their common and generall faith even in our Saviours time though they were then much degenerated from their ancient purity in the service and worship of God and had brought in their owne Traditions which our Saviour so often reproved them for Matth. 15. and Marke 7. and by that also shewed the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament for the Salvation of them that were under the Law without any traditions of men so that the witnesse the Jewes gave of the sufficiency of the Scriptures that they had in them eternall life was as a cloud of witnesses a whole Nation testifying the same thing and Christ himselfe approving of their evidence and allowing of their testimony and addes his owne witnesse for the confirming of the same doctrine and backes it with an unanswerable reason You believe saith he that the Scriptures containe all things necessary to salvation and in that you believe well and rightly for so they doe I will give you also my reason of it another argument to prove the truth of your witnesse and of the sufficiency of the Scriptures without traditions and to move you to read them for they testifie of me saith Christ for they speak of me preach me and bring you to me who am the Messias the Saviour of the world and they are the Schoole-master God hath appointed for that purpose to teach you to believe that I am he Galat. 3.24 Rom. 10. ver 4. for all the Law sets me forth all those washings and purifications of the Law and all those Ceremonies and Sacrifices have me for their end they are but shadowes and not the body nor the truth it selfe Yea and the Morall law also and all the Commandements that are the waies God would have you walke in bring ye unto me who am the doore of Heaven the doore of the sheepe John 10. v. 9. Who am the way the truth and the life and no man commeth unto the Father but by me Now then when all the Scriptures testifie of me and teach you how ye may come unto me where ye may finde rest unto your soules Matth. 11.28 and bring ye to the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ which is life eternall John 17. v. 3. they containe all things necessary to salvation So that Master Montague if there were no other argument in all the holy Scripture but this very place in the 5. of St John for the proving of the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament for the saving of those that were under the Law without any humane Traditions this alone were sufficient to prove it For that which hath the testimony both of God and men that it containeth all things in it necessary to salvation that is by the knowledge and faith of which they might have eternall life and be blessed for ever that comprehendeth all things in it sufficient for the attaining to life eternall and for saving of mens soules But the holy Scriptures of the old Testament have this testimony from God himselfe and from the Lord Jesus Christ and from the whole Nation of the Jewes which is an Iliad and cloud of witnesses that they have life eternall in them that is by the knowledge and faith of which they might have eternall life and be blessed for ever Ergo they containe all things in them necessary to salvation And if the Scriptures of the old Testament containe all things sufficient to salvation then the whole Scriptures when they also of the new Testament are joyned unto them of the old must of necessity be most absolutely compleat and have in them eternall life and neede no Traditions of men for the perfecting of them and making of them an absolute Rule which is a high point of Blasphemy to affirme So that Mr. Montague hee that shall dispute against the Al-sufficiency of the Scriptures shall dispute against Christ himselfe and call the very witnesse of God himselfe into question who cannot lie You will finde it a hard thing to kick against prickes as Christ said unto Saul persecuting him Acts 9. And this shall serve to have spoke concerning this place in S. John for the proofe of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures under the Law And I will prove it by other places also of the old Testament before I come to those of the new Deuteronomy 4. verse 2. Yee shall not adde saith the Lord unto the Word which I command you neither shall you diminish ought from it that you may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you That to which nothing was to bee added nor from which nothing was to be detracted or taken away by the command of God himselfe that was absolutely perfect But to the written Word of God nothing was to be added nor nothing to be detracted or taken away and that by Gods own Commandement Ergo the written Word and the Law of God was absolutely perfect For the Major Mr. Montague no man will as I suppose deny it and for the Minor the place above cited proves it David also in Psal 19. vers 77. The Law of the Lord is perfect saith he converting the soule the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple from the which words I thus argue That which is perfect in it selfe converting soules and giveth wisdom unto the simple and furnisheth them with all saving knowledge that containes all things in it necessary to salvation and is a perfect and absolute Rule and has no neede of humane Traditions for the making of it compleat But the Law of the Lord is perfect in it selfe converting soules and giveth wisdome unto the simple and furnisheth them with all saving knowledge Ergo it containeth all things in it necessary to salvation and is a perfect and absolute Rule and hath no need of humane Traditions for the making of it compleate For the proof of my whole Syllogisme the words themselves of the Text are sufficient I might here Mr. Montague accumulate proof upon proof out of the old Testament to evince the sufficiency of the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets for the salvation of those that were under the Law without the helpe of any Traditions of men but because I have been very large in my former discourse I shall produce no more out of the old Testament at this time only let mee say thus much that our Saviour and all the Apostles for the confirmation of the absolutenesse and perfection of the holy Scriptures of the old Testament comfirmed all their Doctrines of faith from them only and send the people ever to the written word as a sufficient and compleate rule of Direction Yea all the Prophets of the old Testament likewise did the same as wee see from Moses in Deut. 30. to Malachy the last Prophet who in Chap. 4. v. 4. sendeth all Israel to the Lawes of Moses and so also the Prophet Isaiah in the 8 Chap. To the Law and to the Testimony saith
dictates unto us that if the holy Apostles in their writings give precepts unto all the Pastors and Teachers of the Church how they shall teach and instruct the people and prescribe unto them a rule which they are ever to follow and from which they may not swarve in their preaching and injoyne them withall to keepe that rule unblameable untill the second comming of the Lord Jesus Christ and in those instructions among other things in speciall charge them to take heed of all the Traditions and Precepts of men in Gods service and injoyne them also to reprove such as teach any other doctrine than that they have received from them and also command to shun and decline them that teach contrary to that doctrine I say as the Ministers of the Gospell have a rule set them by which they shall teach and from which they may not vary if they notwithstanding will goe beyond their commission and teach contrary yet the people are not to listen unto them or to heare them in so doing for they are bound and tied likewise by the same rule and written word to the contrary as by the places above specified is manifest and many more that follow But now Mr. Montague let us a little examine what Paul writeth to Timothy and Titus and in them to all Ministers and Teachers and what rules hee prescribeth unto them in their preaching and what rules after in the following Epistles and Writings of the Apostles are given to all Christians S. Paul in his 1 Epistle to Timothy before he comes to any particular instructions gives him a reason why he left him at Ephesus when he went into Macedonia and that was saith he vers 3.4 That thou mightest charge some that they teach no other Doctrine neither give heed to fables c. Here the Apostle ties all Ministers to the rule the Doctrine that they had received from him and the other Apostles And accounts all the Traditions of men fables and vanities as in the third Chapter he more fully declareth and in the 16 verse he saith Take heede unto thy selfe and unto thy doctrine continue in them for in doing this saith he thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee Here hee ties Timothy to the rule and tells him withall of the benefit that will redound unto him and others continuing in it and that is the salvation both of him and his hearers So that the swarving from it must needs be pernicious to both Teachers and Hearers And in the 5 chap. 21. J charge thee before God saith he and the Lord Jesus and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before an other And in chap. 6. vers 3. Jf saith hee any man teach otherwise and consent not to the wholesom words of our Lord Jesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse c. from such withdraw thy selfe Here againe he ties him to the rule to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ the doctrine taught by Christ as it is set down in the severall Gospells and commands Timothy to withdraw himselfe from all such as taught not according to that doctrine and in vers 13.14 I give thee charge saith hee in the sight of God who quickneth all things and before Christ Iesus who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession that thou keepe this Commandement without spot untill the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ Here is a rule given to the end of the World which all Teachers and Hearers are bound to observe and keepe The Ministers and preachers by it are to teach nothing contrary unto the wholesome words and doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ and what hee taught and the people they are not to receive or heare any thing contrary to that doctrine but both Ministers and people are commanded to shunne such and to withdraw themselves from them And in his second Epistle as if the Apostle could never sufficiently enough have taught all Ministers their duty in Chap. 1. vers 13. Hold fast saith he the forme of sound words which thou hast heard of mee in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus Have a speciall care thou variest not from that way of teaching thou hast learned from mee the two principall heads of the which doctrine or the sum of which is faith and charity teach them the saving doctrine of faith therefore as I taught it according to the written Word ground all thy preaching concerning faith upon the Scripture not upon the vaine Traditions of men and humane authority but upon the written word So likewise when thou teachest them their duty of love both towards God and towards their Neighbours and one towards another instruct them in that according to the written Word and not after the Precepts and commandements of men and from this way of preaching swarve thou not but hold fast that forme of sound Words for so I taught thee And in Chap. 3. vers 14. Continue thou saith he in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them Here againe hee injoynes him to preseverance in that doctrine onely which he had taught him who was guided by the Spirit of God and confirmed all that hee taught out of the Scriptures and therefore there could be no doubt of the Truth of it and that he commands Timothy and all other Ministers to continue in their Teaching and not to vary from it or to give eare or heed unto the Traditions of men And in his Epistle to Titus chap. 1. vers 13.14 Wherefore saith he rebuke them sharply that they my be sound in the Faith Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandements of men which turne from the truth What Mr. Montague can be spoke more evident against all Traditions of men which teach that the worship of God consisteth in outward performances as in the observation of dayes and ceremonies and abstaining from Meats and Marriage all inventions of crafty men and which teach that wee must worship God according to the commandements of men when the Apostle in expresse words in Chap. 3. of the 1 of Timothy vers 12 3. affirmes that these are the doctrines of Devills and in this place commands Titus sharply roughly and plainely to reprove all such preachers as teach men by such performances to serve God or instruct them to worship him after the commandements and traditions of men and gives him a reason why Titus should sharply rebuke such teachers because saith he they that indoctrinate the people in this manner to serve God are so far from teaching the truth as they turn them from it and lead them into errours and by-waies to their eternall perdition Truely Mr. Montague if there were but this very Text in all the new Testament for our direction for the right serving of God it were enough for ever to deterre us from the traditions of men and to make us cleave close to the
written Word for our rule when the Apostle pronounceth all such doctrines either to be the doctrines of devils or at least to lead and turn us from the truth which we ought to preferre before our lives And in Chap. 3. ver 10. A man saith he that is an hereticke after the first and second admonition reject You know Master Montague that he is counted an heretick among you that continues obstinate and perseveres in his owne opinions against the doctrines of the Church of Rome and their vaine traditions and humane inventions but in Gods Dialect they are accounted orthodox and they onely in the holy Scriptures are counted heretickes that persevere and continue in their owne unsound opinions contrary to the faith once delivered unto the Saints and to the wholsome words of our Lord Jesus Christ such onely by S. Paul are proclaimed hereticks with a command unto all Ministers and people after the first and second admonition to reject and to cast them out of the Church as people with whom godly men and the true Disciples of Christ ought to have no fellowship or commerce and therefore Master Montague the doctrine of the holy Apostles as it is set downe in Scriptures is the rule we are tied to for the discerning betweene true and false doctrine and that we are for ever to have before our eyes for the square we must regulate our faith and manners by And in Heb. 13. ver 8 9. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and the same for ever saith the Apostle Be not carried about with strange doctrines c. here the Apostle forbids all men to listen unto the vaine Traditions of men and to be carried about with any strange doctrines such as are not grounded upon the written Word and conformable to the rule of our faith set downe in it and gives a reason why they should be stable and unmoveable in that doctrine for saith he Christ which is the object of our faith doth not change his nature nor quality in his Person Office and Doctrine and therefore it beseemes you likewise to be solid firme and stable and invariable in your faith in him and that you should not be carried about with strange doctrines or give heed unto the Traditions of men which turne you from the truth and in this you ought alwaies to follow the rule prescribed in the Word and to set before your eyes the example of your godly teachers which have the government over you who have preached unto you the Word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation vers 7. and how they continuing faithfull to the end are now dead in the Lord. If you therefore desire to be eternally blessed as they are imitate and follow them in their faith for they were not carried about with strange doctrines but as they taught you the Word of God and not the traditions and commandements of men so cleave you also to that written Word and be not carried about with strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace c. As if he should have said all the traditions of men doe not establish the heart with grace for the heart is then onely established with grace when the soule and conscience of a believer reposeth it selfe in the true apprehension and feeling of the mercy favour and love of God in Christ Jesus apprehended by faith and in the assurance of his eternall good will when by faith they lay hold on the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and finde the worke of their spirituall regeneration wrought in their soules which brings forth the fruit of holinesse in all manner of conversation and this onely establisheth the heart with grace and in this consisteth the true worship of God all which the traditions and commandements of men are so farre from teaching as they turne us from them placing religion in outward performances and in observing of mens traditions as worshiping of Images Crucifixes and observing of daies and abstaining from meats c. All which turne us from that spirituall worship of God which God both commandeth and delighteth in For God is a Spirit and they that will worship him according to his Will must worship him in spirit and truth John 4. ver 24. His Will therefore Mr. Montague must be the rule we ought ever to adhere and cleave to if we would not be carried about with strange doctrines and if we desire to have our hearts established with grace I might enlarge my selfe exceedingly in this point and runne through both the Epistles of Peter and the first Epistle of Saint John but I will conclude with that of Saint John in his second Epistle vers 9 10. Whosoever transgresseth saith Saint John and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ he hath both the Father and the Sonne If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds Here Mr. Montague for a conclusion of this point take notice that we are for ever tied to the doctrine of Christ which he the great and onely Prophet of his Church taught us and which we finde writ in the holy Scripture whom we are bound to heare in all things and from the which doctrine we may not swarve nor so much as bid God speed to any that shall teach otherwise unlesse we will partake with them in their evill and so make our selves lyable to the curse and punishment due unto our disobedience in so doing Gal. 1. vers 8. which the Church of England both out of conscience of her duty to the command of her great Prophet Christ Jesus and out of an awfull reverence of his glorious name and out of feare also of that curse that is denounced against all such as transgresse his holy Commandements and are carried about with strange doctrines and abide not in the doctrine of Christ doth with all obedience submit her selfe unto and continually cleaves unto the holy Word of God revealed in his written Word and makes that onely the rule of her faith and manners and by that proveth her selfe to be built upon the foundation of Peter and to teach the way the truth and the life and to honour Jesus Christ and to believe in him aright and as she ought to doe when she owneth him to be her onely King her sole Priest and alone Prophet and followeth the guidance of his Spirit and approaches unto God in his name and mediation and is directed by his Word and heares his voice in all things by all which I say she manifesteth to the whole world that she is a true Church against which the gates of hell can never prevaile and the pillar and ground of truth On the other side it must necessarily follow that the Church of Rome is not
have given an answer to your cavill and evasions which was this that Saint Paul in this place spake onely of the Scriptures of the old Testament because said you Paul writes only of those Scriptures which Timothy had learned from his youth and they were onely the Scriptures of the old Testament that Timothy was instructed in This Mr. Montague was your evasion which if it be true will notwithstanding adde force and strength unto my argument as I then proved and shall by and by more clearely and fully evince But Mr. Montague that Saint Paul in this place joynes the Scriptures of the new Testament with those of the old is most manifest by the addition following saying Which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ which words perspicuously evince that to the knowledge of the old Testament he joyneth likewise the doctrine of the Gospell and the Scriptures of the new Testament But you then replied that the doctrine of the new Testament was not at that time written and committed to Pen but onely delivered viva voce and received by Tradition But all this you spake without either ground or any good reason and against all light of right understanding For it is well knowne that this very Epistle to Timothy was either the last or one of the last Saint Paul ever writ it being a little before his death as appeares by the six and seventh verses of the fourth chapter where he saith I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith hence forth there is laid up for me a Crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that love his appearing So that it is evident that most of all Pauls Epistles were written before this time neither will you deny Master Montague but his first Epistle to Timothy was written before this and in that he had given to Timothy and in him to all the Ministers of the Gospell a perpetuall and sufficient rule how to order and governe the Church unto the worlds end so that all men may perceive that the Apostle joynes the Scriptures of the new Testament with them of the old when he addes through faith which is in Jesus Christ And for further evidence of this consider what Saint Peter writes in his second Epistle chap. 3. ver 15 16. in these words Even as our beloved brother Paul according unto the wisdome given unto him hath written unto you as also in all his Epistles speaking in them of these things c. This Mr. Montague as all men of ordinary wit and all Historians acknowledge was writ some good time and space before this last Epistle and a good time before his death so that the Epistle that Paul writ to the Hebrews his Countreymen to whom Peter also at that time in their dispersion writeth and most of his other Epistles if not all were written when Peter writ this Epistle which by all probability was long before Saint Paul wrote his last Epistle to Timothy so that if you please to take an accurate account of the times it will be evident that all the Apostolicall writings and the whole Scriptures of the New Testament or almost all were then written when Paul writ his last Epistle to Timothy so that not onely the most of Pauls Epistles as Peter witnesseth but Peters first and second Epistle also were then written So that your cavill Mr. Montague and evasion was but a demonstration of the weaknesse of your cause and in nothing impeaches or enervates the dint and force of the argument but rather addes strength and vigour unto it for if I should grant you which I cannot with any reason that the holy Scriptures of the new Testament were not then written when Paul writ his last Epistle to Timothy it would be nothing to the purpose or a matter of any moment seeing that afterward all the doctrine of the new Testament was written and commended by the Pens of the Apostles and Evangelists to future ages and to this end that they should order their faith and regulate all their doctrines and manners according to them with an especiall command from St. Paul 1 Cor. 4. vers 6. That they should not be wise above that which was written Saint John also denouncing a fearefull woe and curse to all those that shall adde unto the holy Scriptures or detract from them Revel 22. ver 18 19. which all they doe Mr. Montague that accuse the holy Scriptures of imperfection which is a great taking away from their perfection and from the honour that belongeth unto them and when they not onely joyne their owne Traditions to the holy Scriptures but preferre them before them which is not onely to be wise above that which is written but prodigiously to adde unto the holy Scriptures which makes you all liable to that curse denounced by Saint John So that if you Master Montague repent not of this so great a sinne The Lord will take away your part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and from the things that are written in the Scriptures But now Master Montague I will make it evident that the argument will be of more force and more convince your erroneous opinion of the insufficiency of the holy Scriptures and prove the authority and al-sufficiency of them if the Apostle Paul should there speake onely of the Scriptures of the old Testament as you and your brethren would have him and not of the new also And thus I prove it If the Scriptures of the old Testament are able to make men wise unto salvation much more then are all the holy Scriptures both of the old and new joyned together when those of the new Testament fully and clearely interpret the old and with open face the vaile being taken away set forth Christ unto us I say much more then are they being all joyned with the old Testament able to make men wise to salvation But the antecedent is true ergo the consequent The truth is Master Montague they that say the holy Scriptures containe not all things in them necessary to salvation and that they are not without the Traditions of men able to make us wise to salvation blaspheme and give the lie unto the Spirit of God which affirmeth the contrary saying that they are able to make a man wise to salvation And whosoever Mr. Montague shall deny this golden sentence of Paul that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and profitable c. vers 26. to belong unto the the Scriptures of the new Testament would be thought worthy not onely to be spewed out of the Schooles of all learned Divines but indeed out of the number of all Christians and adjudged unfit for all godly mens society But that
he speaking to all the people And if we run through all the new Testament Moses and the Prophets and the Psalmes are the grounds of all their doctrines and thither they send the people upon whom the ends of the World are come and tie us alwayes to the Scriptures of the old Testament and the writings of the Apostles under the new with this expresse command that we should cleave onely to them and not to be wise above that which is written which sheweth the absolute perfection both of the old and new Testament and that they neede no Traditions of men for the making of them a compleat rule And so now I returne againe to the new Testament and will from thence produce some more arguments for the proving of the Al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures in themselves and then conclude that point And for the better proceeding in my discourse I will goe on with the place of S. Paul in the 2 Epist to Timothy chap. 3. vers 15.16 where I began All Scripture saith he is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes from the which words I thus argue That which has all things in it sufficient for the begetting of Faith and Repentance and for the guiding ordering and regulating of our obedience and manners and for the supporting of us in every condition that containes all things in it necessary to salvation But the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament have all things in them sufficient for the begetting of Faith and Repentance and for the guiding ordering and regulating of our obedience and manners and for the supporting of us in every condition Ergo the holy Scriptures of the old and new Testament containe all things in them necessary to salvation For the Major Mr. Montague there is no man that either can or will deny it for the Minor it hath sufficiently by all the former discourse bin proved yet for the further confirmation of it the very enumeration of the benefits that redound unto us by the holy Scriptures set downe by the Apostle in these words that they are profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in Righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good workes do abundantly prove it for that which teacheth the truth convinceth error corrects vice frames us to all virtue and comforts us in every condition and is able to make the very man of God accomplished and throughly furnished to all good workes must needs containe all things in it necessary to salvation but the holy Scriptures doth all this as is apparent from this very place and that in Rom. 15. vers 4. Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that were through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Ergo the holy Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation And by consequence have no neede of any humane Traditions for the making of them a compleat rule But for further illustration of this truth I will produce some other Testaimonies of the holy Scriptures of the new Testament Luk. 1. vers 1.2 3 4. For as much saith S. Luke as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us Even as they delivered them unto us which from the beginning were eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word it seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first to write unto thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast beene instructed Here Mr. Montague before I come to frame my argument out of these words I shall desire you well to consider and to take notice of S. Lukes Testimony which is this that before hee wrote his Gospell many had set forth in order a declaration of those things which were most surely believed among them and such men as were eye-witnesses of the things they related and Ministers of the Word and therefore men without exception and even these men had orderly declared and delivered in writing all things of which they were eye-witnesses So that by this it is manifest that a great part of the Scriptures of the new Testament were already pend when S. Luke wrote his Gospell which was long before Paul wrote his second Epistle to Timothy as all that are any thing verst in the holy Scriptures in the history of those times do very well know contrary unto your assertion Mr. Montague that the holy Scriptures and Doctrines of the new testament were not then pend but only delivered viva voce and received by Tradition when Paul wrote to Timothy And now I come to my argument which out of the words of S. Luke I thus frame Those writings that comprehend in them a perfect declaration of all things that were most surely believed conterning Christs doings preachings and sufferings and have in them a certaine and orderly narration of them all from the very first and that set downe by them that had a perfect understanding of them from the beginning as being Eye-witnesses of them and Ministers of the Word and were also pend to this very end that the truth and certainty of those things wherein they had been instructed and taught might be knowne to all future ages that all men might be kept from error and be established and confirmed for ever in the truth they containe all things in them necessary to salvation But the Scriptures of the new Testament comprehend in them a perfect declaration of all things that were most surely believed concerning Christs both doings preachings and sufferings the knowledge and believing of the which is sufficient to salvation and have in them a certaine and orderly narration of them all from the very first and that set downe by them that had a perfect understanding of them from the beginning as being Eye-witnesses of them and Ministers of the Word and were also pend to this very end that the Truth and certainty of those things wherein they had bin instructed and taught might be known to all future Ages that all men might be kept from error and be established and confirmed forever in the Truth Ergo the holy Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation For the Major Mr. Montague I presume you will not deny it and for the Minor it is apparent from S. Lukes own words and therfore these two consectaries do from thence necessarily follow the first that the holy Scriptures have no neede of any humane Traditions for the making of them a compleate rule the second is that the Scripture is the certaine rule all Christians are tied unto to the end of the World and that they are the onely meanes to informe us of the truth
Church under the old Testament so now under the new Testament he hath spake unto us sundry waies viz. by the writings of the Apostles by their Traditions not written and doth daily speak unto us by Ecclesiasticall Injunctions and Canons by Councels and Fathers and by the decrees of the Church all which how contrary they are to the meaning and doctrine of St. Paul every man can easily discerne Yea the very Papists themselves cannot deny it And thus much I thought fit to speak of the hypothesis or hypotheticall connexion of my argument Now for the Assumption it containes these three assertions The first that the Word of God necessary to the salvation of the Church was first delivered by the Prophets and afterwards by Christ and his Apostles which is manifest by the place alledged In time past God spake unto the Fathers by the Prophets but in these last daies he spake unto us by his Sonne Which is also to be extended unto the Apostles by whom Christ spake as is manifest out of the second chapter of this Epistle penned by the same Apostle vers 3. How shall we escape saith he if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be spoke by the Lord and was confirmed unto us that heard him And in the 20. of Saint John ver 21. As my Father sent me so I send you And Luke 10. ver 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me c. Neither can you Mr. Montague or any deny but that the doctrine of the Gospell was penned and written by the Apostles The second assertion of my Assumption was this that the Word of God delivered by the Prophets is onely to be found in their writings And that is evident from the frequent use of speaking in the holy Scripture which by the Prophets understand the writings of the holy Prophets As in the Epistle to the Rom. chap. 1. v. 1 2. The Gospell of God promised by the Prophets in the holy Scriptures And Luke 16. They have Moses and the Prophets And John 6. vers 45. It is written in the Prophets And Acts 26. vers 27. King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets Luke 24. v. 27. And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himselfe and the same vers 44. And St. Peter in his second Epistle chap. 1. vers 19. By the word of Prophesie understands the writings of the Prophets as by the words following is evident For the Prophesie came not in old time by the will of man saith he but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost And many more places to this purpose might be produced which I omit the truth being so well knowne Neither can any Papist produce an instance or president to the contrary The third assertion in my Assumption is this that there can no reason be given by the Papists why the same should not be determined and ordered concerning the word of God delivered by Christ his Apostles that is concluded or determined concerning the Word of God delivered by the Prophets viz. That the whole Word of God as much as concerned the knowledge faith and salvation of the Church as much as was requisite for their good is delivered and set downe in the writings of the Apostles Therefore Mr. Montague when the Papists doe affirme that there is a dissimilitude in this part or matter till they can shew a reason and that a theologicall reason and grounded upon the Word of God they say nothing and the argument will for ever hold and the conclusion remaine unmoveable that all things necessary to salvation are to be found in the writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles and that we have no need of any Traditions for the making of the Scriptures a compleat rule as the Church of Rome doth impiously and malignantly conclude I confesse Master Montague that I have been very large in this theame but I formerly gave you a reason of it and if I yet say a little more to confirme the truth and for the farther convincing of errour and to undeceive the poore deluded people I hope you will excuse me I therefore shall adde a few more reasons and proofes for the confirmation of the al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures and that they have no need of any humane Traditions for the making of them a compleat rule Saint Paul in the third of the Galatians vers 15. Brethren saith he I speake after the manner of men though it be but a mans covenant or testament yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereto Out of which words I thus argue If the Scripture of the new Testament be a Covenant and it be not lawfull to adde unto a Covenant then it is not lawfull to adde any thing to the Scriptures of the new Testament But the antecedent is true ergo the consequent and by vertue of the consequent no Traditions not written by the Apostles nor no unwritten verities as you terme them are to be received or entertained by the Church of God as to be a rule of their faith to be joyned to the Scriptures The connexion is cleare The assumption hath two parts The first is manifest from the very inscription and hath no need of any other proofe The latter is proved out of the words of the Apostle when he saith it is not lawfull to adde no not to a mans covenant or testament and then this conclusion with farre greater reason will ensue and follow that it is much lesse lawfull to adde unto Gods owne Covenant and Testament And they that doe adde their traditions unto the holy Scriptures of the new Testament doe that which is unlawfull unjust and impious and bring that curse and plague upon themselves that is pronounced Revel 22. v. 18 19. If any man shall adde unto these things saith Christ God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall take away from the words of the booke of this prophesie God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the holy City and from the things which are written in this booke That Mr. Montague that is spoke of this Prophesie is spoke of the whole Scriptures and therefore they that accuse the holy Scriptures of imperfection and adde their impious and vaine Traditions unto them are guilty both of addition and detraction to them and make themselves obnoxious to that fearefull curse but the Church of England dares neither adde or take from either the old or new Testament but acknowledge them both to be a most compleat rule and to containe all things in them necessary to the salvation of the Church and to have no need of unwritten verities But that I may farther confirme the truth and convince the erronious opinion of the Church of Rome I thus argue If the holy
they were certainly assured So we read Luke 1. vers 1. Whereof we are fully perswaded c. and Heb. 10. vers 34. And yee tooke the spoyling of your goods with joy knowing in your selves you had in Heaven a better and induring substance So in the first Epistle of St. John chap. 3. vers 2. Behold now are we the sonnes of God and it doth not yet appeare what we shall be but we know that when he shall appeare we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is In all the Saints we finde an infallible assurance and an undaunted and unremoveable confidence in Jesus Christ who they believed was delivered for their offences and raised againe for their justification knowing there was no other name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved Acts 4 ver 11. And this faith in Jesus Christ is that that will support us in all tribulations and finally save us according to that in St. John chap. 3. ver 14 15 16. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse even so must the Sonne of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God so loved the world that be gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And vers 18. He that believeth on him is not condemned butâ—â— that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the onely begotten Sonne of God And in Chap. 5. ver 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Numberlesse testimonies might be accumulated out of the holy Scripture to prove that only to be the true faith and knowledge of Christ when we do conceive him in such sort as he is offered of the Father that is to say clothed with the Gospell for faith hath a mutuall relation to the word and the word to faith because the word is the fountaine of faith and the ground of faith and the mirrour in which faith beholdeth God as Christ saith here He that believeth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life This that I have now said Mr. Montague will I hope give satisfaction to any rationall man if not to your selfe that the Church of England believeth as it ought to believe because it regulates the faith of all Christians according to the word of God and Christ their onely Prophet and therefore it is an unanswerable argument that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter when it joyneth the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ and faith in him alone together Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus Rom. 3. v. 25 26. When therefore I say the Church of England joyneth the knowledge of God and Christ and faith in them both inseparably together and makes daily publication of this same doctrine it is evident that it is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter the ground and pillar of truth and where salvation may be attained unto for that Church which shall confesse with the mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in their heart that God hath raised him from the dead shall be saved for with the heart men believe unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Rom. 10. But the Church of England doth all this Ergo it believeth as it should believe and is a Church where salvation may be found And had the Church of England Mr. Montague but this marke alone it were enough for ever to stop the mouthes of all gainsayers and prove that it is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and believes as it ought to believe And now I come to the qualification viz. That the Church of England doth renounce all self-merit in matter of salvation and all will-worship and humane inventions in Gods service which are requisites in any Church to make it a true Church and without which it cannot be a true Church You may remember Mr. Montague when you heard the name of merit and will-worship you began to bestir your selfe as if it had something troubled you and it doth indeed highly concerne you to looke about you lest falling upon the rocke of your owne merits you dash your selfe in pieces and destroy your owne soule And you affirmed that if you should speake of the doctrine of merits it would last you a weeke Truely Mr. Montague if you should speake a moneth or a yeere together of Christs merits and what he hath done and suffered for the redemption of mankind I should willingly be your anditor and think that nothing sufficient enough could be uttered or expressed to magnifie Gods and Christs love and to stirre up thankfulnesse obedience and love to God and Christ againe for their infinite mercy towards us such miserable creatures as we poore men are But Mr. Montague if you shall speake but one minute of an houre to extoll mans merit or to preach that men by their good workes can or may merit Heaven or if you goe about to establish that blasphemous doctrin for it is no better you shall have just cause to repent all the daies of your life for your so doing for this doctrine tends to overthrow the glorious Gospell and the whole worke of our redemption and Christs sufferings and opens an other way to Heaven than any of the Saints of old knew of who ever taught that Christ onely was the way the truth and the life and not mens merits and workes of supererogation Therefore Mr. Montague that Church that teacheth the free grace and eternall love of God in Jesus Christ unto the people when we were dead in our sinnes and trespasses and that inculcates self-deniall upon all men and urges them in matter of salvation to rely onely upon Christ and his obedience and passion with all his merits and to follow the guidance of his word for the manner of his service and teaches them to reject all will-worship and humane inventions in honouring God that Church believes as it ought to believe and teacheth the true way to Heaven and is built upon the foundation of Peter for all these things are the necessary requisites for the making of a true Church as I shall God willing speedily shew But if I shall be more large upon this point I desire your pardon for in my opinion it is a doctrine of as great concernment as any in Religion and where it is taught it is a sure evidence of a true Church In the handling of the which I will
and as prevalent to declare the truth of that tenent as if indeed that word had been expressed Notwithstanding all that I have now said to prove the doctrine of free justification by faith alone to bee grounded upon the Scripture and that according to the holy Word of God the Church of England preacheth it and by that proves it selfe a true Church yet the Church of England doth not teach that that faith by which we are justified is alone or solitary without the company and fellowship of good workes and other vertues and graces which are the fruits of faith but urgeth likewise and teacheth all holy duties to be joyned with Faith as wee shall see afterwards and that wee should be abounding in good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in for the glorifying of his name and to justify unto the world the livelinesse of our faith as all the Saints of old have done But now Mr. Mountague that you may see the error of your wayes and that all men may behold the impiety and vanity of the doctrine of selfe-merits and of the works of supererogation and that we may all be humble under the mighty hand of God and learne this lesson of selfe-denyall I shall for a corollary adde a few things and then conclude this point Our Saviour Christ saith Luke the 17. When you shall have done all those things that are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to doe Is not this an extreame arrogancy think you Master Montague in any man when our Saviour Christ himselfe teacheth us to say we are unprofitable servants when we have done whatsoever is commanded us both in the law and the Gospell to say and affirme that we are meriting and deserving servants yea is it not an impious ridiculosity to affirme it when notwithstanding we do transgresse the Commandements of our Master a thousand wayes For these two conclusions do necessarily result out of our Saviours words First that when wee have done all that God commands we are yet but unprofitable servants The second that we have done but that was our duty to doe Out of the which words I thus argue Hee that when he has done all that he is commanded to do is yet but an unprofitable servant he cannot merit much lesse doe workes of supererogation But every man when he hath done all that is commanded him to doe is yet but an unprofitable servant Ergo he cannot merit much lesse do workes of supererogation All this is confirmed by our Saviours owne words who cannot erre we must leave the works of merit to Christ alone and say we are unprofitable and deny our selves if we will be his Disciples Out of the same words I gather this argument also They which have done but that which was their duty to do when they have done all that was commanded them they cannot merit much lesse do workes of supererogation But when they have done all that was commanded them both in the Law and Gospell they have done but that which was their duty to do Ergo they cannot merit much lesse do works of supererogation You must needs understand Mr. Montague the Doctrine of merits who are able to discourse a weeke together of them and therefore you know very well that in your Roman Dialect merits works of supererogation are such things and performances as are done above that that is commanded them and when men do more than they are injoyned by God and exceede in their duty to a superplus This I say is your language But if no man can attaine to such perfection of obedience as the Romanists speake of then by their own confession the Doctrin of merits is a false doctrin and ought by all men to be abominated and so much the rather we ought to abhor it because it is a Doctrine of blasphemy and is as much in effect as to give the Lord of Life truth it selfe the lie for Christ sayth When you have done all things that are commanded you say you are unprofitable servants for you have done that which was your duty Notwithstanding the Papists say they can merit But Christ who is the Master and Doctor of his Church and whom we are commanded to heare Mat. 3. Mat. 17. has taught us otherwise affirming we cannot merit much lesse do workes of supererogation which will plainly appeare if we examine a few instances and go through some particulars We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart with all our mind and with all our mighâ— and to love our Neighbour as our selfe I now demand of you Mr. Mountague whether either your selfe or any man can attaine unto this perfection of love the Lord requires at your hands and so fulfill the Law If it be acknowledged that no man can attaine to this perfection of love then he is a transgressor of the Law and is so far from meriting favour at Gods hand as he merits eternall death by it for the soule that sinnes shall die Ezekiel 18. for the wages of sin is death Numb 6. But if you answer that you can keepe this Law notwithstanding you cannot yet merit by it by Christs own words who proclaimeth you an unprofitable servant affirming that you have done but your duty Againe in the fifth of Matth. 4. vers 8. our Saviour saith Be yee therefore perfect as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect Here the Lord Jesus Christ for the ordering of our obedience and regulating of our lives sets before us as a modell rule and example which we must ever follow the perfection that is in God himselfe our Heavenly father and commands all men to be perfect as he himselfe is perfect I demand of you Mr. Montague can you or any man attaine unto this perfection that is in God which neverthelesse we are commanded to do If you do acknowledge that no man can attaine to it as no man can indeed then you are a transgressor of this command and fayling in your duty you deserve condemnation and therefore are far from meriting But if you shall affirme that you can attaine to this perfection and should really do that you are commanded yet you are still an unprofitable servant and have done but your duty and therefore have not yet merited any thing We are commanded both in the old Testament and in the new to be holy and for the pattern of our holinesse as of our perfection the holinesse of God is set downe before us for our imitation As he that hath called you saith St. Peter is holy so be you holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be yee holy as I am holy Levit. 11. ver 24. 19.2 the 20.7 I desire you to tell me whether you or any man can attaine to that perfection of holinesse through the whole course of your life that is in God if not you have transgressed this
death as if he had been an actor and had flung stones at him with the rest saying When thy holy martyr Stephen was slaine I stood by and assented unto it And in Jeremy 5. ver 30 31. A wonderfull and horrible thing saith the Prophet is committed in the Land The Prophets prophesie fasly and the Priests beare rule by their meanes and my people love to have it so c. Here the people assenting and allowing of these evils made themselves equally guilty and liable to the same punishment And therefore it is a very dangerous thing to have any familiarity with notorious wicked men or to meddle with such especially as are given to change and therefore by Solomon expresly forbidden and that in regard of the danger that necessarily followeth upon it which is sudden calamity and ruine to them both to both actors and abettors or consenters And all this ruine and calamity came both upon Jeroboam that made a change in Religion and in that government against this command and all that joyned with him and assented to him as the story of the Kings and Chronicles doe sufficiently declare and by that teach us to take heed we make no change or alteration in religion and Gods matters lest we partake of the same plague knowing that all those things were written for our example upon whom the ends of the world are come And therefore Mr. Montague that Church that renounceth all will-worship humane inventions in Gods service in so doing manifests her obedience to the Commandements of God and heares his voyce by which she declares herselfe to be a true Church and founded upon the foundation of Peter all which the Church of England doth and is by Gods grace resolved to doe and never to admit of any humane inventions in Gods worship and service being so often taught to the contrary both by precept and by example Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians chap. 2. vers 18. in condemning and rejecting the worship and adoration of Angels and all will-worship contents himselfe and thinks it sufficient to say that it was a humane invention to teach all Christians for ever to banish out of their religion whatsoever men devise or invent of their owne braines and innovate in Gods worship under what pretence of humility and devotion soever it be His words are these Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seene vainly puft of by his flesh and in the 20. verse Wherefore saith he if yee be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the World why as though living in the World are yee subject to Ordinances after the Commandments and Doctrine of men Here he rejects and renounces all will-worship and serving of God by humane traditions not only in regard of the danger of it because it separated them from their Head Christ Jesus vers 19. but because it was an humane invention and blames the Colossians for suffering and subjecting themselves to them And in his Epistle to Titus chap. the 1. v. 13.14 Wherefore saith the Apostle rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Not giving heede to Jewish fables and commandements of men which turne from the truth Here is a generall prohibition to all Christians not to give heed to the Commandements and traditions of men in Religion with a Reason of the same annexed to the prohibition for such Commandements saith the Apostle turne men from the truth and lead them into by-wayes and corrupt and adulterate Religion and overthrow the Church which should be the ground and pillar of truth and so rob it of happinesse and of injoying the Head which is Christ Jesus And the truth of this Doctrine of St. Paul is confirmed by innumerable presidents in all ages for humane inventions corrupt Gods service As yee may see in 32 of Exodus when they set up the Calfe and built an Altar before it and proclaimed a feast unto it and were very merry and highly pleased themselves in their own inventions But heare what the Lord saith to Moses vers the 7. Go get thee downe for thy people which thou broughtest out of the Land of Aegypt have corrupted themselves they have turned aside quickly out of the way c. Here innovation in Religion and humane inventions corrupted the people and turned them aside quickly out of the way to Heaven The same is evident in Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat who caused all Israel to sinne and the ten Tribes to fall from God who followed him in his changing of Religion contrary unto the precept of Solomon in the place above specified for setting up his Calves at Dan and Bethel as it is to be seene at large in the first of the Kings the 12. and ordaining a feast unto them and setting up an Altar and sacrificing on it and changing both the time and place of Gods Worship and making Priests of the meane people which were not of the sonnes of Laevi and causing the people to goe up before them This sayes the Lord became a sinne unto them so that the Lord in many places sayes they sacrificed unto Divells and therfore by these their inventions and by this their will-worship they so provoked the Lord as they brought suddaine calamity and ruin upon themselves which the Lord by Solomon had foretold them and the Lord cast them off and gave them into captivity and delivered them over to their enemies hand and gave them a bill of divorce to teach all people to feare and tremble how by their owne inventions and will-worship they provoke the Lord lest he cast them off as he did the Israelites Here we may bring in also the Tribe of Iuda and all Ierusalem who by their inventions and imitating of Israel and other idolatrous Nations corrupted all their wayes and adulterated their Religion and provoked the Lord to wrath who gave them likewise for their idolatry and will-worship and their other abominations that ever follow the profaning of Religion into captivity and exposed the whole Kingdomes to desolation But the example of the Samaritans is not to be passed by who boasted much of antiquity and their Father Iacob though there was but little kindred between them and lesse affienity in the true Religion yet there are many things spoke of them worthy to be taken notice of for it is said in the second of the Kings the 17. that they were taught how they should feare the Lord and they feared the Lord c. and they observed Moses his Rites Ceremonies and Discipline and they looked for the Messiah to come as wee see in Iohn the 4. and they had great agreement and harmony in many Articles and points of Religion with the Iewes the only then true worshipers of God so that to the outward appearance they differed but little yet by their own inventions superstitions idolatry and traditions they had so corrupted the
whole worship of God that the Scripture denyes that they feared the Lord vers 34. because they did after their former manners and did not according to the Statutes and Ordinances and after the Law and Commandements which the Lord commanded to the children of Jacob whom he named Israel and therefore our Saviour Christ pronounces them void of salvation affirming they worshiped they knew not what and the Iewes knowing what they did worship that salvation was of the Iewes Ioh. 4. So that the truth of what I asserted is manifest that humane inventions in Gods service and wil-worship adulterates a true Church and overthrowes Religion for God will indure no mixtures Now Mr. Montague if one should in every particular compare the Church of Rome with either the children of Jsrael in all their idolatries or with the Church of Samaria in all her superstitious and fained inventions and fee what ruin and calamity came upon them by it and how by their idolatries they deprived themselves of Gods favour and of salvation we shall finde that the Church of Rome doth as far exceede either of them in idolatry superstition and all manner of profanenesse and wil-worship as a giant in greatnesse doth a pygme and therefore Mr. Montague if the Church of Rome doth not repent and renounce all her will-worship and her humane inventions as the Church of England hath done shee will partake of the same plagues that the people of Israel and Samaria did in this world and finally be deprived of life eternall and all those that do partake with her in her sinnes must partake with her in her plagues therefore Mr. Montague follow Christs counsell come out of Babylon lest you partake with her in her punishment if you will continue in her sinnes Imitate in this the Church of England who obeying the voyce of Christ her head and husband and comming out of Babylon and flying all Idolatry and will-worship proves her selfe to be a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and to be the pillar of truth and where salvation may be had And this might suffice to have spoke of wil-worship but in way of a corollary and for direction to all Christans what order to take or what meanes to use for the triall of all Doctrines Disciplines Service or Ceremonies I shall adde a word or two more and so conclude this point Our Saviour in the 11 of Mat. vers 30. gives unto men a Rule of direction which if they follow it will preserve them from all error and keepe them in the right way of serving of God The Baptisme of John was it from Heaven or of men Answer mee saith he inferring if it were of men that then it ought not to be entertained in Gods worship and that the Jewes knew very well In the same manner ought all Christians to examine and try every doctrine either of service ceremony or discipline whether it be of God or of men according to this Rule of Christ and that of Saint Paul in the first of the Thess chap. the 5. v. the 21. Try all things and keepe that which is good Now then Mr. Montague if we examine whose image and superscription every Ordinance beares and carries with it whether Cesars or Gods that is whether it be prescribed by human or Divine authority all the controversy then would speedily be ended for if it be of God and warranted by his Word then all ready obedience is to be yeilded unto it without reluctation when under that notion it is prescribed and ordered by the Magistrate But if it be a meere humane invention and hath no warrant from God our Father we ought to reject it So saith St. Paul the first of the Cor. chap. 7. v. 24. Brethren yee are bought with a price be not servants of men And in the first Chap. of the Epistle to the Gal. v. 8.9 But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach unto you otherwise than that we have preached unto you let him be accursed As I said before so I say now againe if any man Preach unto you otherwise than that yee have received let him be accursed Here the Apostle doubles the curse upon all such as shall teach otherwise for Doctrine Service Discipline or Ceremonies than they were taught by him and the other Disciples And by his owne example in the verse following he teacheth us plainly that if we goe about to please men in receiving their Doctrines we cannot be the servants of God for we cannot serve two masters his words are these verse 10. For do I now perswade or preach mans doctrine or Gods or do I seeke to please men for if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ all therefore that intertaine and admit of humane inventions in Gods service and worship are proclaimed by the Apostle the servants of men and not of God A businesse of great concernment and worthy of due consideration And truly Mr. Montague if a man should run through all the new Doctrines for Service Discipline and Ceremonies in the Church of Rome and inquire whether they were from Heaven or of men we shall not in all Gods Word find any warrant for them for they are all the inventions of crafty men who imployed their wisdome and abilities of understanding to amuse the people with these outward performances and kept them from the glorious light of the Gospell that by this meanes having put out that shining and burning Candle of Truth they might better vent their Romish ware in the darke and lead the people into errors and by-wayes to the distraction and ruin of their poore soules for imposing upon them all their traditions and will-worship as the service of God and punishing the least neglect of their Ordinances with greater severity than the breach of all Gods Commandements it is manifest to all men that they are not onely the servants of men but lyable to the curse the Apostle here pronounces against all those that teach otherwise than they have received from him and make the poore people also subject to the same condemnation And therefore the Church of England in consideration of the great danger shee was in by reason of the prodigious idolatry and will-worship of the Church of Rome hath timely renounced all these inventions of men and serves God now in spirit and truth as all those that worship aright do John 4. and cleaves only to Jesus Christ and his teaching disavowing all humane inventions in Gods service and therefore is built upon the foundation of Peter and believes as it ought to believe And thus much I thought fit to speak concerning Will-worship And now I am come to the third part of my proposition viz. that the Church of England continueth stedfastly in the Doctrine of the Apostles and Prophets An infallible marke of a true Church By stedfastly continuing I understand such an adhering and cleaving to the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles
is of all Christians It was the praise of all the Christians of the Primitive Church that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayer Acts 2. ver 42. and that they searched the Scriptures as the Bereans And Paul in his Epistle to the Ephesians chap. 2. vers 19 20. for their comfort tels them that they were not strangers and forainers but Citizens with the Saints and of the hâ—ushold of God and confirmes it unto them with a strong reason that they were the people of God and a true Church because saith he Ye are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner Stone So that to continue constantly in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles is an irresistible argument and proofe of a true Church and that it is built upon the foundation of Peter Which when the Church of England continueth in swarving in nothing from that rule but alwaies hearing the voice of Christ it is manifest they are his sheep and are of God for so saith Christ John 8. ver 7. He that is of God heareth Gods Words ye therefore heare them not because ye are not of God speaking there to the unbelieving Jewes And chap. 10. My sheepe saith he he are my voice ver 27. And in Chap. 18. ver 17. Every one saith Christ that is of the truth heareth my voice And St. John in his first Epistle chap. 4. ver 6. saith We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth us not Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of error In these words St. John confirmeth that his own doctrine and the doctrine of all the Apostles was the assured Word of God and that they that were of God did heare it and that they that did not heare it that is obey it were not of God and that by this doctrine alone all men might distinguish truth from errour they that heare this doctrine are of the truth they that heare it not are led by the spirit of errour and are in darknesse Now then Mr. Montague when the Church of England in all things heareth the voyce of Christ and cleaveth onely to the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles the Church of Rome is not grounded upon the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles but upon their vain traditions doctrines of men and will not suffer the Word of God to be read amongst the people nor permit the voice of Christ to be heard amongst them this necessarily followes from thence that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and the Church of Rome is a false Church and founded upon errour and delusion And therefore Mr. Montague if you desire salvation come out of that confused Babylon into the bosome of the Church of England that teacheth the way the truth and the life and you will finde rest unto your soule And this shall satisfie to have spoken of this third part of my proposition Now I come to the fourth part viz. that in the Church of England the Gospell is purely preached repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ and the Sacraments rightly administred and in which there is the true invocation of God Another infallible and never deceiving note of a true Church which were it single and alone were sufficient to evince to the whole world that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter and therefore believes as it ought to believe By the pure preaching of the Gospell and right administration of the Sacraments and the true invocation of God I understand when all things are done in the ministry and preaching of the Gospell and administration of the Sacraments and invocation of the name of God and prayer according to Christs institution and according to the commission delivered unto the Apostles without addition of any thing or diminution but observing all things according unto the rule prescribed in all punctuall manner by such as God hath fitted for wisdome learning and all divine knowledge for that holy imployment and who doe accordingly in all uprightnesse sincerity and godly simplicity following the example of Paul 2 Cor. 2. vers 17. We saith he are not as many which make merchandise of the Word of God but of sincerity but as of God in the sight of God speake we in Christ The Apostles did nothing in the ministry craftily or coveteously or lesse sincerely than they ought as more fully is expressed in chap. 4. ver 2. where he saith We have cast from us the cloake of shame and walke not in crafrinesse neither handle we the Word of God deceitfully but in declaration of the truth we approve our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God The Apostles preached the Gospell without subtilty and deceipt seeking no lurking-holes to cover their shamelesse dealing they preached not with excellency of words as Paul in 1 Cor. 2. declares or of wisdome in shewing the testimony of God which was the Gospell neither was their word and preaching in the inticing speach of mans wisdome but in plaine evidence of the Spirit and of power and not for self-ends After this example of the blessed Apostle is the Gospell preached by the Ministers of the Church of England who dispense the Ordinances according to their Commission neither adding nor detracting from it in any thing but withall care sedulity and watchfulnesse without base ends and self-respects attend upon the Ministry in their particular places and as they are made Watchmen unto their flockes by God himselfe so they receive the word from his mouth and give warning to the people Ezek. 3. ver 17. and they swerve not from the rule which will the better appeare if we examine the Commission the Lord Jesus gave to the Apostles Matth. 28. ver 19. Goe therefore saith Christ and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway untill the end of the world Their commission was limited that they should speake nothing but what Christ commanded them nothing of their owne heads and braines and keeping themselves within their limits they were ever sure of Gods presence and assistance who had promised them and all their successours in so doing to be with them to the end of the world they were bound therefore to teach nothing but Gods commands and that the holy Apostles observed and commanded all men though an Angel from Heaven should teach otherwise than they had taught them not to heare them under a fearefull curse Galat. 1. Now when the Church of England diligently keepes it selfe to the Commission given by Christ unto his Apostles and preaches the Gospell in all purity without any mixture of their owne
inventions and doctrines and that with all simplicity and godly integrity and administers the holy Sacraments without any addition diminution or detraction according as Christ appointed and cals upon the name of God according as he hath taught it is cleare to all men that the Church of England is a true Church and built upon the foundation of Peter All which will more perspicuously be evidenced if we examine the severall commissions of the Apostles and consider what they preached unto the people whose example for preaching and doctrine the Church of England in all things follows and swarves not from Saint Peter in Acts 2. ver 37. When the people were pricked in their hearts at his Sermon and said unto the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we doe in Verse 38. according to his commission Repent saith he and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sinnes and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost for the promise is to you and your children and to all that are afarre off even as many as the Lord our God shall call To preach faith and repentance unto the people was their commission And in chap. 3. ver 23. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out c. and Saint Paul sets downe his commission in the places following in Chap. 13. ver 23. Be it knowne unto you therefore men and brethren that through this man is preached unto you forgivenesse of sinnes And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses And in Acts 26. the Apostle Paul shewes his commission to King Agrippa and what by that he was to doe in Gods service and imployments His words are these I have saith the Lord Jesus appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a witnesse both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things I will appeare unto thee in delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee To open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith that is in me Here is the Apostles Commission Now let us take notice how he executes it Whereupon O King Agrippa saith he I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision but shewed first unto them of Damascus and at Jerusalem and through all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turne to God and doe workes meet for repentance So that in the execution of his commission in opening their eyes and turning men from darknesse unto light and from the power of Satan unto God for the receiving of remission of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified he preacheth unto them onely that they should repent and turne to God and doe workes meet for repentance and believe in Jesus Christ And in this consisted all the preaching of all the Apostles and Prophets and this is all the worke that the true Ministers of Jesus Christ have to doe unto the end of the world Which Commission when the Church of England fully and punctually observeth teaching them to repent and turne from sinne and idols unto the living God and to change their minds and purposes and to come out of themselves and flie unto God for mercy and pardon puting off their old mind and putting on a new in a word when the Church of England teacheth all men that true repentance consists in the universall change of the mind and of the whole life and turning unto God by unfeigned sorrow which proceedeth from an earnest serious and reall feare of God which continueth unto the last houre of mans life in the mortifying of the old man and crucifying of the flesh and in the quickuing of the new man and vivifying of the Spirit and labours by all meanes to humble men for their sinnes by which they have offended God that so they may obtaine mercy and become new creatures and manifest this change wrought in them by the amendment of their whole lives and returning into the waies of Gods Commandements and exhorteth them to the practising of all those vertues and graces God hath adorned them with and bestowed upon them and as they are a chosen generation a Royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that they should shew forth the praises of him who hath called them out of darknesse into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. vers 9. Againe when the Church of England instructeth the people fully in the doctrine of saving faith teaching that it is a certaine setled and assured knowledge of the free grace mercy and love of God towards mankinde in Jesus Christ and grounded upon the truth of the gracious and free promise of God in Christ and is both revealed unto their minds and soules and sealed in their hearts by the holy Ghost so that as the Spirit of God doth illuminate their understanding worketh faith in their hearts withall he doth witnesse unto them their adoption and assureth them of their salvation in Jesus Christ and of life eternall according unto the Commission delivered unto the Apostles and which likewise they in their own particulars preached unto their auditors as the whole Scriptures witnesse now when the Church of England I say not onely instructeth the people rightly to believe and repent but also calleth upon them that they should joyne practise with theory and shew forth their faith by all good workes and a godly life and holy conversation and that they should daily increase and abound in all knowledge and labour for particular faith and certaine assurance of Gods love and that they may the better attaine unto this speciall assurance by which they may be supported in all temptations and tryals they exhort them diligently and carefully to read the Word of God which was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Rom. 15. ver 4. and call upon them likewise to be diligent in the hearing of the holy Word and frequenting of the holy assemblies and encourage them to the reall practice of all those instructions and wholsome doctrines that they learne by the ministery of the Gospell that they may not only be Saints in the Church and in publique but at home in their houses yea and in their private closets and be holy in all manner of conversation both publique and private ever instructing their family ever shewing them good example and going before them in a godly and unblameable life walking before God in uprightnesse inall sincerity and before men unreproveable Again when the Church of England administers the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper according to Christ institution without addition and diminution but as they have
you may yet further be convinced Mr. Montague that the Scriptures of the old Testament contained all things in them sufficient for the salvation of the people of God under the Law before the comming of Christ I thus argue That which was able to keepe men out of the place of the damned and to bring them into the bosome of Abraham and eternally to save them that containes all things in it necessary to salvation But Moses and the Prophets the Scriptures of the old Testament were able to keepe men out of the place of the damned and to bring them into the bosome of Abraham and eternally to save them Ergo the Scriptures of the old Testament contained all things in them necessary for the salvation of all those that were under the Law and the Jewes then had no need of any humane Traditions and much lesse have we having the Gospell joyned unto the Law But for proofe of my Minor heare what Christ saies in the person of Abraham if men desire to escape hell and to be eternally saved let them heare Moses and the Prophets saith Christ let them believe and obey and doe what Moses and the Prophets command them and they shall never be damned and I tell you more saith Christ if men will not believe Moses and the Prophets no traditions will prevaile with such men to move them to repentance and turne them from their evill waies no not miracles For if they will not heare Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Luke 16. ver 28 29 30 31 32. Therefore the Scriptures of the old Testament were not onely sufficient to save those that were under the Law but they were tied onely unto them But for further proofe of the sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament and that they contained all things in them necessary to the salvation of those that were under the Law I shall adde some other arguments and proofes out of the holy Scriptures to evince it Our blessed Saviour in the 5 of John ver 32. Search the Scripture saith he for in them ye thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me Here is an exhortation yea a command and that from the King of his Church to search the Scriptures which were enough to put all Christians upon that imployment although he had given no reason of it but laid downe his bare simple command onely but he giveth them a reason of this his injunction and that was from the emolument and benefit that would accrue unto themselves by searching of the Scriptures and that was life eternall if you will search the Scriptures saith Christ they will make you happy and save your soules for they containe all things in them necessary to salvation and have eternall life in them and that is manifest by two witnesses and you know saith he what the Law speaketh By the mouth of two or three witnesses every thing shall be confirmed Now saith Christ you your selves give witnesse unto this truth that the Scriptures have life eternall in them and your witnesse is true and I joyne with you in your testimony and I assert and witnesse the same also that they containe all things in them necessary to life eternall Therefore if you will not upon my command search and study the holy Scriptures yet if yee tender your owne eternall good and the saving of your soules which is better to you than the gaining of the whole world then search the scriptures For in them ye have eternall life But it will not be amisse a little more fully to consider and weigh the words of our blessed Saviour for as there is an irrefragable argument and a pregnant proofe in them to evince the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures of the old Testament to those that were under the Law so there will from hence be deduced an infallible demonstration for the confirming of the al-sufficiency of the whole Scriptures those of the new Testament being joyned to those of the old Search the Scriptures saith our Saviour for in them ye thinke to have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me In these words there is a twofold reason or a double argument to prove the al-sufficiency of the Scripture of the old Testament that they contained all things necessary to salvation and in that a greater engagement to the Jewes and stronger motive to put them upon the diligent searching of them The first is the testimony of the Jewes their owne witnesse Yee your selves thinke in them saith our Saviour to have eternall life that is ye acknowledge and verily believe that they containe all things in them necessary to the salvation of your soules and your beliefe is good and your witnesse is true and according to the holy Scripture for all errour and sinne arise from the nescience and ignorance of the Scriptures Ye doe erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God saith Christ Matth. 22. ver 29. Now errour and sinne brings men to perdition and eternall misery and by the knowledge of the Scriptures you come to the knowledge of God and of his power and what a just righteous and holy God he is and a consuming fire and how he hates all sinne iniquity and abomination and by that ye learne to hate sinne shunne and avoyd it and are taught all the right way of pleasing him and how to walke in his Commandements Statutes Ordinances and Judgements by which you shall save your soules and be eternally blessed and because you know not the Scriptures you walke in the by-waies of sinne and vanity to your owne eternall ruine and perdition according to that of Solomon in the 29 of the Prov. v. 18. Where there is no vision the people perish but he that keepeth the Law happy is he Happy here and eternally happy hereafter for ignorance of the Law is the cause of all miseries here and hereafter but the knowledge and the keeping of the Law maketh them forever happy and saveth their soules The same doctrine our Saviour taught Matth. 19. ver 16 17. the Ruler that came to him demanding of him what he should doe that he might have eternall life If thou wilt enter into life saith Christ keep the Commandements For God had made that gracious promise unto his people of life upon their perfect obedience Levit. 18. v. 5. Ye shall therefore keepe my Statutes and my judgements saith the Lord which if a man doe he shall live in them I am the Lord. And the same promise againe often renewed in many places and amongst others in the 20. of Ezekiel vers 11. And I gave them my Statutes and shewed them my judgements which if a man doe he shall even live in them So that all the people of God and the whole Nation of the Jewes were sufficiently convinced of this truth that the Scriptures contained all things in them necessary to salvation and this was
certainty of all that Christ both did and spak in the knowledge and believing of the which consists our Eternall happinesse and salvation And this Mr. Montague might suffice to have spoke to prove the al-sufficiency of the Scriptures without Traditions but I will yet adde a few more arguments to establish this Truth more fully and so much the more willingly I do it because it is a point of so great concernment and that about which there hath been and is the greatest contestation betweene us true Catholicks and you Papists S. Luke affords us an other evident testimony to prove the al-sufficiency of the holy Scriptures Acts 1. vers 1. The former Treatise saith hee have I made O Theophilus of all that Jesus began both to do and teach untill the day in which hee was taken up c. From which words I thus argue Those Bookes and writings that containe in them all things that Jesus Christ both did taught and suffered for the redemption and salvation of mankind by the knowledge and faith of the which men may be saved they containe all things in them necessary to salvation and have no need of any humane Traditions to be joyned unto them for the making of them a perfect Rule But the Scriptures of the new Testament comprehend in them all things that Jesus Christ both did taught and suffered for the redemption and salvation of mankinde by the knowledge and faith of which men may bee saved Ergo the Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation The evidence of the truth of this argument is so manifest that besides Lukes owne Testimony which is enough for ever to stop the mouth of all gainesayers the very Rhemists themselves your owne witnesses do acknowledge it whose notes upon this place you may at your best leasure looke on their words are these Not all particularly for the other Evangelists wrote divers things not touched by him but all the principall and most necessary things These Mr. Montague are the expressions of your own men in which observe these two concessions The first that they do acknowledge that at that time that S. Luke writ his Gospell The other Evangelists had writ diverse things not touched by him And this overthrowes your opinion that when S. Paul writ unto Timothy that the Scriptures of the new Testament were not then pend but delivered only viva voce and by Tradition and this was long before that time that S. Paul writ to Timothy The second thing that they grant which is as much as I desired is this that S. Luke himselfe had writ all the principall and most necessary things so that if the principall and most necessary things to salvation were written by Luke alone and the other things of lesse necessity were written by the other Evangelists then by your owne witnesses it followeth Mr. Montague that all things necessary to salvation are comprised and contained in the Scriptures of the new Testament compleatly and fully and therefore they are absolutely in themselves perfect and have no neede of any humane Traditions for the making of them an intire and perfect rule And truly Mr. Montague I dare at any time undertake this taske against all the Papists in the would to prove that if wee had nothing but the very writings of S. Luke I meane the Gospell written by him and the Acts of the Apostles that there were enough pend for the salvation of men and that there were no just cause of complayning of the in-sufficiency of the Scripture seeing that the knowledge and believing of those principall and most necessary things are able to save our soules as most certaine it is the knowing and believing of what hee writ is sufficient to salvation But when God of his infinite favour and goodnesse to mankinde hath by so many of his blessed Servants Apostles and Evangelists in so many severall Gospells and Epistles besides the revelation of S. Iohn so abundantly declared his heavenly good will and pleasure it is not onely an intolerable ingratitude in any not to acknowledge it but also an insufferable blasphemy to accuse all the Scriptures of imperfection yea it is indeed an overthrowing of the Lord Christs propheticall office and to give the Spirit of God and his holy Apostles and Evangelists the lie when they affirme the contrary saying in expresse words that they have writ all things necessary to salvation as by the Testimonies following will appeare See what S. Iohn saith concerning this businesse of so great consequence Chap. 20. vers 30.31 And many other signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this Booke But these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that believing yee might have life through his Name than the which there cannot be a more pregnant proofe to shew the sufficiency of what was written to salvation The argument from these words is this That which teacheth and declareth unto us the soveraigne and chiefest good and the meanes of attaining unto this good that containes all things in it necessary to salvation But the holy Scriptures doe teach and declare unto us the Soveraigne and chiefest good to wit life eternall and the meanes of attaining this life eternall to wit faith in Jesus Christ Ergo The Scriptures containe all things in them necessary to salvation If Mr. Montague you have a minde to confute this Argument you must then dispute against the Gospell of S. Iohn which confirmeth it But heare Mr. Montague what he saith in his first Epistle vers 1. 3.4 That which was from the beginning which wee have heard which wee have seene with our Eyes which wee have looked upon and our hands have handled of the Word of Life That which wee have seene and heard declare wee unto you that yee may also have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ And these things write wee unto you that your joy may be full The Argument from these words I thus frame The holy Apostles did hear and see whatsoever was necessary to salvation but the Apostles did declare set downe pen and record in their writings whatsoever they thought usefull requisite and sufficient for the attaining of eternall life Ergo the Apostles have declared and set down in their Bookes and writings whatsoever is necessary to salvation and to affirme the contrary is to give the Spirit of God and the holy Apostle the lie who in expresse tearms assert it For the Minor it is also manifest out of the same words For that which unites us with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ and makes our joy compleat that undeniably containes all things necessary to salvation but the holy Scriptures unite us with the Father and with his Sonne Iesus Christ and make our joy compleate Ergo they containe all things necessary to salvation And the same Apostle in the
to walke in for the attaining unto eternall happinesse they are the rule that all men are to be guided by and therefore he proclaimeth him blessed that delighteth in the Law of the Lord and doth meditate in it night and day Psal 1. Solomon likewise in Prov. 3. v. 1 2 3. and in Prov. 6. v. 20 21 22 23. and in many other places sendeth his sonne and all the people to the Law of the Lord for the rule of their lives and manners saying My sonne keepe thy fathers commandement and forsake not the law of thy mother Bind them continually upon thine heart and tie them about thy necke when thou goest it shall lead thee and when thou sleepest it shall keepe thee and when thou awakest it shall talke with thee For the Commandement is a Lampe and the Law is light and reproofes of instruction are the way of life And in Eccles 12. v. 13. Let us heare saith he the conclusion of the whole matter Feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man By all which places it appeareth that the holy Prophets made the written Word of God and that onely the rule of their lives and manners and commanded all people to have ever recourse unto that and that onely for the square to order their lives by And the Prophet Isaiah in the 8. v. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony saith he if they spake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them There was no other rule Mr. Montague knowen to the Prophets for the directing of the people how to serve God and to which they were tied but the Law and Testimonies the written Word and if under the Law they were ever to have recourse unto the Scripture and nothing in matter of faith was to be received which was not contained in the Scripture it was then a perfect rule and the onely rule by which they were to be guided and much more now Mr. Montague ought we to content our selves with the Word of God and to make that the onely rule of our faith and manners and of all our doctrines when the doctrine of the Gospell also written by the Apostles and Evangelists is joyned unto the Law the which hath also fully explained the meaning of all those hidden mysteries and shadowes and brought us into the cleare sunshine of all truths and hath indeed taught us the way the truth and the life The Prophet Jeremiah also in the 6 chap. vers 16. Thus saith the Lord Stand yee in the wayes and see and aske for the old pathes where is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest unto your soules Here the Prophet sends them to the Law and the Testimony that old way and tells them the benefit that will accrue unto them by following his counsell viz. That by it they shall finde rest unto their soules And the Prophet Malachi 4. vers 4. Remember yee saith he the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded him in Horeb for all Jsrael with the statutes and judgments The Law of Moses and the Prophets was the rule Mr. Montague that all Israel was tied unto as that which was an absolute and perfect rule of direction from which they were bound not to swarve and which had no neede of any Traditions for the compleating of it much more now is it a perfect rule when the Gospell is annexed to it and therefore all Christians ought to make the old and new Testament the sole rule of their faith and manners and by all these precepts they are commanded and many more to cleave onely unto it But now Master Montague let us see what precepts and directions wee finde layd downe unto us in the New Testament that by the mouth of both these Witnesses the Truth of God may yet more fully be confirmed In Matthew 17. vers 51. And behold a voyce out of the clouds which said This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased heare you him And Acts 3. vers 22 23. For Moses truly said unto the Fathers A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise unto you of your brethren like unto mee him shall ye heare in all things whatsoever hee shall say unto you and it shall come to passe that every soule that will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from the people Here are two things Mr. Montague observable first a command viz. that we should heare Christ that Prophet the Lord our God should raise up Secondly the danger that would insue if we heard him not viz. destruction for that is pronounced against those that do not heare him Now let us take notice how he teacheth us John 5. vers 39. Search the Scriptures saith he Here our great Prophet Mr. Montague sendeth us onely to the Scriptures he makes them the onely rule which wee are to follow And in Luke 16. in the person of Abraham hee sendeth all men to Moses and the Prophets vers 29. they have Moses and the Prophets saith he let them heare them This Mr. Montague was the old way to salvation where men might finde rest for their soules Moses and the Prophets and thither doth Christ the onely Prophet of his Church send all men to the holy Scriptures and to the Doctrines contained in them as the absolute and compleat rule that all the Christians are for ever tied to and out of the Scriptures and them onely did Christ confirme all his preaching as is evident out of Luke 24. and many other places averring that the people erred not knowing the Scriptures Mat. 22. The Apostles likewise in all their Sermons and Writings did the same and inoyned all Christians to cleave unto the holy Scriptures and to make them onely the rule of their faith and manners as by the places following do most cleerly appeare Paul in the 16 of the Rom. v. 17.18 Now I beseech you brethren saith he marke them which cause division and offences contrary unto the doctrine yee have received and avoyd them for they that are such serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their owne belly and by good words and faire speeches deceive the hearts of the simple Here the holy Apostle ties the Romans unto the doctrine they had received and which he writ unto them and forbids them to have any communication with any members of that Church that should teach contrary unto that Doctrine they had received for they that are such saith he serve not our Lord Jesus Christ All therefore Mr. Montague that teach any Doctrine contrary unto the written word swarve from the truth and are not by the Apostles command to be communicated with and therefore the written Word must be the onely rule of our direction And in the 4 of the 1 of Cor. vers 6. Hee commands them not to be wise above that that is written tying them ever to the doctrine that is set down in the written Word and in that
the Apostle declares two things concerning himselfe The first his good conscience The second that he was not thereby justified By which all the workes of grace are excluded from justification Yea it is most evident that a man must be justified before he can doe any good workes or any thing pleasing unto God so that those workes that follow justification can no way effect it or be the cause of it And as all workes are excluded so all vertues faith onely excepted for as he that receives a gift puts forth his hand onely but after he has received it not onely his hand but his tongue and his feet and his other members which conferred nothing in the receiving testifie their thankfulnesse After the same manner we receive the matter of justification by faith onely the hand of the soule not by hope or charity But after Christ is received and imbraced these graces likewise manifest themselves with all the rest which spring from faith the fountaine that sanctifies cleanses and purifies the heart sprinkling it with the blood of Jesus Christ from which fountaine arise all the streams of all other saving graces that appear in our lives And this Mr. Montague is the saving doctrine of justification which when the Church of England so firmely holdeth forth declares and preaches it believeth in Jesus Christ as it ought to believe and is built upon the foundation of Peter when it excludes all merits and workes from justification and lookes for salvation in Christ by faith alone for which its believing it hath very good reason for if the children of Israel did not by their owne righteousnesse merit the Land of Canaan which is by God himselfe there excluded Deut. 9. which was but the type how much lesse can any man by his merits merit Heaven it selfe which is the thing typified But that I may neither leave you Mr. Montague nor any Romanist any ground of cavill I shall by your patience say something here severally and by it self to a poore objection that is often made by the Papists against our doctrine of free justification by faith alone who often contest that in the whole Scripture it is no where said that man is justified by faith alone that particle alone say they is no where inserted in the holy Scripture but is onely put in by us But for answer I desire you to take notice that howsoever that particle in so many letters be not in expresse terms specified there is in many places of the Scripture that set downe that that is equivalent to it as will by and by appeare And however I say that word alone be not in the Scriptures notwithstanding the Apostle Paul doth clearely confirme our opinion of free justification by faith alone so that no man can doubt of it that hath not resigned his reason and so evidently declares it as if he had in expresse words said by faith alone For faith beholds and lookes upon something without us that is the mercy and favour of God promised in a mediator which are the sure mercies of David and this mercy alone doth justifie us and this mercy doth faith alone apprehend wherefore the name of faith taken by it selfe denoteth as much as faith alone and by it selfe Besides Paul in this businesse and worke of justification joynes nothing with faith and therefore he teacheth that faith alone doth suffice for if it hath nothing joyned and coupled with it in justifying or absolving of us then it is plaine and evident that faith alone doth justifie us For whatsoever could adde or conferre any thing to our justification all that is removed and excluded from faith in our justification For what is it Mr. Montague I pray thinke you that in this cause or businesse should be joyned with faith I presume you will say workes Now then if workes be removed severed and disjoyned from faith and that in expresse words it followes then necessarily that we are justified by faith alone Heare then I pray what Paul saith Rom. 3. vers 28. We therefore conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law And in the same chapter vers 20. Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified And vers 24. Being justified freely by grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ And in chap. 4. ver 5 6. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is imputed for righteousness even as David also describes the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works And in his epistle to the Gala. cap. the 2.16 knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Jesus Christ c. I beseech you Mr. Montague tell me ingenuously what could be spoke or cited more cleerly for the confirming of our opinion and doctrine For if wee be not justified by the workes of the Law and if we be not justified but by the faith of Jesus Christ and if all workes of the Law be so often by the Apostle excluded from justification and twice in expresse tearmes removed from justification in this verse and that with an irrisistible reason added by the Apostle shewing the impossibility of justification by workes saving that by the workes of the Law shall no flesh be iustified I say in all these regards it necessarily followes that we are justified by faith alone And we may adde to all this what the Apostle often speakes that wee are justified freely it is the gift of God which excludes all reason of merit Ephes 2. vers 8 9. for by grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of workes lest any man should boast Mr. Montague if all that I have spoke cannot yet satisfy you I hope it will satisfy all rationall men and it doth abundantly confirme me in this truth and also prove that that Church which teacheth the free grace of God and the doctrin of justification by faith alone in Jesus Christ is a true Church and believes as it ought to believe But before I draw to an end and couclude this point I shall at your best leisure desire you to answer this Argument If wee be not justified by the workes of the Law if to him that workes not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is imputed for righteousnesse if by the workes of the Law no flesh shall be justified if Righteousnesse without workes be imputed if freely if by grace if it be the gift of God and to conclude if we be not justified but by the Faith of Jesus Christ Then we are iustified by Faith alone But the antecedent is true therefore the consequent Wherefore then should any man cavill against our Doctrine of free justification by faith alone because the particle alone is not in expresse tearmes set down when there are divers expressions of as full efficacy