Presbyterians c. have all for their Rule of Faith Scripture which each of them Interprets in a different Sense Luther for the Real Protestants for the Figurative Presence Protestants for Episcopacy Presbyterians against it and so of others And tho' each esteems his own sence to be the best yet none is so bold as to say that others may not be saved in their own Sence of it or deny them to be true Children of the Reformation nay that Venerable Synod of Charenton as I quoted above has declared that the Lutherans tho' opposite to them in their chief Tenets are their beloved Brethren and have nothing Idolatrous or Superstitious in their manner of Divine Worship The fundamental reason of all this is that our Rule of Faith is but Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it Ismael I grant all your Discourse as to this particular for it 's certain Lutherans will not admit Scripture as Interpreted by Pretestants but as Interpreted by themselves and so of each other Congregation Isaac If you admit our Rule is Scripture as each understands it then you must grant that our Doctrine of the Reformation is whatever Doctrine each Person of sound Judgment understands to be of Scripture and from this it appears plainly that my Principle whereat you boggl'd is true That whatever Doctrine is professed by any of our Congregations Synods Parliaments Doctors or particular Doctor of our Reformation is to be truly reputed and esteemed the Doctrine of our Reformation which Principle being true my discourse of Yesterday is undeniable That you may change Religion as often as you please and remain still a true Reformed Child Ismael But you have said that not only the Doctrine of each Congregation and Synod is the Doctrine of the Reformation but also whatever any one particular Doctor teaches and this seems to be very absurd Isaac It 's not so absurd as it 's true I 'll prove by the Principles of our Reformed Church by the testimonies of our most learned and best Doctors and Reformers and by reason and experience that the Doctrine of any particular Doctor among us has as much right to be called and esteemed the Doctrine of the Reformation as Protestancy Presbytery or Lutheranism for what is Lutheranism but the Judgment of Luther a particular Doctor against the whole Church of Rome What is Calvanism but what Calvin a particular Doctor judged to be the sence of Scripture against that same Church What is Quakerism but honest Naylor's Godly and Pious Sentiments upon Scripture It 's undeniably the Principle of our Reformed Church that our Rule of Faith is scripture as Interpreted not only by Synods or Congregations but by any Person of sound judgment in the Church No Congregation or Synod is to us a Rule of Faith because all are â—…llible but Gods written Word as each one understands it and if we do not like the sence of it delivered by any Council Synod or Congregation we may safely deny it Therefore our great Calvin says and proves with great Energy of Scripture and Reason that we are not obliged to the Decisions and Doctrine of any Council Synod or Congregation if after having examined Scripture we do find their Interpretation and Sense of it is conformable to the Word of God. Let Synods and Congregations say what they will if any particular Doctor thinks his own private Sence of it to be better he may stick to it against them all and be a good true Child of the Reformation as Arminius in Holland did withstand the Synods of Dordrecht and Delfe as Luther and Calvin did against Rome I will be free says our unparallel'd Proto-Apostle Luther I will not submit my self to the Authority of Councils Church Doctors Vniversities or Fathers but will teach and preach whatever I think to be true Did ever any Apostle speak with more Courage And the blessed Man acted with no less he knew full well the whole stream of Antiquity Doctors Fathers and Councils were against him as he confesses himself and did not care a rush for them all Lay aside says he call Arms of Orthodox Antiquity of Schools of Divinity Authority of Fathers Councils Popes and Consent of Ages we receive nothing but Scripture but so that we must have the Authority of Interpreting it Nor was it only Luther and Calvin spoke thus but all our first blessed Reformers and why because our Rule of Faith is Scripture not as interpreted by the Church of England France will not admit it nor as interpreted by the Quakers the Anabaptists and Independants will not hear it nor as interpreted by Luther Calvin rejects it nor as interprèted by Calvin Thorndike and Bramhall will not yield to it nor will Stillingfleet stand to their Interpretation nor others to that of Stillingfleet Finally our Rule of Faith is Scripture not as interpreted by any but as each Congregation Synod particular Doctor or Man of sound Judgment Interprets it and consequently whatever Doctrine any man of sound Judgment judges to be of Scripture is to be esteem'd the Doctrine of the Reformation and you may safely believe it if you like it and remain still as truly a Reformed Child as the proudest Protestant of England Ismael Can you prove that our Rule of Faith is Scripture as any particular Doctor or Person of sound Judgment understands it Isaac Behold how convincingly first we have heard Luther quoted but now say We receive nothing but Scripture but so as that we must have the Authority for to Interpret it Hear him again The Governours and Pastors have Power to teach but the Sheep must give their Judgment whether they propose the Voice of Christ or of Strangers And again Christ has taken from the Bishops Councils and Pastors the right of judging of Doctrine and given it to all Christians in General and the Rule is Scripture as each one will think fit to interpret it And consequently to this we have heard him say above I will be free and will not submit to Doctors Councils or Pastors but will teach whatever I think to be true Barlow The Apostles have given to each particular the Right and Power of Interpreting and Judging by his inward Spirit what is true it is needless that either Man or Angel Pope or Council should instruct you the Spirit working in the Heart and Scripture are to each particular Person most assured Interpreters Blison Bishop of Winchester says the same The People must be Discerners and Judges of what is Taught Our Religion has no other Rule of Faith says our French Reformation by the Mouth of Du Moulin Drelincourt and the Holy Synod of Charenton but the written Word of God as interpreted by us Lastly says the Church of England We have no other Rule of Faith but Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment in the Church understands it and what is proved by it And again in the Catholick Doctrine of the Church
Pax Vobis OR GOSPEL AND LIBERTY Against Ancient and Modern PAPISTS By a Preacher of the Word The fifth Edition Corrected and amended Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not entangl'd again with the Yoke of Bondage Popery Gal. c. 5. v. 1. Printed Anno Dom. 1687. The PREFACE to the CHILDREN of the REFORMATION BE not concerned to know whose hand it is which holds the Link but follow the light it gives Reach your hand to receive this Treatise which marks the shore where the Ark of our Reformation shatter'd by a deluge of troubles may rest which is a Holy liberty to all and each Person to believe or not believe act or not act as he pleases with a safe Conscience according to the Principles of our Reformation We generally lament the convulsions which shake our Church and State through the diversity of Opinions professed by our several Congregations some Remedies have been applied to bring us to Peace and Conformity but all have proved ineffectual some of our Doctors judge nothing can cure our disease but a General Council or Supream Authority to whose Sentence we should all submit but this besides that it is Popish to grant any human Power for to oblige our Consciences against our judgments in matters of Religion is but an imaginary Remedy for a real Evil For it 's not in the Reformation as in Popery in this there is a supream Authority for to convene the Pastors of divers Kingdoms to a general Council in our Reformation there is none Popery believes it's Councils and Popes infallible and therefore they cannot but acquiesce because an infallible Sentence leaves no doubt of the Truth but in the Reformation all Councils and human Authority are fallible and consequently their Decisions may be doubted of and we are never certain of the Truth Others judge the Remedy of our disease can be no other but Pills of Persecution penal Laws Acts of Parliament Ordinances of Synods forcing Men to Conformity but this has proved not only destructive to the peace of the Church but has shockt the very foundation of our Reformation for if we must believe under severe penalties what the State and Ecclesiastical Authority will have us believe then Scripture must be no more our Rule of Faith but the State and Church which tells me what I must believe and we must be deprived of the right and power of Interpreting Scripture and believing it in the sense we think to be true and yet our whole Reformation is cemented and was first raised upon this Holy Liberty that every one should read Scripture interpret it and believe whatever he thought was the true sense of it without any compulsion or constraint for to believe either Church State Vniversity or Doctors if we did not judge by Scripture his Doctrine was true If Prudence had as great a share in our Conduct as Passion we should regulate our future by the effects of our past actions and if we will cast an eye back to the transactions of later Years we shall find this compulsion of Mens Consciences has produced but confusion in our Church and fatal disturbances in our State contrarywise never did our Reformation enjoy more peace shin'd with more lustre and held its course with more happiness than when none was molested for his Profession but every one had liberty to believe and teach what Dectrine and Sense each one thought to be the most conformable to Scripture Consider the infancy of the Reformation when God raised Luther to repair the ruines of the Church how of a sudden it spred it self in Germany France Holland Poland Scotland and England and by what means Was it not by taking away all constraint of Mens Consciences used then only in the Popish Church our blessed Reformers taking to themselves and giving to others a Holy Liberty for to teach and believe whatever they judged to be the Doctrine and true Sense of Scripture tho it should be against the received opinion of the Councils Church Vniversities and Doctors Look into the Reign of Edward the VI. then did our Reformation flourish in England and was miraculously propagated by the Liberty of Martin Bucer Cranmer Ochinus Peter Martyr and others in teaching Calvinism Lutheranism Zuinglianism by Scripture as every one understood it Descend to the Reign of Queen Mary then the light of the Gospel was ecclipsed because the flock was again Popishly compelled to believe not what they judged by Scripture to be true but what the Pope and Church judged was such Come down a step lower to Queen Elizabeth's time then the flock recovering that Holy Liberty for to believe what each one thought was the Doctrine of Scripture the Reformation gained ground our several Congregations lived peaceably for tho Protestancy was establisht the Religion of the Land others were not oppressed nor their Liberty constrained by compulsions Step down a degree lower to King James his time the Reformation held its course as prosperously as in Queen Elisabeth's time because Mens Consciences were not oppressed all Reformed Brethren had full Liberty to believe as they pleased the Protestancy was the Religion of the King Look down a stop lower to King Charles the first 's Reign his Majesty carried with a Godly Zeal of restraining the diversity of Opinions begot by the Liberty enjoyed in his Predecessors times would by new Laws and Ordinances force the flock to an Vniformity of Doctrine but our zealous Brethren the Presbyterians impatient of any constraint in affairs of Religion and pleading for the Evangelical Liberty of our Reformation for to believe nothing nor use any Rites or Ceremonies but as each one judged by Scripture to be convenient they covenanted against his Majesty and Bishops and the Storm grew to that height that both Church and State were drown'd almost in the Blood of our Reformed Brethren lastly look upon our Realm as it is at present the symptoms of disatisfactions which you may read and hear in Coffee-Houses in publick and private Conversations the sparkles of Jealousies which appear in our Land the Cabals against our Government the animosity of divided Parties the murmur and complaints of all what 's all this but the smoke of that hidden fire of Zeal wherewith Protestants would force Presbyterians by penal Laws to Profess their Tenets Presbyterians exclaim against Protestancy as against Popery Quakers judge both to be limbs of Satan Anabaptists look on all three as Children of Perdition and no Congregation would give Liberty for to Profess any Tenets but its own in so much that if you consider all well each of our Congregations are as severe Tyrants over our judgments and Consciences as Popery was and our Reformation comes to be in effect but an exchange of one Italian Pope for many English ones For as in Popery we must submit our Judgments to the Pope and Church of Rome or be esteemed putrid rotten Members and be shut out of Heavens Gates and
of England Pag. 103. Which is but an Exposition of 39 Articles Our Rule of Faith is but Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment in the Church understands it Authority is given to the Church and to each Person of sound Judgment in it to judge in Controversies of Faith and this is not the the private Judgment of our Church but also of our Brethren of Foreign Countries Ismael I confess not only these but many other Doctors abet your discourse and the General Vogue of our Reformation is for Scripture as each one understands it but alas You see well that we can never settle any Religion or Church by such a Rule of Faith. Isaac You can never settle any but this That every Man may without let or hinderance believe what be pleases And why should not this be a good Religion If Scripture as each one understands it be not our Rule of Faith if we must be constrained to believe Scripture not as we understand it but as it is understood by this or that Congregation what difference betwixt us and Papists They must believe Scripture as Interpreted by the Pope and Councils have ever so much light from God be ever so wise and witty you must depose your own Judgment and submit to that of the Pope Council and Popish Church To this pass we are come also we must believe the Kings Supremacy Episcopacy Figurative Presence tho perhaps we do not Judge by Scripture it to be true Doctrine we are constrained by Penal Laws and and Acts of Parliament to believe them as Papists by their Inquisition and why Because the Church of England understands by Scripture it 's true and if you reply you do not Interpret Scripture so you 'll not be heard you must submit and believe against your Judgment and what 's this but plain Popish Tyranny over Mens Consciences Did Luther and Calvin forsake the Pope and Councils for to submit their Judgments to any other No but to follow Scripture as each one of them understood it And tho' Luther was a Man raised by God and replenish'd with his Spirit to repair the ruins of the Church yet Calvin did no more submit to him than Luther did to the Pope nor did Zuinglius submit to Calvin but followed his own sense of Scripture nor did Oeclampadius submit to Zuinglius but every one searched the Scripture believed and taught what they thought to be true and thus we became a Reformation of Popery If therefore we will continue a Reformation and walk by the Spirit of our blessed Reformers we must not be constrained to believe any Mans sense of Scripture We must believe whatever we think to be true and have no other Rule of Faith but Scripture as each one understands it Ismael And what then What do you infer from this discourse Isaac This consequence that whereas no true Child of the Reformation be he of what Congregation he will can justly deny our Rule of Faith to be Scripture as any person of sound Judgment Interprets it it follows unavoidably that the Doctrine of the Reformation is Whatever any person of Judgment Interprets to be the true sense of Scripture and whatever Luther Calvin Beza or any other of sound judgment in the Reformation since its first rise until this day taught to be the true sence of Scripture is to be called and esteemed the Doctrine of the Reformation tho' to this or that Congregation it may seem to be wicked and scandalous Doctrine And now let me answer to an Objection you made against this Principle in our entrance to this discourse You objected that many Popish Doctors and Casuists delivered scandalous and base Doctrines which the Papists will not admit to be the Doctrin of their Church tho' delivered by popish Doctors and thence you pretended that the particular sentiments of private Doctors of the Reformation are not to be called the Doctrin of our Church But be pleased to observe the difference betwixt Popery and our Reformation the Rule of Faith in Popery is Scripture as Interpreted by the Pope and Council or their Church they will admit no other consequently no Doctrin is to be called Popery but what is Judged by the Pope and his Church or Council to be the sense of Scripture and if any Doctor or University holds any sense contrary to theirs it is to be called the Doctrin of that particular person and not the Doctrin of the popish Church because their Rule of Faith is not Scripture as Interpreted by their Pope and Council But whereas our Rule of Faith in the Reformation is Scripture as each person of sound judgment Interprets it whatever Doctrin or Sense is said by any Man to be of Scripture is justly to be called the Doctrine of the Reformation For example Melancthon a Man of sound Judgmen great Learning and of an upright Conscience Taught Bigamy to be the Doctrine of Scripture Beza Taught the Lords Supper might be administer'd a in any kind of Victuals as well as in Bread and Wine Calvin Taught that Christ despaired on the Cross and suffer'd the pains of Hell after his Death Why then let all the Bishops and Universities of England condemn this Doctrine let all the Synods of France and Germany decry it the Doctrine will be still of the Reformation because it 's Scripture as Interpreted by Men of sound Judgment Ismael The heat of your discourse has tired you and my memory is sufficiently loaden with what you have said let me digest it in my private retirement and we will meet again Isaac Content carry with you these three points which I have proved convincingly First our Rule of Faith is Scripture not as Interpreted by this or that but by any Man of sound Judgment Secondly it follows hence that the Doctrine of the Reformation must be and ought to be called whatever any Man of sound Judgment says is the sense of Scripture Thirdly it follows we may change Religions as often as we please Third Dialogue ISMAEL I remember well the summary of your last discourse given me in three points and I find the second to be absurd and repugnant to reason you 'll never perswade it tho' you pleaded for it with great energy what if a silly Woman Cobler or other Tradesmen read Scripture and give their sense of it that forsooth must be called the Doctrine of the Reformation And it shall be lawful for them to believe it against the Doctrine of the whole Church Isaac Do not limit Gods infinite goodness by measuring his mercies towards his Creatures with your narrow apprehensions Take notice he says he has chosen the weak and contemptible of the World for to confound the strong ones I confess unto you Father that you have hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and hast revealed them to the little ones And there he choose poor simple Fishermen to his Apostles I know it 's the practice of Papists and from them your
not abuse this Liberty That we should have Liberty for to believe or deny Supremacy Figurative Presence Communion in one or both Kinds and such other inferiour Truths controverted among Christians and that each Congregation may in such Articles believe as it understands by Scripture to be true may pass and it 's practised in our Reformed Churches But that we should run so far as to have Liberty by our Rule of Faith to believe or deny the Fundamental and Chief Articles of Christianity as the Trinity Incarnation Divinity of Christ amp c. That Liberty ought not to be given Our Reformation very wisely and piously permits the Lutherans to believe one thing the Presbyterians another the Protestants another and so of the rest And all are true Reformed Children because each of them believes as they Judge by Scripture to be true But the Reformation has never given nor never will give Liberty to interpret Scripture against the fundamental Article of Christianity We must be moderate and keep our rambling Fancies within Compass and if any should judge and interpret Scripture in favour of any scandalous and abominable Tenets against Christianity and good Manners he must be checked and not commended This Moderation the Church of England uses and will never permit to the contrary Isaac I perceive a great deal of Popish Blood to run in your Veins and that if you and your Church of England were in Power at the beginning of our Reformation we should never have had a Luther Calvin Beza or such other noble and renowned Reformers By what I gather from your discourse I do not see the breadth of an Inch's difference betwixt the Church of Rome and you and your Church of England for the Church of Rome will not stick to grant that Gods Word alone is her Rule of Faith but so that none must believe any sense of it but as she believes it nor Interpret any Text but receive her Interpretation of it The Church of England has Scripture for her Rule of Faith and gives us Liberty for to Interpret Understand and Believe some Text of it as each one thinks best and so permits Presbyterians to deny Episcopacy Lutherans to deny Figurative Presence c. and confesses they are all her Brethren of the Reformation but she will give no Liberty at all for to Interpret other Texts but all must understand them as she does or all must Hereticks and damn'd Men No that Text My Father and I are one must be Interpreted to signifie the Unity In Nature of the Father and Son as the Church of England believes none must Interpret it otherwise So that the difference betwixt the Popish Church and that of England is the first gives us no Liberty at all the second gives us some Liberty the first robs us of all the second but the one half The Rule of Faith in Popery is Scripture as Interpreted by the Pope and Councils the Rule of Faith in England as to some Articles is Scripture as Interpreted by the Church of England and as to other Articles Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it And thus Protestants are but half Papists and half Reformed and both these ingredients will never make a good compound Let any unbyass'd and impartial Man Judge if the Church of England proceeds justly in this For if our Rule of Faith be Scripture as each Person of sound Judgment understands it as she mentions in her 39. Articles and as the whole Reformation believes if we are not to be constrained to believe any Church Council or Mans sense of Scripture if we do not Judge by the Word of God it 's true by what Authority Rule or Reason can the Church of England give me Liberty to understand and believe some Texts as I please and deny me Liberty for to understand and believe others as I Judge by Scripture they ought to be understood I pray observe well this Discourse here are Luther Calvin Beza Zuinglius and our other first Reformers they Interpret some Texts against the Doctrine of Rome and others against the Doctrine of the Church of England They are praised for the first and esteemed Apostolical Reformers because without any regard of what the Church of Rome said they freely taught and believed what they Judged by Scripture to be true why must not they be praised and esteemed true Reformers also for not regarding what the Church of England or any other says but teach the impossibility of Gods Commandments the sufficiency of Faith alone and all those other Tenets which you so much mislike since they Judge by Scripture that to be the true Doctrine Are they bound to submit their Judgments to the Church of England more than to that of Rome Ismael But in those Tenets they do not only contradict the Church of England but all Christian Churches and Congregations for all will say those are wicked and scandalous Doctrines Isaac And if they Judge by Scripture that those Tenets are not such but found and good Doctrine may not they believe them tho' all the World and ten Worlds did gainsay them Is not Scripture our Rule of Faith and are we to regard what any Church or all Churches say further than we find by Scripture that they say well But being these Tenets which you call horrid Blasphemies displease you I 'll change my discourse and because I see you are Popishly inclin'd I will shew you how by the Principles of our Reformation you can be as good a Papist as the Pope one Principle excepted wherein you must dissent from the Church of Rome if you intend to remain a true Reformed Child Ismael You promise too much and more than I desire to know I don't desire to have any Communication with the Pope I know by the Writings of our Authors what kind of Beast he is Isaac By your favour you may believe the Popes are Worthy Honest and Godly Men many Doctors of our Reformation and our Travellers to the Court of Rome give this Testimony of them You may also believe that Popes and Cardinals are Knaves and Atheists who look on Scripture as a Romance and deny the Incarnation of Christ for Calvin says so and would never have said it if it had not been true But beware not to speak so in Rome or they 'll lodge you where Honest Taylor the Quaker was nor in Spain or they 'll stop your Mouth with an Inquisition faggot Ismael I care not what the Pope or Cardinals are but I would gladly know what Religion and Congregation you are of for whereas you are my immediate Instructer it behoves me to know what Religion you have Isaac As to my Religion I doubt not but that my Readers will be divided in their Judgments of me if a Papist reads me he 'll swear I am an Atheist but I hope he will not pretend to be infallible as his Pope if a Protestant he 'll say I am a Papist and that my drift
believed by the Protestants and Popish Church we believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God of one and the same substance and nature with the Father they believe in a Jesus Christ Son of God but of a distinct and different nature and substance of the Father Isaac Pish That 's but a Nicety believe what you please and what you understand by Scripture to be true and have Charity Ismael I confess you have puzled but yet not wholly convinced me were I but perswaded that what you have discoursed is truly the Doctrin of the Reformation I would cheerfully embrace it and I will be better informed by your self but not tire your Patience We will meet again and pursue our Discourse upon this Subject Second Dialogue ISMAEL Reflecting in my Sollitude upon your last Discourse I find it bottom'd upon a false Principle for you suppose that whatever Doctrin is of Luther Calvin or any of your Learned Doctors Synods Parliaments or Congregations is the Doctrin of the Reformation and may without any more proof or scruple be believed by any Reformed Child who but sees this is ridiculous to fasten the Doctrin and absurd Opinions of each particular Doctor or Congregation upon the whole Body This is the uncharitable and unreasonable Art of the Papists who keep a great Coil with some exorbitant Opinions of Luther and Calvin and would perswade their Proselites they are the Tenets of the Reformation whereas the Reformation disclaims those Opinions as much as the Pope does And they do not poor People observe how many absurd and scandalous Doctrines we meet in their Casuists and Divines which when we reproach them with they answer It 's not the Doctrin of their Church but of some particular Doctors as if we might not with as much Justice as they answer the same Isaac Your Reflection is good and my discourse will fall to the ground if I do not prove that Principle which will be no hard task Let us imagine we are here a full Synod of Protestants Presbyterians Hugonots Lutherans Antitrinitarians Anabaptists Quakers and of all and each of our Congregations our Reformation is not any of these Congregations with an exclusion of the rest but all of them joyntly for whatsoever Congregation would say it self alone is the Reformation and no other would be hiss'd at by the rest and justly because that our Reformation imports two points essentially First a Profession of Christianity according to the Rule of the Word of God and a Detestation or Abjuration of Popish Errors and none of these Congregations but does both Ismael I know some of these Pharisee-like despise others and look upon them not as Reformed but as putrid Members but the Lord forbid I should be so void of Charity I see no just chalenge any can have to the Title of Reformation which all have not Isaac Let us ask this Synod by what Rule of Faith does the Reformation walk What must a Man believe for to be a true Reformed Protestants will say that Scripture and Apostolical Tradition but Protestants say of Papists and Presbytarians and Anabaptists say of Protestants that many humane Inventions are obtruded upon us as Apostolical Traditions that we have no way to discern the one from the other and consequently Tradition as being an unknown thing unto us cannot be our Rule others will say that Scripture and the indubitable Consequences out of it is our Rule all will grant this but then enters the Controversy if the Consequences of Lutherans be such and if the Consequences of Presbyterians be indubitable out of Scripture and each Congregation will say that their peculiar Tenets are indubitable Consequences out of Scripture and the rest must allow it to be true or deny such a Congregation to be of the Reformation Others will say that Scripture and the four first general Councils with the Apostles and Athanasius's Creed are our Rule of Faith but most of the Assembly will no more admit the four first than the subsequent Councils nor Athanasius's Creed more than that of Trent nor will the Quakers Socinians and others value the Apostles Creed But there is none of all the Assembly who will not admit Scripture that 's the pure written Word of God to be a sacred and full Rule of Faith because it 's replenished with divine Light and all heavenly instruction necessary for our Salvation And such as add as a part of our Rule of Faith the Apostles or Athanasius's Creed or the four first general Councils they will confess that all they contain is expressed in Gods written Word and are but a plainer or more distinct expression or declaration of the Contents of Scripture Ismael Truly I must grant you this that I have been often present at several discourses of Protestants with Papists and never could I hear a Protestant make Councils Tradition or any thing else the Test of their Discourse but only Scripture not but that I could hear them say and pretend in their Discourses that Apostolical Tradition and the four first Councils were for them against Popery but still their main strength and ultimate refuge was Scripture for whenever they harp upon that string of Tradition and Councels the Papists are visibly too hard for them and then they run to Scripture than which there is no plus ultra I have been also often at several discourses betwixt Protestant Presbyterians and our Brethren of other Congregations I have observed that the Protestant for to defend his Liturgy Rights and Ceremonies of the Church of England and her Episcopacy against the others could never defend himself by Scripture alone and plac'd his main Strength against them in Tradition Primitive Councils and ancient Fathers all which the other rejected and reproached the Protestant with Popery for making use of that Weapon that if they would stick to those Principles as their Rule of Faith they must admit many Tenets of Popery which they disavow that nothing but Scripture is a sufficient Warrant and Rule of Faith And I find by all I could ever well understand that 's the General apprehension and belief of all the Reformation that Scripture abundantly contains all we are obliged to believe and is our sole and only Rule of Faith and that our recourse to Tradition Councils Fathers c. are but shifts of some of our Doctors who being Non-plust in their particular Engagements and Sophistries patch the incoherency of their discourses with these rags of Popery Isaac I commend your Ingenuity but not that heat which transports you to check our Doctors for their Glosses and particular Doctrines upon Scripture which as the Manna relished of all sorts of Victuals which the Eater fancied admits several sences according to the different Spirits and measure of light that God gives to the Reader and it is undoubtedly the Spirit of the Reformation to follow what sense of it he likes best and not to check others following this or that as they please Lutherans Protestants
could not be Christ the Son of God because he wanted providence and upon this reflection he renounced Christ and became a Jew And no man can say but that he acted and behaved himself like a true Child of the Reformation in so doing for he followed Scripture as he understood it and as he was a true Reformed Child in forsaking Popery because he understood by Scripture that the Reformation was better so since he understood by reading Scripture more that Judaism was better than the Reformation he acted like a good Reformed in chusing that which he understood by Scripture to be the best this is the Reformations Rule of Faith do you if you please as he did and you 'll be as good a Reformed as he And if you chuse to believe that there is a Church establisht on earth by Christ you must beware never to believe or perswade your self that we are bound to believe her Doctrin or live in her if you do not judge by Scripture that she teaches the Doctrin of Christ This is the most essential point of Popery an obligation of submitting our judgments to the Church and believing her Doctrin without any more examining and in this the Church of England is much like the Popish Church which by Acts of Parliaments and other severities would oblige all men to believe her Doctrin Rites and Ceremonies No God has given us Scripture for our Rule of Faith as we forsook the Popish Church because we discovered by Scripture her many Errours in Doctrin so we are not bound to believe the Doctrin of any other Church but as we find by Scripture her Doctrin is true Do and speak as Luther to 1. Edit Jen. in Resolut I will be free and will not submit to the Authority of Councils Popes Church or Vniversity to the contrary I will confidently teach whatever I Judge to be true whether it be Catholick Doctrin or Heretical condemned or approved Ismael Must I not believe that the Doctrin of Jesus Christ delivered to his Apostles and the Church is true Doctrin Isaac The Reformation teaches it is and you may safely believe it You may as safely believe it is not in the Principles of the Reformation because it teaches that Christ err'd in Doctrin and Manners Vere Pharisaei erant viri valde boni says Luther and Christus minime debuit eos taxare and Calvin says it 's a folly to think he was not ignorant in many things lastly David Georgius a Man of God and of a holy life says Osiander writes If the Doctrin of Christ and his Apostles had been true and perfect the Church which they planted had continued but now it is manifest that Antichrist has subverted it as it 's manifest in Papacy therefore it was false and imperfect See these words quoted in the History of David George Printed by the Divines of Basil at Antwerp Anno. 1568 both Doctrines are Scripture as interpreted by Men of sound Judgment a Child of the Reformation may believe which he will. Ismael Is it not the Doctrin of the Reformation that the Apostles were infallible in their Doctrin much more must we believe that Jesus Christ was so Isaac Yes it is you may believe it and it 's also the Doctrin of the Reformation that they were not infallible neither in their written or unwritten Doctrin so many of our most renowned Doctors speak and whatever any Men of sound Judgment Judge to be true by Scripture is the Doctrin of the Reformation Zuinglius one of the greatest Oracles of our Church says It 's a great ignorance to believe any infallible Authority in the Gospels or Epistles of the Apostles Beza not inferiour to Zuinglius blotted out of St. John the History of the Woman Adulteress Judging it a fable Clebitius affirms that Luke's relation of Christ's passion is not true because it does not agree with that of Matthew and Mark and more credit is to be to two than to one Calvin says Peter consented to and added to the Schism of the Church to the overthrow of Christian liberty and Christ's Grace Whitaker says It 's evident that after the Descent of the Holy Gospel the whole Church even the Apostles erred and Peter erred in Doctrin and manners Luther says Peter lived and taught extra Verbum Dei and Brentius his Disciple say that Peter and Barnabas together with the Church of Jerusalem erred after receiving the Holy Ghost If our Rule of Faith be Scripture as each person of sound Judgment understands it undoubtedly this must be the Doctrin of the Reformation and may be believed by any Reformed since it's Scripture interpreted by such renowned men Ismael This is most wicked Doctrin I 'll never believe it Isaac If you think by Scripture it 's wicked do not follow your Rule of Faith Scripture as you understand it but if any other understands by Scripture as those Authors did that the Doctrin is good give him leave to believe it he 'll but follow his Rule of Faith Scripture as he understands it Ismael I would gladly know which are the true Canonical Books of Scripture Isaac The Reformation teaches and you may believe with the Church of England that St. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews those of James and Jude the 2. of St. Peter the 2. and 3. of St. John are true Canonical Scripture the Reformation also teaches they are not Canonical because Lutherans deny them believe which you like best But if you 'll live in peace and out of all strife with Protestants Lutherans and others who dispute if this or that be Canonical Scripture your readiest and speediest way will be to say there 's no true Canonical Scripture Scripture is no more to be regarded than other pious Books if you say this is not the Doctrin of the Reformation read Hossias de expresse Verbo Dei lib. de Har. where he relates this to be the Doctrin of the Swinfeldians as good Reformers as the best of us they say that we are not to regard any Instruction from Man or Book but Gods immediate inspiration which speaks secretly to our hearts for which they alledge those comfortable words of the Prophet I will hear what my Lord my God speaks in me for say they the Book which we call Scripture is a Creature and we must not seek for light and instruction from any Creature but from God the Father of Lights This is Scripture as interpreted by Men of sound Judgment any Child of the Reformation may believe it Ismael I thought to settle my mind in my choice of some Religion and you go the way to beat me from all for if you renverse the Authority of Scripture what warrant shall we have for any Religion God forbid the Reformation should deny the true Canon or the infallible truth of Scripture and let all the world say the contrary I will constantly aver and believe it's Gods infallible word Isaac How