PAX VOBIS OR GHOSPELL AND LIBERTIE AGAINST ANCIENT AND MODERN PAPISTS BY E.G. PREACHER OF THE WORD DEDICATED TO THE RIGHT HON BLE THE LORD HALYFAX Stand fast in the Libertie wherewith Christ hath made vs free and be not entangl'd again with the yoke of bondage Popery Gal. c. 5. v. 1. Anno 1679. THE PREFACE TO THE CHILDREN OF THE REFORMATION BE not concern'd to know whose hand it is which holds the link but follow the light it gives 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 acording 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 som remedies have bin applied to bring vs to Peace and conformity but all have proved ineffectual som of our Drs 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 jugdments 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 diverse Kingdoms to a general Council in our Reformation there is none Popery believes its 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 vs 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 it to be the true and yet our whole Reformation is cemented and was first raised vpon this Holy Libertie That every one should reade 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 Universitie or Dr. if wee did not judge by Scripture his Doctrin was true If Prudence had as great a share in our Conduct as Passion wee should regulat our future by the effects of our past actions and if wee will cast an eye back to the transactions of later years we will 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 euery one had libertie to believe and teach what Doctrin and sense each one thought to be the most conformable to Scripture Confider the infancy of the Reformation when God raised Luther to repair the ruins of the Church how of a suddain it spred it self in Germany France Holland Poland Scotland and England and by what means was it not by takeing away all constraint of mens Consciences vsed then only in the Popish Church our blessed Reformers takeing to themselves and giving to others a Holy libertie for to teach and believe what ever they judged to be the Doctrin and true Sense of Scripture tho it should be against the received opinion of the Councils Church Universities and Drs. look into the Reign of Edward the VI. then did our Reformation florish 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 vnderstood it Descend to the reing of Queen Marie then the light of the Ghospel was eclypsed 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 Com down a step lower to Queen Elizabeths time then the flock recouering that holy liberty for to believe what each one thought was the Doctrin 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 prosperoussy as in Queen Elizabeths time because mens consciences were not oppressed all Reformed Brethren had full libertie to believe as they pleased tho Protestancy was the Religion of the King look down a step lower to king Charles the first 's reign his Matie carried with a godly zeale 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 Uniformity of Doctrin but our zealous Brethren the Presbyterians impatient of any constraint in affairs of Religion and pleading for the Evangelical Libetty of our Reformation for to believe nothing nor vse any Rites or Ceremonies but as each one judged by Scripture to be convenient they covenanted against his Majestie 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 looke vpon our Realm as it is at present the symptom◠of disatisfactions which you may read and hear in the Coffie houses in public and privat conversations the sparkle◠of jealousies which appear in our land the Cabals against our gouernment the animositie of deuided parties the murmur and complaints of all what 's all this but the smoke of that hidden fire of zeale wherwith Protestants would force Presbytherians by penal Laws to profess their Tenets Presbyterians exclaim against Protestancy as against Popery Quakers judge both to be limbs o◠Satan Anabaptists look on all three as Children of Perdition and no Congregation would give libertie for to profess any Tenets but its owne in so much that if you consider all well each of our Cōgregations are as severe Tyrants ouer 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
in the Catholic Doctrin of the Church of England pag. 103. which is but an exposition of the 39. Articles Our Rule of faith is but Scripture as each Person of sound judgment in the Church vnderstands 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 privat judgment of our Church but also of our Brethren of forreign Countries Ismael J confess not only these but many other Drs abet your discourse and the General Vogue of our Reformation is for Scripture as each one vnderstands it but alas you see well that wee can never settle any Religion or Church by such a Rule of faith Isaac You can never settle any but rhis That every man may without leâ— or hinderance believe what he please and why should not this be a good Religion if Scripture as each one vnderstands it be not our Rule of faith if we must be constrained to believe Scripture not as wee vnderstand it but as it is vnderstood by this or that Congregation whâ— difference betwixt vs and Papists They must believe Scripture as interpreted by the Pope and Councilâ— have ever so much light from God be ever so wise and witty you muâ— depose your own judgment aâ— submit to that of the Pope Counciâ— and Popish Church to this pass â— are come also wee must believe tâ— kings supremacie Episcopacy Fâ—gurative presence tho perhaps we dâ— not judge by Scripture it be trâ— Doctrin wee are constrained by Penal laws and Acts of Parliament tâ— believe them as Papists by the Inquisition and why because thâ— Church of England vnderstands bâ— Scripture its true and if you replâ— you do not interpret Scripture sâ— you 'l not be heard you must submiâ— and believe against your judgment and what 's this but plain Popish Tyrany ouer 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 vnderstood it and tho Luther was a man raysed by God and replenisht 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 Oecolampadius 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 first blessed Reformers wee must not be constrained to believe any mans sense of Scripture we must believe whateuer we think to be true and have no other Rule of faith but Scripture as each one vnderstands it Ismael And what then what do you inferr from this discourse Isaac This consequence that wheras no true Child of the Reformation be he of what Congregation you will can justly deny our Rule of faith to be Scripture as any Person of sound judgment interprets it it follows vnauoidably that the Doctrin of the Reformation is Whatever any Person of sound 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 ryse vntill this day taught to be the true sense of Scripture is to be called and esteemed the Doctrin of the Reformation tho to others of this or that Congregation it may seem to be wicked and scandalous Doctrin And now let me answer to an objection you made against this Principle in our entrance to this discourse you objected that many Papish Drs and Casuists delivered scandalous and base Doctrins which the Papists will not admit to be the Doctrin of their Church tho deliverd by Papish Drs and thence you pretended that the particular sentiments of privat Drs 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 Dr or Universitie 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 any Person of sound judgment but as interpreted by their Pope and Council But wheras 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 Doctrin of the Reformation for example Melancton a man of sound judgment great learning and of an vpright conscience taught Bigamy to be the Doctrin of scripture Beza taught the Lords supper might be administer'd in any kind of victuals as well as in bread and wine Calvin taught that Christ despaired on the Cross and suffered the pains of hell after his death why then let all the Bishops and Universities of England condemn this Doctrin let all the Synods of France and Germany decry it the Doctrin will be still of the Reformation because its Scripture as interpreted by men of sound judgment Ismael The heate of your discourse has tyred you and my memorie iâ— sufficiently loaden with what yoâ— have said let me digest it in my privat retirement and wee will meeâ— again Isaac Content carrie with yoâ— these three points which I have proved convincingly first our Rule of faith is Scripture not as interpreted by this or that but by anâ— man of sound judgment secondly iâ— follows hence that the Doctrin of thâ— Reformation must be and ought to be called whatever any man of sound judgment saies is the sense of scripture thirdly it follows wee may change Religions as often as wee please III. 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 'l neuer perswade it tho you have pleaded for it with great energy what if a silly Woman Cobler or other tradesman reade Scripture and giue their sense of it that forsooth must be called the Doctrin of the Reformation and it shall be lawfull for them to believe it against the Doctrin of the whole Church Isaac Do not limit Gods infinit goodness by measuring his mercies towards his Creatures with your narrow apprehensions take notice he saies he has chosen the weake and contemptible of the world for to confound the strong ones I confess vnto you Father that you have hid thesâ— things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to the little ones And therefore he choosed poore simple
liberty that wee should have libertie for to believe or deny supremacy figurative Presence Communion in one or both kinds and such other inferior Truths controverted among Christians and that each Congregation may in such Articles believe as it vnderstands by Scripture to be true may pass and it s practis'd in our Reformed Churchs But that wee should run so farr as to have libertie by our Rule of faith to believe or deny the Fundamental and chief Articles of Christianity as the Trinity Incarnation Divinity of Christ c. that libertie ought not to be giuen our Reformation very wisely and piously permits the Lutherans to believe one thing the Presbyterians an other the Protestants an other 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 neuer giuen not neuer will giue liberty to interpret Scripture against the fundamental articles of Christanity wee must be moderat and keep our rambling fancies within compass and if any should judge and interpret Scripture in favor of any scandalous and abominable Tenets against Christianity and good Manners he must be checkt and not commended this moderation the Church of England vses and will never permit the contrary Isaac J percevie a greate deale of Popish blood to run in your veins and that if you and your Church of England were in pâ—ower at the beginning of our Reformation wee should neuer have had a Luther Calvin Beza or such other noble and renowned Reformers by what J gather from your discourse J do not see the breth of an inchs 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 vs libertie for to interpret vnderstand and believe som texts 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 libertie at all for to interpret other Texts but all must vnderstand them as she does or all must be heretiks and damn'd men No that text My father and I are one must be interpreted to signifie the Unitie 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 giues vs no liberty at all the second giues us som libertie the first robs vs of all the second but of 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 som Articles is Scripture as interpreted by the Church of Enggland and as to other Articles Scripture as each Person of sound judgment vnderstands it and thus Protestants are but half Papists and half Reformed and both these ingredients will never make a good compound Let any vnbyass'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 vnderstands it as she mentions in her 39. Articles and as the whole Reformation believes if wee are not to be constraind to believe any Church Council or mans sense of Scripture if wee do not judge by the Word of God its true by what authority Rule or reason can the Church of England give me libertie to vnderstand and believe som texts as J please and deny me libertie for to vnderstand and believe others as J judge by Scripture they ought to be vnderstood J pray observe well this discourse heer are Luther Calvin Beza Zuinglius and our other first Reformers they interpret som texts against the Doctrin of Rome and others against the Doctrin 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 saies 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 Doctrin 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 Churchs and Congregations for all will say those are wicked and scandalous Doctrin Isaac And if they judge by Scripture that those Tenets are not such but sound and good Doctrin may not they believe them tho all the world and ten worlds did gainsay them is not Scripture our Rule of faith and are wee to regard what any Church or all Churchs say further than wee 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 inclined J will shew you how by the Principles of our Reformation you can be as good a Papist as the Pope one principle excepted wherin 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 J desire to know J 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 favor you may believe the Popes are worthy honest and godly men many Drs. of our Reformation and our Travellers to the Court of Rome give this testimonie of them you may also believe that Popes and Cardinals are knaves and Atheists who looke on Scripture as a Romance and deny the Incarnation of Christ for Calvin saies so and would never have said it if it had not been true but beware not to speake so in Rome or they 'l lodge you where honest Taylor the Quaker was nor in Spain or they 'l stop your mouth with an Inquisition faggot Ismael J care not what the Pope or Cardinals are but J would gladly know what religion and Congregation you are of for wheras you are my immediat instructor it behoues me to know what religion you have Isaac As to my Religion I doubt not but that my Readers will be devided in their judgments of me if a Papist reades me hee 'l sweare I am an Atheist but J hope he will not pretend to be infallible as his Pope if a Protestant hee l say I am a Papist and that my drift is to cast
commonly believed by the Protestans 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 from the Father Isaac Pish that 's but a nicetie believe what you please and what you vndestand by Scripture to be true and have charitie Ismael I confess you have puzzled but yet not wholy convinced me were I but perswaded that what you have discoursed is truly the Doctrin of the reformation J would cheerfully embrace it and J will be better informed by your self but not tyre your patience we will meet again and pursue our Discours vpon this subject II. DIALOGUE ISMAEL Reflecting in my solitude vpon your last discours J find it bottom'd vpon a fals principle for you suppose that what euer Doctrin is of Luther Calvin or any of our Learned Drs 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 Dr or Congregation vpon the whole body this is the vncharitable and vnreasonable art of the Papists who keep a great coyl with som exorbitaÌ„t opinions of Luther and Calvin and would perswade their Proselyts they are the Tenets of the Reformation wheras the Reformation disclaims those opinions as much as the Pope does and they do not poore people observe how many absurd and scandalous Doctrins we meet in their Casuists and Divins which when we reproach them with they answer it s not the Doctrin of their Church but of som particular Drs as if we might not with as much justice as they answer the same Isaac Your reflection is good and my discours will fall to ground if I do not prove that principle which will be no hard task Let vs imagin we are heere 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 ioyntly for whatsoeuer Congregation would say it self alone is the Reformation and no other would be hiss'd at by the rest and iustly because that our Reformation imports two points essentialâ—y first a Profession of Christianitie according 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 som of these Pharisee like despise others and Looke upon them not as Refâ—rmed but as putrid members but the Lord forbid I should be so deuoid of charitie I see no just challenge any can have to the Title of Reformation which all haue not Isaac Let vs 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 Presbyterians and Anabaptists say of Protestants that many human inventions are obtruded upon vs as Apostolical Traditions that we have no way to discern the one from the other and conâ—â—quently Tradition as being an vnknown thing vnto vs 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 Controversie 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 Creeds are our Rule of faith but most of the assembly will no more admit the four first than the subsequent Councils nor Athanasius his 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 replenisht with Divin light and all Heavenly instruction necessarie for our saluation and such as ad as a part of our Rule of faith the Apostles or Athanasius his Creeds or the four first General Councils they will confess that all they containe 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 severall discourses of Protestants with Papists and never yet could I heare a Protestant make Councils Tradition or any thing els the Test of their discours but onely scripture not but that I could heare 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 vltimat refuge was Scripture for when ever they harp vpon that string of Tradition and Councils the Papists are visibly too hard for them and then they run to Scripture than which there is no plus vltra I have been also often at severall discourses betwixt Protestans Presbyterians and our brethren of other Congregations and have observed that the Protestant for to defend his lyturgie Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England and her Episcopacy against the others could never defend himself by scripture alone and placed his main strength against them in Tradition Primitive Councils and ancient Fathers all which the others rejected and reproached the Protestant with Popery for making vse of that weapon that if thy 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 vnderstand that its the General apprehension and belief of all the Reformation that Scripture abundantly contains all we are obliged to believe and is our sole and adequat Rule of faith and that our recours to Tradition Councils Fathers c. are but shifts of some of our Drs. who being Non plust in their particular engagements and Sophistries patch the incoherencie of their discours with these raggs of Popery Isaac I commend your ingenuity but not that heate which transports you to check our Drs for their glosses and particular Doctrins vpon Scripture which as the Manna relisht of all sorts of Victuals which the Eaterâ— fancied admits several senses according the different spirits and measure of light that God gives to the Reader and it is vndoubtedly the the Spirit of the Reformation to follow what sense of it he likes best and not to check others for following this or that as
they please Lutherans Protestants 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 sense to be the best yet none is so bold as to say the others may not be saved in their own sense of it or deny them to be true Children of the Reformation nay that Venerable Synod of Charenton as I quoted aboue has declared that the Lutherans tho opposit to them in their chief Tenets are their beloved Brethren and have nothing Idolatrous or superstitious in their manner of Divin worship the fundamental reason of all this is that our Rule of faith is but Scripture as each Person of sound judgment vnderstands it Ismael I grant all your discourse as to this particular for its certain Lutherans will not admit Scripture as interpreted by Protestants but as interpreted by themselves and so of each other Congregation Isaac If you admit our Rule is Scripture as each vnderstands it then you must grant that our Doctrin of the Reformation is whateuer Doctrin each Person of sound judgment vnderstands to be of Scripture and from this it appears plainly that my Principle wherat you bogl'd is true That whateuer Doctrin is professed by any of our Congregations Synods Parliaments Drs. or particular Dr. of our Reformation is to be truly reputed and esteemed the Doctrin of the Reformation which Principle being true my discourse of yesterday is vndeniable that you may change religions as often as you please and remain still a true Reformed Child Ismael But you haue said that not only the Doctrin of each Congregation and Synod is the Doctrin of the Reformation but also whateuer any one particular Doctor teachs and this seems to be very absurd Isaac It 's not so absurd as it is true I 'l prove by the Principles of our Reformed Church by the testimonies of our most Learned and Best Drs. and Reformers and by reason and experience that the Doctrin of any particular Doctor among vs has as much right to be called and esteemed the Doctrin of the Reformation as Protestancy Presbytery or Lutheranism for what is Lutheranism but the judgment of Luther a particular Dr against the whole Church of Rome what is Calvinism but what Calvin a particular Dr judged to be the sense of Scripture against that same Church what is Quakery but honest Naylor's godly and pious sentiments vpon Scripture It s vndeniably 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 vs a Rule of faith because all are fallible but Gods Written Word as each one vnderstands it and if wee do not like the sense of it delivered by any Council Synod or Congregation wee may safely deny it therefore our great Calvin saies and proues with great energy of Scripture and reason that we are not obliged to the Decisions and Doctrin of any Council Synod or Congregation if after hauing examined Scripture we do not 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 privat sense 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 Dordreet and Delpht as Luther and Calvin did against Rome I will be free saies our vnparalleld Proto-Apostle Luther I wil◠not submit my self to the authority of Councils Church Drs Vniuersities or Fathers but will teach and preach whateuer I think to be true Did ever any Apostle speake with more courage and the blessed man acted with no less he knew full well the whole Stream of antiquity Drs Fathers and Councils were against him as he confesses himself and dit not care a rus◠for them all Lay aside saies he ◠arms of Orthodox antiquity of School◠of Diuinity authority of Fathers Councils Popes and consent of ages we receiue nothing but Scripture but s◠that we must haue 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 a interpreted by the Church of England France will not admit it nor as interpreted by the Quakers the Anabaptists and Independents will not heare it nor as interpreted by Luther Calvin rejects it nor as interpreted by Calvin Thorndic and Bramhal 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 Dr or man of sound judgment interprets it and consequently what ever Doctrin any man of sound judgment judges to be of Scripture is to be esteemed the Doctrin of the Reformation and you may safely believe it if you like it and remain still as truely a Reformed Child as the proudest Protestant of England Ismael Can you prove that our Rule of faith is Scripture as any particular Dr or person of sound judgment vnderstands it Isaac Behold how convincingly first wee have heard Luther quoted but now say We receive nothing but Scripture but so as that we must have the authority for t◠interpret it hear him again Th◠Governors and Pastors haver powe t◠teach but the sheep must give thei◠judgment whether they propose the voy◠of Christ or of strangers And again Christ has taken from the Bishops Councils and Pastors the right of judging of Doctrin and given it to all Christians i◠General and the Rule is Scripture ◠each one will think fit to interpret i◠And consequently to this wee hav◠heard him say aboue I will be fi◠and will not submit to Drs Councils ◠Pastors but will teach whatever think to be true Barlow The Apostles have given to each particular t◠Right and power of interpreting a◠judging by his inward spirit what i◠True its needless that either man ◠Angel Pope or Council should instru◠you the spirit working in the heart an◠Scripture are to each particular person mo◠assured interpreters Bilson Bishop o◠Wincester saies the same The peopl◠must be discerners and judges of wha◠is taught Our Religion has no othe◠Rule of faith saies our French Reformation by the mouth of Dumoulin Drelincourt and the holy Synod of Charenton but the Written Word of God as interpreted by vs. Lastly saies the Church of England in the 6th Art of their 39. We have no other Rule of faith but Scripture as each person of sound judgment in the Church vnderstāds it and what is proved by it and again
establisht it could not be Christ the son of God because he wanted prouidence and vpon this reflexion he renounced Christ and became a Jew And no man can say but that he acted and behaued himself like a true Child of the Reformation in so doing for he followed scripture as he vnderstood it and as he was a true Reformed Child in forsaking Popery because he vnderstood by Scripture that the Reformation was better so since he vnderstood by reading Scripture more that Judaism was better than the Reformation he acted like a good Reformed in chosing that which he vnderstood by Scripture to be the best this is the Reformations Rule of faith do you if you please as he did and you 'l be as good a Reformed as he And if you choose to believe that there is a Church establisht on earth by Christ you must beware never to believe or perswade yourself that wee are bound to believe her Docctrin or live in her if you do not judge by scripture that she teachs 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 examin 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 vs scripture for our Rule of faith as wee forsook the Popish Church because wee discouered by Scripture her many Errors in Doctrin so wee are not bound to believe the Doctrin of any other Church but as wee find by scripture her Doctrin is true Do and speake 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 Catholic Doctrin or hereticall condemned or approued 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 eâ—ant viri valde boni saies Luther Christus minime debuit eos taxare and Calvin saies it s a folly to think he was not ignoranâ— in many things lastly David Georgius a Man of God and of a holy life saies 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 impeâ—fect See these words quoted in the historie of David George printed by the Divins of Basile at Antwerp an 1568. both Doctrins 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 wee 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 vnwritten Doctrin so many of our most renowned Drs speake 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 saies It 's a great ignorance to believe any infallible authority in the Ghospels or Epistles of the Apostles Beza not inferiour to Zuinglius blotted out of S. John the historie of the Woman Adulteress judging it a fable Clebitius affirms that Luk's relation of Christ's passion is not true because it does not agree with that of Mathew and Mark and more credit is to be given to two than to one Calvin saies Peter consented to and added to the schism of the Church to the ouerthrow of Christian liberty and Christ's Grace Whitaker sais It 's evident that after the Descent of the Holy G. the whole Church even the Apostles erred and Peter erred in Doctrin and Manners Luther saies Peter liued and taught extra Verbum Dei and Brentius his disciple saies that Peter and Barnabas togither with the Church of Ierusalem erred after receiving the H. Ghost If our Rule of faith be Scripture as each Person of sound judgment vnderstands it vndoubtedly this must be the Doctrin of the Reformation and may be believed by any Reformed since its Scripture interpreted by such renowned men Ismael This is most wicked Doctrin I 'l never believe it Isaac Jf you think by Scripture its wicked do not follow your Rule of faith Scripture as you vnderstand it but if an other vnderstands by scripture as those authors did that the Doctrin is good give him leave to believe it hee 'l but follow his Rule of faith Scripture as he vnderstands it Ismael I would gladly know which are the true Canonical bookes of scripture Isaac The Reformation teachs and you may believe with the Church of England that S. Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews those of James and Jude the 2. of S. Peter the 2. and 3 of S. John are true Cononical Scripture the Reformation also teachs they are not Canonical because Lutherans deny them believe which you like best But if you l ' live in peace and out of all strife with Protestants Lutherans and others who dispute if this or that be Canonical Scripture your rediest and speediest way will be to say ther 's no true Canonical Scripture Scripture is no more to be regarded than other pious bookes if you say this is not the Doctrin of the Reformation reade Hossius de expresso Verbo Dei lib. de Haer. where he relates this to be the Doctrin of the Swiâ—feldians as good Reformeds as the best of vs they say that wee are not to regard any instruction from man or book but Gods immediat inspiration which speakes secretly to our hearts for which they alleadge those comfortable words of the prophet I will hear what my Lord my God speakes in me for say they the book which we call Scripture is a creature and we must not seeke 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 choyce of som Religion and you go the way to beate me from all for if you renvers the authority of Scripture what warrant shall wee haue 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 revere and believe it's Gods infallible