not to take it he ought to know how far he is bound thereby Whereof we have a commendable Example in the Spies by Joshua sent over Jordan how Cautious to make Plain what [o] Josâ—â—a 2 Rahab made them Swear to as also was Abraham's Servant as already Quoted and this Oath of the Spies at the taking of Jericho Joshua remembred to have it kept Then the Mind and true Meaning of the Swearer is to be considered what he aimeth at when he doth Swear So is the true and proper Signification of the Words made use of in the Oath the meaning of those who require administer and take the Oath must be very plain Now as not only Evil it self but also occasions of Evil ought to be avoided it were fit and convenient for Magistrates when they tender an Oath to proceed warily therein and with great Caution for fear of becoming Instruments of Damnation to those who forswear themselves wherefore it would be very Necessary not Indifferently to offer an Oath but first to have some thing said whereby men might well understand what they are about how Holy and Sacred it is and how great the Danger to Swear to a Lie or else for want of giving such a warning they may become accessory to the Sin of him who forsweareth himself for want of a due and timely Warning without which the Law or Custom are Defective for none doth For-swear but he who Swears and both Judges and Jury-men ought to be very Cautious how they believe one who without Consideration runs him self under an Oath or who in his Deposition doth Stagger Waver or Contradict himself such should be Discouraged and the Testimonies of Witnesses ought indeed more to be Weighed than Numbred I deny not but that in necessary Occasions when a Man offers himself to Swear he may and ought to be admitted to take his Oath or else this would put a stop to the Course of Justice but I mean that when one 's grosly ignorant or suspected of being inclined to Perjury something should be Enacted to prevent it and the Court be more Cautious how such a one is admitted to Swear So hereupon those who make use of them ought in Conscience be Wary how they bring them in for fear of being partakers to other mens Sins The Third thing for him that takes an Oath is To Swear in Righteousness or Righteously That is that the Matter by Oath to be Confirmed be just and lawful for one must not Bind himself to any thing by Oath but what is such for an Oath ought not to be made a Bond of Iniquity as was done by those wicked Fellows that (a) Acts 23.14 Had bound themselves under a great Curse that they would eat nothing until they had Killed Paul If a Promisory Oath then it must be with a full purpose to Perform what one doth thereby Oblige himself to and accordingly to be Careful to make it Good and if the Oath be Testificatory to bear Witness to the Truth of a thing it must be done out of certain Knowledge of the matter So must the occasions of taking the Oath be just and the end good as to promote the Glory of God and the Good of our Neighbour (b) Levit. 19 15 35. In Righteousness shalt thou judge thy Neighbour and ye shall do no Vnrighteousness in Judgment So in Righteousness Witnesses must Sâ—ear and not to pervert Judgment and Equity 'T is also to be observed how when we are Sworn ' it must be before those that have Right and Authority to Exact and Administer an Oath one is not to Swear in a publick and solemn way without a Call from those who may lawfully Summon us to it We must also take notice how by Oaths we Bind ourselves unto God as unto men which no Human Power can Release and Dispense us from Wherefore 't is said (c) Matth. 5.33 Thou shalt not forswear thy Self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine Oaths But we must now begin to draw near the main Point namely Perjury this must take up our Serious Thoughts concerning several Things relating thereunto from the Greatness and Righteousness of the great God from the Nature and Consequences of the thing and of several other necessary Circumstances duly to be Weighed and Considered The Ark was called the Ark of the Testimony First because the (d) Exod. 25 16. Tables of the Law whereby was Testified God's Covenant with his People were laid up there then because from above the Mercy Seat which was above upon the Ark God did meet with Moses to (e) v. 22. commune with him of all things which he gave him in Commandment unto the Children of Israel and because the Ark was within the Tabernacle so the Tabernacle is called the (f) chap. 26.33 Numb 17.7 8. and 18.2 Tabernacle of Witness As upon that Signal and Special Occasion where the Glory of the Lord appeared and God himself was both Witness and Judge to decide of the Dispute about the High-priesthood immediately after the Rebellion of (g) ch 17.8 Korah Dathan and Abiram and their Punishment and the Plague which followed upon the People for their Murmuring at it I say God there appeared in the Miracle of Aaron's Rod which was Budded bloomed Blossoms and yielded Almonds So in doubtful and disputable Cases But God is and will be both Witness and Judge men call upon him to be a Witness to the Truth of what is in his Name Affirmed and Transacted but will certainly be the Judge whether or not men call upon him for it Though there be now no Ark yet Heaven is his Throne and Earth is his Footstool (h) Gen. 31.50 No Man is with us saith Laban to Jacob See God is Witness betwixt me and thee God being present every where is Witness to every thing and sees every thing to reward it but specially when he is called upon to be a Witness and a Judge between man and man In that Excellent Prayer of Solomon upon the Dedication of the Temple he makes a special mention of Oaths [i] 1 Kings 8.31 32. If any man Trespass against his Neighbour and an Oath be laid upon him to Swear and the Oath come before thine Altar in this House Then hear thou in Heaven and do and judge thy Servants condemning the Wicked to bring his way upon his head and justifying the Righteous to give him according to his Righteousness A Man hath Wronged his Neighbour but he denies it upon the Accusation an Oath is laid upon him to clear the matter the Oath to be taken in the Temple before the Altar hitherto men have acted their parts but can go no further wherefore God's turn comes to act though his Altar and the Temple be upon Earth yet God heareth in Heaven which is the great judgment Seat the true Seat of Justice and Equity and what 's done after hearing he judgeth between the Parties And how First
Prov 8.11 Because Sentence against an Evil Work is not executed speedily therefore the Heart of the Sons of Men is fully set in them to do Evil. But let such unto themselves apply what the Apostle saith (r) 2 Pet. 2.3 Their Judgment Lingereth not and their Damnation Slumbereth not Thus we proved the Point with clear Evidence out of Scripture Human Laws and strength of Reason which might be more Enlarged upon if Occasion required it This I must add That 't is a sad Case a loud and crying Sin that must need reach up to Heaven when Justice cannot be obtained against neither Adulteress nor Adulterer as if there was a Combination against it to provoke God and Men to the utmost till God's time be come to render it who being most just never fails to do 't when he thinks fit but sometimes when he doth men take no notice of it thô I think it to be one of the chief Causes of the heaviest and most frequent Judgments inflicted upon the Nation for as it is one of if not the most common National Sin and none in Scripture more often nor more strictly Forbidden as most of any contrary to God's holy and pure Nature So those who commit and continue in it must look for the most dreadful and terrible Judgments which God's Justice Anger and Vengeance for the Contempt of his Authority and Breach of his Laws can in this World and in that which is to come pour upon wretched and presumptuous Sinners Besides I would have all Offenders in this kind to know That there is not in the World a Meaner Wretch than the Lewd and Vicious Man who doth the Devil's Drudgery and being a meer Slave to his Passion is thereby put upon the most Indecent Basest Vilest Shameful and most Dangerous Shifts that can be is ever Restless being continually Spurred on by his Lust which first in this World will (s) Hos 4.11 Take away his Heart for Whoredom and Wine do so and except God shews Mercy for want of that Purity which in Relation to Women the Apostle so (t) 1 Tim. 5 ◠carefully Commends to his young Disciple shall in the next hurry and deliver him into everlasting Burnings For the Truth and justice of God require that the Fire of Lust wherein they Burned here should hereafter be punished with Eternal Flames For saith the Apostle Them that walk after the Flesh 2 Pet. 2.9.10 in the Lust of Vncleanness God reserveth unto the Day of judgment to be Punished with a Pain Adequate to their Sin FINIS A CHARGE TO Judges Juries Witnesses CONCERNING OATHS HAVING of late been Summoned to give in upon Oath my Evidence in a weighty Business I was at first Amazed and at a stand then moved with just Indignation to hear several Men with a Brazen-face to Swear for Truth that which in my Conscience I knew certainly to be False for I speak only of those Things and Circumstances which come within the Sphere of my certain Knowledge and upon serious Thoughts such prostitute Wretches tho they speak but to one part of a Cause yet they give Men reasonable Grounds of entertaining an Ill Opinion of the whole For no good Cause may be supported by evil and unlawful Means which at last will Discredit Blast and Ruin it In the mean while such Practices of Swearing falsely do bring Dishonour upon God Scandal upon our holy Religion and are a Shame to a Nation and if not as much as 't is possible Suppressed and Prevented God the Judge of the whole Earth will in his due time require it at the Hands of those in whose Power it lieth and whose Duty it is to do 't Wherefore upon so just and necessary an Account I look upon my self as bound to give in my Evidence and I Wish Judges Jury-men and specially Witnesses may so take notice of and mind what I shall say as every one to do their Duty in their respective Stations for herein I shall bear Witness for God as for men And my great Motive why I now commit to Paper these few Lines and Serious Thoughts of mine 't is only to bear Record unto the Truth For (a) 2 Cor. 13.8 I can do nothing against but for the Truth which I think I am called to thorough the Occasion which is the Ground of all this Which to Prosecute I shall make use of both Law and Gospel I Thank God when I appeared in this Business I never but once before had been Summoned to bear Witness upon Oath for I own it I fear an Oath the fewer the better and the least Account one is to give God about these matters for therein Men thô unwillingly and Ignorantly yet thorough want of Memory or some Mistakes are in danger of Failing Wherefore I shall ever avoid as much as I may being brought under an Oath without a just and necessary Cause rashly and hastily to venture upon 't is usually attended with bitter Effects and is the cause of much Evil of Sin as of Punishment from both God and men He that easily and hastily doth Swear will as easily and hastily Forswear for when he makes no Conscience to take an Oath he will make none to break it Neither would I multiply Oaths for many Oaths many Snares To go upon sure Grounds and Explain the matter we must first see upon what Occasion an Oath is taken and what it is because too often thorough the Unrighteousness Malice and Craftiness of False and Self-ended Men Truth is driven into Corners which yet God in his due time and sometimes in an Extraordinary manner will bring to light to the Confusion of the Wicked that would have suppressed it Therefore because one man will not Trust another and that men do suspect the Sincerity and are in the Dark about the Thoughts one of another upon such an account God who alone knows and is the Searcher of the Heart (b) Heb. 4.13 For all things are naked and opened unto the Eyes of him with whom we have to do is called upon to be a Witness of the Truth of that which is in Question and Sworn for (c) chap. 6.16 An Oath for Confirmation to men is saith the Apostle an end of all Strife Not to sow foment and promote it and shelter Villanies under God's most holy and sacred Name for this overthrows the good Ends for which an Oath was intended and perverts Justice and Equity over-turns the whole World and tends to Disorder Confusion and Ruin all Effects of Perjury Now an Oath is a calling of God to Witness for the Confirmation of what we Say or Promise 'T is a Religious and Necessary Confirmation of Things doubtful by calling on God to be a Witness of Truth and a Revenger of Falsehood which last part is much to be taken notice of though many who Swear mind it not and there is a great Reason why God should avenge the Abuse of his Name for if
so of London But with Grief and Sorrow I am afraid 't is not so 't is true but of very few To Lie is to tell for True that which one knows to be False or to affirm that to be False which he knows to be True Though a man may ignorantly tell a Lie yet not Lie for to Lie implies a design for to Deceive or to Hurt whereupon the difference is to be observed between telling a Lie and Lying or making a Lie for an honest and conscionable man may happen ignorantly and imprudently to tell a Lie upon a False Report as of such a man reported to be Dead when 't is not true but to Forge a Lie is with an evil Design and to Deceive the Intention and Contrivance is that which makes it Abominable and if it be so as 't is in ordinary Discourse and Conversation how much more upon the occasion of Oaths when God's most holy Name is made use of not in Private but in Publick and in Judgment whereby Truth which is part of Justice is perverted and Lie part of Injustice is set up There are Three sorts of Lies The Officious to do a Man some Service as to Lie to Save his Life Liberty c. The Merry or Pleasant to tell a Lie with an intent to Divert a Company And the Pernicious to Hurt one As to the Two First kinds I say that though Casuists differ about the Question whether or not they may be used which in my Opinion I think unlawful and look upon as Snares by degrees thorough Custom to be drawn from one kind to another yet all own the last called Pernicious to be most Wicked and by no means to be allowed [a] Psal. 5.6 Thou shalt destroy saith David them that Speak Leasing or Lies [b] Prov. 12.19 the Lip of Truth shall be established for ever but a Lyng tongue is but for a moment To Lie is to abuse God's Gifts who hath given us a Tongue truly to express our Mind and not to Deceive or otherwise Hurt our Neighbour 'T is for a good not for a Bad Use and we must not abuse the Gifts of God such are the Organs of Speech this also overthrows Human Society and breeds Jealousies Animosities and Causes Disorder and Confusion Certainly this kind of Lie is worst of all against God thorough the abuse of his Gift when others no greater Sinners are Dumb and God hath given thee the free Use of thy Tongue and also 't is against man with procuring his Harm The other Two sorts tho Evil yet in a less Degree then this and if according to the true Rule a Man though to save his own or Neighbour's Life ought not to tell a Lie much less to ruin his good Name Fortune or his Life God in his gracious Promise of the Restoration of Jerusalem after the Seventy Years Captivity gives them this Charge [c] Zach. 8.16 These are the things that ye shall do Speak every man the truth to his Neighbour execute the judgment of truth Which Precept the Apostle enlarges upon thus [d] Ephesians 4.25 Wherefore putting away Lying Speak every Man the truth with his Neighbour God having by Paul given a Character of the most wicked and worst of Men concludes it with this most abominable Brand [e] Rom. 1.25 26. they changed the truth of God into a Lie And see the judgment immediately at the tall of the sin the greatest on this side Hell that God inflicteth upon men For this cause God gave them up unto vile Affections and other terrible judgments expressed in that remaining part of the Chapter but God will in his just Judgment follow them further in the World to come for they who make Lies shall not only be excluded [f] Rev. 21 27.8 From entering into New Jerusalem but also lodg'd among every other wicked Man as Vnbelievers Abominable and Murtherers Wheremongers Sorcerers and Idolaters also Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the Second Death The Devil is by our blessed Saviour Branded with Two Things for being a Murtherer and a Lyar he doth but name the first Crime but the last he doth exaggerate and insist upon as if it was the Greatest of the Two He contents himself with saying [g] John 8.44 the Devil was a Murtherer from the beginning Of the other he saith He abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him when he Speaks a Lie he Speaks it of his own for he is a Lyar and the Father of it And therefore the Everlasting Fire is prepared for the Devil and his Angels and for his Children too who with him are [h] Jude 6. Reserved in or to Everlasting Chains under Darkness Those Lyars are those wandring Stars to whom if not pardoned is reserved the blackness of Darkness for ever If such terrible judgments and pains be reserved for the common Lyars that are the Devil's Children how much greater Degrees of Pains shall be inflicted upon those who were not content to Lie in their ordinary Discourse but who have highly aggravated it with their Perjuries and bringing in the Name of God to Countenance their pernicious Lies who not only have [i] 2 Tim. 3.8 Resisted the truth as St. Paul speaks but are gone further and to speak in another Apostle's Words [k] James 3.14 have Lied against the truth Now to the Second Qualification as he that Sweareth must do 't in Truth so he ought to Swear in Judgment or Considerately and with Discretion for [l] Psal 11â— 5 A Good Man will Guide his Affairs with Discretion making Conscience of all his ways especially of an Oath well weighing and advisedly considering what it is that he is to Swear and who it is by whom he Sweareth so as neither to prophane his Name or make it common with using it upon unnecessary and light occasions as expressed Matth. 5.34 35 36 37. Nor make use of it [m] Jam. 5.12 unadvisedly but Religiously and Reverently and only in matters of weighty Concernment and not as [n] Mat. 14.7 Herod who Promised with an Oath to give Herodias's Daughter whatsoever she would ask As Rash a thing as Man can hear of for she might have asked any thing else as well as John Baptist's Head And if this Condition is to be Observed in any thing certainly it must be in matters of Judicature which are so publick and the Consequences so great hereby Man is required to Swear in knowledge and wisdom therefore Children Fools Mad-men Atheists notoriously Impious and People Drunken when in the Fit must not be admitted to take an Oath for he who Swears must before-hand be well Instructed in the Thing in Question that requires his Oath for he is called thereby to confirm it and then he must well understand the binding Nature of an Oath and the Consequences thereof for he which makes no Conscience of an Oath is
all manner of Equivocations and mental Reservations for those Locusts that are broke loose out of the Bottomless Pit I mean the Jesuits But for true Christian Protestants who make a Profession of the pure and true Doctrine of the Gospel they ought in their Practise as in their Principles wholly to detest and abhor it Every honest Man ought to fear an Oath and not be forward rather avoid being brought to it except upon a Good and Lawful account and before-hand consider the binding Nature and Consequences thereof and when upon the Stage to remember he must Swear the Truth and nothing but the Truth therefore to be the more Cautious of what he saith for though one may happen to impose upon Men yet he never can upon God who hears and seeth all windings and turnings of the heart this rule holds for Young as well as for Old Men for young die as well as old though one would think according to the course of Nature they have a longer race to run yet Experience teaches it to be a mistake for more die under Thirty years then above however soon or late all must die Death is certain but the time uncertain and truly though some Perjured Young Men should live the longer yet this Sin would make their life but uncomfortable for being Enemies to God they cannot be at peace with their Consciences and themselves nor with others for there is a Curse tied to the back of Perjury which except they be wholly hardened and that on this side Hell is the greatest of all Judgments hunts them perpetually and makes them miserable for (i) Isa 57.20 21. The Wicked are like the Troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt There is no peace saith my God to the Wicked nor shall be As for Witnesses that are come to Age they ought to be the more weary of what they say because having already one Foot in the Grave they cannot tell how soon the whole Body shall be tumbled into 't Wherefore they ought to consider every Day and every Moment as being possible for it to be the last of their Life and when they give in their Evidence as if they were upon their Death-bed and come to their last Gasp and as if they were taking the Sacrament upon 't Surely in that Condition besides the immediate Presence of God no man that hath any sense of Religion would take the Holy Ordinance of the most Sacred Blood and Flesh of Our most blessed Saviour to be a Witness to a Lie and go out of this World with a False Oath in his Mouth to appear in the Presence of the All-seeing and All-knowing God of Truth to give an Account of himself I am Charitably loth to believe any one is so desperately Wicked as considering all these Circumstances would Swear Falsly If so when any is upon such an Account brought to his Oath let him look upon himself as at that very time lying under all such Circumstances for he can be sure of nothing to the contrary it being not impossible for him to Dye at that time of a Sudden Death which hath been and is still the case of many Now I say these Thoughts may work upon and Influence one on such an Occasion to say the Truth and not to suffer himself by any means to be Byassed in what he is upon nor to have any Regard to those he doth speak for or against from the King that Sitteth upon the Throne to the Beggar that lyes on the Dunghill he must be Partial only for the Truth and withal Consider that he Witnesseth not for men only but also for God who is Concerned called to be a Witness and whose Cause Truth is Every one that is Witness for another hath his own Witness for himself and must with Joh say (k) Job 16.19 Behold my Witness is in Heaven this God owns and I Wish that every one when he gives his Evidence would represent God speaking to him thus (l) Jerem. 29 23. Even I know and I am a Witness saith the Lord. It should make one Tremble to speak a Lie in the Presence of the God of Truth as no man when he doth an evil thing desires to have any one present and witness to what he doth for as Evil is a work of Darkness so he that commits it in any kind doth seek dark places and avoids the Light which would reprove him for his Work now if one when he doth a bad thing is so unwilling and afraid to be seen by any man for Shame from the Time of our First Parents is an Attendant of Sin how much more ought one to be ashamed and afraid to do Evil and speak Lies in God's Name in God's own Presence and under his Eye which none can avoid This Presence and Testimony of God is the only way to clear and secure all things at least for time to come Thus Samuel upon his going out of this World takes great care to make all things even between himself and the People (m) 1 Sam. 12 3 4 5. how He had not Defrauded nor Oppressed them neither taken any Bribe to blind his Eyes The Truth whereof he calls God to Witness to whom after his Death he was to give an Account of The People gave in their Witness that he had spoken the Truth but besides he had that of his own Conscience but that of God was the greatest of all for therein lyes the Comfort and Assurance of a Good Soul for (n) 1 John 5.9 If we receive the Witness of men the Witness of God is greater And this I Wish every man that is brought upon his Oath would Consider well Upon this Point one thing more I would Commend to the serious Consideration of Judges and Juries namely the Antecedents Concomitants and Consequents of Perjury among other things the Malicious Designs and Contrivances thorough the Suggestions of the Devil and Corruption of Man's Heart whereby the Guilty do inure themselves to and harden in Evil things thereby fitting and disposing themselves thorough ill Habit and Custom to commit any Villanies in the World according to their own Counsels by which at last they fall from worse things to worst of all Some of the Concomitants are Falsehood Hypocrisie Deceit Impiety c. all Punishable by the Laws of God and men As to the Consequents they are Dreadful Pernicious and Destructive for thereby a Dishonour is put upon God and Occasion offered his Enemies to Blaspheme a Scandal upon Religion followeth with a Stain upon a Nation this also will Ruin Persons Families and overthrow whole Kingdoms After this no man's Good Name Honour Estate Liberty or Life can be safe and secure So after this rate no man may call his own any thing he hath thus farewel Property and Right And what to Day is one man's case may to morrow be any one 's else so Division Distraction and Destruction are at hand as
Monsters and Villains in Nature How can men so notoriously wicked in Life and Conversation be Holy and Infallible in their Church about Spiritual things Ask where was the Infallibility when at the same time there were several Popes who Cursed and Excommunicated one another At once the Council of Constance Deprived three and did set up a Fourth one Thus that pretended Infallibility of the Romish Church doth Reside in Popes no more than in Councils How then can Council and Pope when together be Infallible if not so when asunder Can that junction alter their Nature No more than a thousand Sick Men can make one Healthful Man This opinion tends only to Trim between the other two perhaps to please them both but things of this Nature require more Sincerity and less Policy But this is the Spirit which Men of that Party are Generally acted by as not long ago it plainly appeared beyond Sea Lying dessembbling and the like Piae Fraudes the Pious Cheats which they allow for the propagating their Religion in France to promote the ruin of the Protestants they made use of several different ways to make Proselytes a Bait they had for every kind of Fish to the Covetous they offered Places of Gain and Profit to the Needy Money to buy Bread and actually they made Bargains and gave more Money to some and less to others to make them Change Religion as they did which verified the Merchandize which Babylon is said to make of Souls of Men Rev. 18.13 to the Ambitious they offered Honours and to the Voluptuous Means wherewith to supply their occasions in that kind And because there was a sort of People who had someting more of Honesty than others for these also they had a Bait and this hath been the Method of the Bishop of Meaux tending to remove the abhorrency which some Protestants had against many of their Doctrines therefore to take away or at least to conceal the ugliness and offence by many things they have among them he Plastered and Painted some over as to others he left it to their liberty to believe what they would concerning them Only he Invited them to come in with promise of Liberty for such a perswasion as they were led in to by their own Judgement they should be free from going to Confession and to their Communion if they would but come to their Churches they might Read the Bible in their Houses and such like things all which indeed ended in making Hypocrites and 't is well known what Place that way tends to But some of their Zealots declared openly they cared not whether or not the Fathers and Mothers were Damned if they might but make good Catholicks of the Children thus to bring upon them the Wo our Saviour pronounced against the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23.15 Hypocrites who compass Sea and Land to make one Proselyte and when he is made they make him twofold more the Child of Hell than themselves So against the Rules of Christianity and Charity any ways tho never so wrong are good enough if they can thereby compass their ends Thus in the Indies the Jesuites were content to see those Infidels set up their Idols and Worship them if somewhere behind they could lay a Crucifix which they must need thereby to Adore together with the rest To all this I shall add the great want of Sincerity in the French Government for whilest in that King's Declarations he affirmed he would have the Edicts to be observed at the same time the Dragoons by his Order were upon their March to force the Protestants to go to Mass Now Madam I found by your Discourse how you are much guided by the Method of the Bishop of Meaux and therefore I here beg leave to say how what upon some of those Matters he hath Published Is not the Doctrine of the Church of Rome from which he receded upon a Publick Account and only for that time to lay Snares for weak Consciences the Doctrines of the Romish Church are contained in the Canons of the Council of Trent and in the Writings of Bellarmin and such Authors of Note amongst them which I can assure you are contrary to several things Written by that Bishop of Meaux whose opinion in those things will not in Italy pass for the Doctrines of the Church of Rome And among others I shall take notice only of one about which you seemed to agree with me and 't is concerning the VVorship of Images which Meaux would fain put a fine Gloss upon and you would be against it but Madam you therein differ from the Romish Church and I wish it were so in every thing else wherein they are in the wrong for as to that Point the Council of Trent doth refer it to the Canon of the Second Nicene which saith that whosoever affirms that the Images of Saints are only to be Honoured not Adored let him be Anathema But Madam not to exceed the due bounds of a Letter and to conclude I say there is no such a Superiority in the Romish Church or Primacy of her Bishop over other Churches and Bishops and that the Titles of his Holiness Vice-God God's Lieutenant God upon Earth which all are Anti-Christian and names of Blasphemy and all such Offices are unnecessary in the Church In the State indeed Princes need Lieutenants because they cannot be every where and stand in need of being informed but 't is not so of the Son of God the Lord Jesus the Head and King of his Church who sees and knows all of and by himself and is present every where therefore needs no Vicar upon Earth And the Title of Visible Head of the Church is Presumptuous and unnecessary And seeing also there is no Infallibility either in Councils or Popes or in any other Man for we find Council against Council Pope against Pope Doctor against Doctor why then will you pin your Faith upon such Sleeves You may see how those two by them accounted unshaken Pillars cannot Support it therefore I pray Madam give God the Glory with your returning into the Bosom of the Church you have forsaken wherein the Voice of Christ alone is heard his Word alone is the Rule and the Holy Ghost the only Guide according to that Rule for Madam the Word and the Spirit of Christ may not be separated for they go together there you will find Peace Comfort Assurance and Rest unto your Soul in Christ whom we own to be the only Mediator and Saviour of the World And so leave that Popish Church which is a confused Babel defiled with Inventions and Traditions of Men when in ours Christ alone Reigns his Word and Voice alone is heard known and followed and he is our only High Priest who once upon the Cross by the Sacrifice of himself made atonement for our Sins and now in Heaven at the Right Hand of the Father maketh Intercession for us he is our All in All and the desire of our Souls which can neither hope in or trust to any Creature Wherefore Madam break out with these Expressions I will go and return to my Mother Church for then was it better with me than now You have forsaken Christ the Spring of Life in whom alone is Salvation and run to the Creatures Dead and Alive which are not able to help you nor themselves God hath given you time to come to your self and to return to him in the way of Repentance and to hasten you he hath been pleased to set a mark upon you therefore pray loose no time I hope Madam you will not take ill my Freedom and the plainness of Speech I use for therein without any Byass Self-end or Worldly Consideration I aim only at the Glory of God bearing Record for the Truth and promoting the good of your Soul which is the earnest desire and humble Prayer to God of Your Ladyships c. THE END