inclosed for which I teturn my most humble thanks and instead of another which you seem to require of me I have sent you two herein inclosed the one to shew you the superstition Idolatry and Will-worship of your Church the other to convince you of the Pride Arrogancy Tyranny and Usurp'd power of it which when your Ladyship hath been pleased to peruse and as well as you can to answer I shall summe up all that you have said rogether and make a short rejoynder to the whole of your replies for I am refolved to trouble your Ladyship with no more Papers so praying God for your Ladyships good health both of Body and Soul I take leave to remain Madam Your Ladyships most assured faithfull servant N. My Lady upon the return of her servant opening the Packet that Mistress N. had sent back to her found the Papers inclosed whereof the first was to this effect as followeth That which your Church teacheth concerning the invocation of Saints is a Doctrine very injurious to God and yet not more prophane then superstitious and impertinent and that I will prove thus 1. Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour with God the Father God the Holy Ghost Holy Trinity in Unity three Persons and one God alone is all-sufficient alone is most liberall and alone is most mercifull and who alone loves us more than all the Saints There is not a Christian living that I think dares deny a word of this if there should be such a monster a were easie to prove every word of it by express Scripture who can think it rationall then to invoke any other thing and besides that this all-bountifull all-mercifull all-powerfull most good most gracious and most loving Lord God has not onely enjoin'd us but importun'd us to pray to him and him alone promising to hear and grant our requests and that I prove by most express Scriptures thus 2. First by the Gospells it is most clear our Saviour in Saint John assures it with a Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he will give it you John 16.23 24. and then in the next verse Ask and ye shal receive thus it is but asking of God and having and yet you must think fit to go about by the Saints 3. Then in Saint Lukes Gospel we find and I say unto you ask and it shall be given you Luke 11.9.10 11 12 13. seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you For every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Then by the paralel of God with a good Father granting his childs requests he concludes how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Again what you ask in prayet believing ye shall receive as Saint Matthews Gospell tells Matth. 2. with an infinity of other places too many to repeat to that purpose wherefore Saint Paul most pithily concludes Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need 4 The Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 1.3 that God is the Father of mercies and the Lord of all comforts who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selvs are comforted of God c. If all our comfort then be from God had we not better make our address to him that we know is the fountain of all Grace than to the Saints who can have nothing but what they derive from him 5. The same Apostle tells Tymothy plainly that there is but one Mediatour between God and men and that is Christ Jesus what an offence then must it needs be to God to make more Mediators that is the Saints Then we finde frequently in Scripture that he alone maketh intercesion for us as in Isaiah that he makes intercession for transgressors 1 Tim. 2.5 Isai 53.12 Rom. 8.26.24 Heb. 7.25 and Saint Paul tells us that he ever liveth to make intercession for us And again who always maketh intercession for us why should we date to make more intercessors that is the Saints 6. In fine to summe up all in short your Doctrine of invocacion of the Saints is highly injurious to God who is a jealous God and will onely be worship'd It is injurious to Jesus Christ who is the onely Mediatour between God and man Thirdly it is injurious to our selves for it is an argument of a diffidence and distrust in God when we fly to the Saints for succour and then lastly it is an impertinent and unprofitable piece of devotion because the Saints in heaven neither do nor can hear our prayets nor know our wants or what is done here amongst us as Job tells us Job 24.21 Eccles 9.5 his sons came to honor and he knoweth it not Ecclesiastes assures us that the living know that they shall dye but the dead know not any thing and the Prophet Isaiah yet more plainly Isai 63.16 doubtlessthou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel do not acknowledge us c. Thus it is plain that the Saintf in heaven are incapable to know our wants or hear our prayers much less to help us That your Doctrine of Veneration of Images is an abominable Idolatrcus Dactrine and prejudicial to divine Worship I prove Thus. First out of the plain words of the Commandement Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven Image Exod. 20.4 5. Deut. 4.5 2â— or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the waterunder the earth thou shalt notbow down thy self to them nor serve them c. The same thing is repeated at the latter end of Exâ—dus and in severall places of Deuteronomy and in many other places of the Old Testament 2. Again we find how good Hezekiah 2 King 18.4 removed the high places and brake the Images and brake in pieces the beazen Serpent that Moses had made c. Yet your Religion strives to restore to Christians that kind of worship 3 How well our Saviour is pleased with that kinde of Worship Joh. 22 23 24. you may see in Saint John's Gospell where our Saviour says ye worship ye know not what c. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seekes such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Now I would feign know what a Spirit hath to do with Images or how can the worship of Images be thought a spiritual worship 4 Over and above the danger of Idolatry and many unclean thoughts that may be occasioned by Images I shall onely add this
the mouth defileth a man but that which cometh out of the mouth this defileth a man c. why does your Church then tye up mens mouths from meat at any time 2. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 3 4 5. S. Paul tells us that now the speaketh expresly that in the latter times some should depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Devils speaking lies c. forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgivings of them which believe and know the truth for every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Heer the Apostle plainly calls it a doctrine of Devils and meer lies to command abstinence from any meat which God has created for the use of the faithful to be taken with thanksgiving 3. Tit. 1.14 15. Does not the same Apostle forewarne us not to give heed to such doctrines as those which he calls the commandements of men that turn from the truth and gives this reason that unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleiving is nothing pure c. How dares your Church then impute iniquity to any thing of meat or make such a distinction between meats as you do 4. Colos 2.16 17. Does he not command the Colossians thus Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or of the new moon or of the sabbath days which are but a shadow of things to come c. yet you are pleased to make your ceremonies to be the very substance of your Religion 5. Again he tells the Romans thus Rom 9. If by the Spirit you shall mortify the deeds of the flesh ye shall live he says nothing of mortification by fasting therefore that must be purely your invention 6. Lastly we may say to you as S. Acts 15.10 Peter in the Acts why tempt you God to put a yoake upon the neck of the Disciples which neither we nor our Fathers were able to hear Christian liberty endures no such burthensome bondage for Christ himself never made any distinction of meats or commanded any such observations why then should Christians his faithfull people be subject to them That your making and observing of vâ—â—s especially of chastity and single life though in your Priests themselves is another intolerable abuse and burthen laid upon Christianity I prove thus 1. It is plain that Jesus Christ our Saviour bestowed a freedome upon us which we call Christian Deut. 4.2 Revel 22 18. c. why should vows then reduce us into bondage Nay our Saviour cleerly shewed that he would have all his counsels free and yet your votaries make them necessary as commandments These vows therefore are those humane inventions so much spoken of forbiden and reproved in Scripture by consequence most unlawfull S. Paul forewarns Timothy from all those externall works of piety which are not capable to renew a man but are fit rather to make men hypocrites than saints and in such words as seem almost pointed at old Nuns 1 Tim. 4.7 8. But prâ—fain and old wives fables refuse excercising thy self rather unto Godliness for bodily exercise profiteth litle but godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that is now and of that which is to come by this it is plain that it is the exercise of the soul which God deligheth in and not those vowed bodily observancies 3. Nay all those external works must of necessity be enemies to Christianity for they extinguish faith weaken hope and cause men to repose their confidence in them more then in the mercies of God and it is plain that your late votaries like those old Pharisees that our Saviour reproves do value more such empty traditions then they do the commandments of God to whom he pronounceth a woe for no other reason Luke 11.42 c. but for tything of Mint Rue and all maner of herbs and passing ore judgement and the love of God c. 4. Over and above all this the grand presumption of your votaries appears in oblieging themselves to a straiter rule of liveing than the Evangellicall rule to which every faithful Christian is tyed in Baptisme when it is plain that by all the endeavours that a Christian can use he cannot attain to a greater perfection and very hardly perform so much as is required Then as to your vows of chastity and restraining of Priests from marriage I prove the absurdity of all that thus 1. First it is plain by the old Testament that the Priests Gen. 1. 2. of the old Law might marry and had wives then the Greeks and divers other Christians ever had and shall have their wives 2. Your vows of Chastity and restraints from marriage are most plain oppositions to a divine precept which God so often inculcated into all creatures and particularly to man be ye fruithful and multiply 3. S. Paul foretells that in the latter times 1 Tim. â— 1 2 3. some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils c. forbiding to marry c. who should this be but you for no other Churches else does it 4. Tit. 1.5.6 The same Apostle commands Titus that amongst the rest of the things which he was to set in order as he had appointed him he should ordain a Bishop the busband of one wife and having faithful children by which it is plain that Priests might marry then 5. 1 Cor. 7.9 Chastity is and ought to be free but your vows and invented traditions make it to be necessary notwithstanding that S. Paul says plainly that it is better to marry then to burn and bids all men if they cannot contain themselves to marry 6. 1 Cor. 7.28 And a little after in the same Chapter he says positively to all but and if thou marry thou hast not sinned and if a virgin marry she hath not sinned c. and your Church is pleased to make it worse than the breach of a commandment 7. In fine there can be nothing more cleer than that vows of virginity are vain and in plain English foolish because impossible it were the same thing to obliege a man to live without meat or drink and your Pope pretends by his humane traditions to mortifie mens flesh when it is impossiple to do that without a constant recourse to the grace of God But abive all the Abuse of your Church it manafest in multiplying of Sacraments and making them out of meer humane constitutions which I prove in short thus 1. All Sacraments ought to be of our Saviour Christs own institution but your supernumerary Sacraments are after constitutions of the Church therefore they cannot be Sacraments 2. As for your Sacrament of Penance I have shewed sufficiently
c. and assures them that that is the will of God In fine it is plain that the true Christian and evangelicall liberty is nothing else but as S. Gal. 5. Paul pleaseth to define it a redemption or absolution of us from the servitude of the law and of sin made for us by Jesus Christ and by which as he says in another place being dedicated to God and righteousness we receive the adoption of sons John 8.36 and of this freedom it was that our Saviour spake in S. Johns Gospel if the son therefore shall make you free ye shall be free indeed and that freedom God of his mercy bestow upon us all Now that Humane Constitutions the commands of Councils and Bishops are to be kept and all Ecclesiasticall rites and ceremonies duely observed I prove by express Scriptures thus S. Luke recites our Saviours words thus speaking to the seventy that he sent out Luke 10.16 He that heareth you beareth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me and he that despiseth me dispiseth him that sent me Observe I pray you how he that despiseth the Prelates and Ecclesiasticall constitutions of Christs Church is judg'd by Christ himself to despise him and his holy Gospel S. 1 Thess 4.2 8. Paul speaks home to the Thessalonians in this point first tells them of the commandments that he had given them then afterwards be therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given us his holy Spirit Moses and Aaron when the people murmured against them told them frequently Exod. Levit. Numb Deut. that they heard their murmuring against the Lord and again what are we your murmuring is not against us but against the Lord. Observe what S. John says We are of God 1 John 4.6 he that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the spirit of truth from the spirit of errour you had best therefore have a care of your selves Nay S. Paul proceeds a little more terribly in the point Let every soul saith he Rem 13.1 2. be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Now that men have power to make Laws and Statutes to obliedge consciences it is plain by the president of the Apostles Acts 15.19 who commanded the Christians then to abstain from things strangled offerings unto Idols and from blood with divers other Acts which they have left us Then we finde how S. Paul himself made Laws that you will not dare deny obedience to as for the constituting of Bishops concerning widdows and women to be veiled and not to preach in Churches of not for saking the unfaithful husband or wife and of many prophane and meer secular things and judgements as to be seen throughout in his Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles and yet S. Paul himself was but a man Nay it is plain the Priest of the old Law had power of making and altering of Laws Deut. 12. 1 Sam. 7 1 Kings 18. in mater of discipline we finde in Deuteronomy how the Lord commanded that no Altar should be set up but where was the Ark of the Covenant and yet Samuel whilest the Ark remained in Shilo set up an Altar at Masphar and Elias did the same thing in mount Carmel All this is abundantly confirmed by our Saviour Christ himself who bids us Mat. 18.17 if one shall neglect to hear to tell it to the Church but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto then as a heathen man and a Publican Then for Traditions it is altogether as plain that they are to be observed first S. 2 Thess 2 Paul tells us that we must hold fast the Traditions we have received as well by his word as his Epistle Then that the Church of Christ ha's been and is to be governed by custome is playn by-another text of St. Pauls where he saies wee have no such custom nor the Church of God Again to the Philipians he says finally Brethren whatsoever things are true Phil. 4.8.9 whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whotsoeverthings are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue and if there be any prayse think on these things Those things which ye have both learned and received and hard and seen in me doe c. Now what are all these things but Traditions and ecclesiasticall constitutions Acts 15.41.16 Wee finde in the Acts how Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cylicia confirming the Churches Acts 15.41 and so afterwards wee find how Paul Silas and Timothy passed through cities delivering the Doctrines and ordinances which were decreed by the Apostles Elders that were at Jerusalem observe that ordinances or decrees not one decree onely of the cessation of the legall rites and ceremonies Our Saviour not only gave a power to plant his Church by preaching but also governing which includes the power of making laws Acts 21.28 with out which there can be neither living nor governing and that is plain likewise out of the Acts take heed therefore unto your selses and to the flock over which the Lord hath made you overseers to feed as your translation reads it but ours to govern the Church of God and indeed what is a Bishop or an overseer made for unless to govern the preaching part may be performed by other inferiour priests and Deacons And does not Paul to the Hebrews call them Rulers Heb. 13.7.17 as in one place remember them which have the rule over you and again obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may doe it with joy and not with griefe for that is unprofitabele for you Then the same Apostle requires the Corrinthians that all things de done decently and in order 1 Cor. 14 40. now it is plain that order supporteth a law and rule which the Church of Christ is or ought to be governd by Lastly St. Paul may very well conclude this business and dispute of Tradition which his positive command to the Thessilonians 2 Thess 3.6 Now we command you Bretheren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye with draw your selves from every Brother that walketh dissorderly and not after the Tradi tion which he received of us if this be not cleer I declare for my part that I can see no light To what you Alledge against our days of fasting and abstinence and especially the holy fast of Lent I answer thus To the first I say that our Saviour in the Gospells that you cite says not one word of fasting but endeavouring to take away that Jewish errour and superstition
THE FEMALE DUEL OR The Ladies Lookingglass REPRESENTING A Scripture Combate about business of Religion fairly carried on between a Roman Catholick Lady and the wife of a Dignified person in the Church of England TOGETHER With their joynt answer to an Anabaptists Paper sent in defiance of them both Entitled the Dipper Drowned New Published by THO. TOLL Gent. Matth. 11.25 God hath revealed these things unto babes and sucklings and concealed them from the wise c. London Printed by H. Bell and P. Lillicrap 1661. TO THE ROYAL HIGHNESSE Of the most Peerless Pair of PRINCESSES Daughters of Great Britany France and Ireland HAd I not fully known most incomparable Princesses by a long experience in your most Royal Family that Clemency Mercy and Pardon were your apparent Birth-rights by Lineal Traduction from your great Progenitors especially from that glorious Martyr for his people your most Royal Father of eternal memory and that incomparable Confessor your blessed Mother whose sufferings for her King and Conscience deserve to be written with a Pen of Adamant in the Temple of Eternity I had not dared to address these poor home-spun Papers wrought by true spinsters hands to your most Princely view much less present them as a New-years-gift or make them to appear in the world under so great a Patronage Now the greatest aggravations most Seraphical Sisters that can be alledged against me are First that I should presume to present any thing that carries with it the scratching of womens controversies for so most of their disputes do usually determine or that does so much as sound like a jar to such serene Pacifick spirits as your highborne souls are known to be whose very looks are capable to quiet the most tempestuous and troubled seas and words to calm the rage of Tygers and the fury of the most tumultuous and stormy breasted Monsters of Mankind in whose bosome the very Unicorn would be ambitious to fall asleep and Lions themselves rejoyce to lick your Princely feet Nay that I should dare to offer so much as the sound of a Duel to two such sublime Personages and that are so much one in affection though different it may be in some perswasion and are by that great example of your most serene Mother the Grand Mistreses of Peace Piety Modesty and Humility to all Womankind But indeed my fault is not so grievous in this neither as at first blush it may appear to be for this Paper Duel is without a disturbance This Scripture Combate without a quarrell and this fair dispute is almost without a difference I am sure without an uncivil word and though it was managed as can be proved only by women yet it may serve to direct into the true mode and method of arguing the most dextrous Doctors and Disputants in the world and teach them to improve their arguing unto edification But the greatest aggravation most excellent Ladies that caâ—â— rise in judgement against me is yet behind as Timourus Penitents use to have their most crying sins to bring up the Rear which is that I should presume to present any actions of inferiour Persons as Looking-glasses to their Princes especially to such as you most incomparable Pair are known to be your selves being the matchless Mirrours of all perfection Mirrours said I nay most pure and Christialine Fountains that shew not only to all the Ladies in the world their deformed spots stains and blemishes but likewise how to wash them off and wherewithall to clear themselves from them which truth has been most plainly proved and confirmed to us by that strange and almost miraculous reformation of our Womens manners since the splendor of your most Princely vertues has appeared amongst them for which I am sure both Sexes do owe most immortal obligations to your Royal Highneses as for a new Conversion of the Nation Nay give me leave to affirm that the blessings we have received in order to that ought to be put into the Balance with any of those other great ones that â—is Sacred Majesty has been so graciously pleased to power down upon us in his comming to us and redemption of us from a life of sin and slavery For truely the Mankind here were not depraved into Sedition Treason Rebellion and Irreligion turning all faith into faction making truth it self to lye all Loyally to be Treason Religion to be Rebellion and pulling down of Churches the edification of Gods house by any instigation so great as that they received from their wicked women The Seas were less furious a Thunder-clap less dread full the gall of Dragons and poyson that swelleth up the necks of Asps was much more tolerable than their malice Nor were they only so guilty in making of their Husbands become Traytors to their God King and Countrey but they did study likewise to appear as unnatural Traytors to the honour of their whole Sex in England which was as famous as St. Paul magnifies the faith of the Romanes to be spoken of over all the world flying out into such prodigious pieces of impiety and debaucht lewdness that Heathens themselves have abhorred and very Turks trembled at From all these horrid infamies and national scandalls your very presence here has ransomed our Countrey and by your all healing examples set a new fair and reformed face upon all our Woman-kind The one being the highest Patroness of all conjugal and vidual Honor and the other the most pure pattern of all Virginal sweetnesse and chastity and both appear to be no lesse than two Intelligences that have left the Heavenly Orbes and vouchsafed your selves to be inchased in those beautifull bodies for the benefit and glory of your Sex To whom therefore could this Ladies Looking-glass be more properly presented than to your Royal Highnesses to whom all that is good in the whole Sex amongst us must be ever attributed as Rayes only reflected from your perfections This is my humble Plea most incomparable Princesses according to which joyned with my clear acknowledgement and most dutiful Confession I doubt not but your Princely goodness will proceed to absolution and dispense a pardon to Most Peerless Princesses Your Royal Highnesses most devoted humble Vassal and loyal Servant of your Royal Family THO. TOLL THE PRINTER TO THE READER YOu may please to take notice that this Epistle Dedicatory was past to the Press before the loss which the whole English Nation sustained in the death of that most incomparable Princess Mary princess Dowager of Orange and as the Publisher left it so I am oblieged to prosent it The Publishers PREFACE To the Gentlemen Readers of the FEMALE DVEL I Have already understood a grand exception against me for charging so much devotion and divinity upon the sex of women who are the Actors in this Scene and the Authours of this discourse it is true upon the first perusual of these papers I my self did little expect to finde such Masculine vigour in them and truly I dare boldly affirm
do I remember that I ever heard of any Heretick so impudent as to say that the flesh of Christ upon the Cross profited nothing Besides is this a consequence the flesh profiteth nothing therefore it is not in the Sacrament truly if that be good Logick it may as well follow in my judgement that the flesh of Christ profiteth nothing therefore it is not in heaven over and above all this it is plain our Saviour speaks not there of his own flesh for he says not my flesh profiteth nothing indeed some of the Jews there had such a foolish oppinion as to think upon our Saviours mystical words that the very flesh of Christ should be visibly under the species of flesh torn by mens teeth that sottishness of theirs our Saviour onely reproves To the third To what you alledge out of Scriptures and Articles of Faith I answer and acknowledge our Lord and Saviour to be in heaven and fitting on the right hand of his Father in visible and quantitative form yet he may lye invisibly and sacramentally under the species of Bread Nor does the verity of our Eucharist clash at all with the verity of our Articles of Faith for we know as the Scripture tells us that with God nothing is impossible His Almighty word sure can as easily make a body to be in divers places as nature his servant can make the essence of a soul to be in divers members Nay we see it plainly and positively said so nor can it chuse but be so for Jesus Christ who as we said is eternally to be at the right hand of his Father yet appeared upon earth to S. Paul Acts 9.22 1 Cor. 15. To the fourth To what you alledge out of our Saviours institution I utterly deny that he said take ye bread but taking bread he said take and eat this is my body Now I would fain know what difference there is betwixt saying take my body and taking bread to say take this is my body nor is it the mumbling or breathing of the Priests mouth that makes this miraculous change but Christ himself when the Priest according to his institution speaks the words of consecration is pleased to assist with his divine omnipotency and convert the substance of bread into his very body and wine into his blood Now this power was delivered by Christ to his Apostles when he gave them Commission to do the like and bid them so often as they did it to do it in remembrance of him and so the Apostle Paul tells us that what he received from the Lord that he delivered to us Then as to the impassibility of the body of Christ we do most humbly acknowledge it nor do our Priests say who know that our Saviour dies no more that his body shall be delivered but they relate onely that our Saviour did use those words at his last Supper which is Truth for then his body was to be delivered and his blood to be shed To the fifth For the Evangelists calling it bread it is always understood before consecration but that being done they do all unanimously call it the body of Christ In like manner the Apostles and Fathers might sometime call it so because before its change it was so as a Serpent in Scripture was called a Rod because it was a Rod but Aarons Rod devoured their Rods Exod. 7. then because the figure of bread and all its other accidents remain as things are sometimes called from their representations 1 Kings 10. so Solomon was said to make oxen and little Lions because he made the images of them Then the Eucharist may still be called bread because in it is the living bread which came down from heaven John 5. To the sixth and last To what you alledge out of the 24th of S. Matthew I answer that you are mistaken cleerly in the Text for those words you make to be spoken of the body of Christ are clearly meant of Christs kingdome of Faith His divine Majesty cleerly foresaw that the Hussits would have one Christ to stand for them the Lutherans one Christ to be for them the Annabaptists one for them the Calvinists one for them the Arminians one for them and Socinians one for them and the like of such bold challengers of Christ as those and other Hereticks are our blessed Saviour gives us a fair warning to beware which good Mrs. N. God give you grace to do Thus I have briâ—fly and punctually as I could answered your alligations out of the Scripture against the mystery of Christs Reall Presence in the Sacrament Now give me leave to mind you of some places of Scripture that do most expresly assert the Catholick doctrine against you First the words of our Saviours institution in all the four Evangelists are most significantly harmonious to a letter Mat. 14.26 27 28. as first in S. Matthew And as they were eating Jesus took bread and blessed it and brake it and gave it the Disciples and said take eat this is my body and he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink yee all of it for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins S. Mark hath it thus And as they did eat Jesus took bread Mark 14 22 23.24 and blessed and brake it and gave to them and said take eat this is my body and he took the cup and when he had given thanks he gave it to them and they all drank of it and he said unto them this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many Luke 22.19 20. St. Luke thus And he brake bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave unto them saying This is my body which is given for you this do in remembrance of me Likewise also the Cup after Supper saying This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you St. John in his sixth Chapter Joh. 6.51.53 54 55 56 57. makes it his whole business to shew how our Saviour did endeavour to explain this mysterie and therefore is pleased expresly to say I am the living bread which came down from heaven if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world Then upon the Jews murmuring he adds Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood ye have no life in you whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day for my flesh is meat indeed and my blood is drink indeed He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father So he that eateth me even he shall live by me c. The Gospels themselves
grace But howsoever the institution of our Saviour I 'm sure could not be without it Matth. 19.1.6 and first he is pleased to repeat the words of the first Institution For this cause shall a man leav his Father mother shall cleave to his Wife and they twain shall be one flesh wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh What therefore God hath joynd together let no man put asunder Now if God hath joyndthemtogether it must be a divine conjunction and that cannot possibly be without divine grace But this is most fully exprest by St Paul to the Ephesians thus Wives submit your selves to your own Husbands as unto the Lord for the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church and he is the Saviour of the body therefore as the Church is subject to Christ Ephes 5.22 23 225 so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it c. And then concludes for this eause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joyned with his Wife and they two shall be one flesh This is a great Mystery or Sacrament chuse you which Here the Apostle clearly proclaims it a Sacrament because the Conjunction of man and wife is the visible sign of that Sacred Conjunction between Christ and his Church Again to the Hebrews he says thus Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled Heb. 13.4 but Wheremingers and Adulterers God will judge Now if there were not a divine and Sacramentall grace in marriage how could the Bed be undefiled Again to the Corinthians he adviseth every one to have his own Wise 1 Cor. 7.2 for the avoyding of Formeation yet it is not to be supposed that any man by the help of a Wife onely be she what she can be of virtue and beauty can be capable to avoyd Fornication without the said Sacramentall Grace Again to the Thessalonians thus 1 Thes 1. Let every one amongst you know how to possess his Vessells in sanctification and honour now sanctification we know cannot be without divine grace Then he tells Timethy that a woman shall be saved by Childbearing if she remain in saith and love now to beget children without the grace of this Sacrament would be more probably occasion of damnation than salvation Then again to the Corinthians he saith 1 Cor. 7.12 13 14 If any brother hath a wife that believeth not and she be pleased to dwell with him let him not put her away And the woman which hath a busband that believeth not and if he be pleased to dwell with her let her not leave him For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband else were your children unclean but now are they holy which must needs be understood as by the grace of this holy Sacrament I shall conclude all concerning this Prov. 19. with what the wise King Solomon tells us that a house and riches we have from our Parents but a prudent wife is from the Lord. Thus we must acknowledg God to be the immediate Authour of Marriages as we say matches are made in heaven and by the grace of this Sacrament onely to be made happy That extream Vnction is a Saeroment likewise and a visible sign of an invisible grace I prove by ezpress Scripture thus We find in Saint Markes Gospell how our Saviour called unto him the twelve Mark 6 7 8.9 10 11 12 13. and began to send them out by two and two and gave them power over unclean Spirits c. And after he had given them their mission fully with orders how to behave themselves in their business we find that they went out accordingly and Preached that men should repent and they cast out many Devills And then anointed with Oyle many that were sick and healed them This it is not to be thought that they did this upon their own heads but by their Masters command by whose power they did those mighty works and having his command sure then none can deny but it was his Institution Then this Sacrament is so loudly proclaimed by Saint James that I admire how any Christian can believe in Scripture and doubt the other It any sick among you says the Apostle James 5.14 15. let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray over him anointing him with Oyle in the Name of the Lord c. and if he have committed sinns they shall be forgiven him Here is plainly a most visible sign and as plainly a most extraordinary grace accompanying it that is to say remission of sins Thus you may clearly see how extream Unction is a Sacrament of our Saviours own Institution or at least plainly impli'd to have been instituted by him and that by the action of the Twelve Apostles before his face whilst he was upon earth and at large declar'd to be so by the express words of one of the Twelve that is Saint James Over and above this we have the universall tradition of the Church of Christ that in these matters of faith we know cannot erre and that alone indeed might have been a sufficient proofe of the verity of it if our Saviour himself his Apostles and Evangelists had been silent in it The truth is that the Evangelists being to write in short for if they had writ at large the whole world had not been able to contain the books that might have been written as Saint John tells us of the Acts and words of our Saviour Jesus Christ made it their principall care to deliver punctually to us onely those things that were most highly necessary to our salvation as we see how amply they have set down the Sacraments that were absolutely necessary as Baptisme Pennance and Eucharist and as for confirmition and extream Unction they do not so much as insist upon because they are not of absolute necessity to salvation though they are very great expedients towards it the one to confirm us in grace after Baptism the other to remove the reliques of sin after a hearty repentance And it is the opinion of the learned in this point that the benefit of this Sacrament is such that a penitent with attrition onely receiving this Sacrament receives likewise such a grace along with it that by virtue of it his sins though mortall may be forgiven him Thus I conceive enough said as to this and all the rest of your last paper and when you please I am ready for another and to serve you with any thing that may lye within the power of Your faithfully loving and true friend M. This paper my Lady had no sooner dispatcht but she sent it away by one of her servants sealed up and by him she roceived this Answer Madam I have received your Ladyships Letter and Paper
fourth marke you make is to exalt and oppose himself to and above all that is called God and that you say the Pope does when he exalts himself above all ecclesiastical and civil power here give me leave to tell you that Moses was above all ecclesiasticall and civil power and yet in that he was not exalted above God Thus four markes of Antichrist you are pleased to take out of the Epistle of S. Paul to the Thessalonians your fifth marke followes out of S. John That he must deny Jesus Christ which you say the Pope does by the corruption of the doctrine that concernes the mediation of Christ and introducing of new mediators but that I have proved to be a corruption of yours as you wil see in my last paper The sixth marke again you make to be that he is a Lyer and worker of fals miracles so you say the Pope does at Loretto and other places I wonder your understanding is so weak as to think that we think that the Pope does the Loretto miracles but God If you would prove any thing as to this point you should prove indeed that the Pope does those very miracles which the Scripture foretells that Antichrist shall do Revel 13.13.15 as that he should make fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men Then that he should make the Image of a beast to speak c. neither of these miracles as ever I heard of hath been attempted yet by any pope The seventh and last marke you give is that he causeth all both small and great rich and poor free and bond to receive a mark c. and the pope you say plainly does that Revel 16.13 ch 14.9 when he imposeth his Character upon some and marks upon all as by the Sacrament of confirmation wherein he useth the unction of his Chrisme to sign the foreheads c. Here are cleerly three conditions required by the text to the accomplishment of this mark first that it should be common to all great and little rich and poor bond and free Secondly that he should impose his Character either in their foreheads or right hands Thirdly that none but he that has his mark or character shall be priviledged to buy or sell Now let any man shew that those conditions do at all suite with the unction of Chrisme and Isle rest fully satisfied otherwise this argument which you so fondly boast of hath no force at all So according to my former method I shall be bold to reply and to conclude your trouble and mina upon this occasion That the whole Church of Christ cannot possibly erre and that the Roman Catholick Church is that Church disperst over all the world I prove by most express Scripture thus How that the Catholick Church is the body of Christ the spouse of Christ and the kingdom of heaven is clear by many Scriptures what probability then nay what possibility is there that a thing so nearly related to him and in so high dear and honorable relations should be forsaken by him First That the Church is his body is plain out of S. Paul who tells us Eph. 4. that God laid all things under his feet and gave him to be head of the whole Church which is his body and the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all wherefore walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called with all humility and meekness with patience and long suffering supporting one another in charity Cap. 5. and carefull to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all who is above all and through you all and in you all Then to the Corinthians again 1 Cor. 11. Rom 12. and to the Romanes he sayes ye are the body of Christ and members one of another Then that the Church is the Spouse of Christ is plain out of other Texts as first out of the Canticles My Dove Cantic 6.9 my undefiled is but one she is the onely one of her mother she is the choice one of her that bare her c. And in another place A garden inclosed is my Sister my Spouse Cant. 4.11 a spring shut up a fountain sealed and therefore S. John sayes of the new Hierusalem which is the Church of Christ Rev. 21.2 that he saw her coming down out of Heaven prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband And S. Paul more largely and plainly yet tells the Ephesians thus Wives submit your selves unto your Husbands as unto the Lord for the Husband is the head of the Wife even as Christ is the head of the Church Ephes 5.22 23 24 25 26 27. and he is the Saviour of the body therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might present it to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy without blemish Now examine I pray you what a prety piece of Christianity it is to impute impurity and errour to it Then that the Church is called the Kingdome of Heaven too Mat. 20. is as plain by Scripture first out of S. Mat. 22.2 3. Matthews Gospell For the Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a man that is an householder which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard Then again The Kingdome of Heaven is like unto a certain King Mat. 25.1 2 3. which made a marriage for his Son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bid to the medding c. Then again The Kingdome of heaven shall be likned to ten Virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the Bridgroome and five of them were wise and five were foolish c. Many more such Parables we find in the Gospells but these three will be enough for our purpose to draw from thence these three conclusions first if the Church be called the Kingdome of Heaven how should errour falsity and uncleaness raign in it so many hundred years as you pretend it has when the Kingdome of Heaven we know is the Kingdome of truth and purity Secondly It is plain that God goes out even untill the evening to hire labourers whereas you do and must maintain that none were hired in the Church for above a thousand years but your late upstart Doctors Thirdly It is plain that the Church here militant is a collection of good and bad for our Saviour saies plainly that of the Virgins five were wise and five foolish and so fishes good and bad come to the net of the
Church I beseech you be pleased to make your own application Over and above all this I shall prove that the Church is not only incapable of errour because it is the Spouse of Christ his body and called the Kingdome of Heaven but because she is governed by the perpetual presence power and authority of the Holy Ghost who is never to forsake her Joh. 14. and first our Saviour promiseth that be will ask the Father and he shall send another comforter and so accordingly he did not long after in the same Gospell Holy Father Joh. 17.11 keep through thine own name those that thou hast given me c. and he explains himself in the same chaâ—ter that he prayes not for them onely meaning his Apostles but for them who were afterwards to believe in him through their preaching 1 Tim. 3.15 Does not S Paul tell his Disciple Timothy how he is to behave himself in the house of God which is the Church of God the pillar ground of truth how then can it possibly erre Then S. John tells us that our Saviour said that he had many things to say unto them but that they could not bear them then but when the spirit of truth should come he should teach them all truth Again the same S. John in his Epistle General tells us 1 John 2.20 that we have an unction from the holy one and that we know all things and that we shall be alwaies capable to distinguish a lye from truth it must be therefore the unction of the holy Ghost that alwaies teacheth the Church In fine Matth. 28.20 S. Matthew makes them the concluding words of his Gospel Go yet herefore teach all Nations c. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world Christ who is the way the truth and the life said this to his Disciples it is plain therefore that this Church which is the pillar and ground of truth that has him for its leader and the Holy Ghost for its teacher can never erre how probable is it then that it should be in an errour for above a thousand years together as you fondly imagine Then as the Church is but one so it is necessary that unity should be in the Church I prove out of the express words of S. 1 Cor. 1.10 Paul Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there he no divisions amongst you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement and then in another place in the same Epistle sayes 1 Cor. 14.33 that God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all Churches of the Saints What then will you say for your selves that have nothing but confusions amongst you nay is it not more probable that God will rather inspire his own body that is the concord and unity of his Church than any private Doctors whatsoever that teach a dissent from it Nay how much this unity of his Church is desired by God himself is evident by what the same S. Paul writes to the Romanes Rom. 15.4 5 6. for whatsoever things are written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Christ Jesus That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Again the same Apostle in the same Epistle laies an injunction upon the Romanes Rom. 12.16 whose faith he acknowledged before was celebrated over the whole world that they should be of the same mind one towards another not to mind high things but condescend to men of low estate and not to he wise in their own conceits which all they are and must be that are out of the Church Observe I pray you the most pathetical exhortation of S. Paul to this purpose Phil. 2.1 2. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the spirit if any bowells of mercy fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one wind Nay the breach of this peace unity and unanimity in Gods Church is most passionately if it be lawfull to say so Jerem. 2.12 13. bewailed by God himself as the Prophet Jeremy expresseth it nay proposeth it as a matter of amazement to Heaven it self be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord foy my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water I pray you seriously examine with your self whether you do lesse by leaving off the Church the true and living fountain and digging to your selves broken cisterns out of Wicklif Huss Luther Calvin c. In vain sure hath God sent his Son in vain the Holy Ghost and yet more in vain hath he sent Apostles Martyrs Confessors Doctors in all ages to perpetuate the truth of his Church to us when a few of such precious persons as those of yours would have served the turn Here are only two things now as I conceive left to be cleared the one is that the Prelates and principal Persons of Christs Church assembled together do make the representative body of the whole Church the other is that the Romane Catholick Church is that universal Church disperst over the whole world As to the first it is sufficiently clear by many such Scriptures as thse And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice c. And the King and all Israel with him offered Sacrifice before the Lord now that this must be onely meant of the body representative of Israel is plain to sense and particularly exprest in the beginning of the Chapter Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel and all the heads of the Tribes the chief of the Fathers of the Children of Israel unto King Solomon in Jerusalem 1 Kings 8.58.62.1 Thus it is plain that the heads of the Church assembled represent the body of the whole Church Then as to the clearing of the next point I must tell you a great mistake amongst you for you commonly speaking of the Church of Rome take it only for the particular Church which formerly was and still is there and so it is no more indeed than particular But if you take it for the collection of all the faithfull who being disperst over all the world did in old daies alwaies adhere and still do to the Bishop of Rome so it is called Catholick or Universal because diffused over the whole world and it is called
advice and assistance in the management of hir further discourses with my Lady The Doctor was at this time fallen into some indisposition of body notwitnstanding he took the pains to look hastily over them and then called his wife to him and told her after this manner Indeed sweet-heart you have done very ill to engage your self in any business of this nature without my knowledge and approbation for what you have said or done amiss in it wil be all imputed to me though utterly ignorant and innocent in the matter And I must tell you that you have ventured very boldly upon some main points in which the most learned Doctors in the world are yet to seek for satisfaction and again give me leave to tell you that you charge the Church of Rome with some things that the Church of England does not and so instead of healing up those breaches that are betwixt us which should be all our endeavours to do you have made the wounds wider and differences greater then indeed they are and that truly is no small fault amongst us all Then last of all I fear you have hazarded much of that good opinion that my Lady had of us by entring the list with her upon this occasion and that interest we had in her was not a little considerable being so excellent a neighbour and especiall a friend as she has always been to us so for my part I will have nothing to do in the business but as you begun you shall e'n make an end without me but if you must needs be scribling of controversie and dabling in divinity I 'le let you a task and you may offer it to my Lady if you please and you are both I perceive so good Scripturists as that I may entrust you with it it is a Paper that I received from Mr. R. the grand Patriarch of all the Anabaptist in these parts I will write a Letter to my Lady to beg her excuse of me for not waiting on her Ladyship at dinner Mr is N. not a little troubled to finde no better acceptation of her zealous and painful endeavours for my Ladies conversion yet being unwilling to move her husband further at that time took the Anabaptists paper from him so left him to his other studies and she betook her self to her houshold occasions The next morning early she made her self ready to wait on my Lady that she might have some private discourse with her Ladyship before dinner so calling for her husbands letter she took her walk and comming to my Ladies house she found her in her Kitchin giving orders about dinner and directing her servants how to employ themselves in the other affairs of her family My Lady begging pardon for her being surprized in that place and posture took Mrs. N. along with her to her chamber where after she had delivered her husbands letter they fell to read the Anabaptists paper which when they had done my Lady willingly undertook the task to joyn with her in the answer but what shall we doe with the Latine that is here said my Lady O for that Madam replyed Mrs. N. my husband will direct us and has promised us all his assistance in this though he does not approve our other disputes at all Nay further he sayes that when we have answered in our way he will answer it too in his Well then replied my Lady we will not trouble him till we have done for I have a Kinsman in my house that will be able to give us the English of his Latine and so they fell to work immediately and in two or three meetings more they made an end of the business in this manner as followeth That to build or to use Steeple-houses which you call Churches in the service of God is altogether unlawfull much more to beautifie or adorn them and to give priviledges lands or possessiens to them or to the persons of your Churchmen but that we are all Priests equally and that your Canonical hours and prayers in those Churches are utterly unlawfull too I prove by Scripture thus 1. FIrst we find that Stephen in the latter end of his Sermon and in the words foregoing his death expresly declares against the vanity of all Temples or Churches call them what you please Acts 7.48 49 50. and quotes the Prophet for it Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in Temples made with hands as saith the Prophet Heaven is my Throne and earth is my footstool what house will ye build me saith the Lord or what is the place of my rest hath not my hands made all these things c. From hence it is plain that God delights not in any of your Steeple-houses Again we find Paul as plainly declaiming against the Idolatry of all Steeple-houses assuring the Athenians Acts 17.24 25. that God that made the world and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipt with mens hands c. Thus you see how in the begining of Christianity there were not onely no steeple-houses but by Scripture expresly forbiden that there should be any 3. The Apostle Paul bids us again 1 Tim. 2. to pray always in all places holding up pure hands what need have we more of Churches and steeolehouses to pray in than in any other roomes 4 Nay finde we not our Saviour Jesus Christ himself prophesying the destruction of that Idoll of the Jews their Temple to say Matt 24.2 Verely Verely I say unto you there shall not be left heer one stone upon another that shall not be throwne down You may see then what pleasure he tooke in that place which was the gloriousest of the whole world what then will become of your pittifull Temples and steeple-houses 5 Our Saviour yet more plainly shews his distast of that kinde of worship when he tells the woman of Samaria in S. Johns Gospell John 4.21.23 Women believe me The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Hierusalem worship the Father c. But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Heer it is plain that he will not have his worship confined to places no not to his holy Temple 6 Then does not the Prophet Jeremy heat down the fond confidence that the Jews had in their Temple when he bids them not to trust in lying words saying Jer. 4.7 The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord it is plain he says that to call that the Temple of the Lord was to give lying words 7 Is not God in every place and can there be any one place shewed where he is properly present but he is always ready to hear sinners every where as is frequently sayd in Scripture what need have we then of your Churches or