so fit as his own Day of Rest which he hath Commanded to be sanctified weekly of us if we be his people and he the Lord our God who hath redeemed us in his holy and eternall Law and in which day we resting do partake and communicate of his holy and eternall rest begun here by Christ and consummate in heaven in that pangúrei solemne Generall Assembly and Congregation of the first borne written in heaven Heb. 12.23 And to conclude if the ten Commandements belong to us Christians under the Covenant of Grace then certainly the 4 th Commandement which commands to keep the Sabbath of the Lord our God which is the Lords day Now by this which hath been spoken you may examine how farre you and your Church of England have erred in the foundation that is in this and other fundamentall points of Faith at least if those Acts â—dicts and Books that have been published against the aforesaid Doctrines shal be avowed for the Doctrines of the Church of England as they are pressed And if with Rome you be thus fallen holy you are not by your own confession nor onely so but Hereticall yea more then that Infidel For in the same page you say If the Church can erre quite from the Foundation then she is nor Holy nor Church but becomes an Infidell Now we have proved that to erre in one or more though not in all fundamentall points of Faith is to fall quite off from the foundation But if you thus cease to be holy how are you the Church of Christ still as you say For holinesse is essentiall unto and so is of the Difinition of the true Church of Christ I beleeve the Holy Catholicke Church And so of every particular Church if it be a true member of the true Catholicke it is holy For Eadem est ratio totius partium If the whole be holy so every member and part But the whole true Church is holy For 't is Christs body mysticall whereof he the Head he the root and we the Branches and if the root be holy so are the branches as the Apostle saith And he saith againe The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are And I say Christ being the Head and the Church hâ—s body the spirit of holinesse and sanctification flows down from the Head to all the mâ—mbers as the Oyle powred on Aarons head went down to the skirts of his clothing which was a type of the holy anoynting oyle of Christs spirit powred on him which he communicates to all the members of his misticall body even as a mans head communicates of Animal spirits of motion to all the parts of his body as we touched before Except with Bellarmine you will have a dead member to be a true member Indeed a dead member of a dead body is a true member of that body And certainly if a Church cease to be holy it ceaseth to be a Church of Christ any moreâ— But I pray you what should move you to say thus Though the Church ceaseth to be Holy yet ceaseth not to be a Church of Christ. You have it not from the Schoole of Divinity not scarce can you rake it out of the puddle of the Iesuites themselves But haply you might suspect that the Church of Rome might be proved to be fallen quite from the Foundation as hath been already proved before and therfore your Charity would provide one refuge for it that though thus she ceaseth to be holy yet not to be a true Church still But you may doe well to study this point a little better how to make it good How a Church may cease to be Holy becoming Hereticall and yet be a Church of Christ still L. p. 141.142 Those Errors that are dyed in Graine cannot consist with holinesse of which Faith in Christ is the very Foundation And therfore if we will keep up our Creed the whole Militant Church must still be holy P. This confirmes what before I concluded of the Church of Rome as no Church of Chhist because by your own verdict not holy For her Errors and that in the fundamentall points of Faith are all dyed in graine so as they will never change colour nor looke of another hue For both they are of no small antiquity and since their first hatching they have been by sundry Councels confirmed and at last most irrefragably in the Councel of Trent as hath been shewed For as those things which you elswhere instance Worship of Images first erected in the 2 d Councel of Nice the seventh Generall Transubstantiation first Decreed in the Councel of Laterian under Innocent the third and the taking away of the Cup in the Sacrament first decreed in the Councel of Constance so the Title of Antichrist of Vniversall Bishop and Head of the Church obtained first by Boniface 3. above a thousand yeares agoe with many or most or all the Rest of Popery have been ever since their severall erections upon all occasions more and more ratified never any corrected and by generall practice upheld and against all opposition and conviction stiffly maintained Are they not dyed in graine then And if so you confesse they consist not of holinesse But say you if we will keep up our Creed the whole Melitant Church must still be Holy Here you enterfere againe For notwithstanding all that is said or I suppose can be said you will have the Church of Rome to be holy still as being a member of the Church Militant in despight of the Pope But let her be a member of your Church Militant is she therfore holy Say not you your Church Militant may fall into errors so as to cease to be holy And if the Church of Rome hath thus fallen hath she not for her part ceased to be holy But not if she keep up the Creed What call you that To hold the letter of the Creed and to deny the Faith of it so we have proved before She hath lost the Faith of Christ the foundation of Holinesse Ergo she hath lost Holinesse Ergo lost the Essence of a Church Ergo she is not in the compasse of your Creed I beleeve the Holy Catholicke Church L. p. 142. I say it and most true it is That it was ill done if those who ere they were that made the seperation P. It should be most true if you doe but say it Yet we find not all to be most true you say How true this is I know not yet Let us here I remember a little before you performed a thanklesse office for the Protestants in making an Apology for them as not the first in the fault of this seperation Which I answered And here you put the fault on those that made the seperation who ere they were which might be aswell the Protestants as the Papists But speake out L. p. 145. For my part I am of the same opinion for the continuing of the Schisme that I was for
they renounce all such lords Aske them againe why they subject their Consciences soules and bodies to the will and lust of man in will-worship forbidden by the Apostle ô they answere they never knew that before and now that they know it they repent of it and from henceforth they renounce it and resolve to loose rather life and all then they will doe so any longer Thus even a good Christian through ignorance may for a time in a dangerous errour but so soon as he is convinced of it he will not for all the world continue in it So he that hath true saving faith in Christ resting on Christs merits alone for his justification he neither will nor can be brought to beleeve that he must be justified by his works For this is against the very nature of saving faith which rests onely on Christ renouncing all other respects So that 't is impossible that any true member of Christ should by any errour be so seduced as to be seperated from Christ for he is preserved by the spirit of Grace by the power of God through faith unto salvation So that as the whole body of the Church of Christ so every particular member of this body hath the certaine and infallible seale of the Spirit of Truth given him of Christ according to his promise purpose and intention for all truth absolutely necessary to salvation having both his Spirit and word to guide them into all truth Finally 't is very true being taken in a true sence that Christ never intended to leave an infallible certainty in his Church to satisfie either contentious or curious or presumptuous spirits And if not presumptuous spirits certainly not such spirits as usurpe a Prelaticall and Lordly Authority and to sit as visible Iudges of Scripture in Generall Councels imposing upon all men a servile yoake of obedience to their Decrees whether right or wrong true or false Nay to such presumptuous spirits God hath given eyes not to see and hath made their hearts fat not to understand the truth not to see the light that shineth in his word and therfore they say it is darke and speake disgracefully of it So as the presumptuous is properly yours As for the contentious and curious these are they that contend for the truth against your undermining and oppugning of it and are curious â—o search and sound the bottome of that Mystery of Iniquity which is cunningly yet grosly enough folded up in the voluminous leaves of this your Booke So as for these so contentious and curious Christ did intend to leave an Infallible certainty in his Church to satisfie them and to assure them of the Truth so as not all the opposition and contradiction in the world can beate them from it To the Tenth you make no matter of it if Generall Câ—uncels erre in one or a second or a third so it be not in things necessary In other cases it makes no matter if they erre And what matter is it then if there be none of your Generall Councel at all For you confesse that they may possibly though not easily erre in things necessary and in fundamentall points of Faith and yet obedience must be given If then it be no matter if in other things they erre onâ—e twice thrice yea or if you will in a hundred things take all these together and the world should be free from many dangers if it were rid of Generall Councels altogether But in the meane time you make no matter of it if in so erring they load the world with an intollerable burthen of errours which all men must bow their necks under till another Generall Councel doe free them and perhaps in stead of freeing them may lay as much more load upon them Truly my Lord if you had not a liberty to talk with your pen what you please and a strong opinion also that whatsoever you write or speake must needs be of every body highly applauded as if all you write were Oracles you would never have suffered such foule blots to have dropped from your pen. But 't is no matter If you erre in this and that and another c. aswell as your Generall Councels so as we knowing them may not in obeying or assenting erre with you To the Eleventh you say for necessary faith to salvation we have the Scriptures Creeds 4 first Generall Councels So then being furnisht of necessaries what need we any more I think the Apostles rule for temporall things may hold well in spirituall he saith having food and rayment let us therewith be content So Having all things necessary for faith to salvation let us use these well and bâ— content not affecting to be loaden with a multitudo of humane devises which Prelaticall Councels Courts and Canons put upon us And are Generall Councels so Cheape as that you should keep such a doe having no Necessaries to trouble them withall But it seems you have some other necessaries besides those of faith that will require a Generall Councel For you tell us pag 211. The setling of the Divisions of Christendome as the reconciling of England with Rome the making of Canons which must bind aâ—l particular Christians and Churches cannot be concluded 〈…〉 but there to wit in a Generall Councel Why but there For the Church of England you may doe what you please onely you desire perhaps a Generall Councel to conclude for Altars and other utensils and so ease your shoulders of the envy and crime of Innovation but for that also you have a sufficient put off as is shewed before But the reconciliation and setling of the Divisions of Christendome will conclude all But still the Scripture with you is not alone sufficient for necessary faith to salvation without the Creed and at least the 4 first Generall Councels Why was the Scripture before there were any either Creeds or Councels And was not the Scripture then alone sufficient for all things necessary to salvation The Creeds and Councels are not to be added to the Scripture as if without them it were not an absolute and compleat Rule As for the Creeds they were for the summe and substance of them extracted from Scripture and must still be reduced to Scripture for their true sense and interpretation as before And for the Decrees of the 4 Generall Councels we approve of them no further then the Scripture warrants them And therfore though Twelfthly you humbly submit to the Scripture as it is interpreted by the Primitive Church and Generall Councels and not els yet we submit our faith onely to the Scripture as it is interpreted by it selfe and by the spirit of Christ speaking and breathing in it which by the Scripture interprets the Scripture unto us as Augustine doth well observe in his Second Book de Doctrina Christiana And herein you shew your faith not to be Divine but humane as which you submit not meerly to the Scripture but unto the Iudgment of men as
confirming of them and establishing of the throne of the Beast and power of Antichrists Kingdome against Iesus Christ. Nor were it a hard matter to demonstrate this by many instanecs which for the present I omit In the meane time How prove you here your As little Question Or how come you to name This spirit of Truth in the Scripture What after all that you have said before of the Scripture that it is not bright enough that it hath no light till it be lighted by the Authority of the present Church and the like come you now to confesse that The spirit of Truth is in the Scripture Told you us not a while agoe That the Scripture is no living Iudge What not living when the spirit of Truth breaths in it Is not the spirit in the Scripture living And is not a Iudge a living Iudge when and while his spirit is in him What nothing but absurd and sencelesse contradictions with you Nothing but Babilonish language But thus we may see into what gulfes of perplexities they plunge themselves that presume and undertake to exalt their high imaginations against the Truth of God And you say againe A Generall Councel hath not this Assistance to Infallibility but as it keeps to the whole Church and Spouse of Christ whose it is to heare his word and determine by it As it keeps closse Why is it not your Catholicke Churches Representative How can it then but keep closse being of the same Body and spirit with your Church Secondly speaking here of the whole Church the Spouse of Christ you doe equivocate applying that to a false Church which is univocè univocally proper and peculiar to the misticall body of Christ. For your whole is Prelaâ—icall that of the Hierarchy and none other which we have before proved to be the Synagogue of Antichrist which heareth not Christs voyce but as your Church is pleased to interpret it and to give it Authority And that which you say of your Generall Councâ—ls may be truly said of any particular Assembly two or three met in Christs name which doth not erre being led by the spirit of Truth in the Scripture Christ himselfe according to his Promise being in the midst of them No nor yet any particular single Beleever erreth being so led So as you speake to no purpose when you say A Generall Councel cannot erre in that wherin it hath already determined according to the Scripture the vanity wherof we shewed before But the conclusion is you still leave the the Infallibility of your Generall Councel unresolved upon yea and nay sometimes affirming somtimes denying except your negative be according to that Rule in Logicke That one Negative is of more Force then a thousand Affirmatives L. p. 213. Sect. 27. My Answere was That the Councel of Trent was not onely not legall in the necessary conditions to be observed in a Generall Councel but also that it was no Generall Councel P. Though this be true you say yet the Councel of Trent was so legall according to Romes own Law that it wanted no conditions observable to make it in that behalfe not onely a legall but a Generall Councel too And secondly so Generall for the Romane Catholicke Church of Rome that all the Decrees thereof doe bind all Papists to a necessary obedience and conformity unto them and that under Anathema And your Rule is That a Generall Councells Decrees and Canons bind all Christians and a Provinciall Councels Decrees bind all of that Province And therfore I hope you will grant that the Papall Councel of Trent is of force to bind all Papists who acknowledge and accept the Pope for their Head or Primate So as though it were not a Generall Councel in the largest sense yet it was a Generall Councel for the Roman Catholicke Church which say they is the onely Catholicke Church And with which say you the Church of England is one and the same Now this I doe here touch by the way as whereof I shall have occasion to make some use anon though perhaps your thus Arguing against the generallity of Trents Councels is one of those Passages which you think may be an ingredience of the salve of your Reputation But this I say by the way L. p. 227. It may seem very fit and necessary for the Peace of Christendome that a Generall Councel thus Erring should stand in force till evidence of Scripture or c. P. This passage I cited before upon occasion among sundry other of like nature and now I repeat it onely for this to shew how your zeale for Peace made you forget Truth For still you are telling us of Peace and Truth or Truth and Peace But here your Peace stands single without Truth What Peace without Truth For you say It may seem very fit and necessary for the Peace of Christendome that a Generall Councell erring should stand in force What will you force a Peace against Truth by an Authorised errour O blush for shame L. p. 254. Suppose they Key of Doctine be to let in Truth and shut out errour and suppose the Key rightly used infallible in this yet this infallibility is primeâ—y in the Church in whose person not strictly in his own S. Peter received the Keys P. Suppose Do you make it but a supposit on that the key of Doctrine is to let in Truth and shut out Errour So it seems with you when you use that Key of your Doctrine to shut out Truth and let in errour as both your Practises and writings do shew But what is this Key of Doctrine Is it not the sincere Preaching of Gods word And then this Key is rightly used and here is the use therof Infallible But say you this Infallibility is primely in the Church How Can we get no other language from you Still all Primely in the Church Certainly not at all in your Antichristian Church where the spirit of errour raigneth and where the whole bunch of Keys hangeth at the Prelates gâ—râ—le As Pope Paschall 2. when he rode in Pompe had his seven Keys hanging at his girdle the Chiefe wherof was to open and shut Paradise to whom he pleased But we say still that this infallibility is primely in the Scripture and not in the Church not in Christs own Church For the Scripture containes that infallible Truth which the Ministeriall key Christs own ordinance and voyce openeth to the Church or Congregation of Gods people And this Ministeriall key Christ committed to Peter not simply as sustaining the person of the whole Church but chiefly and properly as he was an Apostle and Minister of Christ to preach the Gospel in which respect also he might represent the person of all faithfull Ministers of the Gâ—spel rightly and truly called to the Function to whom Christ did in Peter as afterward he did in all the Apostles commit and entrust the key of knowledge of the Doctrine of Christ to be used and imployed to that end to
before all the world and therefore that the Reply be published And if it shall be thought fit to be dedicated to the King I wish that mine own hand might present it For to say no more how highly doth the Cause concerne the King and his Kingdome did he but truely know it And how he should come to know it but this way I know not And I hope his Majestie will not refuse it at Charities hand I have said Mother Zeale what sayst thou Zeale Deare Mother can we see our God so highly dishonoured our Christ so belyed his Spirit so despised his Word so disparaged his Worship so depraved his Saints so destroyed his true Spouse unchurched and excommunicated out of the Creed and a false Church fasle Faith false Religion false Gods set up in Christs Throne to be Judges in matters of Faith and proud men to usurpe over the Consciences and Soules of his people and the like and are we not to set a worke all the irons in the fire that may be to arme us against such an all-daring Philistin who dare so desperately defie the Hosts of the living God And blessed be our God who hath raised up and inabled such a Replyer and blessed be the Replyer who ever he be that takes up Davids sting and stone to throw at that Gyant-like Mushrumme And were there an hundred such Replyes let them all be published and all be presented to the King to the confusion of all Babell-builders or Ierecho's rebuilders And if men will willfully close their eyes and stop their eares against the Truth at their perill be it I have sayd Mother Humility what sayst thou Humility Deare Mother I humbly pray that the Reply be published and if my Sister Charity doe present it to the King all my ambition is to waight upon her as her hand-maid to beare up the Traine of her manyfold sin-covering Mantle This is all I can doe or say Mother Prudence what sayst thou Prudence Deare Mother although I accord with all that my Sisters have here said yet seeing it pleaseth you to impose this taske upon me I shall give you a faithfull and just account what I further conceive to be not altogether unworthy our serious consideration about the dedicating and presenting the Reply to the King First we all know what reward others have had for the like service and that of fresh memory as a Minister appealing from the Prelates to the King for a just and equall hearing of his Cause which was about the discharge of his Ministry in Preaching was delivered over to the Censure of a Court wherein his maine Adversary sate a Judge and the Censure was accordingly so terrible as no age can parallell And Secondly the same Adversary that was the Prime instigator to inflict the said Censure continues still in the same power and favour in Court so as if my Sister Charity her selfe together with Humility should present the Reply I know not what security she can have from the like Censure of being both Schismaticall and Seditious because she thus appeares against a most notorious Adversary of CHRIST and his Word but such whose power and favour in Court can so farre prevaile to the abusing of the sweet and unsuspicious nature of Princes as to make them beleeve that they cannot possibly be misled by such a Leader although the Prelate himselfe confesse that Worth once misled proves of all other the greatest Misleader and the Replyer hath detected and proved him the most notorious blind Leader that ever sate in Canterbury Chaire And Thirdly who sees not the maine worke that so many arrowes of persecution against Gods Ministers and people and so the Gospell it selfe as appeares too palpably by the Prelates usuall practises doe ayme at As namely the rooting out of the Gospell and the erecting of all Popish Superstition and Idolatry and so the bringing in of Atheisme and Infidelity with Antichristian Tyranny and all to reduce England to a Reconciliation with Rome as also the Relation it selfe doth unblushingly discover And the Merchants doe tell us from abroad how the Priests and Fryers can tell them upon occasion of the Scots first standing out that this course was by the Prelaticall Faction reaching as farre as Rome resolved on before yesterday And Fourthly when we looke upon the hideous outrages of the Prelates against which no complaint can take place nor find better successe then as when a man casts stones upward which fall down againe upon his own head doth it not argue the Estate of things to be desperate and at the height when such men as the Prelates are mounted on a throne of iniquity framing mischiefe as by a Law But yet Lastly notwithstanding all this when I consider how mercifully God hath heard the earnest prayers of his people in moving the Kings heart to such an accord with Scotland as of late although those bitter Roots which GOD never planted and which poâ—son the very ground they goe on the Prelates I meane so fast are they rooted in the earth are left still unplucked up and that the Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the Rivers of waters and that if he were once rightly possessed of the State of things wherein he hath been by the Prelates extreamly abused and his State exposed to the wrath of heaven we should be in good hope of Reformation so as what lawfull meanes may be most likely and probable to conduce hereunto is worth the putting in practise though full of hazzard saving that the same GOD who mightily and mercifully moved the Kings heart so farre to yeeld to his Scottish Subjects as to enjoy in a good measure the Prelates onley excepted their liberty of Conscience can also perswade him to doe as much and more for his Subjects Christs people in England And therefore my conclusion is I am so farre from Sacrificing to humane discretion or carnall reason in this point that I could be content to accompany my Sisters Charity and Humility in presenting the Reply resolving with Hester And if I perish I perish And this is all I have to say for the present Mother Piety what sayst thou Piety Deare Mother I owe a duty as to GOD principally and in the first place so to the King Gods vicegerent in the second place and therefore what may conduce to the happinesse and well-fare of the King in this kind I would for it hazzard all And I am for the pubilshing and presenting of the Reply to the King in hope he may possibly read and understand the true State of things being of such high importance as in the world there cannot be a greater And if this be not done things going on as they have done there wil be no longer abiding for us in this place I have said Mother Patience what saist thou Patience Deare Mother what your selfe and my loving Sisters here do or shall resolve of my office is to prepare my backe to beare whatsoever
But wicked is a Generall word and perhaps it hath no reference here to you in particular Yes certainly you in particular the Holy Ghost doth in this Psalme point you out as it were with the finger How Note but the Title of the Psalme A Psalme for the Sabbath day But it may seem strange that David should heare speake of the wicked and of their flourishing estate What coherence hath this with the Sabbath day Surely hereby the Spirit of Prophesie notes out unto us a speciall time or age of the Church wherein ungodly men should most notoriously oppose themselves against the sanctification of the Sabbath day and wherein they should extraordinarily flourish and prosper even as the green and goodly bladed Grasse that groweth on high upon the house tops but in that their flourishing estate they should sodainly perish And of all other times and ages of the Church ever was this Prophesie so extraordinarily and remarkably verefied for ungodly and desperate offenders in this kind as in this present age and especially in the Church of England now since your springing up and flourishing upon the toppes of Canterbury Palace For shew us any age wherein the sanctification of the Sabbath or Lords day was by publike Edict dispensed with and by sundry Printed Books cryed down and you shal be excused from being of those men whom the Holy Ghost notes out here for wicked and ungodly But you cannot Therefore this Psalme for the Sabbath day speaks of you in speciall as being a professed enemy of the sanctification of the Sabbath and so of all true holinesse and yet you doe so flourish and prosper in this your wicked and impious opposition to all Godlinesse as never any have done more nor so much in mans memory But what 's the issue of this These wicked enemies of Godlinesse and of the sanctification of the Sabbath in speciall shal be destroyed for ever But when Even then when they are in the top of their flourishing estate But how shall we know this First GOD hath said it and therefore 't is sure enough and Secondly this their flourishing estate is an immediate both signe and cause of their utter ruine But doth your Lordship beleeve that this shall ever be verefied of you Why should you not For are not you the great Instrument and Agent in advancing the Edict for Sports to its full execution And why should you not then beleeve the rest that in the height of your present prosperity you shal be destroyed for evermore And why doe you not beleeve it For David saith A brutish man knoweth not neither doth a foole understand this to wit when he wicked spring as the Grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shal be destroyed for ever And doe you not know do you not understand this Then you fill up the Prophesie to the full as verefied of you wholly L. p. ibid. But on the other side GOD forbid too that your Majesty should let both Lawes and Discipline sleep for feare of the name of Persecution and in the meane time Let Master Fisher and his fellowes angle in all parts of your Dominions for your Subjects c. P. Here I hope you speake it seriously GOD forbid At least in part For you name two things Lawes and Discipline Lawes against Jesuites as Fisher and his fellowes And herein it may be questioned perhaps by some whether you speake seriously GOD forbid that such Lawes should sleep For you know they have slept so long a time and so soundly that I feare your God forbid will not prove loud enough to awaken them And as for Discipline that 's for your Puritans And for that you need not trouble the King to breake his sleep your selfe I trow can look well enough to the keeping of that awake For in truth it can take no rest for you And therefore neither in this respect need your God forbid to be serious as being altogether superfluous Onely the best use that you can make of it as you know it better then I can tell you is is that your God forbid here may prove so happy for the vindicating of your Reputation as to perswade the misdeming world that if the Lawes against Iesuites do sleep you are not the cause of it who ever els God forbid and if Dissipline be over wakefull and too quick and exceed all bounds as having no Law to confine it alas you are not the Man God forbid For wake or sleep your God forbid your Maâ—esty should let them sleep argueth plainly that the keeping of the Discipline awake is his part whose it is not to let them sleep 'T is well my Lord you have so strong a back to lay your burthens upon as is touched before especially when they presse too hard upon you as in the clamours and outcryes against your outrages But what Doe you come here with your God forbid your Majesty should suffer Discipline to sleep when but a little before and almost with the same breath you said God forbid I should ever offer to perswade a Persecution in any kind Do we not know what the awakening of Discipline is Is it not like the awakening of a sleeping Lyon Doth not then the rigorous and incessant restlesse execution of Discipline so as it can never be suffered once to sleep trench upon Persecution at least as neare as you say at after sundry errours of the Church of Rome come neare the overthrowing of the Foundation or as their worshiping of Images comes too neare heathenish Idolatry But in your Close you apply your God forbid onely against the Jesuites That 's well that you presse it not with your Discipline upon your Puritans as you do the Lawes against Romes Fisher-men And I note here that for Jesuites you have Laws but for Puritans you have Discipline without Lawes or as it stands in opposition to Lawes But what followeth Alas what do I find saluting me in the very front of your next page L. p. 12. Now as I would humbly beseech your Majesty to keep a serious watch upon these Fisher-men which pretend S. Peters but fish not with his net so I would not have you neglect an other sort of Anglers in a shallower water P. Yet your words seem to import a greater zeale in you against the Iesuites then against your Puritans For touching those you humbly beseech but concerning these you onely would have And yet what you onely would have is somwhat and perhaps as prevailing especially when you set it on in private as your open humbly beseeching Yea being Primate of all England or Patriarcha Alterius Orbis I know not whether you may speake it in the Popes stile Volumus jubemus as much to say I would have and then by this reckoning it would surmount I humbly beseech But what 's this other sort of Fishers that you would not have his Majesty to neglect Or what these Anglers
the poore Innocent or Infant being pinched too hard with the swathing bands or pricked with a pin mis-put will cry out and roare till they find ease So as there is cause enough of their crying And is it not trow you your too hard pressing upon your Seperatists with your Canons and Ceremonies and which as with swadling bands you bind them too strait withall and your hard and rough handling of them that gives them just cause to cry But however for all this your hard usage must by no meanes be called persecution Farre be that from your piety and clemencie that you should either perswade to Persecution in any kind or practise it in the least L. p. 16. To the Papists common Objection Where was your Church before Luther Your Answere is It was just there where theirs is now One and the same Church still no doubt of that One in Substance but not one in Condition of State and Purity their part of the same Church remaining in Corruption and our part of the same Church under Reformation The Same Naaman and he a Syrian still but leaprous with them and cleansed with us the Same man Still P. Here you teach us a Point which had the Divines of the Church of England in former Ages known it might have saved them a great deale of puzzle which the subtile Jesuites for diversion and gaining of time put them unto in tracing the footsteps of the Protestant Church and the professors thereof through all ages yeares weeks and dayes ever since the Apostles times Where was your Church Why it was just there where Romes is now This had been a short Cut to find the Protestant Church Like the North-East passage to China or the North-West to the Westeran America could they be found out But you have at length found out a South-East passage to Rome where the present Church of England loosing her selfe may find her selfe Which passage or path had now for a long time through disuse and want of Travailers and Pilgrims thither been grown up with grasse till now again beaten out by your hard and continuall travaile in it Would an English Protestant then know where his Church was before Luther Why goe but to Rome and if you have lost both Church and Religion in England there you may be sure to find it againe no doubt of that Surely I hope Iesuites wil be no longer such fooles as to take such a tedious pilgrimage compassing Sea and Land to the Shrine of Canterbury to aske of the Oracle there where your Church of England was in diebus illis They might have stayd at home and there have found it even in Rome within the Sacred Thresholds of S. Peter or S. Iohn Lateran and that with some favourable Interpretation where and when the Priest is at his Masse So as well might your Lordship call it as you doe an Idle and Impertinent Question Where was your Church before Luther What a jeast is that Iust there where Romes is Now. One and the Same no doubt of that And who shall doubt that what your Lordship è Cathedra defines out of Canterbury Chaire defines But now henceforth I hope you will not so much complaine of Seperatists from your Church of England For you teach them to Seperate from the Church of England as from Rome it selfe as being one and the same Church And you know that all Protestants of that Spirit cannot away with the Church of Rome So as you may expect every day new Companies and that by threaves to get them packing from your Church of England and that according to Christs warning piece Rev. 18.4 Come out of her my people least ye bee partakers of her Sinnes and least ye receive of her Plagues But you distinguish Yours in Purity and under Reformation Romes Church under Corruption yours Naaman cleansed their 's Naaman Leprous yet both one Naaman and be a Syrian the Same man still A paradox indeed A Riddle to pose Oedipus himselfe For riddle me this One and the Same Man both Leprous and Cleansed at the same time Cannot the Priest in the Masse as easily riddle how one and the same numericall body of Christ may be both in heaven and in his Masse-pix or on his Altar at one and the same instant Even as soon But not to stretch your paradox too farre least we teare it and so make the rent wider betwixt you and Rome which in your Book you say you are loth to doe Is your Church of England Cleansed and Romes Leprous Remember your selfe well and Consider Why then doe you not cast out that Leprous woman and Shut the doore upon her Nay why would you so faine be reunited with that filthy and polluted Leper And yet why not For is the Church of England in the Condition of Purity and under Reformation Indeed Solomon saith There is a Generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthinesse And is your Church of England Cleansed from all her Leprosie and pollutions What from the bitter root of the Hierarchy which hath defiled the Land with Idolatrous Altars and Images and Sundry Superstitious Ceremonies and open Profanation of the Lords day by tolerating of Heathenish Sports and Whorish and Drunken meetings Is it cleansed from those Doctrines of Devils forementioned accounting holy Wedlock uncleane at Some times and at Some times the Creatures uncleane Or is England cleansed from the guilt of Innocent blood of the Saints and Servants of Iesus Christ whom she hath cruelly persecuted and oppressed and with whose blood the whole Land is defiled and yet she is not washed from it She repenteth not but goes still on to fill up the measure of her Cruelty How art thou then purified ô Land How reformed How cleansed Nay dost thou not hate and persecute true holinesse and purity and especially in godly and painfull Ministers who preach against thy profanations So as may it not be said of thee as the Lord said of Ierusalem Thou art the Land that is not cleansed Seeing then thou art not cleansed from thy Leprosie but art a Syrian still a Leprous Naaman still well mayst thou be Sayd to be One and the Same Church with Rome even one and the same body even one and the same in Substance For what is that substance wherein you say the Church of England and Rome are one and the same Is it not that which you account the very Essence Forme and Beeing of your Church And what is that Or what be those things wherein the Substance of your Church consisteth as wherein the Church of England and of Rome are both one and the same so as we need make no doubt of that Surely wherein we find you both one and the same we need not doubt but in those things consists the one and onely substance of your one and the same Church For as for other things wherein the Church of England
in a Cloake-bag as most of the rest were was for them and favoured their side And the present Oracle of the Church of England Papa alterius Orbis hath so handled and hammered the matter in his forge that by a Declaration before the Articles of Religion he hath with no great difficulty made those Articles concerning Grace so to speak as to please both the dissenting parties Like to a Picture which each man in the room imagins looks upon him in particular Or as easily I say as if a man should take away the prick of a Hebrew Letter from the right side and place it on the left according to which variation a man pronounceth respectively the word Schiboleth or Sibboleth The false pronounciation of which word cost the Ephraimites their lives Lastly to end as I began The Church of England and of Rome are One and the same in turning Christs Kingdome which is altogether Spirituall and not of this world into an earthly and seculer Kingdome although Styled a Spiritualty and Hierarchy or holy Government and Kingdome whose Governours are temporall Lords calling themselves Christs viceroys whose kingdome glory pompe dignity riches is all earthly not heavenly carnall not spirituall verefying that of the Apostle They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly whose glory is in their Shame which mind earthly things Here are particulars enough to be silent in the rest to prove your Speech true That the Church of England and the Church of Rome are in Substance one and the Same no doubt of that As for Romes corruptions as you account and call them they are neither so many nor so great So long as they overthrow not the foundation as you not say they doe but that the large Mantle of your Charity is broad enough to cover them So as that need not to break square or greatly hinder your so much desired and attempted Reconciliation wherein I know you will be ready to meet Rome the halfe way or three quarters and more rather then faile to give his Holinesse the kisse of peace so he will be content to leave your Patriarchate or Popedome in England while himselfe enjoyeth the Vicarship of the wider world and at his death leave you his Heir apparent of the triple Crown Yet perhaps for your Reputation sake you would require that some grossenes at least might be payred off the outsides of her fouler corruptions and they a little smoothed over and for your part I dare say you will not be behind hand to bring on the Church of England in such a faire forwardnesse and neernesse as possibly the time will permit to a just conformity in all things fecible But is the Church of England now come to this to be in Statu quo So as a man may find her just there where Rome is now Alas poore England Shall not now all thy brave Worthies that are for the most part dead and gone and Some yet surviving as brands out of the flame rise up and bring their Evidences as witnesses aganst Rome that Shee is a False Hereticall Idolatrous Apostatized Antichristian Church the very Whore of Babylon plainely described in the Revelation And one of the last Bookes written against her to purpose indeed Intituled BABEL no BETHEL which came forth in a good season somwhat before you came to sit in the Chaire of Canterbury and for which you may remember you convented the Author before your High Commission Board at London house out of Terme and committed him to prison Mr. BURTON I mean now a closse prisoner and Exile hath by many impregnable Arguments so strongly proved the Church of Rome to be no true Church of Christ but a meere Antichristian Apostacie from the Faith So as neither his two hot Antagonists your Brothers Champions nor any Jesuites since hath undertaken to Answer it as being indeed unanswerable And so it Stands his Adversaries giving him the Bucklers in the plain Field And yet now is the Case so altered that so suddainly the Church of England is become One and the Same with the Church of Rome So as She may find her selfe just there where Romes is now and that no doubt of that But how doth this appeare Surely you may take it for truth for the Primate and Metropolitan of all England hath so bestirred himselfe and playd his part in Chopping and Changing puting down truth and seting up errour and superstition in the Church of England that she is Sodainly so metamorphosed into another form and in a manner transubstantiated into a new Substance of a Church as now you may find her just there where Romes is now both one and the Same Church no doubt of that If then we may take your word for your Church of England in this Case and considering that the Church of Rome is that notorious Harlot how any true Christian as I said before that will not become the member of a Harlot can hold longer communion with you I cannot see And for my part I doe here ingenuously professe and protest against you againe and againe that I abhorre you and all such Churches as hold communion with Rome as one and the Same Church and doe utterly seperate from you till you seperate from all communion and conformity with that Babylon in all those particulars forementioned And so I have done with you thus farre in this point You proceed L. p. 17. According to Christs Institution the Scripture where 't is plaine should guide the Church and the Church where there 's doubt and difficulty should expound the Scripture P. How Where I pray hath Christ so instituted And who hath bewitched you to dare to utter such a notorious and pernicious untruth as this and to Father it upon Christ and that upon your bare word For What Scripture doe you or can you bring For this Nay if the Scripture Christs own voyce and wherein the Spirit of Christ breatheth be not sufficient to interpret it selfe and that in all more doubtfull and difficult places of it what Man or Men or Church shal be able to doe it For how can any interpret difficult places of Scripture especially such as concerne Faith and Salvation but by the Scripture it selfe But we shall speake more fully of this afterwards And you have told us what the Church is namely a Hierarchy or Kingdome of Prelates who generally Savour the things of the flesh and not of the Spirit And if youâ— Lordship should but stand for a proofe and Say in this Case and that all other Prelates would hazzard their credit upon your Ability in interpreting the Scripture it would quickly appeare what hope the world might have of Prelates helpe at a dead lift for the establishing of our Faith and Consciences in some perplexed Cases O then what brave Prelaticall Glosses should we have As for the purpose Some doubts of late are risen in England
those plagues written therein and threatned against Reprobates and Devils shal be most certainly inflicted in beliefe whereof they tremble What have they this Faith given them of God and is the Holy Ghost the Sole Infuser of it or any Infuser of it at all And yet I say This historicall faith is that which you Speake of here For you do in that 16 th Section consisting of about 30 leaves in folio Speake of that Faith alone which beleeves the Scripture to be the word of God the onely subject of that long and tedious Discourse wherein you have spent so much sweat to so small purpose And the words immediately preceding doe shew this And your words immediately following are to confirme it which you alledge out of Stapleton Saying The Holy Ghost did not leave the Church in Generall nor the true members of it in particular without Grace to beleeve what himself had revealed and made credible Wherupon you inferre a little after Till the Spirit of God move the heart of man he cannot beleeve be the object never so credible Thus we see your mind at full what Faith what Gift of God what Grace this is which you Say none but the Holy Ghost giveth to his Church namely not that faith not that gift of God not that Grace not that worke of the Holy Ghost whereby a man comes to beleeve in Christ and to be indued with the Grace of Regeneration and Sanctification the proper worke and gift of the Holy Ghost whereof the Apostle speaketh in the fore-cited place but such a faith such a grace as the Councel of Trent professeth and aloweth and so that which Stapleton and all other Pontificials write of which is common to all wicked men and Reprobates as we have elswhere fully proved L. p. 75. The world cannot keep a man from going to weigh the Scripture at the Ballance of Reason whether it be the word of God or not For the word of God and the Book containing it refuse not to be weighed by Reason And pag. 76. For Reason by her own light can discover how firmely the Principles of Religion are true but all the light Shee hath will never be able to find them false P. 'T is â—rue that mans naturall Reason being not bridled by grace is so head-strong that the world it selfe cannot restrain it within its owne bounds but will be medling But yet though Reason be not excluded from giving her voyce and assent to the Scripture yet She must know her place She must come in the Reere of all and as a hand-maid not as a Mistresse Nor is it Reasons office to bring her ballance to weigh the Scriptures whether it be the word of God or not for herein She hath no negative voyce but onely of assent So as in this respect as a Judge Gods word refuseth to be weighed by Reason much lesse can it be true that Reason by her own light can discover how firmly the Principles of Religion are true For mans Reason being but Naturall and Gods word Supernaturall there is no proportion between them and Reason can no more judge of Scripture in this respect then a blind man can judge of colours So as Reason must not come in with her ballance and weights till a man be illuminated by the Scriptures themselves and by the Spirit of God and then being convinced of the truth thereof She gives her full assent that the Scripture is the word of God The Apostle saith The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned How say you then That Reason by her own Light can discover how firmly the Principles of Religion are true Point blanke against the Apostle The Lord openeth the heart of Lydia to attend to the things spoken of Paul Now if the naturall man by the light of his naturall reason receiveth not nor is thereby capable of the things of the Spirit of God contained in the Scripture but that they are foolishnesse unto him untill God open the heart and reveale those things by his Spirit as the Apostle saith then Reason cannot judge of Scripture by her owne light For what is Reasons light in a naturall man Surely darknesse it selfe unto Spiritâ—all things Ye were once darknesse saith the Apostle Darknesse in the very abstract Mans naturall understanding and Reason darknesse And therefore as Christ saith If the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse And Rom. 8.5 They that are after the flesh tà tes sarkòs phronousin doe savour the things of the flesh but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit Spirituall things are as unsavory to a naturall mans Reason as wholesome meat is to an aguish palate They are unto him morÃa foolishnesse saith the Apostle And Rom. 8.6 The wisdome of the flesh is death and ekthrà emnity against God and it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Ye saith Ieremy Every man is brutish in his own knowledge Can you then hale the Scripture to the barre of mans naturall Reason which is brutish to be judged by it whether it be Gods word or no And David saith Surely men of low degree are vanity Yea say you Men of low degree but not so men of high degree of learning and parts But take all with you Surely men of low degrâ—e are vanity and men of high degree are a lye to be layd in the ballance they are altogether lighter then vanity What men of low degree vanity and men of high degre a lye Yea Surely yea altogether lighter then vanity it selfe being â—ayd in the ballance But in what ballance In the uneven ballance with the false Scales of your naturall Reason No but in the Ballance and with the weights of the Sanctuary your Reason must be weighed And this ballance of the Sanctuary is the Scripture If then your Reason must be weighed at the ballance of the Scripture and there be found too light yea lighter then vanity yea altogether lighter then vanity yea Surely altogether lighter then vanity yea a very lye then what weights can your Reason bring being altogether lighter then vanity it selfe whereby to weigh the Scriptures Or how shall Reason which is a lye with her unequall Ballance and false weights weigh verity it selfe But if all this will not put you out of conceit of your naturall Reason as an incomptent Judge of Scripture to be the word of God which must needs argue the truth of Scripture that mans Reason is blindnes darknes emnity against the truth brutish vanity a ly altogether lighter then vanity it self give me leave a little to put you to it You perswade your selfe that you can by the strength and light of your naturall Reason judge or weigh the Scripture whether it be Gods word and discover how firmely the Principles of Religion
your 16 th Sextion mentioned before which continueth from p. 59. to 116. wherein are sundry passages â—o this purpose whereof the last was one and the rest we shall touch as we meet with them And here I cannot though I said I would no more wonder but admire that such Speeches should flow down so fast from the Sea of Canterbury which is a mighty Catarrhact or distillation of the eye drowning the sight and flowing from such an abundant humour in the head as it is like to turne into a Dropsie possessing and putrifying the whole body which if not prevented by some remedy from hâ—aven must needs prove Epedemically mortall You are the first Antagonist of Iesuites that ever uttered such things and you might well have given them leave to utter such base Speeches of the holy Scriptures as more proper for a Jesuite then one pretending the Faith of a Protestant But the difference is not great nor matters is much which of you be the mouth having all one Spirit and being all one and the Same Church So as being the Metropolitan of that Church which with Rome is one and the Same you have the greater priviledge to speake in the language of that pregnant Mother who is so full of the names of Blasphemy against the word of God Now is not the Scripture so demonstratively evident in it selfe as to enforce assent What then shall doe it Probable Arguments from the light of Nature But Nature is blind as we shewed before of naturall Reason And againe how can that which is but probable confirme that which is truth For the Scripture is Truth it selfe As Christ saith Thy word is Truth Now there being strictly no proportion between Probability and Truth how can the Light of Nature which you say is but probable confirme that which is truth And we shewed also how the Naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God which things are contained in the Scripture But you adde Arguments from humane Testimony confirme the Scriptures to be Gods word That which is but humane cannot strengthen that which is Divine I receive not the Testimony of man saith Christ. So the Scripture is so farre above humane testimony that it can receive no strength from it no more then God can receive strength from the creature Gods word from mans word And the Scripture being Gods written word is above Mans bare word As Christ tells the Jewes who took Christ for a meere Man If ye beleeve not Moses his writings how shall you beleeve my words Thereby implying That Writings the Scripture are above mans words Againe humane testimony in Comparison to Gods word is but a lye For every man is a lyer Moreover in saying The Scripture is not evident enough to demonstrate it selfe to be the word of God and to enforce assent but being strenthened by Probable Arguments from the light of Nature and of humane Testimony 't is then wilfullnesse and pride to suspect it Here you set the light of Nature above the word of Grace probability above Truth humane Testimony above Divine Man above GOD. For Christ tells us that the Scriptures beare witnesse of him And you Say the Scriptures are not sufficient witnesses of themselves and so consequently of Christ without mans testimony So as hereby you disable the Scripture as being an incompetent witnesse of Christ because not evident enough in themselves without humane Testimony So as how you can cleare your selfe from blasphemy I see not But this is but one degree For you adde The light which is in Scripture is not light enough it cannot beare sufficient witnesse to it selfe Now you open your mouth a little wider to blaspemy But we shall have yet more of ths Suffe out of your Wardrobe Of which I may say this by the way That you bewray how grosly and palpably blind you are in discerning the Scriptures glorious brightnesse being like that Woman in Lipsius who being blind her selfe blamed the house she was in for being very darke So you because you are blind your selfe the god of this world having blinded your eyes therefore you blame the holy Scriptures of GOD for being darke not bright enough to to beare witnesse to it selfe Why Surely all light is Sui index sui Communicativum it is a witnesse to it selfe that it shineth So as all in the house doe see it yea though it be but the light of a Candle as Christ saith If therefore the Scriptures have not so much light in them as all may see it to shine forth then they have no light at all For if there be any light at all it will shew it selfe But this you will not stick to tell us anon that the Scripture hath no light in it selfe and therefore no mervaile if here you say the Light that is in it is not bright enough And you tell us here also That the Testimony of the Holy Ghost ordinarily is not so much as considerable in this Question Why What is the Question Is it not how or by what meanes we beleeve the Scriptures to be the word of GOD Is not this the Subject Question of this whole 16 th Section and which you handle throughout And this being so have you forgotten what you told us before of this beliefe that the Scripture is the word of GOD Namely that faith is the gift of God of God alone and an infused habit in respect whereof the Soule is meerely recipient and that the sole infuser is the Holy Ghost and Till the Spirit of God move the heart of man he cannot beleeve And now doe you come and tell us The Holy Ghost ordinarily is not so much as considerable in the Question Yea but here you tell us this is not the Question What then Namely how the Scripture may be proposed as a Credible Object fit for beliefe And for this you set us downe a rule of Proposall which must of necessity take its rise from the Tradition or Authority of the Present Church Whereof we shall heare more anon But by your leave this is not the Question but the other For this your manner of Proposall you put it not as a Question but as an a'Ãtema a Question begged not to be argued and disputed upon as the nature of a Question is to be but you doe dogmatÃzein obtrude and force upon us a novell opinion of your owne devising without proofe of Reason Argument or Authority from the Scripture And therefore we deny your Question or Position as Heterodox or a Paradox contrary to the truth of God word which is the onely rule of determining all Questions in Divinity about faith whereof this is not the least How or by what meanes a man comes to beleeve the Scripture to be the word of God Now for the determining herof you would tye us to the one only manner of Proposing the Scripture as a Credible object fit for beliefe and that is necessarily to
Scripture it selfe As if you had Said The Tradition of the present Church does all it openeth the blind eyes of the naturall mans understanding to see and the deafe eares of his Soule to heare for after it hath cleared his understanding and taught and informed the Soule then the voyce of GOD is plainly heard in the Scripture it selfe And besides you tell us here that after Tradition of your present Church hath taught and informed the Soule the voyce of GOD is plainly heard in the Scripture Ergo not till then Ergo your Tradition opens the eares of the deafe And then there 's double testimony and both Divine What Tradition of the Apostles delivering it You meane surely the divine Tradition of your present Church one of your obstruse Apostolick Traditions Otherwise what doth the mention of the Apostles Tradition in this place And thus you acquaint us with the whole Mystery of your new Divinity New I call it because it is contrary to the old For the old is which is not yet antiquated The Commandement of the Lord that is the word of God is pure inlightening the eyes And vers 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soule the testimony of the Lord 〈◊〉 sure making wise the simple And Psal. 119.30 mentioned before The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple Now who is the blind and simple but the naturall man before his Conversion and Regeneration And what is that which inlightens his eyes and cleares his understanding Gods word For The entrance of thy words giveth light it giveth understanding unto the Simple The light of Gods word going forth in the Ministry of it is the first that makes entrance into the Soule Now doth not your Lordship grant all this Yes you cannot but confesse it but alwayes provided that it is ever understood the Tradition of the present Church must prepare the way first that must first cleare the naturall mans blind eyes of his understanding that must first teach and informe his Soule before Gods word can inlighten his eyes and give understanding to the Simple But do you consider what you Say The Scripture you must needs confesse you cannot deny inlightneth the eyes Well but you Say againe your Tradition must first cleare the understanding and light the Candle of Scripture Now to cleare the understanding is to open the eyes How then can Gods word be said to open and enlighten the eyes when they are cleared before Or how can it give understanding to the simple when the Soule is taught and informed before The Tradition of the present Church prevents all and saves the word that labour Unlesse you will say The Tradition of the present Church is a preparing instruction to the opening of the eyes by the Scripture as the anoynting of the blind mans eyes with clay went before his washing in the poole of Siloam whereupon he received his sight Indeed your Church-Tradition in this Case might well be compared to the daubing of a naturall mans blind eyes with Clay to confirme him in his blindnesse that he shall never see so long as he depends upon the necessity of your present Church-Tradition as a preparing instruction to cleare his understanding and to teach and informe his soule as without which he shall never come to have his eyes inlightned by the word of God So as in very truth this Tradition Authority voyce of the present Church which you every where so plead for and presse as a necessary previous inducer yea clearer of the naturall mans understanding and teacher and informer of his Soule before he can plainly heare the voyce of God in the Scripture it selfe is a Doctrine of Damnable Blasphemy against Christ and his holy word For this clearing of the naturall mans understanding this inlightning of the blind eyes of his mind this teaching and informing his Soule is both the proper and prime act of Christ of his Spirit and of his word working together Of the words inlightning David hath sufficiently informed us before And Christ sends us to the Scriptures for search and not to any Church Tradition as bearing witnesse of Christ and so directing us to him for eternall life And Saith Christ No man can come to me except the Father which sent me draw him and I will rayse him up at the last day As it is written in the Prophets And they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh to me Heard What The Tradition of the present Church No the preaching of Gods word which is Gods owne voyce as we said before this voyce in the eare being accompanied with Gods learning and teaching within as Augustine hereupon well notes is that which brings us unto Christ Thus the Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended to the things which were spoken of Paul It was not the Tradition of the present Church but as she was hearing the word the Lord opened her heart both to attend and to beleeve Pauls Doctrin◠And Luke 24.45 Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures Away then with your Blasphemous Romish Doctrine of Tradition of your present Church from having any thing to doe in this divine businesse wherein onely God and Christ and the Holy Ghost and the voyce of God in the Ministry of his Word have the whole and sole worke in opening both the eyes and eares of mans Soule to see and heare the wondrous things of Gods Law contained in the Scriptures As David Saith Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law But you adde And then here 's double Authority and both Divine that confirmes Scripture to be the word of God Tradition of the Apostles delivering it and the internall worth and argument in the Scripture obvious to a Soule prepared by the present Churches Tradition and Gods Grace And. Then Sill Then and not before all goes currant Worth in Scripture comes in with their double Divine Authority Then when the Soule is prepared as before with the present Churches Tradition Els all the fat is in the fire Nor Apostles Tradition Nor worth in Scripture are worth a rush in this matter And thus all must depend upon your present Churches Tradition Still But here you bring in againe Gods Grace as a Second to your Tradition But I told you before and tell you againe that your present Churches Tradition hath nothing to doe with Gods Grace nor with any Grace of God not with common and ordinary Grace Gods Grace is a concomitant and Assistant unto his owne Ordinance But for the Authority and Tradition of the present Church to be a necessary inducer to the beliefe of Scripture by clearing a naturall mans understanding and teaching and informing his Soule is none of Gods ordinance but an Antichristian Romish presumption and therefore hath no promise of
worship The GREAT WITNESSE but a great meanes not The great meanes nor the GREAT MEANES put in Capitall Letters much lesse doe you say as the Apostle That preaching is the power of God unto Salvation to every one that beleeveth Or as 1 Cor 1.18 The preaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse but to us that are saved it is the power of God Or To them that are called we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God And yet with you it is but a great meanes And well too that you will vouchsafe to give it so good a word But it is such a great meanes as there is none other ordinary meanes of saving knowledge whatsoever to be compared with it But you cannot thinke Sermons divinely infallible I thinke not such Sermons as you make But are not those Sermons which being a true explication and application of the the word of God the Scripture doe convert soules to God doe beget faith in the hearers and make of them new Creatures divinely infallible can such Sermons be otherwise then divinely infallible I doe not meane your Court Sermons And can that preaching which is a great meanes as you confesse of saving knowledge but be divinely infallible Can that which brings men to salvation deceive men I speak still of true preaching But you put Sermons which you say are expositions and application of Scripture and a great meanes of saving knowledge and preachers together whom you doe not think to be infallible There is some difference by your leave For the Sermon may â—e divinely infallible saving the hearers soules and yet the preacher himselfe be deceived and put by his purpose in preaching of it For instance I remember Augustine tells how on a time preaching upon a text he did besides his purpose and intention extravagate from his text and fell upon the Manichean Heresie which was nothing to his text in which extravagant discourse he notwithstanding according to his dexterity â—oundly confuted that Heresie Well after the Sermon a Manichean that there had heard him came to Augustine and told him that his Sermon had much wrought upon him and convinced him of his error desiring him further to instruct him in the true Faith Hereat Augustine fell into an admiration saying to the man give glory to God and never thank me for it for I never intended when I came into the Pulpit at that time so much as to touch upon that poynt But now I see Gods mercifull hand led me out of my intended course that I should going out of mine owne way bring thee into the right way Thus we see the Sermon may be divinely infallible when yet the Preacher himselfe was deceived Againe the Preacher being a man is subject to error when yet his Sermon is infallible being divine that is according to Gods word the Scripture and his life through infirmity may have many errors when yet his doctrine is upright and sound being regulated by Gods word and Spirit which is not wanting to his faithfull Servants in his owne Ordinace But say you the ancient Fathers of the Church preached beyond any of these of either Faction and yet no one of them durst thinke himselfe infallible much lesse that whatsoever he preached was the word of God Here first you shew still your teeth and utter your extreme malice against Christ in calling his faithfull servants the Ministers of his word a Faction and such a Faction as you yoake with that of the Jesuites Certainly if godly Ministers such as you place in the precise party of the reformed Church be a Faction it is under and with their King and Captain Christ fighting and confederating against all Antichristian adversaries the disguised enemies of Christ and of his word and true Church and of all his faithfull Ministers and people that doe sincerely professe his Name Which your malice being so Diabolicall the Lord reprove you for it and reward you according both to your words and deeds who doe thus confound the precious with the vile the good with the evill light with darknesse Christ with Belial true Christians with Antichristians Certainly ther 's a woe belongs to you for this We doe utterly reject all Iesuites and Antichristians as who neither doe nor dare nor can preach Gods word truly to the begeting of Saving Faith and Saving Knowledge For then they must preach against the Popes Kingdome and his cursed doctrines which in the Councel of Trent doe both forbid and accurse all saving doctrines of grace and burne with fier and fagot the Preachers of them whom you also most cruelly persecute with all the Engines of cruelty that malice it selfe can invent and a desperate man against all Laws of God and man dare execute For the antient Fathers of the Church whose preaching you farre preferre before any of that precise party as you call it for as for A. C. and his Faction we altogether exclude them out of the number of preachers in the reformed Churches whether ignorance or malice hath more blinded your judgement in this I cannot directly say Ignorance not onely of the Fathers preaching but much more of the preciser party of preachers in the Reformed Churches whose Sermons and writings I suppose you have but a little acquainted your selfe withall but for your malice against these I dare confidently say you have no want of that And seeing you draw me though against my will to enter within the lists of such a comparison between those antients and our moderne reformists I hold it fit to speake somthing of it though I declined it before when you gave the like occasion both to discover the weaknesse of your judgement herein and to vindicate the truth it selfe in maintaining the just reputation of the truly Reformed Churches Now no reason can be given why those Antients though otherwise of honourable mention should preach farre beyond the best preachers of the Reformed Churches For they could not have that knowledge and learning which so many ages since have produced together with much experience all which the truly reformed preachers make use of Again doe but compare most of the writings and Sermons of those Antients with our moderne Reformed Divines and a right judgement will find the oddes of your farre beyond to be on the side of the reformed party In comparison of whom how poore were those Antients both in their expositions and applications of Scripture Augustine that excellent light in those times though in his Polemicall Tracts and especially against the Pelagians and Semi-pellagians in the vindicating of Gods grace and so in opening all those places of Scripture concerning those points he shewed an accute dexterity and sound judgement yet in his other exercises or Sermons and expositions of Scripture he was not so pregnant As in his 8 th Tome containing his expositions and Sermons upon the Psalmes although the Reader shall not repent him of his labour because he
the Scripture depends not upon the Church wheron then On the Author Say you and the opinion we have of his Sufficiencie Here be two things which you couple together 1. The Author 2. The opinion we have of his Sufficiencie 1. For the Author which is God 't is true that God himselfe is the Author of the Scripture and so it is the word of God and God the Author beares witnesse of the Scripture that it is his owne word And where doth God beare this witnesse Is not this his witnesse in the Scripture it selfe Doth not his Spirit speake in it and tell us that it is his word Saith not his Spirit expresly that All Scripture is given by Inspiration from God And doth not the Scripture it selfe tell us this Saith it not then of it selfe that it is Gods word And so saying doth it not beare witnesse to it selfe that it is the word of God And is not the witnesse therof true And if true doth not the credit of the Scripture depend upon it selfe as it is the word of God that speaks in it that it is the word of God Or how can you so seperate the Author from the Scripture he speaking in it but that you must confesse the credit of the Scripture to depend upon it selfe when you acknowledge it depends upon the Author For as God was in the Soft and Still voyce so he is in the Scripture which is the Soft and Still voyce of God And as Elias knew by the soft and stil voyce that the Lord was in it So we know by the Soft and Still voyce of God the Scripture that God is in it and therein speakes unto us And what God therein speakes unto us the Scripture which is his voyce speakes unto us So as the Scripture being Gods own voyce speaking unto us what it saith is of the Same credit that God himselfe the Author and Speaker is of And therfore if the Credit of Scripture depend upon the Author it depends withall upon it selfe because it is Gods own voyce But Secondly you couple here with the Author the opinion we have of his Sufficience So as first it seems you doe not allow the Credit of Scripture to depend simply and Solely upon the Author but withall upon the opinion we have of his Sufficiencie And what if we fayle in our good opinion of the Authors Sufficiencie Wheron will you then hang the Credit of the Scripture Surely it must depend upon our opinion That 's the dint of your speech But of our selves we are altogether ignorant of Gods Sufficiencie How then or whence shall we come to have such an opinion of his Sufficiency as whereon the Credit of the Scripture may infalliby depend From the Authority or Tradition of the present Church Alas your present Church will tell us that the holy Trinity may be expressed in a Picture and that God the Father may be pictured like an Old Man because Christ in Daniel is called the Ancient of dayes For thus you pleaded against Mr. Sheruile in the Starre-Chamber when you fined him 500. pound to the King for defacing the Images of the Trinity in his owne Church-window he being a Justice of Peace If therefore the Almighty and Incomprehensible God may be expressed in an Image what opinion can we have of his Sufficiencie to be the God of truth and the Author of the Scripture as whereon the credit therof may depend when we expresse and represent him by that which is a lye a meere vanity For the Scripture calls an Image a lye as Esa. 44.20 And a teacher of lyes Hab. 2.18 And vanity wind and confusion Esa. 41.29 And falshood Jer. 10.14 And v. 16. God the portion of Iacob is not like them And an Image made to represent God is a lye and falsehood because it is a false representation of God For God is a Spirit Invisible And Esa. 40.18 To whom will ye liken God Or what likenesse will ye compare unto him And the Second Commandement expresly forbids any Image to be made to represent God by So as the practise of your present Church in adoring and seting up and maintaining Images in Churches and Copes and the like whereby you represent God doth teach men a base and false opinion of God and so of his All-Sufficiencie And therfore Secondly in Saying Wee upon the opinion Wee have of his Sufficiency you that are the Setters up and maintainers of lying Images of God in your Churches must needs be those Wee upon whose opinion of Gods Sufficiency must depend the Credit of the Scripture And what opinion can you have of Gods truth that represent him by a lye and falshood And what opinion can you have of his Sufficiency in being the Author of the Scripture that hold and affirme his Scripture and word to be an insufficient witnesse to prove it selfe the word of God And what opinion can you have of Gods Sufficiency who doe every where by your open practises and your Shamelesse blasphemies in fathering your lyes upon God in this your Book as hath been noted but now proclaime to the world what little feare or dread you have of his Majesty as if he were not a just God in punishing wickednesse or in his power insufficient to tame proud Rebells Thus if by the Tradition of the present Church we cannot come to such a knowledge of God as to have a right opinion of his Sufficiencie whence shall we have it Surely all true knowledge of God is to be learned from the Scripture But that you make to be of no credit but as it depends upon the Author and your opinion of his Sufficiency which what it is we have taken a Scantling of And so the conclusion is from these your Premisses that No credit of Scripture to teach no true knowledge of God no right opinion of his Sufficiency nothing for the Credit of the Scripture to depend upon and having no credit in and of it selfe Ergo the Scripture is of no Credit at all This is the very Summe and Sequele of your Speech and indeed the upshot of those sharpe arrows which you have with all your might and malice let fly at the Credit of Scripture to give it the deaths wound Yet you adde L. p. 111. Scripture though it give light enough for Faith to beleeve yet light enough it gives not to be a convincing Reason and proofe for Knowledge P. These words are to be expounded by what you have formerly Sayd Though it give light enough that is though it should or could give â—ight enough For that it doth not give light enough for Faith to beleeve you have plainly told us As pag. 80. The light which is in Scripture is not bright enough it cannot beare sufficient witnesse to it selfe If it cannot then neither can it give light enough for faith to beleeve For sufficient light for Faith to beleeve springs from a sufficient light in Scripture to beare
witnesse to it selfe But this Say you it hath not Ergo not the other Againe you Say pag. 81. Church-Authority must first light the Candle Ergo the Scripture hath no light of it selfe much lesse light enough for faith to beleeve But though it should though it be granted that Scripture had light enough for Faith to beleeve yet light enough it gives not to be a convincing Reason and proofe for knowledge As if you said Neither for Faith for we have proved before that faith and knowledge goe inseperably together true faith being a seeing and knowing faith and not a blind faith The Scripture teacheth no blind faith And why should not Scripture give light enough to be a convincing Reason and proofe for knowledge When it is a sufficient light to discover unto a man the secret thoughts and intents of his heart wherof man himselfe is thorowly convinced and thereby in himselfe condemned of his own Conscience But this knowledge you cannot away withall But you can never put out the eyes of your Conscience though you may for a time fold it or lull it fast asleep Much lesse shall you be able to put out the light of Scripture which is greater then the light of your Conscience As Saith the Apostle If our heart or Conscience condemnes us God is greater then our heart and knoweth all things If therfore the heart or Conscence that is in man be a sufficient witnesse of all his thoughts good and bad and layeth them before him as the Apostle saith much more is Gods word a sufficient witnesse and giveth light enough to be a convincing reason and proofe for knowledge And Solomon Saith The spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly If such then be mans spirit the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly that is all the secrets of mans heart how much more is the Spirit of God in the Scripture his Word such a searcher yea saith the Apostle The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God And these deep things of God he hath revealed unto us by his Spirit And where but in his word the Scripture is the voyce of this Spirit of God And it was the constant sentence of all the Ancient Fathers whom you would seem so much to adore which Augustine expresseth in these words In Scripturu sacris apertè continentur ea omnia quae necessaria sunt ad Sâ—lutem In the holy Scriptures are clearly contained all those things which are necessary to Salvation Now how should this be true if the Scripture doth not give light enough to be a convincing reason and proofe for knowledge L. p. 113. To prove the Scripture to be the word of God first cometh in the Tradition of the Church the present Church So 't is no Hereticall or Schismaticall beliefe Then the testimony of former Ages c. P. Here at length you come neere the winding up of the long thread of your endlesse Discourse in this your 16 th Section the summe wherof is to prove that the Scripture is of no selfe-credit and Authority And first and last your present Church Tradition must be the Prime hand to lead the blâ—nd to this beliefe that Scripture is the word of God For otherwise the beliefe thereof should be Hereticall or Schismaticall For thus you say To prove the Scripture to be the word of God First comes in the Tradition of the Church the present Church So 't is no Hereticall or Schismaticall beliefe Ergo Beliefe of Scripture to be Gods word comes by any other way as by the word of God it selfe read and heard in the preaching of it and by Gods Spirit speaking in it then wherein the Tradition of the Church the present Church hath been the Prime leader This beliefe is Hereticall and Scismaticall Ergo this beliefe in all the Apostles Martyrs Ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Primitive Ages who never knew any such Tradition of the present Church as whereon this beliefe should depend for its necessary prime inducement was Hereticall and Schismaticall They constantly held till Rome and you brought in this your blind guide to tread down under feet the light of the Scripture and to exalt the Authority of your Antichristian Hierarchy that the Scripture was of self-Authority and Sufficiency to prove it selfe to be the word of God and by the hearing of it preached and read to beget and confirme faith in al beleevers without any such inducement of Church Tradition as you speake of And therefore here you passe your sentence of condemnation of this beliefe in all those forementioned for Hereticall and Schismaticall But how justly may this sentence be retorted upon your selfe and your present Church as both Hereticall and Schismaticall Hereticall as in the maintenance of Doctrines of Devils as afore of the Pelagian and Semi-Pelagian Heresies under colour of your doubtfull Articles of Religion as you have made them by publik Edict and Declaration and flatly forbidding to preach of the Saving Doctrines of Grace as they are clearly layd down and taught in the Scripture and in seting up and maintaining of your Altars whereby the onely Altar Iesus Christ is denyed and in dâ—spensing with the 4 th Commandement yea destroying and unmoralizing of it and so overthrowing the Lords-day-Sabbath wherein you subvert the whole worke of Redemption with the Resurrection and the like thus your present Church is Hereticall as also in this in holding and stiffly maintaining by you a necessity of your present Church-Tradition for the inducing of beliefe of the Scripture to be Gods word as not sufficient and wanting light of it selfe to doe it and which otherwise is of no credit at all Thus I say you are damnably and desperately Hereticall Secondly your present Church is also Schismaticall being a Seperation from the true Church of Christ in your Hierarchy or Prelacy which being altogether â—ntichristian hath no communion in that respect with Christs Church and therfore is notoriously Schismaticall yea in this also Schismaticall that you account and brand that beliefe of Scripture to be Gods word for Hereticall and Schismaticall which is not first induced by your present Church-Tradition wherein you are Schismaticks from the Faith and so from the Church of the Apostles and Ancient Fathers and succeding Churches which never held any such Hereticalll opinion concerning any such insufficiencie of the Scriptures and Authority of the present Church as you most pertenaciously and pernitiously hold Therfore I Conclude that if the present Church of England approve of your Book and hold as you doe it is both Hereticall and Schismaticall But you conclude L. p. 115. So then the way lyeth thus as farre as it appeares to me The Credit of Scripture to be Divine reduces finally into that which we have touching God himselfe and in the same order For as that So this hath three main Grounds to which
of God inwardly inclining our hearts and sealing the full assurance of the sufficiency of all three unto us We meet Who Surely you never met with this Spirit of God in your conversing with the Text it selfe Which if you had you would not have uttered such things Yet if this Third ground you had put single by it selfe as the sole excluding the former it were true Divinity but puting the two former before it as necessary inducing causes to perswade the Scriptures sufficiency you do therby utterly overthrow it as also that Spirit of God breathing in it and inwardly inclining and perswading the heart to beleeve For how come we to meet with the Spirit of God in our conversing with the Text but because conversing a â—ight by prayer and humility we find it breathing and speaking unto us in his own word and voyce For the Spirit is never seperated from his word as is shewed before Now if Gods Spirit breath in the Scripture and in our reading thereof with a mind rightly disposed we find the same speaking effectually unto us to the setling of our faith is this spirit and word tyed to any necessary dependance of any outward things as without which it can have no operation Doth not this spirit as the wind to which Christ Compares it blow where it listeth Can you by any art or invention cause the wind to blow Doth not God bring it out of his Treasures But your Conclusion is the foulest of all For you say this Spirit of God sealeth the full assurance of the sufficiency of all Three unto us That is First of your Church Tradition as aforesaid 2dly Of the light of Nature And â—dly and in the last place of the Scripture But you make the sufficiency of these 3 equall and alike Saving that you give your Church Tradition and the light of Nature the Precedency of the Scripture And in saying that Gods Spirit sealeth the sufficiency of those two to wit Church Tradition and light of Nature for the reason aforesaid which are altogether insufficient and are a meere lye and falshood and have no ground nor warrant from Scripture but are contrary thereto and destroy the credit authority and sufficiency thereof I must tell you that herein you do most impiously blaspheme the spirit of Truth as if it were the Author Approver and ratifier of a lye And you adde And then an not before we are certaine that the Scripture is the word of God both by Divine and Infallible proofe Here still you shut out from the Scripture all Self Authority sufficiency and Testimony to prove it selfe the word of God not allowing it so much as you doe to Tradition and the light of Nature for these say you perform their offices sufficiently but you have nothing to say for the Scripture as if that had any thing at all to doe but to wait upon the good pleasure of Lady Tradition and light of Nature for their Commendation and approbation and then having their good words this is sufficient to bring in the Spirits testimony to seale the sufficiency of all three the Scriptures sufficiency being this to be recommended by the other two And then and not before we are certain that the Scripture is the word of God both by Divine and infallible proofe but not of the Scripture it selfe in any case But say you our certainty is by Faith and so voluntary not by knowledge of such Principles as in the light of Nature can enforce assurance whether we will or no Why what certainty can we have but by Faith in Christ But what mean you by voluntary By your Free-will That which Luther calls Servum Arbitrium servile Will such as mans naturall will is to Spirituall things And surely this you mean by voluntary For before you do so highly magnifie the light of Nature as being of such sufficiencie as we need not doubt of your good opinion of the Naturall Will of man having as much liberty in heavenly things as light Well by Faith and so voluntary not by knowledge of such Principles as in the light of Nature can enforce assent whether we will or no. You spake of such Principles before which we answered as also the forceing of assent We come now to the close of the 16 th Section L p. 116. I have said thus much upon this great occasion because this Argument is so much pressed without due respect to Scripture And I have proceeded in a Syntheticall way to build up the Truth for the benefit of the Church and the Satisfaction of all men Christianly disposed And a little after I labour for Edification and not for Destruction P. When I look back to the premises of this Argument and now upon the conclusion I cannot but stand amazed at two things 1. Your notorious vilifying or rather nullifying the Authority sufficiency and Testimonys of the Scripture to prove it selfe to be the word of God and 2 dly your egregious hypocrisie here in the close of all as if you had done all with due respâ—ct to Scripture And how finely you would seem to put it off from your selfe but laying the blame upon others as the Jesuites As if you had taken all this paines to vindicate the Scripture from that Disrespect which Iesuites haâ—e of it in their pleading for Church-Tradition And yet doe not you tell us before that you goe the same way with the Iesuites in advancing Church-Tradition onely you say you goe not so faare as they And wherein I pray you doe you come short of them They say Scripture Authority that it is the word of God depends upon the Authority and Tradition 〈◊〉 of the Church and you say Scripture without Church-Tradition of no Credit Authority or sufficiencie to prove it selfe the word of God Nay you goe further â—or for all your Tradition and the light of Nature going before yet not one word hath dropt from your pen that Scripture I say after all your preceding inducements is sufficient of it selfe to prove it selfe the word of God but that still its Authority is precaria at the good will of Tradition and Authority of the present Church whose sufficiency you preferre before the Scripture in many respects as hath been shewed And you haue proceeded in this way you say Synthetically What 's that That is in the true Eâ—imon of the word by way of composition or confederation with the Jesuite to bring both the Churches to a reconciliation by your mutuall discrediting of the Scripture as Herod and Pilate could not be made Friends but in consenting to put Christ to death And as Pilate gratified Herod in sending Châ—ist bound unto him whereupon they became Friends so you here ingratiate your selfe with Rome in sending her this Book as I suppose it is there before this time wherein you present her with the Scripture bound in the fetters of Tadition which puts on your Synthesis or League in a faire forwardnesse the
when men sheere their Goates so in this respect you may safely say That when Romes errours and Superstitions are removed our Protestations and Seperation is ended And so may I. L p. 136. Protestants doe but protest the sincerity of their Faith against the Doctrinall corruption which hath invaded the great Sacrament of the Eucharist and other parts of Religion P. Well were it for you and your present Church of England as you have lately made it or would at least make it if you had such sincerity of Faith to protest against Romes doctrinall corruptions as true Protestants have But why doe you call the Lords supper The Great Sacrament of the Eucharist Is it Great because you give it a Name not known in Scripture Or because it is so grandized in the Church of Rome as it is made like the Great Diana of the Ephesians whom all the Pontifician world worshipeth Or it is Great comparatively to Baptisme because this is celebrated in the Font at the Church doore neere the Belfrey and That upon your high Altar which you have advanced at the chiefe as you esteem it and East end af your Chancels and of your stately Cathedrals Or Great because in your Devotion you bow towards that place whence it seems you look for your help yea so lowly fall down and worship before it as before the Lord your maker Or what is it that your Eucharist is become with you so Great a Sacrament Because it or your selfe is Great with Child of a young new God-Almighty But however For my part I reverence every Ordinance of God but I dare not make nor esteem them greater then God hath made them nor give them other Names and Titles then God hath given them least I either seem to be wiser then my Maker and their Author or should give more honour to them then is due this being as wofull experience hath taught the ready way to rob God of his honour to transferre it to the creature and set it up instead of God But loth you are I know to call the Sacrament the Lords Supper as the Scripture calls it least it might call for the Lords Table as the Scripture also terms it and so your high Altar should have no more Room in the Church But doe the true Protestants protest the sincerity of their Faith onely against the Doctrinall Faith which hath invaded your Great Sacrament of the Eucharist Yes you adde and other parts of Religion What be those That we may know those speciall Doctrinall Corruptions against which you say Protestants do protest the sincerity of their Faith For Rome hath many Doctrinall Corruptions against which true Protestants protest which you do not so much as mention in all your Book and such too as do â—â—atly overthrow the Foundation Christ. As Iustification by works for one which we have touched before Yea and Rome hath many and those most damnable corruptions which you are so farre from accounting corruptions as you make them Essentiall parts of Gods worship I name Altars for one Of which also before And these things we Protestants protest the sincerity of our Faith against But you are none of those Protestants as not professing much lesse protesting the sincerity of any such Faith L p. 138. A right sober man may without the least touch of insolence or madnesse dispute a businesse of Religion with the Roman either Church or Prelate as all men know Irenaeus did with Victor so it be with modesty and for the finding out or confirming of truth free from vanity and purposed opposition against even a particular Church P. This passage I cited before in my Preface to your Lordship yet I here recite it again because perhaps all wil be little enough to put you in mind therof For as I told you before the Greatnesse of the Cause hath caused my stile and Spirit to mount upon the wings of zeale for my Christ and for his Church in a higher degree and strain then ordinary And that for this you Censure me of insolence or madnesse as I feare it wil be the best defence you can make for your Cause alwayes excepted the Bill in Starre-Chamber I have no remedy but patience committing the Cause to him that judgeth rightly And as I have done it for the finding out of the truth so this hath caused me a great deale of moyle in digging and removing away a masse of earth and rubbedge which you had cast to hide this Treasure from us So as a purposed opposition was not it that set me upon this Great taske but yet I oppose you and purpose to detect your falsities so fairly guilded over with hypocrisie that you might not impose too much upon your Credulous Reader You aledge for this purpose the Example of Irenaeus arguing a Case with Victor Bishop of Rome which you say all men know But my Lord I suppose all men do not know it And because it is a matter both worthy and not unnecessary for all men to know it I will take occasion here to speake somthing of it as not impertinent also to our present purpose Towards the end of the second Century there was a difference between the Asian Church and the Roman about the Day of Celebrating the memory of the Lords Resurrection The contention grew hot as commonly men are most eagre in propounding their own devises in matter of Religion so as because the Asian Churches would not conforme to Victor Bishop of Rome he began to fume and to thunder and threaten them all with Excommunication Irenaeus who lived in France for this reproves Victor telling him that he ought not to proceed and deale so with Asian Churches for such differences as were of things at that time accounted Indifferent Some saith he fast one day before Easter some two some more some 40. houres together whereupon by the way it seems that those 40. houres were afterwards turned into forty dayes for your Lent Fast kaì cudèn élatton pà ntes oâ—uioi eirteneusà n tè kaì eireneúomen pròs alluious yet neverthelesse saith he all these lived peaceably together and we also are at peace one with another Kaì he diaphonìn tes nesteÃas tèn homónoian tes pÃstâ—os sunistesi And this difference about Fasting commendeth saith he the unity of Faith And he relates unto him also the examples of sundry of his Predecessors in the Sea of Rome who neither kept it themselves nor command of it to others and yet neverthelesse they that observed it not were at peace with those that came to them from the neighbour Churches or Congregations wherein it was observed Nor were any at any time cast out of the Church about the Manner or Custome But those Presbyters saith he who before you observed it not sent Commendations or kind salutations and greetings as tokens of Charity to those of other neighbouring Churches who did observe it And blessed Polycarpus sojourning at Rome in the time of
Government is nothing according to our Great Kings Laws but according to your own devised Canons and in nothing in Nothing I say agreeable to the Laws of Christ in the Scripture for the right Government of his Church Nay that Government which Christ hath prescribed in his word and which is practised in the best Reformed Churches beyond the Seas you doe utterly and openly condemn and the Churches themselves that doe practise the Discipline of Christ and his Apostles while you deny them to be any Churches of Christ at all Againe Every Kingdome as it hath but one King over it so it is capapable of no more then onely one Vice-Roy so as by that Title he that is your Ordine Primus and hath a more Potent Principality the Pope had he but a good Title would carry that honour from you all if you value the worth and Dignity of that Vice-Royship after the value of your Bishopricks and not after vertue Either then you must acknowledge the Pope to be the sole Vice-Roy which you are loth to doe For why should not the Patriarch of the other world be as capable of that honour as he or you must give us leave to find out the onely true Vice-Roy of Christ in his Church and that is The Holy Ghost For when our Great King went into his Celestiall Kingdome to his Church Tryumphant leaving his Militant here on Earth under the Kingdome of Grace as touching his bodily presence he sent the Holy Ghost to be his Vice-Roy or Vice-Gerent to be perpetually resident in his Kingdome of Grace here for the Governing of his Church Militant and that according to the Law of Christ in his written word leading the People of Christ into all truth by revealing unto them all the Mysteryes of Christs will contained in the Scripture As Christ saith He shall gâ—orifie Me for he shall receive of mine and shew it unto you And v. 13. When the spirit of Truth is come whom v. 7. I will send unto you he will guide you into all Truth for he shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoever he shall heare that shall he speake Loe here then a faithfull Vice-Roy indeed And will or dare you deny this Spirit of God to be an All sufficient Vice-Roy who doth execute Christs Kingly Office in his Church in all things just so as Christ himselfe willâ—th And therfore except you can prove that Christ hath many Kingdomes of Grace here on earth or any more Churches Militant then one onely here is no Rome for any such Vice-Roys as you pretend to be For here we see it plain that of Christs one and onely Kingdome of Grace here on earth the Holy Ghost is the onely Vice-Roy And who is fit to be Christs Vice-Roy in his spirituall Kingdome but the Spirit of God and of Christâ— Ye are therfore no Vice-Roys because you are altogether carnall and your Kingdome is of this world And therfore Thirdly how can you Prelates pretend to be Vice-Roys over Christs Church whenas as is noted before ye are not so much as any members at all of Christs Kingdome For you are the Members of Antichrists Kingdome and so you are or may be Antichrists Vice-Roys over his severall Provinces 'T is true you style your selves spirituall Lords spirituall and your Courts spirituall and you are an Hierarchy as much to say as a Holy Kingdome or Government but it is not spirituall of Christs spirit but of that spirit that ruleth in the ayre that gave you all that Authority So as you do with Bellarmine turne those words of Christ to Peter Pasce oves meas Feed my Sheep to Regio more Impera Rule as a King And what similitude is there between Christ and you that you should be his Vice-Roys in his Church-Militant When he was here in person he was among his own as a servant and Minister He had no staâ—ely and Princely Palaces he kept no such Pontificiall house nor Court he governed not his Church by Chancellors Arch Deacons Deanes Chapters Commissâ—â—â—â—s Offiâ—ialls Pursuivants Apparitors and all that Rabble Christ had no such face of a Kingly Government So as you have altogether perverted the Kingdome of Christ which is altogether spirituall and holy into a meere temporall and carnall Kingdome wherein therfore you are none of Christ Vice-Roys but Viâ—ious Roys and Tyrannicall Lords O Antichâ—istian Generation O notorious Hypocrites O proud and blind Guides How shall you escape the vengeance to come that dare thus impiously abâ—se the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ and so impose upon the world by your bold usurpations Vsurpations indeed You call your selvs Vice-Roys Apostolicke Bishops Spirituall Church Grace Holinesse meere Nominalls which you have usurped and patched together to become a veile to cover your deep hypocrisie and to seem glorious in the eyes of the world and all to hold up your earthly Kingdome which consists altogether of earthly things honours riches pleasures But blind world that suâ—ferest thy selfe to be thus guld and befoold with such glittering stuffe and to be made a slave to such Lords and to be cheated of thy salvavation by these Antichristian Mountebanks And yet they pretend and professe that this their carnall pompous and Pontificiall Kingdome is Christs spirituall Kingdome here in the state of Grace Let them then cleare themselves herein from that damned Heresy of that old Heretick â—erinthus who lived in S. Iohns time His Heresy was That Christs Kingdome after his Resurrection was earthly and that now the flesh conversing in Ierusalem was to serve lusts and pleasures See Euseb. Eccl. Hist. lib 3. cap. 22. Now is not the Prelates Kingdome just that in practise with Cerinthus his Heresy If so As S. Iohn forsook the Bath wherein Cerinthus was what cause have Christians to fly from that roofe where such an Antichristian Hierarchy domineereth But in the next place let 's consider of your Reason How stands it good that because Christs Church is as large as the world therfore he thought it fitter to governe it by Diverse then by One Vice-Roy Now we have proved your Hierarchy not to be an Aristocrasie a Government of the Best men and that by good Laws seeing therfore you must needs be some Government then it must be an Olegarchie that is the Government of a few of the worse men such as rule by their lusts and not by any good Laws either of God or Man But now tell me my Lord if you argue upon this ground that because the Militant Church is as large as the world therfore 't is fitter it be governed by many Vice Roys then by one why may not aswell one Prelate as the Pope be sole Vice-Roy over the whole world as my Lord of Canterbury be a Vice-Roy over all England For doth not the Pope and you Governe your Churches by substitutes Why then may not the Pope Governe the whole by his Curates as you doe all England by your Curates For
all the Ministers in England are but your Curates And suppose you were one of the Popes Bishops and so his Creature what difference would there be between your Governing of your Province under the Pope as it were his Deputy and Governing according to Romes Canons and Customes and as you do now in your own Name And the Pope challenging the whole world for his Diocesse and you the Province of Canterbury for yours all the difference is that he needeth the more Curates which he may have with a wet finger and you the fewer Onely perhaps his Holinesse would now and then fleece your Graces Clergy as he was wont of old to doe But in the mean time both the Pope and your Lordship do much mistake the matter in judgeing or estimating and measuring the latitude and extent of Christs Church For you both measure it according to the extent of your large and Potent Principalities Patriarchall Countries Archiepiscopall Provinces Episcopall Diocesse But you are farre wide in casting your line For though Christs Church is said to be dispersed over the whole earth being confined to no place yet of all this wide world he hath the least number and fewest of all where commonly your Hierarâ—hy is most predominant For those that belong to Christ are a sort of poore Snakes despised in the world and alwayes persecuted and oppressed by your Hierarchy so as they can hardly find so much as a little corner any where in the world much lesse in all the Circuit of your Diocesse or Provinces where they may hide their heads or live in any peace So as of all your full Vintages and fruitfull Fields Christ is glad of the refuse of a few gleanings And so Christs flock alas is so small and so poore and his Kingdome on earth so despised as to set up such Lordly Vice-Roys as the Prelates over it the very Fees of your Courts would eat them out And therfore because Christs sheep are here and there scattered in the world and many times as sheep without a shepheard being driven by your Dogges from their own pasture Christ thought it fitter to place over his small and scattered flocks poore sheheards that should feed their severall flocks respectively with the wholesome food of the word of God and therfore appointed to every particular Congregation a peculiar Pastor of their own that should alwayes be personally resident with his flocks keeping his watch over them night and day and so much the more in regard of so many Wolves and Foxes and wild Beasts which without continuall watching would make a prey of them Neither would Christ permit his shepheards to commit their Flocks to Hirelings or Stipendaâ—y Curates while themselvs should take their pleasure and ease for the Hireling when he seeth the theef or wolfe coming fleeth because he is an Hireling neither careth he for the Sheep Therfore Christ wisely and providently hath appointed to every particular Congregation or flocke of his a shepheard of their own and that after his own heart to feed them with knowledge and understanding And as the shepheard governes and guides his own flocke so every faithfull Minister or Pastor is appointed by Christ to be the Governour of his own Congregation according to the Rule of Christ. So as in this respect Christ thought it fitter to appoint many Governours in his Church namely to each Congregation their own Shepheard rather then a few such as you speake of as one over a whole Countrey or Province Neirther let your Lordship thinke that every such Congregation having a faithfull Pastor over it hath yet need of any your Episcopall Inspection or Trienniall Visitations or your Archdeacons Annuall Visitation wherein you inquire onely whether your owne Canoâ—s be observed and if so Omnia bene All is well onely the poore Ministers paying their Procuration the Visitor never inquiring if the Minister be diligent in preaching to his flocke but whether he hath kept the Order for not preaching in the After-noons on the Lords day and the Order for not Preaching such and such Doctrines and such like so as commonly your visitation is like that of the Plague saving that this is from God immediately and yours from another sourse And Ministers and People too could think themselves happy to be freed from your awfull and terrible viâ—its wherein your maine ayme is to root out all good Ministers for which the omission of one of your Ceremonies is sufficient So as Christs Congregation I say needs not any such Inspection of the Bishops eye over them which is as l' aeil de beuf or the weather gall called the Ox eye which portends a storme to follow For Christ hath promised his perpetuall Presence and residence with his people and his eye watcheth over them night and day least any hurt them As he saith When two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them Loe here an intire and compleat body of a Church having Christ as head over them and his Spirit in them and his Word before them and their own shepheard appointed by Christ to feed them so as here is no place left for your Prelaticall Vice-Roys Object Put you say No Bishop no Church so say I too but the Apostles Bishop he must be not your Diocesan Lord Bishop What order then say you wil be in the Church A good and decent order in every Congregation where Christs order and ordinance takes place and where mans presumption breaks not this order And consider here the excellent wisdome and order of Oeconomy that Christ hath appointed every Congregation to be governed by For as that is the most perfect and compleat form of Civil Government which is mixed of all the 3 states as the Monarchiall Aristocraticall and Democraticall when the King governeth by his good Laws using the best men as the noble and most vertuous in the higher places of the Kingdome and the bâ—st and disâ—reetâ—st of the common people in the bearing of inferiour offices such as every one is most fit for a representation whereof we have in the 3 states in Parliament the King the Nobles and the Commons so the Lord Iesus Christ hath established this most compleat form of Government in his Church First himselfe rules as King over all Governing by his Spirit Secondly he hath set over every particular Congregation such as are Aristâ—i the optimates the best and ablest to be Pastors and Teachers each of his own flock And thirdly he hath added also the Denocraty or government of the people appointed to be chosen out of every Congregation the gravest wisest sobriest and discreetest some as Elders some as Deacons to be helpers to the Minister in matter of Discipline of Sacramentall Provision of reliefe of the poore of visiting the sicke and of other Church affaires for that Congregation And these are called by the Apostle Antilâ—pseis kubernâ—seis which our English
â—enders helps in Governments And all this according to the expresse Law of Christ our King recorded in the Scripture as being the most perfect pattern of the Government of his Church for every particular Congregation to be regulated and ordered by So as in truth those Congregations that are thus governed are the onely true Churches of Christ as wherein himselfe his spirit his word doe govern both Minister and people whereas on the other side all Prelaticall Churches are false and Antichristian as wherein not Christ and his spirit and his word do beare rule but Antichristian men by the pride of their spirit and by their Canons doe altogether beare sway thrusting Christ out of his Throne despising his word and puting a yoake of bondage over the necks both of Ministers and people To conclude this point because you are of such a beliefe and so confidently tell us and peremptorily avouch that Christ thought it fitter to govern his Church by Diverse then by One Vice-Roy besides what is already sayd I will a little more presse and present before you Christs own words at full which I doe to put you out of all such beliefe or so much as any such conceit that Christ had ever any such thought Math. 20. upon occasion of those two at that time ambitious bretheren sent to Christ by their Mother to be chiefe about him in his Kingdome Christ first tells them Ye know not what ye aske Then calling his Disciples to him he saith thus unto them Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them But it shall not be so among you but whâ—so ever wil be great among you let him be your Minister c. Which the Euangelist Luke expresseth thus The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise Authority upon them are called Euergétai Benefactors But ye shall not be so Ye Who Not the Apostles of Christ not the Ministers of Christ in succeding ages Not so How Ye shall not exercise Dominion Lordship Authority one over another you shall not be called Benefactors Patrons Lords Gratious Lords Honourable your Grace your Honour c. Why so For such are the Kings of the Gentiles who exercise Dominion over them and are called Benefactors You shall not be as they in exercising any Authority or Jurisdiction one over another Nor shall ye be called Euergâ—tâ—i My Good lord My Benefactor My Patron My lords Grace or My Gratious lord and the like Thus under those words Christ chaâ—geth his Apostles not to affect not to be ambitious of not to exercise Superiority or Prelacy Iurisdiction and Authority one over another or over Christs Kingdome his Church and 〈◊〉 as Peter saith Not as Lords over Gods heritage where the Apostle useth the same word that Christ his Master used M◠〈◊〉 katakuriéuontes ton kâ—úron not exercising Dominion or 〈…〉 God 's Inheritance or if you will over his Clergy though they be not his onely Inheritance but his people are no 〈…〉 unto him and are kleros Gods lot But now for Christs 〈◊〉 do you not think that Christ spake as he thought and 〈◊〉 as he spake Or can you beleeve any other And do not his 〈◊〉 to his Apostles in them reach to all his Ministers 〈…〉 succeed them in future ages If you say you are the 〈◊〉 onely successors why are you then lâ—rds ovâ—r Goâ—s 〈…〉 why do you exercise â—uâ—hority and Dominion over his 〈◊〉 and peopâ—e as Heathen Kings doe over then people 〈…〉 expresly forbid to his Apostles and to all their Successors But you shew your selves to be none of Christs Disciples and so none of his Apostles successors for you obey not Christs word as the Apostles did What do you answere then to Christs words Or what interpretation can you devise to avoyd them You will answere perhaps with Bellarmine that Christ forbad his Apostles to be like the Heathen Princes in exercising a temporall Government or Authority one over another This is indeed all the evasion Bellarmine hath But how vain Let 's bring it to the Touch. How shall it be tryed What saith Christ Humeis dè ouk outos you shall not be so Now if you be not so all is well you may prove Apostolicall men But if you prove to be like the Heathen Princes in exercising Lordship over the people under your Government and in exercising Authority over them what can you say for your selves why you should not be proclaimed for proud Contemners of Christs word and for usurping Tyrants over his peopl and so for a rebellious Faction and Confederacy against Christs Kingdome Let 's therfore draw our Parallell Those Heathen Powers were called Princes so you call your selves they were Kings and so were Gods Vice-gerents you call your selves Vice-Roys of Christ they were called Benefactors though they never did good so you are styled My lords Grace and when in your Court you condemn poore innocents yet they must confesse the justice and favour of your Court They were called Fathers of their Countrey so you Right Reverend Fatheres Most Reverend Father your Grace c. They were lords so you yea you are temporall lords and so sit in Parliament though styled spirituall they exercised lordship dominion Authority over the people and that with tyranny and without Law so do you And in a word Is not your Pompe and state your Power and Greatnesse your Palaces and Courts your Traine and Attendants your Fasces and Lictors to wit your Pursuivants and Apparitors your Kinglike Attire in Purple and Scarlet and fine lynen soft rayment of silkes and sattens your Tables overflowing with delicacies of viands and wines in all abundance and variety and what not like that of Kings Thus doe you not beare the Image of the Beast the Dragon the Heathen Emperour who gave power to that other Beast the Pope who in himselfe erected the Image of the first Beast from top to toe namely the Imperiall state and magnificence being fully expressed and limmed out in the Papall though but in somwhat a lower degree in your Episcopall Pontificiall state As Pope Boniface 8. in the first day of his Jubilee came forth pompously arayed in all his Pontificalibus and the next day in the Imperiall Ropes with two Swords caried before him And a lively Image of this is my Lord Bishop a mixt Creature partly temporall and partly spirituall spirituall in name onely and temporall in his whole outward state as the Kings and Princes of the Gentiles were as the Creaâ—ure called Amphibius that lives now in the water and now on the Land and yet is neither good Fish nor Flesh. Now tell us my Lord whose Image you beare Christs or Caesars yea in all things you resemble Caesar but not many one thing the Lord Iesus Christ. I say not in one thing Shew any one thing wherein you instate either Christ oâ— his Apostles after his
Resurrection Indeed you inatate â—he Apostles in their Philâ—â—â—ikÃâ— emulation and contention which should be the greatest which Christ condemneth and utterly forbiddeth in them But this was in them onely before they knew the Mystery of Christs Kingdome aright They dreamed of a Temporall Kingdome but after Christs Resurrection when they had received the Holy Ghost they were of another mind no such emulation then who should be the chiefest there but who should shew greatest love and fidelity to Christ in preaching the Gospell and building up spirituall Temples to God But you I say imitate them in their carnall estate wherein that which they blindly imagined you have erected an Image of namely a Temporall Kingdome like that of Heathen Kings and Princes and other Temporall Lords Which shews that you are none of Christs Disciples I say or the Apostles successors and that you have not Christs Spirit but are altogether carnall and sensuall as the Apostle saith For had you Christs Spirit you would be truly spirituall as the Apostles were But you are sâ—nsuall having not the Spirit And if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the sâ—me is none of his And in that you veile your hypocrisie and all your sensuality and carnall state which you call your Hierarchy under the specious termes and Titles of spirituall Holy Grace Church Bishops Christs Vicars or Vice-Roys Apostoliâ—ke successors oâ— the Apostles wherewith you gull the blind world this is that very Mystery of Iniquity the Apostle speaks of which began to work even in his dayes as we noted before you being those false Prophets that come in Christs Name in sheeps clothing but are inwardly ravening Wolves You may think my language sharpe but it cannot be too sharpe against such a cursed proud Generation as you Prelates are usurping Tyrants Rebells against Christ Perverters of all truth and faith corrupters of all true honesty holinesse Religion and the worship of God who are made to be destroyed with that Beast of Rome whose Image you beare and with whom the false Prophets such as you are and all those that in you do worship the Image of the Beast and receive his marks shall goe into the bottomlesse pit and burning lake L. p. 204. Now it the Church of Rome must be a Tryumphant Church here Militant no longer P. I hope then if Rome be here as she is a Church Triumphant and no more Militant but in warring against Christ and his Saints for she saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no sorrow And in her Decretalls she hath made a firme Decree for her perpetuall tranquility and felicity here in all pleasures and prosperity free from all incursions and invasions which is an estate Tryumphant there also you and your Hierarchicall Lady Church of England will not be farre behind your Sister Queen at Rome For you are both one and the same Church and one in that especially which makes you a Church Tryumphant and that is your Kingly Hierarchy and Lordly Prelacy and therfore if that Queen be tryumphant at Rome your Lordship and your Churches Ladyship must be tryumphant in England as indeed you are in all your Ruffe and Gallantry And as Rome hath now a long time tryumphed over the poore Saints of God and Martyrs of Iesus martyring and massacring them and garrowsing full cups of their blood even unto drunkennesse and surfet so your Tryumphant Chariot marcheth after her apace trampling the Saints under your feet and tryumphing over them in shedding their innocent blood and so glorying in your Bestiall and Diabolicall cruelty in oppressing and tyrannizing over Gods people and that so fiercely as if you would outstrippe your Elder Sister in all her bloody barbarisme and therein exalt your tryumph above hers For wherein else should the Glory and magnificence of your Prelaticall Princes and Heroicall Vice-Roys shine forth but in being mounted on Horsebacke while the true Princes lacky it by them on the earth And thus you ride in tryumph as the Heathen Kings were wont to doe Oh how you tryumphed when you looked through one of your Court-windowes when you passed your tryumphall Censure to behold those THREE looking through your Pillory-windowes whose blood you had before how justly your own Conscience can tell you condemned there to be shed But the wonder was that they even theâ—e as in their tryumphall Chariot tryumphed over your Barbarous cruelty But thus you are a Tryumphant Church too and in nothing Militant but as is noted before in your warring against and persecuting the poore Saints of God But your tryumph shall end in your shame and confusion verifying that which shall be fulfilled in your Sister or Mother Rome Reward her even as she rewarded you and double unto her double according to her works in the Cup which she hath filled fill to her double How much she hath gâ—â—rified her selfe and lived delicioutsly so much torment and sorrow gâ—ve her for she saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow Therfore shall her plagues come in one day c. L. p. 205. The Kings under the Law but sâ—ill according to it did proceed to necessary Râ—formations in Church-businâ—sses and therin commanded the very Priests themselves as appeares in the Acts of â—lesechiah and Iosiah 2 Chro. 29.4 and 4 King â—â— 2 P. All this is true you here affirme so as iâ— confirmes what we said before of Christian Kings in matters oâ— Religion that they ought to doe nothing but still according to the Law of God All Allways in All things not varying in the least Circumstance or Ceremony All this is well But what makes this for your Priest What saith your practise This Ergo the King giving way to the Priest or Prelate of Canterbury he may of his own head appoint and impose what Ceremonies his Romish Devotion thinks fit in the worship of God This is your usuall Logicke This your usuall perverting and abusing of Scripture Well What more A little before ibid. you tell us Omnis anima Every soule All spirituall men even to the highâ—st Bishop and in spirituall Causes so the foundations of Faith and good Manners be not shaken must be subject to the Higher Powers And where they are shaken there ought to be Prayer and Patience there ought not to be opposition by force Now for your highest Bishop and all spirituall men we have done withall That all Obedience is due from all men to Kings and Princes in all things where the foundations of Faith and Good Manners be not shaken we all acknowledge with you and where they are shaken there ought to be Prayer and Patience of every particular and private Christian without his opposition by force when he is pressed to doe that which is against Gods word and his own Conscience Now here by the way I pray you resolve me as in a Case of
and needs the Churches mouth and if it be dead as being not living Certainly it can be no fit Iudge at all except ye will admit of a Judge that is both blind and dumb and dead As three Romans being sent in Ambassage one a Foole an other a Coward the third having the Gout Cato told the Senate they had sent an Ambassage that had neither Head Heart nor Feet And such a Judge would you make the Scripture But 't is visible you say So are your dumb dead and blind Images in your Churches they are visible and very conspicuous when the Scripture oftentimes can neither be seen nor heard Now to your Generall Councels L. p. 192. And surely what greater or surer Iudgement can we have where sense of Scripture is doubted then a Generall Councel I do not see And pag. 211. The making of Canons which must bind all particular Christians and Churches cannot be concluded and established but there to wit in a Generall Councel P. 224. I said The Determination of a Generall Councel erring was to stand in force and to have externall obedience yeelded to it till evidence of Scripture or a Demonstration to the Contrary made the errour appeare and untill thereupon another Councel of equall Authority did reverse it And pag. 226. Now suppose a Generall Councel actually erring in some point of Divine Truth I hope it will not follow that this Errour must be so grosse as that forthwith it must be known to private men And doubtlesse till they know it obedience must be yeelded Nay when they know if the Errour be not manifestly against fundamentall verity in which case a Generall Councel cannot easily erre I would have A. C. and all wise men consider whether externall obedience be not even then to be yeelded And p 227 Therfore it may seem very fit and necessary for the peace of Christendome that a Generall Councel thus erring should stand in force till evidence of Scripture or a Demonstration make the errour to appeare as that another Councel of equall Authority reverse it And ibid. No way must lye open to private men to refuse obedience till the Councel he heard and weighed And p. 261. A Councel hath power to order settle and define Differences arisen concerning Faith This power the Councel hath not by an immediate Institution from Christ but it was prudently taken up in the Church from the Apostles example Act 15. And ibid. If the Councel be lawfully Called and proceed orderly and conclude according to the Rule the Scripture then the Dâ—finitions therof are binding but not from calling another Councel to reverse or abrogate the former Asts upon just cause P. 346. 'T is true that a Generall Councel de pace facto after 't is ended and admitted by the whole Church is then Infallible for it cannot erre in that which it hath already clearly and truely determined without Errour After 't is confirmed 't is admitted by the whole Church then being found true it is also Infallible that is it deceâ—ves no man And p. 347. For a man upon the pride of his own Iudgement to refuse externall obedience to the Councel was never lawfull nor can error stand with any Government P. 357.358 Christ did just intend to leave an Infallible certainty in his Church to satisfie either Contentious or Curious or presumptuous spirits And therfore in things not fundamentall nor necessary 't is no matter if Councels erre in one and another and a third the whole Church having power and meanes enough to see that no Councel erre in necessary things c. If it erre in things necessary we can be Infallibly assured by the Scripture the Creed the 4. first Councels and the whole Church where it erres in one and not in another And pag. 360 For one Faith necessary to Salvation a most infallible certainty we have already in the Scripture the Creeds and the 4. first Generall Councels to which for things necessary and fundamentall in the Faith we need no assistance from other Generall Councels P. 378. I submit my Iudgement with all humility to the Scripture interpreted by the Primitive Church and upon new and necessary doubts to the judgement of a lawfull and free Generalâ— Councel And I absolutely make a lawfull and free Generall Councel Iudge of Controversies by and according to the Scripture And p. 386. I have expresly declared that the Scripture interpreted by the Primitive Church and a lawfull and free Generall Councel determining according to these is judge of Controversies P. Thus in your Commending of Generall Councels you are very large that I may not say lavish too And surely in one respect especially you have great Reason for your Generall Councels must consist of Prelates onely so as in exalting Generall Councels you magnifie your Prelacie But I remember a saying of Basill that in his Observation he never knew any good to come of Generall Councels of Bishops who when they met in Councel were more zealous and eagre for their own particular Honours and Dignities then of the Church of God And as Bernard saith Totus fervet Ecclesiastiâ—us zelus sola pro Dignitate tuendâ— All the zeale of Church-men is infâ—amed altogether for the advancing and upholding of their Dignity But let us now take a briefe view of your words which we will collect and reduce to certain summary Heads First That Generall Councels are the supreme Iudge of the sense of Scripture when and where 't is doubted p. 192. Secondly that the Canons and Decrees of Generall Councels bind all Christians of necessity p. 211. Thirdly yea though Generall Councels determine Errors yet that requires at least externall obedience Fourthly That Generall Councels erring in some points of Divine Truth yet you hope it will not be so grosse as to come to the common view or if it doe yet obedience must be yeelded p. 226. onely except the Error be not manifestly against the fundamentall Verities Fifthly That a Generall Councel hath no power from Christ to be Iudge in Controversies but the Church prudently tooke it up from the Apostles example Act. 15. Sixtly That the Difinitions of Generall Councels bind being according to the Rule the Scripture yet that those may be reversed by an after-Councel Seventhy A Generall Councel in things clearely and truly determined cannot erre but in that is infallible Eightly That it is pride not to obey the Councels Difinitions yea unlawfull and not standing with any Government Ninthly That Christ intended to leave an Infallible certainty in his Church but not to satisfie contentions or curious or presumptuous spirits Tenthly That it is no matter if Generall Councels erre in one two three c. things not fundamentall nor necessary Eleventhly That for necessary Faith to Salvation we have an Infallible certainty in the Scriptures Creeds and 4. first Generall Councels to which for things necessary we need not the Assistance of any other Generall Councel Twelfthly That the Scripture interpreted by the
sufficient Images and Crucifixes which when you doe honour and homage to your Altar canâ—ot but participate of it And againe the Councel of Constance being a Generall Councel and the Decree therof for the Cup being not yet reversed by another Councel equall to that And seeing your Church of England is one and the same with the Catholick Church when it was represented in that Councel why doe you not presse your Doctrine unto Practise in your Church of England telling them that they are all bound to the obedience of that Decree of the Councel of Constance for the taking away of the Cup in the Sacrament at least they are bound to externall obedience not to drinke of that Cup till another Councel equall to that shall reverse that Decree which hath not yet been but on the contrary the Generall Councel of Basill since that hath ratified that Decree of Constance notwithstanding all the Bohemians supplications and demonstrations to the contrary But you will say you have here in your Book made a demonstration both against worship of Images and the taking away of the Cup. But this will not free you from externall obedience to the Decrees of the said Councels till another Councel thereupon equall to those shall reverse them Therefore by your own Doctrine you have put upon your selfe and Church a necessity of externall obedience to the said Decrees from which because you cannot otherwise be exempted how doth it concerne you and your Church of England too if indeed you desire to be freed from the obedience of those Decrees to use all meanes for the expediting and speedy calling of a Generall Councel to reverse the said Decrees And so much the rather now when you have made such Demonstrations against those said Decrees as being against Truth which therfore you cannot obey without offering manifest violence to your Conscience And if your Protestants of the Church of England shall aledge that these Errours Heresies Idolatries Sacriledges have been cryed down by one unanimous voyce of all Protestants and in particuler by the established Doctrines of the Church of England yet your Doctrine tells them still that being never yet reversed by a Generall Councel equall to those wherein they were Decreed and seeing that the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas are no true Churches for fault of Prelates And the Doctrines of the Church of England are declared to be doubtfull therfore your Doctrine stands in force still that externall obedience at least must be yeelded of all Otherwise it cannot stand with any Government as you tell us here But how stands it with Faith with Conscience with Scripture with the Apostle that a man is bound knowingly to obey an Errour in the Faith For the Apostle saith whatsoever is not of Faith is sinne that is whatsoever a man doth against his Conscience is sinne So as you hereby teach men directly to sinne against their Consciences and all to uphold the Credit of your Prelaticall Government and Decrees Thus the Church of England may see what an Oracle she hath got in the Chaire of Canterbury To the Fift A Generall Councell hath not power from Christ immediately to be Iudge in Controversies Imediately No nor mediately neither nor any way at all For it is denyed that your Generall Councel of Prelates are lawfull seeing all the members of the Councel are neither visible Iudges nor Vice-Roys appointed and allowed by Christ to Governe his Church as hath been proved Now if all the members of your Generalâ— Councel be of no Authority Divine then neither your Generall Councel it selfe with all the Decrees of it For there is â—he same reason of the whole and of all the Parts Christ then will not have his truth to receive Testimony much lesse subject his word to the Judgement of those who are usurping Tyrants and enemies of his word and especially since Antichrist hath prevailed Christ would not receive testimony from the Devils that they knew him No more doth he allow any of Sathans Ministers false Apostles to be Iudges in Controversies of Faith And you confesse A Generall Councel hath no power from Christ Immediately at least to be Iudge in Controversies Whence then hath your Generall Councels this power Thâ— Church say you prudently tooke it up from the example of the Apostles Acts 15. Prudently tooke it up Nay surely rather you craftily stole it You took it up where it was not layd down for you to take up and so to abuse But you have Prudently that is Politickly and presumptuously taken up that is usurped that power which was never given you nor yet by any Apostolicke Legacy left unto you seeing you are neither their hâ—ires nor successors nor Executors nor Administrators nor Assignes of the Apostles but in one word for all meere Usurpers Yea though by the Name of Church we should understand which you doe not the true Church of Christ successively after the Apostles in all Ages yet she hath learned another gates Prudence then to take up such an example from the Apostles as is neither warrantable for her to doe nor imitable For the Apostles aâ— they had their Immediate Calling from Christ so by him they were immediately inspired with the Holy Ghost so as then judgement in all matters of Faith was infallible But the succeeding beleevers had not the like fullnesse and abundant measure of the Spirit as to make them competent and sufficient Judges in matters of Faith on whose judgement men might infallibly rest their faith and settle their Conscience Yea it pleased the wisdome of Christ to give that fullnes of his Spirit to his Apostles that being thereby led into all Truth they might not onely preach that truth to that present age wherein they lived but also leave the same truth written to all succeeding Ages of the Church of Christ to be guided and directed by that Truth in the Scripture as the sole competent and every way sufficient and compleat Iudge in all controversies and matters of faith whatsoever Againe that particular Example of the Apostles Acts 15. was an A per se. It was a particular Act proper onely to that present occasion and not to be stretched to aftertimes when the Church should be settled For that very determination of the Apostles was but proskairos for that very season to compose some Differences arising between the Iews and Gentiles newly converted to Christianity And the Apostle Iames layes this for the ground of the Determination or Decree Moses saith he of old time hath in every City those that preach him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Here is the occasion of this Assembly the mixture of the Iews living amongst the Gentiles And though the Gentiles converted were free from Jewish ordinances yet the Iews being offended at it and not yet strong enough in the faith and pressing the Gentile Christians with Circumcision hereupon the Assembly met and by the speciall and immediate assistance and
larger Commentary let him but read the words over againe To the Eighth I answere It is not in it selfe pride not to obey Councels Difinitions and much lesse when a man knows them to be erronious Nor is it against any Iust and Godly Government but onely against that which is Papall Antichristian Tyrannicall And is it not high and Antichristian pride to impose Difinitions of Generall Councels of Prelates yea even when they are erronious and known apparently to be so yet to be as Gods own holy Commandements necessarily obeyed of all This is the highest and most Diabolicall Tyranny in the world thus to bring into bondage the faith soule and conscience of men to a necessary subjection to errour and falshood Yea thus not to obey you call it also unlawfull Unlawfull By what Law Or what Law either of God or of any lawfull Authority of Man or of Civil state is here broken Are mens lufts a Law Or are your Prelaticall Councels any true Generall Councels Generall they may be in respect of Prelates but Generall they are not in respect of the true Catholicke Church of Christ the Body whereof is not represented in your Generall Councels as is shewed before No nor is your Generall Councel Generall in respect of the Catholicke Church whereof you call your selfe the representative body For the lay-people are not admitted into your Councel nor any to represent them therfore it is not Generall therfore not to obey the difinitions of it is it unlawfull And suppose the Councel were lawfull are the Decrees therof to be obeyed when erronious To the Ninth That Christ intended not to leave an Infallible certainty in his Church to satisfie either contentious or curious or presumptuous spirits Here is one thing expressed and another implyed the thing expressed is negative Christ intended not c. the thing implyed is affirmative That Christ intended to leave an Infallible certainty in his Church And sutable hereunto are your precedent words There is there can be no necessity of an infallible certainty in the whole Catholicke Church and much lesse in a Generall Councel of things not absolutely necessary in themselves Which words imply this Affirmative That there is a necessity of an infallible certainty in the whole Catholicke Church of things absolutely necessary in themselves So as here also it is all one as if you had said thus Christ intended to leave an infallible certainty in hiâ— Church but not to satisfie either contentious or curious or presumptuous spirits Oney you doe still in such things of this naâ—ure prudently avoyd the plainer and least deceitfull way of expressing your selfe Now what Christ intended he certainly performs and makes good But to that your Imaginary Catholicke Church Prelaticall I deny that Christ ever intended to leave an infallible certainty For to such he never made any such promise And therfore you cannot say and say truly That Christ intended that For you are no part of his true Church as having no calling from Christ as before is proved And you your selfe confesse in many places of your Booke that the Authority of your Church is not Divinely infallible And for instance you make your present Church Authority in inducing beliefe of Scripture to be Gods word to have a primâ— place in things absolutely necessary in themselves and yet you confesse that this Authority is not Divine and infallible So here is a Contradiction which I leave with you to reconcile Againe you tell us before that our Saviour Christ hath left in his Church besides his Law-books the Scripture visible Iudges to wit Arch-Bishops and Bishops And of such are made your Generall Councels Ergo of necessity Christ must intend to leave unto you an Infallible Certainty in judging Controversies of Faith For the Scripture you deny to be a compleat and sufficient Iudge in doubtfull cases and that in such cases the visible Iudges the Prelates in a Generall Councel are to determine Now if you have not certain infallibility of Judgement in what case is the Church Then it may be said as Bellarmine and other Jesuiâ—es say Christ hath provided very ill for his Church if he had not left a visible Iudge and withall a certaine infallibility unto him to determine controversies of Faith This he speakes of the Pope and upon the very same ground that you doe for all Prelates in a Generall Councel And the ground is that you and they both deny the Scripture to be sole Iudge in Controversies of Faith Well then what say you Doe you confesse this that you have this Infallible certainty If you say you have it not as you do and yet you will be the true Church of Christ then you bely Christ both here saying He intended to leave it and before in saying He hath left you to be visible Iudges For had he intended to leave such an Infallibility certain to such a Church as you speake of and to leave such to be visible Iudges as are Archbishops and Bishops then certainly he would have given you such an Infallible certainty as wherby you should have been qualified and furnished to be sufficient and competent Iudges whose Judgement should be such in matters of Faith as men might secretly and safely rely and rest their Faith upon For otherwise if you have not this Infallibility but that somtimes at least and that in weighty Controversies you might erre in Judgement then men should have no more ground whereon to settle their Faith then the Dove in the Deluge had to set her foot upon you have so covered the Scripture as with a Deluge of Criminations as to be no sufficient Judge in Controversies of Faith And you confesse ibid That a Generall Councel which is an Universall Assembly of Prelates and Grand Bench of visible Iudges is not of infallible credit but that they may erre yea and possibly manifestly too against fundamentall verity as pag. 226. So as if the Scripture be though Infalâ—ible yet not living but a dead Iudge that cannot speake or pronounce the sentence And if the Prelates the visible living Iudges have not infallible certainty nor a Generall Councel infallible credit in their Decrees you leave the Church in a most perplexed case Whither shall she goe in all her doubts To what Judge or Oracle for resolution To the Scriptures That 's dead and cannot say Mum· To a Generall Councel of Prelates That 's of no certain credit their Judgement is not infallible yea not in fundamentall Truths Alas poore Church what wilt thou doe What wilt thou doe Why surely beleeve none of all these false Prophets no not all of them together when assembled in a Generall Councel for they may and will miserably deceive and seduce you if you trust to their Judgement Whither then To the Scripture But it is dead say they They are false Prophets and blind guides beleeve them not follow them not Search the Scriptures as Christ bids you To the Law and
they shall interpret the same unto you And so I leave you to your faith wherein you declare your selfe to be quite from the true Catholicke Church of Christ whose Faith is built upon the onely foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ being the Chiefe corner stone without any depending upon humane testimony and Authority And so here an end of your Generall Councels But yet one thing remains unresolved on your part for you have told us that Generall Councels may erre even in fundamentall truths but whether at any time they doe actually so erre you resolve us not Nay in some places you make it so ambiguous whether they can erre or no that we know not what to make of it fish or flesh For pag. 223. you propound the Question saying whether a Generall Councel may erre or not is a Question of great consequence in the Church of Christ. To say it cannot erre leaves the Church not onely without remedy against an errour once determined but also without sense that it may need a remedy and so without care to seeke it which is the mystery of the Church of Rome at this day To say it can erre seems to expose the members of the Church to an uncertainty and wavering in the Faith to make unquiet spirits not onely to disrespect former Councels of the Church but also to slight and contemn whatsoever it may now determine into which errour some opposes of the Church of Rome have fallen Thus you Now this Question of so great consequence and that in utramque partem on both sides pro con you seem in your last words here to resolve and determine as if to say it can erre were an errour into which some opposers of the Church of Rome have fallen Now the Church of Rome hath had many opposes many Protestant Learned and Judicicious Divines of former times in the Church of England who have clearly proved that Generall Councels can erre as we have shewed before Now then do you prove they erred in so saying Or which is all one how do you prove that a Generall Councel cannot erre For if it be an errour to hold they can erre 't is no errour in you to hold they cannot erre Thus I find you fast upon the hooks get off and quit your selfe as well as you can But pag. 239 you distinguish which in summe is That all those Popish Authors alledged by Bellarmine for Generall Councels not erring either speake of the Church including the Apostles as all of them doe and then all grant the voyce of the Church is Gods voyce and infallible Or also they are Generall unlimited and appliable to private Assemblies as well as Generall Councels which none grant to be infallible but some madde Enthusiasts Or else they are limited not simply into all truth but all necessary to salvation In which I shall easily grant a Generall Councel cannot erre suffering it selfe to be led by this spirit of Truth in the Scripture and not taking upon it to load both the Scripture and the spirit Thus there Now here I would aske the most perspications and Judicious Reader that reads these lines and ponders them well'-what certain conclusions or resolutions he can picke or deduce out of your words either for Infallibility or not First That all grant The voyce of the Church is Gods voyce divine and infallible if you speake of the Church including the Apostels Whence your conclusion should be this That Generall Councels being the Church representative are infallible their voyce is Gods voyce divine and infallible understanding the Church whereof they are the Representative to include the Apostels Ergo by vertue of the Apostles understood to be included in the Church wherof Gen. Councels are the Representative their voyce is Gods voyce divine and infallible and so can not erre in any age unto the end of the world still understanding that in the name of the Church the Apostles are included can any rationable man or reasonable creature make hereof any other conclusion Secondly In all truth necessary to salvation you easily grant a Generall Councel cannot erre suffering it selfe to be led by the spirit of Truth in the Scripture This is just as Arminius said in answere to that place in Iohn for the certaine Perseverance of Gods Saints Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is borne of God Now how doth that Heretick avoyd so cleare a Testimony and evidence That is saith he so long as the seed of God remaineth in him but it may depart But the Apostle gives this as a reason why the Saints cannot fall away Because seed of God abideth in them being Regenerate Ergo it ever abideth in them and therfore they cannot fall away And as he so you here A Generall Councel is infallible while it suffers it selfe to be led by the spirit of Truth in the Scripture As if you said A Generall Councel while it doth not erre it doth not erre but in that iâ— infalliblepunc as you told us before But what if a Generall Councel doe not suffer it selfe to be led by the spirit of Truth in the Scripture That is what if a Generall Councel have not this spirit of Truth in it to keep it that it suffer it selfe to be led by the spirit of Truth in the Scripture What is your Resolution here you leave us still upon uncertainties concerning Generall Councels infallibility And you seem to grant that a Generall Councel may take upon it to lead both the Scripture and the spirit O miserable perplexities of a man whose spirit itcheth to speak somthing which he dare not But tell us ingeniously and plainly if there be any ingenuity in you Hath a Generall Councel this spirit of Truth in the Scripture alwaies to make it Infallible in all necessary Truths or not That 's the point But this you doe not dare not grant Yet thus much you are bold to say That the Assistance of the Holy Ghost is without Errour That 's no Question and as little there is that a Councel hath it How Is there as little Question to be made that a Councel of Prelates hath the Assistance of the Holy Ghost as That the Assistance of the Holy Ghost is without errour No more Question I Question whether a Generall Councel have the Assistance of the Holy Ghost will you therfore as well question whether the Assistance of the Holy Ghost is without errour Nay I am so farre from making question that I am confident and that upon cleare evidence that your Generall Councels of later times especially under Antichrist neither have had â—or have beene capable of the Assistance of the Holy Ghost to preserve them from errour For they have been still assembled against Christ and his Truth and the true Church and Children of God and either for the decreeing of wicked errours in in Faith or
answered Tamen Romanus est yet he is a Romanist And this Romanist is like the Colloquintida in the pot of pottage of which the young Prophets said to Elizeus Ther 's death in the pot Or like the flye in the Apothecaries box of oyntment it marres and corrupts the whole oyntment And a man may say of your Roman Christians or Christian Romanist which you will as one said of a wicked Prelate who was also a Temporall Prince as you be when he gloryed of his greatnesse as being both a Prelate and a Prince or Earle What shalbecome of the Bishop when the Earle is in hell So what shal become of your Romanist as a Christian when your Christian as a Romanist is in hell L. p. ibid I am willing to hope there are many among them which kâ—ep within the Church and yet wish the Superstitions abolished which they know and which pray to God to forgive their errours in what they know not and which hold the foundation firme and live accordingly and would have all things amended that are amisse were it in their power And to such I dare not deny a possibility of Salvation for that which is Christs in them though they hazzard themselves extremely by keeping so closse to that which is Superstition and in the case of Images comes too neare to Idolatry P. Your Hope and Charity may be much but in this can doe but little But 't is possible that some may keep within the Confines of that Church-Dominions and more powerfull Principality and yet not be of that Church as those seven thousand in Israel forementioned Of such if any such there be we may well hope of their salvation although they cannot live in those places where Popery beares sway but with much danger to their bodies and estates and some to their soules too As I perswade my selfe for all your diligent Inquisition and hunting with your Hounds Beagles and Prosecutions or if you will persecutions in your High Commission and other spirituall Coâ—ts there are many poore honest soules in England that truly feare God and abhorre your superstitions and oppressions but in regard of their bodies and estates cannot be but in dayly danger of falling into your Lyons denne if but once detected But for others who are sensible of your Tyrannicall yoake and groane under the burthens of your superstitions and Ceremonies yet have not the heart and courage of the spirit of Christ to with-draw their necks but indure all your bondage so they may injoy the fleshpots of Aegipt however they may wish to be free yet you know the Proverbe Wishers and Woulders And so of those in the Church of Rome some Errours some may see and be sensible of them and wish them removed but in the mean time will they nill they they must undergoe them and that even against their Conscience so as me thinks this should somwhat abate and snibbe your willingnesse to hope of any possibility of salvation for such as against their Conscience and for worldly respects live in known errour Nor can he possibly avoyd it so long as he lives in and of that Church For as Solomon saith Can a man take fire in his bosome and not be burnt Can one goe upon hot coales and his feet not be burnt so who so toucheth a whorish woman shall not be innocent Now he that lives in and of the Romish Church lives in the whores bosome and is a member of the whore And perhaps many a one feeling how hot the bosome is wisheth he were out of it but hath not the Power being as Solomon saith plunged into a deep pit The mouth of a strange Woman is a deep pit he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therin And once in 't is hard getting out Nor all a mans wishing will doe it But say you he prayes to God to forgive him his Errours that he knows not What then Is he the nearer salvation when he still lives in the errour that he knows and onely wisheth to be amended And doth not many a man live in a known sinne as whoredome or drunkennesse or the like and being convinced of the foulenesse of it and the many evils it brings upon him wishes he could leave it and prayes God to forgive him and yet lives in it still Is he ever the neare to mercy Nay he is the further off as being habituated and hardened in his sin known sin wherein he lives unpenitently Wheras Solomon saith He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy But he that hideth his sins shall not prosper And you here bring some Papist in confessing the errours which he knows not as praying God to forgive them but never a word of his confessing and praying God to forgive those errours which he knows and wherein he lives So here is a hiding of his known errours But it were too grosse to bring him in confessing and deprecating God for his known errours wherein he still liveth and though he wish them amended in the Church of Rome yet amends them not himselfe nor doe you tell us that he doth so much as wish them amended in himselfe and therfore you prudently forbeare the mention of any such thing as his praying to have his known errours forgiven For that should put a man into a desperate case shuting him out of all hope and possibility of salvation to mock God to his face in praying to have those Errours and sins forgiven him in which against his Conscience he both liveth and resolveth no other though he wisheth but to dye But yet say you such hold the foundation Christ. How As they that held him fast when they crucified him For such as live in known sin and errour they as the Apostle saith * crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame Such holding of Christ is not to hold him as a foundation but to overthrow the foundation For Christ dyed not to hold to deliver us from the punishment of sin but from the guilt and dominion of sin by working in us Faith and Repentance So as to professe Christ and to want these yea to live in known sin and errour onely with a faint wishing of amendment is not to hold the foundation Christ but to make him a false foundation as if he were a Saviour of such as so live in known sin and errour as they resolve no other but to live and dye in it And we have proved before that Romes Religion quite overthrows the foundation Christ so as none living and dying in the Faith of that Church can be saved and the more he knows it and yet lives in it the greater is his damnation though he wish never so much to have the errour amended But you say Christ hath a part in them I answere with the Apostle The Foundation of God stands sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth them that are his and
that day or any other day but admonishing Christians to abhore them as Heathenish and is this the faith and practise of the present Church of England at this day wherein you resolve to live and dye Fourthly The Apostles and ancient Primitive Church in their dayes taught held and professed all chose excellent saving Doctrines of Election Predestination Redemption of the Elect their Effectuall vocation and conversation by Gods saving and Omnipotent Grace their assurance of Salvation by Faith and their certaine perseverance in Grace unto Glory and none of these Doctrines were forbid to Ministers to be preached but they were commanded of God to declare the whole Councel of God to his people Is this your faith and practise of the Church of England wherein you resolve to live and dye Fiftly The Apostles and the ancient Primitive Church in their dayes taught professed and practised that Discipline which was according to Christ forbidding all wâ—ll-worship and imposition of humane Ordinances as snares upon mens Consciences whereby that Christian liberty is overthrowne which Christ purchased for his people with his own blood Is this the Faith which you and the present Church of England professeth and practiseth and wherein you resolve to live and dye Sixtly The Apostles and the ancient Primitive Church in their time condemned the forbidding of Marriage and of Meates as a Doctrine of Devils taught by seducing spâ—riâ—s and a departing from the faith of Christ Is this that faith and Religion which you and the present Church of England hold professe and practise and wherein you resolve to live and dye O ye Prelates O thou Church of England blush and be ashamed of that Faith Profession and Practise of yours so 〈◊〉 contrary to that Faith which the holy Apostles taught and that pure and Primitive Church in their times imbraced and professed and be not so desperately bent as being so clearly convinced of these thy foule practises to professe and vow notwithstanding to live and dye in them least herein your condition prove as it must doe infinitly more desperate and damnable then that of the Jesuites themselves whose knowledge by your own confession of their wicked and damnable Fâ—â—ours with their obstinate persisting in them and resâ—sting the truth yea even the Holy Ghosts Testimony therein leaves them as without excuse so without all hope of salvation as to whom nothing remaines as the Apostle upon the like occasion saith but a fearefull expectation of Iudgement and of fiery indignation which shall devour the Adversaries L. p. 338. Yea but he saith againe That I acknowledge there is but one Saving Faith and that the Lady might be saved in the Roman Faith which was all the Iesuite tooke upon his soule Why but iâ— this be all I will confesse it againe The first that there is but one Faith I confesse with St. Paul Eph. 4. And the other That the Lady might be saved in the Roman faith or Church I confesse with that Charity which St. Paul teacheth me namely to leave all men especially the weaker sex and sort which hold the foundation to stand or fall to their own Master Rom. 14.4 And this is no mistaken Charity P. This you confesse that as there is but one saving faith so this faith is in the Church of Rome as in and by which the Lady may be saved And of this one faith with the Church of Rome you and your Church of England are if you hope to be saved with Rome by her saving faith This is the All and summe of your Confession Now we have clearly proved before that the faith of the Church of Rome is not that one saving faith of Gods Saints and Elect which the Scripture every where speaks of For first Romes faith is in its kind and nature and that by their own confession a dead faith but the saving faith is a living faith Secondly they confesse that with their faith they may goe to hell as they say of their Fidâ—les Fornicarii Adulteri c. therfore Romes faith is no saving faith for the saving faith is so called because it effectually perfectly and certainly saveth all those that have it as Christ saith Joh. 5.24 Thirdly The Romish â—aith is a doubting wavering uncertaine faith or raâ—her opinionâ— and wan hope as the Councel of Trent defineth accuâ—sing certainâ—y of beleeving whereas the saving faith is a certainâ— assurance and cleare evidence a plerophoria as Heb 10.22 Rom. 4 21.â— a full assurance or perswasiâ—n in the truth of beleeving though not in fullnesse of degrees of perfection in all and at all times the operation of it being many times hindered by corruptions and infirmities of the flesh and manifold temptations Fourthly Romes faith is and may be without hope and charity but true saving faith is never without hope and charity for it is the sure foundation of things hoped for and it worketh by Love Fifty The Roman faith is not the Iustifying faith for the Councel of Trent saith Faith justifieth not till Hope and Charity come to it and then all 3 together and that as inherent Graces and works in us do justifie whereas true saving faith is therfore called the Iustifying faith because it is that onely Grace whereby as an Instrument applying Christ and his righteousnesse and not as works in us the beleeving sinner is justified Rom. 3.28 so as though this saving justifying faith be never without hope and charity no more then fire is without light and heat yet hope and charity have no hand at all with faith in justification so as not even faith it selfe as it is a Grace inherent with hope and charity doth justifie but onely as it is considered as a hand or instrument applying Christ as before But the Roman Faith as the Councel of Trent confesseth justifieth not as an instrument or hand applying Christ whereby his Righteousnesse is of God imputed to the beleever which Imputation the Councel in plain termes accurseth but onely as a Grace and worke inherent with hope and charity Sixtly saving faith is not onely a justifying faith whereby we stand righteous in Gods sight having Christs Righteousnesse imputed but also a sanctifying faith as Act. 26.18 called therfore a holy Faith Jude 20. as wherby a man is regenerate borne againe made a member of Christ and partaker of his Spirit and lives and dyes in holinesse but the Roman Faith doth not sanctifie for they confesse that wicked ungodly and profane persons may have it and goe to hell with it as before Lastly saving and justifying faith is a spirituall worke and gift of Grace wrought in the soule by the spirit of God and it is his sole worke without the concurrence or mans Will which is not free untill Grace hath given it both life and freedome but the Roman Faith is confessed by them in the Councel of Trent not to be a meere worke of Grace nor at all of sanctifying and saving Grace