Confusions and therefore there is such an one This is to argue from our own Fancies what God should do and not what he has done And they might as well conclude the Being of an Universal Infallible Judg over all the World in Temporal Matters for the Peace of the World which yet we see is not appointed as such an one over the Church for the Peace of the Church But it is not to be expected that all Differences in Religion should cease in this World for there must be Heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. As there were Heresies even in the Apostles Times though they were Infallible which is an Argument that Infallibility in any if it were is no certain means to prevent Heresies or Divisions If Men be modest and humble and teachable God hath provided sufficient means for their direction in the plainness of the Rule which he has given in all things necessary and appointing Guides for their direction in doubtful things if they will follow their instruction But if Men be governed with Prejudice and Passion they would not hearken to an Infallible Judg if there were one And Christ the Judg of all will take an account of such Men in due time when the Great Judgment-Day shall come Then the Tares shall be gathered together and bound in bundles to be burnt and the Wheaâ— shall be gathered into the Barn Mat. 13. But this Judgment in the mean time is to be suspended till that Day shall come But that Men may judg for themselves in some things without an Infallible Judg our Adverâ—aries themselves are fain to allow For how else 〈◊〉 they judg in the Controversy about the Infallible Judg himself whether there be such an onâ— or 〈◊〉 and who it is and of the Scriptures and Reasons that are brought to prove it And if they may judg of this Controversy and of these Scriptures and Reasons without an Infallible Judg then why may they not also of others which are as necessary and of other Scriptures and Reasons in other Points which are as plain as they And then there is no need of an Infallible Judg at all As for the pretended Infallibility of the Church of Rome for the qualifying it to be such a Judg If the Church of Rome be infallible then it must be so either as it is a Christian Church and because it is so And then all Christian Churches would be Infallible likewise and not that only Or as it is an Apostolical Church planted by the Apostles if it were so and then all the Churches that were planted by the Apostles would be so likewise and this would give no particular priviledg to the Church of Rome Or as it hath continued down a succession of Pastors from the Apostles by whom there is a safe conveyance of Apostolical Doctrine and Tradition to the present Age But if this be so then all the Churches that have had such a Succession will be Infallible likewise as well as the Church of Rome as the Grecian Church which hath had the like Succession and upon this Principle the Church of England may come in for a share too But indeed this proves the Infallibility of no particular Church at all because of the uncertainty of Tradition therein notwithstanding such Succession which may arise from many Causes No more then it did the Infallibility of the Jewish Church notwithstanding that it had a continual Succession of the Priests and Pastors as much as the Church of Rome or any other Church whatsoever can pretend unto And therefore we are not to have respect to any Church Pastor or Pastors as Infallible nor to bind up our Judgments to them as such upon the account of any such Succession Aaron was called to the High Priesthood immediatly by God himself but was he therefore infallible or were the People bound to follow him when he made an Idol Exod. 32. Vriah was a Priest by an uninterrupted Succession from Aaron was he therefore Infallible or to be followed when he overturn'd the Service of God and Introduc'd Idolatry into the Temple Caiaphas the Chief Priest was so by an uninterrupted Succession for 1500 Years ought he therefore to be followed when he condemened Jesus Christ for a Blasphemer or were the Resolutions of the Council where he was President Infallible when Jesus Christ was declared worthy of Death The Pharisees sat in Moses Chair and the Disciples are bid observe and do whatso 〈◊〉 they said unto them ought one therefore with them to have rejected Jesus Christ By that word therefore whatsoever he doth not mean every thing without limitation but whatsoever was agreeable to the Law of Moses So that they were to judg for themselves what was or what was not so agreeable Mat. 16. 6. It is foretold that ravening Wolves should arise from among the Bishops of the Churches Doth their Succession of Orthodox Bishops oblige the Sheep of our Lord therefore to follow them as Infallible The Son of Perdition was to sit in the Temple of God but was he therefore Infallible or to be followed in his Revolt If the Church of Rome be then Infallible and yet not so upon the former Accounts Is it then by reason of its Relation to its first pretended Bishop St. Peter who was Infallible and by reason of his dying there and his leaving his Priviledges to his Successors of that See But though St. Peter was Infallible how doth it appear that this was more than a personal Priviledg and in which therefore he was to have no Successor As the Infallibility of the rest of the Apostles was a personal Priviledg and in which they were to have no Successors As for St. Peter's Headship over the Church and that of the Bishops of Rome as his Successors it is refuted in the foregoing Chapters But if the Church of Rome be Infallible none of these ways and yet is so then must it not be by virtue of some particular Promise by which Infallibility is annexed to the Church But where is that Promise As for the Apostles calling the Church The Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. If it proves any thing it proves the Infallibility of the Church of Ephesus and not that of Rome For the Apostle speaks of that Church in which Timothy was Bishop which was the Church of Ephesus But indeed it signifies the Churches Duty and not her Performance and may be likewise applied rather to Timothy himself than to the Church As for that saying Mat. 18. 17. Tell it unto the Church If that proves the Infallibility of a Church it proves the Infallibility of every Church And so the Church of Rome will get nothing particularly by it for the Direction is given to every particular Member in case of Scandal offered by him to his Brother And whither is such an one to make his Complaints but to the Church of which he is a Member And indeed it is only an Institution of Church-Discipline in every Church
XXVIII That those Masses are to be approved and commended where the Priest communicates alone 172 XXIX That the Sacrament is to be administred in one kind only and the use of the Cup kept from the People 175 Some Prejudices of the Church of Rome answered Sect. 1. They accuse our Doctrine of Novelty 181 2. They say we had no Call 184 3. They Object to us the Divisions that are amongst the Reformed 188 That there are some Places more Holy than others and that it is a Work of Piety to go in Pilgrimage to them 192 That the Sacraments do confer Grace by the Work done 196 Of the Holy Scripture and Traditions CHAP. I. That all saving-Truth is not contained in the Holy Scripture but partly in the Scripture and partly in unwritten Traditions which whosoever doth not receive with the like Piety and Reverence as he does the Scriptures is accursed Concil Trident. Sess 4. Decret de Can. Script COntrary to that which is written in the second Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. vers 15. The holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus That which is able to make us wise unto Salvation contains in it all saving Truth that is all that is necessary to be known in order to Salvation For how else can it make us wise to Salvation How can the Holy Scripture make us wise unto Salvation if it doth not contain all saving Truth or all that is necessary to be known in order to Salvation Vers 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for instruction in Righteousness that the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works Mow if the Man of God who is to instruct others and to declare to them the whole Counsel of God so far as is necessary for their attainment of Salvation be perfectly instructed for the discharge of his Duty from the Scripture then the Scripture must needs contain all saving Truth or all that is necessary to be known both by him and every particular Christian in order to Salvation And note that it is not our part to show what those Scriptures then were which the Apostle here intends they being confessedly the same which are still contained in the Canon of it But whatever they were it is plain from the Apostle that there is no saving Truth but what is contained in them which yet doth not derogate from the usefulness of those Books which were added to the Canon afterwards whatever they were they being useful however as Comments upon the former to clear up what was before less clearly delivered or to declare some Truths of less necessary importance though all that was necessary to Salvation was delivered before So that we must needs apprehend the Scripture as it is now to be a compleat Rule of Faith without taking in any thing of unwritten Tradition to piece it up or compleat it Before Divine Doctrine was committed to writing Men had no other Rule but natural Light or immediate Revelation or Tradition of what was before made known And when the Lives of Men were long Divine Doctrine might better be conveighed this way than it can be now And in our Saviour's the Apostles Time this might serve the turn for the present Age in which there was a continuation of extraordinary Gifts and especially to the immediate Auditors of these inspired Persons But in the shorter Age of Men this was not thought a safe or sufficient means to conveigh down Divine Doctrine to the following Ages And therefore it was thought more expedient to put down in writing what was to be made known to after-Ages for the more sure preservation of all such Truths from Corruption and to be a standing Rule to which they might have recourse upon all occasions Thus God himself wrote the Ten Commandments in Tables of Stone And Moses by God's direction wrote the Law as the Prophets afterwards did their several Prophecies or a brief Summary of them For it is said 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given b◠inspiration of God. And sometimes we find express direction for the writing of some things which were to be transmitted to future Ages As Exod. 17. 14. Write this for a Memorial in a Book And Isa 30. 8. Now go write it before them in a Table and note it in a Book that it may be for the Time to come for ever and ever And Psal 102. 18. This shall be written for the Generation to come Whereby is intimated the great need of writing then to conveigh a certain notice of things to future Ages and which implies the Incompetency and Insufficiency of Tradition for that purpose And when once it had pleased God to commit the Holy Rule to writing we find the Scripture commended for a perfect Direction Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul. And Tradition is no where commended or any order given to have recourse to it in any case but to the Holy Scripture alone Thus Isa 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no Light in them Thus Joshua was directed to govern himself in all his Actions by the same Holy Rule and therein should prosper and do wisely Josh 1. 7. That thou mayst observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my Servant commanded thee Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left And vers 8. This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein The same also did Joshua prescribe to his Successors Chap. 23. 6. And the King when he sat upon the Throns of his Kingdom was to write him a Copy of this Law in a Book and read therein all the days of his life Deut. 17. 18 19. And this was the way to have him prosperous and to prolong his days Here is nothing at all left to Tradition nor any recourse to be had to it but to the written Law alone intimated as perfect to all the intents and purposes of a good and holy Life There were no other Ordinances to be observed but what were contained in the Law which forbad all Additions Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish from it So again Chap. 12. 32. so Prov. 30. 6. Add thou not unto his Words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a 〈◊〉 For this the Children of Israel were condemned Jer. 32. 35. that they built the high Places of Baal to consecrate their Sons and their Daughters unto Molech which I commanded them not The Reformation of the Church therefore under Jehoshaphat that good King was made by the Scripture That was their Rule alone 2 Chron.
Doctrine that was delivered in the Promises of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah And for the same reason there was no necessity that Miracles should be wrought by our Reformers it being their Business not to teach any new Doctrine but to restore what was already taught and formerly confirmed by Miracles And it is moreover to be observed that neither our Saviour nor his Apostles did insist upon Miracles alone as the only Test of the Truth of their Doctrine but in conjunction with the Predictions and Prophecies of the Old Testament which were fulfilled in our Saviour's Person and in his Works and Doctrine as may appear by our Saviour's own method which he took for the conviction of others Luke 24. 25 26. where he appeals to all that the Prophets have spoken concerning himself And by his referring them to the Scriptures for their information John 5. 39. And so St. Peter corroborates the Testimony of the Resurrection of Christ with David's prediction of it Acts 2. 22 24. And refers likewise to the Prophecies of the Old Testament as the most sure Rule 2 Pet. 1. 16 17. And St. Paul in his preaching said none other things than those which the Prophets and Moses did say should come Act. 26. 22. So that the Jews were to receive our Saviour and his Doctrine not barely upon the account of his Miracles but as in conjunction with the Doctrine and Prophecies of the Old Testament and so as having all the concurrent Characters of a Divine Revelation And we have much less reason now to receive any Doctrine from any Persons or Church upon the account of any Miracles wrought or pretended to be wrought by them unless it be likewise conformed to the Doctrine of the Scriptures already delivered and confirmed by which it is to be tried We are also forewarn'd in the Scriptures that it may please God sometimes to permit Signs and Wonders to be wrought for the trial of Men whether they will adhere to the True Doctrine already delivered and sufficiently confirm'd And the false Prophets and Teachers shall make use of such Methods to propagate their false Doctrines Therefore this can be no proper Mark or Character of a true Prophet true Doctrine or a true Church Thus Deut. 13. 1 2 3. If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee a Sign or a Wonder And the Sign or Wonder come to pass of which he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other Gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken to the words of that Prophet or that Dreamer of Dreams â—or the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your Heart and with all your Soul. Mat. 24. 24 25. False Christs and false Prophets shall arise and shall shew great Signs and Wonders that if it were possible they shall deceive the very Elect. Behold I have told you before Is not this a fair warning 2 Thess 2. 9. That wicked One viz. the Son of Perdition his coming shall be after the working of Satan with all Power and Signs and lying Wonders This is the very Mark and Livery of the Son of Perdition Rev. 13. 13 14. And he doth great Wonders viz. the Beast that had Horns like a Lamb so that he maketh Fire come down from Heaven on the Earth in the sight of Men and deceiveth them that dwell on the Earth by the means of those Miracles that he had power to do in the sight of the Beast And some it seems shall be deceived thereby For the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter Times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits 1 Tim. 4. 1. The so many pretended Miracles of the Romish Church then give us cause of suspicion that all is not right It is for them to pretend to Miracles that want other confirmation of their Doctrine but when we preach only the Doctrine already confirm'd we do not need them Gal. 1. 8. But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preach'd unto you let him be accursed It is in vain to alleadg Miracles to confirm a false Doctrine for it is not the preaching or apparition of an Angel is enough to recommend it and if not so then not any other Miracle So that we are to try the Doctrines now not by Miracles but by its consonancy to and correspondency with the Doctrine of the Scriptures already establish'd And we must judg of the Miracles themselves by the Doctrine and not the Doctrine by them And as we are to judg of the Doctrine so we are to judg of the Church that teacheth it And have cause to suspect Miracles now as the Marks of Deceivers who we are foretold shall pretend to them than to take them as Tests of true Doctrine or Marks of the true Church It is the Character of the Pharisees never to be contented with the Miracles that have been sufficiently wrought but still to expect more Mat. 16. 1. But we are contented with the Miracles already wrought by our Saviour and his Apostles And since we teach no other Doctrine than what was taught by them we may say of good right that their Miracles are our Miracles and that they authorize our belief So that we shall think not one jot the worse of our selves now for want of this Mark nor one jot the better of the Church of Rome for its pretending to it CHAP. VIII That St. Peter was supreme Pastor and Governour under Christ and had a primÌ„acy of Dominion over the Church and that the Pope is so as his Successor Catechism Roman par 1. de 9. Artic. Symbol §. 11. THis is the main Foundation of all the glorious Pretences of the Bishop and Church of Rome Upon this it is that they arrogate so great Authority to themselves over all the Churches of Christ throughout the World and over all their Members The Roman Church is defined to be the Mother and Mistress of all Churches Fourth General Council of Lateran Can. 2. Council of Trent Sess 7. Can. 3 c. And the Roman Bishop defined to be the Vicar of God and Christ and the Successor of St. Peter and to have the supreme Pastorship over the Vniversal Church Council of Trent Sess 6. de reformat cap. 1. Sess 15. cap. 7. But the very Foundation of all that St. Peter had such an Headship and Rule over the whole Church above the rest of the Apostles is overthrown by many Texts of Scripture Mark 10. 42 43 c. Jesus called unto them and said Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and their great Ones exercise Authority upon them But so shall it not be among you but whosoever will be Great among you shall be your Minister and whosoever of you will be Chiefest shall be
there any thing here that does not exactly agree to them And how unlikely is all this to give Men much Instruction Habak 2. 18. What profiteth the graven Image that the Maker thereof hath graven it The molten Image and a teacher of Lies What Instruction or Teaching can it give to set out God and the Holy Trinity by the Resemblances before-mentioned or to dress out God like a Pope with a Miter and a Triple Crown which yet they often do and make Ale-house Signs with such Pictures Is not this to expose the Divine Nature to contempt and scorn instead of giving any good Instruction But as the making of the Images of God is cried down and condemned in the Scripture so of any other likewise in order to their being worshipp'd or bowed down to and the bowing down to any Image is condemned which equally respects Popish Images as any others To the Law above-mentioned Exod. 24. add Levit. 26. 1. Ye shall make no Idols nor graven Images neither rear you up a standing Image neither shall you set up any Image of Stone in your Land to bow down to it for I am the Lord your God. Deut. 27. 15. Cursed be the Man that maketh any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord the Work of the hands of the Crafts-man Isa 2. 8 9. The Jews are severely reproved for this Their Land is full of Idols they worship the Work of their own Hands that which their own Fingers have made And the mean Man boweth down and the great Man humbleth himself therefore forgive them not It is not the worshipping of Images as they are the Images of false Gods that the Prophet condemns them for but in general of all Images And he censures them for just such Worship as is practised in the Church of Rome for humbling themselves and bowing down to them This is that they do in the Church of Rome they fall down before their Images and pray before them and moreover they kiss them they offer Incense to them they light Candles to them they dress them and adorn them they crown them with Flowers they carry them upon their Shoulders they go in Pilgrimages to them in a word they do every thing and more they render them the same Service and the very same outward expressions of Honours which the Jews or Pagans did to their Images So Isa 44. 13 c. The Carpenter stretcheth out his Rule he marketh it out with a Line he fitteth it with Planes and he marketh it out with a Compass and maketh it after the Figure of a Man according to the Beauty of a Man that it may remain in the House He â—eweth him down Cedars and taketh the Cypress and the Oak which he strengthneth for himself among the Trees of the Forrest he planteth an Ash and the Rain doth nourish it Then shall it be for a Man to burn for he will take thereof and warm himself yea he kindleth it and baketh Bread yea he maketh a God and worshippeth it he maketh it a graven Image and falleth down thereto He burneth part thereof in the Fire with part thereof he eateth Flesh he rosteth Rost and is satisfied yea he warmeth himself and saith Aha I am warm I have seen the Fire And the residue thereof-he maketh a God even his graven Image He falleth down to it and worshippeth it and prayeth unto it and saith Deliver me for thou art my God. See also Jer. 10. 3. Again Chap. 46. 6 7. They lavish Gold out of the Bag and weigh Silver in a Ballance and â—hire a Goldsmith and he maketh it a God they fall down yea they worship They bear him upon their Shoulders they carry him and set him in his place and he standeth and from his place he shall not remove yea one shall cry unto him yet can he not answer nor save him out of his trouble And why are not these and all other things wherein the Popish and Jewish Concerns about Images alike equally to be condemned For note that it is not to be imagined that either the Jews or Heathen were so stupid as to worship the Images before-mentioned as Gods themselves but as the Symbols of him whom they thought therâ—â—â— God and whom by consecration they thought to be in them or present with them and so worshipp'd them in relation to him For the Apostle says of the Heathens Rom. 1. 25. That they changed the Truth of God whom they knew vers 21. into a Lie and worshipped and served the Creature more than the Creator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or besides the Creator who is blessed for ever Which implies that they worshipped the Creator but making these Images of him they worshipp'd them besides him or with him Which shows that Idolatry is consistent with the Worship of one Supreme God. And that worshipping the Images of this one Supreme God together with him was the Sin of the Heathen And therefore though the Papists likewise own and worship one Supreme God the Creator yet by worshipping his Images in relation to him or with him they may be guilty of Idolatry As the Men of Ephesus worshipp'd the Image which came down from Jupiter Acts 19. 35. So that they did not take the Image for Jupiter himself but as the Image of him whom they thought the Supreme God and as the Symbol of his Presence and so they accordingly worshipp'd it do not the Papists the same And it is evident that the Jews in worshipping the molten Calf intended their Worship to it not as being either a God really it self nor yet as an Image of an Egyptian or false God but as an Image of Jehova the True God and as the Symbol of his Presence with them Moses being as they thought quite gone from them and there being a Promise made just before his departure to send an Angel before them For they intended to worship that God in it that brought them out of Egypt And could they think that this Image did it before it was made or that an Egyptian God would work such a deliverance for them Besides Aaron proclaimed a Feast to Jehova upon the Day of its Consecration Exod. 32. And their Sacrifices to it were Sheep and Oxen which was an abomination to the Egyptians to offer Neither is this any where laid to their Charge that they fell to the Idolatry of worshipping false Gods as afterwards to Baal Peer Moâ—och Remphan c. Such also was the Worship given to the two Calves at Dan and Bethel set up by Jeroboam It was given to them as the Symbols of the true God. Jeroboam not intending thereby to forsake him but only to take Men off from going to Jerusalem to worship him which was contrary to his Interest He gives this as the only Reason 1 Kings 12. 27. If this People go up to do Sacrifice in the House of the Lord at Jerusalem then shall the Heart of this People turn again unto their Lord even unto