for to know what is good or evil to be done but Scripture as understood by such Persons If therefore Luther Calvin and the other Doctors I quoted Judge by Scripture that Doctrine and manner of Life to be true and good why may not we say it 's the Doctrine of the Reformation If you or the Church of England or Scotland Judge that Doctrine to be false and that manner of Life to be a dissolution and corruption of Manners Why you are Men of sound Judgment you understand Scripture so that will be the Doctrine also of the Reformation you may believe it But you must not deny that Luther and Calvin's Doctrine also is of the Reformation because they were Men of as sound Judgment as you You transgress hainously against Modesty in saying those sacred Organs of God swerved from the