World And just as each single Sheep so long as it remains in the society and Communion with the Flock and under the aare and custody of the Shepherd is safe and secure from the mouths of wolves so is each single Christian so long as he remains joyned and tyed up in the unity of the Church that is submits to the sence and doctrine of the whole Church is never err'd yet in matter of faith nor ever can now I presume you may require to know of me whether all and every one of this Church hath this great assistance and direction of the Holy Spirit that he cannot erre in matter of Faith I do readily answer that every one of the faithfull has it but by way of dependance upon the Church and from it So long therefore as any man remains in conjunction with the Church he cannot erre if he separates or dissents from it he must needs of necessity fall into an errour which I 'le thus explain to you by two Examples or similitudes The one may be taken from the proportion of a humane body in which we see that all the members do jointly and severally paticipate of the vitall and sensitive spirits by which life is preserved in them all but yet they have these spirits derivatively from and by way of dependency upon the head and heart for it is from them as from a double Fountain those spirits are derived into the other members so that when the Channells and passages by which that derivation and distribution is made are stopt or intercepted it must follow necessarily that the other Members must be left destitute of spirits and be rendred incapable of performing their Office but being open all will be well So likewise in the Church all the faithfull which are as it were Members of it have a certain assistancy and direction from the holy Ghost but by way of dependency upon the Pope who is as the head of the Church and from Councils which are safe and secure from all danger of errour and infidelity In the last place as sheep that go astray from the flock are out of the protection of the Shepherd and by consequence must fall into the danger of Wolves so Christians which depart from the common sence and doctrine of the Church must of necessity fall into millions of errours for want of the assistance of the holy spirit which is the Judge and Guardian of that I pray you good Mistriss N. have a care how you expose your self to this terrible danger To the Fifth I utterly deny that generall Councells have er'd in matters of faith it is possible that some particular Councells might or some false Councells more truely call'd conventicles Then that some councills have determined variously as to discipline and Ecclesiasticall government I grant for variety of times requires diversity of Laws and God himself gives the president of that who changed many things in the new Testament that were commanded in the Old And as for Lay-men to be present in Councels we do not at all deny so they be as witnesses defenders Counsellors Suggestors or Executioners of their decrees but never as to have a Voyc in any Councill or Church businesse and this is plain by those Gouncils that we find in the Acts celebrated by the Apostles and so clearly in every Age since and why should Lay-men have to do more now Now give me leave to reply something to you and I 'le be short in my proof having been so long in my answers That the Pope with a generall Council may detrmine what is of Fath and what is not I pove by expresse Scripture thus We find in Scripture some Councils celebrated by the Apostles that have actually made such determinations As first for the taking off the burthen of Circumcision and other Indaicall obligations we find the result thus For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Act. 15.28 29. to lay upon you no greater burthen than these necessary things that they abstein from meats offered to Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from Fornication from which if ye keep your selves ye shalde well See here the form of an Apostolical Councell First the Text tells us that the Apostles and Elders came together and that St. Peter was President and Prolocutor then they issued out their decrees with this authoritative preface It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us Now do you find that any faithfull Christians then did question their authority ver 6.7 as you do now that of other Conncells assembled in like manner and assisted by the same spirit Thus you see that Councell did decree somethings to be necessary for a time which were not simply and of themselves matters of faith and to take off from the Jews many things that were to them before matters Faith as circumcision and other mosaicall Statutes Why should not I say the Church now have the same power when the same necessity shall require we have I 'm sure the same Christ the fame holy spirit the same faith the same Church why not the fame power in Councills We read again of another Council celebrated by the Apostles when they wer to part one from another Apostles Creed and to go preach the Gospel as the Lord had commanded them over the whole World when they met together and upon a large debate delivered to us the Creed which you your selves and I 'm sure the whole Church of Christ submits to as as points of faith and is to this day called the Apostles Creed and for some of those Articles we have no Scripture at all nor any other authority but this that they were so delivered by the Apostles and I conceive it a duty incumbent upon all good Christians what the wise Man adviseth Prov. 22.28 not to remove the antient Land-marks which our Fathers have set In what respect a Councill or Convocation of Elders was with God and ever taken for the representative body of the Church is plain in many places of Exodus Exod 19.3 7 8. especially that where God commands Moses to say to the House of Jacob and tell the Children of Israell c. And yet afterwards it is said of Moses that he came and call'd for the Flders onely of the people and laid before their faces all these Words which the Lord commanded him c. And though it is plain that the Elders of the people onely answered with whom Moses was talking Deut. 32.7 yet the Text tell us That all the people answered together and said c. Which could dot be â—nless onely so representatively by their convocation of Elders How well therefore does the same Moses express this in his fong when he saith Remember the days of old confider the years of many generations Ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee c. I should be infinite to run through all the
Heathen and a Publican Matth. 18. Now he that would tell the Church any thing in your sence must ramble all the World over to do it But it is plain that our Saviour by the Church there meant the Prelates and Presidents of it for presently after he speaks to his Apostles as to Prelates and give them the power of binding c. That you may the better understand this take along with you the whole context of that place of Denteronemy which I have before quoted to you and that you shell find to be this Deut. 17. If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment between blood and blood between Plea and Plea between stroak and stooak being matters of controversie within thy Gaces then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place which the Lord thy God shalt chuse and thou shalt come unto the Priests and Leviteâ— 8 10 11 and unto the Judge that shall be in those days and enquire and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgement And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place which the Lord shall chuse shall shew thee 12 13 14. and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee Accorto the Sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee according to the judgment which they shal tel thee thou shalt do thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee to the right hand nor to the left And the man that will do presumptuosly and will not heark in unto the Priest that standeth to Minister there before the Lord thy God or unto the Judge even that man shall dye and thou shalt put away the evill from Israel I pray you observe there the power and great authority of the old Legal Priests and consider then the just power that the Evangelicall ones ought to have and do not forget to observe the dismall punishment of presumption and disobedience Then I pray you be pleas'd to observe how the Primitive Christians did follow the orders that were given by Moses in Denteronemy for we find in the Acts that when a great dissention arose about the businesse of circumcision the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider the matter and upon the issue of the dissention and disputation they determined to send Paul and Barnabas up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders there about this question and they did so and it follows it so pleased the Apostles and Elders with the whole Church now what was the whole Church there not the whole Congregation of Christians but they went up to the Apostles and Elders about this question here it is plain that the Apostles and Elders were the representative body of the Church To the Ninth and last I utterly deny the whole Church to be such an invisible thing as you world have much less not to be understood for first if it were so hidden from the eyes and understanding of men why or how should our Saviour command us to tel the Church and if he hears not the Church Math. 18. Rom. 12. 1 Cor. 1.12 Ephes 1.5 Col. 1. c. Now if the Church were hidden how could any man tell it any thing and if it were not to be understood how could any men hear it Do we not find that the Church is the body of Christ and all Christians the members and this is plain in severall places of Scripture Now how can you say that body and those members are hidden and the Church to be only in clouds when St. Paul tells us plainly you are the body of Christ and members one of another c. Luke 11. It has been of Hereticks always to run into Dens and Caves and hiding holes the Church hâ—'s always put the Candle in the candlestick as the Gospel teacheth us The Church ha's been always visible to us in Councils in the Apostolicall Seat in Bishops Presidents and Pastor of severall Churches 2 Cor. 8.18 For if the Church were in the clouds and a meer Mathematical Phancasme as you would have it how could the Brother that St. Paul speaks of have his praise throughout all the Churches And the Prophet David repeats so often with thee is my praise and glory in the Congregation of thy people and in the Chair of the Elders Psalâ— 21. Psal 106. let thy name be praised and desires that he may see the good of his chosen that he may rejoyce in the gladnesse of his people and that he may glory with his inheritance c. Now I have been inform'd indeed that it ha's ever been the fashion of all old Hereticks to strengthen the Church with a narrow compass and draw it within the compasse of one of their convanticles I hope you will not be guilty of that fault and whereas you urge it for a matter of faith therefore not to be seen I ask you whether God the Creator be not to be seen in every thing that moves and has a being and yet the Creation is an Article of faith I ask whether Jesus Christ God the son was not seen in the flesh and to ascend visibly into heaven and yet matters of faith I ask again whether God the holy Ghost was not seen visibly to discend upon the Apostles and yet an Article of faith propoâ—'d by the same Apostles and so the same I say of the Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Now because I have been so large in my answers I shall not need to be otherwise then short in my replies but something I shall urge to you out of Scripture according to my former method and that Scripture alone cannot be the Rule of our faith I prove thus I shal begin with the Articles of your faith and ours contein'd in the Apostles Creed and aâ—k you whether alll those are to be proved out of expresse Scripture As first that Article of Christs discent into Hell the Church ha's ever believed it â—ecles 24. as it is propos'd locally but how shall we prone it I say out of Scripture if out of Ecclesiasticus where it is said I will pierce into the lower moâ—â— parts of the Earth you will say it is Apocripha If out of St. Paul to the Ephesians Eph. s 4.9 10. where is it said now that he ascended what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that descended is the same also that ascended up farre above all things c. Some of your Doctors have found a shift for that too First they will say that he descended by his power not by his person Then they will tell you of his descen into the wombs of the Virgin c. Now as you are pleased to distinguish upon it what are we the better in that point for the Scripture Then in the Athanasian Creed how will you prove the one substance of the blessed Trinity if from
are yet more clearly explicated by St. Paul who tels us thus 1 Cor. 11.23 24 25. For I have received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread And when he had given thanks he brake it and said Take eat this is my body which is broken for you you this do in remembrance of me and after the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped saying This cup is the New-Testament in my blood c. And then to set the business out of all doubt concludes He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Can any thing be more plain Then further St. Paul begins with a Preface I speak as to wise men 1 Cor. 10.15 16 17. judge ye what I say The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the body of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ For we being many are one bread and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread Does not the Apostle here most clearly and expresly shew that in every particle of the consecrated bread the whole body of Christ is communicated and as he thought them only wise that could understand that mysterie so we must think them stupid that will not and worse then Jews that go about to pervert and torment this and other Texts to any other sense Over and ahove all this consider a little more upon that Text before cited 1 Cor. 11.28 29. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that Cup for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords body Here it is clear that by reason of the presence of the body of Christ the unworthy Receiver is damned because he sins against that body There is no man can deny but the unworthy eater be it what it will that is eaten must be guilty of that which is eaten Here St. Paul most clearly instructs the Corinthians that it is no simple bread or ordinary nourishment that is set upon the Altar but the very body of Christ that who ever eats thereof should be guilty of it therefore the Apostle adds not discerning the Lords body that is not distinguishing it from other food This I am likewise informed by the Learned to be the sence of the Church in all Ages no Primitive Christian ever daring to oppose the clearness of so much express Scripture till one Berengarius as they call him had the impudence to do it but afterwards recanted and abjured it before the Pope thirteen Arch-bishops and an hundred Bishops which God grant all those that have followed his footsteps to do likewise Now that this Transubstantiation Gen. 2. or transelementation is no way impossible to be done no nor for you to conceive as you alledge see what God hath done in the like kinde first in the beginning of the world God form'd man of the dust of the earth here God changed dust into flesh in the same chapter we finde how God turn'd the rib of man into woman a bone into flesh Gen. 19. Exod. 4. Then Lots wife looking back is turn'd into a pillar of salts then Moses threw down his Rod and it was turn'd into a Serpent Then I will strike the water of the River with my Rod and it shall be turn'd into blood Exod. 7. and divers more such mutations there are in the Old Testament As for the New we find that our Saviours first publick miracle was to turn water into wine and this great omnipotency of his the Devil full well knew when he to tempt him said If thou beest the son of God turn these stones into bread Thus you dispute that power in him which the Devils themselves acknowledge Now as Christ with five little Breads did feed five thousand men by making of bread by his Almighty multiplication so now he feeds his whole Church of the faithful with one Bread that is his body Sacramentally Then that Jesus Christ did do some things miraculously with his body whilest he was upon the earth which we cannot do with our bodies nor can any humane reason comprehend you will not dare to deny as that he pierced the grave and Tombstone afterwards when he rose from the dead that he pierced a house the doors and windows being shut and that he pierced the Highest Heavens with his body when he ascended all these things I say you will not dare to deny yet this which is enjoyned you by the same Authority to believe you are pleas'd to dispute What is this but to pick and choose what you please your selves to believe and from being such a chooser in matter of Faith shall be ever a part of my Letany Good Lord deliver me for that I am told is to be a true Heretick To what you alledge of Impiety against the Church of Rome for depriving the people of the Cup I answer thus To the first Argument I shall clearly grant what you say that Christ being then to Consecrate did Institute the Sacrament under both kinds and gave it to his Apostles in both kinds who now were Priests Therefore the Priest to this day that celebrates takes it likewise in both kinds but what is this to the Laity For those words Drink ye all of this was said only to his Apostles and Priests who do it still that is Consecrate in the Commemoration of Christ for no other were present at his most holy Supper but the Apostles no not his own blessed Mother as it is clear out of all the Gospels Nay St. Mark tells us Mar. 1â— 23 that they all drank of it which shews clearly that that all was only meant of the Apostles for it was impossible to be true of the Laity To the second I shall likewise grant that he that drinketh not his blood as well as he that eateth not his flesh hath no life in him but to a Sacramental eating and drinking there is required still a Spiritual intelligence according to what our Saviour himself said the words that he spake they were spirit and they were life From whence we may conclude that since the whole Christ both body and blood is comprehended under one Species a Lay man may be said to drink the blood of Christ though not under its proper species yet under the species of Bread Again our Saviour in that Chapter of St. Johns Gospel treats principally of our incorporation into him which is sufficiently effected by our Communion in one kind the whole Christ being there and the other Species is not at all to be said necessary to that incorporation with Christ To the third I shall grant likewise that it hath been permitted to the Laity to participate of the blessed Sacrament under both kinds
three full weeks I eat no pleasent bread neither came flesh nor wine into my mouth neither did I anoint my filf at all c. Then said the Lord unto Daniel fear not ver 12. for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thy self before thy God thy words were heard c. heer you see how the Prophet Daniel did abstain from meat and wine and God reproved and loved him for it In the like maner I shall prove fasting to be a holy institution for the maceration of the body the explusion of the evil Spirit the imploring of divine grace and the imitation of Jesus Christ by express scripture in S. Math. Gospell thus First our Saviour saith Mat. 9.15 can the Children of the Bride-chamber mourn so long as the Bridegroom is with them but the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them Luke 5.35 36. and then they shall fast and in S. Lukes Gospell he says can ye make the Children of the Bride-chamber fast whilst the Bridegroome is with them but the days shall come c. and then shall they fast in those days And these words of our Saviours were abundantly fullfiled by the Apostles as you may see in the Acts. Acts 13.2.3 first as they ministred unto the Lord and fasted the holy Ghost said c. And again when they had fasted and prayed c. Acts. 14.23 And in the next chapter it is said and when they had Ordained them olders in every Church and had prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord c. S. Paul declareth to the Corinthians how he and others that were ingaged in the service of the Church should behave themselves thus 2 Coâ— 6.4.5 In all things approving our selves as the ministers of God c. in watchings and in fastings And that this duty of fasting was acceptable to God even before Christianity Jonah 3.5 6 7 8 9 10. we may see in the example of Ninniveh So the people of Ninniveh beleived God that is the word which was preacht to them by the Prophet Jonah and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them and it followes it was decreed by the King and all his Nobles saying let neither man beast heard nor flock tast any thing let them not feed nor drink water but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth c. And God saw their works and that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them and be did it not Thus you may see how acceptable to God this solemne fast of the Ninnivits was and yet you will question that duty But to summe up all this in a few words Mat. 6.16 17 18. I pray you observe what our Saviour says in S. Mathews Gospell Moreover when ye fast be not as the Hypoerites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast verily I say unto you they have their reward but thou when thou fastest annoint thy bead and wash thy face that thou appear not unto men to fast but unto thy father which is in secret and thy father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Heer our Saviour does not onely implicitely commend this duty of fasting to us but prescribes us the manner of it and assures us it is meritorious for he saith that God shall reward it openly I think this should be enough to satisfy any reasonable Christians Why then should our lenten fast so much offend you when it is so ancient in the Church as I have been informed ever since the Apostles times and ordained in humble imitation of our Saviour who as the scripture tells us when he had fasted forty days and forty nights Mat. 4.2 he was afterwards an bungred can we performe think you a more Christian duty Deut. 9. than to follow so great an example so far as we can Again we finde that Moses fasted fourty days and fourty nights And that the Prophet Elijah did the same 1 Kings 16. Nay how much this duty of fasting is pleasing to the Lord we may finde in the Prophet Joel who crys out Joel 2.15 16 18. blow the Trumpit in Sion fanctify a fast call a solemn assembly gather the people sanctify the congregation assemble the elders gather the Children and those that suck the breast let the Bridegroom goe forth of his chamber and the Bride out of her closet c. Then will the Lord pitty his people c. The Prophet David frequently acknowledgeth that he did humble his soul with fasting Psalms and the Scripture throughout is full of nothing more then that God did accept of that humiliation still when it was hearty 1 Kings 21. Tob. 12. Luke 2. as Abab Hezekiah Tobiah Judith Hester Daniel the Niunivites Ann the widdow and agreat many more that would be infinite to recount So for a close of all I shall onely put you in minde that there were a sort of Devills of whom our Saviour himself says Mark 9.29 that that kinde is not to be east out but by prayer and fasting who then shall cast out Devils from them that are enemies Profest against that great and holy duty of fasting To what you alledge against our Vows especially those of Chastity and single-life though in one Priests themselve To the First I answer that I grant indeed that Vows do reduce us into Bondage but it is only to Christ and such a slavery is the nighest libercy It is such a servitude as the Apostle speaks of being freed from sin ye are made the servants of Righteousnesse and to God and to serve God is to Raign with him from whence it is plain that our obligation to pay our Vows does in nothing repugne or Streighten our Christian liberty no more then our obligation to keep the Commandements does and just so as the Transgression of the Commandements throws us into the servitude of sin so does the breach or not observance of our Vows It is true the Evangelicall Counfells are at first free but after a promise is once made they become Obligatory shall we make a conscience to observe our Contracts with men and violate our Covenants with God God forbid The Lord commands us not to make Vows but to pay and render them when they are made as Matrimony before a Contract is free but when the Contract is once made it is then firm and indissolveable and therefore impossible unlesse in our Saviours case to procure a Divorce At first every man hath in his Free-Will to vow or not to vow but to pay the vow being once made is so necessary that a man cannot recede from it without hazard of his salvation Our Saviour says That no man setting his hand to the Plow and looking
should deny to be Bishops and yet have very conscientiously avoided marriage The Apostle would not therefore that a Bishop should be found guilty of so much carnality as to be husband to two Wives and the Church taught by Saint Paul ha's forbid bigamy ever since and St. Paul only here lays down the Rule of a Bishops continence that hâ—â— should not take a second Wife To the Fifth I grant chastity to be free but necessary after it is vow'd and then commanded nor does that at all oppose the liberty of the Spirit but promote it for God himselfe does freely and yet necessarily produce the holy spirit It is true likewise what the Apostle says that it is better to marry then to burn but the same Apostle tells you likewise that it is good for a man not to touch a Woman St. Paul would not have a man burn that is tempted of the flesh but he is burnt that is overcome with the flames of concupiscense and for such a man saith he it is better to Marry than to bee always wallowing in the mire if you will put any other sence upon St. Pauls words you wil make St. Paul himself to marry because he had a Prick in his flesh c. I do confesse that I believe it to be very difficult to contein but the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it as our Saviour assures us and St. Paul tels us That though we are tempted of the flesh yet God is faithfull who suffers not to be tempted above that we are able and will be always present to support us if we implore his help To the Sixth To what you urge out of the same Apostle to the Cor. That if thou marry thou hast not sinned c. I answer that St. Paul speaks plainly there of one that was free to marry or not to marry not I say of the Virgin that ha's dedicated it self to God already but of that which is free and at it's own dispose To the Seventh Whereas you say that our vows of Virginity are vain and indeed foolish because impossible I do truly grant as to nature an impossibility and so are many other things that are absolutely commanded But if you consider the assisting grace of God nothing is impossible and every man is capable to receive that whom God shal think worthy to bestow it upon and neither the Pope nor any of his do trust in their external mortifications at all but that God will please to assist those their endeavours with his Almighty grace which hee never denies to those that so dutifully and instantly ask it as they do There is something else that you say in your argument which though it be sufficiently answered I must desire you yet to advise better upon and think whether it was so well said of a woman for which very words Luther himself as I am inform'd lost much of his credit with his own Disciplcs To what you alledge against us for multiplying of Sacraments and making them as you say out of meer humane inventions I answer thus To the First Whereas you are pleas'd to begin so briskly with me and as I take it with a syllogism I professe I know not whether it be true or false in the form but one proposition I am sure is false First that we have any supernumerary Sacraments or any Sacrament that was not of Christs own institution as you shall see how I will prove anon To the Second Whereas you say you have sufficiently already convinced the Sacrament of penance to be none by overthrowing the parts of it Confession and Satisfaction I answer that I humbly conceive that I have sufficiently in my reply restor'd that Sacrament both in whole and in it's parts so shall insist upon it no further neither To the Third Whereas you say that our Sacraments of Confirmation and order are but meer constitutions of the Church and not of Christ I have but your bare word for it and so you must give me leave to deny it To the Fourth As you are pleased to give me something like an Argument so I shall give you something like an answer You say there can be no pretence for to make Matrimony a Sacrament but a few mistaken words of Saint Paul who had no power to make a Sacrament neither c. I concurre with you that Saint Paul had no power at all to constitute a Sacrament nor any but our Saviour Jesus Christ and that it was he who constituted it a Sacrament I shall prove â—non As for the mistaken words in which you pretend Sacrament for Mystery I do confesse that Matrimony is a mystery but how dare you therefore inferre that it is no Sacrament when we know that all Sacraments are mysteries and so the Greeks as I am inform'd do generally call all the seven Then that it is a great Sacrament in Christ and his Church as the Apostle tells us does it therefore follow that it is e're the less a Sacrament on the contrary the Apostle here explains how it is a Sacrament that is how it coms to be the sign of a holy thing and that not of grace only as all the others are but of something more that is of the union between Christ and his Church so upon the matter it is so farre from being no Sacrament that it may be well reputed as a double one with Reverence be it spoken To the Fifth Wheras you say we have a less pretence for our extream unction to make it a Sacrament I do in one sence submit to it for it is not so literally constituted a Sacrament by our blessed Saviour as the other was but yet it was of his own institution as we shall shew anon and if it were not I do not find any matter of false faith in it that an Apostle by the commandement of Christ and possest with his ful authority should have the power to institute a Sacrament But it is plain that our Saviour did institute it and Saint James only publish and declare it And though it were at sâ—me time doubted whether that Epistle were written by any body else besides Saint James yet it is plainly now admitted to be Canonicall and never denied yet by your own Church And truly he that shall refuse to hear the Church in this particular approving the Epistle of this Apostle will presently throw all Scripture into uncertainty and by the same reason may deny the Epistles of St. Paul or any other Apostles Now because you seem to take for granted that our Sacraments are for the most part humane constitutions and it is of faith that they are of divine institution 1 Pet. 3.15 and we ought to be as St. Peter adviseth us Always ready to give answer to every one that asketh us a reason of the saith and hope that is in us I shall take some pains to prove it to you thus As for our Sacrament of Penance as you
Old Scripture to shew what a stamp of Majesty and Authority God Almighty fixt upon such assemblies and what respect the people always rendred them So it shall suffice to give you our Saviours own words and so conclude this point We find in St. Matthew thus Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 18. v. 18 20. for where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Now I would fain know who can be convinced more evidently not to hear the Church then he that will not hear a Councell there can be no where a greater and more conspicuous consent than in a Council nor can there be any Congregations assembled more in the name of God then generall Councells are and yet you are pleased to cast contempt upon them But give me leave to tell you let the Authority of Councells be once taken away and all things in the Church will bee ambiguous and uncertain First all the antient Heresies that have been condemned by the authority of Councells and cast out of the Church may be reviv'd and reinforced upon Christians with as much reason as any primitive and Catholick Doctrine Then set up the Authority of Scripture alone against that of the Church and Councills and then Scripture it self will be uncertain for thrusting out that authority wich ha's commended sacred Scripture to us and commanded us to recive it what Scripture is it that opinionated men wil not reject and condemn for Apocrypha which will not save their own turns as some of your Doctros have notoriously done and so in fine we can never agree upon the point what is Scripture and what is not Thus must the Church of Christ fall into a most miserable condition for upon the arising of any doubt in matter of faith there can be no way found out to decide it but every particular person according to the proportion of wit in his own pate shall frame to himselfe faith of what form or fashion he pleaseth How then hath Christ provided for his Church a sufficientrule to go by and why should his Evangelioall Law be called the most perfect if he has not otherwise order'd a determination of all emergent coutroversies But thanks be to our most gracious God and Saviour he has abundantly done it for us as I shal more amply shew in my answers and replyes to the following heads of this your Paper which God give you grace with prudence and impartiality to petuse To what you alledge for Scripture to be the only Rule of our faith and against the Authority of the universall Church and it's Traditions I answer thus To the first I say that you are very much mistaken in matter of Scripture so I shall be bold to inlarge a little upon it for your better understanding And first it is to be observed that our Saviour himself writ no book at all neither commanded his disciples or Apostles to write any inso much as being to send them to plant his Church Matth. 28. he said not to them go and write but go and preach to the whole World Therefore we find the Old Law written in Tables of Stone but the Gospell had no other writing then but in the hearts of Christians So St. Paul plainly expresseth it Ye are our Epistle c. again 2 Cor. 3.2 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declard to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us not with ink but with the spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart c. This was before prophesyed by the Prophet Jerem. Behold the days come Jer. 31.31.302 3 saith the Lord that I will make a new Cavenant with the House Israell and with the House of Judah not according to the Covenant that I made with their Fathers But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days saith the Lord I wil put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and I wil be their God and they shall be my people c. Again we find that the Church is much ancienter then Scripture for when the Apostles began to preach there was no Evangelical Scripture no Epistle of St. Paul extant and yet the Church was then purchased and sprinkled with the blood of Christ Acts 1. and governed by his unerring Spirit So the Apostles without any authority of the Scripture of the New-Testament proceeded to the election of Matthias and to the ordination or seven Deacons Acts 5.6 c. So Peter proceeded to the sentence against Ananias and Saphira which struck the breath out of their bodies c. Now we know that the Apostles were very diligent in preaching and sowing the word of God and yet we finde but very little that they left us in writing so it must follow that they taught a great deal more then they wrote which must have equal authority with their writings Yet further it is plain that the Scripture it self cannot be authentical without the authority of the Church for the Canonical Writers themselves were but members of the Church and how shall any private man know what Scripture is Canonical and what not but by the Church John 3. Why should any man believe the Gospel of St. Mark to be Canonical who never saw Christ and the Gospel of Nicodemus not to be so who both saw and heard Christ as St. John testifies of him and why should the Gospel of St. Luke the Disciple be receiv'd and the Gospel of St. Bartholomew the Apostle be rejected unless we humbly comply with the power and authority of the Church which hath so ordered it and clearly confess that the Church can judge of Scriptures Thus since it is plain that the Church is ancienter then Scripture and that no Scripture can be thought authentical without the authority of the Church Exod. 20. can any Christian be blamed for saying that he would never believe the Scripture but that the Authority of the Church commanded it over over and above all this the Authority of the Church over Scripture is hugely evident in many particulars of Scripture As first Matth. 28. Act. 15. the Scripture commands thus Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day six days shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God c. And yet the Church changed the Sabbath into the Lords day by its own authority Matth. 28.19 20. and not only without but against known Scripture Again Christ said to his Disciples in the Mount that he came not to dissolve the Law but fulfill it and yet the Church in the Apostles Councel decreed and pronounced boldly for the Cessation
of those Legalities We find again in the last of St. Matthew Christ saying to his Disciples Go ye therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Here Christ laid down an express form of Baptism in the name of the holy Trinity and yet the primitive Church did think fit to change that form into a Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ only for so St. Peter enjoyned them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins c. And again we finde that the Samaritars were baptized by St. Philip in the name of Jesus Act. 2.38 Acts 8. Act. 19.5 Act. 15.28 29. So again upon St. Pauls preaching at Ephesus when they heard this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Above all this we find the Scripture telling us that it was defined in the Apostles Councel thus It hath seemed good to the holy Ghost and to us c. that ye abstam from meats offered unto Idols and from blood and frous things strangled c. This we see is most plainly and expresly defined by the Apostles and as clearly attested by Scripture and yet the Church in after Ages hath thought fit to change that decree and permit Christians to eat strangled things and blood nay you that dispute against the Authority of the Church in matters of Faith are contented to submit to it in point of eating you could not otherwise deny the eating of a black pudding or strangled Hen to be a most notorions transgression nor could any thing excuse us from sin in so doing if the Church hâ—d not a power over the Scriptures And to conclude if the authority of the Church were not over the Scriptore then all Jews that should be converted now to the Faith of Christ and come to Baptism should be tyed still to the observation of Mases his Law for so we finde in Scripture that the Apostles themselves and others of thâ— Nation which became Converts did always do St. James and all the Elders said to St. Paul upon his return from the Gentiles Thou seest brother how many thousands of Jews there are which believe and they are all zealous for the Law and they are informed of thee that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses Saying Act. 21.18 20 21 22 23 24 25. that they ought not to circumcise their children neither to walk after the custums What is it therefore the multitude must needs come together for they will hear that thou art come Do therefore this that we say unto thee we have four men which have a vow on them Them take and purifie thy self with them and be at chrrges with them that they may shave their heads and all may know that those things whereof they were informed concerning thee are nothing but that thy self also walkest orderly and keepest the Law As touching the Geutiles which believe we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing save only that they keep themselves from things offered unto Idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornicaâ—on Here it is plain that St. Paul with many thousands more did observe the Law of Moses and that by the immediate order of St. James the Prelate of the place and the Councel of all the Elders This we know clearly altered since by the authority of the Church and what a fine confusion it would produce if otherwise practised now I will leave your self to judge To the second I say that what you urge out of Deuteronomy makes no more against us then it does against the Apostles themselves from whence we received our Traditions but most especially St. Paul who expresly bids us to hold fast the Traditions which we have received Nay and all the holy Fathers of the Primitive Church who have always imbraced and held them Nay yet further you do most manifestly oppose and oppugne your own selves who receive the Tradition of Scripture the Lords day and many holy days with divers other things which you hold in great reverence by no other Authority If therefore we Catholicks offend in so doing then the Apostles themselves and all the Primitive Fathers and Christians and you your selves are as guilty of a fault if they be innocent and you too why should we be condemned Again give me leave to tell you that you have wholly mistaken the sense of that Text and that I will demonstrate to you out of the context which runs thus Deu 4.1.2 Now therefore hearken O Israel un-the Statutes and unto the Judgements which I teach you for to do them that ye may live and go in and possess the Land which the Lord God of your Fathers giveth you Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you As if he should say I give unto you precepts both Ceremonial and Judicial which ye ought perfectly and entirely to keep for so much is signified in those words ye shall not add nor diminish and this precept to that people is delivered though in other words yet to the very same sense in divers other places that they should be punctual in the observation of what was commanded them and not to swerve or turn to the right hand or the left So that these three things are upon the matter all one that is perfectly and intirely to keep Moses his precepts Deut. 17.20 Deut. 28.14 Deut. 31.29 Josu 1.7 not to turn from them neither to the right hand nor to the lest and last of all neither to add to nor diminish from their observation Which now is plain cannot be so understood as if it were unlawfull to add any new precept for then it had been utterly unlawful to add those new Evangelical precepts as Faith in the blessed Trinity the whole business of Holy Baptism and the Eucharist which you receive as well as we but the sense of those Texts must be plainly this that they ought to be very exact in the observation of Moses his Laws not to corrupt them with any addition or dimunition but to keep them intirely as for example this was a Mosaical precept Levit. 12.2 3. If a woman have conceived seed ann born a man child then she shal be unclean seven days c. And in the eighth day the flesh of his soreskin shall be circumcised c. To this precept now it was not lawful to add or diminish from that it was not lawful neither before nor after the eigth day to circumcise the child nor was the uncleanness of the mother to last more or less than seven days Now the same reason holds throughout all other precepts as I shall
that text in the Gospell I and my Father are one some of you will venture a distinction upon it too as that they are one in will not in substance Then again as to the perpetuall Virginity of our blessed Lady which some of you will please to deny but most prudent Christians believe what Scripture have we for it or for your and our observation of the Lords Day I know no Scripture that and so for a hundred things more can be produced I say sure according to your judgement that nothing is to be received but clear and expresse Scripture Out Saviour himself not clearly proved the Resurrection of our bodies against the Saduces for he brought no certain cleare and expresse text but onely this because it is said in the Old Testament the God of Abraham the God of Isass and the God of Jacob our Saviour therefore infers that God is not the God of the dead but of the living and then we know that those Patriarchs were only living in their souls not in their bodies So I say upon your grounds that was no conviction to the Sadduces By all this it is plain that not only those things are to be blessed and observed which are expresly to be found in holy writ or clearly proved out of it as those of your Church will have it but also we are to believe and observe what our holy Mother the Church believes and observes For we see all things of Faith are not clearly delivered in sacred Scripture but very many things are left to the determination of the Church which because it is enlightened governed by the holy Ghost cannot possibly wander or go astray out of the track of truth John 76.13 13. Our Saviour therefore in St. Johns Gospel said to his Disciples Iâ— have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is come bâ— will guide you into all truth c. The holy Church therefore observeth many things in its Rites and Ceremonies besides matters of faith from the familiar instinct of the holy Spirit and by the tradition of the Apostles and Primitive Fathers which though they are not expresly to be found in holy Scriptures yet they are no ways against them or differ from them Nay they are in all things most conformable to them and therefore to be embraced and observed by all good Christians for so St. Paul most expresly tells us 2 Thes â— 15 Therefore Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which ye have been tavght whereby word or our Epistles Again St. Paul speaking to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 11.34 concerning the blessed Eucharist a thing in Christianity as I take it of greatest concernment tels them that the rest he nill set in order when he comes so all was not to be ordered by his Epistle or written words but something it is plain he was afterwards to dispose of concerning that important affair by word of mouth In like manner St. 2 John 12 John tels the honourable Matron that he writ unto That hebad many things to write unto her but be would not writer with paper and â—nk but he trusted to come unto her and speak face to face c. And so he likewise tells his friend Gaius sohn 3. vers 13 14 That he trusted shortly to see him and that they should speak face to face and yet he said before that he had many things to write unto him but he would not with ink and pen write unto him c. By all which it is plain that Christians are not in all things to be ruled and determined by the word written Nay do we not plainly finde many things both of the words and deeds of our blessed Saviour that none of the Evangelists make mention of Act. 20.26 1 Cor. 15.6 which the Apostles have supplied and exprest in word or deed As first St. Paul in the Acts of the Apostles cites some words of our Saviours that are not to be found in any of the Evangelists and he bids them to remember the words of the Lord Josus how he said that it is more blessed to give than to receive and no such thing or to that purpose I could find yet in any of the Gospels In like manner some of his most confiderable deeds were not fully described or at all signified to us by any of the Evangelists As that he was seen by above five bundred brethren at once which St. Paul most expresly affirms to the Corinthians which apparition of his I could never read any thing of Luke 10.35 as I said before in any of the Gospels Then there are some Ecclesiastical observancies which you retain still in your Church that neither are to be found in Scripture nor is the reason apparent to every one why they were ever invented or used As first that we kneel at our prayers is not from any command in Scripture and yet you your selves hold it highly necessary Then that we choose out of all the corners of heaven that side where the Sun riseth towards which to turn our selves praying it is neither in Scripture nor apparently in reason to ordinary capacities but only that it has been the practice of the universal Church Again we know as I have shewed formerly in the Old Testament Dent. 17. Ezeth 44. the Law was not the judge of difficulties but the Priest so at large in Deuteronâ—â—y and the Prophet Ezekiel tels us plainly that the Priest shall stand in judgement and they only shall judge Now it is clear that we admit of Scripture as well as you but we differ in the understanding of it because you will have your own single judgments upon it to be your Rule and we admit no other judge but that authority which gives it that is the Church And this is apparently the reason why all you that are out of the Church do so differ amongst your selves upon all points and principally in that great point concerning the blessed Sacrament whether it be truly and spiritually the very body and blood of Christ by the figure and signs and the bare letter of Scripture will never be able to determine betwixt you and so there must be an impossibility of Accord in that and a hundred things more Thus we see that the Devil himself could alledge Scriptue against our blessed Saviour which was that God had given his Angels charge over him to keep him c. But he malitiously mistook Metth. 4. or through ignorance misunderstood which is not altogether so likely the sense of that place Now whereas you do all pretend that the holy Scriptures are clear and easie to be understood of all ordinary Readers and so that lay people and doting old women may be bold to venter their interpretations and comments upon it that is clean contrary to what St. Peter tells you speaking of all the Epistles of St. Paul in which
are something hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Thus do you see what unhappy mistakes there were upon St. Pauls writings while St. Paul himself was yet alive how much more then must there needs be now upon those grounds that you receive them Niy St. Paul himself tells you that if his Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost Now it is plain it cannot be hidden to us who take the sense and interpretation of the whole Church you had best therefore look to your selves that you be not lost by hiding of it from your selves And if the blessed Fathers of the Church that were so conversant in Scripture yet understood it not in those times so near to the time of Christ himself as some of you say that they did not how can you presume upon your selves and some late Doctors that have dared to give you a contrary Doctrine to what they have delivered to us I have often meditared upon that place in St. Lukes Cospel where it is said of the good Samaritan that when he departed he took out two pence and gave them to the Host and said unto him take care of him and what ever thou spendest more when I come again I will repay thee Just so me thinks our Saviour hast left us two Testaments and whatsoever the Apostles Doctors and Fathers of the Church have added more and we shall humbly observe he when he comes again of his great goodness will repay us Now to summ up all it is plain by this that has been said that some Traditions of the Church must have equal authority with Scripture as the commands of a Prince have equal force and power upon Subjects whether by word of mouth delivered or by writing So the word of God written or delivered is still the word of God and of equal power And if you say that the Apostolical Tradition cannot be the word of God I ask you whether the other part of the Apostles that have left us nothing in writing were not as well inspired of the Holy Ghost as they that did you cannot sure deny it and they were too the greater part of the Twelve Now the Church of Christ still retains many things of their Doctrine thorgh we have none of their writing and sure we are to give as much credit to those that writ not as those that did I ask you again whether it be not a point of faith that the whole Scripture taken together of the Old and New Testament is the word of God and again whether all that Scripture especially in those things which concern Faith and Salvation be not most clear from corruption and again that we have the true genuine and legitimate sense of that Scripture is a point of faith too I believe you will not deny any one of these to be a point of your Faith I am sure they are all of mine so you must first acknowledge that I give as great an honour to Scripture as your self and then if we both admit those three positions as principles of Faith we must necessarily admit of Traditions for we have no Authority but that to justifie them and if we do not admit those for principles our Faith it self is wholly vain Then besides these three principles of Faith there are others also which we have only by Tradition as that the Symbol of our Faith is Canonical and Apostolical Then that Infants are to be baptized Then that those who are baptized by Hereticks are not to be re-baptized Then as is aforesaid that the blessed Mother of God alwayes remained a Virgin Then that in Baptism those words ought to be pronounced I baptize thee in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and that without them there can be no valid Baptisme Then that there is a certain and determinate number of Sacraments and what that number is All these things I say are not clearely to be found in Scripture but we must be beholding to the Authority of Tradition But last of all for Ecclesiastical Rites and Ceremonies it is manifest that we can have no other authority but Tradition and not Apostolicall for all those neither but some of them only from the Primitive Fathers that succeeded the Apostles in the Government of Christs Church and that sure it security enough for the practice and perswasion of any Christian for I have heard that a very ancient and most learned Father said that it was a piece of most insolent madnesse to dispute the doing of that which the Church of Christ throughout the whole world has always frequented and practised so 〈◊〉 you to it There were other wicked and idolatrous Kings as Abaz Manasses Amon and some others wicked though not idolaters but yet the use of the Divine Sacrifice and worship according to the Mosaical Law does appear still to have remained in the Temple of Solomon til the Babylonish captivity as is evident by several places of Scripture Then for the failing of the Synagogue in the time of Christ which you alledge it is not to be supposed that they failed from the true faith which was before profest but she with her ceremonies and Sacrifices was turned out of dores as was before typified in Abrahams bondwoman it does not therefore follow that the Church the true wife should be so too Then the Synagogue was therefore turned away because it was neither perfect nor sufficient to salvation Heb. 7.19 for so St. Paul tells us that the Law brought nothing to perfection and in that sense the ceremonies and Sacraments of the Synagogue are called by the same Apostle Gal. 4.9 weak and beggarly elements but now the Church of Christ is perfect and sufficient to salvation because it's Sacraments which are instituted by Christ carry with them a vertue of justification and taking away of sinnes the Sacrrments of the old Law only promised a Saviour but the Sacraments of the new give salvation Again the Synagogue contained only the shadow of future things as St. Paul speaks Heb. 10.1 Ioh. 1.9 but the Church contains the light it self which is Christ as St. Iohn assures us now the shadow must necessarily fly before the light the Synagogue therefore with the Mosaical Sacrifices ought to cease when the Church comes with Christ Last of all the Synagogue was instituted for servants the Church for sonnes now servants take wages of their masters for a time and so are dismist by their masters but sonnes succeed in the perpetual inheritance which the Apostles thus insinstates to the Galatians Gast out the bondwoman and her sonne Gal. 4.30 for the sonne of the bondwoman shall not be heire with the sonne of the free woman and so enough of difference I conceive is shewed between the Synagogue and the Church to shew you that the reason is not the same To
in the Psalms and other Scriptures Psalm that the heavens must contain him till the last day otherwise there would be a falsification of no less then three Articles of our Faith Apost Creed He ascended into heaven He there sitteth at the right hand of God the Father From thence he shall come c. Now if he be corporeally in heaven how shall he be upon the Altar for the same body cannot possibly be in two places Our Saviour in his institution does not say take my body Four Gospels but take bread nor is it to be imagined that the nature of it can be changed by the blowing mumbling a few words from a Priests mouth Besides when Christ instituted his last supper he had a mortal body now being immortal how can it be said this is my body which shall be delivered up for you We do finde all the holy Evangelists calling it bread Gospels Acts 2.41 1 Cor. 10. we finde in the Acts of the Apostles said how they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread c. then in S. Paul to the Corinthians the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ and again in the next Chapter so let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup Thus currently in Scripture is the Sacrament called bread and yet your Church will have no bread left in it Our Saviour gives us a fair warning Mat. 24 of those deceivers Mat. 24.5 that shall come and say in his name here is Christ and there is Christ and shall deceive many we are not therefore to believe those that say that Christ is in this or in that Host That it is Impious to deprive the people of the cup is proved thus Our Saviour Christ did institute the Sacrament under both kinds Mat. 26. and communicated both to his Apostles and gave a command absolutely to all drink ye all of this Our Saviour being likewise to recommed the Sacramental use to us says plainly John 6.53 that he who drinketh not his blood as well as he that eateth not the flesh of the son of man hath no life in him It is confest by all of your own side that the Primitive Christians did always communicate under both kindes by what authority then do they come now to be deprived And if the Church hath power to take away one part of the Sacrament why can it not likewise by the same reason take away the other and forbid them the use of the whole Eucharist You all confess that your Priests sin mortally if they do not communicate under both species why then should not the Laity sin as much by their omission so to receive it That your Mass is not or can be made a sacrifice is clear by these sacred Texts S. Paul speaking of the true sacrifice of Christ Heb. 10.10.12.14 says That we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all again this man after he had offered one sacrifice c. Then afterwards the Apostle repeats and refers thus for by one offering be hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Then again he speaks more plainly in another Chapter to this purpose Heb. 7.26 27. For such an high Priest became us c. who needeth not dayly as those high Priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himself Then the current of the whole 9th Chapter is to prove that Christ did once by his blood Heb. 9. enter into the Holy of Holies for our eternall redemption 26. and towards the latter end of it expresly says vers 26. that now once at the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself The Mass can be but a Testament at most out of our Saviours own words Mat. 26. Luke 22.20 This is my blood of the new Testament so S. Matthew and S. Luke gives them thus This cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you now I would fain know how a sacrifice can be made out of a Testament Your Mass is but a remembrance at most of that sacrifice and oblation which Christ once offered therefore he saith not in his institution offer this but do this in remembrance of me and again so often as you shall do this do it in remembrance of me no word of sacrifice or offering That your Priests saying Mass in Lattine and not in English do offer abuse to God and his Church is proved thus The whole drift of the 14th Chapter 1 Cor. is to forbid the Corinthians and consequently all others 1 Cor. 14 the use of unknown tongues in Churches It is manifest likewise in the current of that Chapter Vers 19. that whatsoever is done in the Church publickly must be done to the understanding of the people but when your Mass is said in Lattine it is impossible for all the Laity to understand your service The Apostle frequently commands in other places as well as this same Chapter 1 Cor. 8. 1 Cor. 10.23 1 Cor. 14.3 vers 26. all things to be done to edification but where there is no understanding there can beno edification so by consequence no more fruit can follow upon the hearing of one of your Masses than the amendment of a wall is to be expected from an excellent Sermon that is made to it for that purpose Thus I have been bold to trouble your Ladyship but with a few texts yet those are pregnant ones to your purpose and so I pray the Lord to give you understanding in all things The Lady within three or four days sent a servant of hers with this Answer Sweet Mrs. N. being hindred now by very extraordinary occasions from paying your last kinde visit I thought my self never the less obliged to send you the best satisfaction I could to the Paper you left with me and so I have endeavoured to do as you will finde by the inclosed and as punctually as I could to every particular To the first To what you alledge out of S. Matthew against the mystery of the blessed Presence I answer Mat. 28.20 out of the last words of the same S. Matthews Gospel And loe I am with you unto the end of the world it is plain therefore that when our Saviour says me you have not always it is to be understood of his corporeal presence inhumane conversation for now he is not to be annointed washed and dryed as then when he spoke those words he was to be by the blessed Magdalen To the second To what you alledge out of S. John that the flesh profiteth nothing I say first that if the flesh profiteth us Catholicks nothing I am sure the bare bread must profit all Hereticks less Nor indeed
do I remember that I ever heard of any Heretick so impudent as to say that the flesh of Christ upon the Cross profited nothing Besides is this a consequence the flesh profiteth nothing therefore it is not in the Sacrament truly if that be good Logick it may as well follow in my judgement that the flesh of Christ profiteth nothing therefore it is not in heaven over and above all this it is plain our Saviour speaks not there of his own flesh for he says not my flesh profiteth nothing indeed some of the Jews there had such a foolish oppinion as to think upon our Saviours mystical words that the very flesh of Christ should be visibly under the species of flesh torn by mens teeth that sottishness of theirs our Saviour onely reproves To the third To what you alledge out of Scriptures and Articles of Faith I answer and acknowledge our Lord and Saviour to be in heaven and fitting on the right hand of his Father in visible and quantitative form yet he may lye invisibly and sacramentally under the species of Bread Nor does the verity of our Eucharist clash at all with the verity of our Articles of Faith for we know as the Scripture tells us that with God nothing is impossible His Almighty word sure can as easily make a body to be in divers places as nature his servant can make the essence of a soul to be in divers members Nay we see it plainly and positively said so nor can it chuse but be so for Jesus Christ who as we said is eternally to be at the right hand of his Father yet appeared upon earth to S. Paul Acts 9.22 1 Cor. 15. To the fourth To what you alledge out of our Saviours institution I utterly deny that he said take ye bread but taking bread he said take and eat this is my body Now I would fain know what difference there is betwixt saying take my body and taking bread to say take this is my body nor is it the mumbling or breathing of the Priests mouth that makes this miraculous change but Christ himself when the Priest according to his institution speaks the words of consecration is pleased to assist with his divine omnipotency and convert the substance of bread into his very body and wine into his blood Now this power was delivered by Christ to his Apostles when he gave them Commission to do the like and bid them so often as they did it to do it in remembrance of him and so the Apostle Paul tells us that what he received from the Lord that he delivered to us Then as to the impassibility of the body of Christ we do most humbly acknowledge it nor do our Priests say who know that our Saviour dies no more that his body shall be delivered but they relate onely that our Saviour did use those words at his last Supper which is Truth for then his body was to be delivered and his blood to be shed To the fifth For the Evangelists calling it bread it is always understood before consecration but that being done they do all unanimously call it the body of Christ In like manner the Apostles and Fathers might sometime call it so because before its change it was so as a Serpent in Scripture was called a Rod because it was a Rod but Aarons Rod devoured their Rods Exod. 7. then because the figure of bread and all its other accidents remain as things are sometimes called from their representations 1 Kings 10. so Solomon was said to make oxen and little Lions because he made the images of them Then the Eucharist may still be called bread because in it is the living bread which came down from heaven John 5. To the sixth and last To what you alledge out of the 24th of S. Matthew I answer that you are mistaken cleerly in the Text for those words you make to be spoken of the body of Christ are clearly meant of Christs kingdome of Faith His divine Majesty cleerly foresaw that the Hussits would have one Christ to stand for them the Lutherans one Christ to be for them the Annabaptists one for them the Calvinists one for them the Arminians one for them and Socinians one for them and the like of such bold challengers of Christ as those and other Hereticks are our blessed Saviour gives us a fair warning to beware which good Mrs. N. God give you grace to do Thus I have briâ—fly and punctually as I could answered your alligations out of the Scripture against the mystery of Christs Reall Presence in the Sacrament Now give me leave to mind you of some places of Scripture that do most expresly assert the Catholick doctrine against you First the words of our Saviours institution in all the four Evangelists are most significantly harmonious to a letter Mat. 14.26 27 28. as first in S. Matthew And as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it the Disciples and said take eat this is my body and he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink yee all of it for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins S. Mark hath it thus And as they did eat Jesus took bread Mark 14 22 23.24 and blessed and brake it and gave to them and said take eat this is my body and he took the cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and they all drank of it and he said unto them this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many Luke 22.19 20. St. Luke thus And he brake bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you St. John in his sixth Chapter Joh. 6.51.53 54 55 56 57. makes it his whole business to shew how our Saviour did endeavour to explain this mysterie and therefore is pleased expresly to say I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Then upon the Jews murmuring he adds Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father So he that eateth me even he shall live by me c. The Gospels themselves
inclosed for which I teturn my most humble thanks and instead of another which you seem to require of me I have sent you two herein inclosed the one to shew you the superstition Idolatry and Will-worship of your Church the other to convince you of the Pride Arrogancy Tyranny and Usurp'd power of it which when your Ladyship hath been pleased to peruse and as well as you can to answer I shall summe up all that you have said rogether and make a short rejoynder to the whole of your replies for I am refolved to trouble your Ladyship with no more Papers so praying God for your Ladyships good health both of Body and Soul I take leave to remain Madam Your Ladyships most assured faithfull servant N. My Lady upon the return of her servant opening the Packet that Mistress N. had sent back to her found the Papers inclosed whereof the first was to this effect as followeth That which your Church teacheth concerning the invocation of Saints is a Doctrine very injurious to God and yet not more prophane then superstitious and impertinent and that I will prove thus 1. Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour with God the Father God the Holy Ghost Holy Trinity in Unity three Persons and one God alone is all-sufficient alone is most liberall and alone is most mercifull and who alone loves us more than all the Saints There is not a Christian living that I think dares deny a word of this if there should be such a monster a were easie to prove every word of it by express Scripture who can think it rationall then to invoke any other thing and besides that this all-bountifull all-mercifull all-powerfull most good most gracious and most loving Lord God has not onely enjoin'd us but importun'd us to pray to him and him alone promising to hear and grant our requests and that I prove by most express Scriptures thus 2. First by the Gospells it is most clear our Saviour in Saint John assures it with a Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you John 16.23 24. and then in the next verse Ask and ye shal receive thus it is but asking of God and having and yet you must think fit to go about by the Saints 3. Then in Saint Lukes Gospel we find and I say unto you ask and it shall be given you Luke 11.9.10 11 12 13. seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Then by the paralel of God with a good Father granting his childs requests he concludes how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Again what you ask in prayet believing ye shall receive as Saint Matthews Gospell tells Matth. 2. with an infinity of other places too many to repeat to that purpose wherefore Saint Paul most pithily concludes Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 4 The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 1.3 that God is the Father of mercies and the Lord of all comforts who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selvs are comforted of God c. If all our comfort then be from God had we not better make our address to him that we know is the fountain of all Grace than to the Saints who can have nothing but what they derive from him 5. The same Apostle tells Tymothy plainly that there is but one Mediatour between God and men and that is Christ Jesus what an offence then must it needs be to God to make more Mediators that is the Saints Then we finde frequently in Scripture that he alone maketh intercesion for us as in Isaiah that he makes intercession for transgressors 1 Tim. 2.5 Isai 53.12 Rom. 8.26.24 Heb. 7.25 and Saint Paul tells us that he ever liveth to make intercession for us And again who always maketh intercession for us why should we date to make more intercessors that is the Saints 6. In fine to summe up all in short your Doctrine of invocacion of the Saints is highly injurious to God who is a jealous God and will onely be worship'd It is injurious to Jesus Christ who is the onely Mediatour between God and man Thirdly it is injurious to our selves for it is an argument of a diffidence and distrust in God when we fly to the Saints for succour and then lastly it is an impertinent and unprofitable piece of devotion because the Saints in heaven neither do nor can hear our prayets nor know our wants or what is done here amongst us as Job tells us Job 24.21 Eccles 9.5 his sons came to honor and he knoweth it not Ecclesiastes assures us that the living know that they shall dye but the dead know not any thing and the Prophet Isaiah yet more plainly Isai 63.16 doubtlessthou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel do not acknowledge us c. Thus it is plain that the Saintf in heaven are incapable to know our wants or hear our prayers much less to help us That your Doctrine of Veneration of Images is an abominable Idolatrcus Dactrine and prejudicial to divine Worship I prove Thus. First out of the plain words of the Commandement Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image Exod. 20.4 5. Deut. 4.5 2â— or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the waterunder the earth thou shalt notbow down thy self to them nor serve them c. The same thing is repeated at the latter end of Exâ—dus and in severall places of Deuteronomy and in many other places of the Old Testament 2. Again we find how good Hezekiah 2 King 18.4 removed the high places and brake the Images and brake in pieces the beazen Serpent that Moses had made c. Yet your Religion strives to restore to Christians that kind of worship 3 How well our Saviour is pleased with that kinde of Worship Joh. 22 23 24. you may see in Saint John's Gospell where our Saviour says ye worship ye know not what c. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seekes such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Now I would feign know what a Spirit hath to do with Images or how can the worship of Images be thought a spiritual worship 4 Over and above the danger of Idolatry and many unclean thoughts that may be occasioned by Images I shall onely add this
before the face of the fire Deut. 4. Heb. 13.19 and for this we beg the mediation and intercession of the blessed Saints in heaven To the fifth To what you urge out of the Apostle to Timothy that there is but one Mediator I do acknowledge that there is but one Mediator of Redemption that is Jesus Christ because he alone redeemed Mankinde nor is there any other name under heaven by which we can be saved but that hinders not but that there may be more Mediators of intercession so then there is but one Mediator by Redemption as but one Saviour for he is the only good Shepherd who gave his life for his flock but there are more Mediators by intercession as the Scripture names more Saviours Mediators and Redeemers too Moses says of himself that he was set apart or chosen for a Mediator between God and the children of Israel Again he raised up a Redeemer Deliverer or Saviour to them one Othoniel Deut. 3. Judg. 3.9 Nehem. 9 Gen. 4.1 and Nehemiah tels us how God did raise unto the children of Israel Saviours and Pharoah calls Joseph a Saviour To the sixth I say that as to the injury which you pretend done to God by the invoking of his Saints I have sufficiently answered already in my return to your first Arguments for the injury which you alledge done to Christ I answer in like manner if this be a good consequence Christ is our only Mediatour therefore we do an injury to him to invoke the Saints in heaven then this must be likewise a good Argument therefore it is injurious to Christ to invoke the Saints upon earth and that you all are guilty of praying one another to pray for you and doubtless you do not do amiss in it Again if we shew our diffidence and distrust in Christs Mediation by invoking the Saints in heaven then it will follow likewise that you diffide in Christs mediation by invoking one another or any Saints upon earth As for your supposition which indeed is the strength of your Argument that the Saints in heaven do not hear our prayers nor know what is done amongstâ—ns and therefore must be much less able to help us and as to the places of Scripture which you pretend to bring to that purpose I answer that they all signifie nothing for here we speak not of those who in the time of the Old Testament were either in Hell or in the Limbus that was appointed for them but of the Saints that since the time of the New Testament are in heaven we may safely grant that all those were ignorant of what was done here bua that proves nothing as to these last beattifi'd souls in heaven And yet I know you 'l be importunate to know how the Saints should be capable to hear our prayers and understand our inward affections and desires I would ask you again how the Saints in this life can know the secrets of other mens counsels and contrivances 1 Sam. 19. Samuel knew all things which were in the heart of Saul and told him all that was in his heart 2 Kings 5.26 2 Kin. 6.33 Did not Elishah know all things that were done by his servant that was at a great distance from him and so the same Prophet knew all the secret Counsels of the King of Syria Dan. 2.26 Did not Daniel know the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and the interpretation of it before he sent to him and did not the Apostle Saint Peter know the hidden fraud and close collusions of Ananias and Saphira And to conclude I would fain know what things were they which were hidden from the Prophets though never so close from the eyes of men And can these things be done on earth and not possibly be done in heaven Now that this veneration or invocation of Saints is expresly commanded in Scripture I cannot say nor see any reason that it should be first it could not be well in the old Testament where the people were so prone to idolatry and the Patriarchs besides were but in a Limbus Esay 63. reposed till our Saviours triumphant entry into heaven so they could not be beatified or made capable of hearing of prayers of men and therefore it was said Abraham knows us not and Israel does not acknowledge us Again under the Gospel it was not absolutely commanded least the Gentiles that were newly turned from Paganisme should believe that they were brought again to the worship of earthly gods for that was their use to worship their deified persons not as Patrons but as very Gods indeed as at Lyraania they would have sacrificed to Paul and Barnabas Besides if the Apostles and Evangelist had taught expresly that the Saints are to be prayed to it might have been thought as a piece of arrogance in them as if they had been after death ambitious of that honour to be done to them The holy Spirit therefore would not by express Scripture teach this doctrine of veneration and invocation of Saints but the Church being once establisht quickly found by the Miracles and succours that those Saints performed to men that they were to be worshipt and invoked with prayers that they would please to pray for us and this is a worship far different from that which we pay to God therefore no way prejudicial to the divine Majesty no though express Scripture as I said we have none for this yet very much inclining to and favouring of our purpose That the saints the freinds of God are to be implored that they will please to intercede for us I prove by express Scripture thus Our Saviour in S. Johns Gospell saies thus if any man serve me John 12.26 him will my Father honor if therefore God does honor his saints why should not we mortalls give honour to them Our Saviour saies again in S. Mat. 25.40 Mathews Gospell verily I say unto you insomuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my bretheren ye have done it unto me the honour therefore that is given to the saints of God he takes as done unto himself We finde in Job how Eliphaz saies to him Call now if there be any that will answer thee Job 5.1 and to which of the saints wilt thou turn which words though Eliphaz spoke yet Job reprehends them not but takes it as wholsome councell from his freind Again in another place Job 42.1 9 10. the Lord himself saies go to my servant Job and my servant Job shall pray for you for him will I accept least I deal with you after your folly c. so they did as the Lord commanded them the Lord also accepted Job and the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his freinds c. Then we finde how Absalon after he was reconciled to his father 2 Sam. 14.28 staid two years in Jerusalem before he saw his fathers face so a sinner though reconsiled to God will not
of Indulgence that the residue of his satisfaction and sufferings should be added to the sufferings of Christ and applyed to the body of Christ that is his Church out of the treasury of Indulgencies And sure this satisfaction of the saints does turn to their greatest glory As for example if the satisfaction and suffering of Laâ—erence does pay the punishment due to John being a penitent will not Laurence have a kinde of additionall joy in heaven for that his satisfaction has paid for his brother John and so the works of the saints as they are sattisfactory and penall are perfectly remunerated to the Saints in that others enjoy the benefit of them being aplyed by the Churches indulgencies And this you may please to accept not onely for a sufficient answer but also a reply as to this particular To what you are pleased to alledge against our doctrine of Purgatory I answer thus To the first I grant that which those texts you urge requir which is that after the day of judgement there shall be but too places for those which are grown in years and that is all which can be enforced out of those Texts But as yet there are as also ther were in the old Testament more places or receptacles for souls And truly granting that there were but too I would fain have you or any man to tell me where the fouls of those were who died and were afterwards raised again to life I would fain know I say how the son of the widow of Sarepta was raised by Elias how the Shunamites son was raised by Elisha how the Son of the widdow in Naim and the daughter of Jarus the Ruler of the synagoge and Lazarus in Bethâ—ny were raised by Jesus Christ how Tabitha was raised by S. Peter and Euâ—yous by S. Paul I would fain know I say where the souls of these persons were between the time of their death and there raising to life They could not be in Hell for from thence there is no redemption Nor in heaven for then it had been so far from being a benefit as it would have proved a loss if from the joys beatitudes there they should return to miserable mortal life It must then follow of necessity that they were in some third place distinct from heaven and from Hell so call it what you will your argument is answered To the second I answer and grant what you collect out of those Scriptures which you quote that the righteous after this life ended are presently admitted into heavenly glory but I must tell you not all the righteous neither who leave nothing to be purged out of them after this life they questionless are admitted presently into heaven But they that have any thing to be expiated left in them shall be admitted in Gods good time but so as by fire as the Apostle tells us Nor are your testimonies out of Scripture any thing importing to the contrary Fâ—r that to day shalt thou be with 〈◊〉 in Paradice was a singular thing and particular priviledge indulged to the good Theife to whom Christ did most liberally forgive all his sins without any further obligation of temporall punishment after death â—ut this is not granted to all no more than the priviledge of one is to be drawn into a president for another Then out of that Text I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ nothing else can be collected then that the Apostle had a great desire to live with Christ which desire you and I may likewise have especially if we can truly say with the same Apostle I do chastise my body and bring it into subjection Such a mortification as that on earth may give us indeed a present life in heaven which God of his mercy grant us both and all the world besides if so be it may confist with his blessed will To what you say against our doctrine of praying for the dead which is a consequence of Purgatory I answer thus To the first To what you alledge out of the Prophet Jeremy I answer that the Prophet Jeremy does not speake it absolutly of all the dead but of one onely that was the King Joachas who died in captivity in Egypt so saith the Prophet Weep not for the dead neither bemoane him but weep for your following Kings undâ—er whom you are to suffer greater Tribullation To the Second I grant that Christ did forbid the widdow to weep for her Son but it was because he was immediately to raise him from the dead so she was not to weep for him as dead but to be comforted for the miraculous life which he was to receive I must profess that I see not a word against Purgatory or prayer for the dead in all this To the Third and Last I say that which you bring so confidently out of S. Paul as a most invinsible and unanswerable argument give me leave to tell you comes off but very lamely for you for the words of the Text do sufficiently cleer themselves that ye sorrow not for those that sleep as others which have no hope so we agree that to weep for the dead out of any dispaire of a future resurrection is so far from being the practice of our Church that we hold it to be a sin or to weep for a dead friend out of diffidence that we shall never see him again or a fear that we have for ever lost him is very injunious to God and Christianity but when we weep adâ—prayers to our tears in the behalf of our dead friends we are so far from weeping as those without hope that we testify our Christian Confidence and assurance in the Security of his condition for being in Purgatory he is sure of salvation though he may stay some time for it to pay the temporall punishment there due for his sins heer That there is a third place which we call Purgatory and that the prayers of the faithfull upon earth are very helpfull to them I prove thus First we finde it delivered at large by S. 1 Cor. 3.12 13 14 15. Paul in these words Now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every mans work shall be made manifest for the day shall declare it because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans work of which sort it is if any mans work shall be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved yet so as by fire Here it is most plain that though a man do works to be burnt as shall appear in the day of every mans particular judgement that is his death yet he shall be saved by fire that cannot be meant of infernal fire for from thence there is no redemption it must be then understood of Purgatory Our Saviour in the Gospels implys Purgatory plainly though under a Parable in these words Matth. 5.25.26 Luke 12.38 Agree with thine adversary quickly whilest thou art
dead and that he sent two thousand Drachmes of silver to Jerusalem to offer a sin-offering doing therein very well and honestly in that he was mindeful of the resurrection for if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead and also in that he perceived that there was a great favour laid up for those that dyed godly it was a holy and good thought whereupon he made a reconciliation for the dead and that they might be delivered from sin 2 Tim. 1.16 18. But if you will deny the authority of this book you will not sure deny that of S. Paul who prays for the whole household of Onesiphorus some whereof were dead in all probability and Onesiphous himself dead in history before the writing of that Epistle wherefore he prays to the Lord to give mercy unto them and that Onesiphorus himself may finde mercy of the Lord in that day it is plain from hence that there is a capacity for mercy at the lastday by consequence therefore there must be a third place that is nesther Heaven nor Hell and so by consequence again prayer for the dead must be a a very good devotion and available to the case and release of those poor souls And to this truly if all Scripture were perfectly silent the practise of the Church of Christ has been cleer and universal that no prudent Christian can deny his assent if he be not resolved to shake the very foundations of Christianity it self which the gates of bell shall never prevail against Thus my Lady having dispatcht her answer and replies to this paper made hast to open the next which she found to this purpose following Madam this is the last paper that I shall be bold to offer to your Ladiship which indeed might have served for all the rest for it striks at the very root of all your Religion and what a pitiful weak and sandy foundation you have you shall see if you shall please impartially to confider what followes That your Pope or Bishop of Rome is not nor can be head of the Church of Christ nor S. Peter successor as you pretend nor has any priminary or superiority over other Bishops I prove out of Scripture thus 1 S. Rom. 12.5 Paul tells the Romans plainly that we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Heer the Apostle acknowledgeth no head but Christ and concludes Peter to be as much a member as any one of the faithfull and that not onely in respect of Christ we are members but in respect of our selves is cleer by those words every one members one of another so that Peter Pope or Bishop be he what he will is not onely a member of the body of the Church as he has relation to Christ the head but as he does relate to the other faithfull members 2 Again as the head and the other members make up one entire naturall body 1 Cor. 12 so Christ and his Church make up one entire mysticall body which is so made up of head and members as the Apostle tells us therefore all others besides Christ who is the head are but members of the body of the Church and none but Christ can be the head of the Church 3 We finde in the Gospells Math. Mark Luke John that Jesus Christ does equally commend the care of his Churh to all his Apostles for he said to all the rest as well as Peter as the father sent me so send I you again go ye and teach all Nations c. then again we know that he did teach and instruct them all equally and sent the holy Ghost to them all equally and indifferently at the time of Pentecost therefore Peter had no priveledge nor prehemminence over the rest 4 S. Gal. 2.11 Paul tells us that when Peter was come to Antioch he withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed therefore Peter was not then taken for the head of the Church For S. Paul had he beleived that would not have shewed such arrogancy and perversness as to resist the head of the Church in such an open manner 5. Then it is manifest that the Church of Christ could not be built upon the person of Peter for then the gates of Hell had prevailed against it and him when he was terrified from his faith by the voice of a silly wench And so by consequence it cannot be built upon his successors who are dayly guilty of such personall crimes 6 Again we finde that the Church of Christ is built upon a Rock and that Rock was Christ 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 10 therefore it could never be understood of Peter for another foundation can no man lay besides that which is already laid as the Apostle tells us 7 Then it is very disputable whether Peter was ever at Rome and sure we are out of Scripture that he was eighteen years at least after our Saviours passion in and about Jerusalem where was then the Romane Church 8 Then again how could Peter be the Rock upon which he would build his Church when our Saviour himself said to him Mat. 16. get thee behind me satan he never intended sure satan should be the head of his Church as it is too much to be feared he makes himself now to be of yours 9 We cannot finde that S. Peter did ever exercise any power or jurisdiction over the other Apostles Acts 8. but they did plainly over him when they sent him and John into Samaria 10 Again Peter knew fullwell that such a power or superiority was expresly forbiden by our Saviour himself Mat. 20.25 Mark 10.46 Luke 22.24.25 in all the Gospeles you know saith he that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentils exercise Lordship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them but so shall it not be amongst you but whosoever will be great amongst you shall be your Minister who soever of you will be the cheifest shall be servant of all All which our Saviour spok rebuke a strife that was amongst them who should be the greatest Nay it is plain by the Text in all those Gospells that it is onely for the Kings and rulers of the Earth to take upon them power and Authority Bishops therefore of the Church have nothing to do with it therefore not the Pope 11 Nay our Saviour shews such a detestation of this affected superiority that he rebukes the Diciples for it and warnes them against it in severall other places of the Gospells and set a little child before them and tellls them Mot. 18.4 Mark 9.46 that whoosever shall humble himself as that little child the sames is greatest in the Kingdome of heaven c. How well your Pope is an immitator of Jesus Christ and follower of his commands I will leave your self to judge who takes upon him
not onely a power over all Bishops but Princes That it is not in the power of the Pope neither by himself nor with all his Cardinalls and councells to determine any matter of faith I prove thus by Scripture 1 We finde in Isay that we are commanded to the law and to the Testimony Isay 8.20 if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them as the Jews were commanded to their law and to their Testemony Luke 16.29 so are we Christians to our Scripture for our judge of all things in difference so our Savior brings Abraham in the Gospell saying that they have Moses the Prophets let them hear them woe are not therefore to have recourse for any matter of faith to Pope or any power else whatsoever 2 Again our Saviour commands us thus Starch the Scriptures for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life and they are they which testify of me John 5.39 Christ therefore remits us to Scripture onely for a judge of controversie 3 Again we finde in the Acts of the Apostles how those of Berea were commended acknowledgeed to be more noble than those of Thessalonie Acts 17.11 in that they received the word with all redyness of minde and Searthed the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Heer we finde I say that those of Berea did not overhastyly beleive what the Apostles themselves delivered to them but did examine all things by the Rule of Scripture is it not therefore fit that we should follow their example and acknowledge nothing but Scripture for our Rule and judge 4 It is manifest by reason that the judge of all controversie in matter of faith ought to be infallible for if the judge should erre all that follow his judgement must erre likewise now it is plain on tone side that Scripture is infallible being the word of God which cannot erre and on the other side that all men are lyars and subject to errours as we finde in the Romans Rom. 3.4 Psal 111 God is true but every man is a lyar Now the pope is but a man all the Cardinalls are but men nay councells themselves are but collections of men no man therefore that builds himself upon their judgement in point of faith can have any security at all but onely by depending upon the infallible and true Pâ—â—le of Scripture 5 Counsels we know have erred in matters of faith and made decrees one against another at least altered one anothers constitutions and if that any such things as councells are to be why should not lay men be made a part of them since they are a part of the Church as well as any preists or Bishops and their salvation as much concerned in those decrees as any Clergy men whatsoever it should be therefore as necessary for them to be present there That the Scripture it self is and ought to be the entire Rule of faith and that neither your whole Church nor all the Traditions of it have any power to prescribe to to us in matter of Faith I prove thus The authority of Scripture is greater then the Authority of the Church for the Church ought to be govern'd by Scripture the Word of God we know is to yield to no man nor is it lawfull for any man or power of men whatsoever to oppose or diminish it 2. We find expresly in Deuteronomy Ye shall not adde unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish out from it Deut. 4.8 that ye keep thn Comandements of the Lord your God which I command you all your tradition therefore are to cast away for they adde to the written Word of God 3. Again We read in another place of the same Book thus Deut. 1â— 32 Whatsoever thing I command you observe to do it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it That therefore is to be done onely which God commands what men require or adde of their own is unlawfull and not to be obey'd 4. St. Paul declares his mind in this particular very freely to the Galatians thus but though we or an Angell from Heaven preach any other Gospell unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed and presently repents As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you Gallat 1. thaâ— that ye have received let him be accursed I say therefore that we are to admit of no Traditions nor any thing else besides the Gospell Again We have most solemnly said in the Revelation of St. John Revel 22.18.19 That if any man shal take away from the Words of the Book of that Prophesie God shal take away his part out of the Book of Life And so if any man shall add unto these things God shall adde unto him the plague that are written in that Book Therefore it is not lawfull to adde your Traditions 6. 2 Tim. 3.16 17. St. Paul assures Timothy that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Therefore we have no need of Traditions Our Saviour tells such Observers of Traditions as you are Mat. 15.6 Thus have you made the Commandements of God of none effect by your traditions and the Apostle gives the like caution to the Colossians Col. 2.8 beware least any man spoil you through Phlosophy and vain deceit 1 Pet. 1.18 after the tradition of men after the rudiaments of the World and not after Christ And St. Peter puts the whole World in mind how they were redeem'd from their vain conversation receiv'd by Tradition from their Fathers Thus you see how much Jusus Christ and his Apostles were carefull to forewarn and forbid us and yet you will restore to us the vanity of those very Traditions 8. Again Rom. 1.17 how can that be said to be determined by the whole Church which the Pope with his Cardinals Gal. 7.11 and it may be his Bishops assembled in Councell does determine Heb. 10.38 when the Church is a Congregation of all the faithfull and a connexon of them in the true saith by which the just man lives as the Apostle tells us It is not therefore what all the Popes Cardinalls Bishops or Councills tell us though backt with all the strength of your Traditions which is to be believed for they can be at most but a part of the Church not the whole Church 9. Then Lastly when you speak of the whole Church you speak of what you no ways understand for it is a spirituall thing and hidden from the eyes of men it cannot be visible for if it were then it could not be an Article of faith as wee know it is so I would fain know what obligation can possibly come from such an
would make little to the matter for wheresoever he was he was still a supream Bishop and though by the Revellations of the spirit he chose out Rome for his Seat yet he was chief Bishop of the World long before he was Bishop of Rome To the Third I answer thus that it was no wonder that our Saviour rebuk'd Peter for resisting the sence that he propos'd to him concerning his being put to death because he had not yet receiv'd the Keys he was not yet confirm'd nor was yet the fulnesse of the spirit yet come upon him Therefore he was not yet the Rock but Christ after his Resurrection fullfill'd that promise to him and founded his Church upon him Then very learn'd men are of opinion are of opinion that Jesus Christ said to those words to Peter but to the Divell himself who was the Suggestor of that mistake to him Again the fall of a person in point of opinion does not necessity take away his power Then again Peter not being yet fully confirm'd it is possible that he might have a Revellation from God the Father by which he might profess Christ to be the Son of the living God and yet that great mystery might be conceal'd from him as yet that Christ would be crucifi'd for the salvation of mankind and rise again the third day and because you are pleas'd to put the Divell upon us for our Head I would ask you what was the Rock our Saviour meant if faith as you pretend then I say Faith is so soon lost in a man as grace and the faith of one man must be as considerable to that foundation as the faith of any other man and so upon the faith of all the faithfull the Church is to bee built and if all the faithfull are to be the foundation what kind of Church will you leave to Christianity To the Ninth I answer that your argument is not good at all Peter was sent by the Apostles into Samaria therefore he was less then the other Apostles Joh. 6.20 Gallat 4. just so the Arrians as I have heard formed their Argument because the Father sent the Son as is plain in Scripture therefore he is greater then the Son for the Sender say they and you is greater than he that is sent Because Herod did did not send the three Wise men to worship the Child He was therefore not greater then they When it is frequent that the most principall persons are likely sent especially if it be from the body of an Assembly and that for their honour out of love and good councell not out of any Right of Authority in their Inferiours So we find in Josuah Jos 22.12.13.14 that when the Children of Israell heard what the two Tribes and the half had done the Children of Israel gathered themselves together c. and sent unto the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad 91. and to the half Tribe of Manasseth into the Land of Gillead Phineas the Sonne of Eleazer the Priest and with him ten Princes 1 Chron. 9.20 of each chief house a Prince c. Here you see how the children of Israel the inferiour sort of the people sent Phineas that was their Captain and Ruler over them as we finde in the Chronicles and divers other of their Princes it is plain therefore by your consequencies out of Scripture that your Argument has none He is sent therefore he is inferiour to him or them that send him To the tenth It is plain that Christ did only prohibit ambition and Tyrannie amongst his Apostles not power and order because they are of God as the Apostle Paul tels us Rom. 15. and he that resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God Our Saviour therefore intended only to teach humility to him that was the chiefest or presided over the rest not to take away his power You would take it I presume for a very ill Argument if any one should say Jesus Christ himself was a Minister or did serve upon earth and taught others to serve or minister likewise therefore Christ had no power when he was here Besides when Christ said He that is greatest amongst you Is it not plain that he does imply that there should be one greater in power than another though he does injoyn that greater to be as the lesser by way of humility and ministration or service To the eleventh and last I answer in like manner that all which can be collected out of those Scriptures is to shew that he could have all those that were his to rise to greatness not by power and ambition but by humility and innocency that when they were in power they should be as if they were not so and as little ones in humility and innocency that when they were in power they should be as if they were not so and as little ones in humility and innocency not as so in age and understanding Now you must give me leave according to my usual method to reply something upon you out of the clear and unforced Letter of Scripture and that the Pope or Bishop if Rome is and ought to be the heâ—â— of the Church of Christ as St. Peters Successor and has just power and superiority ever all other Bishops I prove thus First out of the Letter of St. Matthews Gospel after Peter had made his consession Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Barjona Matth. 16.16 17 18.19 for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and I say also unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this Rock I wil build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the keys of the â—â—osed in Heaven c. It is worth your observation how signally our Saviour insists upon St. Peters person for that he might be sure that none but those that were wilfully disposed should be able to mistake he calls him by his old name Simon then by his Fathers name Barjona then by his new name Peter which he gave him then and signifies a Rock and presently says that upon that Rock will he build his Church c. And that must plainly be said and meant of himself in his own person for presently after follows And I will give unto thee the Keys of Heaven c. And whatsoever thou shalt bind c. And whatsoever thou shalt loose c. Again we find how clearly the Primacy of St. Peter may be proved out of St. Lukes Gospell When our Saviour twice repeats his name Luk. 22.31 32. And the Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Observe I pray you how our Saviour prays for him most particularly and above the rest and he askt two things
for him First an indefectibility of his faith and then a power to confirm the rest of the Apostles and all the faithfall Again we find in St. Matthews Gospell how Christ before all his Apostles saith to Peter Go thou to the red Sea Math. 17.27 and cast an book and take up the Fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt find a piece of money that take and give unto them for me and thee here it is plain that though the rest of his Disciples were present he paid only for him and made him equall to himself in the payment We find in all the Gospells where there is any description of the constitution of the Apostles or any mention made of them Math. 10. Peter is still nominated first Mark 3. as the head of all the rest which would not have been done but in regard of his Primacy Luke 6 and so it has been ever understood by the Church Then we find that though all the Apostles were present at our Saviours apparition by the Sea Coast Joh. 21.7 onely Peter did come upon the water of the Sea to him Luke 5.4 which was no doubt a sign of his singular power and prerogative above the rest In like manner though all the Disciples were commanded to loose their Nets onely Peter was commanded to Launch into the deep But above all we find the performance of that long promis'd Primacy made to St. Peter most expresly in St. Johns Gospell Jesus saith to Simon Peter John 21 Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more then these he saith unto him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee he saith unto him feed my Lambs He saith unto him again the second Simon Simon sonne of Jonas lovest thou mee He saith unto him 15 16 17. yea Lord thou knowest that I love thâ—e He saith unto him feed my sheep He saith unto him again the third time Simon Simon Sonne of Jonas lovest thou me and he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus saith unto him feed my sheep Here it was that Peter receiv'd his pastorall charge which was but promised him before and in the presence of all the Apostles the care of Christs sheep was committed to him as to the Prince of the Apostles Now to Feed Ezek. 34. Isai 44.56 Jerem 26.22 Psalm 32. in Scripture is very frequently taken in Scripture for to govern Rule Pastors likewise for Kings as may be seen throughout the Prophets But that I may contract my self in this Copious Theam I shall endeavour to summe up all the Prerogatives of St. Peter that are given him in Scripture and then leav your self to judge whether he was not intended by our Saviour to be Primate and Superiour First it is manifest that he alone of all the Apostles had the honour to have his Proper-name changed and a new one given him by Christ Secondly in the Repetition of all their Names Peter is always put first Thirdly the Scripture always speaks of Peter as a Prince and of the others as Subjects Fourthly Peter speaks in the Name of all the rest as the chief amongst them Fifthly onely to Peter was the first Revellation made of the Divinity of Christ Sixthly onely to Peter was made a promise of the infallability of his faith and stability of his chair Seventhly Christ paid Tribute only for himself and Peter and for none of the rest and as much for Peter as himself Eightly Jesus Christ after his Resurrection made his first Apparition to Peter alone of all the Apostles and all this you cannot deny to be perfect Gospell Now you may please to take notice of these Eight Priviledges or Prerogatives spoken of in the Gospell were before he was actually instated in his Primacy for that was not till after our Saviours Resurrection so these that I have already mentioned were but as signes or previous dispositions to his future Primacy and power which how he afterwards executed you shall see in these particular prerogatives more First to Peter alone it was absolutely said Feed my sheep there was his power confer'd and confirm'd upon him Secondly Peter by his own Authority call'd all the rest of the Apostles to the election of a new Apostle in the place of the Traytor Judas and directed the Ordination of Matthias into that Apostleship Act. 1.15 16. as we find in the Acts. And Peter stood up in the midst of the Disciples and said men and buethren c. Thirdly Peter only in the day of Penticost defended all the rest of the Apostles when they were said to be full of Wine for the Text tells us that Peter standing up with the Eleven did lift up his voyce and said unto them c. Which was the first miracle wrought in Christs Name conformable to the gospel 4ly Peter when Jobn was present cur'd he lame man so the Gospell justifi'd and defended that action and Christianity together against the Jews in a set Sermon Act. 3.4 13 c. Act. 4.8 5ly St. Peter argues the case in the Counsell and defends himself and John Sixthly Peter does the first act of justice and first first instance of a coercive power in the Church Act. 5.3.4 5. Act. 8 20. Acts 2. when he pronouncedsentence of death upon Ananias and Saphira Seventhly Peter was the only person that proceeded to justice against Simon Magus for his wicked marketting of the Holy-Ghost 8ly he was the first that did publickly did preach the Gospel to the Jews after thedescent of the Holy ghost 9ly He was the first that did likewise preach the Gospel to the Gentiles to whom only the heavenly Visions offered for the calling of the Gentiles Act. 10.12 13. and by which he was commanded to take a particular care of them as his own cure and as their proper Prelate When he saw the great Sheet let down to the Earth wherein were allmanner of fore-footed beasts and creeping things of the Earth c. And there came down a Voyce from Heaven to him Acts 15.7 Rise Peter kill and eat by which he as head was commanded to incorporate the Gentils into the Church of Christ c. Tenthly and lastly he was the first that gave his Vote and spoke in that great Councell at Jerusalem and was chief Authour of that decree against the Legal Rites and Ceremonies Here are plainly Ten parts or pieces of his pastorall prerogative that he exercised after the Resurrection of our Saviour when he was establisht in his pastorall charge by those Words Feed my Sheep And if all the maâ—ks and promises of this prerogative given in the Gospell nor all these confirmations and matters of fact since will not prevail to satisfie you in St. Peters Primacy I shal despair ever to bee able to satisfie you in any thing And yet truly if that Scripture had not been so punctually
consequence the truth on 't is that that Text out of the Reuelation may be most clearly brought against most of you who do not only diminish the Words of that Prophesie but take the whole to be suspected thrust it out of your Canon and account it for Apocrypha Then others of you again are pleasd to adde to it most notoriously as when some of your Doctors go about to intepret that part of the Revelation which tells us that there shall come two witnesses that shall prophesie a 1260. Rev. 11.3.6 days cloathed in Sackclooth who shal have power to shut heaven in the days of their prophesie and have power over Waters to turn them inblood c. they will perswade us that these two witnesses are your two great Prophets Luther and Calvin now it is plain that they were not cloath'd in Sackcloth nor had power to shut heaven c Now it is evident that the Text you Quote makes nothing towards the condemnation of our traditions but forbids that nothing be added to that book but that which is a true part of that Apocalyptical Prophecy Otherwise it must be unlawfull to receive the Prophesies of Jeremy Isay and other Prophets of the Old Testament as also the Gospels and Epistles of the new and our whole Symbol of faith So that it is plain we are only by the Text forbidden to deprave any part of that Apocalyptical Prophesie which the Apostle in inâ—â—tes maybe done 2. ways either by addition by putting any thing into that Prophesie which truely is no part of it Or by dimination as if any man should detract from it any part as not belonging to it which really was so Now when you have shewed that we Catholicks do either of that I shall grant your Argument to conclude something To the Sixth I say you still strangly conclude out of the Apostle and I pray you mark your Argument All Scripture is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction c. Therefore all Traditions are unnecessary I will give you such another cousequence All meat is profitable for nourishment therefore drink is unnecessary Or thus all Alms giving is profitable for Salvation Luk. 11.43 Dan. 1.34 as St. Luke and the Prophet Daniell assures us therefore prayer is to no purpose and the Sacraments themselves are unnecessary Or it may be you intend your Argument thus all Scripture is profitable that is sufficient therefore Traditions are altogether uselesse What strange interpretation of Scripture is this Is to be profitable and sufficient alone then mark this consequence St. Paul tells Timothy that godlinesse is profitable to all things 1 Tim. 4.8 2 Tim. 4.11 therefore all other things are unnecessary Again the same Apostle bids Timothy take Mark and bring him with him adding that he was profitable unto him for the Ministry therefore Timothy Titus Onesimus and Luke that was then with him were all unnecessary Who sees not now that if his Licence may be admitted of interpreting Scripture after this manner that the whole must of necessity be corrupted quickly adulterated But now that you may more clearly see your errour I will shew you the whole scope of the Apostle in these words First in the precedent Words he exhorts Timothr as a Bishop to instruct those that are commited to his charge in faith and good works and to reprove and convince adversaries who rejected the truth and were men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith and so he addes to shew him how he was to do it 2 Tim. 3.8 ver 14 15 16. these words But continue thou in the things that thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a Child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction c. Now here by the Scripture which he says Timothy had known from his Infancy he must needs understand the Scripture of the Old Testament for at that time when Timothy was a child there could be no Scripture of the new Testament extant The Apostle the refore in the Text so argues all Scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach friends to convince adversaries but the Scripture of the Old Testament which thou hast learnt from thy Infancy is divinely inspired there it is so and so profitable In the same manner we under the Gospell may agree thus All Scripture divinely inspired is profitable to teach to reproves c. But the Scripture of the New Testament is divinely inspired therefore it is profitable to teach reprove c. That is whosoever is instructed in knowledge of that shall find great helps to perform all that now out of these Arguments grounded upon that Text which you urg we may collect these 3 propositions to be true First that all Scripture divniely inspired is profitable to teach reprove c. 2ly That the Scripture of the Old Testament is profitable to teach Thirdly that the Scripture of the Old Testament is so and so profitable likewise So as therefore this does not follow the Scripture of the Old Testament is altogether uselesse and unnecessary so neither does this follow The Scripture of the New Testament is profitable Therefore the Scripture of the Old is altogether uselesse and unnecessary Nor can this with more reason follow the Scripture of both Testaments New and Old is so and so profitable therefore Tradition is altogether uselesse and unnecessary Then that which the same Apostle tells us in another place I am sure were altogether impertinent if not impions When he says hold fast Traditions To the Seventh I answer in short that there can be none so blind but must see that which you urge out of the Gospell and Epistles was only spoken either of Traditions of the Jews which the Pharisees made ill use of as I have shew'd you before or of the traditions of the Gentiles which were quite and clean repugnant to Christianity but such as those we speak not of much less defend but onely those divine and Apostolicall traditions which we have received and must for ever continue in the Christian Church to the Eight I confesse the Church to be a Congregation of all the faithfull which are of the body of Christ but yet we know what is done by our Princes Peers and Commons assembled in Parliament is said to be done by the whole Nation so what the Prelates of the Church with those others that are chosen to sit with them in Councels shall determine is said to be done by the whole Church For otherwise the Church could never be Congregated then to what purpose did our Saviour say that in St. Matthew But if he will not hear thee tell the Church but if he shall not hear the Church let him be to thee as a
Micah 6.6 by pretended good works in this Pathetical expostulation Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow my self before the high God Shall I come before him with burnt offerings with Calves of a year old Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Rivers of oyl Shall I give my first-born for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul Then the Prophet concludes immediately He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God What can be more evident then this to shew that God Almighty requires nothing of a sinner but a faithfull returne to his Duty Where is then your pitifull satisfaction Our Saviour Jesus Christ did most sufficiently satisfie for our sins by his own most bitter passion and death as is abundantly clear in Scripture nor was his precious Passion sufficient only to take away the sins of the whole world which it may be you will willingly grant but also to take away the pains and punishments due to us for them for the Prophet I say affirms it thus surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows Isai 53.4 5. and again he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Thus it is plain aswell the punishment of sin as sin it self was taken away by him without any piece of our satisfaction required And Jesus Christ the great Physitian he always makes a perfect cure of sin and punishment what need then is there of our satisfaction That the Root and foundation of all these your doctrines is extreamly false and that Man hath no free-will at all is proved most plainly thus The Blessed Baptist assures us that man can receive nothing except it be given hipe from Heaven Saint James likewise tells us John 3.27 that every good gift and every perfect gift Jam. 1.17 is from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights c. Saint Paul yet more plainly 2 Cor. 3.5 that we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 1 Cor. 4.7 And to the same Corinthians saith What hast thou that thou didst not receive now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it With the truth of all these Texts how can your Doctrines of Free-Will stand 2. Rom. 9.19.16.18 Isa 63.17 Jerem. 10.23 Prov. 16.1 Prov. 30. Again Saint Paul to the Romans quctes the Words of the Lord to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion from thence draws an Argument himself against your Free-Will to then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will be hardneth what now will become of your Free-Will The Phophet Isaiah expostulates somewhat strangly with God about this O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and bardned our heart from thy fear What can man do then with his Free-Will 4th The Prophet Jeremy declares it for a truth of his own knowledge O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Solomon assures us likewise that the preparation of the heart in man Jerem. 10.23 Prov. 16.1 Prov. 20.24 and the answer of the Tongue is from the Lord and again mans goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way if he cannot understand it he can sure left direct it The Prophet Isay and S. Paul tells us Isay 45.9 Rom. 9.20 that it is an extravagant thing for the thing formed to say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus and the Apostle in the same Chapter says that God of his free grace and meer election faves some and not for any thing of their works or freewill that is exprelly said in the Text if it were not it would however follow from reason for otherwise grace would not be grace at all and then concludes as a foresaid that it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that giveth mercy what could be said more cleerly against your Churches doctrine Our Saviour tells his Apostles as three Evangelists do joyntly and severally assure us Mat. 10.19 Mark 13.11 Luke 12.11 that they should take no thought how or what they should speak for it should be given them in the same hour what they should speak for said he again it is not ye that speak but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you if then our ability be so short to speak how much less must it be to do his will S. Matthew again tells us in the same Chapter Mat. 14.29 how our Saviour argues the matter with them are not two sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your Father if a Sparrow fall not without him how shall a thought word or action of ours Our Saviour very positively concludes this point in S. Johns Gospel thus John 6.44 no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day what can poor we do then with all the strength of our will or works so I beseech the same Father to draw your Ladiship and all erring Christians to himself This paper my Lady had no sooner read but she sent a messenger with a letter back to Mrs. N. to thank her for the favour of her paper and to assure her of the best satisfaction she should be able to give to it but cheifly to defire her for the future to forbear Scholastick questions least by their little skill in those nicities they might before they were a ware engage themselves in Blasphemy or Heresie So Mrs. N. returned thanks to her Ladiship for her kind caution and promised to avoid all speculative disputes and to proceed upon things more morall and practicall with which the Lady was satisfied so fell to work upon the papers thus To what you alledge against our doctrine of goodworks and for your justification by faith alone I answer thus To the first We do humbly believe acknowledge and profess that the just must live by faith for faith is the foundation of the spirituall building Heb. 11. and the substance of all things hoped for as the Apostle tells us But what you do from thence gather of your faith alone is a meer tearing and a falsifying of all those texts out of the Prophets Apostles and Evangelists For it is no where said that the
just shall live by faith alone Now to believe truly in God according to the received use of Scripture is to adhere to him by love and this our Divines call a formed faith which can never be without charity as S. Paul most amply explains to his Galatians Gal. 5.6 For in Jesus Christ saith he neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love Here S. Paul assures us that it is not every faith that is sufficient to justifie us but onely that which worketh by love To the second You might be satisfied in this by the answer before but I shall adde that such a faith as that of the woman with the issue of blood and of the blinde men in the Gospel might obtain such a temporal benefit as the curing both of the one and the other I say temporal benefits may be procured by an unformed faith as the Romans and other Heathens have visibly found Gods blessings to follow them for their many virtues and this S. Paul intimates when he tells the Hebrews that by faith the Harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not when she received the spies with peace here was a good work too went along with her faith Heb. 11.31 Rom. 4. Heb. 11. And there is no doubt but an unformed faith accompanied with charity humility and devotion may obtain by grace a justification from sin and whosoever does believe in Jesus Christ that he can justifie a sinner it shall be imputed to him for righteousness for without faith it is impossible to please God To the third What you urge out of Genesis S. Paul and S. James is sufficiently explained and answered by the foregoing words of the said S. James 5.21.22 James was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered up Isaac his son upon the Altar seest thou how faith worketh with his works and by works was faith made perfect and in the verse immediately following that which you urge against us he concludes ye see there how that by works a man is justified Ver. 24. and not by faith onely for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also To the fourth What you urge out of S. Lukes Gospel is to be understood as the context shews of servants that do what they are commanded onely to do and that is but their duty and no thanks are due to them in like manner those that keep the commandments of God do but their duties our Saviour says nothing by your favour of those that observe the Evangelicall counsells as the building of religious houses giving our goods among the poor or mortifying of our bodies which you seem to draw into the same conclusion Besides as to the keeping of the commandements do you think the meaning of that text is that there is no merit at all due to that it cannot possibly be so understood must the case be the same between him that does his duty well and him that does it not at all for so it must be as you seem to understand it for at the worst they can be but unprofitable and at the best you would have them be so too and this would not onely throw confusion into all divinity but would be the destruction of all civil government and humane conversation It is true what our Saviour says when we have done all that is required of us we are unprofitable servants that is to him whom we serve we are unprofitable what does the Almighty and infinite creator get by the salvation of his creature nothing can be added to him But the text tells us not that in so doing we are unprofitable to our selves God forbid for that would be to discourage all virtue piety and Christianity it self To the fifth I answer perfectly as to your first for that text of S. John cannot be understood of a bare beliefe but such a one as is accompanied with charity for it is impossible that a good faith should be without it To the sixth I say you are most cleerly mistaken for charity is not a fruit of faith but a fruit of the spirit as indeed faith it self is no less as S. Paul instructs the Galatians Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace longsuffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance c. And that our Saviour taxeth Pharisaicall works for Hypocritical is granted who planted all their Religion in Ceremonies and neglected the weightier matters of the law which were the true good works and always commanded not censured by him Besides our Saviour chargeth us expresly in these words Mat. 5.16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven To the seventh and last To what you alledge first out of the Prophet Isaiah I answer that the Prophet there speaks comparatively between the righteousness of the Law and that of the Gospel for the legall purity compared to the Evangelicall is impurity it self as our righteousness compared to Gods is no righteousness so our Saviour tells us Luke 18. Mat. 19.17 that none is good but one that is God because our goodness compared to Gods goodness is no goodness is no goodness To your next text I answer that it onely infers that there is none so righteous but at sometimes sinnes not that a man when he does well sins Then to what you alledge out of the Psalms it is very plain that the prophet David begs of God that he would not judge him according to his own divine righteousness that is so absolutely pure and without sin for so saith he Psal 25.21 no flesh living can be justified for he saith in another Psalm let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee Last of all to what you urge so hard out of S. Paul to the Romans S. Paul himself answers in the beginning of the next Chapter There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death that is both from sin and the punishment of it Rom. 8. and so proceeds to shew that though there be a repugnancy in the Law of the flesh to the Law of the spirit yet they that mind the things of the spirit shall be judged accordingly and no sin imputed to them which I conceive clean contrary to the sence that you would impose upon the Apostle Now Mrs. N. I must desire you to give me leave to follow my former method and to return to you some Texts that as I conceive do expresly conclude our Churches doctrine which is that faith does not nor can suffice without works and that works are something in the sight of God that is meritorious of eternal life by the grace