as they finde it in the written word of the old and new Testament as they make that and that only the Rule of their faith and obedience and no unwritten word or Traditions Councells or Fathers no farther than they are grounded upon the written word contained in the holy Bible And this the Church of England hath good warrant to do from Christs both precept and example and from both the Prophets and Apostles practice John the 5. v. the 39. Search the Scriptures saith Christ for in them yee thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testify of mee And v. 46.47 for had yee believed Moses you would have believed me for he wrote of me but if yee believe not his writings how shall you believe my words Here our Saviour Christ ratifyes Moses his writings to be of Divine authority and equalizes them with if not prefers them before his owne words saying if yee believe not his writings how shall yee believe my words And in the sixteenth of Luke in the person of Abraham Christ sendeth all men that desire salvation to the writings of Moses saying v. 29 30 31. they have Moses and the Prophets let them heare them if they would escape damnation and have eternall life And Dives sayd Nay Father Abraham but if one come unto them from the dead they will amend their lives and repent And he said unto him If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Here our Saviour tyes them precisely to the Scriptures and affirmes they are more prevalent to bring men unto Repentance and to save their soules than any miracles whatsoever and therefore that they are only to be cleaved unto by all the sonnes of Abraham And as he commanded all men to have recourse to Moses and the Prophets so all the time of his life and after his resurrection hee taught all his auditors out of the holy Scriptures Luke the 24. vers 27. and after that our Saviour Christ had upbrayded his Disciples for their unbeliefe He began saith the Evangelist at Moses and all the Prophets and expounded to them through all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe And vers 44. he said unto them These are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning me Here our Saviour Christ instructs and teaches his Disciples onely out of the written Word and in them all Christians and sends them onely to the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalmist and affirmes that they were the voice of God which the Lord spake and uttered by them All the Prophets likewise sent the people to the written word as Deut. 30. Isaiah 8. ver 20. To the Law and to the Testimonies saith the Prophet if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Here the Lord by his Prophet sends all men to the written Word in which he declared his pleasure and will unto them and affirmes that they that speake not according to that Word they have no light in them that is they are in errour and darknesse according to that of our Saviour Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures Matth. 22. ever sending them to the Scripture for knowledge And Malac. 4. the Lord there vers 4. Remember saith he the law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the statutes and judgements Here all the Church of the Jewes were sent unto the written Word and manded ever to remember that that was left by Gods appointment for the rule of their faith and obedience and to that onely they were stedfastly to cleave And Paul in Acts 24. vers 14. in his owne defence before Felix speakes thus This I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers believing all things in the Law and the Prophets The written word was the ground of his faith he continued stedfastly in the doctrine of the Prophets and taught all men so to doe proving and confirming his doctrine out of the holy Sciptures of the Prophets and convincing the Jewes out of them from morning to evening Acts 28. ver 23. And in Acts 26. ver 22. Witnessing saith the Apostle both to small and great saying no other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Nothing but Scripture and the doctrine contained in them was the foundation of both the true Jewish and Christian Church And Apollos a man eloquent and mighty in the Scripture used the same way of teaching Acts 18. vers 28. who shewed by the Scriptures that Jesus was that Christ And Paul to the Thessalonians in the first Epistle chap. 5. vers 19 20. Quench not the spirit saith he despise not the Prophesies a thing worthy the noting after he had exhorted them to nourish in themselves the sparks of the Spirit of God kindled in them that they might not be deluded by any false spirit or conceive they had the Spirit when they had it not he ties them to the rule by which they should try the Spirits whether they be of God or not and that rule was the Prophesies of the old Testament and the studying of them As much as if he had said to the Thessalonians nourish daily within you all the graces of knowledge and wisdome the Spirit of God hath bestowed upon you and increase more and more in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus saying Quench not the Spirit and that you may the better increase in knowledge and abound in all gifts and graces and the truth and that ye may not be led away with any deceiving spirit and vaine delusion instead of true illumination after the manner of many enthusiasts who dreame of new inspirations new lights regulate your whole illumination and your spirit and knowledge according unto the written prophesies of the old Testament follow them and you cannot erre therefore saith he despise not the prophesies but by them try all things and keepe that which is good and agreeable to them and whatsoever is not agreeable to them is a meere delusion and not the true Spirit who is ever like it selfe and therefore he ties them to the prophesies of the old Testament as well as to the Scriptures of the new So Saint Peter in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19. We have also a more sure word of the Prophets saith he to the which ye doe well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in our hearts Here the holy Apostle Peter ties all Christians as well to the written Word of the old as to the Scriptures of the new This written Word was the foundation of the Church of the Jewes and
and sufficiently to salvation whether or no it would then satisfie you and perswade you that the Church of England was built upon the foundation of Peter and was a true Church And if my memory faile not you told me that then the worke was done Whereupon I thus argued That Church that declares preaches and teaches unto the people all that Jesus Christ both taught did and suffered for the salvation of mankind after he had taken humane nature upon him as he was our King Priest and Prophet which is all that we are to believe for the speculative part and declares likewise and preaches plainly and distinctly whatsoever concernes the peoples dutie of love and obedience to God againe for his infinite love to mankind and instructs them in like manner of their duty of love and charity one towards another all which belongs unto the practicall part of religion that Church teacheth all things both for theory and practice necessary for salvation and building them upon the foundation of Peter But the Church of England doth all this ergo Here Mr. Montague you denied my minor then many of the Gentlemen that were standers by Sir Francis Wortly Sir John Gothericke Sir Wil. Morton Sir Edw. Bishop and others whose names I know not demanded of you seeing you denied my minor that you would declare and specifie wherein the Church of England failed either in the speculative or practicall part of Divinity and wherein she was silent in any thing that was necessary to salvation either for theory or practice And you were not then able as they can all witnesse to shew any particular where the Church of England failed in her duty or concealed any thing from the people either for speculation or practice Notwithstanding Master Montague you yet persisted in the deniall of my minor and put me upon my proofe Wherupon I thus argued That Church that teaches the whole counsell of God the knowledge of the onely true God and whom he hath sent Jesus Christ which is life eternall John 17. and testifies unto the people repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ Acts 20. v. 21. and instructs them in all things how to believe aright and how to obey aright that Church teacheth all things for theory and practice that are requisite for the making of a true Church and for the building of it upon the foundation of Peter But the Church of England teacheth all these things ergo You againe denied my minor whereupon the Gentlemen as before desired you to instance in any particular where the Church of England was defective or failed in declaring the full counsell of God or in preaching the knowledge of God or of faith and obedience to the people And however Mr. Montague you were not able in any particular to make it appeare where the Church of England was deficient yet you continued in deniall of my minor and urged me to prove it when neverthelesse the truth of it is so evident as very children are able to discerne it All men know that faith and obedience is the whole duty of man Jehosaphat was well instructed in this doctrine and taught it to all his people 2 Chron. chap. 20. v. 20. where he saith Heare ye me O Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his holy Prophets so shall ye prosper And whosoever believeth on him shall not be confounded Esay 28.16 Rom. 9. vers 33. Faith and obedience was the theame of all the Sermons of all the holy Prophets and Apostles and of Christ himselfe as the whole Scriptures witnesse Esay 1. v. 19. the Prophet saith If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebell you shall be destroyed with the Sword all which proofes cleere the truth of my argument But to satisfie your then desire I prove my minor thus That Church that teaches the people their whole duty both towards God and one towards another and instructs them both what they should doe and what they should leave undone by the observing of the which they may live happily here and come to life eternall hereafter that Church teacheth the whole counsell of God all for theory and practice that is necessary for the making of it a true Church and the building of it up upon the foundation of Peter But the Church of England doth all this Ergo. And for proofe of my minor I cited that of Paul in his Epistle to Titus chap. 2. v. 11. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and holily in this present world looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Many places more may be cited to confirme the truth of my argument as Eccles 12. vers 13 14. where Solomon saith Let us heare the conclusion of the whole matter feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man So in like manner in 1 Sam. 12. ver 13 14 15. God forbid saith he that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you but I will teach you the good and the right way Onely feare the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things he hath done for you But if you still doe wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King The truth of my minor is so cleare that there is not a man in whom there is but one eye of reason but can easily perceive and discerne it for the Church of England teacheth and publisheth the whole Law and the whole Gospell and all that is contained in the whole written Word of God both in the old and new Testament and therefore all the counsell of God and all both for theory and practice and whatsoever is necessary for the building of men up upon the foundation of Peter and proving it selfe a true Church But when you were by argument thus urged you at last after many windings and turnings betooke your selfe to the common refuge of all those of your profession to wit to an unwritten word your traditions and affirmed that the Scriptures contained not all things that were to be learned and practised by the people and that the people ought to be as well acquainted with that as with the written Word whereupon Sir John Gotherick a learned Gentleman to assert and maintaine the alsufficiency of the Scripture without the addition of mens traditions cited that of St. Paul to Timothy the second Epistle chap. 3. v. 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction and for instruction c. The
force of which argument you had thought by a glosse and flourish to have evaded but all the cunning of man cannot doe it as in its due place will appeare But after you had once got your head into this fort and refuge you uttered many things very erroneous equalizing your traditions yea preferring them before the written Word accusing the Scripture of imperfection and denying them that due honour which is to be the rule of our faith and manners and the square by which we must order our lives affirming further more that they were accidentally written and not on purpose to be the rule of our doctrine and manners and that for the making of the Scripture a compleat and absolute rule the unwritten word received and entertained in all ages by tradition ought to be added to it which when the Church of England did not observe and admit of it did not believe as Christ ordained and as it ought to believe for the speculative and practicall parts of Divinity for to believe in Christ effectually and sufficiently to salvation as you said was not enough to believe both the natures of Jesus Christ and all his Offices but it consisted in this that we conforme our selves to a beliefe speculative and to a religion that is practicall for the Church was determined in these two points that is to say without the Church of England would imbrace and entertaine your traditions and believe your unwritten verities as they are commonly termed it could not be a true Church Hereupon I then undertooke to maintaine and prove first that the written Word in it selfe without any unwritten verities or traditions contained all things necessary to salvation Secondly that all Christians were tied to make that and that only the rule of their faith and manners which you said if I could prove you would be a Protestant and after some debate of these businesses and that Sir John Gotherick had said unto you magnifying your unwritten verities that if you could make it appeare that you had as good warrant for your traditions as we could shew for the Scriptures that then he would receive and imbrace them to whom you replyed that you could prove them by better authority than he could prove the Scriptures to be the Word of God But I perceiving at that time that you grew something weary and seeing withall for want of a moderator that things began something disorderly to be handled I told you that I would by writing reduce all those things that were then agitated and bring them into good order and set downe such other arguments as should sufficiently prove the Church of England to be a true Church and send you them all in writing which you not onely liked well of but earnestly also desired me so to doe and I promised likewise in the same writing evidently to prove that the Scriptures of the old and new Testament without any traditions contained all things in them necessary to salvation and that they are the onely rule and square which we are tied unto for the ordering of our faith lives and manners which is now my taske that in the following discourse I have taken upon me and I doubt not by Gods assistance but to make good and maintaine what I have undertaken But before I come to that that all men may see the Church of England faileth in nothing necessary to salvation either in respect of theory or practice although I have formerly proved it yet I thought fit briefly againe to runne over and to declare what she teaches for her beliefe speculative and her religion practicall that I may make use of some of your expressions and wherein she differs from the Church of Rome that the Church of Englands tenent being set downe on the one side and the errours and idolatry of the Church of Rome on the other all men may learne to love and imbrace the Church of England and to abhorre and abandon the Church of Rome that mother of abomination and that you Mr. Montague that have formerly undutifully deserted and forsaken her may with the Prodigall returne and yeild unto her your mother Christian and wonted duty and obedience Which I am confident will be more to your true comfort and honour than ever any thing done by you in all your life And now to begin I affirm for beliefe speculative and religion practicall it is orthodoxly and and clearely taught in the Church of England in all points and to begin with the speculative part Whatsoever I say is required of us to be knowne concerning God is perspicuously taught in the Church of England both in respect of the divine essence and nature of God as also of the persons in the blessed Trinity as likewise of their names and workes and of all their glorious attributes As that there is but one onely true God distinguished into the Father Sonne and holy Ghost the al-sufficient Jehovah Creator and governour of all things which onely living God the Church of England with an unanimous consent doth honour serve and worship in spirit and truth as he himselfe commands John 4. vers 24. and as he hath in all ages been worshipped by all the family of the faithfull that call upon his name in sincerity since the glorious ascension of Christ into Heaven and teaches the people so to worship him The Church of England doth fully likewise instruct the people in what a happy and blessed condition man was created being made after Gods owne Image and likenesse Genes 1. v. 27. and into what misery he afterwards plunged himselfe and all his posterity by reason of his transgression disobedience and infidelity in listning unto the suggestion of the diâ—â—ll as it is at large described in Genes chap. 3. And as it doth daily acquaint them with the nature of sinne the danger of it and the evill consequences that insue upon it as all manner of miseries here and eternall damnation hereafter if by timely repentance they breake not off the course of them which duty they daily exhort them unto In like manner it teacheth the people that next to the eternall love of God who in Christ Jesus made choice of them before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. v. 3 4 5. that they owe the whole worke of their redemption unto Jesus Christ alone who taking humane nature upon him was made sinne for us that knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5. vers 21. So that if we consider the whole summe of our salvation and all the parts of it they are contained and comprehended in Christ to whom alone all the honour glory and praise of all our blessednesse both present and future is to be ascribed and not any parcell of it to be attributed to any creature in Heaven or earth So that if any desires to be saved and to be eternally blessed the Church of England instructs them there is no other meanes to
is to a hireling and daily labourer and that their Priests can forgive sinnes as Judges by their owne authority This Master Montague you know is the doctrine and faith of the Church of Rome and a great deale more such stuffe Now I intreat you candidly to tell me whether in your opinion the faith of the Church of Rome or the beliefe of the Church of England concerning Christs Priestly Office be more orthodox and which of them giveth most honour to their Mediator she that ascribeth the whole worke of her redemption to him alone or she that robbeth him of all his Priestly honour and Mediatorship Truly Master Montague if you will but duely consider this businesse and weigh it as it ought to be weighed you will quickly perceive that the Church of Rome doth in word onely acknowledge Christ to be a Priest and Mediator but in deeds and workes overthrowes the right and power of his Priesthood And to speake the verity there can be nothing more blasphemously thought imagined or practised against the honour and dignity of the Lord of life the onely and sole Mediator and high Priest of the everlasting covenant then that the Church of Rome doth against him robbing him of his due glory and overthrowing indeed the whole worke of our redemption making our selves and others our owne saviours and mediators and not Christ alone to whom all the honour and praise of our redemption of due belongeth I could be very large Mr. Montague in aggravating of the impiety and blasphemies of the Church of Rome concerning this point but I will say no more of it for the present but this that it is a doctrine that overthroweth all Christian religion and destroyeth the very foundation of our faith And now I come to the Propheticall Office of Christ where we will briefly take notice whether the Church of England or the Church of Rome be most orthodox in their faith concerning Christs Propheticall Office and which of them more venerably believeth touching that or giveth most honour to Christ the onely Prophet of his Church The Church of England believeth that Jesus Christ was appointed by God himselfe to be the onely and sole Prophet Pastor and Teacher of his Church and that he hath fully and perfectly revealed the whole counsell and will of God concerning the redemption of mankind and preached the Gospell and glad tidings of peace unto the World the which Gospell he doth daily vegetate and quicken in the soules of his people by his holy Spirit and corroborate and confirme by the holy Sacraments And she believeth that he hath delivered all things unto the Church that God the Father commanded him necessary for our salvation and that we are onely to heare him in all things whatsoever he shall say unto us and that every soule that shall not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people Deut. 18. v. 18. Matth. 3. v. 17. Matth. 17. v. 5. Acts 3. v. 22 23. And the Church of England believeth also that Jesus Christ did not onely declare and preach the whole and perfect Will of God unto the Church but also that whatsoever was necessary to salvation was written and penned by his appointment and direction and especiall assistance and is all contained in the writings of the old and new Testament and that not in obscure and ambiguous words but in plaine and evident expressions as farre as is necessary to salvation all which in the sequell of this discourse will be made evident She also believeth that all the people ought according to Christs command read them and that the holy Scriptures are the onely Judge of all controversies and have no need of any humane traditions And she farther believeth that we are to serve and worship God onely as he hath appointed in his holy Word and in the divine Scriptures as Christ the Prophet of his Church hath commanded in them and that whatsoever doctrines not expressed and contained in the Scriptures and written Word or grounded upon it or evidently deduced from it are not to be entertained received or obeyed but to be cast out of the Church as abominable things such as are prejudiciall not onely to our salvation and comfort but injurious also and derogatory to the honour of our great Prophet Jesus Christ whom we are commanded only to heare and listen unto And therefore the Church of England doth reject all those doctrins of Will-worship Image and Crucifix worship Bead worship Bread worship Place worship and all Saint and Angell worship and all those doctrines of Service Letanies Ceremonies and indulgencies and those of Fast-daies and Feast-daies all doctrines of Masses and Sacrifices for soules in Purgatory and prayers for the dead with all their doctrines of Pilgrimages and Monkery with their doctrines of devils prohibiting meats and marriage and all those doctrines of the reall and corporall presence of Christ in their blasphemous sacrifices destructive to the humane nature of Jesus Christ making it present in numberlesse places at once and enervating and overthrowing the al-sufficiency of Christs sacrifice And all their doctrins of transubstantiation self-merit works of supererogation and all the other doctrins they teach in the Church of Rome which would both endlesse needlesse to recount the observing of the which is the onely imployment of the Church of Rome the Church of England doth detest as execrable abominations because our Prophet Christ Jesus hath no where taught them in his holy word which must be the only rule of our faith and worship to the end of the world But now let us heare what the Church of Rome believeth concerning the Propheticall office of Christ that we may see how honourably she esteemeth of it The Church of Rome in word acknowledgeth that Christ was by God appointed to be the Prophet of his Church notwithstanding in deeds they deny that Christ did reveale the whole will of God unto the Church in the holy Scriptures and affirmes that the Scriptures were accidentally written and not purposely to be the rule of faith which by its clarity and brightnesse should determine the controversies in Religion they affirme also that the holy Scriptures are darke and obscure and very dangerous for lay-men and therefore that they are to be taken from them and that the Church hath need of the authority of Fathers and Councels and the helpe of Traditions for the compleating of the holy Scriptures and the making of them a perfect and absolute rule both of our faith and worship whereupon they bring in all those abominable doctrins and traditions I even now made mention of many more and thrust them upon the people as the worship and service of God and by the observation of the which they may merit Heaven as they say when neverthelesse there is not one word in all the booke of God concerning any one of them or any thing delivered by our Prophet Christ Jesus touching them all which things are as
I said before not onely injurious and hurtfull to the soules of men but full of blasphemy and derogatory to the honour of Christ our great and onely Prophet For what I pray Mr. Montague can be spoke more impiously of the holy Scripturs then to affirm they were accidentally written and not of set purpose and by the command of God and to the end that they should be the rule of faith when in the holy Scripture it is evidently cleare that they were written by divine providence for this very end and purpose that by them we should order both our faith lives and manners And what can be spoke more contumeliously against the holy Word of God then to accuse it of obscurity and darknesse when the Holy Ghost affirmeth the contrary and to take it out of the hands of the people and forbid them to read it when notwithstanding Christ commandeth it in expresse words Truely Master Montague these are most blasphemous assertions and such as you of the Church of Rome must earnestly and seriously repent of if ever you will finde favour at Gods hands and the very naming of these your erronious opinions were enough for any man to abhorre them But that you your selfe and all men may see the wickednesse of them I shal before I passe on to the other matters in hand briefly prove that the Scriptures were not accidentally written but of set purpose and by Gods appointment and that they are not obscure and darke in things pertaining to salvation and that they ought to be read by all the people and that they ought to examine all doctrines by them as they be recorded And then I will prove the al-sufficiency of the holy Scripture and that it is the rule which all men unto the end of the World are tied to for the regulating of their faith and manners which is my taske and then I will conclude But first as I said I will prove that the holy Scriptures were not accidentally written but of set purpose and by speciall command and that they are not obscure and darke in matters concerning salvation and that they are to be read to the people And first that they were not accidentally written I thus evince Those bookes that were written by Divine inspiration and by the counsaile of God for the salvation of mankind and for the benefit of the Church of God in all ages and for this very end that men might learne and know the mind and will of God fully and cleerly and have the certaine truth of the things they had heard that they might be preserved and kept from all errors and upheld and comforted in every condition they were not accidentally and occasionally written and out of the peculiar mation and pleasure of the Penmen thereof and by the will of man but by the Spirit of God But the holy Scriptures were written by Divine inspiration and by the counsell of God for the very ends specified Ergo they were not accidentally and occasionally written and out of the peculiar motion and pleasure of the Pen-men thereof and by the will of man but by the Spirit of God And for proofe of all these particulars the holy Scripture it selfe is clearly on our side 2 Tim chap. 3. v. 16. The whole Scripture saith the Apostle is given by divine inspiration or inspiration of God Now Mr. Montague Gods inspiration is Gods dictate and command as all that know any thing in Divinity can tell you if yee be ignorant and it is as much as to say they were written by Gods own appointment for what God inspires men to do that he appoints and commands them to doe so that it was not arbitrary in them to do it or not to do it but they were inspired to it and put upon that imployment to write the holy Scriptures and therefore the holy Scriptures through the whole Bible are called the Voice of God and the mouth of the Lord and the lively Oracles which were uttered and spoke by God himselfe first and afterwards delivered in writing unto the people by Moses and the other Prophets and holy Pen-men according to Gods command Acts 7. v. 38. and therefore the Scriptures were not accidentally written and by the peculiar motion and pleasure of men as the Church of Rome most blasphemously affirmeth S. Peter also is cleere in this point his words are these in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19 20 21. Wee have saith he a more sure word of prophecy whereunto yee do well that yee take heed as unto a light that shineth in a darke place c. Knowing this first that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost Take notice first Mr. Montague of the occasion of these words and then consider the expressions duly and you will easily from thence conclude that the Scripture was not accidentally written and by the will of man but by command from God himselfe and of set purpose and that the written word is the rule wee are to be guided by and more sure then the Tradition of the very Apostles themselves although they were both eye and eare witnesses of that they spake and told unto the people For the Apostle Peter in this Epistle confirmes all those Christians that hee writes unto of the truth and certainty of the things that hee declared unto them saying that the holy Apostles had not followed cunningly devised fables when they made knowne unto them the power and coming of the Lord Jesus Christ but were Eye-witnesses of his Majesty for hee received from God the Father honour and glory when there came such a Voice unto him from the excellent glory This is my beloved sonne in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from Heaven wee heard when wee were with him in the holy mount Here wee see the Apostle Peter with Iames and John as it is in Mat. 17. were both Eye and Eare witnesses of Christs transfiguration and glory and heard the voyce and the people by tradition and the relation of the Apostles that had seene those things admired and believed them and yet the Apostle Peter in this very place signifieth unto them that the written Word of God the holy Scriptures the written Prophecies of the old Testament were a more sure Word than any Tradition yea even of the Apostles themselves though they were both eare and eye witnesses of that they related and preached unto others and commends the people that they did take heed unto the written Word as a light that shineth in a darke place no obscure things then Mr. Montague and he giveth them a reason why the Prophecies of the Scripture were a more sure Word than any traditions of men because saith he we know that the Scriptures are not of any private interpretation or from the peculiar or
set down all the things distinctly plainly and orderly that there may be no difficulty in reading of them the third thing observable is the reason why they were written and not left to Tradition because saith the Evangelist thou maist know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast beene instructed So that the Lord declares by these words that the Pen-men of the holy Scripture did not write accidentally and upon any slight occasion and of their own wills and peculiar motion but that they were moved unto it by God himselfe and that all Scripture was given by Gods inspiration and command and for this end that they may know the certainty of the things wherein they have beene instructed which otherwise they could not have knowne by reason of the great variety and difference that would have beene in them if they had beene delivered by Tradition for every one would have added and detracted as had seemed best unto him unto the story as we see it dayly in all matters and occurrences out of a mans owne sight and beholding with what variety these things many times are related so that no man can tell the truth of them till the eye-witnesses or standers by give the true relation of them by writing to the World which men ordinarily use to believe especially if these men be of credit and reputation that pen them So for the very same end that the certainty of these things might bee knowne that Christ both taught did and suffered for the Redemption of mankind and for the good of the Church to the end of the World the Lord moved holy men to both speake and write what was spoke and written in the old and new Testament for the learning of his people and the teaching of them Patience Comfort Hope Faith and all other graces and that they might indeed have the certainty of his will and pleasure what to cleave and stick to and from which they may not be moved though they should be taught otherwise by an Angell from Heaven Gal. 1. vers 8. And this I say was the end of the writing of the holy Word of God and that by Gods inspiration dictate and command and not accidentally as the Church of Rome blasphemously affirmeth for the enervating of the authority of the holy Scriptures and indeed for the overthrowing of the honour and dignity of our great Prophet Christ Jesus who otherwise should not be as faithful as Moses in the house of God if he had not commanded all things to be writ that he would have taught to his people which is blasphemy to thinke And thus much shall suffice to have spoke for proofe of my first argument that the holy Scriptures were written by Divine inspiration and Gods command and of set purpose and not accidentally and by the Will of men My second Argument is this That which was written for the safety of the people and for the preserving of them in the true Religion that was not accidentally written or by the will of man but by Gods appointment and of set purpose and for the good of all the Church but the holy Scriptures were written for the safety of the people and for the preserving of them in the true Religion Ergo they were not accidentally written or by the will of man but by Gods appointment and of set purpose For proofe of this heare what Paul saith Phil. 3. vers 1. Finally my Brethren saith he rejoyce in the Lord. To write the same things to you to mee indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe Beware of doggs beware of evill workers c. He had preached unto them and taught them the Truth formerly and given them also caveats to take heede of and beware of doggs and of evill workers that is of false Teachers but he did not thinke that sufficent for their safety and for the preserving of them in the Truth unlesse he did set downe in writing the sum of what he had taught and send it unto them with a command also that they should walke and order their faith and manners their lives and conversations according to that they were instructed in by him both in word and example vers 16. Saying let us walke by the same rule I then gave you and now in writing send unto you and see yee swarve not from it and from our example for it is safe for you so to do and by that you shall be preserved from the errors of false Teachers But take notice I pray of the Apostles expression he doth not say only that it was for their safety that he wrote unto them but that it was for their safety that he wrote the same things hee had taught them before to shew unto all men their weakenesse how soon they are ready to forget the things that are taught them of God and how frayle they are and ready to be seduced from the true Religion if they had not the Scripture to guide and direct them and if the Christians in the Apostles time had need of the written word for their safety and that they might be preserved from the errors of the times and they were then tyed to be ruled and governed by them how much more neede have we of the holy Scriptures now when wee have not the holy Apostles amongst us and with how much care and diligence ought we constantly to reade and cleave unto the holy Scriptures seeing that they were by Gods appointment and inspiration and not accidentally written for this very purpose that they might be a rule of direction to us for the preserving of us in the true Religion S. Peter likewise in his second Epistle chap. 1. confirmeth the same truth in these words vers 12. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you alwayes in remembrance of these things though yee know them and be established in the present truth 13. Yea I thinke it meete as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance vers 15. Moreover I will indeavour that yee may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance In these words we may take notice of these particulars first that those S. Peter wrote unto were not ignorant people but knowing and understanding people and such as were grounded and established in the Truth the second particular that S. Peter neverthelesse thought it meete to stirre them up and put them in remembrance whiles he lived and that they might also be able after his decease to have these things alwayes in remembrance and that the Scriptures might be the everlasting rule to all sorts and degrees of people yea the most learned and knowing men and the most established in the Truth have need of the Scriptures for their still direction and that not for a time but alwayes and this was the end for which the holy Scriptures were pend and that by Gods own appointment who inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles
the holy Scriptures containe all things necessary to salvation that perspicuously and clearly and that they are to be the only rule of our faith and manners and that all Christians are tied onely to them to the end of the world and that they are not to swarve in any thing from them though an Angell from Heaven should teach them otherwise Gal. 1. both which the Church of Rome doth deny and in that manifestly declare that she maketh Christ a Prophet no farther than pleaseth her selfe when she addeth her owne Councels Fathers Canons and Traditions and unwritten verities as they call them and maketh them not onely of equall authority with the written Word of God but preferreth them farre before the holy Scriptures when she affirmeth that without them the Scriptures cannot be a compleat and perfect rule for the ordering of our faith lives and manners which is not onely a point of high blasphemy but indeed an utter overthrowing of the Propheticall Office of Christ as I said before and a bringing in of a new Religion And now Master Montague I am come to prove these two last points viz. that the holy Scriptures containe all things necessary to salvation and that they onely are to be the rule of our faith lives and manners to the end of the world and this you know was the taske I tooke upon me to make good and had your promise if I performed it that you would be a Protestant To begin therefore with the first that the holy Scriptures containe all things necessary and sufficient to salvation I thus prove it That which is able to make us wise unto salvation containes all things in it necessary and sufficient to eternall life and happinesse or else we should be wise but in part But the holy Scriptures are able to make us wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3. v. 15 16 17. Ergo they containe all things necessary and sufficient to eternall life and happinesse And by consequence we ought in matters of faith and religion to content our selves onely with the holy Scriptures which is manifest from the nature of the wisdome and perfection the Scripture speaketh of for if the Scriptures be able to make us wise to salvation and the very man of God perfect to every good worke as after we shall see what need then have we of unwritten Traditions For the wisdome that Saint Paul speakes of in this place containes all perfection of knowledge in it and comprehends all manner of Learning and divine Science that may make a man happy here and blessed hereafter What imperfection then Mr. Montague can any man charge the holy Scriptures with when they are able to furnish a man with all accomplished abilities sufficiency and knowledge for living vertuously and piously here in this world and for the saving of his soule eternally for if the Scriptures of themselves be of such vertue and efficacy the Spirit of God working with them that in the matter of salvation that great worke they are able to bring men to perfection yea happiness it selfe and that eternall then we ought onely to cleave unto them and content our selves with their perfection and not listen unto the vaine and lying oracles of the Pope But now to the words themselves in order which are the proofe of my Minor with the occasion of them in the examining of the which I shall also answer to your evasions made at our disputation From a child saith the Apostle to Timothy thou hast knowne the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation c. So that my minor is by this sufficiently proved and much more clearly it will appeare by and by when we consider both the occasion of these words and the other expressions of the Apostle in the following verses and what our Saviour Jesus Christ himselfe saith of the holy Scriptures The Apostle exhorts Timothy in the verse going before which is the 14. saying Continue thou in the things which thou hath learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them In these words the Apostle exhorts Timothy and in him all Ministers and Christians to persevere and continue in the things and doctrines taught by him with a reason why both Timothy and all Ministers and Christians should continue and remaine stedfast in that they had learned Knowing saith he of whom thou hast learned them for he had learned them of Paul the Doctor and Preacher of the Gentiles that elect vessell that was by Christ himselfe appointed to preach and carry his name among the Gentiles Acts 9. and who was guided in all that he taught and writ by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 14. v. 37 38. and who had preached unto them the whole counsell of God Acts 20. and confirmed whatsoever he taught them out of the holy Scriptures by which he convinced his enemies as all his Epistles and Sermons prove and as Paul himselfe witnessed before Felix Acts 24. ver 14. and chap. 28. and as Saint Luke testifies of him Acts 28. ver 23. saying that Paul expounded and testified the Kingdome of God perswading them concerning Jesus both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets from morning till evening Paul in all his teaching to manifest that he was guided by the unerring Spirit of God confirmeth all his doctrines and preaching by the holy Scriptures which were written by his inspiration and therefore ever like it selfe and with this manner of teaching was Timothy instructed who having been not onely Pauls Scholler but his owne sonne in the faith 1 Tim. 1. v. 2. for he had converted him by his preaching proving every thing he had taught unto him out of the holy Scriptures and therefore he exhorteth him to continue and persevere in what he had learnt of him and formerly been assured of knowing that he proved all by the holy Scriptures which thou saith he art very well verst in having known them from thy childhood and by all this he proved the soundnesse of his doctrine that it was true and sure being grounded upon the written Scriptures and had not onely them for a witnesse of what he writ but he appeales unto Timothy also to be his witnesse in this behalfe as if he should have said Thou Timothy knowest well the Scriptures and that I taught nothing but out of the Scriptures thou art my scholler yea my sonne and canst ever witnesse for me that the doctrine that I have taught is of God for it is agreeable in all things to the inspiration of his holy Spirit as he hath declared himselfe in the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee and all men wise to salvation and in this St. Paul is an example to all Ministers to confirme all by Scripture and this I thought fit to speake of the occasion of these words and now I come to the more full handling of them and by them to prove the truth of my Minor after that I
their common and generall faith even in our Saviours time though they were then much degenerated from their ancient purity in the service and worship of God and had brought in their owne Traditions which our Saviour so often reproved them for Matth. 15. and Marke 7. and by that also shewed the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament for the Salvation of them that were under the Law without any traditions of men so that the witnesse the Jewes gave of the sufficiency of the Scriptures that they had in them eternall life was as a cloud of witnesses a whole Nation testifying the same thing and Christ himselfe approving of their evidence and allowing of their testimony and addes his owne witnesse for the confirming of the same doctrine and backes it with an unanswerable reason You believe saith he that the Scriptures containe all things necessary to salvation and in that you believe well and rightly for so they doe I will give you also my reason of it another argument to prove the truth of your witnesse and of the sufficiency of the Scriptures without traditions and to move you to read them for they testifie of me saith Christ for they speak of me preach me and bring you to me who am the Messias the Saviour of the world and they are the Schoole-master God hath appointed for that purpose to teach you to believe that I am he Galat. 3.24 Rom. 10. ver 4. for all the Law sets me forth all those washings and purifications of the Law and all those Ceremonies and Sacrifices have me for their end they are but shadowes and not the body nor the truth it selfe Yea and the Morall law also and all the Commandements that are the waies God would have you walke in bring ye unto me who am the doore of Heaven the doore of the sheepe John 10. v. 9. Who am the way the truth and the life and no man commeth unto the Father but by me Now then when all the Scriptures testifie of me and teach you how ye may come unto me where ye may finde rest unto your soules Matth. 11.28 and bring ye to the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ which is life eternall John 17. v. 3. they containe all things necessary to salvation So that Master Montague if there were no other argument in all the holy Scripture but this very place in the 5. of St John for the proving of the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament for the saving of those that were under the Law without any humane Traditions this alone were sufficient to prove it For that which hath the testimony both of God and men that it containeth all things in it necessary to salvation that is by the knowledge and faith of which they might have eternall life and be blessed for ever that comprehendeth all things in it sufficient for the attaining to life eternall and for saving of mens soules But the holy Scriptures of the old Testament have this testimony from God himselfe and from the Lord Jesus Christ and from the whole Nation of the Jewes which is an Iliad and cloud of witnesses that they have life eternall in them that is by the knowledge and faith of which they might have eternall life and be blessed for ever Ergo they containe all things in them necessary to salvation And if the Scriptures of the old Testament containe all things sufficient to salvation then the whole Scriptures when they also of the new Testament are joyned unto them of the old must of necessity be most absolutely compleat and have in them eternall life and neede no Traditions of men for the perfecting of them and making of them an absolute Rule which is a high point of Blasphemy to affirme So that Mr. Montague hee that shall dispute against the Al-sufficiency of the Scriptures shall dispute against Christ himselfe and call the very witnesse of God himselfe into question who cannot lie You will finde it a hard thing to kick against prickes as Christ said unto Saul persecuting him Acts 9. And this shall serve to have spoke concerning this place in S. John for the proofe of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures under the Law And I will prove it by other places also of the old Testament before I come to those of the new Deuteronomy 4. verse 2. Yee shall not adde saith the Lord unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that you may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you That to which nothing was to bee added nor from which nothing was to be detracted or taken away by the command of God himselfe that was absolutely perfect But to the written Word of God nothing was to be added nor nothing to be detracted or taken away and that by Gods own Commandement Ergo the written Word and the Law of God was absolutely perfect For the Major Mr. Montague no man will as I suppose deny it and for the Minor the place above cited proves it David also in Psal 19. vers 77. The Law of the Lord is perfect saith he converting the soule the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple from the which words I thus argue That which is perfect in it selfe converting soules and giveth wisdom unto the simple and furnisheth them with all saving knowledge that containes all things in it necessary to salvation and is a perfect and absolute Rule and has no neede of humane Traditions for the making of it compleat But the Law of the Lord is perfect in it selfe converting soules and giveth wisdome unto the simple and furnisheth them with all saving knowledge Ergo it containeth all things in it necessary to salvation and is a perfect and absolute Rule and hath no need of humane Traditions for the making of it compleate For the proof of my whole Syllogisme the words themselves of the Text are sufficient I might here Mr. Montague accumulate proof upon proof out of the old Testament to evince the sufficiency of the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets for the salvation of those that were under the Law without the helpe of any Traditions of men but because I have been very large in my former discourse I shall produce no more out of the old Testament at this time only let mee say thus much that our Saviour and all the Apostles for the confirmation of the absolutenesse and perfection of the holy Scriptures of the old Testament comfirmed all their Doctrines of faith from them only and send the people ever to the written word as a sufficient and compleate rule of Direction Yea all the Prophets of the old Testament likewise did the same as wee see from Moses in Deut. 30. to Malachy the last Prophet who in Chap. 4. v. 4. sendeth all Israel to the Lawes of Moses and so also the Prophet Isaiah in the 8 Chap. To the Law and to the Testimony saith
Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets containe all things in them that pertaine unto the old Testament and in expresse words call it a Covenant or Testament and the bookes of the new Testament doe not comprehend all those things that belong unto the new Testament which is also called a Covenant in those Divine writings then the Scripture of the old Testament is perfecter than the Scripture of the new Testament or neither of them both answer to their inscription but the consequent is most false impious and blasphemous false likewise and impious must the antecedent needs be For the consequence Mr. Montague of this hypotheticall connexion it is manifest from the very inscriptions of both the old and new Testament who are called Covenants or Testaments For Saint Paul in the second of Corinth chap. 3. ver 14. speaking there of the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets cals them a Covenant or Testament in these words For saith he untill this day remaineth the same vaile untaken away in the reading of the old Testament which vaile is done away in Christ And Moses in the 29. of Deut. v. 21. According saith he to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this booke of the Law And in the second of the Kings chap. 23. ver 21. it is called the booke of the Covenant The holy Scriptures of the new Testament also are in many places called a Covenant or Testament as in that place Gal. 3. v. 15. Heb. 12. ver 20. And it is most certaine that the Scriptures both of the old and new Testament answer unto their inscription and title neither can there any thing be produced that is not contained in the writings of the holy Prophets that can truly be said to belong unto the old Testament and the knowledge and faith of which thought necessary to the salvation of those that lived under the old Testament Now if the same be not concluded or granted concerning the new Testament who will not easily from thence inferre that the Scripture of the old Testament is perfecter then that of the new and that the Scriptures of the holy Apostles and Evangelists doe not answer to their inscription and title and this title or inscription the new Testament should be interpreted something belonging unto the new Testament which how absurd it is Master Montague you your selfe will easily perceive and therefore that has no need of any farther proofe But for any man to thinke or say that the Scripture of the new Testament is lesse perfect than that of the old is to give the Spirit of God the lie and to overthrow all the doctrine of the holy Apostles and to deny their expresse words as those of Paul in the second of the Corinth chap. 3. ver 8. and ver 18. and them of 2. Peter chap. 1. ver 19. where the Apostle Peter comparing the Scriptures of the old Testament and the new together he compares the old to a candle and the new to a Day-starre Neither yet Master Montague have I ever seene that Christian that durst affirme the Scriptures of the old Testament to be more perfect than them of the new so that this may suffice to have spoke for proofe of my Assumption and from the proofe of it I conclude that the Scriptures of the old and new Testament as they answer to their title and inscription so no man ought under paine and danger of execration to adde unto them or detract from them therefore they have all things in them necessary for the salvation of the Church without the Traditions of men or their unwritten verities Much more Master Montague could I speake for proofe of this truth and to the which you should never be able to answer but that I would not weary you or trouble your patience but lesse than this I could not speake And all that I have here set down doth evidently declare unto you these two things First that the Church of Rome doth onely in word acknowledge Christs Prophetical Office allow him to be a Prophet but in deeds and workes deny it when they heare him in nothing and not onely take away the Scriptures out of the hands of the people for whose cause they were written with a speciall command also that they should read them with a blessing added unto the command but affirm that they were accidentally written and not by the command of God and that they are obscure and darke and that they are not perfect and compleat in themselves without the Traditions of the Church Councels Fathers and the decrees of Synods be joyned to them all which are not onely impious and blasphemous tenents but as I said before overthrow the whole Propheticall Office of Christ and all Christian Religion and bring in other Prophets and another Law and Religion for the serving of God which they themselves have devised by all which they prove themselves to be no true Church and not to be the pillar and ground of truth but the very basis of all errour and abomination and this is the first thing that resulteth from the conclusion of this discourse The second is this that when the Church of England holdeth and believeth all these things viz. that Christ is the onely Prophet of his Church and onely to be heard that he hath fully revealed the will of God to his Church and that the Scriptures were written by the command of God himselfe and that they are not obscure but cleare and perspicuous and that they ought to be read of the people and that they containe all things in them necessary to salvation without the addition of any Traditions of men it followeth that she thinketh and believeth farre more honourably of the Propheticall Office of Christ than the Church of Rome and that she believeth as she ought to believe and is built upon the foundation of Peter and is the ground and pillar of truth and onely dependeth upon the Word and voice of Christ her true sole and alone Prophet And now Mr. Montague I am come to the last thing I undertooke to prove viz. that all Christians are tied to the written Word of God to the end of the world as we finde it penned in the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament and that the written Word of God and that onely is to be the rule of our faith and manners and that we are not to swarve or to depart from it or to listen to any doctrines whatsoever that are not either grounded upon the expresse words of the Scripture or necessarily and infallibly deduced from them or to admit in matters of faith of any Traditions Councels or Fathers no farther than they are consentany and agreeable to the holy Scriptures yea that wee ought not to listen to any doctrines whatsoever are contrary to the revealed Will of God in the Scriptures though the Apostles themselves should rise from the dead to teach us otherwaies than we have been taught or
a very Angel from Heaven and all this Master Montague I shall prove by the following testimonies of holy Scripture and then I will conclude expecting the performance of your promise and your returne to your mother the Church of England whom you have without any due reason formerly deserted I shall therefore gather up all the proofes that have here and there been occasionally set downe in the foregoing Treatise and adde some other to them and that in good order that so you may have them all presented to your view at once for the confirming of this truth that the holy Scriptures are the onely rule of our faith obedience and manners and that we ought onely to cleave unto them And I will begin with the old Testament first out of the which heare what Moses saith Deut. 4. v. 2. Ye shall not adde saith the Lord unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that you may keepe the Commandement of the Lord your God which I command you And in chap. 5. ver 32. Yee shall observe to doe therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you you shall not turne aside to the right hand or to the left And Chap. 12. ver 32. What thing soever I command you observe to doe it Thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it And Proverb 30. ver 6. Adde not thou to his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lyer Out of all which words these two conclusions necessarily follow the first that the holy Scriptures were the onely rule that the people of God in Moses his time were tied unto and from the which they ought not to decline or swarve either to the right hand or to the left The second thing that the Scriptures then had no need of the Traditions of men for the making of them a compleat rule for all men were forbidden either to adde unto them or diminish from them And if the holy Scriptures in Moses his time were the rule of direction unto all Israel and unto the which they were precisely tied in regard of its perfection then after the writings of the Prophets and the writings of the Apostles have beene joyned and annexed to the bookes of Moses we may truely conclude that the Scriptures now containing all those things in them the knowledge and faith of which is necessary to salvation are not only a perfect rule but that likewise we are still under the same command bound and tied to make the written Word of the old and new Testament the rule of our faith and manners and that onely For the hypotheticall connexion it is manifest and cleare not only from the identity of the Word of God but from the multitude of the bookes that were afterward penned and written both as well by the holy Prophets as the blessed Apostles as hath abundantly been proved in the precedent discourse for the Assumption it is sufficiently proved by the places above quoted Now Master Montague if the Papists shall affirme that these places cited by Moses are not to be restrained to the Word of God written by him they shall not onely oppose the truth it selfe but fight against the very light of reason and deny innumerable other expresse Texts of Scripture all which doe manifestly preclude and hinder them from all waies of evasion For in Exod. 24. ver 4. it is said that Moses wrote all the words of the Lord. And Deut. 31. ver 9. Moses wrote this Law And Deut. 28. ver 58. If thou wilt not observe to doe all the words of this Law that are written in this booke that thou mayst feare this glorious and fearefull Name the Lord thy God And Paul in Acts 24. I believe saith he all things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets And in Deut. 29. v. 19. And it come to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord shall not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven And in the 30 chap. ver 10. If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to keepe his Commandements and his Statutes which are written in this booke of the Law From all which places and many more that might be produced it is manifest that the Word of God of which Moses speakâ—th is to be understood of the writings of Moses and that it is not to be expounded or drawne to any unwritten Traditions delivered by Moses viva voce and therefore that the written word by Moses was onely to be the rule which all Israel were tied to for the ordering of their faith lives and manners and that all Christians at this day are much more tied and bound to cleave onely to the written Word of God in the old and new Testament Which will yet be far more evident from Deut. 4. ver 18 19 20. and from Joshua 1. ver 7 8. In both which places we see that the Kings and Rulers themselves are tied to the written Word and are enjoyned to make that the rule of their lives and actions and are commanded to meditate in it night and day and to rule and governe according to the same without declining from it either to the right hand or to the left And Joshua also in Chap. 23. ver 6. sendeth the people to the written Word saying Be ye therefore very couragious to keepe and doe all that is written in the booke of the Law of Moses that ye turne not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left This written Word was to be the rule of direction unto all the people no humane Traditions Master Montague David likewise sent all the people and his sonne Solomon to the Law of the Lord and commanded that they should both seeke and keepe all the Commandements of the Lord their God the 1 of Chron. 28. v. 8 9. and in Psal 19. v. 9. Wherewith saith he shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word We see here David directeth all men to the Word of God to the written Law affirming if they will observe that that they shall preserve themselves from errour and all manner of pollutions And in vers 19. I am a stranger in the earth saith he hide not thy Commandements from me If those therefore that are strangers and pilgrims on the earth desire to finde the right way to Heaven and to be kept from by-waies then let them follow Davids example and pray unto God that he would not hide his Commandements from them for the Commandements are able to direct them thither for they are the waies that God hath appointed men
to walke in for the attaining unto eternall happinesse they are the rule that all men are to be guided by and therefore he proclaimeth him blessed that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and doth meditate in it night and day Psal 1. Solomon likewise in Prov. 3. v. 1 2 3. and in Prov. 6. v. 20 21 22 23. and in many other places sendeth his sonne and all the people to the Law of the Lord for the rule of their lives and manners saying My sonne keepe thy fathers commandement and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy necke when thou goest it shall lead thee and when thou sleepest it shall keepe thee and when thou awakest it shall talke with thee For the Commandement is a Lampe and the Law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life And in Eccles 12. v. 13. Let us heare saith he the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man By all which places it appeareth that the holy Prophets made the written Word of God and that onely the rule of their lives and manners and commanded all people to have ever recourse unto that and that onely for the square to order their lives by And the Prophet Isaiah in the 8. v. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony saith he if they spake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them There was no other rule Mr. Montague knowen to the Prophets for the directing of the people how to serve God and to which they were tied but the Law and Testimonies the written Word and if under the Law they were ever to have recourse unto the Scripture and nothing in matter of faith was to be received which was not contained in the Scripture it was then a perfect rule and the onely rule by which they were to be guided and much more now Mr. Montague ought we to content our selves with the Word of God and to make that the onely rule of our faith and manners and of all our doctrines when the doctrine of the Gospell also written by the Apostles and Evangelists is joyned unto the Law the which hath also fully explained the meaning of all those hidden mysteries and shadowes and brought us into the cleare sunshine of all truths and hath indeed taught us the way the truth and the life The Prophet Jeremiah also in the 6 chap. vers 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old pathes where is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest unto your soules Here the Prophet sends them to the Law and the Testimony that old way and tells them the benefit that will accrue unto them by following his counsell viz. That by it they shall finde rest unto their soules And the Prophet Malachi 4. vers 4. Remember yee saith he the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Jsrael with the statutes and judgments The Law of Moses and the Prophets was the rule Mr. Montague that all Israel was tied unto as that which was an absolute and perfect rule of direction from which they were bound not to swarve and which had no neede of any Traditions for the compleating of it much more now is it a perfect rule when the Gospell is annexed to it and therefore all Christians ought to make the old and new Testament the sole rule of their faith and manners and by all these precepts they are commanded and many more to cleave onely unto it But now Master Montague let us see what precepts and directions wee finde layd downe unto us in the New Testament that by the mouth of both these Witnesses the Truth of God may yet more fully be confirmed In Matthew 17. vers 51. And behold a voyce out of the clouds which said This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you him And Acts 3. vers 22 23. For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise unto you of your brethren like unto mee him shall ye heare in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you and it shall come to passe that every soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people Here are two things Mr. Montague observable first a command viz. that we should heare Christ that Prophet the Lord our God should raise up Secondly the danger that would insue if we heard him not viz. destruction for that is pronounced against those that do not heare him Now let us take notice how he teacheth us John 5. vers 39. Search the Scriptures saith he Here our great Prophet Mr. Montague sendeth us onely to the Scriptures he makes them the onely rule which wee are to follow And in Luke 16. in the person of Abraham hee sendeth all men to Moses and the Prophets vers 29. they have Moses and the Prophets saith he let them heare them This Mr. Montague was the old way to salvation where men might finde rest for their soules Moses and the Prophets and thither doth Christ the onely Prophet of his Church send all men to the holy Scriptures and to the Doctrines contained in them as the absolute and compleat rule that all the Christians are for ever tied to and out of the Scriptures and them onely did Christ confirme all his preaching as is evident out of Luke 24. and many other places averring that the people erred not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22. The Apostles likewise in all their Sermons and Writings did the same and inoyned all Christians to cleave unto the holy Scriptures and to make them onely the rule of their faith and manners as by the places following do most cleerly appeare Paul in the 16 of the Rom. v. 17.18 Now I beseech you brethren saith he marke them which cause division and offences contrary unto the doctrine yee have received and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Here the holy Apostle ties the Romans unto the doctrine they had received and which he writ unto them and forbids them to have any communication with any members of that Church that should teach contrary unto that Doctrine they had received for they that are such saith he serve not our Lord Jesus Christ All therefore Mr. Montague that teach any Doctrine contrary unto the written word swarve from the truth and are not by the Apostles command to be communicated with and therefore the written Word must be the onely rule of our direction And in the 4 of the 1 of Cor. vers 6. Hee commands them not to be wise above that that is written tying them ever to the doctrine that is set down in the written Word and in that forbidding them to listen unto any Traditions of men or unwritten verities For if we must not be wise above that which is written and the opinions and doctrines of faith belong unto true wisdome then wee ought in matters of faith to be contented solely with the Scriptures and
onely to cleave and stick unto that rule But the antecedent is true Ergo The consequent The connexion is manifest and for the assumption the place cited proves it But if this place Mr. Montague be understood as it is expounded by many learned men that Paul has reference here to the things which himselfe had writ to the Corinthians and others and that he binds the Corinthians here to the things pend by himselfe and that which he had writ and injoynes them not to be wise above that then by how much more are all the whole Scriptures sufficient and with how much the more care ought we to take heed that wee be not wise above that which is written both in the old and new Testament for that must needs be a compleate rule to which with greater reason all men are for evertied unto if the very writings of the Apostle Paul are so perfect that no man ought to be wise or learned above that which hee hath written From the which I thus argue Whosoever propounds or establishes any doctrines or opinions of Faith from unwritten Traditions is wise above that which is written But no Christian truly obedient to the Apostolicall doctrine is wise above that which is written Ergo no Christian truly obedient to the Apostolicall Doctrine doth propound or establish any Doctrines or opinions of Faith from unwritten Traditions But to goe on Paul in his Epistle to the Galatians chap. 1. vers 8 9. Though wee saith he or an Angell from Heaven preach unto you otherwise then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed as wee said before so say J now againe if any men preach unto you otherwise then that yee have received let him be accursed The Apostle here doubles the execration as if he could have used no argument sufficient enough to deterre them from listning unto any doctrines contrary to that which they had received tying them only to the written Word the which they ought to make the onely rule of their faith and from the which they might not swarve though the Apostles themselves or an Angell from Heaven should teach them otherwise under a fearefull curse and execration And as he sets downe the danger that will follow to all such as disobay these his injunctions so in the conclusion of this his Epistle hee pronounces a blessing upon all such as shall be conformable to the rule prescribed unto them for their farther incouragement in these words Chap. 6. vers 16. And as many as walke according to this rule peace be unto them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Mercy therefore and peace is the reward of all the faithfull and obedient to this rule and to such as cleave onely to the Scriptures and a curse to all those that are disobedient and such as listen unto unwritten Traditions And in the fourth to the Ephesians exhorting them all that with lowlinesse and meeknesse c. they would indeavour to keepe the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace he gives them a reason of his exhortation saying that there is but one body and one spirit and one hope and one Lord and one faith and one Baptisme and one God and Father of all and therefore that they should imploy that Talent of grace that God had given them for the keeping of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace And that they might the better doe this hee tells them that the Lord gave them Apostles and Prophets and Evangelists and Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints and for the edifying of the Church till they come unto the unity of the Faith c. and declares unto them withall that they have fully discharged their duty and revealed and taught the whole Will of God unto them and also writ it to this very end vers 14. That wee henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in waite to deceive In the which words he giveth the reason why the Word of God was written viz. That they might have a certaine rule to walke by and to which they were only to adhere and constantly to cleave unto and not to be removed from it if they desired to keepe the unity of the faith and not be carried about with every wind of Doctrine So that by this very place it is manifest the written Word is to be the onely rule and not unwritten verities or humane Traditions And in Philip. 3. vers 16. Neverthelesse saith he whereto we have already attained let us walke by the same rule let us minde the same things Here also hee tieth them to the rule the written Word from which they might not swarve And to the Coloss chap. 2. vers 8. Beware saith he lest any may spoyle you through philosophy and vaine deceit after the traditions of men after the rudiments of the World and not after Christ for in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily and yee are compleat in him who is the head of all principality and power and in vers 18.19 20 21 22. of the same chapter the Apostle reproveth them that they were subject unto the ordinances after the Commandements and Doctrines of men So that in this very chapter hee proveth that the Word of God is sufficiently perfect for the bringing us unto Christ in whom wee are compleat and forbids them to listen unto the Traditions and Ordinances of men with whatsoever seeming arguments out of philosophy and humane wisdome they are propounded unto them and enjoins them onely to cleave unto the written word and to the revealed will of God in the holy Scriptures and not to serve God after the Commandements and Traditions of men shewing them the danger of so doing for saith he they separate us from the head Christ Jesus and bring us to perdition And if wee looke through all the Epistles of the holy Apostles wee shall finde in them all speciall caveats to take heede of all Traditions of men and speciall charge given them to cleave onely to that Doctrine and those instructions that they in their writings had set downe unto them for for that very end they writ their letters unto them as they testify themselves that after their departure out of this life they might have a certaine rule to walk by by the following and observing of the which they might not onely be preserved from all the errors of the times but be kept unblameable to the appearing and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and bee filled with all saving knowledge And truly Mr. Montague all reason
dictates unto us that if the holy Apostles in their writings give precepts unto all the Pastors and Teachers of the Church how they shall teach and instruct the people and prescribe unto them a rule which they are ever to follow and from which they may not swarve in their preaching and injoyne them withall to keepe that rule unblameable untill the second comming of the Lord Jesus Christ and in those instructions among other things in speciall charge them to take heed of all the Traditions and Precepts of men in Gods service and injoyne them also to reprove such as teach any other doctrine than that they have received from them and also command to shun and decline them that teach contrary to that doctrine I say as the Ministers of the Gospell have a rule set them by which they shall teach and from which they may not vary if they notwithstanding will goe beyond their commission and teach contrary yet the people are not to listen unto them or to heare them in so doing for they are bound and tied likewise by the same rule and written word to the contrary as by the places above specified is manifest and many more that follow But now Mr. Montague let us a little examine what Paul writeth to Timothy and Titus and in them to all Ministers and Teachers and what rules hee prescribeth unto them in their preaching and what rules after in the following Epistles and Writings of the Apostles are given to all Christians S. Paul in his 1 Epistle to Timothy before he comes to any particular instructions gives him a reason why he left him at Ephesus when he went into Macedonia and that was saith he vers 3.4 That thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine neither give heed to fables c. Here the Apostle ties all Ministers to the rule the Doctrine that they had received from him and the other Apostles And accounts all the Traditions of men fables and vanities as in the third Chapter he more fully declareth and in the 16 verse he saith Take heede unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine continue in them for in doing this saith he thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee Here hee ties Timothy to the rule and tells him withall of the benefit that will redound unto him and others continuing in it and that is the salvation both of him and his hearers So that the swarving from it must needs be pernicious to both Teachers and Hearers And in the 5 chap. 21. J charge thee before God saith he and the Lord Jesus and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before an other And in chap. 6. vers 3. Jf saith hee any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesom words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse c. from such withdraw thy selfe Here againe he ties him to the rule to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ the doctrine taught by Christ as it is set down in the severall Gospells and commands Timothy to withdraw himselfe from all such as taught not according to that doctrine and in vers 13.14 I give thee charge saith hee in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Christ Iesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keepe this Commandement without spot untill the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is a rule given to the end of the World which all Teachers and Hearers are bound to observe and keepe The Ministers and preachers by it are to teach nothing contrary unto the wholesome words and doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and what hee taught and the people they are not to receive or heare any thing contrary to that doctrine but both Ministers and people are commanded to shunne such and to withdraw themselves from them And in his second Epistle as if the Apostle could never sufficiently enough have taught all Ministers their duty in Chap. 1. vers 13. Hold fast saith he the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of mee in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Have a speciall care thou variest not from that way of teaching thou hast learned from mee the two principall heads of the which doctrine or the sum of which is faith and charity teach them the saving doctrine of faith therefore as I taught it according to the written Word ground all thy preaching concerning faith upon the Scripture not upon the vaine Traditions of men and humane authority but upon the written word So likewise when thou teachest them their duty of love both towards God and towards their Neighbours and one towards another instruct them in that according to the written Word and not after the Precepts and commandements of men and from this way of preaching swarve thou not but hold fast that forme of sound Words for so I taught thee And in Chap. 3. vers 14. Continue thou saith he in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Here againe hee injoynes him to preseverance in that doctrine onely which he had taught him who was guided by the Spirit of God and confirmed all that hee taught out of the Scriptures and therefore there could be no doubt of the Truth of it and that he commands Timothy and all other Ministers to continue in their Teaching and not to vary from it or to give eare or heed unto the Traditions of men And in his Epistle to Titus chap. 1. vers 13.14 Wherefore saith he rebuke them sharply that they my be sound in the Faith Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandements of men which turne from the truth What Mr. Montague can be spoke more evident against all Traditions of men which teach that the worship of God consisteth in outward performances as in the observation of dayes and ceremonies and abstaining from Meats and Marriage all inventions of crafty men and which teach that wee must worship God according to the commandements of men when the Apostle in expresse words in Chap. 3. of the 1 of Timothy vers 12 3. affirmes that these are the doctrines of Devills and in this place commands Titus sharply roughly and plainely to reprove all such preachers as teach men by such performances to serve God or instruct them to worship him after the commandements and traditions of men and gives him a reason why Titus should sharply rebuke such teachers because saith he they that indoctrinate the people in this manner to serve God are so far from teaching the truth as they turn them from it and lead them into errours and by-waies to their eternall perdition Truely Mr. Montague if there were but this very Text in all the new Testament for our direction for the right serving of God it were enough for ever to deterre us from the traditions of men and to make us cleave close to the
the regulating of our Faith and manners and ought to be the onely square and rule of all our thoughts words actions and of our faith and doctrines unto the end of the world and that there is no need of any humane traditions for the compleating of them and making of them perfect and intire and that all doctrines that are not either grounded upon the expresse words of the Scriptures or evidently and by good consequence deduced from thence ought to be rejected and to be abandoned I pray Master Montague what thinke you of the state and condition of such a man living and dying in this faith Can this his so believing any way prejudice his eternall salvation though he never heareth of any of your traditions or unwritten verities which you notwithstanding affirm are to be entertained with equall beliefe that the holy Scriptures are by us received and imbraced I say if he never heare so much as of the name of your Traditions and of your Councels Canons or Inâ—unctions will not his faith in the holy Scriptures alone imbracing the doctrine revealed in them and believing that they containe all things in them necessary to salvation save him eternally If you shall affirme the contrary you will not fight against mee but against God himselfe and give the Spirit of God the lie who hath so often declared that believing those things that are writ in the holy Scriptures it will save our soules Againe Master Montague I demand of you what you thinke of the condition of that Christian that shall peremptorily believe that all those Traditions of Purgatory and humane satisfactions of Will-worship and Image-worship of Self-merits and workes of Supererogation of Indulgences and Pilgrimages of praying to Saints and Angels and all the other bundles of your Traditions thrust upon the poore people as the service of God and the meanes by which they may please God are detestable abominations as being things full of blasphemy placing our redemption in other meanes than in the bloodshed and meritorious death and passion of Jesus Christ and denying the perfection of the holy Scriptures and equalizing or rather preferring the Traditions and Inventions of the Pope the enemy of the Lord Jesus before the authority of the written Word which was dictated by the Spirit of Christ himselfe the onely and sole Prophet of his Church whom wee are commanded onely to heare and obey in all things that he hath declared in his blessed Word which is for ever to be the rule of our faith Doe you conceive Master Montague that any Christian so believing and persevering in this his beliefe unto the last houre of his death it can any way prejudice his salvation If you say it may give me I beseech you your reason for sinne onely excludeth men out of Heaven shew me therefore what Law of God any Christian transgresseth in believing Christ to be the onely Prophet of his Church and that he hath fully revealed the Will of God his Father concerning the redemption of man-kind and that this his Will and good pleasure is as much as is necessary to the salvation of the Church is fully set downe and contained in the holy Scriptures and that the written Word of God is compleat in it selfe without any humane Traditions and that we are bound to make that onely the rule of our faith and manners and to reject all doctrines whatsoever are not grounded upon the written Word and much more all such doctrines as lead us from Christ and teach us another way to Heaven than he hath taught us who is our onely Prophet and another way of serving God than he hath appointed I pray Master Montague is the obedience of any man to Christ our Prophets command a sinne or transgression of his holy Law If you say so then you make that a sinne which God accounteth of as a vertue and obedience to his blessed Will and Word and so by your traditions breake the Commandements of God and our glorious Prophet Christ Jesus and by that as by all your other damnable doctrines proclaime your selves open transgressours of his holy Lawes which without speedy and hearty repentance will bring you to eternall perdition Againe Master Montague I intreat you candidly to tell me what you thinke of the condition of such a man as shall believe that Christ Jesus is the onely and sole Priest of the new Testament and that hee by his obedience death and passion and by the Sacrifice of himselfe once offered upon the Crosse when he was made sinne for us who knew no sinne hath reconciled God the Father unto us and made for ever our atonement with him and laid downe a sufficient ransome for our redemption by the which we are freed from both the guilt and punishment due to our sinnes and transgressions and that the vertue of this his sacrifice as it is ineffable and everlastingly able to save all such as believe in him so it is never to be reiterated but to be applyed unto the soule and hearts of men by such meanes onely as God himselfe hath appointed viz. by the vertue and powerfull working and operation of the holy Ghost by the preaching of the Gospell by the administration of the holy Sacraments by faith and prayer and that hee is our onely high Priest and Mediator both of satisfaction and intercession by whom alone wee have continually accesse to the Throne of grace and that in his Name onely and through his mediation wee are to put up all our prayers supplications and thanksgivings unto God the Father and that there are now no reall Priests on earth for the offering up of any propitiatory Sacrifice for the reconciling of God unto us or any other Mediators in Heaven between God and us that can make God propitious unto us but the man Christ Jesus Tell me Master Montague sincerely what you thinke of the state and condition of such a man living and dying in this faith Can this his beliefe any way prejudice his salvation though he never heare of your Romish Priests whom you affirme to be reall Priests after the order of Melchisedeck and assert that they offer up the body and blood of Jesus Christ daily a propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead Can this his faith I say prejudice the salvation of any man though he never heareth such doctrines as these be or can this his faith prejudice his eternall happinesse though hee never heareth of any other Mediator of the new Testament but Jesus Christ alone or never prayeth to Saint or Angell to entreat their mediation for him with God the Father but onely putteth up all his prayers and praises in the Name of Christ alone I beseech you Master Montague tell me if hee never heard so much as the name of any reall Priests besides Christ or of any other Mediator but of Jesus Christ or of any other propitiatory Sacrifice but of that onely which Christ offered to God the Father upon
and all rabid cruelty and unheard of inhumanity and in that also the Church of Rome corrupteth yea annihilateth all the offices of Jesus Christ retayning onely his name but adulterating all true christian Religion and by consequence destroying the very humane nature of Jesus Christ making it present in many places at one and the same time and yet not visible a body and no body I say in all these respects a man may without any wrong done to the Church of Rome conclude that shee is no true Church nor the ground and pillar of Truth But to the end Mr. Montague that neither you or any other may think I do too highly prayse the Church of England for the purity of her Doctrine and worship and honouring of Christ or calumniate the Church of Rome when I charge her with all these things of adulterating all the true Christian Religion and annihilating all the offices of Jesus Christ c. I thought it very necessary here to parallell the Doctrine of the Church of England and that of the Church of Rome together that it may the more evidently appeare unto all men under one view as it were in a Table which of the two Churches believeth best concerning Christ his natures and offices and whether of these Religions is most sound and Orthodox touching all things necessary to be knowne and practised by all such as desire salvation by Jesus Christ And to begin with Christs Kingly office The Church of England believeth that Jesus Christ is the onely and sole King and governour of the whole Universe to whom all power in Heaven and Earth is given Mat. 28. but more especially of his Church who by God himselfe was set King over his holy mountaine Psal 2. v. 6. And that he is the King of Righteousnesse Heb. 7. The King eternall Jsa 9. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Apoc. 17. and that he doth by his mighty power and wisdom uphold and governe all things but with a more peculiar care and in a more speciall manner preserve and defend his Church 1 Tim. 4. v. 10. as that which he hath purchased with his precious blood and by his power redeemed out of the captivity and slavery of Satan and that he is the head of his Church which is his body who infuseth life into it Righteousnesse Peace Joy Happinesse and all the graces of Wisdome and knowledge of God with certainty and assurance of his love and that his Kingdom and Empire is a spirituall and heavenly Kingdome no terrene and fading Monarchy John 18. vers 38. Luke 1. v. 33. And is uphold and governed onely by the scepter of his spirit and word and not by the authority virtue or wisdome of any humane power Shee also believeth that they are the impious and blasphemous inventions of frothy and windy ambition to affirme that Christ appointed any one to be a Vicar and Governour under him over his Church who by an infallible and unerring spirit should moderate and rule it to the end of the World and to assert that Peter was this monarch and Vicar generall and that the Pope is his successor the head and foundation of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ all these assertions and blasphemous titles the Church of England abominateth as derogatory to the honour and dignity of their Lord and King Jesus Christ and injurious and hurtfull to the salvation of mankind Shee also believeth that the Church of Christ which is his Spouse is onely to be governed and ordered by Christ her head and husbands command Will Word and Lawes as they are set downe in his holy Word and not by the decrees determinations authority and traditions either of Councels or Fathers no farther than they are consonant to his Lawes and blessed Word as they are written and set downe in the Bookes of the old and new Testament Shee believeth also that the pure Preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the holy Sacraments and the true invocation of God are the infallible ensignes of a true Church and the never deceiving markes and notes of the same Withall shee believeth that such is the condition of the Church militant that by reason of persecutions and bloudy Tyranny and the cruelty of the enemies of it she may be brought to so low a condition and be so obscure that shee may be without any visible forme splendor and outward government and lie hid not only from publike view or the eyes of the common people but even from the sight of the dearest servants of God themselves as it hapned not onely in Elias his time but in many ages besides as the holy Scripture abundantly declareth and that the Church doth not alwaies come with observation as our Saviour said of the Kingdom of God in his time that it came not with appearance and magnificence And therefore the Church of England doth not believe that pompe state and outward worldly dignity and riches miracles multitude and grandeur are the markes and notes of a true Church but rather the very characters of the whore of Babylon who sitteth as Queen And this is the beliefe of the Church of England concerning the Kingly Office of Christ and his Kingdome the Church Now Mr. Montague let us see what the Church of Rome believes concerning Christs Kingly Office and Kingdome that both our tenents and beliefes being set downe together it may the better appeare which of our faiths is most orthodox and which of our Churches doth most glorifie and honour Christ their King and magnifie his Kingly dignity and absolute soveraignty The Church of Rome doth in words acknowledge that Christ is the King of his Church but in their workes and deeds they deny it For they make him a terrene Monarch and his Kingdome to be of this world neither doe they admit and allow him to be the sole alone and onely King of his Church but they joyne a Vicar with him and divide the care of governing his Kingdome between him and his Vicar-generall the Pope who they assert to be of an infallible and un-erring spirit and proclaime him to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords the foundation and head of the Church and Lord of all the Kingdomes of the earth that he may dispose of them as he pleaseth and give them to whom he lusteth and take them from any that hath not a desire to humour him all which are titles of blasphemy and unsufferable indignity to the King of Saints and King of Kings the Lord Jesus Christ The Church of Rome believeth and holdeth also that the Kingdome of Christ which is his Church ought to be governed not onely by the Lawes and Word of Christ but by the determinations and decrees of Fathers Councels and Synods and by the Popes Canons and the vaine and impious traditions of men which they doe not onely equalize but preferre before the holy Scriptures They also affirme that the markes and notes of Christs Kingdome are multitudes
he speaking to all the people And if we run through all the new Testament Moses and the Prophets and the Psalmes are the grounds of all their doctrines and thither they send the people upon whom the ends of the World are come and tie us alwayes to the Scriptures of the old Testament and the writings of the Apostles under the new with this expresse command that we should cleave onely to them and not to be wise above that which is written which sheweth the absolute perfection both of the old and new Testament and that they neede no Traditions of men for the making of them a compleat rule And so now I returne againe to the new Testament and will from thence produce some more arguments for the proving of the Al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures in themselves and then conclude that point And for the better proceeding in my discourse I will goe on with the place of S. Paul in the 2 Epist to Timothy chap. 3. vers 15.16 where I began All Scripture saith he is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes from the which words I thus argue That which has all things in it sufficient for the begetting of Faith and Repentance and for the guiding ordering and regulating of our obedience and manners and for the supporting of us in every condition that containes all things in it necessary to salvation But the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament have all things in them sufficient for the begetting of Faith and Repentance and for the guiding ordering and regulating of our obedience and manners and for the supporting of us in every condition Ergo the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament containe all things in them necessary to salvation For the Major Mr. Montague there is no man that either can or will deny it for the Minor it hath sufficiently by all the former discourse bin proved yet for the further confirmation of it the very enumeration of the benefits that redound unto us by the holy Scriptures set downe by the Apostle in these words that they are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good workes do abundantly prove it for that which teacheth the truth convinceth error corrects vice frames us to all virtue and comforts us in every condition and is able to make the very man of God accomplished and throughly furnished to all good workes must needs containe all things in it necessary to salvation but the holy Scriptures doth all this as is apparent from this very place and that in Rom. 15. vers 4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that were through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Ergo the holy Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation And by consequence have no neede of any humane Traditions for the making of them a compleat rule But for further illustration of this truth I will produce some other Testaimonies of the holy Scriptures of the new Testament Luk. 1. vers 1.2 3 4. For as much saith S. Luke as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us Even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word it seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first to write unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast beene instructed Here Mr. Montague before I come to frame my argument out of these words I shall desire you well to consider and to take notice of S. Lukes Testimony which is this that before hee wrote his Gospell many had set forth in order a declaration of those things which were most surely believed among them and such men as were eye-witnesses of the things they related and Ministers of the Word and therefore men without exception and even these men had orderly declared and delivered in writing all things of which they were eye-witnesses So that by this it is manifest that a great part of the Scriptures of the new Testament were already pend when S. Luke wrote his Gospell which was long before Paul wrote his second Epistle to Timothy as all that are any thing verst in the holy Scriptures in the history of those times do very well know contrary unto your assertion Mr. Montague that the holy Scriptures and Doctrines of the new testament were not then pend but only delivered viva voce and received by Tradition when Paul wrote to Timothy And now I come to my argument which out of the words of S. Luke I thus frame Those writings that comprehend in them a perfect declaration of all things that were most surely believed conterning Christs doings preachings and sufferings and have in them a certaine and orderly narration of them all from the very first and that set downe by them that had a perfect understanding of them from the beginning as being Eye-witnesses of them and Ministers of the Word and were also pend to this very end that the truth and certainty of those things wherein they had been instructed and taught might be knowne to all future ages that all men might be kept from error and be established and confirmed for ever in the truth they containe all things in them necessary to salvation But the Scriptures of the new Testament comprehend in them a perfect declaration of all things that were most surely believed concerning Christs both doings preachings and sufferings the knowledge and believing of the which is sufficient to salvation and have in them a certaine and orderly narration of them all from the very first and that set downe by them that had a perfect understanding of them from the beginning as being Eye-witnesses of them and Ministers of the Word and were also pend to this very end that the Truth and certainty of those things wherein they had bin instructed and taught might be known to all future Ages that all men might be kept from error and be established and confirmed forever in the Truth Ergo the holy Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation For the Major Mr. Montague I presume you will not deny it and for the Minor it is apparent from S. Lukes own words and therfore these two consectaries do from thence necessarily follow the first that the holy Scriptures have no neede of any humane Traditions for the making of them a compleate rule the second is that the Scripture is the certaine rule all Christians are tied unto to the end of the World and that they are the onely meanes to informe us of the truth
Church under the old Testament so now under the new Testament he hath spake unto us sundry waies viz. by the writings of the Apostles by their Traditions not written and doth daily speak unto us by Ecclesiasticall Injunctions and Canons by Councels and Fathers and by the decrees of the Church all which how contrary they are to the meaning and doctrine of St. Paul every man can easily discerne Yea the very Papists themselves cannot deny it And thus much I thought fit to speak of the hypothesis or hypotheticall connexion of my argument Now for the Assumption it containes these three assertions The first that the Word of God necessary to the salvation of the Church was first delivered by the Prophets and afterwards by Christ and his Apostles which is manifest by the place alledged In time past God spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets but in these last daies he spake unto us by his Sonne Which is also to be extended unto the Apostles by whom Christ spake as is manifest out of the second chapter of this Epistle penned by the same Apostle vers 3. How shall we escape saith he if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoke by the Lord and was confirmed unto us that heard him And in the 20. of Saint John ver 21. As my Father sent me so I send you And Luke 10. ver 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me c. Neither can you Mr. Montague or any deny but that the doctrine of the Gospell was penned and written by the Apostles The second assertion of my Assumption was this that the Word of God delivered by the Prophets is onely to be found in their writings And that is evident from the frequent use of speaking in the holy Scripture which by the Prophets understand the writings of the holy Prophets As in the Epistle to the Rom. chap. 1. v. 1 2. The Gospell of God promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures And Luke 16. They have Moses and the Prophets And John 6. vers 45. It is written in the Prophets And Acts 26. vers 27. King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets Luke 24. v. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe and the same vers 44. And St. Peter in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19. By the word of Prophesie understands the writings of the Prophets as by the words following is evident For the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man saith he but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost And many more places to this purpose might be produced which I omit the truth being so well knowne Neither can any Papist produce an instance or president to the contrary The third assertion in my Assumption is this that there can no reason be given by the Papists why the same should not be determined and ordered concerning the word of God delivered by Christ his Apostles that is concluded or determined concerning the Word of God delivered by the Prophets viz. That the whole Word of God as much as concerned the knowledge faith and salvation of the Church as much as was requisite for their good is delivered and set downe in the writings of the Apostles Therefore Mr. Montague when the Papists doe affirme that there is a dissimilitude in this part or matter till they can shew a reason and that a theologicall reason and grounded upon the Word of God they say nothing and the argument will for ever hold and the conclusion remaine unmoveable that all things necessary to salvation are to be found in the writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles and that we have no need of any Traditions for the making of the Scriptures a compleat rule as the Church of Rome doth impiously and malignantly conclude I confesse Master Montague that I have been very large in this theame but I formerly gave you a reason of it and if I yet say a little more to confirme the truth and for the farther convincing of errour and to undeceive the poore deluded people I hope you will excuse me I therefore shall adde a few more reasons and proofes for the confirmation of the al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures and that they have no need of any humane Traditions for the making of them a compleat rule Saint Paul in the third of the Galatians vers 15. Brethren saith he I speake after the manner of men though it be but a mans covenant or testament yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto Out of which words I thus argue If the Scripture of the new Testament be a Covenant and it be not lawfull to adde unto a Covenant then it is not lawfull to adde any thing to the Scriptures of the new Testament But the antecedent is true ergo the consequent and by vertue of the consequent no Traditions not written by the Apostles nor no unwritten verities as you terme them are to be received or entertained by the Church of God as to be a rule of their faith to be joyned to the Scriptures The connexion is cleare The assumption hath two parts The first is manifest from the very inscription and hath no need of any other proofe The latter is proved out of the words of the Apostle when he saith it is not lawfull to adde no not to a mans covenant or testament and then this conclusion with farre greater reason will ensue and follow that it is much lesse lawfull to adde unto Gods owne Covenant and Testament And they that doe adde their traditions unto the holy Scriptures of the new Testament doe that which is unlawfull unjust and impious and bring that curse and plague upon themselves that is pronounced Revel 22. v. 18 19. If any man shall adde unto these things saith Christ God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall take away from the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this booke That Mr. Montague that is spoke of this Prophesie is spoke of the whole Scriptures and therefore they that accuse the holy Scriptures of imperfection and adde their impious and vaine Traditions unto them are guilty both of addition and detraction to them and make themselves obnoxious to that fearefull curse but the Church of England dares neither adde or take from either the old or new Testament but acknowledge them both to be a most compleat rule and to containe all things in them necessary to the salvation of the Church and to have no need of unwritten verities But that I may farther confirme the truth and convince the erronious opinion of the Church of Rome I thus argue If the holy
particular motions of men or by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost that is we know and are most assured whatsoever they declared either viva voce and by word or whatsoever they spake by writing for God speakes unto his people by his Prophets both by voyce and writing as is apparent through the whole Scripture Isaia 45.19 All that saith he we known was by Divine inspiration and by the counsaile command and dictate of the holy Ghost and therefore must be more sure then all Traditions because they are Gods commands and writ of purpose for the direction of the people and not accidentally which will yet more cleerly appeare if we consider some other places of holy writ Deut. 30 Where Moses exhorting the people if they would avoid all Gods curses and procure his blessings and provide for their own eternall good and happinesse that they should obey the voyce of the Lord and doe all his Commandements which are written in the booke of the Law vers 10. Here first he setteth downe what voyce of God they should heare and what Commandements they should yeeld obedience unto and that was to the written voyce of God and the written Commandements which are written saith he in the Booke of the Law not to the Traditions of men and affirmes that they were written for this purpose that they might not run wandering about from place to place as men uncertaine what was the will pleasure and commands of God for they were written to this end that they might alwayes have them by them and in their sight for the guide and direction of their obedience both towards God and towards their Neighbour for this Commandement saith he which I command thee this day is not hid from thee neither is it farre off it is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say Who shall go up for us to Heaven and bring it us and cause us to heare it that we may do it neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say Who shall goe over the Sea for us and bring it us and cause us to heare it that we may doe it But the Word is very neare unto thee even in thy mouth and in thy heart for to do it vers 11 12 13. It is written saith he and it was written to this end that they might not be seduced by erronious opinions and carried about to the worshipping of other Gods and serving of them as this Chapter sheweth and all the other holy Scriptures and therefore was written not accidentally and by occasion but by Gods owne command and inspiration And Paul in Rom. 10. confirmeth the same vers 6.7 and in the fourth Ch. of the same Epistle vers 21.22 shewing the end and reason why the holy Scriptures were written he saith it was not written for Abrahams sake alone that it was imputed but for us also c. for the comfort of all the sonnes and daughters of Abraham signifying unto all believers and the deare servants of God that God had as great a care that they should be taught aright how to please him as Abaham the father of all the faithfull was and withall that he was the same God now he was then not changeable for his service and spirituall worship but if that they would obey him and believe in him without staggering and doubting as Abraham did and follow his commands they should be blessed with Father Abraham and for this very end saith the Apostle was the Scripture written by Gods owne appointment and not accidentally As in the 15 chapter and the fourth verse Where he declareth whatsoever things were written afore time were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope In these words is set down both the reason and the end why they were penn'd viz. That through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope that is that wee might by them learne patience in all sufferings and be comforted in our greatest calamities in seeing and reading what God hath done to his suffering servants in all ages and how hee was with them in all their tribulations and was afflicted in all their afflictions and how the Angel of his presence saved them and how in his love and in his piety he redeemed them and bare them and carried them all their dayes Isa 63. vers 9. The Saints by seeing what God had done and by reading how that he carried his people through and over all difficulties and that his Angels have ever beene their guard and knowing that God is still the same in all loving kindnesse to them that feare him they are comforted and attaine to more hope and confidence in God and for this end was the Scripture written by Gods appoyntment and by the inspiration of his holy Spirit and not accidentally and by the will of men but as they were moved by God himselfe and received the Word from his mouth as all the Prophets did Ezek. 3. vers 17. And in the tenth of the first of the Cor. vers 11. speaking of the judgements of God that fell upon evill doers and wicked and ungodly men and such as provoke God by their sinfull courses he saith Now all these things happened unto them for examples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come Here we see God had an end why they should be written which was upon counsell and deliberation in God himselfe for the admonition of his people and for the instructing and teaching of them to take heed of all evill courses and wicked wayes if they would avoid his displeasure and enjoy his favour and protection and therefore the holy Scriptures now pend by Divine inspiration and Heavenly command for this very end and not by the will of man accidentally Innumerable more proofes to this purpose might be produced to prove that the Scriptures were not accidentally but of purpose written for the good of all men and for the preserving of them from error and that they might not be carried about with every wind of Doctrine and the vaine traditions of men and be led by uncertainties But I will content my selfe with one proofe more and so conclude this my first argument to prove that the Scripture was not accidentally written and by the will of man Luk. 1. vers 3.4 It seemed good to me also saith S. Luke having had perfect understanding of all things from the first to write unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou mayest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast beene instructed Here are three things worthy of observation the first that he had a perfect understanding and true information of the things he wrote as having received them from eye-witnesses and such as were without exception being Christs Ministers and such as would not lie or relate untruths the second thing observable is that he hath
had not revealed himselfe fully unto them for our Saviour Christ the Messias of whom the woman in John 4. ver 25. said that when he was come he would tell us all things told the Ruler asking him what he should doe that he might have eternall life that if he would enter into life he should keepe the Commandements Matth. 19. ver 16 17. if then the Commandements alone containe all things necessary to salvation as is evident by Gods owne testimony and by Christs witnesse how prodigiously blasphemous are they that affirme that all the holy Scriptures containe not all things necessary to salvation but of this point in his due place For the present the place cited before proveth that the Scripture was not written accidentally as the Church of Rome impiously assert But now I will goe on to prove that the holy Word of God was penned by speciall command Exod. 17. v. 14. The Lord said there unto Moses Write this for a remembrance in the booke and rehearse it to Josua c. And Exod. 34. ver 27. And the Lord said unto Moses write thou these words c. And in Deut. 31.19 Now therefore saith the Lord write this song for you and teach it the children of Israel and put in their mouths c. Yea the people were commanded to write the Commandements of the Lord upon the posts of the houses and upon their gates and to teach them diligently unto their children and to talke of them to them when they sate in their houses and when they walked by the way and at their lying downe and at their rising up Deut. 6. ver 6 7 8 9. and the same reiterated againe Deut. 11. v. 18 19 20 21. So that the whole law was written by the command of God himselfe and was appointed by him to be the rule by which his people should serve him and by the keeping and observing of the which Law they should procure his favour and protection and enter into life eternall if they could perfectly keepe and observe it as is manifest by all the forementioned places and in the 30. of Deuteronomy they are all tied to the written Law as a compleat rule and witten by God himselfe and by his command penned by Moses for that purpose as a compleate rule And therefore Master Montague how dangerous a thing is it in any to slight the holy Scriptures and to vilifie them and to deny them their due honour and to accuse them of imperfection and to preferre their owne Traditions before those lively Oracles Is not this Mr. Montague to despise the holy Scriptures The Authour to the Hebrews chap. 10. v. 28. faith He that despised Moses Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses What then will become of those that not onely despise Moses and his writings but the writings of all the holy Prophets and blessed Apostles and Evangelists and accuse them all of imperfection and obscurity and make them the cause of all errours schismes and heresies and of all confusion and that in the sight of a thousand witnesses Is not this enough to provoke the Lord who is a consuming fire to wrath and indignation Mr. Montague as you love your salvation take heed of such expressions I am the more large in this businesse because you spoke very contumeliously of the Holy Scriptures as all can remember that were present as that they were accidentally writ and not of purpose to be the rule of faith and manners and not a perfect rule But now to goe on the Prophet Isaiah chap. 8. vers 1. had a speciall command to write Moreover the Lord said unto me Take thee a great Roll and write in it with a mans Pen c. And in the 30 chapter and vers 8. the Lord saith Goe write it before them and note it in a Table and write it in a booke that it may be for time to come and for ever and ever And in Jerem 36. ver 2. the Lord saith there Take thee a Roll of a book and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel and against Judah and against all the Nations from the day I spake unto thee from the daies of Josiah even unto this day And Habakkuk 2. ver 6. the Lord commands the Prophet saying Write the vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may runne that readeth it And St. John likewise had an expresse and particular command to write the Apocalyps chap. 1. ver 19. Write the things saith Christ which thou hast seene and the things which are and the things which shall be hereafter And this Commandement of writing is reiterated seven times in the second and third chapters of the same books And the Prophet David speaking of all that he had both writ and taught the people in the second booke of Sam. chap. 23. ver 2. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me and his Word was in my mouth The same may be said of all the holy Prophets Apostles Evangelists and of all the Penmen of holy Scripture according to that of Saint Paul to Timothy the second Epistle chap. 3. ver 3. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God c. and that of Peter in the second Epistle chap. 2. ver 20 21. Knowing saith Saint Peter that no Prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation for the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost I will conclude this point with that of Saint Paul in the first of Cor. chap. 14. ver 37 38. If any man thinketh himselfe to be a Prophet or spirituall saith he let him acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the Commandements of the Lord. But if any man be ignorant let him be ignorant still As much as if he should say if any man will not acknowledge and take notice that I write nothing but what God hath given me in command to write and which I pen by his speciall inspiration and as he hath moved me but will still persevere in his ignorance and thinke that I write out of my owne particular and peculiar motion and accidentally and occasionally let him still continue in his ignorance I will not dispute with him nor bring any argument for the further convincing of him but if any man will be ignorant let him be ignorant still So say I unto you Mr. Montague if you will not notwithstanding all I have now said believe that the holy Scriptures were written by the speciall command of God and by his holy Spirit and not occasionally and accidentally as you and the Church of Rome affirme and by the will of man then you may continue in your ignorance and be ignorant still but for the Church of England she doth verily believe that the whole written Word was given by divine inspiration and by the special command of God to the end that it
have given an answer to your cavill and evasions which was this that Saint Paul in this place spake onely of the Scriptures of the old Testament because said you Paul writes only of those Scriptures which Timothy had learned from his youth and they were onely the Scriptures of the old Testament that Timothy was instructed in This Mr. Montague was your evasion which if it be true will notwithstanding adde force and strength unto my argument as I then proved and shall by and by more clearely and fully evince But Mr. Montague that Saint Paul in this place joynes the Scriptures of the new Testament with those of the old is most manifest by the addition following saying Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ which words perspicuously evince that to the knowledge of the old Testament he joyneth likewise the doctrine of the Gospell and the Scriptures of the new Testament But you then replied that the doctrine of the new Testament was not at that time written and committed to Pen but onely delivered viva voce and received by Tradition But all this you spake without either ground or any good reason and against all light of right understanding For it is well knowne that this very Epistle to Timothy was either the last or one of the last Saint Paul ever writ it being a little before his death as appeares by the six and seventh verses of the fourth chapter where he saith I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith hence forth there is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that love his appearing So that it is evident that most of all Pauls Epistles were written before this time neither will you deny Master Montague but his first Epistle to Timothy was written before this and in that he had given to Timothy and in him to all the Ministers of the Gospell a perpetuall and sufficient rule how to order and governe the Church unto the worlds end so that all men may perceive that the Apostle joynes the Scriptures of the new Testament with them of the old when he addes through faith which is in Jesus Christ And for further evidence of this consider what Saint Peter writes in his second Epistle chap. 3. ver 15 16. in these words Even as our beloved brother Paul according unto the wisdome given unto him hath written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things c. This Mr. Montague as all men of ordinary wit and all Historians acknowledge was writ some good time and space before this last Epistle and a good time before his death so that the Epistle that Paul writ to the Hebrews his Countreymen to whom Peter also at that time in their dispersion writeth and most of his other Epistles if not all were written when Peter writ this Epistle which by all probability was long before Saint Paul wrote his last Epistle to Timothy so that if you please to take an accurate account of the times it will be evident that all the Apostolicall writings and the whole Scriptures of the New Testament or almost all were then written when Paul writ his last Epistle to Timothy so that not onely the most of Pauls Epistles as Peter witnesseth but Peters first and second Epistle also were then written So that your cavill Mr. Montague and evasion was but a demonstration of the weaknesse of your cause and in nothing impeaches or enervates the dint and force of the argument but rather addes strength and vigour unto it for if I should grant you which I cannot with any reason that the holy Scriptures of the new Testament were not then written when Paul writ his last Epistle to Timothy it would be nothing to the purpose or a matter of any moment seeing that afterward all the doctrine of the new Testament was written and commended by the Pens of the Apostles and Evangelists to future ages and to this end that they should order their faith and regulate all their doctrines and manners according to them with an especiall command from St. Paul 1 Cor. 4. vers 6. That they should not be wise above that which was written Saint John also denouncing a fearefull woe and curse to all those that shall adde unto the holy Scriptures or detract from them Revel 22. ver 18 19. which all they doe Mr. Montague that accuse the holy Scriptures of imperfection which is a great taking away from their perfection and from the honour that belongeth unto them and when they not onely joyne their owne Traditions to the holy Scriptures but preferre them before them which is not onely to be wise above that which is written but prodigiously to adde unto the holy Scriptures which makes you all liable to that curse denounced by Saint John So that if you Master Montague repent not of this so great a sinne The Lord will take away your part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written in the Scriptures But now Master Montague I will make it evident that the argument will be of more force and more convince your erroneous opinion of the insufficiency of the holy Scriptures and prove the authority and al-sufficiency of them if the Apostle Paul should there speake onely of the Scriptures of the old Testament as you and your brethren would have him and not of the new also And thus I prove it If the Scriptures of the old Testament are able to make men wise unto salvation much more then are all the holy Scriptures both of the old and new joyned together when those of the new Testament fully and clearely interpret the old and with open face the vaile being taken away set forth Christ unto us I say much more then are they being all joyned with the old Testament able to make men wise to salvation But the antecedent is true ergo the consequent The truth is Master Montague they that say the holy Scriptures containe not all things in them necessary to salvation and that they are not without the Traditions of men able to make us wise to salvation blaspheme and give the lie unto the Spirit of God which affirmeth the contrary saying that they are able to make a man wise to salvation And whosoever Mr. Montague shall deny this golden sentence of Paul that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and profitable c. vers 26. to belong unto the the Scriptures of the new Testament would be thought worthy not onely to be spewed out of the Schooles of all learned Divines but indeed out of the number of all Christians and adjudged unfit for all godly mens society But that
certainty of all that Christ both did and spak in the knowledge and believing of the which consists our Eternall happinesse and salvation And this Mr. Montague might suffice to have spoke to prove the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures without Traditions but I will yet adde a few more arguments to establish this Truth more fully and so much the more willingly I do it because it is a point of so great concernment and that about which there hath been and is the greatest contestation betweene us true Catholicks and you Papists S. Luke affords us an other evident testimony to prove the al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures Acts 1. vers 1. The former Treatise saith hee have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach untill the day in which hee was taken up c. From which words I thus argue Those Bookes and writings that containe in them all things that Jesus Christ both did taught and suffered for the redemption and salvation of mankind by the knowledge and faith of the which men may be saved they containe all things in them necessary to salvation and have no need of any humane Traditions to be joyned unto them for the making of them a perfect Rule But the Scriptures of the new Testament comprehend in them all things that Jesus Christ both did taught and suffered for the redemption and salvation of mankinde by the knowledge and faith of which men may bee saved Ergo the Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation The evidence of the truth of this argument is so manifest that besides Lukes owne Testimony which is enough for ever to stop the mouth of all gainesayers the very Rhemists themselves your owne witnesses do acknowledge it whose notes upon this place you may at your best leasure looke on their words are these Not all particularly for the other Evangelists wrote divers things not touched by him but all the principall and most necessary things These Mr. Montague are the expressions of your own men in which observe these two concessions The first that they do acknowledge that at that time that S. Luke writ his Gospell The other Evangelists had writ diverse things not touched by him And this overthrowes your opinion that when S. Paul writ unto Timothy that the Scriptures of the new Testament were not then pend but delivered only viva voce and by Tradition and this was long before that time that S. Paul writ to Timothy The second thing that they grant which is as much as I desired is this that S. Luke himselfe had writ all the principall and most necessary things so that if the principall and most necessary things to salvation were written by Luke alone and the other things of lesse necessity were written by the other Evangelists then by your owne witnesses it followeth Mr. Montague that all things necessary to salvation are comprised and contained in the Scriptures of the new Testament compleatly and fully and therefore they are absolutely in themselves perfect and have no neede of any humane Traditions for the making of them an intire and perfect rule And truly Mr. Montague I dare at any time undertake this taske against all the Papists in the would to prove that if wee had nothing but the very writings of S. Luke I meane the Gospell written by him and the Acts of the Apostles that there were enough pend for the salvation of men and that there were no just cause of complayning of the in-sufficiency of the Scripture seeing that the knowledge and believing of those principall and most necessary things are able to save our soules as most certaine it is the knowing and believing of what hee writ is sufficient to salvation But when God of his infinite favour and goodnesse to mankinde hath by so many of his blessed Servants Apostles and Evangelists in so many severall Gospells and Epistles besides the revelation of S. Iohn so abundantly declared his heavenly good will and pleasure it is not onely an intolerable ingratitude in any not to acknowledge it but also an insufferable blasphemy to accuse all the Scriptures of imperfection yea it is indeed an overthrowing of the Lord Christs propheticall office and to give the Spirit of God and his holy Apostles and Evangelists the lie when they affirme the contrary saying in expresse words that they have writ all things necessary to salvation as by the Testimonies following will appeare See what S. Iohn saith concerning this businesse of so great consequence Chap. 20. vers 30.31 And many other signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Booke But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that believing yee might have life through his Name than the which there cannot be a more pregnant proofe to shew the sufficiency of what was written to salvation The argument from these words is this That which teacheth and declareth unto us the soveraigne and chiefest good and the meanes of attaining unto this good that containes all things in it necessary to salvation But the holy Scriptures doe teach and declare unto us the Soveraigne and chiefest good to wit life eternall and the meanes of attaining this life eternall to wit faith in Jesus Christ Ergo The Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation If Mr. Montague you have a minde to confute this Argument you must then dispute against the Gospell of S. Iohn which confirmeth it But heare Mr. Montague what he saith in his first Epistle vers 1. 3.4 That which was from the beginning which wee have heard which wee have seene with our Eyes which wee have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life That which wee have seene and heard declare wee unto you that yee may also have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ And these things write wee unto you that your joy may be full The Argument from these words I thus frame The holy Apostles did hear and see whatsoever was necessary to salvation but the Apostles did declare set downe pen and record in their writings whatsoever they thought usefull requisite and sufficient for the attaining of eternall life Ergo the Apostles have declared and set down in their Bookes and writings whatsoever is necessary to salvation and to affirme the contrary is to give the Spirit of God and the holy Apostle the lie who in expresse tearms assert it For the Minor it is also manifest out of the same words For that which unites us with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ and makes our joy compleat that undeniably containes all things necessary to salvation but the holy Scriptures unite us with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ and make our joy compleate Ergo they containe all things necessary to salvation And the same Apostle in the
written Word for our rule when the Apostle pronounceth all such doctrines either to be the doctrines of devils or at least to lead and turn us from the truth which we ought to preferre before our lives And in Chap. 3. ver 10. A man saith he that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reject You know Master Montague that he is counted an heretick among you that continues obstinate and perseveres in his owne opinions against the doctrines of the Church of Rome and their vaine traditions and humane inventions but in Gods Dialect they are accounted orthodox and they onely in the holy Scriptures are counted heretickes that persevere and continue in their owne unsound opinions contrary to the faith once delivered unto the Saints and to the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ such onely by S. Paul are proclaimed hereticks with a command unto all Ministers and people after the first and second admonition to reject and to cast them out of the Church as people with whom godly men and the true Disciples of Christ ought to have no fellowship or commerce and therefore Master Montague the doctrine of the holy Apostles as it is set downe in Scriptures is the rule we are tied to for the discerning betweene true and false doctrine and that we are for ever to have before our eyes for the square we must regulate our faith and manners by And in Heb. 13. ver 8 9. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever saith the Apostle Be not carried about with strange doctrines c. here the Apostle forbids all men to listen unto the vaine Traditions of men and to be carried about with any strange doctrines such as are not grounded upon the written Word and conformable to the rule of our faith set downe in it and gives a reason why they should be stable and unmoveable in that doctrine for saith he Christ which is the object of our faith doth not change his nature nor quality in his Person Office and Doctrine and therefore it beseemes you likewise to be solid firme and stable and invariable in your faith in him and that you should not be carried about with strange doctrines or give heed unto the Traditions of men which turne you from the truth and in this you ought alwaies to follow the rule prescribed in the Word and to set before your eyes the example of your godly teachers which have the government over you who have preached unto you the Word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation vers 7. and how they continuing faithfull to the end are now dead in the Lord. If you therefore desire to be eternally blessed as they are imitate and follow them in their faith for they were not carried about with strange doctrines but as they taught you the Word of God and not the traditions and commandements of men so cleave you also to that written Word and be not carried about with strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace c. As if he should have said all the traditions of men doe not establish the heart with grace for the heart is then onely established with grace when the soule and conscience of a believer reposeth it selfe in the true apprehension and feeling of the mercy favour and love of God in Christ Jesus apprehended by faith and in the assurance of his eternall good will when by faith they lay hold on the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and finde the worke of their spirituall regeneration wrought in their soules which brings forth the fruit of holinesse in all manner of conversation and this onely establisheth the heart with grace and in this consisteth the true worship of God all which the traditions and commandements of men are so farre from teaching as they turne us from them placing religion in outward performances and in observing of mens traditions as worshiping of Images Crucifixes and observing of daies and abstaining from meats c. All which turne us from that spirituall worship of God which God both commandeth and delighteth in For God is a Spirit and they that will worship him according to his Will must worship him in spirit and truth John 4. ver 24. His Will therefore Mr. Montague must be the rule we ought ever to adhere and cleave to if we would not be carried about with strange doctrines and if we desire to have our hearts established with grace I might enlarge my selfe exceedingly in this point and runne through both the Epistles of Peter and the first Epistle of Saint John but I will conclude with that of Saint John in his second Epistle vers 9 10. Whosoever transgresseth saith Saint John and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds Here Mr. Montague for a conclusion of this point take notice that we are for ever tied to the doctrine of Christ which he the great and onely Prophet of his Church taught us and which we finde writ in the holy Scripture whom we are bound to heare in all things and from the which doctrine we may not swarve nor so much as bid God speed to any that shall teach otherwise unlesse we will partake with them in their evill and so make our selves lyable to the curse and punishment due unto our disobedience in so doing Gal. 1. vers 8. which the Church of England both out of conscience of her duty to the command of her great Prophet Christ Jesus and out of an awfull reverence of his glorious name and out of feare also of that curse that is denounced against all such as transgresse his holy Commandements and are carried about with strange doctrines and abide not in the doctrine of Christ doth with all obedience submit her selfe unto and continually cleaves unto the holy Word of God revealed in his written Word and makes that onely the rule of her faith and manners and by that proveth her selfe to be built upon the foundation of Peter and to teach the way the truth and the life and to honour Jesus Christ and to believe in him aright and as she ought to doe when she owneth him to be her onely King her sole Priest and alone Prophet and followeth the guidance of his Spirit and approaches unto God in his name and mediation and is directed by his Word and heares his voice in all things by all which I say she manifesteth to the whole world that she is a true Church against which the gates of hell can never prevaile and the pillar and ground of truth On the other side it must necessarily follow that the Church of Rome is not
death as if he had been an actor and had flung stones at him with the rest saying When thy holy martyr Stephen was slaine I stood by and assented unto it And in Jeremy 5. ver 30 31. A wonderfull and horrible thing saith the Prophet is committed in the Land The Prophets prophesie fasly and the Priests beare rule by their meanes and my people love to have it so c. Here the people assenting and allowing of these evils made themselves equally guilty and liable to the same punishment And therefore it is a very dangerous thing to have any familiarity with notorious wicked men or to meddle with such especially as are given to change and therefore by Solomon expresly forbidden and that in regard of the danger that necessarily followeth upon it which is sudden calamity and ruine to them both to both actors and abettors or consenters And all this ruine and calamity came both upon Jeroboam that made a change in Religion and in that government against this command and all that joyned with him and assented to him as the story of the Kings and Chronicles doe sufficiently declare and by that teach us to take heed we make no change or alteration in religion and Gods matters lest we partake of the same plague knowing that all those things were written for our example upon whom the ends of the world are come And therefore Mr. Montague that Church that renounceth all will-worship humane inventions in Gods service in so doing manifests her obedience to the Commandements of God and heares his voyce by which she declares herselfe to be a true Church and founded upon the foundation of Peter all which the Church of England doth and is by Gods grace resolved to doe and never to admit of any humane inventions in Gods worship and service being so often taught to the contrary both by precept and by example Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians chap. 2. vers 18. in condemning and rejecting the worship and adoration of Angels and all will-worship contents himselfe and thinks it sufficient to say that it was a humane invention to teach all Christians for ever to banish out of their religion whatsoever men devise or invent of their owne braines and innovate in Gods worship under what pretence of humility and devotion soever it be His words are these Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seene vainly puft of by his flesh and in the 20. verse Wherefore saith he if yee be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are yee subject to Ordinances after the Commandments and Doctrine of men Here he rejects and renounces all will-worship and serving of God by humane traditions not only in regard of the danger of it because it separated them from their Head Christ Jesus vers 19. but because it was an humane invention and blames the Colossians for suffering and subjecting themselves to them And in his Epistle to Titus chap. the 1. v. 13.14 Wherefore saith the Apostle rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Not giving heede to Jewish fables and commandements of men which turne from the truth Here is a generall prohibition to all Christians not to give heed to the Commandements and traditions of men in Religion with a Reason of the same annexed to the prohibition for such Commandements saith the Apostle turne men from the truth and lead them into by-wayes and corrupt and adulterate Religion and overthrow the Church which should be the ground and pillar of truth and so rob it of happinesse and of injoying the Head which is Christ Jesus And the truth of this Doctrine of St. Paul is confirmed by innumerable presidents in all ages for humane inventions corrupt Gods service As yee may see in 32 of Exodus when they set up the Calfe and built an Altar before it and proclaimed a feast unto it and were very merry and highly pleased themselves in their own inventions But heare what the Lord saith to Moses vers the 7. Go get thee downe for thy people which thou broughtest out of the Land of Aegypt have corrupted themselves they have turned aside quickly out of the way c. Here innovation in Religion and humane inventions corrupted the people and turned them aside quickly out of the way to Heaven The same is evident in Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat who caused all Israel to sinne and the ten Tribes to fall from God who followed him in his changing of Religion contrary unto the precept of Solomon in the place above specified for setting up his Calves at Dan and Bethel as it is to be seene at large in the first of the Kings the 12. and ordaining a feast unto them and setting up an Altar and sacrificing on it and changing both the time and place of Gods Worship and making Priests of the meane people which were not of the sonnes of Laevi and causing the people to goe up before them This sayes the Lord became a sinne unto them so that the Lord in many places sayes they sacrificed unto Divells and therfore by these their inventions and by this their will-worship they so provoked the Lord as they brought suddaine calamity and ruin upon themselves which the Lord by Solomon had foretold them and the Lord cast them off and gave them into captivity and delivered them over to their enemies hand and gave them a bill of divorce to teach all people to feare and tremble how by their owne inventions and will-worship they provoke the Lord lest he cast them off as he did the Israelites Here we may bring in also the Tribe of Iuda and all Ierusalem who by their inventions and imitating of Israel and other idolatrous Nations corrupted all their wayes and adulterated their Religion and provoked the Lord to wrath who gave them likewise for their idolatry and will-worship and their other abominations that ever follow the profaning of Religion into captivity and exposed the whole Kingdomes to desolation But the example of the Samaritans is not to be passed by who boasted much of antiquity and their Father Iacob though there was but little kindred between them and lesse affienity in the true Religion yet there are many things spoke of them worthy to be taken notice of for it is said in the second of the Kings the 17. that they were taught how they should feare the Lord and they feared the Lord c. and they observed Moses his Rites Ceremonies and Discipline and they looked for the Messiah to come as wee see in Iohn the 4. and they had great agreement and harmony in many Articles and points of Religion with the Iewes the only then true worshipers of God so that to the outward appearance they differed but little yet by their own inventions superstitions idolatry and traditions they had so corrupted the
whole worship of God that the Scripture denyes that they feared the Lord vers 34. because they did after their former manners and did not according to the Statutes and Ordinances and after the Law and Commandements which the Lord commanded to the children of Jacob whom he named Israel and therefore our Saviour Christ pronounces them void of salvation affirming they worshiped they knew not what and the Iewes knowing what they did worship that salvation was of the Iewes Ioh. 4. So that the truth of what I asserted is manifest that humane inventions in Gods service and wil-worship adulterates a true Church and overthrowes Religion for God will indure no mixtures Now Mr. Montague if one should in every particular compare the Church of Rome with either the children of Jsrael in all their idolatries or with the Church of Samaria in all her superstitious and fained inventions and fee what ruin and calamity came upon them by it and how by their idolatries they deprived themselves of Gods favour and of salvation we shall finde that the Church of Rome doth as far exceede either of them in idolatry superstition and all manner of profanenesse and wil-worship as a giant in greatnesse doth a pygme and therefore Mr. Montague if the Church of Rome doth not repent and renounce all her will-worship and her humane inventions as the Church of England hath done shee will partake of the same plagues that the people of Israel and Samaria did in this world and finally be deprived of life eternall and all those that do partake with her in her sinnes must partake with her in her plagues therefore Mr. Montague follow Christs counsell come out of Babylon lest you partake with her in her punishment if you will continue in her sinnes Imitate in this the Church of England who obeying the voyce of Christ her head and husband and comming out of Babylon and flying all Idolatry and will-worship proves her selfe to be a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and to be the pillar of truth and where salvation may be had And this might suffice to have spoke of wil-worship but in way of a corollary and for direction to all Christans what order to take or what meanes to use for the triall of all Doctrines Disciplines Service or Ceremonies I shall adde a word or two more and so conclude this point Our Saviour in the 11 of Mat. vers 30. gives unto men a Rule of direction which if they follow it will preserve them from all error and keepe them in the right way of serving of God The Baptisme of John was it from Heaven or of men Answer mee saith he inferring if it were of men that then it ought not to be entertained in Gods worship and that the Jewes knew very well In the same manner ought all Christians to examine and try every doctrine either of service ceremony or discipline whether it be of God or of men according to this Rule of Christ and that of Saint Paul in the first of the Thess chap. the 5. v. the 21. Try all things and keepe that which is good Now then Mr. Montague if we examine whose image and superscription every Ordinance beares and carries with it whether Cesars or Gods that is whether it be prescribed by human or Divine authority all the controversy then would speedily be ended for if it be of God and warranted by his Word then all ready obedience is to be yeilded unto it without reluctation when under that notion it is prescribed and ordered by the Magistrate But if it be a meere humane invention and hath no warrant from God our Father we ought to reject it So saith St. Paul the first of the Cor. chap. 7. v. 24. Brethren yee are bought with a price be not servants of men And in the first Chap. of the Epistle to the Gal. v. 8.9 But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach unto you otherwise than that we have preached unto you let him be accursed As I said before so I say now againe if any man Preach unto you otherwise than that yee have received let him be accursed Here the Apostle doubles the curse upon all such as shall teach otherwise for Doctrine Service Discipline or Ceremonies than they were taught by him and the other Disciples And by his owne example in the verse following he teacheth us plainly that if we goe about to please men in receiving their Doctrines we cannot be the servants of God for we cannot serve two masters his words are these verse 10. For do I now perswade or preach mans doctrine or Gods or do I seeke to please men for if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ all therefore that intertaine and admit of humane inventions in Gods service and worship are proclaimed by the Apostle the servants of men and not of God A businesse of great concernment and worthy of due consideration And truly Mr. Montague if a man should run through all the new Doctrines for Service Discipline and Ceremonies in the Church of Rome and inquire whether they were from Heaven or of men we shall not in all Gods Word find any warrant for them for they are all the inventions of crafty men who imployed their wisdome and abilities of understanding to amuse the people with these outward performances and kept them from the glorious light of the Gospell that by this meanes having put out that shining and burning Candle of Truth they might better vent their Romish ware in the darke and lead the people into errors and by-wayes to the distraction and ruin of their poore soules for imposing upon them all their traditions and will-worship as the service of God and punishing the least neglect of their Ordinances with greater severity than the breach of all Gods Commandements it is manifest to all men that they are not onely the servants of men but lyable to the curse the Apostle here pronounces against all those that teach otherwise than they have received from him and make the poore people also subject to the same condemnation And therefore the Church of England in consideration of the great danger shee was in by reason of the prodigious idolatry and will-worship of the Church of Rome hath timely renounced all these inventions of men and serves God now in spirit and truth as all those that worship aright do John 4. and cleaves only to Jesus Christ and his teaching disavowing all humane inventions in Gods service and therefore is built upon the foundation of Peter and believes as it ought to believe And thus much I thought fit to speak concerning Will-worship And now I am come to the third part of my proposition viz. that the Church of England continueth stedfastly in the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets An infallible marke of a true Church By stedfastly continuing I understand such an adhering and cleaving to the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles