us as plainly here that the Wine was still the Fruit of the Vine after Consecration as before he did that it was his Blood. But to this we may add what St. Luke says of his instituting his Supper Luk. 22. 19 And he took Bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my Body which is given for you and so of the Cup This is the New Testament of my Blood which is shed for you Where if I were given to Criticism I might take notice as Beza has done that Christ says This is my Body which is given for you not to you But to let that pass we know that Christ was not yet Crucified till after the institution of this Feast So that here 's another figure he makes use of the Present Tense instead of the Future instead of this is my Body which shall be given for you he says which is given for you as if it was a thing already done Now in my opinion it wou'd have been much more for Transubstantiation if he had us'd the Future Tense and told 'em plainly This is my Body which shall be crucified for you and his acting the contrary nulls all Pretences to the Doctrine from his words But Bellarmin has wittily suggested another kind of Argument which I shall the rather mention because it has lately been started afresh and that is If these words Hoc est corpus meum do not intend Transubstantiation they must want a Grammatical Construction For the Pronoun Hoc cannot Adjectively agree with Bread as its antecedent Substantive for Bread is of the Masculine Gender Neither can Hoc be spoken Substantively of a thing that is seen and openly known unless that thing be of the Neuter Gender But Bread is of the Masculine both in the Greek and Latin. No man going to shew another his Brother wou'd say Hoc est frater meus neither wou'd any man say of the King's Image Hoc est Caesar But all this is but a sly Insinuation to cajole those that know no more of Grammar than this Argument wou'd teach ' em And I have so much Charity for that great Man as to believe him too good a Grammarian to be gull'd by so poor an Artifice I suppose he cou'd not be ignorant if he knew any thing almost of the invalidity of such a shift he knew well enough I dare say that Hoc is here us'd as a Relative and as such that it might very well refer to either of the two Substantives Bread or Body and in this case the seeing or not seeing the Bread signified nothing but as the Relative wou'd refer to both Bread and Body it was in his Power to make it agree with which of the Substantives pleas'd him And so Hic est Corpus meum wou'd have made as much for Transubstantiation as Hoc c. and wou'd have been as liable to Cavil and Dispute yet he that spake the words wou'd shew himself a good Grammarian either way And so tho' 't is true 't wou'd be improper to say of a man's Brother Hoc est frater meus yet it may well enough be said of the King's Image Hoc est Caesar because as Hoc relates to the Image and not to Caesar immediately the Image being a thing without life for that reason the Relative is of the Neuter Gender But to take a Simile nearer to the present question Suppose a little Girl as like her Father as t is possible for her to be she being among more of her Sisters any Person shou'd single her out from the rest and say of her This is the Father himself I wou'd know how we shou'd make this Sentence into Latin to avoid a Metamorphosis I must confess if it had been spoken thus This Girl c. Hoec Puella the Article of the Feminine Gender had been most proper but as the word Girl is only included for understood and Father exprest the Article of the Masculine Gender is as proper because the Article may indifferently be referr'd to either the Girl or the Father And this suggests to me another Argument against taking these words of our Saviour literally The Girl here by reason of her being so like her Father is said to be the very Father himself Now wou'd not the By-standers be call'd Fools or worse if they shou'd presently vindicate the Poet's Metamorphosis of Iphis by believing the Girl is at that instant turn'd into a Man and yet the Expression is no Hyperbole but as the common way of speech is to call the Picture or Representative of a Man the Man himself and thus our Saviour might say This is my Body and yet only intend the sign for the thing signified All this while I think I have not made the least appeal to our Sences tho' in a Matter so obvious to 'em and yet can find no ground for the belief of Transubstantiation But as in things that are obvious to sence our Senses cannot be deceiv'd so neither did our Saviour ever deny us the Evidence of our Senses in such cases but thus he expostulates Have ye not seen the Miracles which I did openly And in order to convince us of the reallity of his Resurrection he appeals constantly to our Senses Reach hither thine hand and thrust it into my side a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have He is not here says the Angel but is risen as he said see the place where they laid him There 's none of him And why might not he have had two Bodies then one in the Grave and another to shew to his Disciples as well as so many Thousand now No then his Resurrection wou'd have been taken as a Trick that some body like him had personated him for 't wou'd be contrary to sence that the same Body shou'd be whole and entire in two places so far distant at the same time ' Twou'd be a Miracle but against reason and that no Miracle ever was but the Miracle of Transubstantiation Some Articles of Faith are above our Reason or Sence but none contrary to both Reason and Sence And thus Madam I have endeavour'd to prove the great Disagreement between some of the Principal Doctrines of the Church of Rome and the Holy Scriptures And this I presume I may say for my self that wherein I have meddl'd in the clearing of an obscure Text I have done nothing out of a design'd Endeavour to run down an Opinion but as I thought in my Conscience it was Erroneous One thing only I desire at your hands if you let any of the adverse Party have a sight of these Papers that you wou'd desire 'em to be upon the square and not quote Humane Testimonies against the Holy Scriptures And if they can make good those Doctrines here censur'd from the Word of God notwithstanding what is here produc'd I my self will become a Roman Catholick with the first appearance of Truth in those Doctrines I have hitherto thought False But as I think that can never be done so I humbly recommend this plain but I hope faithful Piece to your serious Perusal and hope it may prove to your compleat Satisfaction and that you may reap the full Benefit of a sincere Believer of the Gospel in the end Which that God of his infinite Grace and Mercy through his Son Christ Jesus will grant to you and yours is and ever shall be the constant and hearty Prayer of Madam Your most humble Servant c. FINIS
way And to this end the best advice I can give him is Before he presumes to read to beg the Asistance of God's Holy Spirit to direct and enlighten his Understanding And when he meets with an obscure Text let him pray again and besides that communicate his Doubt to some learned Minister of whose Integrity he is in some learned Minister of whose Integrity he is in some Measure assured and by these means he may be fully satisfied And thus he will shew himself an humble Enquirer and manifest to the World That his Proceedings are from a Principle of Honesty that he searches only for a right Information and on these Accounts he has a Right to that encouraging Precognition of S. Cyril in his Preface to his Comments on S. John's Gospel The Doctrin of all the Evangelists says he is most excellent and of Divine Extraction For as it overlooks all things as it were from the top of a high Tower It so amply accommodates it self to all that follow it that whoever thirsts after Divine Truth if with an honest Mind he enquires into the Sense of the Scriptures he may easily meet with whatever concerns him But this gracious Satisfaction is not conferred on those who make a rash Search and are rather led by Human Reasons than the Authority of the Scriptures forasmuch as the Holy Ghost does not dwell with a depraved Soul nor does he throw his precious Jewels before Swine to be trodden under foot but pours out his Truth into the Hearts of all Religious Searchers after it who not affecting Cavils and Disputes pursue the ready Road to the Kingdom in sincerity To conclude That true Meat and Drink which we have from the Word of God says S. Jerome is the true Knowledge Hier. in Eccl. c. 3. of the Scriptures And all Men having the greatest Encouragement imaginable to read those Holy Writings if they read them to good Purposes and not to wrest them to their own Ends let us go to that Fountain of Divine Truth from whence the meanest Reader may learn whatever is necessary for him to know For says the Royal Psalmist The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the Heart The commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honey-comb Moreover by them are his Servants warned and in keeping of them there is great reward Psal 19. 7 8 9 10 11. And our Blessed Saviour himself bids us Search the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. I shall conclude therefore with that Pathetick Exhortation of S. Chrysostome That all Men would read the Scriptures and that not cursorily but with the greatest Diligence Chrys in Col. 3. hom 9. that they would get them Bibles as Physick for their Souls And if they will not read the whole let them turn to the New Testament and read the Gospels Acts of the Apostles and Epistles those excellent Teachers If any Mischance befall us come hither as to a Store-house full of wholesome Remedies hence take Relief and Comfort in all Afflictions whether loss of Goods or Friends or Life it self let them not only read once but turn over these Writings again and again and fasten what they read to their Minds that they may be sure to remember it For this is the Cause of all Evils That Men are ignorant in the Scriptures If we go to War without Weapons how can we be Safe Men that are armed may overcome at least in a Capacity to secure themselves but those who are unarmed must fall Therefore do not lay all the Burthen upon the Ministers Shoulders be Sheep but not as Creatures void of Reason but as Men that know something c. And as many Gal. 6. 16. as walk according to this Rule Peace be on them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God. Amen A Letter to a Lady c. MADAM THe Tenderness of the Female Sex renders it more obnoxious to the Sophistry of the Times and the desire of Information in Matters of Religion may make them the more earnest in reading the Pieces sent abroad in the present Controversie And I presume I need not tell you of the subtilty of some Men who to make their Proceedings the more effectual direct their Insinuations especially to those they think are least able to withstand them Your own Experience I suppose may be Evidence sufficient as to this Particular There are a sort of Men in the World who live by their Wits and will neglect no opportunity to insinuate strange fancies into the Minds of the weaker sort of People to make them believe a thing is White upon no other ground than because it is not Black though it may be Crimson in grain Of this sort are they says the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 6. who creep into houses and lead captive silly women c. And he would have us know That in the last days by means of these Men perilous times shall come The whole Prophecy is interpreted of the Jesuites by Men of Learning in the Church of Rome as you may see at large in a little Book call'd The Moral Practice of the Jesuites publish'd by the Doctors of the Sorbon And these Men have Impudence enough to intrude themselves into Ladies Closets and venturing on their good nature to use their skill and sophistical endeavours to cajole them into a decoy They 'll Reform the Church of Rome in a quarter of an hour and wipe off all Imputations of Error while one may say What 's this if you 'll believe their Stories They 'll tell you that the things which have so often been prov'd against that Church are all Lies That no such Errors are embrac'd by her but that the Church of England if their bold Assertions will do the business has only been guilty and if She had not given her Sons Learning enough to defend her Innocence their Forgeries must have past for current But I hope Madam you know the Church of England better than to give credit to every mouth that is open against Her. And I know you have a discerning faculty beyond many of your Sex whereby to judge of Opinions right and wrong However give me leave to present you with a small parcel of Scripture Testimonies against some of the Principal Errors of the Roman Church I say Scripture Testimonies because though there are many excellent Pieces publish'd by our Learned Divines yet they are too full of Learning for most Female capacities and the Treatises large on every Subject when as I think the Scriptures the Supreme Judge in Matters of Religion so I suppose a short Catalogue of Texts from thence directly opposite to such Tenets as we
together will put him in danger of losing his reward hereafter Yet notwithstanding all this tho' his fleshy opinions are consum'd and brought to nothing if he has been so fortunate as to hold to the Foundation in the main Doctrines of Christianity he himself may be saved but 't will be so hardly as by Fire That is tho' he had been infected with Gnosticism if he did not proceed so far as actually to deny Christ the Foundation as his Doctrine before was that he might in case of Persecution yet his not denying him at last is an Abnegation of that Doctrine as Erroneous and on that account he might be saved notwithstanding the unprofitableness of his Preaching otherwise simply consider'd but it wou'd be so hardly as when one with the greatest difficulty frees himself from the fury of a devouring Fire I suppose the Apostles meaning may be to this purpose that That Preacher who takes more delight in discussing Points of Controversy and the nice Speculations of School-Disputes than in Preaching the Gospel so as it may best edify the generality of People that come to hear him If to this he adds some superfluous Doctrines of his own provided they be not Heretical but he still holds the Foundation yet all this may not damn him if he does not at last deny Christ but tho' his Works in the day of Trial shall prove but empty Chimera's the vain Fancies of his own Brain Wood and Stubble built upon the Foundation of the Gospel and as such shall instantly be consumed yet he himself may escape the deserved Punishment of an Unprofitable Preacher but 't will be as a man whose House is on fire round about him and all his Substance being burnt he himself with great hazard of his Life escapes the Flames For 't is not to be thought that every petty Error incurs Damnation if it is not of Faith for thus the Holy Fathers of the Church in all Ages have fail'd yet their failings not thought damnable so long as in all things necessary to Salvation they held to the Foundation But the question is Whether according to the sence of the Apostle such Men must be saved by the fire of Purgatory St. Austin tells us that Both good and bad those on the right hand as well as those on the left must be tried by this Fire the Apostle speaks of And a little after This Fire says he is to be understood as such through which both must pass They that build Gold as well as those that build Wood. And will any say that St. Peter St. Paul and the rest of the Apostles pass'd through Purgatory Or will any of the Church of Rome assert this thing of their Seraphic St. Francis St. Dominic or their ever famous Loyola 'T is plain the Apostle here speaks Metaphorically he makes a Fire wherein a man is in danger of Burning a Similitude of the danger those Gnosticks were in by building their vain and unprofitable Doctrines upon the Foundation which he had laid So that upon the whole I think the best way to explain a figurative Expression is by a figurative Supposition Let us therefore suppose a Foundation of Stone laid by some famous Builder Two men take this Foundation whereon to Build 'em Houses to live in one of the two Builds his House we 'll suppose of Gold and Silver as the Apostle expresses it but very plain and homely after the rude Gothic way of Building no way charming or delightful outwardly The other makes use of no other Materials but Wood and Straw but alarms the World with his curious Carving and fine Devices after the beautiful Corinthian Order Stately and Magnificent to Charm all that shall look on it and so finishes a delicate Piece of Work. Now the common Vanity of the World is such that Men are generally apt to part with all to please their Fancies and so it is here the Multitude admire his Building and cry up the Workman almost to Adoration and tho' his next Neighbour's House is built of Gold and Silver yet 't is a plain homely thing rough and old fashion'd not worth taking notice of or looking on But here the Ingenuity and Art of the Workman the singular contrivance of every part the joint and apt connection and suitableness of the whole the just Decorum and Harmony every where visible the regularity of the Columns so adorn'd with all sorts of delightful Carv'd works Fruits and Flowers and in a word the whole Fabrick is so noble and in all respects outwardly perfect that 't is preferrable to all the Gold and Silver of the Universe But now comes the day of Trial when the Fire must try both these mens works of what sort they are The Foundation being Stone the Fire passes on to the Building And by reason of the first man's House being built with Gold and Silver which the Fire cannot reduce into it self That escapes untouch'd only as there might possibly be a drossy substance on the outside the Fire licks off that and so all the alteration it makes there is when that dross is consum'd the House appears much more splendid and glorious as the Metal is more refin'd and purify'd by the Fire But the condition of the other fine Building is quite contrary for consisting chiefly of Wood and Straw and such combustible Matter it presently takes fire and burns furiously that the Poor man who is suddenly surpriz'd with the Calamity being perhaps two or three Stories high and the Flames ascending and threatning Destruction round about him knows of no way whereby to escape one danger but by running into another And delays in such cases being dangerous he looks out at his Window and not considering the greatness of the fall his fear of Burning being much greater he at the hazard of his Life endeavours to save it by leaping down into the Street whence if he so escapes he becomes a miserable Spectator of the Ruin of that which but Yesterday was the Worlds wonder and they that were before so taken with it now see it reduc'd to Ashes while the other House which before they thought so despicable shines in their Imaginations as the Sun in the Firmament This I take to be as lively a representation of the sence of the Text as the words will bear and then I leave to any reasonable Person to judge if the Apostle here speaks of any such place as Purgatory I dare say St. Chrysostom had no such thoughts for repeating the same words But he shall be saved yet so as by Fire That is says he as a man that when at Midnight his House is set on Fire wakes and leaps out of Bed and runs Naked out of Doors taking nothing along with him his only care being to free his own Body from the Flames But the Gentlemen we are to deal with in these days are mere Grammatists where they can find any thing in the Letter that seems to favour their purpose
there can be no other Offerings needful but such as every Man must offer for himself the Sacrifice of Righteousness And as the Mass is not a Sacrifice for the Living neither can it be suppos'd a Sacrifice for the Dead If Christ Jesus has made satisfaction for the Sins of all that are call'd by his Name and if that satisfaction is certainly appli'd to all who are true Christians and Die in the Faith of Christ Crucified and if this is made the absolutely necessary Condition of having a Title to that satisfaction I can see no ground Wicked Men have to hope for pardon if they forfeit that The Scriptures are altogether silent as to any thing that can be done for us after Death To which purpose I 'll give you the trouble of the following Instances 1. Holy David when God struck the Child he had by Bathsheba pray'd for its recovery and fasted and lay all Night upon the Earth His sorrow for the Child's Sickness was intolerable But when the Child was Dead he arose from the Earth and Washed and Anointed himself and changed his Apparel and came into the House of the Lord and Worshipped then he came to his own House and having Bread set before him he did eat Then said his Servants to him What thing is this that thou hast done thou didst fast and weep for the Child while it was alive but when the Child was dead thou didst arise and eat Bread. And he said While the Child was yet alive I fasted and wept For I said who can tell whether God will be gracious unto me that the Child may live 2 Sam. 12. 22. We read nothing here of any Sacrifice offer'd for the Child which certainly wou'd have been recorded if such a thing had been done but he did not so much as pray for him or weep after his Death For 2. No Man can by ANY means redeem his Brother or give to God a ransom for him Psal 49. 7. I think this is plain enough against any thing that is pretended to be done for the benefit of the Dead and if no Ransom can deem a Man from the State he immediately passes into out of this World what signifie the many Masses that are sent up daily for one or other in the Church of Rome I think it wou'd not be impertinent to add that of our Saviour What shall it profit a Man if he shall gain the whole World and lose his own Soul Or what shall a Man give in exchange for his Soul Mark 8. 36. Which shews the impossibility of Redemption from a State after this Life And this is farther evident in Luke 16. in the Discourse between Abraham and Dives where Abraham tells him Verse 26. That between them there is a great Gulf fixed So that they which wou'd pass from one to t'other cou'd not And then I wou'd fain know how they can say that any can be fetch'd out of Purgatory as Hell is more mildly call'd to Heaven But 3. The Apostle tells the Thessalonians 1 Thes 4. 13. that he wou'd not have 'em to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep nor to sorrow as others which have no hope For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him The Apostles and the Primitive Christians had their hopes in the Resurrection they had no thought of a state of Punishment after Death from which they were to be freed by the Sacrifice of the Mass but they built all upon the Merits of Christ's Blood the full satisfaction which he had made and on that score made it their constant endeavour to become worthy partakers of it The Scriptures make no mention of Offertories for the Dead but in many places they argue clear the contrary That there is no time or place of calling on God in the Grave or for those that are in their Graves All shall at the Day of Judgment receive according to what they have done in the Body There 's no Expiation of Guilt after Death but he that is not absolv'd in this Life must be miserable for ever Therefore these performances on the behalf of the Dead are no better than a breach of the Third Commandment a taking God's Name in vain by calling on him for those for whom he cannot be intreated Upon the whole therefore we may truly say with the Preacher Eccl. 9. 4. To him that is join'd to all the living there is hope But to him that is dead there is no hope but what his way of living here will administer to him I conclude this with the words of the Apostle Heb. 13. 7 c. Remember them which have the Rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose Faith follow considering the end of their Conversation Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines For it is a good thing that the heart be established with Grace not with Meats which have not profited them which have been occupied therein We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle For the Bodies of those Beasts whose Blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the High-Priest for Sin are burnt without the Camp. Wherefore Jesus also that he might sanctifie the People with his own Blood suffer'd without the Gate Let us go forth therefore unto him without the Camp bearing his reproach For here we have no continuing City but we seek one to come By him therefore let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving thanks to his Name But to do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased 7. Now I come to the Seventh and last Enquiry propos'd viz. Whether the Doctrine of Transubstantiation can be maintain'd by Scripture This has been endeavour'd by our Adversaries but to no purpose And the Scriptures furnish us with two very good Arguments to the contrary Which are 1. That Christ's Body can be in but one place at once 2. That we eat the Body and drink the Blood of Christ only by Faith. Against both which Transubstantiation makes Christ's Body visible in a Thousand places at once and asserts that we eat the very natural Flesh of Christ and gnaw it with our Teeth as we do our common Meat And since in this Case we are denied the use of our Senses we must be judg'd by the Sence of the Scriptures And first The Scriptures testifie That Christ's Body can be in but one place at once Our Saviour Matth. 26. 11. tells us We have the Poor always with us but him we have not always For John 16. 28. As he came forth from the Father into the World so again he will leave the World and go to the Father Accordingly Mark 16. 19. when he had spoken to his Disciples he was received up into