God nor bring forth any acceptable fruit Joh. the 15. vers 5. Without me saith Christ yee can do nothing For the wisdome of the flesh saith the Apostle or the minding of the flesh Rom. 8. vers 6. is enmity against God for it is not subiect unto the Law of God neither indeede can be The Apostle says not only that the wisdome of the flesh is not subject unto the Law of God but that it cannot be And in the first of the Cor. chap. the second the Apostle saith the naturall man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse to him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned Now if the unregenerate man in his sensuall and naturall condition cannot know and so much as discerne the things of the Spirit the things of God how much lesse can he do the things that God commands Therefore before Regeneration hee is dead in sinnes and trespasses following the desires of the flesh and of the mind and is by nature the child of wrath Ephes 2. vers 1.2.3 and this is the condition of all men before Regeneration Now if they be dead in sinnes and trespasses and follow the lusts of the flesh there is no life in them to that which is good before they be raised from the grave of sin which will never be before they forsake their own wayes and their own thoughts and deny themselves This is a knowne truth ratified by the Apostle Heb. 11. vers 6. and confirmed by the Testimony of all orthodox Writers that without faith it is impossible to please God Now all men in their naturall condition are without faith they are without Christ being Aliens from the Common-Wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the World Ephes 2. vers 12. and therefore in a sad deplorable and desperate condition so long as they continue and abide in their corrupt nature and are not sanctifyed by grace for without faith they cannot please God or do any good workes for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. vers 23. And this is the naturall condition of all mankind before the Law and under the Law and under the Gospell as by all these and innumerable more witnesses might be evinced And therefore all naturall men must deny themselves and renounce all if they will be Christs Disciples Yea the very regenerate must learne this Lesson of selfe-deniall and renounce all their owne merits and all their owne workes or they cannot be Christs Disciples The Saints of old knew that Lesson very well and therefore they never boasted of their own righteousnesse or of their own merits or good works that was Pharisaicall who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others as Christ speakes of them Luke the 17. vers 9. 11.12 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himselfe God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are Extortioners Vniust Adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the weeke and give Tithes of all that I possesse They were also frequent in Almes-deeds so that if workes either of the ceremoniall judiciall and morall Law could have justifyed any or brought them to Heaven the Pharisees might as well by their merits have challenged Heaven as any justiciaries in this Age who come far short of their righteousnesse And yet our Saviour Christ saith of them Mat. the 5. vers 20. Except your righteousnesse exceede the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven I say therefore the Saints and Servants of God in all ages were so farre from presuming of their own merits or challenging of Heaven by their good workes that wee finde them all by their own testimonies and witnesse disclayming them and powring out their prayers and supplications for pardon of sin and removall of judgements deserved by them and all of them condemning and accusing themselves for sinfull men even after I say their regeneration And if any by their good workes or by their owne merits might have challenged favour from God or acceptance from him then Moses or Job or Noah or Samuel or Daniel or Abraham or David or some of all the glorious and holy Prophets or some of the blessed Apostles might have done it better than any Justiciary of this age concerning many of the which God himselfe giveth an honorable testimony and yet we finde the whole Scripture full of their complaints that they have made against themselves for their iniquities transgressions and sinnes and ever desiring pardon and craving mercy for themselves and for their people and never vanting of their owne merits But let us take notice what God speakes of some of them and how honourably Jer. 15. vers 1. Thus saith the Lord though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be towards this people cast them out of my sight And in Ezekiel the 14. vers 20. Though Noah Daniel and Job were in it as I live saith the Lord God they shall deliver neither sonne nor daughter they shall deliver but their owne soules by their righteousnesse These were men all of them in high favour with God who giveth them here a glorious testimony as in many other places in holy Scripture of righteousnesse as in Numb the 12. and Heb. the 3. he commends Moses for his faithfulnesse in his house and of Job hee saith Job 1. vers 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill and Ezekiel the 28 vers 3. he commends Daniel for his wisdom and in the first of the Kings the 13. vers 14. of David he saith that hee was a man according to his own heart And yet if we looke upon all these men we shall finde them confessing and bewayling their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people and never presuming of their owne righteousnesse nor vanting of their owne merits but ever denying themselves as in the 90 Psal vers 8. Moses there sayes thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the sight of thy Countnance and vers 13. returne O Lord how long Here we finde confession of sinne and deprecation of judgement even in Moses Daniel also confesseth his sinnes and the sinnes of the people and deprecates Gods judgements Daniel the 9. vers 20. and David in the 19 Psal ver 13. saith Who can understand his errors Cleanse me from my secret sinnes So that it is evident that besides the sinnes the Saints know of themselves there are many they take no notice of and therefore ought with David ever to make this prayer Cleanse me from my secret sinnes so that there can never be matter of merit where there are secret sinnes And Job 9. ver 20. If I justifie my selfe saith he my owne mouth shall
Commandement and by it are liable to an eternall punishment having sinned against a most holy and eternall Majesty But if you say you can you are yet but an unprofitable servant and have done but your duty as the Lord affirmes and have not yet merited Christ saith Luk. 6. vers 31.32 33 34 35 36. And as you would that men should doe to you do yee also to them likewise For if you love them which love you what thanks have you for sinners also love those that love them And if you do good to them which do good to you what thanks have you for sinners also do the same And if yee lend to them of whom you hope to receive what thanks have you for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much againe But love yee your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing againe and your reward shall be great and yee shall be the children of the Highest for he is kind unto the unthankfull and to the evill and be yee also mercifull as your Heavenly Father is mercifull I demand of you Mr. Montague whether ever you or any mortall man ever did fully keepe these Precepts and Commandements and were as mercifull as God our Heavenly Father is mercifull if not you are a transgressor and far from merit or works of superrogation and if you have kept these holy Commandements you are yet but an unprofitable servant and have done but your duty Saint Paul saith to the Philippians chap. 4. vers 8. Finally my brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsover things are pure whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any prayse thinke on these things Those things which yee have both learned and received and heard and seene in mee do and the God of Peace shall be with you What duty Mr. Montague in the whole course of a mans life is there either of love and obedience towards God or towards our Neighbour that any man can performe that is not included in this precept and which by it he is not bound to do and the which if he performes not maketh him a transgressor and yet if he should perfectly fulfill this command he is but an unprofitable servant and hath done but his duty and therefore cannot merit much lesse do a worke of supererogation So that the impiety of the doctrine of merits is sufficiently evinced by that I have now said I might yet instance in a thousand things but I wil insist but upon one or two more which is the lesson in hand of selfe-deniall If any man saith Christ will be my disciple let him deny himselfe and take up his cross dayly and follow me I aske you Mr. Montague whether you thinke your selfe or any man did ever perfectly yet learne this lesson and did wholy deny himself and with willingnesse and without any murmuring or resisting take up his crosse and to the last houre of his life follow Christ both in cheerfull doing and suffering without which his service will not be acceptable for God loveth only cheerfull sufferers as cheerefull givers If you shall answer that none can perfectly keepe this precept you shall answer truly and by that acknowledge a transgression which makes you liable to punishment and therefore unable to merit by it But if you shall be so temerarious as to affirme you can keepe this Commandement notwithstanding you are yet but an unprofitable servant in Christs esteeme and you have done but your duty because you do no more then God commands you And truly Mr. Montague I will grant you thus much if any thing we can do or performe could merit at Gods hands suffering and dying for his cause and renouncing all honours pleasures and profits and abandoning life it self for the love of him and his truth might have the first place in our obedience for to challenge merit yet I say doing all this we are but unprofitable servants and have done but our duty and therefore cannot merit much lesse doe a worke of supererogation by it if Christs words be true Yea Paul in Rom. 8. vers 8. excludes merits even from our sufferings saying I account the afflictions of this present time are not worthy the glory that shall be shewed unto us The glory therefore we expect doth a thousand fold surpasse the misery of our afflictions therefore our pressures and sufferings themselves are excluded for if the very martyrs merit not then ordinary Christians cannot merit And in 2 Cor. 4.17 there he saith Our light affliction which is but for a moment worke for us a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory c. Now Master Montague I intreat you to declare unto me how any man by their sufferings can merit not onely life eternall but an augmentation and degree of glory in Heaven seeing by the expresse word of the Apostle there is no more proportion betweene that which is most excellent and glorious in this world and the glory and felicity of the Kingdome of Heaven than is between a moment of time and eternity for all men will easily conclude that a temporary and momentany suffering of affliction cannot merit eternall and never ending glory and that by the light of reason though the Scripture should say nothing to the contrary which doctrine of merit notwithstanding it doth in many places confute For however the Lord hath made many gracious promises in his holy Word of rewarding his suffering servants as Rom. 8. ver 17. saying If so be that we suffer with him we may also be glorified together As also in the second Epistle to Timothy chap. 2. ver 12. If we suffer we shall also reigne with him And innumerable places more might be cited for our incouragement in suffering as that in Rom. 2. ver 6 7. Who will render to every man according to his deeds To them who by patient continuance in well doing seeke for glory and honour and immortility eternall life All which declare that God out of his infinite favour will reward his servants for the practice of those very gifts and graces he hath bestowed upon them according to that in Revel 2. vers 10. Be thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a Crown of life But ever take notice this reward and this Crowne of life is not bestowed upon sufferers as wages or reward and merit but as a gift of mercy and grace as will afterward appeare And if you looke Mr. Montague into the 7. of the Revelation vers 13 14 15. there you may if you shut not your eyes behold the truth of this doctrine that the very martyrs come not to Heaven for their sufferings And one of the Elders answered and said unto me What are these which are arrayed in white Robes and whence come they and he said unto me These are they which came out of great tribulations and have washed their robes and
reason of his so doing because he had a command to the contrary by God himselfe But when an old Prophet that dwelt in Bethel had heard what happened there and what had beene done to the Altar and Ieroboam and being desirous to give him entertainment and for that end following the Prophet at last he overtook him and earnestly intreated him to returne and eate Bread who replying unto him sayd I may not returne with thee nor eate bread for it was said unto mee by the Word of the Lord to the contrary to whom the old Prophet answered I am a Prophet as well as thou and an Angel spake unto me by the Word of the Lord saying Bring him back with thee into the house that he may eate Bread and drinke Water but he lyed And by this lie he deluded the poore Prophet to his ruin as the story telleth to this story I say the Apostle alluding forbiddeth all Christians to take heed of all other Doctrines whatsoever that they have not received from Christ and his Disciples and that they intertaine none contrary to that they have beene taught by him though he himselfe should teach contrary to that he formerly taught or any of the other Apostles yea though an Angel from Heaven should teach them otherwise the Apostle ties all Christians here as in other places to the rule written in the Word of God And in Chap. 6. in the first Epistle to Tim. v. 3. If any man teach otherwise and consent not unto wholsome words even the Words of our Lord Iesus Christ and the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse from such withdraw thy selfe Now to teach invocations of Saints and Angels is to teach otherwise than Christ taught and it is not to consent unto wholesome words even the words of our Lord Jesus who said when yee pray say Our Father which art in Heaven But we cannot say to any Saint or Angel our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name thy Kingdome come thy will be done and forgive us our sinnes c. And therefore by Christs Doctrine wee are in our Prayers to pray onely unto him to whom all these Petitions belong and this is to consent unto the wholesome words of Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to godlinesse so that all Praying to Saints and Angels is unwholesome doctrine yea impious and blasphemous and by the command of the Apostle wee are to shun such as bring such Doctrine according to that of S. Iohns Epistle the 2. vers 9.10 11. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the Doctrine of Christ hath not God He that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hee bath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine that is to say the Doctrine of Christ receive him not into your House neither bid him God-speed For he that biddeth him God-speede is partaker of his evill deeds They that teach therefore the Doctrin of the invocation of Saints and Angels teach not the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and they that entertaine and imbrace that Doctrine they all transgresse the command and have not God but they that teach the Doctrine of Jesus Christ which is in all our necessities to call upon God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ they have both the Father and the Sonne and by that salvation for they that call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Acts 4. Rom. 10. But the Church of England doth this Ergo. Innumerable reasons Mr. Montague might be given against this Doctrine of invocating of Saints and Angels as that it is a meere will-worship without both president and precept and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne but much more whatsoever is contrary to the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ and contrary unto Faith for how shall they call on him saith the Apostle in whom they have not believed so that faith and invocation goe together and we must call upon none in whom wee believe not but to believe in Saints and Angells is both blasphemous and impious for it is to give the honour due to the Creator who is blessed for ever to the creature Rom. 1. than the which there cannot be a greater sacriledge and it is also to expect salvation from them which belongeth to God alone who only can save for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lordshall be saved Rom. 10. v. 13. Ioel 2. v. 32. Now if by our Prayer unto God we can be saved what neede wee take then any other course as to go either to Saints or Angells if it were neither forbidden nor sinfull but seeing it is a doctrine against the Will of God and every way so abominable it ought of all Christians to be detested and so much the rather because they that make Saints and Angels Mediators of the new Testament saying that Christ is Mediator of satisfaction and redemption but that the Saints and Angels are mediators of intercession by this blasphemous Doctrine they make Christ but a partiall momentany and temporary Mediator and his Mediatorship but for a time and give unto the Saints and Angells that never dying and everlasting Mediatorship than the which there is nothing more impious against God or injurious to men when notwithstanding the holy Scriptures proclaime Christs Mediatorship to consist as well in intercession as redemption and that they cannot be separated or divided and also that Christ now at the right hand of God is Mediator of both who is the appointed advocate and high-priest for this purpose in Heaven and that by God himselfe who is Judge there and to which Office none can be admitted but by God alone Heb. 5. v. 4. 5. And withall the holy Word of God in expresse tearmes delivereth unto all Christians for their comfort that Christ doth now make intercession for them at the right hand of God Rom. 8. v. 31. 1 Tim. chap. 2. Heb. 9.24 25. the 1 of John chap. 2. v. 1 2. Now then I say al these things considered when in the Church of England the Gospell is purely and sincerely preached the Sacraments duly and rightly administred in all respects and the Name of God truly called upon according as God himselfe hath appointed it followeth that the Church of England is a true Church and when in the Church of Rome the Gospell is neither purely and sincerely preached but error superstition and open Idolatry and the Sacraments are adulterated by additions and detractions mingling with their Sacrament of Baptisme Spitle Oyle and Salt making it rather a plaster than a Baptisme and mangling the Lords Supper most sacrilegiously first taking away the Cup from the People and then changing the Sacrament into a sacrifice that abominable Idoll of the Masse to the which they give the worship of Latriae which in their Dialect is onely due to God alone and when they have to all this brought into the Church
be saved by but by the Name of Jesus Acts 4. v. 12. and that Salvation is onely in him And therefore if they seeke and desire all such gifts and graces of the holy Spirit without which they can neither know God nor believe in him as they ought the Church of England teaches them that they are onely to be found in Christs unction of whose fulnesse we have received grace for grace John 1. And if they want strength and power to subdue their corruptions and to support them in temptation the Church of England teacheth that they may finde them in Christs Dominion and Soveraignty to whom all power in Heaven and Earth is given Matth. 28. ver 18. If they desire purity and innocency they have it in his conception If they desire mercy compassion and commiseration they have it in his birth Who was made like unto us that he might have compassion on us and make our reconciliation with God Heb. 3. v. 17. If we desire redemption we have it in his death and passion If we desire absolution and freedome from guilt we have it in Christs condemnation If we seeke a discharge or delivery from malediction and the curse we have it in his crosse Gal. 3. v. 13. If we seeke for satisfaction and a full payment unto the wrath and justice of God we have it in his sacrifice If we desire to be purged and cleansed from all our sinnes and iniquities we have it in his blood 1 John chap. 1. v. 7. If we seeke for reconciliation we have it in his bitter agony and sufferings 2 Cor. chap. 5. v. 18 19 21. If we seeke the mortification of the flesh and crucifying of the old man we have it in his grave And if we desire and seeke for newnesse of life and vivifying of the Spirit and immortality we have them all in his resurrection Rom. 6. v. 4 5. And if we seeke for the Kingdome of Heaven we have it in his ascension And if we looke for ayd and helpe in time of need and in all our distresses or if we desire plenty sufficiency and the affluency of all good things to supply all our wants and necessities we shall finde them in his Soveraignty and Kingdome And if we wait for a joyfull and dreadlesse expectation of the last judgement we have it in Christ who we know is our Mediator that shall be the Judge both of quick and dead and therefore we doe with joy lift up our heads knowing that our salvation and redemption draweth nigh In a word the Church of England teacheth all these things to the people and that all the riches and treasures of all good things are to be found in Christ Jesus Colos 2. vers 3. and that to him alone they ought to have recourse if they would be replenished and have their wants at any time supplied And whither indeed upon all occasions should we flie but unto Christ for as S. Peter sayeth John 6. vers 68. Lord to whom shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall like Therefore the Church of England teacheth all men to make their addresses to Christ onely for to him onely is to be ascribed all the honour and praise of our Redemption And the Church of England hath very good reason and warrant out of Gods Word ever to maintaine the truth of this Doctrine that the whole sum of our salvation and all the parts of it are onely to be found in Christ For otherwise they cannot yeeld unto God that honour that is due to him and is to be kept and preserved inviolably for him without any diminution neither can they findâ— that peace and comfort in their consciences if they rely upon any abilitie or forces of their owne or rest in any of their own performances in the which they know there is so much imperfection and so many failings And this were but to forsake the fountaine of living waters and to dig themselves broken cisternes which cannot hold a drop of true comfort besides all this there is great danger in so doing in all respects for to ascribe or attribute any thing unto themselves in the work of redemption is meere blasphemy in that they take away that honour that is wholly and intirely belonging to the Mediator God blessed for ever and ascribe it to a meer creature which is indeed an horrid impiety For the Prophet Isa 53. v. 4. 6. saith that the Father hath layd the iniquities of us all upon his Sonne that by his stripes wee should be healed Which very thing S. Peter in other words expresseth 1 Epist chap. 2. ver 24. saying that Christ did in his body heare our sinnes upon the Tree And S. Paul in the 8 of the Rom. v. 2 3. affirmes that sin was condemned in his flesh when He was made sinne for us and redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us 2 Cor. 5. v. 24. Gal. 3. v. 13. That is to say the power force and curse of sin was killed and slaine in his flesh when hee was offered up and given to be a Sacrifice for us upon whom the whole heape and masse of our sinnes with all the curse and malediction with the dreadfull judgement of God and condemnation of death was layd So that I say the Church of England ascribes all the honour of our redemption to Christ alone and teaches all men that if in the least thing they should rob Christ of his due honour as it is an insufferable sinne and indignity in any to do so by it they câ—â—â—ind no peace in their soules and consciences for being justified by Faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5. vers 1. who wee know hath fully satisfyed God for us but if any rely upon their owne performances or any workes done by them such is the imperfection of them and so many failings there be alwayes in them that they can never finde any reall and true peace or solid comfort but there will be ever doubtings whether in all things they have done their duty compleatly and as they ought And therefore the Church of England according to the holy Scriptures attributes the whole worke of our redemption to Christ alone and teaches the people that by his stripes they are made whole and so in this speculative belief it fayleth not The Church of England likewise diligently instructeth the people how they may be made partakers of Christ and all his benefits and shewes them the way directly of attaining this felicity and that is by teaching them selfe-deniall and 〈◊〉 humble themselves for their Iniquities Transgressions and 〈◊〉 under God mighty hand and to come out of themselves and exhorts thâ—m to â—y unto Christ and by faith alone to lay hold upon him and â—pply him with all his benefits and merits unto themselves 〈◊〉 which they may stand justified before God and sanctifiedâ— and then it teacheth them also that the ordinary way and
to the salvation of the sonnes of men But I will not now Mr. Montague discover all the errors and abominations of this Idoll onely I shall desire you to take notice of the great impiety and absurdities of this your doctrine The Church of Rome affirmeth Mr. Montague that the sacrifice of this idoll Masse is the very same sacrifice that Christ himselfe offered upon the crosse Against which I thus argue That Sacrifice which differeth from the Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ both in the efficient materiall formall and finall cause that is not the same sacrifice that Christ offered upon the crosse but the sacrifice of the Masse differeth from the sacrifice of the Lord Iesus Christ both in the efficient materiall formall and finall cause Ergo it is not the same sacrifice but a detestable Idoll For the Major Mr. Montague no man will deny it for that that doth re ratione dissentire from any thing that is not the same as all men know The Minor I will prove with its severall parts And thus I dispute The sacrifice of the crosse was offered up by that high-Priest who is the eternall Sonne of the eternall Father who is holy harmlesse undifiled separate from sinners and made higher than the Heavens Heb. 7. vers 28. Who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God Heb. 9 vers 14. But the Sacrifice of the masse is not offered up by this Priest nor through the eternall Spirit but by a most polluted Priest and through the Spirit of Antichrist Ergo the sacrifice of the Masse is not the same sacrifice of Iesus Christ it differing from it in the efficient cause but a most detestable Idoll The Major of this Syllogisme you cannot deny Mr. Montague neither will any man gainsay or deny the Minor and you know then the conclusion necessarily followeth that the Sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Masse are not one and the same Sacrifice and therefore to give that honour to the Masse that is onely due to Christ himselfe is the most abominable Idolatry that the World ever heard of for it giveth the same honour to a creature of mans making that is due to the Creator blessed for ever And that shall suffice to have spoke of the first difference and now I come to speake of the second discrepancy in respect of the matteriall cause The matter of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the humane nature very man that that was borne of the Virgin Mary that was of the seede of Abraham of the Tribe of Judah that suffered under Pontius Pilate that was crucified dead and buried and is now at the right Hand of God and made higher than the Heavens But the matter of the sacrifice of the Masse is not the humane nature very man and that that was borne of the Virgin Mary that was of the seede of Abraham of the Tribe of Judah that suffered under Pontius Pilate that was crucified dead and buried and is now at the right hand of God and made higher than the Heavens Ergo the sacrifice of the Masse is not the same sacrifice of Iesus Christ that was offered upon the Crosse but a most prodigious Idoll that ought of all men to be abominated For the Major Mr. Montague you cannot deny it and for the Minor no man unlesse he be bereaved of his senses will deny it and unlesse he be unable to distinguish a peece of Bread from the humane nature for Christ retaines his humane nature still wheresoever hee is and he bade Thomas for the confirmation of his weake faith to put his fingers into his side and to prove the reality of his Resurrection and that hee was not a Spirit hee said unto his Disciples Luke 24. vers 39. Behold my hands and my Feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee have So that Mr. Montague except a man have lost all his senses hee will easily perceive the Sacrifice of the Masse and the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ are two different things for the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ had Flesh Bloud and Bones the Sacrifice of the Masse is neither flesh nor fish nor good read Herring it is neither Man nor Beast I pray Mr. Montague answer mee ingenuously do you really and indeed believe that that Breaden Wafer the Priest holdeth up in his hands or that lieth upon the Altar that Dagon of Ginger-bread is the very Christ the Saviour of the World who is now at the right Hand of God doe you believe a peece of Bread to be God-man doe you I say believe that which is betweene the Priests hands ever to have beene in the wombe of the Virgin to be of the seede of Abraham of the Tribe of Iudah and to have suffered under Pontius Pilate I am confident your conscience telleth you the contrary when you know that it is a meere peece of dow How then dare you Master Montague give that honour to a peece of bread that is due to the Lord of life Was there ever in the world a more unheard of Idolatry And yet this Master Montague is the dayly service of the Church of Rome which is worse than the worshiping of Molecke Rimmon or the God of Ekron and exceedeth all either heathenish or Iewish superstition But now I come to shew the difference betweene them in respect of the formall cause The Sacrifice of Iesus Christ was the giving up of his Spirit into the hands of God his Father the laying down of his life the separation of the humane soule from his body and the effusion of his bloud and the wounding and piercing of his glorious Body but in the sacrifice of the Masse there is none of all this you your selves calling it an unbloudy sacrifice and by virtue of your concomitancy as you tearme it you joyne flesh and bloud soule and body together and make that whole which on the Crosse was in all respects separated Ergo the Sacrifice of the Masse is not the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ but a monster to be abominated of all men as that that robs Christ the Lord of his due honour and all the adorers and worshippers of it of eternall happinesse who worship a peece of Bread for very God and in that perpetrate the greatest Idolatry that ever was committed And so exclude themselves out of Heaven for no Idolater shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Revel 21. vers 8. But the Fearfull and Vnbelievers and Idolaters shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and which is the second death And therefore M. Montague it highly concerneth you to looke about you and to consider well what you do when you goe to Masse But now I come to the last cause of difference The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ was of that virtue and efficacy and offered up to this very end that it might be a ransome for all believers 1 Tim. chap. 2. vers 6. And Heb. 10.14 For by once offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified But the sacrifice of the Masse is neither of any power or efficacy nor never yet perfected any and by the confession of the Papists themselves must many times be reiterated to bring one poore soule out of their fained Purgatory therefore in regard also of the end it is not the same but differeth from the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and ought to be cast out of the World as a beastly Idoll and an abomination and as a thing of no efficacy and power to save any man from misery but all-sufficient to damn soules and send them to perdition and to bring downe the judgements of God upon the Nations and Kingdomes where it is set up as all Idolatry doth for the Lord will judge those Nations with all manner of plagues that provoke him by their Idolatries and after cast them into the lake that burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second death Which that Mr. Montague you and all men may shun it deeply concerneth you to consult what a fearfull condition you yet are in and all those that are of the Faith and Religion of the Church of Rome which is the Mother of all abomination and duly also to weigh the haynousnesse of your offence who causlesly so separated your selfe from your Mother the Church of England whom I have as I conceive sufficiently in my foregoing discourse proved to be a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter the ground and Pillar of Truth Mr. Montague That which I have now to say unto you is this God hath given you excellent parts and bestowed many mercies and favours on you and his long suffering and patience towards you has beene great in all respects who have hitherto imployed your gifts to wrong your own soule and mislead others let it be enough that you have gone so farre and have hither so abused Gods loving kindnesse towards you knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth you to Repentance and therefore take heâ—d lest persevering in these erroneous and damnable Idolatries and sacrilegious impious opinions you treature not up unto your selfe wrath against the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God which that you may not do it shall ever be the Prayer of him that wisheth no lesse happinesse to your soule and body than to himselfe and who shall alwayes remaine Sir Yours in the Lord JOHN BASTVVICK FINIS