those that pretend to the Reformation But we are not at all surprized at it or moved to think e're the worse of the Reformation from the Church of Rome because we don't agree in some things amongst our selves For we are foretold that so it should come to pass Rom. 16. 17. Mark them which cause Divisions It implies that Divisions there would be And 1 Cor. 11. 9. For there must be Heresies that they which are approved may be made manifest Heresies are some of the Works of the Flesh Gal. 5. 20. And therefore as long as the Flesh is so predominant with many it is no wonder that there should be Heresies which are the Works of it If Christianity at first could not prevent it we can have no expectation that the Reformation should do it 2 Pet. 2. 1. There were false Prophets among the People even as there shall be false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them And they doing it privily it may not be presently discerned neither till after some tract of time But say they You have not the means of Vnity among you for you want a Judg of Controversies which is absolutely necessary in a Church and therefore there are so many Heresies and Divisions among you But this pretended means of Unity is refuted before in the Chapter of the Infallibility of the Church c. where it is proved that there is no such thing or means appointed We have as much the means of Unity as the Primitive Church had which was as much as God thinks fit to appoint in the Church They had infallible Teachers to teach them the Doctrine of God and we have the Doctrine which was taught by these infallible Teachers recorded in the Scriptures which is of the same use to us as it was to them But neither they nor we have an infallible Judg to dermine our Assent nor can have unless you will put out the Eyes of humane Nature But every one is left to judg for himself by the Rule of the Doctrine delivered God hath given us a plain Rule as hath been proved and is ready to assist us with his Spirit in all things necessary to our Salvation if we be humble and teachable And then we should do well enough without an infallible Judg. But yet these means were not effectual in the Primitive Church to prevent Divisions and Heresies because Men did not use them aright for all Men will never be so sincere and honest and diligent as they should be though they were sufficient to have done this if Men had used them as they ought And therefore how can we expect now they should be of better success The Church of Rome indeed pretends to such a means of Unity which we prove that Christ never appointed viz. An Infallible Judg of all Controversies But then as they pretend to that which they think is a greater means of Unity so one would think that they should have a greater Unity too among themselves But is it so indeed Is there nothing but Unity in the Church of Rome Are there no Divisions or were there never any Schisms Hath this pretended Judg of Controversies determined and put an end to all Controversies No he neither hath done it nor dares attempt it But we agree say they in all the fundamental Points In what Is not the Doctrine of the Infallible Judg a fundamental Point it self And do they all agree in that and who this is And if they did so do we agree in the same Rule of Faith the Holy Scriptures And why is not our agreement in the same Rule of Faith as good as their agreement about the Infallible Judg But they all agree likewise that Protestants are in the wrong And we all agree as much that Papists are in the wrong So that if this Point of agreement signify any thing here we are even with them But do they agree among themselves in other things No no more than Protestants do among themselves but have differences the same or as great as any Protestants can have whatsoever they be And notwithstanding the decisions of their pretended infallible Judg they do as much differ in particular Doctrines in the sense of those decisions which are for the determining of the sense of Scriptures as the Protestants do about the sense of Scripture without the decisions of such a determining Judg Therefore we think it very reasonable that the Church of Rome should do as our Saviour directs when they cry out so much upon our Divisions that they would first pull out the Beam out of their own Eyes and reconcile all Differences at Home and then they shall see the more clearly to cast out the Mate out of their Brother's Eye Which they can never do whilst the Beam is in their own or at least I hope we shall never go to them to do it FINIS This Chapter should have come in after Chap. XI That there are some Places more Holy than others and that it is a Work of Piety to go in Pilgrimages to them Bellarm. de Cultu Sacris lib. 3. cap. 8. THis is to revive Judaism again For God dwelt among the Jews indeed in an appropriate manner in the Temple of Jerusalem where were the Symbols of his Presence The Temple was God's House and therefore an Holy Place because God was there peculiarly present Thither were all the Males of the Children of Israel to resort three times a Year and there alone offer their Sacrifices and Oblations to God And the Place made the Worship acceptable to God which was offered there so that the Worship was not so acceptable to God which was performed in other places for the Presence of God sanctified the Place and made it Holy and that sanctified the Worship and gave value to it and therefore it was more acceptably performed there than in another Place But now under the Gospel there is no such Holiness of Places because there is no such symbolical Presence of God in one place more than in another for God's Presence is no longer confined to any one Place but he equally accepts the Worship that is devoutly offered him all the World over John 4. 21 23 24. Woman believe me the Hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father as the peculiar and appropriate Place of his Worship as if he were more especially present there than in any other Place or would better accept the Worship performed there than in any other Place For now all such religious distinction of Places for Worship shall be taken away But the Hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him as well in one place as another And such devout Worshippers shall be acceptable to him in any Place Mal. 1. 11. For from the rising of the Sun unto
read or make inquiry into the Word it affords him a great deal of Light and Understanding Unless the Light be obscure then the Scripture is not obscure If Men don't turn their backs to this Lamp they may perceive the Light thereof See how the Psalmist profited in Wisdom by meditating therein ver 98 99 100. Deut. 30. 11 14. This Commandment which I command thee this day is not hidden from thee neither is it far off c. but the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart that thou mayest do it Where the plainness of the Command is asserted and that in order to the performance of it For a Rule that is not understood can never be observed And this perspicuity and Intelligibleness of the Commands given by Moses the Apostle applies to the Gospel Rom. 10. 6 7 8. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this World hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them The Gospel is plain enough of it self then and easy to be understood by any but obdurate and unbelieving Sinners For therein we all with open fact behold as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord Chap. 3. 18. 2 Tim. 3. 15. The Holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto Salvation But how can that be if they be so dark that they cannot be understood Can we be wise without understanding Or are they so difficult to be known which Timothy knew from a Child 2 Pet. 1. 19. The Apostle calls the Prophecies of the old Testament a sure Word of Prophecy whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the day-spring arise in your hearts And if there be such clearness in them what clearness think you is there in the Doctrine of the Apostles There 〈◊〉 a greater degree of Light and Plainness and Intelligibleness promised under the Gospel than what was under the Law Heb. 8. 11. And if the Old testament be so plain and intelligible the New much more Yet note that it is granted that there are many dark Things and hard to be understood in the Scripture and which are so to the Learned as well as to the Unlearned which may arise from several causes But whatever things are necessary are plain saith St. Chrysostome All things which concern Faith and a good Life are plainly contained in Scripture saith St. Austin The Doctrine concerning God his Being Attributes and Providence of Christ's being the Son of God his becoming Man his dying and rising again The Precepts Promises and Threatnings c. For how are they necessary to be believed if they be not plainly revealed Or are the Unlearned excused from believing them because they cannot understand them Did not Christ himself preach and order his Apostles to preach to the Unlearned as well as to the Learned And did he and they preach intelligibly to them or no If they did not to what purpose did they preach at all or how was the World converted by them Were there none converted but the learned Priests and wise Men plainly the contrary rather Matth. 11. 25. 1 Cor. 1. 26. If they did preach intelligibly then it seems their Doctrine was plain enough And is it not the same Doctrine that is written in the Scriptures which they preach How came the same Doctrine then so dark when it was writ which was so plain when it was preach'd Doth the putting it down in writing make it hard to be understood And was it not writ to distinct Persons and Places and for the use of all as shall appear in the next Chapter Therefore I conclude it was written intelligibly to all in all things necessary or else the Holy Ghost would be wanting to his own Design and his writing for the use of all could not answer the end for which it is written CHAP. III. That it is not for the Common People to read the Scripture and if they should more prejudice than benefit would arise to them from the reading of it Council of Trent Sess 4. decret de Can. scrip Index lib. prohib regula 4. COntrary to that which is written Deut. 6. 7 8 9. These words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up And thou shalt bind them for a Sign upon thine hand and they shall be as Frontlets between thine eyes and thou shalt write them upon the Posts of thine House and on thy Gates This is spoken to Persons of all Sorts Qualities and Conditions in Israel And how should they do all this without a particular and diligent perusal of the Law Josephus tells us that the Jewish Children were so well verst in it that they could repeat the Law without Book Thus Josh 1. 8. God commanded Joshua This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night then shalt thou make thy way prosperous See a General of an Army obliged by an express Command to read and meditate in the Holy Scriptures and not to depend upon the Priest's Instruction alone So Deut. 17. 18 19. the King was to write him a Copy of the 〈◊〉 and to meditate therein all the days of his Life Isa 34. 16. Seek ye out the Book of the Lord and read The Prophet speaks to all People upon Earth as may be seen in the beginning of the Chapter We have many such Directions and Commands from our Saviour and his Apostles in the New Testament John 5. 39. Search the Scripture our Saviour speaks not only to Doctors or Teachers but also to the People And he exhorts not only to read but to search them diligently So the Apostle Ephes 6. 17. Take unto you the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. By which we are enabled to repel the Temptations and to resist the Assaults of the Devil and to drive him from us as our Saviour himself did Col. 3. 16. And let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all Wisdom teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs If the Doctrine or Word of Christ be contained in the Holy Scriptures then here is an Obligation to a diligent and serious study of them Luke 11. 28. Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it And why not then blessed are they that read and observe it Why should Men be hindred from reading these Sermons of our Saviour and his Apostles which then there was a blessing upon Man for hearing Are they more dangerous now they are writ than they were when they were
' s Judgment-Seat where I ought to be judged being a Roman So he acknowledges Cesar's Jurisdiction Yet to the Jews I have done no wrong as thou very well knowest though I were liable to their Courts If I be an Offender or have committed any thing worthy of Death by the Roman Laws I refuse not to die so he readily submits himself to the Trial of their Laws and to the Sentence to be inflicted according to them But if there be none of these things whereof they accuse me no Man may deliver me unto them to be punished by them I appeal unto Cesar the Roman Emperor as my proper and lawful Judg. And is not this a plain acknowledgment then of Cesar's just Authority But saith Bellarmine he was constrained to appeal unto Cesar because the Gentiles and Jews would have mock'd him and with good reason if he had appealed to St. Peter who was his Soveraign Prince and Judg. Recognet lib. de sum Pontif. de Cleâ— lib. 1. cap. 30. Is not this prettily said of so great a Cardinal CHAP. X. That the Church of Rome is Infallible and that it belongs to her to judg of the Sense of Scripture so that all Persons are bound up to her Judgment and Definitions Catech Roman part 1. de 9 Art. Symbol §. 18. Council of Trent Sess 4. Decret de Edit usu Sacr. libr. THis is contrary to all those Texts of Scripture that allow a Judgment of Discretion to every private Person in Matters of Religion whereby they are at liberty to judg for themselves and to try and examine the Doctrines which they are taught whether they be true or false or whether revealed by God or no. As 1 Thess 5. 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good How must we prove all things if we must take them upon trust without examination from any Person whatsoever 1 John 4. 1. Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World. So that we are not to give up our selves by an Implicit Faith to be led by any Persons whatsoever that pretend themselves Guides but examine their Doctrines before we receive them And here 's no referring of Christians to an Infallible Judg to whose Sentence and determination all are bound to submit which the Apostle ought in all reason to have done if such an one had been constituted in the Church and not to leave it to every Man 's private Judgment to examine these things as he doth 1 Cor. 10. 15. I speak as to wise Men judg ye what I say The Apostle implies a Capacity and Power in private Men to judg and discern of the Doctrine proposed And though he was guided by an Infallible Spirit yet he doth not expect that Men should blindly submit to his Doctrine but requires them to make use of this Power of discerning in themselves Acts 17. 11. The Bereans are commended for searching the Scriptures daily to know whether those things were so or no which were delivered by the Apostles themselves Gal. 1. 8. Tho we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which ye have received let him be accursed This plainly supposeth that Christians may and can judg in themselves when Doctrines are contrary to the Gospel and that they ought to do it and not blindly rely upon on any one no not an Apostle or Angel from Heaven 1 Pet. 3. 15. Be ready always to give an Answer to every Man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you Christians must understand and judg of the Grounds of Faith themselves Mat. 7. 15 16. Beware of false Prophets which come to you in Sheeps-clothing but inwardly they are ravening Wolves Ye shall know them by their Fruits How should they beware of them if they cannot discern or judg of them and their Fruits We have warning given us of seducing Spirits that shall be in the latter Days 1 Tim. 4. 1. And how can it be but Men will be in danger of giving heed to them if they must not judg for themselves or cannot discern their Doctrines Mat. 15. 14. They be blind leaders of the Blind And if the Blind lead the Blind they both fall into the Ditch The Leaders of the People you see were blind And the People that follow blind Leaders shall perish with them This is a fair warning to us not blindly to submit to the guidance of any So that there is no other way but for the People themselves by a diligent and serious perusal and study of the Scriptures to judg for themselves what the right Sense and Interpretation of them is and what Doctrines are true or false not refusing the assistance of their Spiritual Guides who are appointed for their direction herein yet not giving up themselves unreservedly or unlimitedly to any as Lords of their Faith. If there were a Judgment of Authority vested in any Person or Persons in the Christian Church which might impose upon all and to which all were bound in their Judgments to submit why is not this Infallible Judg referred to by the Apostles How is a judgment of discerning allowed to every private Person which is inconsistent therewith But for Men to judg for themselves is indeed a natural Right belonging to Men as Men and as rational Creatures And no Man can judicially embrace the True Religion unless he be permitted to judg whether that which he embraces be the True Religâ—on or no. And supposing the Scriptures plain in all Things necessary to Salvation as hath been proved Chap. 2. so that every Man of ordinary capacity after competent Instruction in Matters of Religion may arrive to a sufficient understanding of all those â—hings that are so he may judg of them as well for himself as any Man or company of Men can judg for him For every Man can judg of what is plain And therefore 't is reasonable that those things which are plain to every Man should be left to every Man's judgment And there can be no necessity of an Infallible Judg to guide or determine him therein The Civil Magistrate or Judg only determines Mens Practice and outward Actions or disposeth of some of their Goods and Properties And that there should be such an one besides a Law or Rule is needful in Civil Government for the regulating Mens outward Actions and Properties But he doth not prescribe to our inward Sense and Judgment which is the thing that this Infallible Judg in Religion is pretended to do to whose Judgment Men must not only submit their Practice but their Judgment Which is quite a different thing from the former and therefore there is no parity of Reason from one to the other If they say It is needful that there should be such a Judg in the Church for the determining and ending of all Controversies and for the preventing and repressing of Heresies and
for the reducing of Offenders to Repentance and not a setting up a Judg of Controversies in Matters of Faith for all Mens infallible Direction As for that Promise John 16. 13. When the Spirit of Truth is come he shall guide you into all Truth It was made to all the Apostles and seems to be made to them only as appears by the Circumstances of the Discourse Chap. 14. 25 26 28. Chap. 15. 26 27. Chap. 16. 4 6. Or if it be to be extended to their Successors so far as it is so it must be extended to all their Successors as it was made to all the Apostles And so it will make all them Infallible likewise if it doth make any of them Infallible and not their Successors in the Church of Rome only or the Popes and Bishops there by a particular Priviledg But now suppose the Church of Rome were Infallible who is it in that Church that is Infallible Is it the Pope alone or is it a General Council called by him or is it both together or the Council confirmed by a Pope or the Council alone In this they do not agree among themselves As for the Pope's own Infallibility his Pretentions are considered already And if a Council be not Infallible unless called and confirmed by the Pope who is yet in himself Fallible how can the Calling or Confirmation of a Fallible Pope make a Eallible Council Infallible or will two Fallibles put together make one Infallible As for the Infallibility of a Council alone in it self if the greatest or major part of Christian Pastors are not Infallible but may fall into the grossest Errors as all will allow then how shall a General Council be Infallible which is to represent the whole Church and in which things are to be carried by the Rules of the major part which may err Unless it can be proved that the major part of Christian Pastors which are grosly erring singly by themselves when they come together shall be indued with so much Wit and Honesty that they shall suffer themselves to be governed and over-ruled by the lesser part that do not err But what Promise or Security have we for all this As for Mat. 18. 20. Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them If that proves an Infallibility in the Persons so gathered together it proves the Infallibility of every Assembly of Christians gathered in Christ's Name as well as of a General Council And therefore it would prove too much whereas indeed it is a Promise of Christ's gracious Presence and not of an Infallible Guidance And that suspended upon condition of being gathered in Christ's Name acting for his Glory according to his Rule by his Command and Commission As for that Place Acts 15. 28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay no other Burden upon you c. It is only a Declaration of the present Case and not a Promise for the Future It is true that this Council was guided by the Holy Ghost and was Infallible but it doth not follow that other Councils shall For the Apostles who were all Infallible were the chief Actors in this Council and therefore its Determinations were Infallible which cannot be said of those of any other Council where there is not the same reason And now as to the Infallibility of a General Council suppose it were granted how shall we certainly know when a Council is truly General Or suppose such an one and Infallible when it sits yet how will that satisfy the pretence of the necessity of a living Judg in the Church at all Times for the ending of Controversies unless such a Council did always sit Which we know there did not in the first Ages of the Church when there were many Heresies and Differences and we know hath not done in several Ages and we see doth not now at this Time. If they say we may read the Determinations of Councils that are in Writing and that will suffice us So we may do the Determinations of the Articles of Faith in the Scriptures which yet they say is not sufficient without a living Judg to give their Sense And if the Scriptures are not sufficient without a living Judg then neither are the Definitions of Councils that are in Writing For the Definitions of Councils left us in their Books are as much a dead Writing as the Scriptures and can as little help themselâ—â—â— and we see there is as much difference about the Sense of them So that if there must be a living Judg and a General Council must be 〈◊〉 then there must be a Council still sitting For if the written Determinations of a former Council will serve the turn then they must give up the Controversy of the necessity of a living Judg. And if it can be proved that the Scriptures are a sufficient Rule without such Determinations and sufficiently 〈◊〉 in all things necessary then though it be but a dead Rule yet it will do the deed as well as the dead Determinations of a dead Councill And so all the Controversy will run into that aboâ—â— the sufficiency and clearness of Scripture which has been considered in the beginning and to his Controversy about the Infallibility of a General Council for a living and visible Judg will be wholly superseded and useless Yet after all if all these Difficulties could be got over about an Infallible Pope or Council yet that would not signify very much to the common People unless their particular Bishops and Curats may be supposed to be Infallible likewise to give them an Infallible account of an Infallible Pope or Councils Definitions or unless every particular Person may go himself to the Pope or Council for rcsolution in all Cases Which they know cannot be done for the common People cannot read all their Determinations in Print or Writing or if they could would as little understand them as they do the Scriptures and so must need a living Infallible Judg nearer at hand to give them Infallible direction or else they may still be deceived for want of one if the want of one must needs make them liable to deceit so that they must have Infallible Curats likewise to preserve them from danger of being deceived If they say the Curats may inform them of the true meaning of the Definitions of Councils and Popes and that they may be sufficiently certain of this without their being Infallible which is the only thing that can be said then it seems there may be Certainty without Infallibility And then why may not the Protestant Bishops and Ministers though they were not Infallible as certainly inform the People of the true meaning of the Scriptures So that if the Scripture be a sure and plain Rule of Faith so that it may be understood without the Infallibility of those that read it then the Protestant People who have not Infallible Teachers may yet have as much certainty
distinguish'd one from the other but they think as long as they make a Protestation of 〈◊〉 owning the Supreme God alone for God and worship him accordingly though they render the Saints the same outward Adoration in all the Circumstances of it yet that cannot be supposed to invade his Worship But we find in Scripture that there is a certain outward Adoration which there are certain outward Circumstances to determine appropriated to God and the giving of this with any such Circumstances as in the construction of the Fact do determine it only to God to any Creature is condemned whatsoever the inward Intention of the mind may be of reserving to the Supreme God his own Prerogative And what shall we think then of the outward Adoration of the Saints performed in the Church of Rome which in all the Circumstances of it is the same with what is performed to God If this be not Idolatry then there is no merely outward Idolatry at all And the three Children might have given an outward Adoration to Nebuchadnezzar's graven Image so as they had but reserved or directed their inward Intention aright See what our Saviour saith to the Devil Luke 4. 8. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Where it was only outward Adoration or bowing down to him that the Devil did desire and not so as that he himself should be owned for the Supreme God or the Worship given to him with any such intention For he did not pretend in this Request to be the Supreme God or to challenge Worship as such for he in the same breath pretends that he had the disposal of all the Kingdoms of the World not in his own right but because it was delivered to him which implies an owning of a Supreme God above him But yet our Saviour refuses to render him such Adoration or to bow down to him for this general Reason only that thou shalt worship the Lord thy God alone without considering the distinction of supreme or inferior Worship or that the outward Adoration was to be determined by the inward Intention alone which the Devil would have been content to have left to him Nor doth he assign that as a Reason of his refusal that the Devil was a wicked Spirit but gives a Reason which would have been equally against it if he had been a good One. And the same Reason as much reaches us as it did him Col. 2. 14. Let no Man beguile you of your Reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen vainly puft up by his fleshly mind Where the Humility censured by the Apostle which is the ground of this Worship of Angels is not that which implies a submission to them themselves as Supreme Gods but that which implies a respect to the only Supreme God upon the same ground as what is now practised in the Church of Rome viz. That because the Majesty of God is so high and inaccessible as he is it becomes us therefore to sue to him by the Intercession and mediation of Angels as his special Favorites or to trouble those with our Devotions rather than him so much Which is a specious sort of Humility but is here notwithstanding condemned And the practice of praying to Saints in the Church of Rome being founded upon the same Reason is also liable to the same Apostolical Censure Rev. 19. 10. 22. 8 9. When St. John fell at the Feet of the Angel to worship him who shewed him these things The Angel forbad him See thou do it not for this reason I am of thy Fellow-Servants and of thy Brethren that have the Testimony of Jesus worship God. So that none of our Fellow-Creatures are to be worshipped but God alone Acts 10. 25. When Cornelius fell down at St. Peter's feet and worshipped him it could not be supposed that he intended to give him supreme Divine Adoration as God. But yet St. Peter took him up saying Stand up I my self also a◠a Man. For that reason alone refusing it And he is a Man too now he is in Heaven as well as he was then but only now he is out of his Body and more perfect in his Spirit As for what concerns the Virgin Mary in particular the same Reasons make it alike unlawful and idolatrous to pray to her as to pray to the other Saints Neither is there any thing of Prerogative left to her in this respect in the Scripture Luke 1. 46. Mary said My Soul doth magnify the Lord This is far enough from calling her self Lady according to the stile of the Litanies Vers 47. My Spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour She owns God for her Saviour which is far enough from calling her self the Salvation of others Vers 48. From henceforth all Generations shall call me Blessed She doth not say All Ages shall adore me and shall address their Prayers to me but all Generations shall call me Blessed as we do But Chap. 11. 27 28. When a certain Woman among the People said unto him Blessed is the Womb that bare thee and the Paps which thou hast sucked Then said he unto her Yea rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it How can this consist with such a strange Superiority as is pretended to belong to her John 2. 4. Jesus saith unto her Woman what have I to do with thee My Hour is not yet come Which our Saviour doth not speak out of any want of respect or love to her but to check her interposing in the Office and Work that was committed to him And can we believe then that she doth share with him in the Office of Mediator much less that she hath Authority to command him Mat. 12. 47 48. When a certain Man said unto him Behold thy Mother and thy Brethren stand without desiring to speak with thee He answered Who is my Mother and who are my Brethren And he stretched forth his Hands towards his Disciples and said Behold my Mother and my Brethren For whosoever shall do the Will of my Father which is in Heaven the same is my Brother and Sister and Mother There is neither here nor at any other time the least encouragement given to that Worship and Service that is performed to her He doth not bring out his Holy Mother before the People that stood round about nor say to them Behold the Queen of Heaven and Earth before whom every Knee should bow Behold the Ladder by which you shall ascend into Heaven and the Door by which you shall enter into Paradise see that ye place your Hopes and Confidence in her But rather gives certain Instructions quite contrary to prevent this Superstition As for what is pretended that there is no difference between begging the Prayers of our Brethren upon Earth and the Popish praying to Saints in Heaven to pray for us There is a vast difference our Brethren upon
be so is also plain because our Saviour gave it to his Disciples as his Blood shed But his own natural Blood then was not shed unless they will say it was shed before he suffered for this was before his Suffering So that it must needs be understood only figuratively that the Wine poured forth did signify and represent the Blood of his which was shortly to be shed for Sinners and by which the New Testament was confirmed And for that end and because of the use of it mentioned it has the name of the Blood given to it the Sign having the name of the thing signified And though it be thus only in a figurative and not in a proper sense that we are to understand the words of the Institution yet the Benefit and Comfort of the Sacrament will be nevertheless For it may be of equal efficacy and advantage to us if we outwardly receive only the Symbols as if we received the very Body and Blood of Christ themselves for the efficacy doth not lie in the thing received but in the Blessing that goes along with the Institution As the Water in Baptism without a substantial change in the Element with the Divine Blessing is equally serviceable to the Ends of that Sacrament as if there were a substantial change So 1 Cor. 10. 16. The Bread which we brake is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ We may have Communion with the Body of Christ by partaking of the Bread. As Idolaters may have fellowship with Devils by partaking of the Sacrifices offered to them without having the substance of the things sacrificed to them turned into the substance of Devils 1 Cor. 10. 20. So Believers may have fellowship with Christ by partaking of the Bread and Wine instituted for that End without having the substance of the Bread and Wine changed into the substance of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ We see then it is highly reasonable and necessary to understand the words of Institution as other figurative Expressions of the like nature are to be understood And there is not the least inconvenience or absurdity will follow upon it But to understand them in the sense of Transubstantiation is highly unreasonable and is against the being and design of the Scripture and is also monstrously absurd If the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament be turned into the Body and Blood of Christ then Christ must be with us still with his bodily Presence which is against the whole current of Scripture for he is ascended into Heaven and therefore he is not here Acts 3. 21. The Heavens must receive or retain him until the time of restitution of all things And how is he then in the hands of the Priest Col. 3. 1. Christ sits at the right Hand of God and there we must seek him and not in the hands of a Priest or upon the Altar For said he John 16. 28. I leave the World and go to the Father And therefore in his absence he promised the People another Comforter who should abide with them and supply his place John 14. 10. But Henceforth saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 16. we know him no more after the Flesh he abiding in us only by his Spirit and we know him only by Faith. We are not like the Disciples of the Prophet Elijah who sought on Earth for their Master whom God had taken up into Heaven 2 King. 2. Our Saviour sâ—ith Mat. 26. 11. The Poor ye have always with you but me ye have not always Whereas if he be every where in the Mass we may have him with us always as much as the Apostles had him And when our Saviour told them they had always the Poor with them whom they might shew kindness to but not him and therefore they should not grudg at the expence of a box of Ointment upon him If they had been of the Miâ—d of the Church of Rome they might have answered Lord we shall have thee with us as long as we shall have the Poor and this cost which this poor Woman hath been at is nothing in comparison of what shall one day be laid out upon Thee in hâ—â—ging the Streets with Tapestry in â—â—ecking the Altar◠〈◊〉 inclosing Thee in rich and â—ostly Pieces and in sâ—â—ting Thee up 〈◊〉 stately and magnificent Mansions But then if Christ's Body be with us it seems he must be invisible also and not to be felt which is contrary to the nature of an humane Body In which he is made like unto us Heb. 2. 17. To be invisible is to be more like a Spirit which hath not Flesh and 〈◊〉 Luke 24. 39 40. If the Body of Christ be also in the small Wafer of the Sacrament he must be without proper extension suitable to the nature of an humane Body And if he be whole in every Wafer of the Sacrament he must be whole in many places at once Which is a contradiction for then he would have a Body which is one and not one but many as the places are in which he wholly is And it is against the reasoning of the Angel Mat. 28. 5 6. He is not here for he is risen But according to this Doctrine he might be there and risen too and then the Angel's reasoning was not good And then Christ might be distant from himself as that Body now which is at London would be distant from that that is at Rome many hundred miles and that Body which is at Rome may meet that Body which is at London and so it would be the same and not the same and the same would move towards and meet it self And then Christ's Body might move and not move at the same time and it might be carried and not carried and it might be eaten and not eaten in one place eaten with Rats and at another place worship'd and might be glorious and not be glorious and innumerable such Absurdities follow upon this sensless and unreasonable Doctrine Besides the barbariâ—y and bloodiness of eating and drinking humane Flesh and Blood and devouring ones God. And then the most wicked Men may receive Christ with the mouths of their Body and likewise eat his Flesh and drink his Blood. But Christ tells us this we only do now by believing in him John 6. For the Flesh profiteth nothing The Wicked having not Faith have no part in him they do not dwell in Christ nor Christ in them as they that eat his Flesh and drink his Blood do John 6. 56. And therefore it must be understood spiritually and by Faith. To conclude We have as much assurance that Transubstantiation is false as that Christianity is true that is our Sense and Reason in concurrence with the Holy Scripture And is not this a goodly Doctrine which if granted would raze the Foundation of the Christian Faith and reduce us to the vastest Uncertainty so that we could reasonably believe nothing For what can we be certain of at all if not
Grace to the outward Circumcision nor yet to the Water of Baptism The use of these Sacraments was not to work that Grace which they had before but to be a solemn Engagement to them to perform their part of the Covenant and to confirm the Promise of God to them And therefore we find also Faith required before Baptism can be administred Acts 8. 36 37. What doth hinder me says the Eunuch to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine Heart thou mayest Faith is pre-required before Baptism and therefore is not wrought by the Sacrament of Baptism We find indeed that upon the solemn profession of their Faith by their admission of the Sacrament of Baptism there were sometimes greater measures of the Spirit poured out upon some Acts 19. 5 6. But it was in consideration of their Faith which went before Baptism that these Measures of the Spirit were given to them Their Baptism was only a testification of their Faith Ephes 1. 13. After ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise So when Baptism is called the Baptism of Repentance it is not because Repentance was wrought by it but because it was a Sign and Testification of it and farther engaged to it We therefore also find that Justification and Salvation are every-where in the Scripture ascribed to Mens Faith and Repentance and not to the Sacraments as they would be if the Sacraments were the proper and immediate Causes of that Grace by which we are justified and saved Thus Rom. 1. 17. The Just shall live by Faith. And so Gal. 2. 20. I live by the Faith of the Son of God. And this Faith and so all Grace and Holiness is wrought by the Spirit by means of the Word Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God And John 3. 8. As the Wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit God oftentimes in an imperceptible manner conferring his Grace and not confining it to the Sacraments So that the Sacraments do not give but only seal to us the Promise of Grace and Life 1 Pet. 3. 20 21. In the Ark of Noah a few that is eight Persons were saved by Water The like Figure whereunto even Baptism doth now save us But by Baptism I mean not the putting away the filth of the Flesh or that the outward Act of washing the Body serveth to this Salvation which God doth not lay on any outward Ceremony otherwise than as it is an Act or Exercise of our Faith and Obedience But the Answer of a good Conscience towards God in the Covenant of Baptism when a Person being ask'd doth really and faithfully engage and promise to believe in and give up himself to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and to renounce the World the Flesh and the Devil Baptism is but the celebration of this saving Covenant and it is covenanting sincerely that is the Condition of Salvation and washing is but the Sign As Rom. 2. 25. Circumcision verily profiteth if thou keepest the Law but if thou be a breaker of the Law thy Circumcision is made Vncircumcision So it may be said of Baptism with respect to the Gospel It is not any Sacrament in it self that gives Grace or Justification or acceptance with God but thereby the Benefits promised are sealed to them that perform the Conditions Thus vers 28 29. He is not a Jew whom God will accept and justify who is one outwardly only in the Ceremony Neither is that Circumcision acceptable which is only outward in the Flesh and therefore 't is not the external Sacrament which gives the Grace but he is a Jew justified and accepted of God that is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter or Ceremony whose Praise is not of Men but of God. The like may be said of the Christian and his Baptism So Gal. 5. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision nor the outward washing of Baptism neither but Faith which worketh by Love. 'T is this and nothing else that avails to the Christian's Salvation But if the Sacraments themselves did work Saving-Grace the same might be as well affirmed of them It is said indeed Rom. 6. 4. We are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised up from the Dead by the Glory of the Father even so we should also walk in Newness of Life The meaning of which is this that we by our Baptism enter into a Profession Engagement or Undertaking to give over all Sin and to live a new regenerate Life in conformity to the Death and Life of Christ This Profession was represented and signified by their going down into the Water and being as it were buried in it and then rising out of it again It is not Baptism which works this Grace of Mortification but that proceeds from our believing Reception and hearty submitting our selves to the form of Doctrine delivered to us by the Spirit of Grace in the Gospel vers 17. And it is by the Spirit that we are enabled to mortify the Deed of the Body Rom. 8. But Baptism testifies and represents our Profession and Engagement to do it It is said also Gal. 3. 27. As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ his Spirit and Nature and are become his Members There being baptized into Christ signifies those that have sincerely consented to that baptismal Covenant of which the outward Baptism was a Badg and Profession It was not by virtue of their Baptism but by 〈◊〉 of their Faith which they professed in their Baptism that they became Members of Christ Vers 26. Ye are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus According to John 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God even to them that believed in his Name So John 3. 5. Except a Man be born of Water and the Spirit c. It is the Spirit 's Regeneration which is asserted and which is only mentioned vers 8. But this spiritual Regeneration was represented by the Water of Baptism So Tit. 3 5. The washing of Regeneration that is Regeneration signified and sealed in Baptism or which is to the Soul as a laver or washing is to the Body to cleanse it from Sin. So Ephes 5. 25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctif◠it and cleanse it with the washing of Water by the Word It is the Regeneration it self which is there intended by the washing of Water which is said to be wrought by the Word because by the means of the Word we are cleansed from the filth of Sin as the filth of the Body is cleansed by the washing of Water But yet this Regeneration is signified and represented in Baptism and there all do make a profession of it ERRATA PAge 52. line 5. read Judiciously P. 67. l. 19. r. is directly P. 81. l. 3. r. what words P. 84. l. 3. r. beneficial P. 104. l. 30. r. God is said P. 118. l. 20. r. yet He. P. 123. l. 9. r. with them P. 140. l. 24. r. in to the understanding P. 145. l. 23. r. from these words P. 147. l. 21. r. rite P. 152. l. 16. r. even after P. 168. l. 32. r. throw on Advertisement of some Books lately printed against Popery 1. A Modest Enquiry Whether St. Peter were ever at Rome and Bishop of that Church 2. The Fallibility of the Roman Church demonstrated from the manifest Error of the Second Nicene and Trent Councils which assert That the Veneration and honorary Worship of Images is a Tradition Primitive and Apostolical 3. A Demonstration that the Church of Rome and her Councils have erred by shewing that the Councils of Constance Basil and Trent have in all their Decrees touching Communion in one kind contradicted the received Doctrine of the Church of Christ 4. A Treatise of Traditions Wherein is proved That we have Evidence sufficient from Tradition 1. That the Scriptures are the Word of God. 2. That the Church of England owns the true Canon of the Books of the Old Testament 3. That the Copies of the Scripture have not been corrupted 4. That the Romanists have no such Evidence for their Traditions 5. That the Testimony of the present Church of Rome can be no sure Evidence of Apostolical Tradition 6. What Traditions may securely be relied upon and what not The Second Part.