culled out of them Aid this year was sent to assist the Rebels in Scotland against their Lawful Queen The Presbyterians seeing Episcopal Government settled begin to play their Game The Bishops being thus settled begin the next year to make Laws and to compose Articles of Religion and to exact a Conformity to them Upon which they find great opposition from the Presbyterians In her fourth year she was solicited by Pope Pius to send her Orators to the Council of Trent which she refus'd to do The Emperour also writ to her to desist from these Alterations of Religion and to return to the Antient Catholick Faith of her Predecessors In her fifth year the Articles of Religion were agreed on in the Convocation In her sixth year she would have Married the Earl of Leicester to the Queen of Scots Calvin dies this year and Cartwright the great promoter of Presbytery retires out of England upon a discontent to Geneva In her seventh year the Calvinists began first to be called Puritans Dr. Heylyn In her eighth year the Government of the Church by Archbishops and Bishops was Confirm'd And for this we are beholding to Boner the late Bishop of London Who being call'd up to take the Oath of Supremacy by Horn of Winton refus'd to take the Oath upon this account because Horn's Consecration was not good and valid by the Laws of the Land. Which the insisted upon because the Ordinal Establish'd in the Reign of King Edward the VI. by which both Horn and all the rest of Queen Elizabeths Bishops received Consecration had been Repealed by Queen Mary and not restor'd by any Act of Parliament in the present Reign which being first declar'd by Parliament in the Eighth of this Queen to be Casus Omissus or rather that the Ordinal was look'd upon as a part of the Liturgy confirm'd in the First year of this Queen They next Enacted and Ordain'd That all such Bishops as were Consecrated by it in time to come should be reputed to be lawfully Consecrated Baker In her Eleventh year there arose a Sect openly condemning the receiv'd Discipline of the Church of England together with the Church Liturgy and the very Calling of Bishops This Sect so mightily encreas'd that in the Sixteenth year of her Reign the Queen and Kingdom was extreamly troubled with them In the same Sixteenth year were taken at Mass in their several Houses the Lord Morley's Lady and her Children the Lady Gilford and the Lady Brown Who being thereof Endicted and Convicted suffer'd the Penalties of the Laws In her Twentieth year the severe Laws against Roman Catholicks were Enacted In her Twenty third year a Proclamation was set forth That whosoever had any Children beyond Sea should by a certain day call them home and that no Person should harbour any Seminary Priest or Jesuit At this time also there arose up in Holland a certain Sect naming themselves The Family of Love. In a Parliament held the 26th year of her Reign the Puritan Party labour'd to have Laws made in order to the destroying of the Church of England and the setting up of their own Sect. In her Twenty eighth year the Queen gave a special Charge to Whitgift Archbishop of Canterbury to settle an Uniformity in the Ecclesiastical Discipline which lay now almost a gasping And at this time the Sect of Brownists deriv'd from one Robert Brown did much oppose the Church of England In her One and Thirtieth year the Puritan-Flames broke forth again In her Thirty sixth year the Severity of the Laws were Executed upon Henry Barrow and the Sectaries for condemning the Church of England as no Christian Church Thus Sir Rich. Baker Here is an End of this Work. Wherein I hope there is full satisfaction given concerning the Alterations of Religion which have been made by Publick Authority in the Reigns of these Kings and Queens With a sufficient discovery of the Actings of the Presbyterians in this Nation and the ground of multiplying other Sects Here ends of Historical Collections Gentlemen of the Reformation this following Discourse I assure you is not intended to make any Reflection upon your Tenets but meerly out of zeal to your good and desiring the Almighty to give you his Grace not to be deluded by the Principles of the first promoters of the Reformation For it may well be that every one of you does not know the Principles of those first Authors of the Reformation therefore out of Charity and zeal to you and the good of your Souls I declare them here The Preface to the Children of the Reformation BE not concern'd to know whose Hand it is which holds the Link but follow the Light it gives directing you to a view of the Principles upon which the Reformation supports it self asserting a Holy Liberty to each Person and to act as he pleases with a safe Conscience according to the Principles of our Reformation to grant any humane Power can oblige our Consciences against our Judgements in matters of Religion is but an imaginary Remedy for a real Evil. Our common Reformation is cemented and was first rais'd upon this Holy Liberty that every one should read Scripture Interpret it for himself and believe what he though was the true Sense of it without any compulsion or constraint and not to believe either Church State Vniversity or Doctors if he did not judge by Scripture his Doctrine was true Considering the Infancy of the Reformation our blessed Reformers taking to themselves and giving to others this Holy Liberty for to Teach and Believe whatever they judg'd to be the Doctrine and true Sense of Scripture though it should be against the received Opinion of the Councils Church Vniversities and Doctors Look into the Reign of Edward the VI. then did our Reformation flourish in England and was miraculously propogated by the Liberty of Martin Bucer Cranmer Ochinus Peter Martyr and others in teaching Calvinism Lutheranism Zuinglianism by Scripture as every one understood it Descend to the Reign of Queen Mary then the light of the Gospel was ecclipsed in the sense of the Reformers because the flock was again Popishly compell'd to believe not what every one judg'd by Scripture to be true but what the Church judg'd was such Come down a step lower to Queen Elizabeth's time then the flock recovering their holy Liberty to believe what each one though was the Doctrine of Scripture the Reformation gain'd ground and our Protestancy was establish'd the Religion of the Land which others were not totally suppress'd Step down a degree lower to King James his time the Reformation held its course because their Consciences were not oppress'd Look down a step lower to King Charles the I's Reign His Majesty carried with a Godly Zeal of restraining the diversity of Opinions would by new Laws and Ordinances force the flock to an Uniformity of Doctrine then those of the Reformation pleaded for the Evangelical Liberty to believe nothing nor use any Rites or Ceremonies but
as each one judg'd by Scripture to be convenient they Covenanted against Bishops Lastly look upon our Realm as it is at present the symptoms of dissatisfactions which you may read and hear in Coffee-Houses in publick and private Conversations the sparkles of Jealousies which appear in the Kingdom the Cabals against our Government the animosity of divided Parties the murmur and complaints of all what 's all this but the smoke of that hidden fire of Zeal wherewith Protestants would force Presbyterians by Penal Laws to profess their Tenets which each Opinion endeavour to oppress the other do but duly consider each Sect and they will all appear Tyrants over our Conscience For no one Sect among us but would root out all the rest none fearing that danger whereof St. Paul Gal. 5.15 warns us If we bite and devour one another let 's take heed we be not consumed one of another Giving us likewise a wholsom advice in the same place how to prevent this Evil c. When this Kingdom profess'd the Popish Religion to prevent this Evil of variety of Opinions their Rule of Faith was Interpreted by the Church and was kept from the hands of the flock No man permitted to give any other Interpretation or Sense of it but what the Church did approve Then the Reformers Luther Calvin Zuinghus Beza and others who freed from this slavery laid it down for their Rule of Faith That any man of sound Judgement may believe whatever he takes to be the sense of Scripture these are the Principles from which the Reformation proceeded No man is to be constrain'd to believe any Doctrine against his Judgement and Conscience and therefore it is quite contrary to the Spirit of the Reformation to force us by Acts of Parliament Decrees of Synods Invectives and Persecutions of Indiscreet Brethren to drive us to this or that Religion No every one ought to be Permitted to believe what he pleases as for instance If he thinks Bigamy or Self-Murder to be the Doctrine of Scripture to have freely liberty to profess and practice the same In the first place let my Reader consider that the Pure and Orthodox Dostrine of the Reformation I purpose in this Treatise to describe in its native Colours It 's the Doctrine of the Reformation that we may with a safe Conscience be to day Protestants to morrow Lutherans in France Hugonots in Hungary Trinitarians in Poland Socinarians and in London of any Religion but Popery they allow to be Lawful to change Religion as Time and Occasion require this is the practice of the first Reformers This Truth requires not much to justify it be pleas'd only to consider how you came to Change the Antient Religion profess'd in the Kingdom for 1500 years together It 's uncontestedly true that the Rule of Faith in common to the whole Reformation is Scripture as the humble of Heart assisted with the Spirit of the Lord understand it for Lutherans will never admit their Rule of Faith to be Scripture as Interpreted by the Church of England but as Interpreted by themselves nor will England admit Scripture to be the Rule of Faith as it is Interpreted by the Presbyterians but as Interpreted by the Church of England So that the Doctrine of each Congregation is but Scripture as interpreted by them and whereas all these Congregation joyntly compose the whole Body of the Reformation and each Congregation is truly a Member of the Reformation the Doctrine of the Reformation comes to be Scripture as each Congregation and Person of sound Judgement among them Interprets it This being an uncontrouled truth what Man of ever so sound Judgement but may read to day Scripture as Interpreted by the Lutheran Church and judging in his Conscience that Interpretation and Doctrine to be true consequently he may with a safe Conscience profess that Religion Soon after he may meet Calvin's Books and charm'd with the admirable strength of his reasons and glosses upon Scripture he may judge in his Conscience he is to be preferr'd before Luther and so may lawfully forsake Lutheranism for Calvinism then again he hits upon Scripture as Interpreted by the Church of England whose Doctrine ravishes him with that decency of Ceremonies that Majesty of her Liturgy that Harmony of her Hierarchy he is convinc'd it's better than Calvinism and embraces it Then again he reads the Works of Arrius and convinc'd by the energy of his Arguments and Texts of Scripture may alter his judgement and become an Arian Wherein can you say does this Man transgress the Doctrine or Principles of the Reformation Does he forsake the Reformation because he forsakes Lutheranism for Calvinism No sure for Calvinism is as much the Reformation as the other Is not Protestancy as much the Doctrine of the Reformation as Presbytery though he changes therefore one for the other he still holds the Doctrine of the Reformation Is not the Doctrine of the Reformation Scripture and that not as Protestants only or Presbyterians interpret it but as any Congregation or Man of sound judgement holds it It is therefore evident that according to the Doctrine and Principles of the Reformation he may with a safe Conscience change Religions and be to day of one to morrow of another until he run over All. Point me out any Congregation the obstinate Papists excepted that will dare say I cannot live with a safe Conscience in any other Congregation but in it self all other Congregations will laugh at it Why then may not I lawfully forsake any Congregation and pass to another and be in England a Protestant in Germany a Lutheran in Hungary a Trinitarian or Socinian It is against the grain of Mans reason that we can with a safe Conscience change Religion If you be a Protestant and you judge it to be the true Religion you are bound to stick to it and never to change it If I discourse with a Papist I would not wonder he should say it 's against the grain of Mans reason to believe it lawful but I admire that a Child of the Reformation be he of what Congregation he will should be so ignorant of his principles as to say a Man cannot change Religions when he pleases Nor do I undertake to prove against the Papist that this is lawful but I undertake to prove it lawful against any Reformed Child or force him to deny the Principles of the Reformation Is it against reason that a Man may read to day Scripture and the Lutherans Interpretation upon it and like it very well and that he should in this case embrace that Religion Is it against the grain of Mans reason that this same Man should next Year afterwards hit upon Calvin's works upon Scripture and after better consideration think his Doctrine to surpass that of Luther and could not he then being obliged to chuse the best forsake Lutheranism and stick to Calvinism And is it against Mans reason that he after this may meet other Books of Arians
Socinians c. and do the like Have not we many examples of this in our best and most renowned Reformers Did not Ochinus that great Light says B. Bale in whose presence England was happy reading Scripture judge the Reformation to be better than Popery and of a Capuchin Fryar became one of the Reformed after some Years reading Scripture he judged Judaism to be better than the Reformation and became a Jew Did not Martin Bucer one of our first Reformers of England reading Scripture judge Lutheranism to be better than Popery and of a Dominican Fryar became a Lutherian Soon after reading Scripture he judged Zuinglianism to be better than Lutheranism and become a Zuinglian not long after he became a Lutheran again as he Confesses Epist ad Noremb in Comment in 70.6 16. Mat. Theol. Calvin l. 2. fol. 70. and forsook Lutheranism the second time and returned again to Zuinglanism as Skluser says Did not Cranmer one of our sirst Reformers here in England and Composers of the 39 Articles a Wise and religious Man profess Popery in Henry the Vill's time and Compose a Book in defence of Real Presence then in Edward the VI's time upon better Consideration he professed Zuinglianism and writ a Book against the Real Presence then again in Queen Mary's Reign being Sentenc'd to Death he declared for Popery but seeing his Recantation would not preserve his Life he renounced Popery and died a Zuinglian I could tire your Patience in reading and Mind in relating the number of our Prime and most renowned as well first Reformers as Learned Doctors who without any scruple chang'd several times their Religions nor in the Principles of our Reformation ought they to be blam'd For whereas our Rule of Faith is Scripture as with the assistance of Gods Spirit we understand it who doubts but we may to day judge sincerely Luther's sense of it to be true to morrow we may read with more attention and judge Arius his sense to be true next day that of Calvin and so of the rest I do not think but that we have in England many Abbettors of this Doctrine Alas how many Bishops Deans and rich Parsons do we know and have we known who are zealous Presbyterians and declared Enemies of Protestancy in our Gracious Soveraign's Exile and no sooner was he restored and had Bishopricks and Ecclesiastical Dignities to be given but they become stiff Protestants Observe the difference betwixt the Papists and us if of a Papist you become of any other Congregation the Popish Church Excommunicate you thou art lookt upon as an Heretick and Apostate a stray'd Sheep they will not admit you to their Communion or Liturgy nay could they well avoid you they would never admit you to their Company and why because they are fondly persuaded their own is only true Rellgion and all others to be Synagogues of Satan and if any of us will become a Papist he must sirst abjure his former profession But if of a Protestant you should become a Presbyterian a Lutheran Quaker or of any other of our Societies you are never looked upon to be a jot the worse for it we are not a whit scandalized at such changes which we daily see and it is an unspeakable blessing with what Accord Unity and Charity you may see at our Liturgy and Communion the Protestant Presbyterian Anabaptist Socinian and Hugonot all praising the Lord in One Congregation in our Church none bid out of the Church none Excommunicated no previous abjuration required of their former Tenets and there 's nothing more frequent among us than to go to the Protestant Liturgy in the Morning in the Evening to the Presbyterian especially if our Interest or Convenience requires it Can there be a more convincing Proof that we esteem it all alike what Religion and Tenets we profess Let a Lutheran go to France Alas he will never stick to go to the Hugonots meeting and Service let a Protestant go to Germany he will go as cheerfully to the Lutheran Church as in England to the Protestant Let a Hugonot or Presbyterian go to Hungary or Poland he is welcome to the Trinitarians and Socinians and when any of them returns home he will be as before Is this Doctrine by the Testimony of any of our Synods Did any teach that we may with a safe Conscience change our Religion Yes I can produce one The Synod of Charent on in France held about the Year 1634. expresly says That for our Salvation it 's all alike whether you be a Calvinist Lutheran or of any other Congregation of the Reformed because says this venerable Synod they all agree in Fundamental Points and the Lutherans have nothing of Superstition or Idolatry in their manner of Divine Worship Change then as often as you list be a Lutheran be a Presbyterian be an Anabaptist by the mouth of this Synod you are assur'd you 'l never miss to hitright And I pray can any Synod of our times have more Authority in point of Doctrine then Luther our first Reformer a man extraordinarily raised by God says the Synod of Charrenton and replenisht with his spirit to repair the ruins of his Church In parva Confes Germ. fol 55. in Col. log fol 100 He Teaches the Elevation of the Sacrament is Idolatry that he did practice it and commanded it should be practised in the Church of Wittemberg to spite the Devil Carolostadius Giving you to understand that for just reasons you may teach now our Religion then another Zuinglius also whose vertue and learning is known to the World says To. 2. fol. 202. That God inspired him to Preach what Doctrine was suitable to the times which as it often changes you may often change your Doctrine And consider you if it be not therefore that Christ our Lord says his Yoke is easie and his burden light that is Religion because we can withdraw our Necks from it as time and just reason requires What greater Authority has a Synod of England to prove a Doctrine to be of the Reformation than a Synod of France which I have produced or than Luther and Zuinlius our first Reformers inspired by God to teach us the purity of the Gospel Was it not from Luther and Zuinglius that England received the Reformation and if England can be so bold as to say they reed in this what assurance can we have that they erred not in the rest But since nothing will please you but a Synod of England you shall have not one but many Can there be any Synod of England of so great Authority as our wise and prudent Parliament Read our Chronicles and you 'l sind that in a few years time they changed and established different Religions by publick Acts of Parliament In Henry the VIIIs Reign they Voted for Popery and made Acts and Statutes against the Reformation in Edward the VI's time they banisht Popery and voted for Zuinglianism in Queen
any but as each Congregation Synod particular Doctor or Man of sound judgement interprets it and consequently what ever Doctrine any man of sound judgement Interprets it judges to be of Scripture is to be esteem'd the Doctrine of the Reformation and you may safely believe it if you like it and remain still as truly a Reformed Child as the proudest Protestant of England The Rule of Faith is Scripture as any particular Doctor of person of sound Judgement understands it Behold how convincingly first we have heard Luther quoted but now say We receive nothing but Scripture but so as that we must have some Authority to Interpret it Hear him again d In Colloq mensal fol. 118. The Governours and Pastors have Power to teach but the sheep must give their judgement f In Defens Art. Reliq Protest pag. 199. whether they propose the Voice of Christ or of strangers And again e To. Wittem fol. 374. Christ has taken from the Bishops Councils and Pastors the right of Doctrine and given it to all Christians in general and the Rule is Scripture as each one will think fit to interpret it And in consequent to this we have heard him say above I will be free and will not submit to Doctors Councils or Pastors but will teach whatever I think to be true Barlow The Apostles have given to each particular Man the right and power of Interpreting and judging by his inward spirit what is true it is needless that any Man or Angel Pope or Council should instruct you the spirit working in the Heart and Scripture are to each particular Person most assured Interpreters Bilson Bishop of Winchester says the same g In his true difier par 2. pag. 353. The people must be discerners and judges of what is taught Our Religion has no other rule of Faith says our French Reformation by the mouth of Du Moulin h Boucler de lay Foy. Drelincourt and the holy Synod of Charenton but the written Word of God as Interpreted by us It matters not so much for you to know what I approve or condemn but to know what the Doctrine of the Reformation is It is this That none can Teach Preach Administer Sacraments or Exercise Ecclesiastical Functions if he be not in Holy Orders Bishop Priest or Deacon for the Church of England teaches it and you may believe it if you please You may also deny it and say any Woman or Tradesmen has as much power to Preach and administer the Sacraments as the ablest Bishop in England This also is the Doctrine of the Reformation as well as the former because Quakers Presbyterians Brownists Anabaptists c. Believe and Teach this and they are men of as sound judgements and as good Reformers as the Protestants nay the most learned of our Reformaers allow Women a right to exercise Spiritual Functions and Administer the Sacraments Samaise Peter Martyr In lib ad Corin c. 11. in Explan Art. 17. To. 2. de minist Eccles instit fol. 369 lib. de Cap. Babil c. de Ordin lib. de abroganda Missa and Zuinlius expresly defend the Priesthood as well of Women as Men And Luther proves it strongly The first Office of a Priest says he is to Preach this is common to all even Women the second to Baptize which is also common to Women the third is to Consecrate Bread and Wine and this also is common to all as well as to Men and in the absence of a Priest a Woman may Absolve from Sins as well as the Pope because the words of Christ Whatever ye shall untye on Earth shall be untyed in Heaven were sad to all Christians And when so eminent Men had not said it Reason and Scripture convinces it Reason because that our Rule of Faith being Scripture as each Person of sound judgement understands it many Women undoubtedly are of sound judgement and why should not their Interpretation of Scripture pass for the Doctrine of the Reformation as well as that of our Bishops and Ministers Scripture because we read the Samariatan Woman was the first who preached the Messias to the City of Samaria and Christ commanded Mary Magdalen to go to Preach his Resurrection to his Disciples and we know by our Chronicles that our glorious Queen Elizabeth of blessed Memory did not only govern the state but was a great Apostoless in Church affairs To what purpose then have we Bishops and Ministers who enjoy so vast Revenues if any Man or Women can Preach and Administer the Sacraments as well as they You may believe Bishops and Ministers are very needful for the service of the Church for they being commonly learned witty Men and having Wives they come to instruct Wives so well that the good Women come in a short time to be as learned as their Husbands and as nimble and quick in the Ecclesiastical Ministery as if they were permitted to exercise it as some Authors of Credit relate unto us that a Gentleman of Constance writ to his friend in a Village about three Leagues distant from that City whose Inhabitants were for the most part of our Lutheran Reformation the good Pastor exhorted his Flock to prepare for Easter Communion that none should presume to come to the Holy Table but should first Confess and receive Absolution of his Sins Easter Holy days being come such a multitude flock'd to Confession that the Pastor could not satisfie the Devotion of so great a Croud he called his Wife to help him to hear Confessions and to give them Absolution in which Ministery the good Lady did Labour with great satisfaction of the Penitents but neither the Pastor nor his vertuous Consort being able to dispatch so great a multitude he called his Maid Servant who did work in the Holy Ministery with as much expedition as her Master For after all the Church of Scotland France and all England Protestants excepted will tell you that Bishops and Ministers are not needful nay that they are very prejudicial to the Reformation and State To the Reformation because this Hierarchy was the Bishops Court Surplices Corner Caps and other Trumperies puts the flock in mind of Popery whereof it 's a perfect Resemblance I remember a discourse started in the House of Lords not many years ago by his Grace the Duke of Buckingham he desired to know what it was to be a Protestant and wherein did Protestancy properly consist The Bishops who were present looked one upon another and whether they feared the difficulty of the Question or that for modesty's sake each expected to hear another speak first they stood silent for a while at last the Ice was broken by one others followed but hardly any two agreed and all that the Duke could gather out of their â—…al Answers was That our Rule of â—aith was Scripture as Interpreted by the Parliament and Church of England Whereupon he concluded We have been these hundred years very busie to settle Religion
and for ought I perceive we are as unsettled now as at the Beginning And truly he had great reason if Religion and Faith be nothing else but that sense of Scriptuure which each person of sound judgement understands for as it is impossible we should jump and agree in one sense and meaning of the Text so it is impossible we shall ever be settled and agree in Religion Episcopacy is against the Presbyterians some Canonical Books against the Lutherans Supermacy against the Quakers and Infant-Baptism against the Anabaptists and yet you own them as your Brethren and Godly Congregations of the Reformation or if you will deny them they will also scorn you and say they are more of the Reformation than you are and will you not own the Arians c. for your Brethren though you believe the Trinity against them You say they are old condemned Hereticks and does this Language become a Child of the Reformed Church By whom where they Condemned Was it not by the Popish Church That also condemns us and says we are as much Hereticks as they and as we ought not to be so called and judge the Pope and Councils Sentence against us to be bold uncharitable and unjust so we must say of the Arians Pelagians and others condemn'd by them You say Protestants will never own them to be their Brethren God forbid the Protestant Church should be so uncharitable to her fellow Christians and so unjust to themselves B. Morton as learned a Man as the Church of England bred says the Arian Church is a true Church and will say no less of the others But what need we the Testimony of any for what Reason so convicingly proves They who talk by one and the same Rule of Faith are of one and the same Religion therefore Lutherans Protestants Presbyterians and Independants do esteem themselves to be of the same Faith and Religion because they all have the same Rule which is Scripture as each Congregation understands it Also notwithstanding the difference and variety of Congregations in Popery they hold all but one Faith as they say because they have but one Rule of their Belief which is their Infallible Pope and Church But it is evident that those which you call Antient condemn'd Hereticks have one and the same Rule of Faith with our Reformation for ours is Scripture as each person of sound judgement understands it without any obligation of holding the sense of it delivered by Pope Church Councils or any other therefore our first blessed Reformers did not care what sense of it the Church or Pope did hold when they began to Preach the purity of the Gospel but each of them Interpreted it as he thought fit in the Lord and so purged the Church of many Errours This is the very self-same Rule of Faith which Arians Pelagians Nestorians and others premptorily condemned by Rome as Hereticks did follow and walk by Each of them Read and Interpreted Scripture Preached and Believed what sense of it they thought to be true though they knew it was against the Doctrine of the Church looking on Scripture alone as their Rule of Faith without any regard of the Pope Church Councils or Fathers Again he says Epist 2 ad Polon in Tract Theol. pag. 796 That Prayer Holy Trinity one God have mercy of us is Barbarous and does not please me And adds f In Act. Sieueti pag. 87. 1. The Son has his own Substance distinct from the Father His Disciple g con Cenebrard Danaeus says it is foolish insipid Prayer And our great Apostle Luther who as Fox witnesseth was the Chariot and Conductor of Israel and a Man extraordinarily raised and replenish'd with Gods spirit to teach the purity of the Gospel caused that Prayer to be blotted out of the Litanies h In Postil Major in enarat Evang. Domin Trinit That word Trinity says he sounds coldly my Soul hates that word Homoousios and the Arrian did well in not admitting at Lastly Ochinus that great Oracle of England impugns this Mystery with a strong discourse i Lib. 2. Dial. 2. We are not obliged to believe says he more than the Saints of the Ancient Testament otherwise our condition would be worse than theirs but they were not obliged to believe this Mystery therefore we are not obliged Examine I pray the works of these eminent Doctors where I quote them consider if they be not only Men of sound judgement but Men extraordinarly raised by God says the Synod of Charenton the Chariots and Conductors of Israel says Fox Men to be reverenc'd after Christ says our Doctor Powel and Apostolical Oracles sent to teach us the purity of the Gospel and conclude it is an undeniable Verity that this is the Doctrine of the Reformation whereas it's Scripture as Interpreted by such Men Oh! But England France and Scotland believe this Mystery Well! and what then That proves that the Mystery is also the Doctrine of the Reformation because whatever any man of sound judgement thinks to be Scripture it is the Doctrine But is England or France alone the whole Reformation Are not Luther Calvin Danaeus Ochinus as well of the Reformation and men of as sound judgement as they Since therefore they understand by Scripture there is no Trinity it is the Doctrine of the Reformation also that there 's none Believer it or deny it which you like best and you 'll be still of the Reformed Church Scripture as each person of sound judgement interprets it is our Rule of Faith judge you if that be not a good Principle in our Reformed Church whereas this is the Rule of Faith given us by all our Doctors as I proved before this being our Rule of Faith and Reformed Doctrin it is evident that whatever Doctrine is judged by any person of sound Judgement to be contained in Scripture is the Doctrine of our Reformation others say only Figurative Presence is taught in Scripture this also is the Doctrine of the Reformation some understand by Scripture there is Mystery of the Blessed Trinity this therefore is the Doctrine of the Reformation others understand there is no such Mystery this also is the Doctrine of the Reformation so that whether you believe or deny this or any other Tenet controverted you 'll still hold the Doctrine of the Reformation Calvin k Harm in Evang. Mat. c. 26. vers 39. and c. 27. vers 46 lib. 2. Infrit c. 16. sect 10. 11. says Christ pray'd unadvisedly the Eve of his Passion that he uttered Words whereof he was afterward sorry that in his passion he was so troubled of all sides that overwhelmed with desparation he defisted from invoking God which was to renounce all hopes of Salvation And says he l In Luk. par 2 hom 65. and in John hom 54. if you object it is absurd and scandalous to affirm Christ despaired I answer p To. 3. Wettemp in sp 16. This Desparation proceeded from him
deny all the Tenets they now believe l In replic ad Hardingum we may and it will be a pious Godly action to belive them and make as many Acts of Parliament for them as now we have against them This is an evident sequel out of that Principle and whereas there is not one Tenet of all those which I rehearsed whether they concern Doctrin or Manners but was judged by the Doctors which I cited for it to be the Doctrine of Scripture it follows unavoidably that there is not one Tenet of them but is the Doctrine of the Reformation Therefore you must be forced to either of these two either to say that our Rule of Faith by which such Doctrines are warranted is naught wicked and scandalous of all those I rehearsed you cannot deny but that it was taught by the Author I quoted for it and judged by him to be the Doctrin of Scripture And if no Doctor hitherto had believed you or I or some other person of sound judgement may judge it to be the Doctrine of Scripture either of both then you must be constrained to grant Or that the Doctrine of the Reformation is not what each person of sound judgement understands to be the doctrine and sense of Scripture which is as much as to say that our Rule of Faith must not be Scripture as we understand it but that we must believe against our Judgement and Conscience what others say is the doctrine and sense of Scripture Or you must grant that all and each of those Tenets I rehearsed is the doctrine of the Reformation though you or this or that Man may judge them to be blasphemies and scandals I confess our Rule of Faith in the Reformation is Scripture as each person understands it for all our Reformed Churches do gives us this Rule of Faith. And in case the Church of England France or Germany judge a doctrine to bo blasphemous and against Scripture and Luther or Calvin or I or another judge it is good doctrine and conformable to Scripture to which judgement must I stand Must I believe what I judge in my Conscience to be Scripture and not what others judge if they judge the contrary When Luther began the Reformation did not almost all Christians and the whole Church believe Purgatory and Prayers to Saints to be the doctrine of Scripture And did not he very commendably deny it against them all because he judged by Scripture it was not Will a Presbyterian believe Episcopacy because the Church of England says it is the doctrine of Scripture No but deny it because himself judges It is not For let a Man be ever so leared and Godly if he gives an Interptetation of Scripture which is denied by all the Church he must not be followed Since when is it commendable to constrain Mons Judgements to believe not what each one thinks best but what the Church thinks may be safely believed Was this Commenble in the beginning of our Reformation when our blessed Reformers began to teach their private Judgements against the Church then establish'd If it was then the Church of Rome is to be commended for persecuting and Excommunicating our first Reformers and if this was not nor is not commendable in the Church of Rome why is it commendable in the Church of England This is a piece of Popery whereof the Church of England is guilty and for which all our Congregations are jealous of her I confess other Congregations will admit no such Curb or Bridle on their Judgements but follow Scripture as they understood it but the Church of England has a reverent regard for the sense and Interpretation of it given by Primitive Ages Fathers and Councils and that we prefer before the private Interpretations of particular Persons The Sense and Interpretation of primitive Ages Church and Fathers must be preferred before the Interpretation of any private person or Congregation and what think you of our whole Reformation which allowes no other Rule of Faith but Scripture as each person of sound Judgement understands it What say you of Luther Calvin Beza and the rest of our Reformers who preferred their own private sense and Interpretation of Scripture before that of the whole Church What say you to the Presbyterians who prefer their own sense and Interpretation of the Bible before that of the Church of England I grant there ought to be a respect for the judgement and Interpretation of the Text given by the Primitive Church and Fathers but if a Doctor or a Man of sound Judgement replenisht with Gods Spirit read Scripture with an humble Heart and pure Intention and judges by it that Bigamy is lawful that there is no Mystery of three persons is one divine Nature or that Christ despaired on the Cross c. Tho these doctrines be quite against the Judgments of Fathers Church and Councils he may believe them and be still a true Reformed Child because he follows our Rule of Faith if he must deny these Articles because others decry them then he must go against his own Judgement and Conscience for to conform himself to them and his Rule of Faith must not be Scripture as each Man of sound judgement understands it but as the Primitive Ages Church and Councils understand it and this is Popery Is it not generally believed in our Reformation and most strongly proved of late by that incomparable Wit and Pen-man Doctor Stillingfleet that Popery has as much Idolatry as Paganism Our Land therefore had in Paganism as good a Religion as it received by Austin in Popery does not this our noble Champion and most of the Scribes of the Church of England teach That Popery is a saving Religion that we may be saved in the Church of Rome if Popery notwithstanding it be Idolatry as they say by a saving Religion how can they deny but that Paganism is also a saving Religion what need therefore had our Fore-fathers to abandon Paganism why was it not left in the Land If England had been as well informed of the merit of Paganism when first Christianity was Preached it had never exchanged the one Idolatry for the other Dr. Stillingfleet in his Charge against the Church of Rome pag. 40. and 41. says plainly That the Pagans are charged with more than they are guilty of pag 7. says that Jupiter adored by the Pagans was so far from being an Arch-devil in the opinion of St. Paul that he was the true God Blessed for evermore that the Pagans adored but one Supream and Omnipotent God which they called Jupiter and which they did believe to be neither a Devil nor a Man but a true and the first and chiefest of the Gods and that the rest of the Gods which they adored they looked upon them as Inferiour deities and gave them no other Adoration Dr. Stillingfleet and Dr. Burnet and other Reformed Writers prove convincingly as to their Sentiment that Paganism is no more Idolatry than Popery and
THE SPEECH OF Nicholas Heath Lord Chancellor of England Lord President of Wales Bishop of Worcestor And afterward Archbishop of YORK and Ambassadour into Germany delivered in the Upper House of Parliament in the Year 1555. On occasion of the Supremacy Proofs from Scripture That Christ left a True Church and that there is no Salvation but in the Catholick and Apostolick Church Proofs from the Fathers That there is no Salvation to be expected out of the True Catholick and Apostolick Church Certain Principles of the first Authors of the Reformation not so well known to many of their followers The Principles of the Catholick Apostolick Church Testimony of the Fathers touching the Real Presence LONDON Printed for the Author 1688. TO THE READER I Cannot but admire to see most Protestants so negligenn in their search of Truth so seemingly secure and so indifferent in the buying and reading Controversial Books which abound now a days more than ever when yet in their Hearts they know they may be in Errour for even by their own Principles they dare not so much as affirm they are Certainly in the right The swarms of Books about Religion that have these two last years fill'd the Press render it impossile to say any thing New on this Occasion and therefore farther indeavours to write Controversy may seem vain and unnecessary and indeed if all the Catholick Books that have been lately Publish'd were read by the Protestants with the same Spirit of Humility with which they were wrote all prejudice passion and interest laid aside there would be abundantly enough to open the eyes of the people and satisfie all discerning Men that Popery is not that Antichristian Monster which it has for so many years been painted in England but that it is indeed the true Antient Catholick and Apostolick Faith which our Saviour deliver'd and taught his Apostles and which has continued since and been believed in the Church in all succeeding Ages But since we find too many stop their ears against all the charms of Truth since we find still such mighty numbers of Men continue in entertaining their old barbarous conceits of the Catholick Religion and either through malice or negligence very slow in Reading what might Inform their judgements and settle their Consciences it cannot be esteemed improper for every honest Man to contribute his Mite and endeavour what he may to rouse up some by a third or fourth call who have refused the first and second and for as much as many are discouraged by the length and some by the dearness of the Book I have resolved to remove these two Impediments an hours reading with the expence of two pence is all the time and the charge that needs be spent upon this Pamphlet It must not be expected I should launch out into those prolix Disputes that have almost at this day tir'd the Pens of Schoolmen I intend only to establish two or three most important Truths on which the Catholick Faith does more immediately depend What I may beside insist on shall only be in general so as to give the Reader an occasion of seeking elsewhere more particular Information and that with as much brevity as Y can or the nature of the thing will admit I shall take the liberty to suppose in as much as many Protestants own as much that there has been in all Ages since our Saviour Christ planted the Gospel a true Church on Earth or to express my self more in the Protestant Phrase that there has been in every Age since Christ a company of Men who have retained that Orthodox Faith deliver'd in the Gospel I dare not think there is a Protestant living will deny this because he would by so doing first maintain there was an Age since Christ where in all the Articles of the Creed were not true viz. that there was no Holy Catholick Church seconly he would make Christ a false Prophet who has declared he would never depart from his Church but that he would be with her even unto the end of the World and that the Gates of Hell should not prevail against her Matt. 16.18 I will in the second place make bold to suppose that his true Church or this company of Orthodox Men has been visible in all Ages If there be a Protestant in the World so weak as to imagine the true Church was not visible in all Ages I desire him to consider that so much is implyed in the very nature and essence of a Church as to Preach the Gospel and administer the Sacraments which even in his own notion are Visible Signs without which a Church can no more subsist than a Man without a Head or a House without a Foundatian And Secondly seeing Preaching the Gospel and Administring the Sacraments are Actiors Visible and Conspicuous the Church that does these things must by necessary consequence be Visible and Conspicuous likewise there is no Sophistry in this but what any one that pleases may reduce to a plain and easy Syllogism And indeed is there any thing in Nature more absurd and contradictory than to affirm the true Church was at all times and yet not at all times Visible What the Church daily does and what she must of necessity do to deserve that name are things as manifest and evident to humane sense as teaching a School or the Rule of a Commonwealth and will any man affirm that a School can be Taught or a State Governed in an invisible Manner Surely no neither then may any Protestant be so absurd as to believe the Church of Christ was at any time Invisible and not rather Visibly Apparent in her Rites and Sacraments as well as in her Assemblies on those occasions Taking it then for granted that there has been a true Church at all times since Christ and that this Church has been at all times visible it follows by an easie Consequence which every body can infer that what ever Church is not able to prove her Being since Christ and her being visible all that time cannot be the True Church But neither the Church of England nor that of Luther or Calvin nor any Protestant Reformed Church have been Visible in all Ages since Christ therefore neither the Church of England nor any other Protestant Church is the True Church I would fain see to this a plain and possitive answer given 't is what has not yet been given by any defender of the Protestant Cause nor I suppose will ever be to the end of the World. How ridiculous is it and how unbecoming any reasonable Creature what Protestants urge in this matter that their Principles were taught and believed in the Primitive Church till she fell into Idolatry and Superstition where she lay buried for above 1000 years till God rais'd up Luther and Calvin and the other Reformers to remove the Errors and raise up a new Glorious Orthodox Church I have often admir'd how such palpable Nonsence and such gross Contradictions came to
be proposed but much more how they ever came to be received in the World For what can be more ignorantly Blasphemous than to say God raised up Men to restore his Church who yet could by no means Agree among themselves in matters of Faith as hereafter will appear and whose Followers do at this day pursue each other with Excommunications and Anathema's If Calvin was the Messenger of God then was Luther a Sacrilegious Impostor if the Church of England be Orthodox then were Luther and Calvin both Impostors and if any other of the Reformers were in the right the Church of England is in the wrong Which then of the Dissenting Protestants Doctrin shall we say was the belief of the Primitive Church Were all these at once the Primitive Faith. or was some one Denomination of Protestants the primitive Believers and those of all other Denominations in the wrong It being impossible as I have proved that the True Faith should ever be Invisble at any time if therefore Protestancy had ever been professed it could never have been totally extinguish'd Though most certain it is that no footsteeps of any of the Reformers Principles were known for almost 1500 years in the Christian World except in some Heresies condemned in several Ages of the Church which do indeed much resemble the Innovations of our Modern Reformers as their Doctrine of the Sacrament in the Heresie of Berengarius of Invocation of Saints in the Heresie of Vigilantius of Prayer for the Dead in Aerius of Images in Xenias and the Iconaclasts of Confession in the Novatianus their practice of no mingled Chalice in the Heresie of the Armenians and of Priests Marriages in Jovinian as Luthers Marrying a Nun borrowed from Marcions corrupting a Virgin and to add no more their Famous Naggshead Consecration copied from Novatus that was made a Bishop in a Tavern and deposed by Cornelius And now for the Church of England she must ever stand or fall on her own Bottom having so notoriously condemned all other parts of the Reformation That the Lutherans are condemn'd by the Church of England every body knows and that the Calvinists are so too I will in one word plainly shew A Protestant Parson that comes from France from Holland or Geneva to be Beneficed in England cannot be admitted to Preach nor Administer the Sacraments after the Rites of the English Church till he has renounced that Mission he had before and taken new Orders according to the form of the Church of England which to all Men of sense implies that the Church of England does assuredly believe the Calvinist Teachers are false Imposters that they have no Mission no Authority no Ordination and by consequence no Sacraments being in their conceits purely Lay-men From hence I take the liberty to ask the Doctors of the English Church how they can in honour and conscience call them their Brethren as they do of the Reformation from whom they have seperated at so great a distance as to reject all their Ordinations at once as null and void and how they can suffer the French and Dutch Hugonots to have Churches and free exercise of their Religion here and some of them also the Church of Englands Liturgy at the same time as they believe them neither to have Priesthood nor Sacraments and by consequence no such thing as a Church at all Seeing then the Church of England look on themselves as the only Church of the Refonmation it follows that she must accordingly prove her self the true Church and shew how that Sum of Christian Doctrin which she now holds has been constantly held in all past Ages of the Church which I am sure all the English Doctors in the World will not make out nay I think they do not so much as pretend to For to end all Controversies let them shew but one Service-Book in all the 1500 years before Luther in any one vulgar Tongue which agreeth with their Service Book and for that one Book sake we will submit the cause no they say contrariwise that for about 1000 years Popish Superstition was the only Religion known in the World Which Superstition as they call it I shall now endeavour to prove to be that true Religion which has been from our Saviours time and which must Infallibly last to the end of the World. The Arguments by which I have briefly and I hope evidently shewn that the Protestant Church neither single nor aggregate can be the true Church do at the same time as evidently prove the Church of Rome to be so For as the Protestant Churches want of Antiquity their not having been from the beginning of Christianity nor Visible till within 200 years proves them not to be the Catholick Church so the Antiquity of the Church of Rome her having been from the beginning and continuing still Visible by propagating the Gospel and Administring the Sacraments in all Ages since Christ does as plainly evince her to be the only true Church the spouse of Christ and Pillar of Truth I demand has not this Church in all Ages had a visible Succession of Bishops a settled Government with a visible Head from St. Peter to this very day Has not this been the only Church that has duly planted the Faith and as duly suppressed Heresie and Schism Is not this the Church that has held all General Councils and has not the Bishop of Rome Presided in the four First seemingly allowed of by the Church of England Is not this the only Church that has sent Apostles and Missionaries out to plant the Gospel in all the Infidel corners of the Earth and from whence England first received the Christian Faith Is there any other Church that can pretend to have been assisted by God Almighty in the working of Miracles and in the Conversion of Nations What other Church can shew an Army of Martyrs and Confessors a number of Men that lead most Holy and Austere Lives forsaking the World to follow Christ What other Church in the World can pretend either to Unity or Universality to be every where the same and to have all her Children at perfect Agreement in matters of Faith and Doctrine for the disputes of Catholicks are about matters not defin'd and so controvertable but never about a Doctrine that has been once determined in a General Council These are the Marks and essential ones of the true Church but these agree to no other Church but that of Rome the Church of Rome is therefore the only Church Whatever the Grecian or the Abyssine Churches have to say in answer to this which does not much concern us sure I am the Church of England has nothing plausible to excuse her Schism and Rebellion against her Mother Church and under whose subjection she has been bred and maintained for many Ages in the World. Every one knows and no Church of England Man can deny that this National Church was in all Ages subject to and a part of the Western
Mary's they pull'd down this and set up Popery again in Queen Elizabeth's they decried this and set up not Zuinglianism but Protestancy in the midst of her Reign they polisht this and added some new perfections to it In King James and suceeding Kings times Protestancy was of a different stamp from that of Queen Elizabeth's Hear Dove in his Exhort to the English Recusants An. 1603. Page 31 Edward the VI. had his Liturgy which was very good but condemned it and brought in another Composed by Peter Martyr In Elizabeth ' s time that was condemned and another approved and in the middle of her Reign her Liturgy was also misliked and a new one introduced we are so wanton that nothing will content us but Novelties Dove does not commend this Doctrine for he calls that frequent exchange of Religion Wantonness and Love of Novelties It 's no great matter what he says of it my drift is but to convince you that this is the Doctrine and practice of the best Member of our Reformation even of England and if you be convinc'd it 's the Doctrine of Reformation you cannot deny but that it is good Doctrine through Dove calls it Wantonness Some of the Reformed says We are bound to have Faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God and the Saviour of the World. This is the substance of Christian Religion be an Arian be a Presbyterian a Socinian or what you please be also plung'd up to the ears in wickedness of Life and Manners so you have Faith in Jesus Christ Son of God and Redeemer of the World and live in Charity you will be a Member of the true Church and be saved Do not imagine this is any new Doctrine invented by me search the vulgar sort of our Reformed Brethren you shall get thousands of this Opinion in our Realm search the Books of our Learned Doctors you shall find it in them also Doctor Morton in his much applauded Book Dedicated to Queen Elizabeth for which he deserved a Bishoprick says The Arian Church is to be esteemed a true Church The Kindom of Esra pag. 9. because they hold the true substance of Chiristian Religion which is Faith in Jesus Christ Son of God and Redeemer of the World And again in the same place Sect. 4. whose Title is Hereticks are Members of the Church Therefore John Fox Dr. Field and Illiricus Acts mon. pag. 36. lib. 3. c. 5. g. Catal. testium p. 976. 978. say the Greek Church notwithstanding their error in denying the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son are holy Members of the true Church because they have Faith in Jesus Christ For what is the Doctrine of the Reformation but as we have said in our Principles Scripture as Interpreted by any Man of sound judgement in the Church and were not Doctor Morton Fox Field and Illiricus Men of sound judgement eminent for Learning and Godliness If therefore this be Scripture as Interpreted by them how can you deny it to be the Doctrine of the Reformation And what Jesus Christ are we obliged to believe in For Jesus Christ as believed by the Arrians Socinians Luther and Calvin is far different from Jesus Christ as commonly believed by the Protestants and Popish Church we believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God of one and the same substance and nature with the Father they believe in a Jesus Christ Son of God but of a distinct and different nature Pish That 's but a Nicety believe what you please and what you understand by Scripture to be true and have Charity Let us ask the Reformers what Rule of Faith we must observe Protestants will say that Scripture and Apostolical Tradition but Protestants say of Papists and Presbyterians and Anabaptists say of Protestants that many humane Inventions are obtruded upon us as Apostolical Traditions that we have no way to discern the one from the other and consequently Tradition as being an unknown thing unto us cannot be our Rule others will say that Scripture and the indubitable consequence of it is our Rule all will grant this but then enters the controversy if the consequences of Lutherans be such and if the consequences of Presbyterans be indubitable consequences out of Scripture and each Congregation will say that their peculiar Tenets are indubitable consequences out of Scripture and the rest must allow it to be of the Reformation Others will say that Scripture and the four first Councils with the Apostles and Athanasius's Creed are our Rule of Faith but most of the Assembly will no more admit the four first than the subsequent Councils nor Athanasius's Creed more than that of Trent nor will the Quakers Socinians and others value the Apostles Creed But there is none of all the Assembly who will not admit Scripture to be a sacred and full Rule of Faith because it 's replenished with divine Light and all Heavenly instruction necessary for our salvation And such as add as a part of our Rule of Faith the Apostles or Athanasius Creed or the four first general Councils will confess that all they contain is expressed in Gods written Word and are but a plainer or more distinct expression or declaration of the Contents of Scripture I have been often present at several discourses of Protestants with Papists and never could I hear a Protestant make Councils Tradition or any thing else the Test of their discourse but only Scripture not but that I could hear them say and pretend in their discourses that Apostolical Tradition and the four first Councils were for them against Popery but still their main strength and ultimate refuge was Scripture for whenever they harp upon that string of Tradition and Councils the Papists are visibly to hard for them and then they run to Scripture than which there is no plus ultra I have been also often at several discourses betwixt Protestants Presbyterians and our Brethren of other Congregations I have observed that the Protestant for to defend his Liturgy Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England and her Episcopacy against the others could never defend himself by Scripture alone but plac'd his main strength in Tradition Primitive Councils and ancient Fathers all which the other rejected and reproached the Protestants with Popery For it 's certain Lutherans will not admit Scripture as Interpreted by Protestants but as Interpreted by themselves and so of each other Congregation Nor was it only Luther and Calvin spoke thus but all our blessed Reformers and why because our Rule of Faith is Scripture not as interpreted by the Church of England France will not admit it nor as Interpreted by the Quaker the Anabaptists and Independents will not hear it nor as interpreted by Luther Calvin rejects it nor as interpreted by Calvin Thorndike and Bramhall will not yield to it nor will Stillingfleet stand to their Interpretation nor others to that of Stillingfleet Finally our Rule of Faith is Scripture not as interpreted by
withal That without Faith in Jesus Christ no Man can be Saved This is not only the Belief of all that wear and deserve the Noble Title of a Christian but certain also out of the Word of God. Act. 4.12 There is not Salvation in any other for neither is there any other Name under Heaven given to Men to wit but the Name of Jesus wherein we must be saved Mark 16.16 But he that shall not believe namely the Gospel and Religion of Christ shall be condemned Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God. Rom. 5.1 Being therefore justified by Faith let us have Peace toward God by our Lord Jesus Christ By whom also we have access through Faith to his Grace This Ground then is certain and cannot be denied by any Christian For my second Ground I lay That this Faith in Jesus Christ which by God's Ordination is of necessity required to Salvation is not a meer Natural Faith or Humane Credulity which Men may have by their own natural Forces without the help of God's special Grace such as is the Faith of Heathens of Jews and Turks and such indeed as is the Faith of all Hereticks But it is a Divine and Supernatural thing which Men acquire and attain to by the special Aid of God by the help of Divine Grace and therefore this Faith is called and truly is The Gift of God. This ground is certain first out of the Word of God which clearly teacheth That saving Faith is the gift of God Phil. 1.29 To you it is given for christ not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him Eph. 2.8 By Grace you are saved through Faith and that not of your selves for it is the gift of God Not of Works that no man may glory Joh. 6.44 No man can come unto me that is believe in me for our first step toward Christ is Faith unless the Father that sent me draw him And Verse 65. Therefore did I say to you that no Man can come to me unless it be given him of my Father Joh 15.5 I am the Vine you the Branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth much fruit for without me you can do nothing Namely appertaining to Salvation and therefore not believe as is requisite to Life Everlasting without the help of Christ that is of Divine Grace by Christ merited and purchased for us These places are clear Secondly This ground is strongly proved by Reason For the end of Man being to enjoy Supernatural Glory that is the clear Vision of God in his blessed Kingdom The means to obtain this high and divine End must be suitable to it that is Divine and Supernatural For who will say that Man of himself and by his own forces without the Aid and special Favour of God is able to make himself fit and proportionate to be associated to the Saints to the Angels to Christ to God in Eternal Glory Who will say that of himself he is able to cleanse his Soul from the stains and filth of Sin and to put upon her a Wedding Garment a Golden and Resplendent Vesture suitable to the Banquet and Banqueters of Heaven The special Operation then of Divine Grace must Purifie and Embellish the Soul of Man and Attire her in Holy and Divine Vertues that so she may be fit to be the Consort of God in the Fruition of his Eternal Glory And so Faith which is one of these Virtues and the very Ground and Foundation of the rest must be Divine and Supernatural and spring in Man from the help of God's Grace and be Adorned and Dignified by it that so there may be a fit proportion betwixt the Root and the Tree the Seed and the Fruit the Egg and the Brid a Christian Life and the Glory of Heaven Whosoever will deny this ground must not only forsake the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and go against the light of Reason but he must also fall into the Pelagian Heresie condemned by the Church of Christ Twelve Hundred years ago Which held That the Gospel of Christ being proposed by his Preachers men of themselves without any further help of Divine Grace are able to believe the same and do all therein required to Life Everlasting Which proud fancy of Pelagius St. Hierom St. Augustine and especially the Bishops of Rome by the invincible force of God's Word did crush confound and beat to the ground My third Ground is That as God cannot be the Author of a Lye of a false Doctrine of a false Faith of a false Religion That is of a Rligion and Doctrine of Faith that is mixed with falshood and is partly true and partly false So he neither doth neither can stir up and draw Men by his special Grace Aid and Operation to believe those Religions or Doctrines of Faith which are so mixed with Falshood This seems to be evident even by the light of Reason for as it is the proper work of the Devil to mix Religions and to pollute them with Falshood So it is his continual and studious endeavour to stir up and induce Men by proposing some pleasing and delectable thing or other to believe and embrace the same that so he may deprive them of Divine Faith which is the Gift of God and bring them assuredly to Everlasting Damnation Neither let any one be so simple as to imagine That the Devil is only the Author of those Religions which are wholly False For scarcely is there any Religion in the World that doth teach no Truth at all And therefore it is sufficient to prove a Religion to be the work of the Devil if there be any falshood in it at all at St. Paul doth seem to teach 1 Tim. 4.1 where foretelling the rising of the Manichean Heresie which long did pester the Chruch of God he calls the Doctrine thereof the Doctrine of Devils Notwithstanding that those Hereticks with some falshoods did teach many Truths even as all Hereticks do who nevertheless are the Instruments of the Devil to seduce and destroy Souls Wherefore whosoever do culpably Believe and follow Religions or Doctrines of Faith partly true partly false do never believe the same with Divine Faith which is the Gift of God though they esteem the Religion which they follow to be the best of all others yea to be the pure Light of the Gospel of Christ But their Faith is ever a meer Humane Credulity such as is the Faith of all Mis-believers which can never bring them to Eternal Happiness how laudably soever they live because without Divine Faith that is the Gift of God no Man can be saved according to the settled Ordination and Providence of God as I before have clearly shewed out of his Word Out of this Doctrine which is most true doth appear First The Reason of the Doctrine of of Christ deliverâ—d Matt. 7. where he declares That false Prophets that is false Expounders of the Word of God in
matters of Faith do destroy Souls like as Wolves do destroy Sheep and that it is as impossible that their Followers should acquire by their teaching Divine Faith and True Sanctity as it is impossible that Thorns should bring out Grapes or Thisles Figgs The same Doctrine is taught by the Apostle who affirms That Hereticks are subverted Tit. 3. And Subvert the Faith of others 2 Tim. 2.18 That they make Shipwrak about Faith 1 Tim. 1.19 That they depart from the Faith 1 Tim. 4.1 That they are Reprobate about Faith 2 Tim. 3.8 and the like Which mischief they fall into themselves and bring upon their followers though they Err but in one Article of Faith as Himenaeus and Philetus did 2 Tim. 2.18 But Note here That the Apostle in the places cited doth not mean that Heretical Teachers do so Subvert and Ruine the Faith of their Followers that they leave them no Faith at all but that they subvert their Divine Faith which is the Gift of God wholly overthrowing that though they leave them store of Humane Faith to which seduced people firmly sticking yea sometimes even to Fetters and Death do reap thereby nothing at all but Temporal Commodities and Vain glory purchased with the Eternal loss of their Souls Secondly Doth appear out of the same Doctrine the great Obligation that Christian People have to keep themselves within the Bosom of the True and Catholick Church of Christ Because that this Church being continually assisted by Christ himself Matt. 28. 20. And taught all Truth by the Holy Ghost John 16.13 doth propose unto her followers in her Doctrine of Faith nothing buth Truth whereby their Faith doth easily come to be Divine and the Gift of God his Havenly Grace Co-operating with them It doth also appear how deeply they are obliged to take heed of and to shun and avoid false Prophets false and heretical Expounders of God's Word which run of their own accord not being sent authroized or allowed of by the Ordinary Doctors and Pastors of the Ever Visible and Catholick Church of Christ And how wary they ought to be not to have itching Ears after new Masters 2 Tim. 4.3 Or greedily to hearken to their Novelties in Matters of Faith which upon the reckoning will be found to be no better than Fables that is than the Fictitious and Self-inventions of mens brains Though these busie Teachers palliate them with specious terms and bear their Hearers in Hand That these their new devices are the Pure Light of the Gospel For by forsaking the Doctrine of the Church the Spiritual Mother and Mistress of all Nations and as the Apostle terms her 1 Tim. 3.15 The pillar and Ground of Truth and following such New Teachers they make shipwrack of their Divine Faith and run themselves assuredly upon the Rock of Perdition Thirdly It appears how dangerously those are deceived who think they have Faith enough to Salvation if they believe those Points of the Christian Religion about which Catholicks and Protestants agree esteeming themselves not obliged to believe any of those Articles about which the Learned of these two Religions do differ and contend As though Christian people were not obliged under pain of Damnation to beware of false Prophets Matt. 7. To shun Heretical Teachers Tit. 3. To obey their Lawful Prelates and to be subject unto them in matters of Faith and Religion Heb. 13. To hear those Teachers whom Christ doth send Luke 10. To hear and obey the Voice of his Church if they will not be held to be in as ill case as Publicans and Ethnicks are Matth. 18. Or as though they were not bound to know the right means by which they are to be Justified cleansed from Sin and Saved to Believe rightly and to Receive worthily the great Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ 1 Cor. 11. Joh. 6. And as though they were not obliged under the same Penalty to believe and profess the True Gospel the True Faith and Religion of Christ and to Serve and Worship God rightly Seeing those which believe not his Gospel that is the whole Sum of Divine Doctrine taught by his Apostles and by their Successors the Ordinary Doctors and Pastors of his Church are to be Damned Mark. 16 As those also are Which deny Christ before men Matth. 10.33 Which Crime all commit who deny themselves to be of the True Religion as is manifest by the Example of St. Peter who denying only that he was a follower of Christ and of his Company was reputed to deny Christ even as those will be who culpably profess a False Religion For such by their very Fact deny the True and themselves to be of the Communion thereof and of the Company and Society of the True Followers Disciples and Servants of Christ whereby at his Judgement-seat they will be reputed to have forsaken and denied him But to open this Point a little more because many even of the better sort are brought thereby into no small danger of Perdition this their conceit is not grounded upon any clear Text of Gods Word or upon the Authority of any Vnerring Church but meerly upon a Mistake of their own by which out of one or two Truths they infer a pernicious falshood upon which while they trust they trust to a broken staff which at their last Leap will let them fall into the deep Ditch of Perdition if before their Death they cast it not away Which presumptuous discarding of Divine Verities revealed by Christ to his Apostles for the direction of mankind to Eternal happiness and by them laid up in the Treasury of the Church as a Sacred Depositum 1 Tim. 6.20 under the sure Custody of the Holy Ghost is no less than High Treason against Christ our Saviour in regard that it raises a most pernicious Rebellion in his Spiritual Kingdom bringing part thereof again under the Tyranny of the Devil It frustrates the full Operation of his Passion extinguishes the true and right Worship of God despoils Christian People of Divine Faith and thereby of the true means of Salvation It deprives the Saints of due Honour defrauds the Faithful departed of necessary Relief It robs Heaven of Souls and inriches Hell with innumerable unwary and most unhappy People For which respects it is rightly stiled one of the greatest Sins and of the loudest crying Crimes that is Note That God cannot stir up and draw men by this his Heavenly Grace to believe these Verities unless they be proposed to be believ'd without all mixture of falshood for if any falshood be packt in among them and proposed with them for a Divine Truth revealed by God he cannot draw Men by his Grace to believe them thus mingled and preposed with Falshood as is manifest because he cannot induce men to believe any Falshood at all And therefore whosoever doth thrust in among some Divine Vereties any false Doctrine contrary to that which God hath revealed proposing the same to be believed as a
Divine Truth and therein stubbornly contradicting the Teaching of the Church he debars God from co-operating with his Grace and from drawing people to believe with Divine Faith the Doctrine so mixt and proposed It appears how just cause all Protestants have to return with speed to the Roman Church in which they may assuredly be saved even by the Judgement of the most Learned among them because it is more than probable that the Protestant Profession is not a saving Religion in regard that the Doctrine of Faith which it imbraceth is not nor cannot be wholly true but really and certainly is mixed with much Falshood 1. Because in divers weighty Points of Faith it directly contradicts the express Word of God as I before have shewed 2. Because this Doctrine of Faith is not directed by any sure Rule of Faith by any Infallible Interpreter of the Scriptures by and Un-erring Judge of Controversies nor proposed by any sure and Infallible Proposer 3. Because Protestants are divided into several Branches or Sects which greatly differ and are contrary one to another in divers weighty Points of Faith as I have before Noted And 4. Because Protestants hold that all Churches are subject to erring yea and have erred in their Doctrine of Faith. What assurance then have they that theirs doth not err none at all The Religion of the True Messias is not to be introduc'd amongst the Nations of the Earth or in one Year or in one Age But by degrees and by the Labours and Charitable Endeavours of many Ages Because the same is not to be brought in by Force but by Fair Means Not by the Souldiers Sword but by the Teachers Word Not by Violent Compulsion but by Gentle Perswasion such as the Apostles and Apostolical Teachers have ever us'd Going saith our sweet Saviour Teach all Nations Matth. 28. And therefore this must needs be a work of long continuance the Nations of the Earth being so many as they are so dispers'd over the whole World and dis-joyn'd one from another by Mountains and Seas so Barbarous so Drench'd in Sin inur'd to Carnal and Brutish Customs And the Religion of the Messias being so Holy and Profound as Gods Religion must be Yea this Divine Work of notifying the Messias to all the Nations of the Earth and of Converting them or at least part of each of them to him is to endure and last even till the end of the World as is manifest out of our Saviours words before alleadg'd out of the 24 of Matth. See the place and weigh it well The Nations of the Earth I say for above these twelve hundred years have not been Blessed in Jesus by believing in him for want of a True Religion though very many of them within the space of time have been Converted to him by the Roman Church by the Labours and Industry of Papists both in Europe Asia Africa and the New-found World Neither are they ever likely to be Blessed in Him For if already he hath not taken order to preserve a True Divine and Pure Religion among them to bring unto them the Promis'd Blessing that is to Sanctify and Save them He is never likely to do it For he is not likely to be wiser or better or more powerful hereafter than he hath been heretofore Neither is he likely to come into the World again to found a new Church and Religion and to establish it better than He did his first for the Salvation of Mankind I demand of Protestants if the Church of Christ hath err'd as they say in her Doctrine of Faith from whence proceeded this her erring Did this happen because Christ could not keep her from erring or because he would not If he could not how is he God How is he Omnipotent How is it True that he had All Power given him in Heaven and Earth Mat. 28.18 If Christ could enable his Apostles to Preach his Religion over the World without danger of erring and of deluding the Nations of the Earth why could not he also enable their Successors the Ordinary Doctors and Pastors of his Church to Teach and continue the same Religion in all succeeding Ages without danger of erring and of misleading his People If God could direct men to write his Holy Scriptures without danger of erring why can he not direct men to explicate the same Holy Scriptures in all Ages without danger of erring in matters of Faith Well then Protestants must say that Christ could have preserv'd his Church in all Ages from danger of erring in her Doctrine of Faith but would not But why would he not Did the Increase of his own Credit and Glory move him to this neglect or the good of Mankind not the Increase of his own Credit For what Credit Honour Glory could acrew and rise to him by the erring of his Church Doth this commend his Workmanship in Founding her His Wisdom Goodness Power in Governing her I think not Nay could it become the Wisdom of a Discreet man to take so great Pains and to suffer so Painful and Ignominious a Death as Christ did for the Founding of an Erring Church which should delude and mislead the World Would any Honest Protestant if he had the like Power that Christ had have Founded so miserable a Church as they esteem Christ to have Founded I believe not Was it then the good of Mankind that invited Christ to Constitute an erring Church Truly no. For no good can come to men by such a Church but rather much harm yea infinite mischief As endless Discord Broils Contentions Bloody Encounters uncertainty in matters of Faith happen as amongst the Reformers contempt of all Religion and the ruine and destruction of Infinite Souls For the Devil would never go about to seduce the Church and to Pollute her Doctrine with Errours and Superstitions but to do Mischief and to bring Souls to Perdition Wherefore seeing that it could not redound either to the Glory of God or the good of Men that Christ should Found an Erring Church it is very gross Errour to hold that he did And those who so think do greatly mistake and exceedingly wrong the Wisdom and Goodness of our Saviour as will more clearly appear in the ensuing Discourse If it be true that the Church of Christ for so many Ages hath Err'd in her Doctrine of Faith Imbracing as it were with both her Arms and instilling into her Followers many Pernicious Errors many gross Superstitions Notwithstanding that Christ her Spouse and Saviour Promis'd Matth. 16. That the Gates of Hell should never prevail against her That the Holy Ghost should Abide with her Pastors for ever St. John cap. 14. and should Teach them all Truth Joh. 16. That he himself would be with them All days even till the end of the World Mat. 28. And notwithstanding that God Promis'd that His Spirit and Word should never depart from this Church Isaias 59. That she should Stand for ever Daniel 2. And should Never be
Corrupted Daniel 7. Being indeed the Pillar and ground of Truth as the Apostle affirms 1 Tim. 3. If I say the Doctrine of Protestant Teachers about the Erring of the Church of Christ being so contrary to the Word of God as it is be true I demand of Prudent and Understanding Protestants how it can be defended that God is truly Good hath a fatherly care of Men doth truly love them and tender their Spiritual good and hath a true desire of their Eternal Salvation Seeing that whereas he doth freely permit the Devil to fill the World with false and wicked Religions with Abominable and Detestable Worships to bring Men assuredly to ever lasting Dammation He himself though he could most easily do it doth not continue maintain and uphold in the World in all Ages so much as one True Religion so much as one Holy and Divine Worship to bring them to Salvation No not after that his Blessed Son made Man by Infinite Humility by Innumerable Labours undergone for his sake by shedding his most precious Blood had endeavour'd to appease his Indignation to mitigate his Wrath and to gain and purchase Love and Mercy for them What Christian Breast can believe so monstrous a thing as this Or who can Harbour so base a Thought of the Wisdom Goodness Sweetness and Mercy of God Or how come Discreet and Understanding Protestants to swallow so gross an Absurdity as this If the Tenet of the Protestant Teachers touching the Erring of the Church be true how is that true which Christ says John. 3.16 That God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that every one that believeth in him perish not but may have Life everlasting For God sent not his Son to judge that is to damn the World but that the World may be Sav'd by him Or that which St. Paul says 1 Tim. 2.4 God will have all men Sav'd and come to the knowledge of the Truth How I say are these Divine Assertions true if to bring Men to Salvation God doth not ever preserve a True Religion in the World Doth not ever uphold the Truth of his Gospel For by false Religions no man can be Saved in regard that the Devil and not God is the Author and Suggestor of False Religions by which he intends the Damnation of Men and not their Salvation as is manifest Yea he neither can nor will induce men to invent a Religion able and fit to save men in Mark this well and also Note that our Saviour in the Sentence alleadg'd by the word World doth not mean that only Age in which He and his Apostles liv'd nor those men only which then liv'd But all following Ages and all that were to live even till the day of Doom All which God would have to come to the knowledge of the Truth namely of his Divine Gospel and to save them all he sent his blessed Son into the World. And therefore we must of necessity grant that he provideth the People of all Ages of a True and Visible Church by which they may be Sav'd And that he ever preserves in all Ages the Truth of his Gospel of which the Apostle speaks in the Sentence alleadg'd that so men may come to the knowledge thereof For if the true Gospel of Christ be not extant in all Ages how hath God a true Will and Desire that the People of all Ages should come to the knowledge thereof Neither is it sufficient that it be extant in the BIBLE for all to come to the knowledge thereof For all cannot read the Bible neither can those which are skill'd in Reading thence pick out the true Gospel without the help of a True Interpreter But it must be ever extant in the Sums of Christian Doctrine left in the Church with the Ordinary Doctors and Pastors of the Church whom others are bound to Hear and Obey Luke 10. Heb. 13. And of whom they are to learn Divine Faith which is gotten by Hearing Rom. 10. which is clear out of Matth. 24. where Christ expresly foretells that his True Gospel viz. the same that he Taught should be Preached to all Nations even till the end of the World And therefore the True Gospel must not be reserved only in the Bible but be ever extant in the Preaching of the Church Out of that which hath been spoken in thsi Dicourse who doth not see that the Prime and Fundamental Article of the Protestant Religion doth not only extreamly Disgrace the Wisdom Goodness and Mercy of God and extenuate the Merits of Christ but doth also tend to the Denial of all Christianity to the utter neglect of God Yea and to plain Atheism it self For who will think that the Son of God really Dy'd for Mankind if he gain'd so little for them Or that there is a God that doth truly love Men and tender their good if he be so unmindful of them and of their Eternal Happiness and Salvation The tending then of the Protestant Religion so much to the Disgrace of Christ and of God doth clearly shew who was the first Founder of it Wherefore as certain as it is that there is a God who is Infinitely Wise Good and Merciful and who doth truly love Mankind and tender their Eternal Good And as certain as it is that Christ the Son of God Died for us took a most provident course for our Salvation and that his Merits are of inestimable worth So certain is it that God hath ever preserv'd in the World a True and visible Church in which Men may be Sav'd if they will. For Christ did rot Light up a Candle to put in under a Bushel Mat. 5. And so certain it is that the Protestant Religion which is Erected upon so bad a Foundation as the Erring of the Church is is neither good nor sufficient to Salvation Testimonies of the SCRIPTURE evidently convincing that there can be no hope of Salvation for such as are separated from the Church which is the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church by Heresie or Schism I Beseech you St. Paul Rom. 16.17 18. Brethren observe those who make Schisms and Scandals contrary to the Doctrine which you have been taught and avoid them For such men serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own Belly and by kind Speeches and Benedictions seduce the hearts of the simple Now to manifest how much such Heretioks are to be Detested he writes thus to Titus Tit. 3.10 11. A man that is an Heretick after the first and second admonition avoid knowing that he is such an one is subverted and Sinneth being condemned by his own judgement To Prevent the making a Schism in this Body the Church he says 1 Cor. 1.10 I beseech you Brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that you all say one thing and that there be no Schisms among you but that you be perfect in one sense and in one knowledge Again Eph. 4.1 I beseech you that you walk worthy of