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
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
in the way with him least at any time the adversary deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into Prison verily I say unto thee thou shalt by no means come out thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing This prison our Saviour speaks of has been always received by the Church for Purgatory Again our Saviour says in S. Mat. 12.32 Matthews Gospel that whosoever speaketh against the holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come By which it is manifest that some sins are to be purged and forgiven in the next world S. Paul is likewise very plain in this in his Epistle to the Philippians Phil. 2.10 wherein he tells them that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Here are cleerly three sorts of persons spoken of as for those under the earth it is impossible should be meant of those in hell no the damned souls are so far from paying a reverence to the name of Jesus that they are always busie in blaspheming of it it must then of necessity be the faithful souls that are in Purgatory In the like manner we finde in the Revelation of S. Revel 5.13 John how the Apostle saw every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and sea and all that are in them and heard them saying blessing hnour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever Now observe how the Apostle makes a threefold order of the prayers of God first of the blessed in heaven then of the righteous upon earth than of those that remain to be purged under the earth and it must be so understood for the damned in hell as I said before are so far from praysing and glorifying of God and blessing him that fits upon the Throne that their malice does wholely imploy it self in cursing and blaspheming of his divine Majesty and all the blessed souls with him Again 2 Mach. 15. Mat. 17. Mark 9. Luke 9.24 a great evidence of the truth of Purgatory and a convincing one indeed may be taken from the frequent apparitions of many departed souls to pass by those in the Machabees of Onias and Hieremias that appeared to Judas we finde that Moses and Elias did appear to Christ when he was transfigured and the disciples themselves after the resurrection of our Saviour when he appeared to them thought that they had seen a spirit which they would never have thought unless they had known that the spirits of some departed did make usual apparitions now granting such a thing as the apparition of a spirit which I take to be already proved it must follow that those souls must be reposed in some place that is not in heaven for then they would never wander here to so great a loss nor can they be in hell from whence there is no redemption Again we finde the Theif upon the Cross saying to our Saviour Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom which he had never said but that he thought that Jesus Christ had a power to pardon sins after this Life S. Paul likewise was certainly of this opinion where he tells the Corrinthians thus else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all why are they then baptized for the dead which plainly shews that it was a practised course amongst the Christians then to undertake duties and voluntary afflictions in the behalf of the dead which sure was imagined to be for their advantage and yet you think much to pray for them Now the reason of all this is very cleer for we know that a man who sins mortally may have the mortality of that sin forgiven him and consequently be freed from the guilt of eternal punishment and yet may be obnoxious to some temporal penalties which if he does not satisfie in this life he must expect to do it in the next As for example we see a King does often pardon an offender his life which he has forfeited to the Law and deserved to loose and yet he may inflict banishment or imprisonment upon the same person and this very course we finde taken by God in Scripture Num. 20 12. Deut. 32.48 2 Sam. 12.13 14. 2 Sam. 24.10 First we see the sin of unbelief forgiven by God to Moses and Aaron that is as to the eternal punishment and yet they were punisht with a temporal death Again we finde King David after he had obtained a pardon for his fins of Adultery and Murder was punisht yet with the death of his son nay after the prophet Nathan had declared that the Lord had put away his sin he should not dye yet his son must and again the same King David for his sin of pride in numbring the people was pardoned as to the eternal guilt and yet we see what a temporal punishment followed upon it and he was forced to choose one of the three Plagues for it I might be infinite in examples of the like kinde but I have something else to say to this point so must not insist too long in that particular of it We know again that a righteous man may sometimes happen to dye with a great many venial sins about him especially if he be prevented with any sudden death so cannot possibly have time enough to bethink himself much less to repent of them so must still remain obnoxious to the temporal punishment that is due to those sins certainly in such a case that person cannot be admitted into the joyes and glory of heaven till he be freed from those venial sins and the guilt of that temporal punishment that is due for them So we finde in the Revelation that there shall in no wise enter into it Rev. 21.27 any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lye c. now such a person is possible to be and we may very well suppose it that he cannot be freed in this life therefore after it it must be nor can this be in Heaven or in Hell therefore it must be in Purgatory Over and above all this the undeniable practise of the Church in praying for the dead is a most invincible argument for Purgatory and no man can deny but that custome is much ancienter than Christianity and has continued ever since That it was ancienter then Christianity we finde in the Machabees which book though you shut out of the Cannon of holy Scripture with as much reason as you do other things yet you allow it more credit than any ordinary Author 2 Mach. 12.43 44 45. how then should it fail so grossy as to make a lye in matter of fact as well as matter of faith We are told there of a sacrifice offered for the
Church I beseech you be pleased to make your own application Over and above all this I shall prove that the Church is not only incapable of errour because it is the Spouse of Christ his body and called the Kingdome of Heaven but because she is governed by the perpetual presence power and authority of the Holy Ghost who is never to forsake her Joh. 14. and first our Saviour promiseth that be will ask the Father and he shall send another comforter and so accordingly he did not long after in the same Gospell Holy Father Joh. 17.11 keep through thine own name those that thou hast given me c. and he explains himself in the same chaâ—ter that he prayes not for them onely meaning his Apostles but for them who were afterwards to believe in him through their preaching 1 Tim. 3.15 Does not S Paul tell his Disciple Timothy how he is to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of God the pillar ground of truth how then can it possibly erre Then S. John tells us that our Saviour said that he had many things to say unto them but that they could not bear them then but when the spirit of truth should come he should teach them all truth Again the same S. John in his Epistle General tells us 1 John 2.20 that we have an unction from the holy one and that we know all things and that we shall be alwaies capable to distinguish a lye from truth it must be therefore the unction of the holy Ghost that alwaies teacheth the Church In fine Matth. 28.20 S. Matthew makes them the concluding words of his Gospel Go yet herefore teach all Nations c. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world Christ who is the way the truth and the life said this to his Disciples it is plain therefore that this Church which is the pillar and ground of truth that has him for its leader and the Holy Ghost for its teacher can never erre how probable is it then that it should be in an errour for above a thousand years together as you fondly imagine Then as the Church is but one so it is necessary that unity should be in the Church I prove out of the express words of S. 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there he no divisions amongst you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement and then in another place in the same Epistle sayes 1 Cor. 14.33 that God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints What then will you say for your selves that have nothing but confusions amongst you nay is it not more probable that God will rather inspire his own body that is the concord and unity of his Church than any private Doctors whatsoever that teach a dissent from it Nay how much this unity of his Church is desired by God himself is evident by what the same S. Paul writes to the Romanes Rom. 15.4 5 6. for whatsoever things are written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Again the same Apostle in the same Epistle laies an injunction upon the Romanes Rom. 12.16 whose faith he acknowledged before was celebrated over the whole world that they should be of the same mind one towards another not to mind high things but condescend to men of low estate and not to he wise in their own conceits which all they are and must be that are out of the Church Observe I pray you the most pathetical exhortation of S. Paul to this purpose Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowells of mercy fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one wind Nay the breach of this peace unity and unanimity in Gods Church is most passionately if it be lawfull to say so Jerem. 2.12 13. bewailed by God himself as the Prophet Jeremy expresseth it nay proposeth it as a matter of amazement to Heaven it self be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord foy my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water I pray you seriously examine with your self whether you do lesse by leaving off the Church the true and living fountain and digging to your selves broken cisterns out of Wicklif Huss Luther Calvin c. In vain sure hath God sent his Son in vain the Holy Ghost and yet more in vain hath he sent Apostles Martyrs Confessors Doctors in all ages to perpetuate the truth of his Church to us when a few of such precious persons as those of yours would have served the turn Here are only two things now as I conceive left to be cleared the one is that the Prelates and principal Persons of Christs Church assembled together do make the representative body of the whole Church the other is that the Romane Catholick Church is that universal Church disperst over the whole world As to the first it is sufficiently clear by many such Scriptures as thse And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice c. And the King and all Israel with him offered Sacrifice before the Lord now that this must be onely meant of the body representative of Israel is plain to sense and particularly exprest in the beginning of the Chapter Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the Tribes the chief of the Fathers of the Children of Israel unto King Solomon in Jerusalem 1 Kings 8.58.62.1 Thus it is plain that the heads of the Church assembled represent the body of the whole Church Then as to the clearing of the next point I must tell you a great mistake amongst you for you commonly speaking of the Church of Rome take it only for the particular Church which formerly was and still is there and so it is no more indeed than particular But if you take it for the collection of all the faithfull who being disperst over all the world did in old daies alwaies adhere and still do to the Bishop of Rome so it is called Catholick or Universal because diffused over the whole world and it is called
God c. Now that the building of Churches is acceptable to God is evident because it was practised in the Apostles time Luke 7. and the Jews knew that it was acceptable to our Saviour when they told him of the Centurion that he loved their Nation and built them a Synagogue Exod. 23.26.29.30.31.35 c. Then how acceptable to God the adorning of Churches must be I pray you look upon the sumptuous offerings that were made by the people in the old law towards the building of their Tabernacle and the making of costly ornaments for their Priests and so for their Temple afterwards and I presume you will be satisfyed Nay not withstanding the Temple was so richly provided for by Solomon Num 27.28 29. Nehe 10.32 and in every thing most abounding yet Nehemiah tells us that the Jews made ordinances to oblige and charge themselves yeerly with the third part of a sheckel for the service of the house of their God besides their free-will offerings which were unvalvable And our Saviour discommends not the rich Temple then in his days Luke 21. for takeing the poor widdows mite Jos. 21. towards its encreas and ornament As for the possessions of the Priests there was as great a care taken by God Num. 25 as first we finde that Joshuah divided citys amongst the Priests and levites as the Lord commanded by Moses And again we finde that the Prists and Levits had the tithes The first borne the first fruites Lev. 27. and great parts of the offerings and sacrifices for their attendance on the Tabernacle Num. 18. where they served day ly and all this was by the express precept and ordinance of God 2 Kings 12.4 5. Then in the Kings we finde that Joash sayd to the Priests all the mony of the didicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord even the mony of every one that passeth the account is the mony that every one set at all the mony that cometh into any mans heart to bring into the house of the Lord let the Priests take to them c 2 Chron. 31.4 5.6 7 8 9 c. So Hezekiah commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give proportionably to the Priests and Levites that they might be encouraged in the law of the Lord and we find in the Text that they of Judah and Jerusalem did bring in so abundantly that new chambers and granaries were erected to receive their offerings Luke 8.2.3 Jesus Christ himself we know carried always a treasurer or purse-bearer with him that was Judas who was to receive and dispose of what was sent to him And we finde that divers did minister unto him of their substance as Joan the wife of Chusa Herods Steward and divers others S. Paul is so express in this point that I wonder you or any man can doubt not onely that it is a good devotion but a necessary duty to contribute towards their Priests For he saith Who goeth to warfare any time at his own charges 1 Cor 9.7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14. Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milke of the flock say I these things as a man or saith not the Law the same also For it is writen in the law of Moses thou shalt not muzlle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth our the corne doth God take care for Oxen Or saith be altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written that he that ploweth should plough in hope and he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope If we have sowen unto you spirituall things is it a great thing if we shall reape your carnall things Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they which waite at the alter are partakers with the alter Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospell 1 Tim 2. should live of the Gospell c. Then the same Apostletells Timothy that a Bishop must be blamless the husband of one wife vigialent sober of good behaviour given to hospitallity apt to teach c. Now I would fain know how a Bishop can be hospitable Acts. 4 24.25 if he have not wherewithall Then in the Acts we finde how so many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that were sould and layd them down at the Apostles feet c. By what is it most plain that in the primitive Church there were collections for the sustertation of the clergy in a plentyfull manner which fayling then benefices succeded in their roomes And to conclude all that we mean to say in this point Luke 10. our Saviour tells you that the labourer is worthy of his hyre Mat. 27.25 26. As to immunities due to their persons we shall adde onely one word or two our Saviour askes Peter of whom do the Kings of the earth take tribute of their own Children or of strangers Peter sayth unto him of straingers Psal 104 Jesus sayth unto him then are the Children free The Psalmist in the person of God comands thus not to touch his anointed nor do his Prophets any harm And again the same Kinge David says in another place Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26.1 This was spoken truly of the unction of a King but the same must follow upon the unction of a Priest Mat. 19. Mar. 9. Mat. 21. Now that we are not all Priests equally is sufficiently proved in our paper concerning the Sacrament of holy orders so shall not he make repetition Then for our Canonicall hours and prayers we are justified by Scriptures Luke 11. Matt. 6. Mat. 14. Mark 6. Luk 5.16 Luke 9. Luke 22. Mat. 26. Mar. 14. Mat. 24. Mar. 13. Matt. 5. Luke 18. Mat. 26. innumerable First the Disciples sayd to Christ Lord teach us to pray and he sayd when ye pray say our Father c. and then sending away the multitude he went into a mountain alone for to pray again he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed again he went into a mountain to pray and he was all night in prayer to God again he went up into a mountain to pray and whilst he prayed his countenance was changed Then again kneeling down he prayed saying Father if it be thy will let this cup pass from me and being in his agony he prayed long So much for our Saviours practise as for his precept observe first Pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the sabbath day again watch and pray for ye know not when the time will come again pray for those that persecute you c. again pray always and faint not again pray that ye enter not into temptation then this
imployed upon better things so the Lord give a blessing to our endeavours and sweet Madam be pleas'd to continue me in the quality of Madam Your most humble Servant N. The Messenger Arriving speedily back at my Ladies House and delivering the Letter with the inclos'd papers her Ladyship finding the Contents fell to the work iw mediately which you shall hear as followeth Madam the Doctrine that your Church delivers concerning good works is a Mother most strange erroâ—s and abuses of Christianity as confession free will c. Which gives me the boldnesse to make my addresse to your Ladyship wholly to that purpose So I shall first endeavour to overthrow your foundation that is your Doctrine of good works That good Works signifie nothing to the Justification much less to the salvation of a Christian by any way of merit iâ— most manifest out of Scripture 1. The Prophet Habakkuk tells us plainly of him that seeks his Justification by his Works that his soul which is lifted up Hab. 2.4 is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith The same is insisted on by our Saviour Joh. 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him And St. Paul quoting the Prophet tells the Romans For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written Rom. 1.17 the just shall live by faith And again Gal. 3.11 to the Galatians â—ut that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God it is evident for the just shall live by faith And again to the Hebrews Now the just shall live by faith What then is become of your grand confidence in good works Our Saviour tells the woman diseased with an issue of blood Matth. â— that her Faith hath made her whole And in the same Chapter assures the blind men because they believed that he was able to restore their eyes to them that therefore they should see and saying according to your Faith be it unto you their eyes were opened by this you may see the value that Faith hath in the esteem of God 3. The Scripture expresly tells us that Abraham believed in the Lord Gen. 15.6 Rom. 4. â— and he counted it to him for righteousness the same thing St. Paul repeats to the Romans to the Galatians Gal. 3.6 Jam. 2.22 and so St. James by all which it is plain that Faith is the only thing that justifies and gives the reputation of righteousness before God 4. We finde in St. Lukes Gospel that our Saviour bids us to say when we shall have done all things that are commanded us that we are but unprofitable Servants Luk. 11.43 we have done that which was our duty to do What is become of your doctrine of works Where is your merit in them by them or for them when after you have done all things fill'd the world with Hospitals Colledges Churches and Monasteries given all your goods to the poor mortified and macerated your bodies you are yet so far from meriting that you are but unprofitable Servants 5. Our Saviour tells us clearly and with a vertly verily I say unto you he that heareth my word Joh. 5.24 and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death unto life Can any thing be more plain then this that by Faith alone we are to gain everlasting life 6. Charity it self is but a fruit of Faith so that it is plain Faith alone may suffice to our justification and our Saviour taketh frequently works for Hypocritical and pronounceth a woe to such as depend upon them 7. Then it is plain there neither is or can be any such thing as good works and whosoever pretends to that righteousnesse is a hypocrite for the Prophet Isaiah tels us Isa 54.6 that we are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags And again the Scripture tels us that there is not a righteous man upon the earth who does well Eccl. 5. and sins not And the Prophet David cryed out Psalm though a man after Gods own heart Enter not into Judgement with thy servant O Lord for in thy fight shall no man living be justified Where is then your Justification by works And St. Paul that great Vessel of Election complains Rom. 7.15.23 that he was sold under sin for that which he did he allowed not he did not what he would but what he hated that he did and that he saw another Law in his members warring against the Law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the Law of sin which was in his Members what then must become of us poor creatures if we confide in our own works That Auricular Confession of Sins to a Priest is so farre from being a good work and acceptable in the sight of God that it is meerly to be esteemed Wil-worship and humane invention is proved thus It is plain out of the very Text which you so much urge for your opinion Joh. 20.23 which is in St. John Whosoevrr sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained That Christ commands nothing there concerning confession but only requires Priests to give their absolution 2. And St. James when he seems to command Confession speaks only of a brotherly Confession Confess your faults one to another Jam. 5.16 there is not a word of confession to Priests 3. Then our Saviour said not to the woman taken in adultery go and confess thy sins to a Priest but go and sin no more 4. Again we read of Peters tears and great repentance how he wept most bitterly but we read not a jot of his going to confession and yet his sin was most undoubtedly pardoned 5. Then I have read in Ecclesiastical History that Confession was in one Age wholly abrogated and forbidden in the Church That your Doctrine of satisfaction for sins is most dangerous if not desperate for Christian souls is proved thus 1. St. John the Baptist being sent to be a Preacher of Repentance to the people taught only the observation of the Commandments of God expresly forbidding them to do more then what was appointed for them to do nor makes he mention at all of any satisfaction for sins The Lord himself declares by his holy Prophet Ezekiel Luk. 3.13 that if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all his statutes and do that which is lawfull and right Ezek. 18.21 he shall surely live he shall not die Here is nothing imposed upon a penitent but to do Judgement and righteousness c. not the least word of satisfaction The Prophet Micah does most plainly deride all those that seek to make a satisfaction for their sins
Micah 6.6 by pretended good works in this Pathetical expostulation Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of oyl Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Then the Prophet concludes immediately He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God What can be more evident then this to shew that God Almighty requires nothing of a sinner but a faithfull returne to his Duty Where is then your pitifull satisfaction Our Saviour Jesus Christ did most sufficiently satisfie for our sins by his own most bitter passion and death as is abundantly clear in Scripture nor was his precious Passion sufficient only to take away the sins of the whole world which it may be you will willingly grant but also to take away the pains and punishments due to us for them for the Prophet I say affirms it thus surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows Isai 53.4 5. and again he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Thus it is plain aswell the punishment of sin as sin it self was taken away by him without any piece of our satisfaction required And Jesus Christ the great Physitian he always makes a perfect cure of sin and punishment what need then is there of our satisfaction That the Root and foundation of all these your doctrines is extreamly false and that Man hath no free-will at all is proved most plainly thus The Blessed Baptist assures us that man can receive nothing except it be given hipe from Heaven Saint James likewise tells us John 3.27 that every good gift and every perfect gift Jam. 1.17 is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights c. Saint Paul yet more plainly 2 Cor. 3.5 that we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 1 Cor. 4.7 And to the same Corinthians saith What hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it With the truth of all these Texts how can your Doctrines of Free-Will stand 2. Rom. 9.19.16.18 Isa 63.17 Jerem. 10.23 Prov. 16.1 Prov. 30. Again Saint Paul to the Romans quctes the Words of the Lord to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion from thence draws an Argument himself against your Free-Will to then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will be hardneth what now will become of your Free-Will The Phophet Isaiah expostulates somewhat strangly with God about this O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and bardned our heart from thy fear What can man do then with his Free-Will 4th The Prophet Jeremy declares it for a truth of his own knowledge O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Solomon assures us likewise that the preparation of the heart in man Jerem. 10.23 Prov. 16.1 Prov. 20.24 and the answer of the Tongue is from the Lord and again mans goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way if he cannot understand it he can sure left direct it The Prophet Isay and S. Paul tells us Isay 45.9 Rom. 9.20 that it is an extravagant thing for the thing formed to say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus and the Apostle in the same Chapter says that God of his free grace and meer election faves some and not for any thing of their works or freewill that is exprelly said in the Text if it were not it would however follow from reason for otherwise grace would not be grace at all and then concludes as a foresaid that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that giveth mercy what could be said more cleerly against your Churches doctrine Our Saviour tells his Apostles as three Evangelists do joyntly and severally assure us Mat. 10.19 Mark 13.11 Luke 12.11 that they should take no thought how or what they should speak for it should be given them in the same hour what they should speak for said he again it is not ye that speak but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you if then our ability be so short to speak how much less must it be to do his will S. Matthew again tells us in the same Chapter Mat. 14.29 how our Saviour argues the matter with them are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father if a Sparrow fall not without him how shall a thought word or action of ours Our Saviour very positively concludes this point in S. Johns Gospel thus John 6.44 no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day what can poor we do then with all the strength of our will or works so I beseech the same Father to draw your Ladiship and all erring Christians to himself This paper my Lady had no sooner read but she sent a messenger with a letter back to Mrs. N. to thank her for the favour of her paper and to assure her of the best satisfaction she should be able to give to it but cheifly to defire her for the future to forbear Scholastick questions least by their little skill in those nicities they might before they were a ware engage themselves in Blasphemy or Heresie So Mrs. N. returned thanks to her Ladiship for her kind caution and promised to avoid all speculative disputes and to proceed upon things more morall and practicall with which the Lady was satisfied so fell to work upon the papers thus To what you alledge against our doctrine of goodworks and for your justification by faith alone I answer thus To the first We do humbly believe acknowledge and profess that the just must live by faith for faith is the foundation of the spirituall building Heb. 11. and the substance of all things hoped for as the Apostle tells us But what you do from thence gather of your faith alone is a meer tearing and a falsifying of all those texts out of the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists For it is no where said that the
it cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life Thornes also and Thistles shall it bring forth to thee c. Gen. 3.16 in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground for out af it wast thou taken c. Then he said unto the woman I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow shalt thou bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee c. Rom. 5. and as in Adam all sinned so all in him are to die as the Apostle tells us Therefore it is plain that though the guilt of original sin be taken away by repentance and baptisme it self there remains still a punishment of death and divers other penalties inflicted Mariam the sister of Moses Num. 12 after the sin o murmuring against Moses was committed was struck with a Leprosie but she was not presently cured no not by Moses his prayer to the Lord for her recovery but she was cast out of the Tents by the Lords command for seven days for the punishment of her sin though the guilt was forgiven her and she remained all that while in her Leprosie God forbid Moses and Aaron Num. 20 the going in and leading of their people with them into the land of Promise for their sin of unbelief at the water of Strife though without doubt God Almighty had forgiven the sin to those holy men So the sons of Jacob Gen. 41.21 for their offence committed against their brother Joseph conceived what they suffered to be very due to them and David after he had confest his sin of adultery and murder 2 Sam. 12.13 14 15. and was pardoned by the Prophet Nathan in these words the Lord also hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye yet addes howbeit because by this deed thou hast given great oncasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the childe also that is born unto thee shall surely dye and the Lord strake the childe that Vriahs wife bare c. See the punishment of Eli and his house after the sin was pardoned 1 Sam. 3 12 13 14. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house when I begin I will also make an end for I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile and he resprained them not and therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli 1 Sam. 4.14 c. that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever All this must undoubtedly be understood of a temporal punishment onely accordingly Hophni and Phinehas were slain Eli falling backward brake his neck and Phinehas's wife dyed in travell David we know had his great sin pardoned him for numbring of the people 2 Sam. 24.18 c. yet he was punished with a most grievous pestilence to the destruction of so many thousands and yet at last was commanded by the Prophet Gad to make a further satisfaction to reare an altar unto the Lord in the threshing-floor of Araunah c. and his offering cost him fifty shekels of filver We finde that the Ninivites at their grand repentance fasted and put on sackcloth Jonah 3.1 Kings 21.27 Ahabrent his clothes and put sackloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackeloth and went softly by which humbling of himself he did in part satisfie and pacifie the divine wrath conceived against him Jerem. 18.8 This the Prophet Jeremy most cleerly expresseth saying in the person of God if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evill I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them and according to the measure of the fault so ought the measure of the punishment to be as we read in the book of Deuteronomy Deut. 25 All this is clearly confirmed by S. John in his Apocalypse saying how much she hath glorified herself and lived deliciously Revel 18 7. John 5.14 so much torment and sorrow shall be given her but above all we finde it cleer in the Gospel where our Saviour after he had cured the man that was sick of the Palsie eight and thirty years he said unto him behold thou art whole sin no more least a worse thing come unto thee plainly intimating that this great and long infirmity was inflicted upon him for his sins and though those sins were probably pardoned before by the great mercy of God and patience of the person suffering yet the punishment lasted still upon him Now that prayer fasting and alms which are injoyned to penitents are necessary to the Sacrament of Penance appears plainly by these Scriptures We finde in Leviticus how God commands several sorts of Sacrifices to be offered for the sins of the Priests Levit. 4.5.6 Prince and People I pray you then observe how the Prophets call upon us for these duties therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning So the Prophet Joel Then the Prophet Daniel says more cleerly yet to Nebuchadnexzar wherefore O King let my counsell be acceptable unto thee and break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing of mercy to the poor it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity c. We sinde again how the Ninivites repenting at the preaching of Jonas proclaimed a fast and put on Sack-cloth from the greatest even to the lest of them The King himselfe arose from his throne layed by his Robe and covered himself with sack-cloth and sat in ashes crying all mightyly unto God and turning from their evill ways and the violence in their hands And God saw their works that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill c. is not here a plain fatisfaction performed by the Ninnivites and so accepted by God and as cleerly exprest by the Prophet and is not this repentance and satisfaction of the Ninivites highly commended by our blessed Saviour saying the men of Ninnive shall rise up in the judgement with the men of this generation that is obstenate impenitent siners Luke 11.32 such as refuse to satisfie for their sins and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonas c. That great preacher of repentance Mat. 3. Lxke 3. the holy Baptist crys out to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance does not our Saviour plainly pronounce a woe unto Chorazin and Bethsaida for their impenitence Mat. 11.21 22. assuring them that if those mighty works he did there had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes and therefore concludes that it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement
then for them and in another place tells them that unless they repent Luke 15. they shall all likewise perish as those upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and to conclude all this least I again endanger to bring an obscurity upon this truth by too great a cloud of witnesses appearing for it S. Paul exhorts us all to approve our selves as the Ministers of God in patience 2 Cer. 6.4.5 in watching and in fastings so I presume you will not still deny that satisfaction is very requsite nay necessary to a perfect penitent To what you alledge against the doctrine of our Church in point of the Liberty of the will I answer thus To the first I answer by granting that all good comes from God the donor but some of those good things he gives through the action of our free-will and others he gives cleerly without it So we humbly confess our merits to be the gifts of God and given by God preventing cooperating and following us in all our thoughts words and actions but this does not at all follow that therefore our freewill cannot actively concurre to make a merit To the Second and Third I say in like maner that God of his great mercy prevents our freewills by moving them and mercifully cooperates assisting them and our Church prays Prevent us O Lord in all our actions c. so that when people do sin God Almighty cannot be made to be the Author of the sin or errour and when we read the text you urge thou hast made us to erre it is to be understood thou hast suffered us so to do or that thou hast hardned it is to be understood thou hast permitted our hearts to be hardned and by this the activity of the free-will is so far from being hindred or deprived that is plainly implied and proved To the fourth I must most cleerly acknowledge with the Prophet that the way of a man is not in himself as to the executions of all his elections in which whether he will or no he may be many ways hindred but the elections themselves are in man with the supposition of divine help and therefore mans will is said to be free not of his actions but action which consists in his judgement and his determination to do or not to do To the fifth I confess it to be an extravagant thing for a man to rebell against or expostulate with his Creator as for any thing formed to do the same thing with or against the workman that formed it or an instrument with the Artificer for every creature is an instrument of the divine power but by all this I cannot see how the liberty of mans actions in a concurrence with the Creator is at all infringed but seems to me rather confirmed the Creator making the Creature instrumentally to cooperate with him To the sixth What our Saviour there adviseth not to take thought how or what to speak for it should be given in the same hour c. was only to take away all anixiety and solicitude of fore thniking Now the case of the Apostles knowledge and ours are very different for theirs was altogether infused and their freewill was meerly passive in the execution of divine dictats it is to be understood far otherwise with us who are bound by our good works freely to cooperate with divine grace To the seventh I humbly conceive that text of the falling of sparows not to concern the matter of free will at all but only that our Saviour would have us cleerly to understand and beleive how all things are Subject to the providence of God To the eighth and Last We must grant that there is no man saved but by grace not by his works excluding grace because works signify nothing without grace For as S. Paul tells us Rom. 8. the sufferings of this present world are nothing to the future glory that shall he revealed in us And to that text that none can come to him unless the father draw him we do acknowledge that there must be such a drawing by the divine grace preventing and coopperating but how to acquiesce in and submit to that divine drawing and not to harden our hearts against his divine drawing nor to shut our ears if we mean for to hear his voice calling to us that is the part of our own free-wills So I beseech you good Mirs N. to have a care least you be found resisting to those divine ealls and attractions which his divine grace is always offering to you and consult with those cleer texts of Scripture that I shall here recommend to you We finde the Lord saying to Cain Gen. 4.6 why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen if thou do well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door c. does not our Lord her cleerly convince Cain of his freewill How more plainly yet does God Almighty expostulate with the Isralites and require their obedience to his law Deut. 30.10 11 12 13 14 15. and the freedomes of their wills For this commandment saith he which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off it is not in heaven that thou shouldst say who shall go up for us c. neither is it beyond the Sea c. But that word is very nigh unto thee in thy mouth and in thy heart that thou mayst do it See I have set before thee this day life and good and death and evill c. can any thing be cleerer for the liberty of mans will The Prophet Jeremy tells us Jerm 5. that these which remain of this last and worst generation shall chuse death rather than life There is choice given to the Jews whether they will serve the Lord Josh 24.15.21 2 Sam. 24.13 Num. 30 or no and the people said nay but we will serve the Lord. There was a choyce given to David which of the three plagues he would have There was a choyce given to the husband in the old law concerning the vow of his wife now there can be no choyce at all without liberty of will Job tells us Job 5. Numb Deut. Psal 107 108 118 that the righteous shall be saved but in the cleaness of his own hands How much do we read of the freewill offerings in the old Testament and David declares that he will freely sacrifice to the Lord again my soul O Lord is always in my hands my heart is ready O Lord my heart is ready and nothing more frequent than such expressions clean throughout the Psalmes The Prophet Isay yet more largely speaks to this purpose Isay 1.16 v. 19. wash ye make ye clean put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evill c. and then presently after if ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebell Isay 46.12 ye