are yet more clearly explicated by St. Paul who tels us thus 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread And when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you you this do in remembrance of me and after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the New-Testament in my blood c. And then to set the business out of all doubt concludes He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Can any thing be more plain Then further St. Paul begins with a Preface I speak as to wise men 1 Cor. 10.15 16 17. judge ye what I say The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the body of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread Does not the Apostle here most clearly and expresly shew that in every particle of the consecrated bread the whole body of Christ is communicated and as he thought them only wise that could understand that mysterie so we must think them stupid that will not and worse then Jews that go about to pervert and torment this and other Texts to any other sense Over and ahove all this consider a little more upon that Text before cited 1 Cor. 11.28 29. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that Cup for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Here it is clear that by reason of the presence of the body of Christ the unworthy Receiver is damned because he sins against that body There is no man can deny but the unworthy eater be it what it will that is eaten must be guilty of that which is eaten Here St. Paul most clearly instructs the Corinthians that it is no simple bread or ordinary nourishment that is set upon the Altar but the very body of Christ that who ever eats thereof should be guilty of it therefore the Apostle adds not discerning the Lords body that is not distinguishing it from other food This I am likewise informed by the Learned to be the sence of the Church in all Ages no Primitive Christian ever daring to oppose the clearness of so much express Scripture till one Berengarius as they call him had the impudence to do it but afterwards recanted and abjured it before the Pope thirteen Arch-bishops and an hundred Bishops which God grant all those that have followed his footsteps to do likewise Now that this Transubstantiation Gen. 2. or transelementation is no way impossible to be done no nor for you to conceive as you alledge see what God hath done in the like kinde first in the beginning of the world God form'd man of the dust of the earth here God changed dust into flesh in the same chapter we finde how God turn'd the rib of man into woman a bone into flesh Gen. 19. Exod. 4. Then Lots wife looking back is turn'd into a pillar of salts then Moses threw down his Rod and it was turn'd into a Serpent Then I will strike the water of the River with my Rod and it shall be turn'd into blood Exod. 7. and divers more such mutations there are in the Old Testament As for the New we find that our Saviours first publick miracle was to turn water into wine and this great omnipotency of his the Devil full well knew when he to tempt him said If thou beest the son of God turn these stones into bread Thus you dispute that power in him which the Devils themselves acknowledge Now as Christ with five little Breads did feed five thousand men by making of bread by his Almighty multiplication so now he feeds his whole Church of the faithful with one Bread that is his body Sacramentally Then that Jesus Christ did do some things miraculously with his body whilest he was upon the earth which we cannot do with our bodies nor can any humane reason comprehend you will not dare to deny as that he pierced the grave and Tombstone afterwards when he rose from the dead that he pierced a house the doors and windows being shut and that he pierced the Highest Heavens with his body when he ascended all these things I say you will not dare to deny yet this which is enjoyned you by the same Authority to believe you are pleas'd to dispute What is this but to pick and choose what you please your selves to believe and from being such a chooser in matter of Faith shall be ever a part of my Letany Good Lord deliver me for that I am told is to be a true Heretick To what you alledge of Impiety against the Church of Rome for depriving the people of the Cup I answer thus To the first Argument I shall clearly grant what you say that Christ being then to Consecrate did Institute the Sacrament under both kinds and gave it to his Apostles in both kinds who now were Priests Therefore the Priest to this day that celebrates takes it likewise in both kinds but what is this to the Laity For those words Drink ye all of this was said only to his Apostles and Priests who do it still that is Consecrate in the Commemoration of Christ for no other were present at his most holy Supper but the Apostles no not his own blessed Mother as it is clear out of all the Gospels Nay St. Mark tells us Mar. 1â— 23 that they all drank of it which shews clearly that that all was only meant of the Apostles for it was impossible to be true of the Laity To the second I shall likewise grant that he that drinketh not his blood as well as he that eateth not his flesh hath no life in him but to a Sacramental eating and drinking there is required still a Spiritual intelligence according to what our Saviour himself said the words that he spake they were spirit and they were life From whence we may conclude that since the whole Christ both body and blood is comprehended under one Species a Lay man may be said to drink the blood of Christ though not under its proper species yet under the species of Bread Again our Saviour in that Chapter of St. Johns Gospel treats principally of our incorporation into him which is sufficiently effected by our Communion in one kind the whole Christ being there and the other Species is not at all to be said necessary to that incorporation with Christ To the third I shall grant likewise that it hath been permitted to the Laity to participate of the blessed Sacrament under both kinds
do I remember that I ever heard of any Heretick so impudent as to say that the flesh of Christ upon the Cross profited nothing Besides is this a consequence the flesh profiteth nothing therefore it is not in the Sacrament truly if that be good Logick it may as well follow in my judgement that the flesh of Christ profiteth nothing therefore it is not in heaven over and above all this it is plain our Saviour speaks not there of his own flesh for he says not my flesh profiteth nothing indeed some of the Jews there had such a foolish oppinion as to think upon our Saviours mystical words that the very flesh of Christ should be visibly under the species of flesh torn by mens teeth that sottishness of theirs our Saviour onely reproves To the third To what you alledge out of Scriptures and Articles of Faith I answer and acknowledge our Lord and Saviour to be in heaven and fitting on the right hand of his Father in visible and quantitative form yet he may lye invisibly and sacramentally under the species of Bread Nor does the verity of our Eucharist clash at all with the verity of our Articles of Faith for we know as the Scripture tells us that with God nothing is impossible His Almighty word sure can as easily make a body to be in divers places as nature his servant can make the essence of a soul to be in divers members Nay we see it plainly and positively said so nor can it chuse but be so for Jesus Christ who as we said is eternally to be at the right hand of his Father yet appeared upon earth to S. Paul Acts 9.22 1 Cor. 15. To the fourth To what you alledge out of our Saviours institution I utterly deny that he said take ye bread but taking bread he said take and eat this is my body Now I would fain know what difference there is betwixt saying take my body and taking bread to say take this is my body nor is it the mumbling or breathing of the Priests mouth that makes this miraculous change but Christ himself when the Priest according to his institution speaks the words of consecration is pleased to assist with his divine omnipotency and convert the substance of bread into his very body and wine into his blood Now this power was delivered by Christ to his Apostles when he gave them Commission to do the like and bid them so often as they did it to do it in remembrance of him and so the Apostle Paul tells us that what he received from the Lord that he delivered to us Then as to the impassibility of the body of Christ we do most humbly acknowledge it nor do our Priests say who know that our Saviour dies no more that his body shall be delivered but they relate onely that our Saviour did use those words at his last Supper which is Truth for then his body was to be delivered and his blood to be shed To the fifth For the Evangelists calling it bread it is always understood before consecration but that being done they do all unanimously call it the body of Christ In like manner the Apostles and Fathers might sometime call it so because before its change it was so as a Serpent in Scripture was called a Rod because it was a Rod but Aarons Rod devoured their Rods Exod. 7. then because the figure of bread and all its other accidents remain as things are sometimes called from their representations 1 Kings 10. so Solomon was said to make oxen and little Lions because he made the images of them Then the Eucharist may still be called bread because in it is the living bread which came down from heaven John 5. To the sixth and last To what you alledge out of the 24th of S. Matthew I answer that you are mistaken cleerly in the Text for those words you make to be spoken of the body of Christ are clearly meant of Christs kingdome of Faith His divine Majesty cleerly foresaw that the Hussits would have one Christ to stand for them the Lutherans one Christ to be for them the Annabaptists one for them the Calvinists one for them the Arminians one for them and Socinians one for them and the like of such bold challengers of Christ as those and other Hereticks are our blessed Saviour gives us a fair warning to beware which good Mrs. N. God give you grace to do Thus I have briâ—fly and punctually as I could answered your alligations out of the Scripture against the mystery of Christs Reall Presence in the Sacrament Now give me leave to mind you of some places of Scripture that do most expresly assert the Catholick doctrine against you First the words of our Saviours institution in all the four Evangelists are most significantly harmonious to a letter Mat. 14.26 27 28. as first in S. Matthew And as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it the Disciples and said take eat this is my body and he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink yee all of it for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins S. Mark hath it thus And as they did eat Jesus took bread Mark 14 22 23.24 and blessed and brake it and gave to them and said take eat this is my body and he took the cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and they all drank of it and he said unto them this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many Luke 22.19 20. St. Luke thus And he brake bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you St. John in his sixth Chapter Joh. 6.51.53 54 55 56 57. makes it his whole business to shew how our Saviour did endeavour to explain this mysterie and therefore is pleased expresly to say I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Then upon the Jews murmuring he adds Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father So he that eateth me even he shall live by me c. The Gospels themselves
but once in the year and that is Saturday in the holy week neither is there any consecration at all made that day of the Sacrament But the Eucharist that was consecrated the former day is then receiv'd lest the Church of Christ should remain depriv'd of the comfortable fruits of our Lords Passion The other way of Oblation is cleerly Sacramental and yet nevertheless real by which Christ is daily offer'd in the Church and receiv'd by Priests in the Sacrifice of the Mass under the Sacrament in commemoration of the Passion Dead and that former Oblation once made upon the Cross So that the Priest in the person of the whole Church doth present to God the Father the Oblation made by the Sonne upon the Altar of the Cross and him offered and that is the Offering according to the order of Melchisedech However this Oblation may be but rightly call'd commemorative not that Jesus Christ is not rightly and truly offered but because he is offered here under a Sacrament invisibly and recordatively in remembrance of his former Oblation by his own command Numb 28.3 and according to his own Institution And this is the oblation that was signified by the continual burnt-offering in the Old Law in which there was a Lamb without spot to be offered every morning and every evening This second Oblation I say the Priests of Christ doe make daily by the command of Christ himselfe Luke 22. grounded upon those words Do this in remembrance of me For this word do cannot referre onely to a bare sumption or taking of the Sacrament as you would have it but an Action and Oblation otherwise they should not have had the power of Consecration by those words Christ perfected at once the Oblation of himself upon the Altar of the Cross in one bloody Sacrifice and by the frequent repetition of this unbloody one the fruits and effects of the former are daily deriv'd to us So that the Mass is not only a representation of our Lords last Supper but of his Passion Death and Oblation of himselfe and therefore our Eucharist is not onely a Sacrament as you say but it is also a real Sacrifice a Sacrament truly it is as it does represent and is taken but a Sacrifice it is as it is offered and sacrificed to God and by this reason our Mass in which this great Sacrifice is celebrated is called a Sacrifice too To the second and third In the like manner I shall answer both your following arguments for those Texts doe clearly speake of the first Oblation that Christ made of himself our Sacrifices here are but examples of that and yeâ— we offer still the same thing not as in the Old Law to day one Lamb and to morrow another but alwayes the same so it is still one Sacrifice for as he that is offered is one body not many so is our Sacrifice still but one Behold how we offer daily one Sacrifice which once was offered though as is aforesaid there is great difference in the manner of offering the one by a real bloody oblation the other by recordation and representation To the fourth That our Saviour did say that his blood was the New Testament c. I grant but deny that therefore the Mass should be so for that which he spoke was onely to confirme our Faith in the New Testament Exod. 24.8 for as Moses being to confirm the Old Testament took the blood of Calves and Geats c. and sprinkled the people saying this is the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words So Christ with his own blood confirm'd his New Testament unto us and enter'd into the Holy of Holyes Besides there be many things of the New Testament that belong not at all to the Mass as Baptism the Power of the Keyes c. Nay over and above all this it does not follow Heb. 9. that if the Mass were a Testament it should be therefore no Sacrifice for a Testament according to that of the Apostle includes the death of the Testator and the Mass being a Testament does imply the death of its Testator Jesus Christ and so by consequence must involve the Oblation To the fifth and last I shall clearly grant you again that the Mass is a recordation or remembrance of the Passion of Christ but not so nakedly as when a Lay person does simply communicate but it is a remembrance after this manner as it is the representative action of the whole Passion And this Jesus Christ said do ye not onely take ye but do ye that is if we joyne the precedents and sebsequents together consecrate offer take therefore that part of the Mass is called Action So therefore as there was a continual Sacrifice in the Old Testament so in the Law of Grace is Christ our Saviour made our continual Offering and shall continue so for ever till Anti-Christ shall come as our Doctors do affirm and then it shall cease for a while Now give me leave again to return you some proofes out of the Scriptures of the congruity and necessity that the Mass should bee a Sacrifice First Lev. 5.6.9.14 it is manifest that in the Old Law there was to be an offering for the sins of the people and it was alwaies the duty of the Priests to offer for their ignorances and sins and for their cleansing And what Religion was there ever so stupid as to pretend to the service of a Deity without some Sacrifice except some novel Christians to the very scandal of Jews and Turks Secondly Malach. 1.10 11. The Prophet Malachy does most plainly Prophesie of our great Sacrifice when he brings the Lord speaking to Israel I have no pleasure in you saith the Lord of Hosts neither will I accept any offering at your hand for from the rising of the Sun to the going down of the same my name shall be great amongst the Gentiles and in every place Incense shal be offered unto my name a pure offering for my name shall be great among the heathen saith the Lord of hosts Is not this a most plain Prediction of the Cessation of the Sacrifices of the old Law and the Institution of the Sacrifice of the new Law Nor can this be meant of that Sacrifice which Christ offered once upon the Cross because the Prophet speaks of a Sacrifice to be offered in every place and speaks but only of one oblation and that is nothing nor can be but the pure Sacrifice of the body of Christ so often repeared upon in our Masses and upon our Christian Altars Nay yet examine a little further in this great Prophet Malath 3.1 2 3. and you will finde yet a clearer evidence for our Christian sacrifice for being about his prophecies of the Messiah to come and having foretold the coming of the Baptist before him says plainly that the Lord shall suddenly come to his Temple even the Messenger of
of God accepting them as it had before pleased to assist in the doing of them All which I prove by these express Scriptures God commands Abraham to walk before him and be perfect Gen. 16. and he will be his exceeding great reward The Prophet Esay says of God Isay 40.10 Jer. 31.16 Prov. 11.28 that his reward is with him The Prophet Jeremy tells us thus for thy work shall be rewarded saith the Lord. The wise King Solomon assures us that the wicked worketh a deceitful work but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward The Lord recompence thy work Ruth 2.12 and a full reward begiven thee of the Lord God of Israel Out of these and infinite more places in the old Scriptures it is plain that God does promise and assure rewards to those that do well But the Evangelicall Scriptures are yet more full He that reapeth receiveth wages Iohn 4.36 and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that is man so that he that soweth that is God and he that reapeth may rejoyce together Our Saviour in his Sermon in the Mount Mat. 5.12 Luke 6.22.23 to encourage his disciples against persecution speaks plainly thus Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven in like manner S. Luke relates it Blessed are ye when men shall hate you persecute you or reproch you for the son of mans sake Rejoyce ye in that day and leap for joy for behold your reward is great in heaven c. Heer reward is plainly promised now we know that reward and merit are such relatives that one cannot be understood without the other Not every one that saith unto me Lord Mat. 7.21 Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven Thus cleer it is that is not enough â—o believe in the Lord that we may enter into life but we must do his will Again Mat. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water onely in the name of a disciple verily I say unto you be shall in no wise loose his reward Yet again the same Gospel tells us that all the labourers in the Lords vineyard were to receive their reward Mat. 20.7 8 9. from the last unto the first and so they did every one their peny and adds whatsoever is right that shall ye receive observe how the Lord makes the reward of mans works a piece of his justice The same S. Matthew still tells us Mat. 19.17 how our Saviour chargeth the young man in the Gospel if he will enter into life to keep the commandments something therefore is to be done on our parts But above all the same Evangelist in another place quite states the question Come ye blessed of my father inherit the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world Mat. 25.34 35 36. for I was a hungry and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye grve me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye came unto me Here our Saviour was pleased to instance in all the works of charity to shew how they are all and every one of them meritoriously accepted by him Does not S. John likewise plainly tell us Iohn 5.28.29 our Saviours express words that those that are in their graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation and again you are my friends if ye keep my commandments can you yet think that there is nothing due to good works Will you hear what S. Paul tells you that God will render to every man according to his deeds Rom. 2.6 10. glory honour and peace to every one that worketh good c. and then concludes that not the hearers but the doers of the Law shall be justified Again 1 Cor. 3.8 to the Corinthians he says every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour and in his second Epistle to the same Corinthians he tells them thus 2 Cor. 5.10 1 Cor. 9.17 For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad again if I do this willingly I have a reward 1 Cor. 15 58. and at last concludes that great Chapter concerning the Resurrection Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. The same Apostle forewarns the Galatians not to be deceived Gal. 6.7 God is not mocked for what soever a man soweth that shall he also reap The same Apostle prays heartily for the Collosians Colos 1.10 Colos 3.23.24 that they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work and then afterwards tells them plainly that whatsoever they do they should do he artily as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord they shall receive the reward of their inheritance c. To the Hebrews he says plainly Heb. 6.10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which you have shewed towards his name Heb. 13.16 in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister and in another place adviseth them that to do good and to communicate they forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased S. John in his second Epistle general adviseth all the world to look to themselves 2 John ver 8. that they loose not those things which they have wrought but that they receive a full reward S. Peter is no less cleer in this sense 2 Pet. 1 10 11. as you may see by the Counsell general that he gives wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do thus ye shall never fall for so an entrance shall be ministred unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ And then in his first Epistle he exhorteth to an honest conversation c. that the world may be convinced by the good works which they shall behold and glorifie God in the day of visitation Then that faith is utterly vain without works James 2 14. ver 17 18 19 20 21 24. see how throughly the blessed Apostle S. James delivers it What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and hath not works can faith save him then a little after tells us that faith if it hath not works is dead being alone then says the Apostle I will shew my faith by my works thou believest there is
shew you in my answer to your next Argument But from what has been said already it is very evident that this Text out of Deuteronomy which you press so hard makes nothing at all to the purpose unless you can think this a good Argument The Jews were bound perfectly and entirely to keep the commands of Moses therefore Christians must not admit of Apostolical Traditions but be content with only Scripture which I think no reasonable man wil take for other than an absutd and ridiculous consequence But that the business may be more clear give me leave to ask of you whether those commands did belong to the Jews only or to us Christians as well as they If to the Jews only why do you alledge that Text against us or why should we be obliged to the observation of those precepts If they belong to us Christians likewise why do not you keep all the Mosaical Law Why do not all the Mankinde amongst you Circumcise themselves And why do you forbeare the observation of all the lethe legal Ceremonies In the last place answer me why do you urge the first particle of the text against us you shall not add and do not in like manner urge against your selves ye shall not diminish but I fear I have been too long in this To the third I wonder truly how you can infer from that Text that nothing is to be done but what God commands and all humane precepts to be cast away If so what will you say of the Jews themselves Jer. 35.6 Acts 15.29 that did with all exactness observe the Feast of Dedication that was no more then a humane precept What will you say of the Rechabites who did most religiously observe the Command of their Father Jonadab in a perpetual abstinence from wine What will you think of the Apostles who in their Council at Jerusalem commanded abstinence from blood and things strangled 1 Cor. 7.12 what will you think of St. Paul who distinguisheth between his own commands and those of Jesus Christ what will you think of all sorts of Magistrates who are forced to fasten humane Laws and precepts upon us for the preservation of peace and justice in a Common-Wealth What must ye think of your selves who in your Synods Conventicles make Laws and Ecclesiasticall decrees to bind up your own Congregations to obedience and will have observ'd by all In the next place give me leave to tell you that the sence of this place is clean otherwise then what you would impose upon it For as in your last Argument you prest a Text that was to be understâ—od in generall of all the precepts that were delivered by Moses Deut. 12.30 31 32. which were to be exactly and entirely observ'd so here you urge another that enjoins the entire Observation of one sort of sacrifice and the Text runs thus When the Lord thy God shall out of the Nations from before thee whither thou goest to possess them and then succeedest them and dwellest in their land Simila take heed to thy self that thou be not snared by following them and that thou enquire not after their gods saying how did these Nations serve their gods even so will I do likewise Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God for every abomination to the Lord which he hateth have they done unto their gods for even their Sons and daughters have they burnt in the fire to their gods then follows whatsoever thing I command you to do it thou shalt not adde nor diminish from it All which as I humbly conceive amounts to this When thou shalt come into Palestin the Land of Promise whither thou art going and shalt offer to the Lord thy God a Sacrafice thou shalt not imitate the Gentiles that offer their sons and daughters by fire to their falfe gods but this thou shalt onely offer what I command thee To wit of the Beasts Sheep Goats Kids Oxen Calves Pigeons Sparrows Turtles Of the fruits of the earth fine flower Bread Salt Fiankensence handfulls of Ears of Corn and Wheat and of Liquors Blood Wine Oyl Water This onely do that is offer to the Lord thou shalt not adde any thing of the Sacrinces of the Gentiles nor diminish any thing of mine that I have commanded thee What you will conclude from hence I know not unless you infer thus The Jews were oblig'd to offer nothing in Sacrifice to God but what the Lord had commanded therefore Christians-ought not to observe any humane precepts whether civil or Ecclesiasticall a most excellent consequence so fare it well To the Fourth I answer that your Argument would be much better imployed upon your selves then against us and in this manner I retort it If any man shall preach another Gospell than that which the Apostle himself preacht let him be Anathema but you preach another Gospell bâ—sides nay against that which the Apostle taught preacht because do manifestly oppose Traditions which he commanded us to keep when he said hold fast traditions therefore you are to be Anathema But to answer yet more closely to what you urge out of the Apostle I would desire you to gather out of the scope of the Apostle whether his intention was there ro condem all traditions or only this Gâ—l 2.16 c. 1.6 c. 3.1 c. 4.9 c. 5.1 that the Galations being taught by St. Paul that the ceremonies of the Mosaicall Law were abrogated and that not any man could bee justified by those Cnremonies but by faith in Christ and they were from this Doctrine seduced by some false Apostles who taught that they could not be saved by faith in Christ unless they were also circumcised and observed other moisaicâ—l Ceremonies St Paul here addresseth himself against those falfe Apostles when he saith and if any man preach any other Gospell then that ye have received let him be occursed so much as to say you have received from me that a man is justified by faith in Christ and not at all for the observances of Moses his Laws if any man instruct you otherwise let him be accursed But how can it follow frow hence that Apostalicall Traditions are to be rejected but rather received conserved and Religiously to be honoured because they are not against that which St. Paul preacht te the Galatians concerning Justification but rather they are that very thing which he preacht to the Thessalonians when he bid them hold fast the traditions that they learnt and that the Word received in the Text does sufficiently clear for he speaks not only of the Gospell that he had preacht but oâ— the Gospell that they had received To the Fifth I say your Argument is veâ—y weak which you draw out of Sr. John which you frame thus as I understand it It is not lawfull to adde to the Words of that Revellation therefore it is not lawfull to adde our tradition to Scripture let any one judge now whether that be a naturall
Heathen and a Publican Matth. 18. Now he that would tell the Church any thing in your sence must ramble all the World over to do it But it is plain that our Saviour by the Church there meant the Prelates and Presidents of it for presently after he speaks to his Apostles as to Prelates and give them the power of binding c. That you may the better understand this take along with you the whole context of that place of Denteronemy which I have before quoted to you and that you shell find to be this Deut. 17. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment between blood and blood between Plea and Plea between stroak and stooak being matters of controversie within thy Gaces then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shalt chuse and thou shalt come unto the Priests and Leviteâ— 8 10 11 and unto the Judge that shall be in those days and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgement And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place which the Lord shall chuse shall shew thee 12 13 14. and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee Accorto the Sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee according to the judgment which they shal tel thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand nor to the left And the man that will do presumptuosly and will not heark in unto the Priest that standeth to Minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the Judge even that man shall dye and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel I pray you observe there the power and great authority of the old Legal Priests and consider then the just power that the Evangelicall ones ought to have and do not forget to observe the dismall punishment of presumption and disobedience Then I pray you be pleas'd to observe how the Primitive Christians did follow the orders that were given by Moses in Denteronemy for we find in the Acts that when a great dissention arose about the businesse of circumcision the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider the matter and upon the issue of the dissention and disputation they determined to send Paul and Barnabas up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders there about this question and they did so and it follows it so pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church now what was the whole Church there not the whole Congregation of Christians but they went up to the Apostles and Elders about this question here it is plain that the Apostles and Elders were the representative body of the Church To the Ninth and last I utterly deny the whole Church to be such an invisible thing as you world have much less not to be understood for first if it were so hidden from the eyes and understanding of men why or how should our Saviour command us to tel the Church and if he hears not the Church Math. 18. Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 1.12 Ephes 1.5 Col. 1. c. Now if the Church were hidden how could any man tell it any thing and if it were not to be understood how could any men hear it Do we not find that the Church is the body of Christ and all Christians the members and this is plain in severall places of Scripture Now how can you say that body and those members are hidden and the Church to be only in clouds when St. Paul tells us plainly you are the body of Christ and members one of another c. Luke 11. It has been of Hereticks always to run into Dens and Caves and hiding holes the Church hâ—'s always put the Candle in the candlestick as the Gospel teacheth us The Church ha's been always visible to us in Councils in the Apostolicall Seat in Bishops Presidents and Pastor of severall Churches 2 Cor. 8.18 For if the Church were in the clouds and a meer Mathematical Phancasme as you would have it how could the Brother that St. Paul speaks of have his praise throughout all the Churches And the Prophet David repeats so often with thee is my praise and glory in the Congregation of thy people and in the Chair of the Elders Psalâ— 21. Psal 106. let thy name be praised and desires that he may see the good of his chosen that he may rejoyce in the gladnesse of his people and that he may glory with his inheritance c. Now I have been inform'd indeed that it ha's ever been the fashion of all old Hereticks to strengthen the Church with a narrow compass and draw it within the compasse of one of their convanticles I hope you will not be guilty of that fault and whereas you urge it for a matter of faith therefore not to be seen I ask you whether God the Creator be not to be seen in every thing that moves and has a being and yet the Creation is an Article of faith I ask whether Jesus Christ God the son was not seen in the flesh and to ascend visibly into heaven and yet matters of faith I ask again whether God the holy Ghost was not seen visibly to discend upon the Apostles and yet an Article of faith propoâ—'d by the same Apostles and so the same I say of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Now because I have been so large in my answers I shall not need to be otherwise then short in my replies but something I shall urge to you out of Scripture according to my former method and that Scripture alone cannot be the Rule of our faith I prove thus I shal begin with the Articles of your faith and ours contein'd in the Apostles Creed and aâ—k you whether alll those are to be proved out of expresse Scripture As first that Article of Christs discent into Hell the Church ha's ever believed it â—ecles 24. as it is propos'd locally but how shall we prone it I say out of Scripture if out of Ecclesiasticus where it is said I will pierce into the lower moâ—â— parts of the Earth you will say it is Apocripha If out of St. Paul to the Ephesians Eph. s 4.9 10. where is it said now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up farre above all things c. Some of your Doctors have found a shift for that too First they will say that he descended by his power not by his person Then they will tell you of his descen into the wombs of the Virgin c. Now as you are pleased to distinguish upon it what are we the better in that point for the Scripture Then in the Athanasian Creed how will you prove the one substance of the blessed Trinity if from
that we are all the foot when we know that there is and must be a difference between the members themselves wherefore the unity of the body may consist with the difference of members Then as to that other Text out of the Romanes we do acknowledge that all Christians though meerly Lay-mem may offer spiritual oblations and so may be mistical Priests erecting in their hearts an Altar of their affections to God but it does not at follow from thence that therefore there are not nor ought to be external and Hierarchical Priests To the Eleventh We say that our Saviour in that Gospel you urge sinds not fault with praying but praying as the Hepocrites doe who with his words prayes to God not with his deeds which kind of praying shuts the gates of the Kingdome of Heaven against them Then as to a necessity which you say our prayers must impose upon God we do absolutely deny any such thing but yet we know that God is pleased to express himself as if he were necessitated by the importunity of faithfull prayers as he said to Moses let me alone that my fury may wax hot as if he were hindred from his purpose by Moses his prayers he requests him to let him aloue And as to your inference that if prayrs be prevalent with God than good works an necessary we do absolutely deny it for we are to do the one and not toleave the other undone for by fasting and alms giving c. Prayers are carried up to Heaven as with Angels wings To the twelfth To what you urge out of S. Mathew and the Prophet Malachy we acknowled that God foreknowes our wants before we aske him but yet we confess his power in praying to him and beseech him as he is all powerfull to help us we ask therfore onely that which God has ordered us to ask for and has promised to give to our prayers and God will be askt before he gives least we should do that which most in the world do vilify his profered graces Neither is God to be thought to be changed by our prayers that is in his essence but the effects of things are many times changed by holy prayers as that before by Moses You mistake therefore if you think that our prayers are ordained to change the divine disposition but that we may obtein by our prayers what his divine goodness had disposed for us before the world was To the thirteenth and last We say that our Saviour forbids not much speaking in prayers simply but as the heathen doe vain repetitions and babling in prayers is forbiden not prolixity to continue long in prayer it is the superfluity of words that is offensive to God therefore the old Fathers prayers were very short Luke 22.1 Sam. 1. but frequent Christ himself prayed long and Amn prayed long and multiplied prayers Luke 2.6 Nay our Saviour was a whole night in prayer as the Scriptures testify Then that Canonicall hours are not commanded in holy writ I grant but they are sufficiently insinuated and the Church has allways learnt them from its holy Masters the Apostles and we ought to obey those that are set over us in the Lord Then last of all Heb. 11. what can be more edifying to Christians than those collects of holy prayers and homilies made by the holy Fathers of the Church the legands of the Saints and agonies of those invincible martyrs who have seald our Chrsstion faith with their blood if they be well and faythfully writen So now give us leave to reply a little upon you That it is lawfull to build use and adorn Churches and to give lands and possessions to them and to the persons that Officiate in them and that we are not all equally Priests and that our Canonicall hours and prayersure lawfull we prove by Scripture thus First we finde in Exodus that Jacob sayd surely the Lord was in this place Exod. 28 16 17. and I knew it not and again how dreadfull is this place this is no other but the houset of God and the gate of heaven Agayn in Deuteronomy we finde thus Deut. 46.2 Thou shalt therefore Sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God of thy flock and of thy heards in the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse to place his name there Therefore God appoints some places for his worship and delights in them more then in others We finde in the Chronicles that it was not permitted to David because he was a man of blood 1 Chron. 17. and had made many wars to build a house to the name of God Heer it is to be observed that the Lord had a great care of the Reverence due to his house when he would not suffer it to be built by a warriour or a man of blood ibid but by a king of peace as Solomon was Then in the same chapter and els where God expresseth himself to have walkt about in Tents 2 Kin. 7. and Tabernacle from place to place observe he that was every where says he was in the Tabernacle 1 Kings 6 7 8. c. How often does the Almighty call Solomons Temple his house to dwell in what infinite care and vast expence was in the building and not so much as the noise of a hammer to be heard about it all the while it was building and you will pull down Temples with noise of Drumes and Trumpets 1. Chron. 17. Then that God is more propitiated and hears our prayers sooner in a place hollowed to his name than in an other place is as plain for it is sayd That King David came and stood before the Lord that is the Arke by which it is plain that God is more present in one place than in another Daniel when he could not pray in the Temple Dan. 6. being a captive in Babylon yet prayed thrice a day with his face towards the Temple in Jerusalem Then the Prophet Isay tells us that God sayes Isay 36. my house shall be called by all people the house of prayer which our Saviour himself repeats confirms and adds upon the Jews but ye have made it a denne of Thieves Mat. 21. so many of your faction have made our Churches lately worse than dennes of Thieves It is said in the Acts Acts 3. how Peter and John went up into the Temple to pray at the ninth hour of prayer observe how the Apostles would pray in the old Temple when there was no Christian Church built 1 Cor. 11. St. Paul rebukes the Corinthians for prophaning of their Churches with eating and drinking and may not we say to you as the Apostles does to them despise you not the Church of God ibid. does not the same St. Paul require that women should hold their peaces in the Church out of reverence 1 Cor. 14.25 and that an unlearned man coming into the Church should falldown upon his face should worship
Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan Judg. 3.1 2. only that the generation of the Children of Israel might know to teach them war at the least such as before knew nothing thereof Observe I pray you the great care the Almighty took to teach the Children of Israel the art of war Observe again the strict command that Samuel by Gods command giveth to Saul Now go and smite Amaleek 1 Sam. 15.3 and utterly destroy all they have and spare them not but slay both man and woman infant and suckling ox and sheep camel and ass This was you 'l say a severe command and commission for war Indeed the whole Old Testament is so full of instances how the Jews by the command and assistance of God did not onely resist Infidells but invade them as in Abraham Mases Joshuah c. that it would be vs endless as needless to make a recital of them Jer. 48. Nay we find high words in Prophet Jeremy cursed be he that refrains his sword from blood and to sum up all this that the trade of war is and must be lawfull is plain that God himself does own it as to be the Patron and defender of it and calls himself therefore the Lord of Hosts and when the Pharisees askt our Saviour whether it was lawfull to pay tribute to Cesar which was for to pay souldiers wages he answered them give to Cesar the things which are Cesars In the next place we prove that it is lawfull to punish Hereticks now the first punishment that is spoken of in Scripture is excommunication and that is plain out of St. Matthew Mat. 18. If he bear not the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican that is let him be separated from the Church by excommunication so in the place before quoted out of S. Paul to Titus Tit. 3. 2 Thess 3 2 Joh. 2. so to the Thessalonians so S. John which for brevity sake I forbear to recite The next punishment to be inflicted upon Hereticks as enemies to God is death and first it is plain out of the Old Testament Deut. 13.5 And that Prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he hath spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God c. Then again in the next chapter it is said That he that shall grow proud Deut. 14. and refuse to obey the commands of the Priest who at that time ministers to the Lord he was to die the death by sentence of the Judge that the evil might be taken from Isaael The reason of this Law holds still that the evil may be taken out of the Church And again in the same Book it is expresly said that the Prophet who shall arrogantly dare to deliver in Gods name Deut. 18. what he had not commanded him to say or anything else in the name of any other Gods Levit. 24. should be put to death Then Blasphemers were to be led out of the Tents 1 Kings 18. and stoned to death and why not Heritics so we find Elias the Prophet of the Lord killed the Prophets of Baal Then as to the New Testament we find our Saviour calls false Prophets or Heriticks Wolves in Sheeps cloathing Matt. 7. but within were ravenous Wolves now such ought to be killed if the safety of the flock cannot otherwise consist Acts 20. So S. Paul sayes that he knew that ravenous Wolves would enter not sparing the flock such therefore ought to be put to death If Jesus Christ whipt the mony-changers out of the Temple John 2. what should he do if he were in the earth to the Heriticks that are in his Church Ananias and Saphira in the beginning of Christianity Acts 5. for a little diffembling in matter of money were put to death how ought they to be used then that make it their business to cozen and cheat Christians of their souls nay to defraud God of them Last of all St. Paul chargeth the Galatians Galat. 4. 2 Cor. 10. and Corinthians too to be in readiness to prosecute and punish all disobedience and in another place speaks it out plainly Galat. 5. I would they were even cut off that trouble you so enough we conceive said as to this Then that it is lawfull to beare civil magistracy is first plain out of our Saviours words Matt 22.21 render to Cesar the things which are Cesars and to God the things which are Gods by those words he does suficiently justify all civil Authority But S. Rom. 13.1.2.3.4 c. Paul in that whole chapter to the Romans most expresly asserts it Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained by God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and after that again he says the Magistrate beareth not the sword in vain for he is the minnister of God a revenger unto wrath unto him that does evil c. Again to Timothy he sayth 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and all in Authority c. Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2 27. Yet again to Titus he sayth put them in minde to be subject to principalities and powers to obey rulers c. and St. Peter commands us expresly to feare God and honer the Kings Now last of all that a lawfull oath may be lawfully taken and given is plain by Apostolicall practice for we finde that S. Paul did very frequently swear which he should never have done Rom. 1.19 2 Cor. 1.23 Phil. 1.8 1 Tim. 5.21 if swering had been absolutely forbiden 〈◊〉 our Saviour as you pretend it was First to the Romans he says God is my witness Then to the Corinthians he says I call God for a record upon my soul Then to the Philipians again God is my witness or God is my Record how greatly I long after you all in the bowells of Jesus Christ then again to Timothy I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and all the elect Angels c. and to close up all this pittifull controversie Heb. 6.26 the same St. Paul affirms in his Epistle to the Hebrews that every controversie ought to be ended by an Oath and accordingly this practice has obtained all over Christendome and ever since the beginning of Christianity that in all judgements and Tribunals when a man cannot clear his innocency by witnesse he ought to attest it by his Oath and then the controversie ceaseth By all these Texts that we have produced out of Scripture it is most plain to any reasonable man that it is onely as we said before in our answers to your arguments that the abuse of Oathes is forbidden not the use of them To what you aledge against the Baptisme of infants