that this faith or beliâ—ving was to be sealed in the understanding that the understanding was to submit nâ— arrogantly to dispute And that this Act 〈◊〉 believe was a command or precept of Alâ— mighty God who will have his will obeyeâ— by all his subjects and the not obeying 〈◊〉 which is punished with eternal damnatâ—on Lastly consider Hebr. 10.23 let us hoâ— fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that hath promised That faith is truly divine must be an infallible assent of our understanding submitting it self obediently to believe the Revelationâ— of God for otherwise faith consequently all Religion may be no more then fancy oâ— opinion and then no ways certain and if so then no obligation Now it must follow first that there must be some means appointed by God by which we may know this one true faith from all false Sects and opinions whereas to require one to believe upon pain of damnation not to give him any means whereby he may know what to believe for salvation in this Religion or that sect were to require him to walk without leggs these means must be infallible for we cannot be brought to an infallible assent by fallible and uncertain means as God would not require us to assent to an Authority which may deceive us then our understanding must of necessity submit to those â—eans under pain of damnation O terrible â—r if our understanding were at liberty to â—bmit or not submit to the means by which â—ving Faith is conveyed unto us it would â—en be no sin not to believe consequently â—od would not jnstly damn us for not beâ—eving and withall whosoever shall reâ—se to be governed by those heavenly â—eans and the same authority that God â—ath appointed to govern us he shall be a â—ebel against God and a vile Traitor Lastâ—y I say that two men of two differing â—iths or beliefs cannot be saved for both of â—hem knowing that they are bound to be guided and governed by those means which God hath appointed to convey saving faith â—o them and one of them flatly refusing to submit this person who refufeth must be guilty of disobedience and refractoriness to Gods Command and consequently cannot be saved And so to our present purpose ignorant people by reasonable and earnest diligence as it is very tollerable to humane frailty and very possible and easy for them may come by Gods grace to the true knowledge of these means otherwise God would have appointed means which would prove unprofitable to the end and so the far greater number of souls for whom Christ died would not be sufficiently provided for by Gods sweet providence 〈◊〉 that prophesy would prove also ineffectual Esay 35. Say to them that are of a fear fâ—â— heart be strong fear not behold your Gâ—â— will come and save you then the eyes of thâ— blinde shall be opened and the eares of thâ— deaf unstopped c. and one high way shall 〈◊〉 there and a way and it shall be called the holy way that way-faring men though foâ—â— shall not err therein It cannot be denyed bâ—â— this wholsome doctrine is agreeable with all sorts of people Apostats sectaries oâ— Dissenters from the Mother Church for it must be granted that there must be a way and a Rule there must be means appointed there must be a governing power to judge and decide all arising doubts and teach aâ— the world the true way and path to heaven with certainty but when we come to findâ—â— it out all persons will agree That they are obliged under pain of damnation to submit to it receive it and embrace it and walâ— according to it as to the Apostles if they were actually living or to Christ himself 〈◊〉 and when you understand this Rule and guide then you cannot but believe all and every article of faith which we the Roman Catholicks did all along from the Apostles time and this day do unanimously believe and practise this is the main point which will allay all controversies contests wranglings ammosityes and hatred between Roman Catholicks and all dissenters the God â—f union and truth open the eyes and illuâ—inate the understandings of apostats to â—ake right use of this my labour Now I â—t them know that neither private spirit or natural reason of any man can possibly 〈◊〉 this Rule and Judge for this must subâ—it as a subject and Vassal to that Rule and â—udge and it 's always fallible and strangdly â—t to mistake misleade which is against â—e nature of the true Rule and Judge to be â—r if God should oblige us upon pain of â—amnation to submit unto and to be goâ—erned and ruled by an Authority that might receive and might teach for a truth what 〈◊〉 not we should be bound to believe that 〈◊〉 true which is not so and yet be damâ—â—d for not believing the truth further â—our private spirit or reason were to be â—is Rule and Judge then it would follow â—â—ntrary to the scripture that it is not imâ—â—ssible to please God without faith for â—â—ason would sufficiently teach us how to â—ease God yet it would be a breach of this â—ule to believe what we do not understand would likewise follow that every preâ—â—nded Religion would be the truth and 〈◊〉 contradictions would be true and there would be not only one faith but no faith 〈◊〉 all but reason above which faith is for reason excludeth faith and there 〈◊〉 scarce that man living but his reason diffeâ— from anothers understanding judgmenâ— differing as much as their faces therefoâ—â— none that follows his own Reason could 〈◊〉 justice be condemned by God and so 〈◊〉 ilation all men would be saved unleâ—â— peradventure you will say that in a buâ—â—ness of such main consequence as the salvâ—tion of souls our primate reason perswadâ— us to prefer the authority of such as aâ— wiser then our selves before our own judâ—ments which is most true But I then infeâ—â— that Roman Catholicks are the most ratiâ—nal most learned most wise most godly most unbiased people now in the world aâ— consequently have the best Religion 〈◊〉 acting most conformably to reason in the belief for they rely still on the authority 〈◊〉 General Councils consisting of the able and most learned men of all Nations whiâ—â— is the greatest authority to be found 〈◊〉 Earth especially having the assistance of tâ—â— holy Ghost visum est spiritui sancto 〈◊〉 bis as it appears they have both by thâ— testimony of the Scripture and the constaâ—â— tradition of all ages Upon these ground we may be sure that certainly God in hâ—â— good providence had appointed a moâ—â— sure Guide Rule and Judge to bring maâ— to the infallible faith for salvation the Reason and proud spirit otherwise God is defective in necessaries and that Religion were no more then fancy and opinion and it is worth observation how for the first two thousand years before any Scriptures were written the visible
carnal childish sences and to turn your self to your mother the Roman Catholick Church wherein only is true faith Religion grace and true comfort to be found opus annorum multorum perdidisti arise and rouse from your dismall Apostasy An Appendix IN the great and most important affairs of faith all on all sides agree that they are bound on pain of damnation to believe all truths sufficiently propounded to them as revealed of God and to obey and submit to that Guide Rule Judge and Authority which God hath instituted and appointed to teach and govern them the reason is because whosoever denies any thing sufficiently propounded to be revealed by God denies Gods veracity and makes him a lyar No protestant can shew any other reason why by denying the Trinity and unity or the Incarnation Gods veracity is denied and God thereby made a liar but because the Trinity and Incarnation are sufficiently propounded as divine Revelations therefore the Real Presence prayer to Saints the Papes Supremacy auricular confession purgatory c. being without doubt as sufficiently propounded in the Scripture as those mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation by denying which Gods Veracity must be also denied and so God made a lyar See in chap. 16.12 when the spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all truth but all truth excludes all errours and this for ever which was to be longer then the Apostles were to live If you Andrew enquire by what means this teaching shall be by whom all people shall be taught all truths and shall be preserved from all errours S. Paul will tell you Eph. 4.11 He gave some Apostles succeeding in full Apostolical authority some Prophets expounders of the prophets some Evangelists preachers of the Gospel some Pastors and Teachers to what end for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ for what time or how long till we all come in the union of faith now Andrew you may ask will these secure us the very next verse tells you that henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro with every winde of doctrine by the slieght of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive as you lately have been most shamefully by the slieghts of Satan and his Instruments pride lust and avarice hurried away from Christs unerring Church wherein only are manifestly seen unfeigned miracles sanctity of life efficacy of doctrine admirable repentance of sinners conversions of people and Nations unity stability perpetuity uninterrupted succession of lawfull pastors which cannot be found in your protestant sect these are such heavenly marks as are impossible for God to affix unto a lie which is as impossible as to set his hand and seal to the confirmation of falshood according to the Rule of Gamaliel If it be of God it will hold the faith of Roman-Catholicks holds and daily grows more numerous in her proselites when the unsteady wavering protestant pitiful sect daily changes like the Camelion from one false doctrine to another which occasioned the most illustrious Marquesse Badensis from a Lutheran to become a Roman-Catholick the same instability of hereticks scoffed and laugh'd at by Fredericus great Duke of Saxony at a time being questioned by a familiar friend what did his Lutherans believe he answered quid hoc anno credunt scio quid vero credituri sint anno sequenti nescio nec ipsimet sciunt no wonder having lost their ground their rule their un-erring Judge the Roman-Catholick Church some years past the protestants in England according to their first institution did observe the Lent exactly and also were accustomed to fast from meat on Frydays Saturdays but alas all that is forgorten all is chang'd nothing permanent among them but persecution of the Roman-Catholicks yet to observe the Lent and to abstain from meat the forty days of Lent withal on Frydays and Saturdays would much conduce to the weal-publick for the growth of cattle and for the comfort of poor people meat being so excessive dear for not observing the fasts on those holy times not speaking of the infinite comfort and encreaâ—e of blessings both to soul and body which daily accrew to Kingdoms where the Lent and Frydays and Saturdays are duely observed and fasted in the Roman-Cath Church Now Andrew I conjure you in the bowels of Charity to learn by heart that most heavenly lesson of Christ Jesus viz. Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart in order to this remember S. John 4.6 We are of God He that heareth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth us not hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of errour Andrew nothing was required to distinguish those two spirits but to hear or to refuse to hear the Apostolical Teachers Lo S. Paul saith Faith comes by hearing it will be as necessary now for you to hear in these our times those that are lawfully commissioned to teach as it was in the time of the Apostles Come along therefore return to your Mother your true un erring guide fly away from Babylon and save your soul begin to curse the day that you began to curse and dishonour your true Mother in imitation of that great Heresiarch Calvin who consuming with intolerable stench from vermine cryed out aloud saying Maledicta dies qnae primum studio scriptioni falsae me adduxit Bolsecus in vita Calvini haec te horrenda moveant terreant from appearing against truth and the faith of Christ for vain oftentation for sordid gain for to please men and displease the all-seeing God O Andrew how come you to forsake your true mother the Roman-Catholick Church which is the womb of your beginning and bosome of your repose and fall into the cruel hands of a false mother and harlot I pray observe 3. Reg. how two harlots came to Solomon for to decide the controversie between them about a living child the one alledging it was hers and the other also alledging the childe belonged to her the King said bring me a sword and they brought a sword before the King and the King said divide the living childe in two and give half to one and half to the other then spake the woman whose the living childe was for her bowels yerned toward her son saying O my Lord give her the living childe and in no wise slay it but the other the false mother said let it not be mine or thine but divide it then the King out of his wisedom said give her the childe slay it not she is mother thereof because she has true love to her childe and will not have it divided your soul is a childe which is claim'd by two Mothers the Roman-Catholick Chhrch and the pretended Church of Protestants how shall we finde out the true mother from the false one by Solomons dividatur infans let the childe be divided in two the
of life was drawn S. Mathew sitting in telonio drawn the thief on the Cross Mary of Egipt from the Ordure of her libidinous lust Pelagia from her prostitution and sordid quest of whoredom all these call'd away by several and unknown ways to follow and pursue vertue and the way to heaven so as hereticks and haynous Sinners that sits in the shade of death are illuminated to apprehend their lamentable dark state and look up to Eternity and to the pure light of true life making them from the children of darkness to become the children of grace and all this done by the infinitly great wisdom and Grace of God without which those sit in darkness of ignorance and infidelity in the imminent danger of eternal death having their heart and understanding obscure so as that they are ignorant of God their Maker ignorant of the way to heaven ignorant of the final sovereign happiness for which they were created and do not know themselves nor that they are children of wrath and obnoxious to death being ignorant of their own insufficiency to good ignorant of the necessity of grace and Regeneration ignorant of Christ their Mediator through whose sacred bloud they are restored from death to life but by pure rays of divine faith they come to know all these things and begin to look after earnestly the way of Truth and of life they implore grace they invoke their Mediator and seek after his soul-faving Science and heavenly knowledge according to these words of S. Paul 1 Corin. 4. ille qui de tenebris dixit lucem splendescere ipse illuxit in cordibus nostris c. Of the true Essence of divine Faith 2. Document REason is most properly exercised in tâ—ings of nature and Faith in matters of Religion great witts set up reason instead of faith and the light of nature against divine light which is at once to deprive man of his highest felicity and faculty and God of his greatest Grace the same Word without question which created the world creates a belief in a spiritual understanding by relying on a divine reavealing Authority It s most certain that God is said to Confound the wisdome and learning of the wise by Faith which declared that without believing they cannot be saved and yet without a supernatural Grace they cannot believe and as God is the chief good and perfect happiness of the soul and the object of our beatitude which cannot be comprehended by natural light or knowledge therefore a kinde of supernatural vertue is necessary by which we may attain to his knowledge which is saith the highest knowledge we have in this world by wch the soul injoys him by him the most excellent guifts and graces whereof it is capable according to S. Paul ad Eph. 2.8 gratia Dei estis salvati per fidem hoc non ex vobis Faith is that divine light by which we prepare our journy towards vertue and heaven without faith it 's impossible 〈◊〉 please God By faith Roman Catholicks do â—alk upon the grounds of the Church miliâ—ant where there is infallibly an infusion of â—abitual Grace sanctification in its sacraments and surely transcendent is their commendation for their faithful conservation of â—he sacred Oracles of Truth in all ages to â—his day for their well ordered Zeale for their most ravishing devotions deiform inâ—entions their heroycal acts of fasting praying recollections meditations inâ—roversies their aspirations humiliations mortifications abnegation of themselves and their dayly abdication of all transitory things so as none in his sences can believe that such a tree can be Corrupted in the root which brings forth such heavenly fruits Some properties we may observe of the doctrine of Faith to be true to be revealed of God to be preached and delivered by the B. Apostles The highest ground by which a man is perswaded that his faith is true is the Authority of God speaking and revealing the highest proof by which a man may be assured that his Faith is revealed is the Authority of Christ and his B. Apostles who delivered and preached the same as from God and that from the beginning to this day it is practised without innovation or alteration in all parts of the inhabitable world The Apostles in the time of Christ conversing with them had sufficient Faitâ— to prevail with their wills to command theâ— understanding into the belief of his being God and man consequently an infalliblâ— faith then it doth follow that whatsoeveâ— he taught was to be assented unto as infallibly true and that without being questioneâ— by our weak and limited reason And surâ— this was very necessary for the true Church otherwise they could not have been sufficiently assured that what Christ their Masteâ— taught them was true and so it would noâ— have been a sin in them to have doubted 〈◊〉 This infallible assurance also the Christianâ— that lived in the B. Apostles time and afteâ— Christ Ascension enjoied they had sufficienâ— ground without question to induce them to a belief that the B. Apostles were infallible Guides and Teachers and that whatsoever they taught and commanded was as infallibly true as if God had immediately spoken the same things and no more to be doubted contradicted or disputed against by vain and curious Reason which doubtless were as strong and as good as ours then the immediate words command or dictates of Allmighty God otherwise these who refused to hear and obey them had beenin no fault and it would have been an insufferable boldness in S. Paul to have required such an absolute submission to what 〈◊〉 taught as to oblige Christians of his â—â—â—e not to have believed even an Angel â—om heaven teaching contrary things to â—hat he taught them Hence it is that the â—â—maining writings of the B. Apostles are by â—ll Christians esteemed as the word of God â—nd this was mainly necessary in the ages â—fter Christ for the Church of God in the 〈◊〉 Apostles time to have a living infallible way of direction and this was the way to â—aintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of â—eace so become one body with one heart â—ot as sects divided subdivided scattered â—â—to as many parts and sorts as now are â—nd have gone to cuffs raising civil war for â—he diciding of controversies as we have seen they did since they divided themselves from the holy Catholick Roman Church Mark now those words Heb. 11.6 without faith its impossible to please God and of Math. 16.16 he that believeth shall not be damned and Eph. 4.5 there is but one faith one Baptism one Lord Jesus the faith which is to save us and by the which we are to please God cannot be had but in one Church and that of Christ it cannot therefore be found in Sects in contrary opinions it being of necessity but one of contraries one only must be true Do but observe 2 Cor. 10.5 bringing into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ