Because they are not to be found in the Word of God 2. They are many of them contrary to the Word of God 3. No Church in the World hath Power to make New Articles of Faith Quest. 4. What are the New Articles of Faith the Church of Rome hath added to the Antient Creeds Answ. They are these following I. That the Traditions of the Church are to be received with the same Faith and Veneration we owe to the Holy Scriptures II. That there are seven Sacraments Baptism Confirmation the Eucharist Pennance Extreme Unction Orders and Marriage and that these confer Grace III. That among the Ceremonies used in the Roman Church the Publick Service in Latin or an unknown Tongue is a commendable Service IV. That in the Mass there is offered to God a true Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Living and the Dead V. That in the Sacrament of the Eucharist the Bread and Wine are changed into the very Substance of Christ's Body and Blood VI. That Laymen need not receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kinds and that it 's sufficient for them to communicate in one VII That there is a Purgatory or a Place after Death where good Mens Souls are tormented for smaller Sins and relieved by the Alms and Prayers of the Living VIII That the Saints departed this Life may and must be pray'd to and invoked and that their Reliques must be worshipp'd IX That the Images of Jesus Christ and of the Virgin Mary and of other Saints may and ought to be worshipp'd X. That Indulgences or Dispensations of the redundant Merits of Saints are very useful things XI That Auricular Confession or Confession of all our mortal Sins with the Circumstances of them to a Priest is necessary to Salvation XII That the Church of Rome is the Catholick Church and Mistress of all other Churches Quest. 5. Why must not Traditions be received with the same Faith that is due to the written Word of God Answ. 1. Because the written Word of God is perfect containing all things necessary to Salvation And that does not direct us to Traditions but rather warns us against them 2. Because the Traditions of the Church of Rome many of them are false and many uncertain 3. Their Traditions are not Traditions which have been receiv'd in all Ages by all Churches and in all Places for such only are the true Apostolical Traditions 4. That they are not absolutely necessary their own Practice shews in that they reject Authentick Traditions and particularly that of Communicating Infants And here you may note The Reason why they fly to Tradition is because they cannot prove their New Doctrines by the Word of God Quest. 6. Why do not you believe seven Sacraments Answ. 1. The Holy Ghost in Scripture hath no where declared such a number 2. This precise number of Seven Sacraments was not heard of in the Christian Church till twelve hundred years after Christ. 3. There are but Two Sacraments mention'd in the New Testament I mean such as are true and proper Sacraments viz. Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. 4. The Council of Trent was the first that made this Number an Article of Faith Quest 7. Why do not you allow of Publick Service in Latin or in a Tongue not understood by the People Answ. 1. Because St. Paul writes a whole Chapter against it 1 Cor. 14. 2. Because the Publick Service ought to be for the Edification of the People and Service in an unknown Tongue cannot edifie 3. The Practice of the Primitive Church is against it 4. Some of the wiser Men in the Church of Rome themselves find fault with this Publick Service in an unknown Tongue 5. This Practice in the Church of Rome is only to serve some Worldly Ends. Quest. 8. Why do not you admit of the Sacrifice of the Mass Answ. 1. Because the Church of Rome tells us that they do sacrifice Christ every day in the Mass which is directly contrary to the 9th Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 9. 25 26 27 28. 2. Because there can be no true and proper Sacrifice without Death and it founds dreadful to a Christian Ear that the Priest kills Christ every day or which is all one puts his God to Death 3. It destroys the end of a Sacrifice which is to testifie our Subjection to God but in this Sacrifice of the Mass the Offerer who is the Priest must be greater than the Offering 4. The Lord's Supper is only a Commemoration or Representation of Christ's Sacrifice and a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving but no proper or true Propitiatory Sacrifice Quest. 9. Why do not you believe a Transubstantiation in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Answ. 1. It is against all Sense for we may see and feel and hear and taste and smell that the Bread and Wine after Consecration are Bread and Wine still 2. It is against Reason that Christ's Body and Blood should be in a thousand places at once 3. It is against Scripture for Christ protests that his flesh profits nothing Joh. 6. 63. 4. It is against the Nature of a Sacrament which is an outward visible Sign of something Spiritual and Transubstantiation destroys the Sign 5. Christ himself explains what he means by saying This is my Body when he adds Do this in remembrance of me which remembrance supposes the absence of his Natural Body 6. It is against that Article of our Faith which saith That Christ is to continue in Heaven till the Restitution of all things And there is no necessity we should take the words literally any more than the words in Jo. 10. 7. I am the door c. 7. This is my Body is a Phrase or Form of Speech exactly like that of the Lamb in the Passover This Lamb is the Passeover i. e. the Memorial of it 8. These words This is my Body do not naturally infer a substantial change by the Confession of some Papists themselves 9. They themselves cannot be sure of this Change because they say it depends upon the Intention of the Priest 10. The Absurdities that flow from the Doctrine of Transubstantiation are innumerable for then Christ must have eaten himself the Disciples must have eaten up their Master Christ's Body may be lockt up in a Box for half a year together and longer c. Whereas the Doctrine of the Church of England that the Bread represents Christ's Body and upon that account is his Body hath no Inconveniency in it 11. Transubstantiation is against the Doctrine of the Primitive Church which calls the Bread the Figure of Christ's Body Quest. 10. Why do not you think it lawful for Laymen to receive the Communion in one kind only Answ. 1. Because Christ saith expresly to the Disciples Drink ye all of this 2. The Practice of the universal Church of Christ for a thousand years together is against it 3. The Council of Constance in the year 1416. was the first that durst venture
upon this Sacriledge and deprive the Laity of the Cup in the Sacrament contrary to Christ's Institution and the Practice of the Primitive Church 4. The Priests in the Church of Rome dare not consecrate without the Cup nor do they think the Sacrament perfect without it and if they do not think it perfect without the Cup when the Priest takes it why should they cheat the Laity Quest. 11. Why do not you believe a Purgatory Answ. 1. Because the Scripture makes no mention of it 2. The Scripture mentions only two places Men go to after Death which are Heaven and Hell 3. In good Men there is no Condemnation Rom. 8. 1. 4. Good Men are said to rest from their Labours from the moment of their Death Rev. 14. 13. 5. This Doctrine is injurious to the Merits of Christ as if they did not procure for us a full Remission of our Sins before we die 6. The Doctrine of Purgatory was no Article of Faith before the Council of Trent 7. It was brought in by Monkish Stories and for the profit of the Clergy 8. The Primitive Church did not believe it for the Fire the Fathers Talk of is that of the Day of Judgment 9. The Greek Church at this day doth not believe it 10. Though the Primitive Church did pray for the Dead yet it was not for Souls that were in Torment but for Souls in a state of Felicity and Bliss that God would shew them mercy in the last day and hasten their happy Resurrection and give them a blessed Sentence Quest. 12. Why do not you pray to the Uirgin Mary and the Saints departed and why do not you worship their Relicks Answ. I Worship not Saints departed nor pray to them 1. Because the word of God is directly against it for it saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Matth. 4. 10. 2. It is absurd and unnatural to worship Persons who are not present to receive our Worship or to speak to Beings who we neither are nor can be sure that they hear us 3. Prayer is a spiritual Sacrifice and therefore must be only offer'd to God External Sacrifice offer'd to Creatures by the Confession of the Papists themselves would be Idolatry and therefore much more a spiritual Sacrifice as it is of greater consequence than the other 4. There is no Example among the Christians for the first Three hundred years after Christ of their Invocation of Saints departed 5. We are expresly Commanded to go directly to God in Prayer through our only Mediator Jesus Christ Psal. 50. 15. 1 Tim. 2. 5. 6. It 's a great dishonour to God to beg that of Saints which God only can give such is their Prayer in the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of mercy protect us from the Enemy and receive us in the hour of Death 7. If they did only pray to Saints to pray for them it be would an injury to Christ's Mediation for this is to make a hundred Mediators or more 8. Their praying to Saints in Heaven to pray for them is not the same with our desiring our Neighbours here on Earth to pray for us for we know our Neighbours hear us nor is that any more than a friendly Request here are no formal Prayers offer'd to our Neighbours and besides for this we have a Command but none for the other I do not worship the Relicks of Saints departed 1. Because if I am not to give religious Honour to Saints it 's certain I must give none to their Relicks 2. There is no Command no Example in Scripture for this Practice 3. This Trade with Relicks was not known or heard of in the Church till very near Four hundred years after Christ. 4. Devout men carried St. Stephen to his Burial but there was no stir made with his Relicks 5. Some of the Wiser sort in the Church of Rome confess themselves that there are great Cheats in Relicks and the Bones of Thieves and Murtherers are sometimes ador'd for Relicks of Saints 6. By this worshipping of Relicks great Corruption and Superstition came into the Church 7. The miracles pretended to be wrought are very often nothing but Delusions of the Devil 8. By this Veneration of Relicks Mens minds are diverted and turned away from that rational and spiritual Worship the Gospel requires 9. It 's evident that in the Church of Rome they put great Trust and Confidence in Relicks and abuse them into Superstition Quest. 13. Why may not the Images of God of Christ of the Uirgin Mary and of other Saints be worshipped Answ. 1. Because it is peremptorily forbid in the Second Commandment Thou shalt not make to thy self c. 2. God declares his anger against those that pretend to make any similitude of him Deut. 4. 15 16. Es. 40. 18. 3. The Primitive Christans would not suffer Images so much as to be painted on the Walls of Churches 4. Several Councils of old have condemn'd this Worship 5. The Carpocratians were counted Hereticks in the Primitive Church for worshiping the Images of Christ and of St. Paul in private 6. God doth not only forbid placing a Divine Vertue in such Images but falling down before them in a Religious way and whatever Mens intentions are he interprets their falling down before them as worshipping the Image it self Jerem. 2. 26 27. Esa. 44. 17. 7. The Heathens excused themselves with the same Plea that the Church of Rome doth now that they did not Worship the Image but the Person represented by the Image yet the Christians look'd upon them as Idolaters 8. So incens'd were the Primitive Christians against the worship of Images that Epiphanius tore a Veil in the Church on which an Image of Christ or of some Saint was painted 9. Though the second Council of Nice established this Image-worship yet the Council of Francford that follow'd soon after condemn'd those Fathers for their Superstition and Deflecting from the Rule of Christianity Quest. 14. Why do you reject the use of Iudulgences and Dispensations of the treasure of the Church Ans. 1. Because they are built upon false Foundations such as Purgatory the Supererogations of Saints or doing more than was necessary God's imperfect forgiving of Sins and Satisfactions to be made to the Justice of God 2. These Indulgences are things not so much as heard of in the Primitive Church for they are wholly engrossed by the Pope who sends his Servants abroad to sell them to any Stranger for Money 3. Though in the Primitive Church the respective Bishops in their Diocesses relax'd the time of a true Penitents Severities he was to undergo yet they neither intended to free the Penitents from the Pains of Purgatory nor pretended to apply to them the superfluous merits of Saints as is done in these popish Indulgences 4. They have no Foundation in Scripture by the Confession of their Learned men and they came very late into the Church and its plain they are
Doctrines and Worship they have too long asserted and complied with and of such we cannot but entertain a very favourable opinion and indeed I could name you some very famous Men both in France and Italy who though they have continued in the Communion of that Church i. e. have not joyn'd themselves to any particular publick Protestant Church yet have not approv'd of such things in the Roman Church as manifestly obstructs Mens Salvation and though like Nicodemus they have not dared openly to avow their dislike of such Errors for fear of danger yet in their hearts they have abhorr'd them and declared so much to their Friends and intimate Acquaintance And though their seeming Communion with a Church so Erroneous cannot be totally excused because it looks like a tacite approbation of her Errors yet since we read of Joseph that he was a Disciple of Christ secretly and notwithstanding his not confessing Christ publickly accepted of God we hope such Mens continuing in the external Communion of the Roman Church is not a willful Error but rather a pardonable Infirmity a timorousness which hath nothing of malice in it and therefore will not hinder them from Salvation We know not what mercy God may shew to many poor people in that Church who are invincibly Ignorant and never saw a Bible from whence they might rectifie their mistakes and do live honestly in this present World but we must withal confess that the Servant who hath known his Masters will and hath not done it shall be beaten with many stripes and whether those that have been enlightened in our Church and have tasted the good Word of God and cannot but see our Agreement with the Gospel and after all this embrace the Errors of the Roman Church whether these will be excusable at the last day we justly doubt of to live in great Errors is to live in Sin but where that living in Errors is joyn'd with resistance of great light and knowledge there the Sin becomes all Crimson which was but of a faint red before and if this be the Character of Christ's Friends to do whatsoever he commands us then the inference is very easie that those cannot be Christ's Friends nor reign with in Heaven that willfully leave undone what they know he hath commanded and set up a new Worship which he hath no where commanded Madam had you never seen such a thing as the Scripture your going over to that Church might have deserved some Apology but when you were surrounded with the beams of that light which shines in darkness as St. Peter calls the Word with all those rayes about you to shut your eyes and desperately to venture upon the Church which enjoyns Men to live against some of Gods Laws as against Exod. 20. 5 6. and Matth. 26. 27. c. and consequently obliges them to prepare for God's displeasure this I confess is an Action which as it savours of great willfulness so I question if you die in 't without serious repentance whether the Joys you hope for will ever fall to your share If your Church-men do mean honestly and do truly aim at the Peace of Christendom and in good earnest design the Union of Men that profess the Name of Christ why will not they part with those Doctrines that are so great an offence not only to all Protestants but to Jews and Mahometans too If that worshipping of Saints and Images be not necessary but only useful why will not they quit that Worship which by their own pretences is needless especially when they might do so much good by it If the Cup was formerly given to the Laity why will not they to effect the aforesaid Union restore it to the Laity If the substance of the Sacrament and the comfort arising from it may remain entire without obliging Men to believe a Transubstantiation or Adoration of the consecrated Wafer why will not they for peace sake lay aside such Doctrines which neither themselves nor any Creature understands If Heaven and Hell are sufficient motives to a Holy Life why will not they for quietness sake renounce their Doctrine of Purgatory which by their own confession hath no ground in Scripture Madam I have that charitable opinion of you that if you had but taken a view of the Worship of the Church of Rome as it is practic'd beyond Sea in places where there is no fear of contradiction from any Hereticks where they may freely and securely act according to their principles had you seen the mode of worshipping the Virgin Mary at Rome or in Spain or Italy the sight of it would have certainly discourag'd you from embracing that Religion which now you seem to be mainly delighted with for indeed the Religion of the Church of Rome at this time if a Man were to guess from that which hath the greatest outward Veneration is little else than a Worship of the Virgin Mary The very Beggers beyond-Sea in begging of Alms beg more for the Virgin Mary's sake than for Christ's sake This Madam I know to be true who am no stranger to Foreign parts and I will assure you that in those Cities or Towns where both Papists and Protestants have the free exercise of their Religion you shall live Twenty years in a Town before you hear that any Protestant is turned Papist so few charms are there in the Exercise of their Religion beyond Sea but you shall not be above a year or two in such a Town before you hear that several Papists are turned Protestants such a force hath truth The Religion of the Church of Rome as it is practis'd in England looks harmless Now and then upon some great Festival they shew you a Picture of the Virgin Mary or of some other Saint and the honest Priest qualifies every Doctrine makes the Errors soft and plausible and they dare not living in a Protestant Country serve the Host of Heaven I mean Saints and Angels with all their Appertenances as they do in places where there are no Protestants to watch them Here their Religion seems to be without a sting and is clad in the fleece of Sheep but if you could but make a Voyage into Spain or Italy I doubt not but you would see the Venome of it and avoid it and the only way not to be of the Church of Rome would be to go to Rome provided you do not go without your Bible In good truth that Church hath turn'd Christianity into a meer outward Pomp and Splendor which ravishes the eye but can never content a Man's reason The glistering Gold in their Temples the curious Images of Saints and Angels the numerous and stately Altars the mighty Silver Statues the rich and glorious Vestments you see up and down in their Churches strike the Senses into a kind of extasie and it must be Sense only for a considerate mind that searches the inside of things as well as the outside cannot be so easily gull'd and deceiv'd and