Ceremonies Protestants answer As if the inspiration of God did not make God the author of the fact as well as the command expressed in his word Otherwise it were lawful for the Papists to conclude by the same reason that they have authority to institute new Sacrifices and Sacraments Bellarmine replies and saith That the Congregation made a new Feast Esth 9. 1. Mac. 4. Protestants answer That the first was political the second was to be disallowed Bellarmine saith the Apostles instituted a new Ceremony Act. 15. Protestants answer That there was no new ceremony instituted but a respect to scandal in tollerating an old ceremony Bellarmine saith the Church may institute some things and ceremonies are not repugnant to the Gospel neither hath the Lord forbidden that we should add no ceremonies for the more commodious and profitable administration of the Sacraments Protestants answer 1. The Church cannot appoint any new thing by her own authority 2 Carnal ceremonies void of the Spirit as all humane ceremonies are are repugnant Hildersham proves from Job 4. 23. that humane Ceremonies are forbidden in the Gospel in loc Bishop Andrews in Command 2. p. 263 or 255. Dr. Reynolds Conference with Hart c. 8. d. 4. p. 565. John Launder Thomas Iveson John Denly Martyrs professed that they believed that the Ceremonies used here in Q. Maries days were naught vain superfluous superstitious which they sealed with their blood Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1593 1594 1595 1598. to the perfection of the New Testament 3. Humane ceremonies can make â—o more to the commodious and profitable administration of Christs Sacraments as they were administred by Christ and his Apostles than the decrees of faith made by men do make more commodiously to illustrate the faith revealed by Christ What shall we think that certain new men have a better insight and know better what ceremonies are to be used in Baptism than the holy Apostles and Christ himself So of the Supper too Bellarmine saith That ceremonies iustituted by the Church cannot be omitted without sin yea not without scandal Protestants answer There cannot be instituted Religious ceremonies by the Church without sin and therefore they may be omitted without sin and ought to be omitted 4. That we cannot fully and perfectly perform all that the Law of God requireth for Christ saith plainly That when we have done all we can do we are unprofitable servants Which shews that we cannot perfectly keep the Law for if we could we should be profitable servants getting thereby much glory to God and everlasting life to our selves Do this and thou shalt live And the Homily of the Death of Christ T. 2. part 2. p â—82 saith Our acts and deeds be full of imperfectness and infirmity and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour much less to challenge that glory that is due to Christs acts and merits And again in the same Page it saith thus of Adam after his fall He could not keep the Law neither if Adam and his posterity had been able to satisfie and fulfill the Law perfectly in loving God above all things and their neighbours as themselves then should they have easily quenched the Lords wrath and escaped the horrible sentence of eternal death For 't is written Do this and thou shalt live that is fulfil my Commandments keep thy self upright and perfect in them according to my will then thou shalt live and not die But such was the frailty of mankind after his fall such was his weakness that he could not walk uprightly in Gods Commandments though he would never so fain but daily and hourly fell from his bounden duty offending the Lord his God divers ways to the great increase of his condemnation all are gone astray Our frailty is such that we can never of our selves fulfil the Law according to that the Law requireth And our 15th Article of Doctrine saith thus That all we the rest that is besides Christ although baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Yea the Popes Doctrine viz. That meer men since Adams fall can in this life perfectly fulfil Gods whole Moral Law is not only contrary to Sacred Scripture the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homilieâ— and Articles but also her Book of Common Prayers As to the Lords-Prayer wherein Christ taught his holy Apostles and all Gods children to say every day Forgive us our trespasses To our commoâ— general Confession We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts We have offended against thy holy Laws We have left undone those things we ought to have done and we have done those things we ought not to have done And 't is contrary to the prayer after every Commandment for pardon of sin committed against it Lord have mercy upon us Yea the Litany might be brought against Papists in this point And Prov. 7. 20. Rom. 7. 15. 17 18 20 23 24 1 Joh. 1. 8 9 10. and contrary also to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches to be seen in the Harmony of Confession Sect. 4. and the 43 Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland and the fourth Article of the 16th Chapter of the Confession of Faith of Scotland Yea the gates of Hell I believe will never be able to overthrow that Faith in that Confession made by that Assembly Heâ—â— what Shelford Serm. p. 121 127 136 139 147. and White Bishop of Eli on the Sabbath p. 157. say for mans ability to fulfil the Law against the Doctrine of the Church of England and what Shelford saith for works of Supererogation Serm. p. 184. may be seen in Laudensium Autocatacrisis p 70 71. And what Bishop Forbes saith in his Book de Justificatione may be seen in the Supplement thereunto p. 300. And what Dr. Patrick saith may be seen in his Parable of the Pilgrim p. 324. who there saith thus 'T is true we are not tyed to that which we cannot do but yet the flesh will sometimes juggle and complain of impotence when there is nothing hinders it but sloth This is Bellarmines argument de observatione Legis c. 7. si praecepta c. if the precepts are impossible then they oblige none To this argument Dr. Ames gives this answer Dr. Ames his Bellar. Enervatus T. 3. c. 7. p. 191. 1. That this argument doth not prove that the Law is more possible to be kepâ— by believers than by unbelievers by the just than by the unjust 2. That the obligation to keep the Law is not taken away by the impossibility that flows from our fault To which I shall say but thus that the words imply as they may well be taken one or both of these errors 1. That men now are not bound to keep the Moral Law of God Or 2. That 't
your abundant modesty to call A. B. Vsher Bishop Downham Bishop Davenant Mr. Perkins Pemble Dr. Ames and many others of our own learned orthodox Divines besides many more of foreign Countries consider not Faith as 't is the principle of good works but according to its proper office as justifying which is to rest trust upon to receive and apply and so in that office it actually needs no good works or vertues to be coupled with it because it is but the souls instrument to apprehend and apply the righteousness of Christ that is freely offered in the Gospel to it self and which no other grace or work of man doth or can do as was shewed before * Dr. Patrick calls this I am nought I have nought his Pilgrims charm Par. Pilgr p. 283. Which sure is not so good a comparison as Mr. T. W. his painted post is of an hypocrite condemned by him in his Debate He that will be Christs disciple must deny himself and his own righteousness as Paul did Phil. 3. 7. 8 9. Christ will be a whole Saviour or none at all He that comes to Christ for justification with his own good works in his hand doth in effect say that he hath in truth some but not much need of him and his righteousness and thereby he incapacitates himself to lay hold upon and receive Christ and his merits for inâ—us existens prohibet extraneum he must let go his own works before he can apprehend and relye only upon Christs merits as he must do as was evidenced before out of the Doctrine of our Church of England which saith * Hom of Salv. of Mank p. 17. We must trust only in Gods mercy and that sacrifice which our high Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of God once offered for us upon the Cross to obtain thereby Gods grace For further and fuller confutation of this gross and most Antichristian error not to say heresie as Dr. Slater calls it I refer you back to what I have alledged out of the Church of Englands Books of Homilies and Articles of Religion upon the serious reading of which and their Books and comparing them together all judicious and sound Christians will find that there is great cause for all men to take heed of their Books as of cheats and dangerous illusions to use Dr. Patrick's words by which they have defamed the sincere and sound professors and assertors of the true and pure Protestant Religion which to do their learned Dr. H. More in his Mystery * Lib. 2. c. 13. p. 〈◊〉 This saith he must needs be very antichristian and uncharitable to misrepresent mens actions and opinions in publick speeches or writings or invent notorious lyes or fictions in the disparagement of mens persons and Doctrines and suborn men to write them and divulge them to the world for truths which is to do as was the custome of those who were under the Dragon that old Serpent and false accuser of the ancient Primitive Christians c. of Iniquity saith is one part of Antichristianism and cunningly under the pretence of confuting the errors and reproving the follies and infirmities of Nonconforming Protestants to those errors and impositions and modes of worship and government which they profess they like very well have printed what they have preached I cannot tell not to say Arminian Socinian but Popish Errors contrary to the express word of God and the sound and clear Doctrine of the Church of England to which 't is believed they have subscribed if not declared their assent and consent yea even that antifundamental error or rather heresie of Justification of sinners persons before God by their own inherent righteousness or good works and thereby slighted our free Justification by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ apprehended and applied alone by true Faith in Jesus Christ which is in effect denying the Gospel of Jesus Christ as their Dr. More shews in his Mystery of Iniquity and is obvious to every man that fully understands what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and that is not resolved virtually to deny Christ to be come in the flesh and to profess himself to be fallen from grace as the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3. Gal. 5. 4. From all which I shall not peremptorily conclude any thing but only ask this question as Dr. Patrick Friendly Debate pag. 2 3. doth Can he be a good subject a good * Hom. of Salvat of Mankind p. 16 17. before quoted and alledged Christian and a Minister of Christ that doth so To conclude 't is true that good works do either actually or habitually accompany a true justifying Faith or do follow a justified person but they have no hand or efficiency at all in the justification of a sinners person before God as the Doctrine of the Church of England plainly shews We are justified by Faith with works associativè but not by Faith and works copulativè that is we are justified by that Fâ—â—â—h that is accompanied with works but not by the works that do accompany it as concauses with it thereof but by faith alone because that only and no other vertue grace or work doth or can do it apprehends and applies that which doth justifie our persons before God viz. Christs righteousness ART IV. That Faith that doth justifie sinners persons before God is a bare and naked assent to the truth of Gods word and that so and as an act habit or work in us it justifies THIS I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homily of the Salvation of Mankind p. 17. which saith thus The true meaning of this Doctrine We be freely justified by faith without works is not that this our own act to believe in Christ or that this faith in Christ which is within us doth justifie us For that were to count our selves to be justified by some act or vertue that is within our selves but the true meaning thereof is that although we hear Gods word and believe it although we have faith we must renounce the merit of our said vertues c. And in the Homily of Christs Death and Passion T. 2. part 2. p. 1â—7 thus The only mean or instrument of Salvation required of our part is faith that is a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God c. ut supra where 't is clear that the faith that doth justifie us is not a bare notitia or knowledg of and assensus assent unto the truth of Gods word but also as our sound Divines do hold and maintain Bishop Davenant Determ 37. fiducia a sure trust and confidence in Gods mercy c. So also in Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 20. A true and right Christian is not only to believe the holy Scriptures and all the Articles of our Christian Faith that is to assent to them but also to have a sure trust and confidence
have quoted your own approved Authors Take therefore the Confession of Protestant Churches in this matter 1. The Confession of Belgia who Article 22 say thus Yet to speak properly we do not mean that faith by it self or of it self doth justifie us which is but only an instrument whereby we apprehend Christ which is our justice Christ therefore himself is our righteousness which imputeth all his merits unto us faith is but the instrument whereby we are coupled unto him by a participation and communion of all his benefits 2. See also the Confession of Ausburg who say thus When therefore we do say that we are justified by faith we do not mean that we are just for the worthiness of that vertue but this is our meaning that we do obtain remission of sins and imputation of righteousness by mercy shewed us for Christs sake But now this mercy cannot be received but by faith and faith doth not signifie here only a knowledg of the History but it signifieth a belief of the promise of mercy which is granted us through our Mediator Jesus Christ And seeing that faith is in this sort understood of a * Not of a strong fancying as Mr. Fowler saith they do Free Discourse p. 127 p. 130 confidence and trust of mercy St. Paul and St. James do not disagree for whereas James saith the Devils believe and tremble he speaketh of an Historical faith now this faith doth not justifie for the wicked and the Devils are cunning in the History But Paul when he saith faith is reckoned for righteousness heâ— speaketh of a trust and confidence of mercy promised for Christs sake whom we must receive by faith And so it goes on Harmony of Confessions Sect. the ninth 3. And the Synod of Dort in the second Chapter and fourth Error rejected the Synod having delivered the Orthodox Doctrine rejecteth the Errors of them Who teach that the New Covenant of Grace which God the Father by the Mediation of Christs death made with men doth not consist herein viz. That we are justified before God and saved by faith in so much as it apprehends the merits of Christ but herein viz. That God the exaction of perfect legal obedience being abrogated reputes faith it self and the imperfect obedience of faith for perfect obedience of the Law and graciously thinks it worthy of the reward of eternal life For these contradict the Scripture Rom. 3. 24 25. All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And with wicked Socinus they bring in an uncouth and strange justification of man before God Arminians Socinians and Papists agree in this Antichristian Doctrine contrary to the consent of the whole Church 4. The Confession of Faith of the Church of Ireland made as Dr. Heylin saith by A B. Vsher and assented and consented to by the whole Clergy there and allowed and confirmed by the Parliament there and by King James here Anno 1615 When we say that we are justified by faith only we do not mean that the said justifying faith is alone in man without true repentance hope charity and the fear of God for such a faith is dead and cannot justifie Neither do we mean that this our act to believe in Christ or this our faith in Christ which is within us doth of it self justifie us or deserve our Justification unto us for that were to account our selves to be justified by the vertue or dignity of something that is within our selves but the true understanding and meaning thereof is that although we hear Gods word and believe it although we have Faith Hope Charity Repentance and the fear of God within us and add never so many good works thereunto yet we must renounce the merit of all our said vertues of Faith Hope Charity and all other vertues and good deeds which we either have done shall do or can do as things that be far too weak and unperfect and unsufficient to deserve remission of our sins and our justification and therefore we must trust only in Gods mercy and the merits of his most dearly beloved Son our only Redeemer Saviour and Justifier Jesus Christ Nevertheless because Faith directly sends us to Christ for our Justification and that by faith given us of God we embrace the promise of Gods mercy and the remission of our sins which thing none other of our vertues or works properly doth therefore the Scripture useth to say that faith without works and the ancient Fathers of the Church to the same purpose that only faith doth justifie us By justifying faith we understand not only the common belief of the Articles of Christian Religion and a perswasion of the truth of Gods word in general but also a particular application of the gracious promises of the Gospel to the comfort of our own souls whereby we lay hold on Christ with all his benefits having an earnest trust and confidence in God that he will be merciful to us for his only Sons sake Articles 36. 37. This is almost the same that I have before alledged out of our Books of Homilies 6. I shewed before the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland to be seen in the Confession of Faith made by the late learned and Orthodox Assembly of Divines That God doth freely justifie those whom he hath effectually called not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone not by imputing faith it self the act of believing or any â—ther Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness C. 11. And in their larger Catechism p. 95. which would be very useâ—ul and profitable not only for all young Students but also for our â—roud conceited Photinian Divines to study they shew how Faith doth â—ustifie Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other graces which do always accompany it or of good works that are the fruits of it nor as if the grace of faith or any act thereof were imputed to him for his Justification but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness Gal. 3. 11. Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 4. 5. with Rom. 10. 10. Joh. 1. 12. Phil. 3. 9. Gal. 2. 16. I conclude this particular with what Cicero said Oratio 19. to Cataline Nihil horum ora vultusque movêre ART V. That the persons of true Believers in Christ are not justified before God by the righteousness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ imputed to them on Gods part and apprehended and applied by faith alone on their part THIS I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England 1. In her 11th Article of Religion We are accounted righteous before God only
me as God and are not satisfied with my flesh Psal 27. 2. When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh they stumbled and fell Upon which words St. Augustine saith thus Carnes nostras manducant qui nos persequuntur they that persecute us do eat our flesh 5. They shall burn her with fire that is they shall consume and destroy her as she is a Whore that is as she is an Idolatrous false and Antichristian Church but whether they shall go to Rome her seat and burn that with material fire in order to the destruction of this Mystical Babylon is not certain yet I dare not positively determine against it because all I have read except one are for it But this is certain that they shall be zealous against her and against her false Doctrine and false Worship and her cunning undermining of the Doctrine of the Gospel and the pure Worship of Christ and the true interests and ends of Christianity and to that end countenance maintain and protect and promote true and pure Gospel-worship and Doctrine and the assertors thereof and discountenance and suppress such persons as labour by power or policy to advance Antichristian Doctrines practises and interests for they know that they have crafty treacherous cruel powerful and malicious enemies to deal with Rev. 16. 13 14. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the Dragon and out of the Cardinals Bishops Jesuits mouth of the Beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet For they are the spirits of Devils working miracles which go forth unto the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of the great day of God Almighty 3. By the principal Author of her destruction v. 17. And God shall put it into their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree and give their Kingdom unto the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled Hence some learned men have conceived that those Kings at least some of them that have hated the great Whore and made her desolate and naked and have eaten her flesh but have not burnt her with fire that is have not utterly consumed her Idolatries false Doctrines Hierarchy Vide King James his Paraphrase upon Revel 17. p. 56. Revel 18. 9. Ceremonies Images Altars Laws c. but have retained them upon such grounds as may easily bring them in love again with the great Whore shall again give up their power and strength and Kingdoms to the beast the great Whore rides and consequently to her and her abominations that have been rejected and the industrious actings of some men to reconcile the Greek and Protestant Churches to the Church of Rome have increased the fear of that opinion Now what God will do I know not but I know that mens not receiving the love of the truth and their having pleasure in unrighteousness is a just and provoking cause thereof 2 Thes 2. 10 11 12. But I humbly conceive that though these words are placed immediately after the degrees of the great Whores destruction yet they do not necessarily imply that they shall agree again to give up their Kingdoms to the beast and so to the great Whore again but they are an assurance that God will make the ten horns or Kings Viis modis some one and some another way instrumental to destroy the great Whore as he hath promised And that because as what they did before in unanimously agreeing to give up their power and strength to the beast proceeded from God in his wise and wonderful Providence for the fulfilling of his words by his Prophets Dan. 7. 8 21 22 25 28. As he put it into their hearts to fulfill his will and to agree to give their Kingdoms to the beast to uphold Idolatry superstition heresie and the Whores tyrannies and this in just judgment against them so now he who hath the hearts of Kings in his hands will alienate their hearts from the great Whore and incline their wills to agree to hate her and to make her desolate and naked and to eat her flesh and to burn her with fire God is able to do it and he will do it in his appointed time Dan. 7. 25. Rev. 18. 3 4 5 6 7 8. For strong is the Lord who judgeth her 4. Lastly the great Whore is described most plainly by her seat or chief place of residence and therein Society and Government v. 18. and that is Rome And the woman which thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the Kings of the earth The Angel saw that there might be some that would in time suggest that other Cities were built upon seven Hills as Bishop Mountague in favour some think of the great Whore saith Constantinople is therefore prevents this Evasion and saith that the City where the great Whore of Babylon sits is that great City which did in St. John ' s time reign over the Kings of the earth he speaks of her in the present tense which reigneth over the Kings of the earth Now Constantinople was not then in being as it is now and hath been since Constantine of Byzantium made it the Head of the Oriental Empire and enlarged it and called it Constantinople and it did not reign then in St. John's time over the Kings of the earth as Rome did and therefore it cannot be this great City Rome did in St. John's time and long after reign over the Kings of the earth as Poets Fathers * Ribera Bellarmine Cornel. a Lapide and Papists themselves acknowledg it 's a shame for Protestants to question much more to deny it But this Woman succeeds in that City and Polity to govern it and the whole Empire as it is a beast This Woman is not a singular person but a City or Polity and society of men governing in that great city Rome which in St. John's time did reign over the Kings of the earth the whole Empire So now this great Whore there sits and rides the beast the Empire at least it did so as Idolatrous as in St. John's time the Woman the great city of Rome not the walls houses and streets but the citizens and not every one of them but the Rulers the Emperours Senators and Officers ruled that great city reigned over it and over the Kings of the earth so now the Woman the great Whore the Pope the two-horned beast and his Cardinals and Clergy and Officers reign or at least did so over the Kings of the earth which is ascribed to the whole Ciey because the Head and Officers and Rulers thereof did and do it And this Seat of this Babylonical beast or great Whore or Antichrist may be found in his number 666 as Dr. More in his Synopsis Apocalyptica relates of which he Synops Apocalyp l. 1. c. 15. Sec. 10. p. 314 saith he hath treated largely in his Mystery of Godliness
that they 〈◊〉 things indifferent which may be abâ—sed or well used Answ This 〈◊〉 yielded in part Flowers are wrougâ—â— in Carpets Arras and Pictures 〈◊〉 Princes printed or stamped in theâ—â— Coyns which when Christ did see in the Roman Coyn we read 〈◊〉 that he reprehended it neither do we condemn the art of Painting and Image-making as wicked of themselves but we would grant them that Images used for no Religion or Superstition rather we mean Images of none worshipped nor in danger to be worshipped of any may be suffered But Images placed publickly in Temples cannot possibly be without danger of worshipping and Idolatry wherefore they are not publickly to be had or suffered in Temples The Jews to whom the Law was first given and should best know the meaning of it would not suffer Images publickly to be in the Temple at Jerusalem though no worshipping was required at their hands but rather offered themselves to death than to assent that Images should be once placed in the Temple neither would they suffer any Image-maker among them And Origen added this clause lest their minds should be plucked from God to the contemplation of earthly things And they are much commended for this earnest zeal in maintaining Gods honour and true Religion P. 45. And truth it is that Jews and Turks who abhor Images and Idols as directly forbidden in Gods Word will never come to the truth of our Religion while the stumbling-blocks of Images remain among us and lie in their way And P. 49. What meaneth it that Christians after the use of the Gentiles Idolaters cap and knee before Images is not this stooping and kneeling before them adoration of them which is forbidden so directly by Gods Word P. 50. Satan desiring to rob God of his honour desireth exceedingly that such honour might be given to him wherefore those which give the honour due to the Creator to any creature do service acceptable to no Saints who be the friends of God but unto Satan Gods and mans mortal and sworn enemy Obj. But they say that they do not worship the Image as the Gentiles did their Idols but God and the Saints whom the Images do represent and therefore that their doings before Images are not like the Idolatry of the Gentiles before their Idols Answ 'T is answered thus St. Augustine Lactantius and Clemens do prove evidently that by this their answer they be all one with the Gentiles-Idolaters The Gentiles saith St. Augustine which seem to be of the purer Religion say We worship not the Images but by the corporal Images we do behold the signs of the things which we ought to worship And Lactantius saith the Gentiles say we fear not the Images but them after whose likenesses the Images be made and to whose names they be consecrated And Clemens saith that Serpent the Devil uttereth these words by the mouth of certain men We to the honour of the invisible God worship visible Images which surely is not false See how in using the same excuses which the Gentile-Idolaters pretended they shew themselves to join with them in Idolatry For notwithstanding this excuse Augustine Lactantius and Clemens prove them Idolaters And the Scriptures say they worship stocks and stones notwithstanding this excuse even as our Image-mongers do And Ezekiel therefore calleth the gods of the Assyrians stocks and stones although they were but Images of their gods So are our Images of God and the Saints named by the names of God and his Saints after the use of the Gentiles What should it mean that they according as did the Gentile-Idolaters light Candles at noon-time or at midnight before them but therewith to honour them for other use is none of so doing for in the day it needeth not but was ever a Proverb of foolishness to light a candle at noon-day And in the night it availeth not to light a candle before the blind and God hath neither use nor honour thereof By which it appeareth that Are not Tapers appearances of the same Religion to be abstained from as well as candles we do agree with the Gentile-Idolaters in our Candle-Religion And P. 52. As the Gentiles so our Image-maintainers have invented and spread many lying-tales and written many Fables and Miracles of Images And P. 53. Among the holy Relicks they have they say the tayl of the Asse on which our Saviour rode which they offer to be kissed and to be offered unto And P. 55. The having of Images in Churches publickly hath not only brought us to worshipping of them but to worshipping of them with the same kind of worship wherewith they worship the Copy as the Homily shews out of Naclaâ—tus Bishop of Clugium And P. 56. the Homily saith thus Having shewed and proved that our Images have been be and will be worshipped and by their own confession that they ought to be worshipped I will out of Gods Word make this general argument against all such makers setters up and maintainers of Images in publick places thus And first I will begin with the words of our Saviour Christ Wo be to that man by whom an offence is given Wo be to him that * Is there not the same reason against Popish Ceremonies and other unnecessary things offendeth one of these little ones or weak ones Mat. 18. Better were it for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the midst of the sea and drowned than that he should offend one of these little ones or weak ones And in Deut. 27. God himself denounceth him accursed that maketh the blind to wander out of the way And in Levit. 19. Thou shalt not lay a stumbling-block or stone before the blind But Images have been be and as afterwards shall be proved ever * May not the same be said of Popish Ceremonies Con the Popes Nuncio brought with him into England in A. B. Laud ' s reign many Reliques of Saints Medals and pieces of gold with the Popes picture on them to seduce the Ladies of the Court and Country Heylin ' s Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 358. will be offences and stumbling-blocks especially to the weak simple and blind common people deceiving their hearts by the cunning of the Artificer as the Scripture expresly in sundry places doth testifie and so bringeth them to Idolatry and therefore wo be to the erector setters up and maintainers of Images in Churches for a greater penalty remaineth for them than the death of the body Obj. If it be replied that this offence may be taken away by diligent and sincere doctrine and preaching of Gods Word as by other means and that Images in Churches therefore be not things absolutely evil to all men although dangerous to some and therefore that it were to be holden that the publick having of them in Churches is not expedient as a thing perilous rather than unlawful and utterly wicked Ans This will be answered by proving the third Article which
the pure Word of God as they do in Ecclesiasticus 25. which is appointed to be read only to the 13 verse And in Ecclâ—s 30. which is to be read only to 18th verse And Ecclâ—s 46. which is to be read only to v. 20. where the 20th verse which saith That Samuel prophesied after his death and shewed the King his death and lift up his voice from the earth to prophesie to blot out the wickedness of the people is omitted because as I suppose the ancient Fathers have judged it to be contrary to the pure Word of God and if upon that account that be left out 't is thought that upon the same account Chap. 48. should be cut off at v. 13. or that left out which saith that nothing as the old Translation and as Junius hath it ulla res or as the last hath it No word could overcome Elizeus and that after his death his body prophesied For every Book of the Apocrypha hath falshoods in Doctrine or History as the learned †Sum of Christ Relig. p. 14. 15. A. B. Vsher saith and shews in many particulars in every Book where 't is observed by him and Jerome and Bishop * Fascic controv c. 1. q. 2. p. 14. Prideaux that Philo the Jew who lived since Christ is judged the Author of the Book of Wisdom though he would make the world believe that †See the Title and c. 9. the old Translation Solomon was the Author of it Now I pray give me leave to propose to the godly wife some few passages I have glanced upon in reading that Book whether they are agreeable to Gods pure Word 1. Whether that be true and agreeable to Sacred Scripture That God made not death Wisd 1. 13. seeing it is said Gen. 2. 17. In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die And Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed unto all men once to die and after that to judgment Pray who but God hath appointed it and whether God may not as well be said to make death as darkness Gen. 1. Exod. 10. 21 22. Josh 24. 7. Psal 104. 20. Thou makest darkness 2. Whether there be no poyson of destruction in any of Gods creatures as 't is said there is not Wisd 1. 14. seeing Adders Asps Serpents Toads Spiders c. have poyson in them as is evident Deut. 34. 24 33. Job 20. 16. Psal 58. 4. Psal 140. 3. Rom. 3. 13. And was not King John poysoned to death 3. Whether that be a true and a good expression and agreeable to Gods pure Word which is in Wisd 2. 2. For we are born at all adventures in the Latin 't is thus Casu nati sumus i. e. We are born by chance Seeing the expression sounds very ill among Christians who deny chance and ascribe all events to Gods Providence the Scriptures indited by the infallible Magic Phis l. 1. c. 3. p. 57. Spirit of God being the rule alone for Doctrine and manners to them saying That a sparrow doth not fall to the ground without the Providence of God and that our hairs are numbred Mat. 10. 29 30. And that God begat us and formed us Deut. 32. 18. Isa 44. 2. And Job telle us that God brought him out of the womb Job 10. 18. Now I hope you will not say that God doth cause any thing by chance or at all peradventure because all things are ordered and come to pass according to the counsel of God Act. 2. 23. Act. 4. 28. and the †Sum of Christian Relig. p. 109 110. Reverend and learned A. B. Vsher whom we Christians should credit more than Philo the Jew saith expresly That nothing cometh to pass by meer hap or chance but as God in his eternal knowledg and just will hath decreed before should come no pass And that of wise Solomon Prov. 16. 33. is very remarkable The lot is cast into the lap but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. 2. The words are not true quoad nos homines but sound very ill in the School of Philosophy as well as of Divinity for Philosophers tell us That chance is a cause by accident of those things which are undertaken without election or counsel and an effect by accident is that which doth happen besides the intention of the agent And they make this difference between Fortune and Chance That fortune is ascribed to those things that are endued with reason and will as when a man digs a Well and finds a treasure finding the treasure an effect they say iâ— by accident and is by them ascribed to Fortune And Chance they say is a cause of the events which do happen about things that are destitute of will and reason as when a glass falls from a table upon the ground yet is not broken this they say is an effect by accident and is by them ascribed to Chance But now we have reason and will when we are born and our parents also who are the chief agents in our birth have reason and will and do act in our births not only as natural agents but also as rational creatures and are causes by themselves of our births for they do effect Causae per se our births by their own faculty that is by nature or counsel and they do not effect our births by accident by a strange faculty that is besides the propension of nature or purpose of mind neither do we our selves in our births so act for we have a natural inclination when our Months are finished to be born and our Parents have the like natural propension to bring us forth and therefore we cannot be truly said to be born by chance or at all adventure or by fortune and if so then our births should be effects by accident that is happen besides the intention and expectation of the agent which cannot be for our birth is intended and expected 3. Besides too I do not remember the word applied to all among us but only to bastards who indeed in our common discourse are said to come or to be born by chance but untruly too as is shewed above But this sense would sound very ill among us if applied to all persons how to make a true and good sense of the words I know not 4. Whether that be an universal truth and agreeable to Gods word in Wisd 3. 12 13. to be read October 14. speaking of the ungodly that despise wisdom thus Their wives are foolish and their children wicked and their off-spring cursed Was not Abigail the wife of churlish drunken ingrateful Nabal a wise and chaste woman who by her prudence pacified incensed David and saved her husbands and servants lives and restrained him from shedding innocent blood And was Jonathan the Son of Saul a wicked man and cursed was King Hezekiah the Son of wicked King Ahaz a wicked and cursed child Is it not directly contrary to Gods pure Word which shews that Ahaz was a
wicked man and that Hezekiah was an eminently godly man and King as may be seen 2 King 16. 20. 2 King 18. 2 Chron. 〈◊〉 ult 2 Chron. 29. 2 Chron. 30. 2 Chron. 31. 20. And was Abijah the Son of wicked Jeroboam who made Israel to sin a wicked child and curseâ— off-spring Doth not the Lord say of him thus That all Israel 〈◊〉 mourn for him for he only shall come to the grave because in him there is found some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam 1 King 14. 13. Doth it not hence follow that none of the wives of wicked men are wise and none of their children shall be saved â—nd it will not shift it off by saying that the words are only indefinite and sound no more but this that some wicked mens wiveâ— are foolish that is light and wanton and that some of wicked mens children are wicked and cursed for so it may be said of truly godly mens wives and children as we may see in Davids and Solomons and then what punishment or discouragement is this more to the ungodly than to the godly and therefore that is not the sense and was not the meaning of the Author but the former which is false and not agreeable to Gods pure word of truth 5. Whether that in Wisd 3. 16 17 18 19 verses be agreeable to the pure word of God which is As for the children of adulterers they shall not come to their perfection and the seed of an unrighteous bed shall be rooted out for though they live long yet shall they be nothing regarded and their last age shall be without honour or if they die quickly they have no hope neither comfort in the day of trial For horrible is the end of the unrighteous generation Now I pray are these things universally true of Bastards or not that they are not so 〈◊〉 A. B. Vsher saith of this see his cruel sentence against Bastards Sum. of Ch. Relig. pag. 16. consider 1. That Jephthah was a bastard Judg. 11. 1 2. and yet he came to his perfection and though he was cast out so as he did not inherit his fathers land yet he lived long and he was regarded and his last age was with honour for he was a valiant vertuous and victorious man and was chosen first by the Gileadites to be General of all their forces and afterward he was chosen Judg of all Israel and he ruled Israel six years ond he had hope and comfort in the day of tryal for he is reckoned by the Apostle amongst those believing worthies of whom he saith that the world was not worthy of them Heb. 11. 32 38. he was endued with the spirit of prudence and fortitude yea and was a truly godly man as appears by his prudent and just dealing with the Ammonites and his conscientious keeping of his rash vow though 't was so much against his own interest and disadvantageous to his only child And his death was not more horrible than other mens the Scripture speaks no evil of his death as it doth of several wicked mens Sauls Ahabs Achitophels Jehorams Jezabels and Judas's and others but only that he died after he had judged Israel six years and that he was buried in one of the cities of Gilead his own country 2. 'T is against the express Text of Scripture and scope of the Spirit of God in Ezek. 18. 4 8 17 20. which saith That it shall be no more said that the parents have eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edg For the soul that sinneth it shall die The children shall not be punished for the fathers fault 3. Adulterers and Adulteresses that were infamous by their own fault have had hope and have been saved as we may see in K. David and Rahab and therefore sure Bastards that are not infamous through their own default but only as such through the sin of their Parents may have hope and may through Gods mercy upon their repentance for their own sins and faith in Christ be saved too eternally 4. If this of Philo were universally true then no man could ordinarily be fully perswaded and sure of his Salvation which is a Doctrine that may bring true born children into an uncomfortable condition and make them almost without hope and bring them to a terrible end 5. Pharez the son of Judah begotten adulterously upon â—is Daughter-in-law Tam. r was a bastard Ceâ— 38 and yet was no 〈◊〉 miserable person as the Author of the Book of Wisdom describes a bastard to be For he was a hopeful yea a blessed man God so blessed Pharez that among the Posterity of Judah it was said in craving a blessing on a family Let thy house be like the house of Pharez whom Tamar bare unto Judah Ruth 4. 12. Yea he was honoured with being one of our Lord and Saviour Christs Progenitors according to his humane nature as ye may see by comparing Ruth 4. 18 19 20 21 22. 1 Chron. 2. 4 5. Mat. 1. 3. Luk. 3 33. 6. Whether that in Wisd 8. 19 20. said to be spoken of Solomon as the The ninth Chapter is called Solomon's Prayer in the old Translation words preceding and succeeding shew be agreeable to Gods pure word viz. For I was a witty child and had a good spirit yea rather being good I came into a body undefiled and do not rather savour of much base pride and be not directly contrary to true Solomon's Doctrine Prov. 27. 2 Let another man praise thee and not thy own mouth a stranger and not thine own lips and do not smell very rankly of the * Upon this account Bishop Prideaux condemns this Book Fascic controv c. 1. q. 2. p. 14. Pythagoreans and the Pharisees error who held That the souls of good men when they die go not immediately to heaven and there remain but into the bodies of other good men as †De Bello Judaico l. 2. c. 7. Josephus relates of the Pharisees Yea and do not virtually deny original sin for he saith that he had a good spirit which I take to be meant of his soul for 't is in the Latin Bonam animam fortitus eram and that he was good i. e. of a good soul and that he came into a body undefiled i. e. with sin what else is or can be the meaning For I am of their opinion that hold that the first sin of Adam our common father was and is imputed to all us his posterity descending from him by ordinary generation and that we naturally want that original righteousness which was in Adam and that we are prone to sin which proneness to sin is propagated to us by or with the seed of our Parents Of which to discourse here would take up too much time and paper but this I do but hint I intend the Pharisees error which I conceive is not agreeable to the pure Word of God in Zach. 12. 1.
Homilies fit to be read in publick to teach people manners 3. That they do not explain * Ecclesiasticus or the Book of Wisdom saith the first Prologue to it contains many dark sentences and parables many things in the Canonical Scripures but are as obscure as I hinted before the 24th Chapter of Ecclesiasticus is and might be manifested in many more yea they obscure the holy Scriptures and render them doubtful yea they are contrary to the Canonical A. B. Vsher Sum of Ch Relig p. 15. and Diodate say and shew that Baruch is contrary to Sacred Scripture and in 2 Mac. 12. 42 43 44 45. is prayer for the Dead which is condemned by all our sound Divines Scriptures 4. If their conformity to the Canonical Scriptures for the most part be a sufficient reason for their appointment to be read in publick I humbly conceive that there might be found many Nonconformists works as Mr. Allen's Vindiciae Pietatis Mr. Ball 's Catechism a Treatise of the Covenant Mr. Burrough his four Treatises Mr. Dod upon the Commandments Dr. Jacomb upon Rom. 8. Mr. Jeanes his mixture of Scholastical with Practical Divinity wherein he hath clearly worsted your great Goliahs Dr. Hamond and Dr. Taylor Dr. Manton's work upon James and Jude Dr. Spurstow of the Promises Mr Watson's Sermons and many others which I name not because I have not read them more conformable to the pure word of God than these Apocryphal Books but especially the learned Assembly of Divines their larger and shorter Catechisms and Confession of Faith commended by learned A B. Vsher as the best that ever were made by any Church since the Apostles times in which I believe the severest Conformist that is cannot by all his wit and learning clearly prove by Canonical Scripture any error either concerning Faith or manners and therefore sure if the Bishops reason be good they are more fit and profitable to be appointed to be read and taught in publick than the Apocryphal Books that are appointed by our Bishops 5. Papists 't is to be feared will say that Th. Aquinas his Sums and Pet. Lumbard his Sentences collected out of the ancient Fathers are for the most part conformable to the Canonical Scriptures and that therefore by our Bishops reason they may be read as well as the Sacred Scriptures at least for instruction for manners what they will say for their lying Legends as Protestants commonly call them I know not but I am sure that several of our learned Protestants as well as Jerome and Augustine of old look upon Tobit and Judith the History of Susanna Bell and the Dragon to be but Comedies Romances or feigned Stories such as the Popish Legends are A B. * Sum of Christian Relig. p. 15 16. Vsher calls many of the Apocryphal Books fables Bishop †Fascic contr cap. 1. q. 2. pag. 16. Prideaux saith 't is uncertain whether Tobit Judith the fragments of Susanna Bell and the Dragon are not rather to be taken for Comedies or fictions than true Narrations Diodate in his Advertisement concerning Apocryphal Books saith That the matter of the Book is full of strange Narrations that have neither ground nor conformity with Authentical Scripture as those of the love of a Devil to a chaste and holy maiden of the death of her husbands of the manner of driving him away of binding him to a certain place of the long conversâ—â—â— of the holy Angel with him things which do savour of a Jewish fable composed for delight to give some instruction of vertue according to the manner of that Nation which seems to be confirmed because neither in Josephus a curious searcher of Jewish Antiquities as Bishop Prideaux assures me nor any other Jewish Author there is any tract of this History That Judith is a feigned Narration he proves by undeniable Arguments The Additions to Daniel of which the Song of the three Children is part part of which was gotten into our Common-Prayer-Book in the Benedicite and the History of Susanna and Bell and the Dragon are other parts Aman. Polanus affirms that St. Jerome Polan Syntag. l. 1. c. 34. p. 63. and Augustine call them Fables Obj. But Bishop Prideaux saith further in answer to this Objection That Canonical Scriptures are laid by and Apocryphals substituted in their stead to be read in publick That in eading that is not always proposed which 〈◊〉 Bishop Prideaux Fasc Controversiarum cap. 1. q. 2. p. 16. in itâ—s self most excellent but that which doth most serve to the edification of the hearers 1 Cor. 14. 26. That when their Apocryphals are read they are not equalled with Canonicals but are interposed as certain easie institutes which excite the slower hearers to embrace the Canonicals as Homilies and Sermons do Answ To this I answer 1. That these things are said but not proved 2. That if the Bishops Answer be to the Objection his words imply That the reading of the Apocryphals which are fabulous erroneous and contrary to the word of truth is more inservient to the edification of the hearers than the reading of Gods holy and pure word of Truth is which I deny and prove to be false thus 〈◊〉 That which is either the pure Word of God or is consonant thereunto and so free from fabulousness falseness approbation of toleration of evil must needs be more conducing to edification of the hearers than that which is fabulous false and contrary to the Word of God both for Doctrine of faith and manners and approves of and tolerates sin but that the latter is so of Apocryphals I have proved and the former you dare not deny of Canonicals Ergo your Apocryphals do not conduce more to the edification of the hearers than the pure and true Word of God doth 2. Thus that which teacheth false things and evil manners doth not edifie the hearers more than that which teacheth nothing but the truth and good manners But Ergo your Apocryphals do not build upward but downward they do edificare ad Gehennam as Tertullian ad ruinam as another speaks they build men down to Hell and prepare men to destruction Their publick reading actively scandalizeth for a scandal is a word or deed spoken or done yielding to another occasion of ruin and you cannot Aquinas 22. q. 43. a. 1. c. Scandalum est dictum vel factum minus rectum praebens alteri occasionem ruinae plead that 't is accidental as 't is said of Gods Word for the reading and preaching of Gods Word is commanded and so necessary but reading of Apocryphals is not commanded by God and is therefore unnecessary and being erroneous both for matters of faith and manners is of it self * Aquin. 22. q. 43. a. 1 ad 4. inductive to sin to sinful opinions affections and practises as may by any understanding Christian be evidenced in those Particulars I have instanced in before 3. 'T is evident that if not for