cannot be such will consider Matth. 15. 9. and so acocunt that worship vain The Merchants have not alwayes the best shops who hang forth pompous signs Nor is she reputed a chaste woman who is fearded in the face and cloathed with the attire of an harlot The whorish garbe of Rome will not reactily please souls espoused to that one Husband Iesus Christ therefore live like the Gospel And if ye be sealed by it to the day of Redemption with the holy Spirit of promise the Scripture truths will be precious to you That which rendreth many unstable is a notional Cartesian way of Religion but sincere Christians have not so learned Christ If thou once taste how good the Lord is and if he hath given thee songs in the night his testimonies to thee will be more then thy necessarie food Irreligious prophanness and Popery are practically so sibb to other that the one ushereth in the other Nothing maketh me fear the growth of this bitter root in the Land more then the deludge of prophanness which overfloweth all the banks When men belie their Christian profession being abominable disobedient and to every good work reprobat Is it not to be feared that the Lord make such like Shiloh Ier. 7. 17. live then holily and righteously If ye do his will ye shal know the doctrine whither it be of GOD or not Iohn 7. 17. Godliness hath the promises of this life and of that which is to come it is nor much to be feared that many if any who have tasted of the power of Religion by the ordinances of the Reformed Church will turne away to Popery That seal on the heart will prove a notable preservative I shal conclude this Preface with a word of advertisement to the Inhabitants of Dundee whom I dearly love and have in my heart frequently before the Lord. That seeing the Lord hath made you one of the considerable incorporations in this Nation ye would consecrate your gaine to him by proving valiant for his truth on earth it is not unknown how the Lord honoured this place by making an early profer of the Gospel to it by that faithful Servant and Martyr of Christ Mr. George Wishart who preached the Gospell here and edified many by his powerfull preaching One Robert Milne who had then sway in the Tovvn to please that Cardinal Beton by vvhom he vvas corrupted and byassed with bribes as our Ecclesiastick Historians â—ell discharged the faithful servant of Christ from preaching in the Tovvn any more to vvhom he replyed I shall remove but if it be long well with you I am not led by the spirit of Truth and if unexpected trouble fall on you remember this is the cause of it Turne then to God by repentance for he is mercifull This vvord was verified for within four days after his departur the plague of pestilence break up here Then sent they for him as sick men do for a Phisitian who returning comforted the unthankful people vvho shut him out Preached on the East-port on that text Psalm 107. v. 20. he sent his word and healed them shortly thereafter the plague ceased The Word of GOD backed by prophecie and providence did take so deep impression on the people that they became eminent promoters of the vvork of Reformation And for ought that I can learn from that time or thereabout Poperie decayed so in this place that none avouched it till the year 1662. then some three or four did break out to the great scandal of the Congregation Novv the case and stare of the question being the same vvhich vvas then if ye fall out of love vvith the truth vvrath vvill be upon you and as ye vvould not meet vvith a vvrathful stroak cleave to the Gospel vvith full purpose of heart If any shal do othervvise vvhich the Lord forbid such vvill degenerate from their vvorthie Predecessours and vvandring from mountain to hill vvill finde no resting place As no place in the Land hath been more free of Poperie for a long time so none have suffered more for loyaltie to our Soveraigne the Kings Majestie Was not your blood spilt like vvater Your houses rifled and possessed by usurping strangers Yet ye vvho survive the rest are aâ— brands plucked out of the fire preserved by the Lord. If after such stroaks messages messengers deliverances preservations ye do countenance or foster Poperie and fall avvay from the truth of GOD. Will it not be bitterness in the latter end Who encline so let them read Ezra 9. 14. and make application A word is enough to the wise There have been sundry faithful Messengers of Christ here since the Reformation who warned the place frequently who battered Babylon and builded Zion And if the tares of Adversaries should pester this field again these Messengers now at their rest will stand up and witness against this place in one day And this testimony shal be indorsed against you That ye are lawfully warred to save your selves from the evil of this generation Reader where ever thou dwellest consider well what is said here buy the truth and sell it not And the Lord give thee understanding in all things which belong to thy Peace in this thy day this is heartily desired by a lover of the truth and doctrine which is according to Godliness FAREVVEL Sithence our Confession and the Grecian Confession of Faith is here mentioned I thought it expedient to prefixe the Greek because every Reader will not probably have it at hand That therefore it may appear to all what consent our doctrine hath of old and of late and how numerous the Professours thereof be at home and abroad this is adjoyned So that Adversaries can neither justly load us with noveltie of tenets or paucitie of adherents and he who will peruse both Confessions maye easily convince them of their errour I thought to have set down the intire Confession in the Greek language but the Printer finding a defect of typs the beginning of each Article and distinct period is set down in Greek And a faithful translation of it in the English language is subjoyned this translation was Printed at London diverse years since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Eastern Confession of the Christian faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY-GHOST _ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We believe ouâ— GOD Almightie and infinite three in Persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost the Father unbegotten the Son begotten of the Father befor the World consubstantial with the Father the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father by the Son having the same essence with the Father and the Son we call these three Persons in one essence the holy Trinity ever to be blessed glorified and to be worshipped of every creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We believe the holy Scripture to be giveâ— by GOD to have no other author but the Holy Ghost which we ought
to the Sabbath of the Lord. Secondly Our dayes of humiliation and thanksgiving are not nimious for number nor one rous to the people but yours are such that many of your own complaine on them as Polydore Wirgil in proaemio and oâ—hers And if Aug. complained so of these in his own time what would he say â—ow if he were living Will ye hear what he saith Epist 119. Omnia talia quae sanctarum Scripturarum authoâ—itatibus continentur nec in Conciliis Episcoporum statuta inveniuntur nec consuetudine universae Ecclesiae roborata sunt ita ut vix aut omnino nunquam invenâ—ri possunt causae quas in eis instituendis homines sequuti sunt sine ulla dubitatione resecanda existimo Then he saith all such things which stumble the weake and are detrimental not founded on Scripture are to be cut off And again albeit it cannot be found out Quomodo contra fidem sint Yet ipsam Religionem premunt seruilibus oneribus ita ut tolerabilior sit conditio Judaeorum because non humanis praesumptionibus ita subjiciuntur Is he not clearly then against your way Thirdly In observing the Sabbath we regard at that time the work for the day but in the dayes of fast and thanksgiving we regarde the day occasionally for the worke Fourthly We have in observing these no cognation with Jewish or Pagane times whereof ye may be impeached and cannot plead not guilty Ninthly Ye condemn marriage as carnall § 9. Inst to some contrare to the Apostle Heb. 13. 4. and make it a Sacrament to others So ye confound your self making it both Sacramentall and Sacrilegious to the elect of God whereas Enoch walked with God and begat sons and daughters Gen. 5. 22. You reply to this that we Ministers are addicted Papists Reply to marriage and therefore should not offend that it is called a Sacrament Thou that it is so called Eph. 5. and by the Greek Fathers who understood their own language And that ye condemn it not as sacrilegious in any but such as take on the vowes of chastitie povertie c. And that it is malice in Ministers to call Vertues Vices Here you contradict your self for in answer to the sixt Question you denyed that Prote ∣ stants Duply 1 the word Sacrament was at all in scripture which is true and yet now you alleadge that it is to be found in the 5. Eph. and marriage is so called Beside your contradiction you speak ignorantly by telling thâ—t the Greek Fathers who understood their own language called marriage a sacrament whereas the word is Latine and not Greek If that place of scripture be read by any it will soâ—n appear that marriage betwixt man and woman is noâ— called a mystâ—rie but that which is between Christ and his Churâ—h vers 32. For the marriage of Ministers I seâ— not why it should be blamed seeing it is holy in all Heb. 13. 4. Nor how any should take on the vow of chastitie who have not the gift from God The Apostle sayeth it is good in time of persecution for the present distress for a man not to be married 1. Cor. 7. It is Bonum utile but it is better to marrie then to burne A chaste life is commendable in any Christian and a Caelchs state may free him of many cares and snares but to tye all Clergie men to it whither they have the gift from GOD or not is a sin And your encroarchment on the divine ordinance and appointment of GOD hath filled your Church with whordoms and adulteries your Cloysters and Nunries with abominable uncleanness and murders of children It is too well known how the vow of chastity is kept by your Church-â—en And if any doubt of it let them read the late relation of the Ambassadour of Venice concerning the present state of the Church at Rome and he will tell you that some of the most eminent Cardinals there will frequently be under Lues Venereâ— Is it not better to marry then to sin thus I appeal to your own conscience Tenthly Ye teach for doctrine the Commandements of men contrar to scripture § 10. Inst for it is reproved Matth. 15. 9. And do dye your worship wholly with there colored antick gestures so that in your worship ye are more like to Monkies then reasonâ—ble men â—nd gâ—ddiâ— stage-players then solid Christianâ— who worship God in spirit and in truth Reply This ciâ—ation is often answered It Papists Reply is not known of what gestures you speak as if â—uer you did see the gestures of worship of the Catholick Church But one thing is sure that it is a very childish calumny Our gestures being so grave that they move men to decâ—â—â—ion and do accompany GODS wâ—rship with decency Majestie better then your gaping likâ— distracted men your affected sighs and howlings You cite again two words of Scripture that we should worship in spirit 〈◊〉 in truth to condemn reverend and grave gestuâ—es of the body in time of worship as if men were pure spirits I answer that albeit I have of seen your Prote ∣ stants Duply worship yet I have heard the forme of it from sundry discerning â—en who had seen it and told me how Apishand Hâ—â—â—â—onick it is And it is strange how anâ— caâ— deny it Seeing the reacting of the Earth-quake of the renâ—ing of the vale of the Temple of the darkness about the time of the Pâ—dâ—on your crossings your kissings your kissings your whisperings washings anointings spiâ—â—ings breathings falâ—ings c. What are they but many idle observations Yoâ—â— iâ—cense on your Altars your candles wherewith ye burne day-light do they not savoâ—â— of Judaism and Paganism And are far more like stage work then sincere worship And iâ— these be not the commandements of men why produce ye not Scripture for your warrand We are not against reasonable service both with the spirit and body but think that bodily exercise alone profiteth little and the marrow of the work is to worship GOD in Spirit Eleventhly Ye think it lawful to equivocat in some cases to dispence with lawful § 11. Inst. Oaths But Scripture sayes It is a snare after vowes to make enquiry Pro. 20. 25. And that the man shal only inhabit the holy mountain who speaketh the truth in his heart Ps 15. Thus ye Popelings are scarce for moral fellowship seeing no words can tye you Doleful experience proveth this in that your Council of Constance murdered John Huss and Hierom of Prague contrar to the solemn warrand for security of their lives And then said by way of poor defence that faith was not to be keeped to Hereticks To this it is replyed thus In your eleventh Section you are not ashamed to set down in Papists Reply writ that we think it lawful to lâ—e which no Catholick did ever writ or say But ye Protestants brought in your Religion by lies as if the whole Church before them had erred in matters of faith and making poor
Religion to reproach and stumbleth many The Iews are hindred to come in by their superstitious worship The Eastern Church which is the most ancient agreeing almost with us in all doctrinals as their Confession of Faith emitted by Cyrill the Patriarch of Constantinople testifieth is much offended at their Church dividing way We are vexed with their plots blots underminding courses They sowe cockle amongst our wheat and tares in our field while men sleepe Of all men on Earth in any visible incorporation pretending to Christianity they have made the greatest breach in the Catholick Church and taken the tittle to themselves contrar to all reason The Paganes perceiving our breaches are hardened in their blind way When their were not so great breaches in the Christian Church Chrysostom on the Galatians bringeth in the Gentile speaking thus Vellent fieri Christianus sed nescio cui adhaream multae sunt inter vos pugnae seditiones tumultus nescio quod dogma eligam quod praeseram singuli enim dicunt ego verum dico i. e. I would be a Christian but know not to whom I shal adhere there be such differences amongst you I know not what to choose what to preferre every one saith he hath the truth on his side For this we are derided by Iews and Gentiles and the Church of Christ is divided This obâ—â—â—tion may be soon solved by these who adhere to the Scripâ—â—re sensed by sound antiquitie But to them who are without it maketh a great muster and is a mountaine in the way which none have towred up more then the Romanists by craft and might they have stated a faction and fixed a Schism in the universal church Is it not high arrogance that a town in Italy and a pettie Prince there should make a monopolie and obtrude their ware pro arbitratu imperio sub poena anathematis upon all the Christians in the world what have we to do with an Italian Prince and who gave him right over us Albeit these rents made in the church by secular interests be matter of mourning yet there be a providence in it and this is permitted by the wisdom of GOD that these who are approven may be made manifest 1. Cor. 11. 19. Vt sides habendo tentationem habeat probationem as saith Tertull. contra Haeres cap. 1. Divina veritas calida oppositione agitatur ut adversus illos adversarios desendi possit considerari diligentius intelligi clarius praedâ—cari constantius ab adversariorum motis quaestionibus discendi existat occasio Divine truth is cunningly opposed that it may be defended more vigorously considered more attentively understood more clearly preached more instantly and that from the questions of adversaries we may have the more occasion of learning truth Saith Aug. de civit DEI. lib. 16. cap. 2. It is noted by Historians that in the tenth Centurie called the unhappie Age there were no Heresies started not opposed they were then asleep and cared neither for truth nor errour Setiousness about these matters was at that time suspended Yet it was infelix seculum it had been better for some that the tares had appeared and then trysted with speedie opposition Albeit evil be not good yet sometimes bonum est malum esse as Aug telleth us in his Enchiridion it is good that evil be qui bonus est non sineret maluÌ„ esse nisi omnipotens etiam de malo faceret bene He would not suffer evil to be if he being Omnipotent could not bring good out of it VVe are not therefore to cast away our confidence nor become despondent albeit Poperie encreaseth Papists way hold The only wise Lord knoweth why it is so how to order this broken condition for good VVhen they like the old Pagans at Rome who fathered Portenta Gnosticorum aliorum Haereticorum the absurdities of Gnostickes and other Hereticks upon the orthodoxe Christians as Church Historie telleth us blot our doctrine worship with all the reproaches which malice can devise who can tel but the holie providence of GOD may bring us out amongst the pots with our feathers like yellow gold And he who worketh manie of his workes by mean instruments may put such to it that his strength may be perfected in weakness I have contrar to my designe engaged into this debate and do acknowledge that I am a weak sinful man my inclination is averse from janglings and I have had more satisfaction in going about the work of my Calling in practicals of Religion nor ever I had in penning or publishing this debate But what could I do Adversaries invaded the flock pursued me within the ports when my back was at the wall and I had no purpose for warre stealed the sheep out of my bosome and averred considentlie that they were sed with rot-grasse in stead of wholsome food Should I not in this exigence defend with such weapons as the Lord would afford It may he said that the adversarie is stronge at home and abroad but the Lord on high is more mighty then the noise of many waters So farre as I am concerned I rather would choose to fall in the field nor turne my back or by sinful silence suffer the truth to be over-laid and stifled To some this may seem a light matter and needless worke yet if all be well understood it will not be found such The found of a testimonie for the truth in the case of subversion is an ominous duâ—ie if it were for no other end but this to leave a vvitness not to be involved in the shout Evetiâ— Minister of the Gospel is bound within his station to promove Gospel intorests to which Popery is highlie prejudicial to convince convert confute gain-sayers to confirme the weak and undeceive the simple I am much mistaken if this be superflous worke seeing it is one of the ends of our Calling It is to be râ—â—â—sited indeed that by debates for our just possession past prescriptioÌ„ we should be diverted from more comfortable and edifying worke seeing ordinarlie this way is so unsuccesful that few adversaries once engageing use to yeeld and will rather act their partes to defend one errour with another ne videantur â—rrasse nor with divine Aug make a retractation VVhich evidenceth much pride and unmortified self-love but very smal respect to the Gospel Yet cura officii iâ— ours and ourâ— evenâ—us belongeth to the Lord who will make a good account of all his affaires cause the fâ—ot of adversaries slidalin due 〈◊〉 Now Sir seeing I resolved upon these considerations to publish this Vindication following the custoÌ„ I have sheltered iâ— under the Patroâ—iny of your Name so much valued for ReligioÌ„ Vertue When HieroÌ„ wriâ—teth to Dardanus he calleth him Christianorum nobilissime nobilium Christianissime I will not make use of that compellation to you I know ye love not so well words to proclaim you good as those which may make you better It may be said
without any assentation that ye are a serious lover and diligent practiser of those Gospel verities which have been from the beginning And it will appear by proof as Tertullian speaketh antiquum nihil aliter suit quam sumus This maketh me consident that ye will entertain this Tractat for the truth To speak of your descent and ancient extract it belongeth to Historians and Heraulds not to me Yeâ— if any doubt of that let them read Hector Boetius historie concerning the reign of Alexander the third anno Chr. 1208. fol. 300. And again about the reign of King Robert Bruce anno Chri. 1320. fol 317. in both which famous mention is made of your Relatives Beside the Rudera of that old Castle in Murray called yet by your Name proclaimeth this much fuimus Trees Neither shall I insist upon the constancie and frequencie of your fervent devotion these seventie years and upward And how ye preveen the morning watches in the coldest season this commendeth the grace of GOD in you Your Antelucâ—na is such well backed with the practise of righteousness holiness peaceableness meekness temperance patience zeal and aboundance of spiritual fortitude if any will deny this they either know you not or love you not I intend not by this to fire your corruption that were not friendly breath but to further your faith and that others may learn of you to be religious indeed Go on worthie Sir in your Christian exercise well may ye flourish in old age well may ye finish your course with joy O that all descended of you may learn to follow your steps in holiness and righteousness this will be the mercy of your familie which is daily desired by Your well Wisher and Servant in the Gospel W. R. A Preface to the READER THE Congregation of DVNDEE Christian Reader was by the good hand of GOD for the space almost of an hundred yeares by-gone preserved from the infection of Poperie but of late some have been perverted by seducers to the prejudice of the Gospel and great scandal of the incorporation amongst whom one young woman descended of Religious and Honest Parents being led away with the errour occasioned this debate For after conference she seemed to be much affected and least that which then appeared to take impression on her minde should slippe out of her memory some grounds by way of a Dialogue were shortly written down with several wholsome Christian admonitions this short dialogue was by her put into the hands of a traffiquing Romanist and in stead of her Conversion so much desired eight sheets of paper are stuffed with reflections not only on it but on the Gospel-doctrine which is according to Godliness and all the professours thereof Ere I heard any such thing this pamphlet was spread with artificial insinuations and quickly convoyed from hand to hand for a time at last a well wisher to the truth sent a copie to me with this desire that I would reâ—ievâ— and refute it At first I enclined to passe it with silence because I thought discerning men would easily espy its weakness Thereafter hearing that some Popishly enclined did magnifie it least the reformed Doctrine should suffer prejudice I was advysed to pen a Reply with this resolution that except some new arguments be brought forth which are not answered by reformed Divines or here by me I will not trifle my time so much allotted for better work as to debate more on the subject here contained What is said may to my uptaking satisfie such as love the truths of the Gospel and in reason convince gain-sayers But if men will undervalue the word of GOD right reason and shutting their eyes declare them selves unsatisfiable an evil humour hath caused them to erre And I have other imployment not to wrestle with such Wisdom will be justified of her own children And in this time when prophanness and Popery walk on every side blessed is he who keepeth his garments clean and doth nothing against the truth but for it Seminary Priests are very diligent sowing their cockle amongst us in this land they have their own abettors proxies and procutors Is it not then the dutie of good Christians to arme themselves with the sword of the Spirit which is the word of GOD and keep their ground against adversaries The face of truth is beautiful and the salvation of souls precious This short Tractat is claiefly calculated for the Meridian of Dundee and for any single sincere Christian who seriously labour for Gospel truths and to worke out their own Salvation All such cannot have leasure to read voluminous books written by more able pens nor will they be at the expences to buy them and it may be also that some would not comprehend or relish them mediocriter docta mediocriter doctis placent saith the writter of the life of Pelicanus Books are like meats and somewhat of suitable sympathie contributeth to make them edifying if this convince convert or establish men in the truth it is the blessing of the GOD of truth for which I shal bless his Name If not it is my testimony to that truth wherein I have lived and hope in the strength of Iesus Christ to die So farr I 'le endeavoure to serve my generation this will be my peace whatever the event be and my conscience is witness that I hazard to publish this debate for no selfish end or any other respect whatever The Romanists for upholding their faulty fabrick have forged many unwarrantable devices some of which I shal bâ—iâ—fly touch here that by these as a tesâ—e ye may discern how they build wich wood hay stuble and daub the work all along with untempered morter Their first engyne is Matchiaveelian calumniare audacter If any man appear for truth in the gate they bend their tongues and pens as bowes with reproaches against such like that persecuting Roman who would first have the Virgins whom he minded to condemn deflowred by the hang-man that they might not be heard but die without regrate And as the primitive Christians were some-times put into beasts skins by their persecutours to the end that dogs might devoure them greedily So deal they with reformed Writters that truth be not heard from them How sinful is this way contrar to that Scripture Titus 3. 2. speak evâ—l of no man This is most like to the course which the adversaries of truth have still keeped So dâ—â—y they of old with the Prophets Psalm 69. v. 10. 11. Yea with Iesus Christ himself Matth. 11. 19. Matth. 12. 24 and all his Apostles 1. Cor. 4. 13. that they might overlay the truth and mâ—ke them the more easie prey to the teeth of obloquie and prejudice What is this bauling to the cause before any discerning person Quid ad rhombum Michael the Arch-Angel disputing with the Devil durst no bring against him a railing accusation Iud. v. 9. Let not this hinder men from hearing truth nor terrifie any from giving testimonie to it
prophecie it vvill make against the Pope of Rome vvho giveth himself out for sole Bishop and all under him his Vicars onlie This is clear from the historie of the Trent Council lib. 7. pag. 599. Father Simon the Florentine there speaketh after the same tenour When it is demanded whither any Bishop be Jure Divino One must answer affirmativelie One onlie the Successour of Peter And thus the famous saying of Cyprian must be expounded there is but one Bishoprick and every Bishop holdeth a part thereof in solidum otherwise it cannot bâ—e defended that the government of the Church is the most perfect of all that is Monarchical but must necessarlie â—all into an Oligarchie All the Popes Prelats did speak then the same language will not this make him solus Episcopus so that in Estius sense he must be concluded to be Rex superbiae because he is sole universal Bishop The primitive Fathers studied modestie charitie humilitie But Head of the whole Church Prince of Priests infallible universal Monarch were names unknown to them Yet this is the Popes motto summarei the great foundation sine qua corruit Ecclesia saith Bellarmin in the forecited place Further worship in an unknown tongue was not heard in the Church till it was commanded by Witalianus in the 7. Cent. saith Platina and Aquinas on the 1. Cor. 14. telleth that the worship in the primitive Church was performed in the vulgar language The mutilation of the Sacrament of the Supper by withholding the cup froÌ„ the people was unknown to ant quitie For Valentia de legitimo usâ— Eucharistiae cap. 10. saith that the receiving of the Sacrament under one kind came into the Church by no decree but by the custom of the people not long before the Council of Constance at which time the custom was made a law The with-holding Scripture from people was detested in the primitive Church Was it not decreed in the Council of Nice saith Agrippa that no Christian should be without a Bible espcially if he could read in Augustin Chrysostom and Hieroms days the people are required to search the Scriptures according to the rule Iohn 5 39. Tutius ambulatur per Scripturas saith Aug. lib. 3. de doct Chri. cap. 28 nor by humane traditions or glosses Some names of things occurring in antiquitie are preserved in the Roman Church but it will be found that the Fathers understood them not in that sense nor made use of them as they do The nature of things new in Poperie is unanswerable to the old names as snal afterward appear By this we may perceive that Popery was not from the beginning The mysterie of iniquitie encreasing vain men set their posts beside the Lords posts their thresholds beside his Ezek. 43. 8. And making up a bodie of superstitious inventions have placed Religion in these which they hold forth to the world as eldest and have so falne out with Scripture truths that they are not ashamed to accuse them and their professours of noveltie heresie c. But be it known to all that we wil have no Religion to be called ours younger nor the Apostles and primitive Christians It shal eitheâ— be sixteen hundred years old it shal be founded on the Scripture sensed by pute antiquitie or else not outs Beside this their foistery that which is foisted poysoneth souls and filleth them with the East-wind For by their merits and mediatours they derogat from the honour of Christ and from the faith of Christians seeing he is is so precious to them who believe 1. Pet. 2. 7. It is not strange that contrar to Scripture they will deny the imputation of the righteousness of Christ Iesus to the blessed Elect and that imputed righteousness of Saints is affirmed by them to profit others and relieve them from temporal punishment As if the death and merits of the Mediatour were not of sufficient value to save us frâ—m all evil They say that no man can have certaintie of SalvatioÌ„ by faith and yet without any revelation they will canonize others as Saints Can any be more certain of the salvation of another nor his own Their doctrine concerning the Priests intention taketh away all certaintie of faith if the Priest do not seriously intend what he professeth to do there is no Sacrament no consecration no ordination And who but the Lord searcheth the heart and knoweth human intentions By making the Body of Christ now in Heaven to be corporally present in the Sacrament of the Supper when it is administred they deny many articles of the Christian Creed they strengthen the heresie of the Valentinians who said that his Bodie was phantastical not real they contradict the Scripture which calleth it the fruit of the vine after consecration Luke 22. 18. And Aug. tract 5. in Iohn who saith that the bread remaineth bread after the consecration and the Body of Christ a real Body after the Resurrection By their doctrine of Free-will they make free Grace to stand at the beck of the wil whither it shal be operative or not Yea they make providence in its acting dependent on the will For this is their tener GOD worketh because the will consenteth not e contra see Bellar de gratia libero arbitrio lib. 4. cap. 15. Will it not follow then that we should thank our will for our Conversion and intreat it to make grace efficacious and providence effectual Seeing it hath a negative voice in all these matters And what is more prejudicial to the providence and worship of GOD or to the efficacie of grace nor this tener which Aug refuteh well in his Enchrid cap 32. By invocation of Saints the worship of Reliques and the whole house of their imagerie they give the glory of the Lord to another and are reproved Is 42. 8. Yea there be many whom they invocat of whom they are not certain if either they were Saints or lived in the world Cassander who lived in communion with Rome acknowledgeth that much superstition is sostered by this way Consult â—1 Is it not then soul-damning By their distinction of mortal and venial sins by Purgatory by prayer for the dead by their absolution under so bare a degree of contrition they make people sin securely for under the name of vâ—nial sins they comprehend grievous crimes as sivearing by the wounds of Christ Per Membra Christi est venialis irreverentia si reverenter juretur nullâ—â—s videtur esse peccatum saith Valentia tom 3. disp 6. quast 7. punct 3. Legerdemaine in vendition ubi quantuns quale mutatur may be venial si materia sit levis saith Tolet. de 7. pecc cap. 49. whereas diverse measures without exception are declared abomination Pro. 20. 10. All these remedies which they apply after death make men less diligent in dutie while they live And if Purgatory be the Popes peculiar as they call it he must have little love to Souls and too much to his own gain who will not
Firmament we may see the singer of GOD so here †See Barron against Turnbul tract 9. p. 643. we may behold divine Majestie Heavenly efficacie the consent and harmonie of parts the fulfilling of Prophesies see August lib. 6. Confes cap. 5. Persuasisti mihi non qui crederent libros tuos quos tanta in omnibus fere gentibus authoritate fundasti sed qui non crederent esse culpandos nec audiendos esse si qui forte mihi dicerent unde scis illos libros unius veri Dei spiritu esse humano generi administratos id ipsum maxime credendum erat The Scripture it self then testifieth whose it is holy men of GOD did so speak and writ that ye may know the certainty of these things Luk 1. 4. and believe them Jo. 19. 35. this is taken from the very Scripture and not from any distinct Tradition from iâ— Beside all this we have miracles wonderful providences sealing this word the testimonie of adversaries Jews and Gentiles to the doctrine therein contained the testimonie of old and late writters to our whole Canon And seeing the Lord hath sealed it and it is called his Testament none should adde to it or alter any point contained therein This is expresly forbidden Deut. 4. 2. 12. 32. Pro. 3. 6. how grosly Papists make void the Testament of the Lord by new datives and in that are like the Pharisees Matth. 15. 3. 6. shal appear hereafter Answer fourth Although all books †The Papists reject some of these Apocriphal books from the Canon of Scripture aâ— Esdras the book of Baruch c. are not rejected by us upon this account only because the Iews did so but for many other good reasons for self-murder is commended in Razis there contrar to the 6. Command c. The authours crave pardon for that which is spoken amiss whereby it is acknowledged that they had not the spirit of infallibility in all ages exceptions were made against them as is well proved by our Divines S. Thomas and Nicodemus Gospels have approbation of none so need no refutation Now I referre it to any Reader whither this first reason be sufficiently refuted or if this reflecter understandeth Logick or himself who thus reasoneth The number of Scripture bâ—oks is controverted therefore that which on all hands betwixt PROTESTANTS and Papists is acknowledged to be Scripture is not the determiner of faith Who will not perceive here a mis-stated question and gross non-consequence Yet no greater not that concerning the Messias which deserveth no answer being so absurd and bordering with blasphemie The second Reason Why Scripture cannot Pa. Rea. 2 be the rule of faith is because PROTESTANTS believe many things whereof the Scripture maketh no mention at all as the keeping holy the Sunday for the Sabbath or Saturday the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son the Trinity of Persons in God that there is one person although two natures in Christ for the Scripture maketh no more mention of Persons then of Papish-tran substantiation that Baptism of Hereticks is not to be reiterat against the Donatists that Ordination of lawful Ministers should not be reiterâ—t against Marcion that Baptism and the Lords Supper are Sacraments which are the very fundamentals of your Religion I answer to this that errour is broodie for ere it be confessed by some men they will Pro. An. 1 broach absurd Tenets and shake foundations which appeareth evidently here For this man deâ—yeth the Articles of our Creed to be grounded on Scripture which is most abominable to utter What is not the Trinity the Sacrament of Baptism and the Supper scriptural truths Let not this be heard in Gath. This giveth the Council of †Sess 7 Can. 1. de Sacr. in gen Trent the lie so the author is anathematized by them Let Papists read such as writ positive Divinity these points are aboundantly proved by them from Scripture Catechists will teach them to speak better and it they be not founded there why do your own writters prove them thence Secondly The mysterie of the Trinity is directly in Scripture 1. Io. 5. 7. there are An. 2. three which bear record in Heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit these three are one The Word Person is in Scripture Heb. 1. 3. we indeed make use of words in the doctrine of the Trinity which are not Scripture words but all the things are there otherwise our foundations would soon dissolve This is Augustins answer against the Arrians Contra Max. lib. 3. cap. 5. and Naz. Orat. 5. de Theol. yea your own Bellarmin lib. 2. de Christo cap 2. saith Quadam verba sunt utilia ad explicanda mysteria Scripturae quae licet in Scripturis non habeantur eorum tamen aequivalentia semina ibi habentur i. e. Some words are necessar for explaining the mysteries of Scripture which though they be not contained in the Scriptures yet their parallels and seeds are contained there This he proveth by instances cha 3. 4. 5 which I need not to translate So that the Tenets which we mantaine concerning the Trinity and the two Sacraments being Scripture truths it is gross to say we have no Scripture warrand for these seeing we may make use of words for explaining divine truths any may behold the weakness of this Reply The name Trinity and Sacrament is not in Scripture therefore the thing is not there As for the Sabbath we once prove from Scripture that Saturday is no Sabbath to us Col. 2. 16. 17. then from Scripture that one day of seven behoved to be observed by reason of the fourth Command which is Moral Secondly That the seventh in number â—â— Moral the seventh day in order only ceremonial Thirdly That the Lords-day by right succeedeth †See Palmer Candrey about the Sabbath as is here made out And what day can be more sit then that on which Christ Jesus arose and put an end to the work of Redemption Then our Lord came in amongst the midst of his Disciples Io. 20. 26. which Mâ—ldoâ—at on the place confesseth to be some proof to shew that the Lords-day hath its origen from the will of Christ Acts 20 7. The Disciples conveened to the worship and the breaking of bread that day and 1. Cor. 16 they had their collections that day Hierom contra Vigilantium sayeth that per unaâ— Sabbati is understood the Lords-day And Rev. 1. 10. There is express mention of the Lords day on which place Ribera the Iesuit remarketh that in the Apostles times the solemnity of the Sabbath was changed to the Lords-day and consecrated by the Lords Resurrection Esthius on Gal. 4. v. 10. refuteth you fully by saying Diei Dominicae observationem Apostolicam esse constat ex Scriptura i. e. It is clear from Scripture that the Apostles observed the Lords day How then can you say that we have no Scripture for it Thirdly That the holy
Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son is clear in Scripture Io. 14. 16. 17. Ioh. 15. 26. Io. 16. 7. Gal. 4. 6. Fourthly That there be two Natures in Christ is clear Io. 1. 14. The Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us And Augustin who refuteth Rebaptization mantained by Donatists maketh no use of unwritten Traditions against that errour but of that Scripture Eph. 4. 5. One Lord one Faith one Baptism for he sayeth reâ—urrantus ad fontem viz. Scripturas let us return to the Scriptures which are the fountain then citeh that text mentioned Tom. 7. lib. 5. cap. 26. and Ordination is expressed in that Tense which by vertue of the word excludeth Reiteration It being a matter of Order if it be once done according to the rule 1. Tim. 4. 14. it is enough neither should this be debated here for all that we assert is that all points necessar to salvation are comprehended in Scripture either expresly or cosequentially by general or particular precepts Perinde sunt ea quae ex Scriptuâ—is Colliguntur atque ea quae scribuntur saith Nazianzen †Naz. de Theol. orat 5. i. e. These things which by necessary consequence are deduced from Scripture are of the same force with these which are written in it Let the Reader judge whither Popery be a safe way which buildeth our main foundations upon humane testimonie and derogats so much from the Scriptures of GOD. Yea ere they will give them their due rather will they strengthen Anti-Trinitarians Arrians Anti-Sacramentarians Anti-Sabbatarians Donatists and Separatists The Lord grant repentance to such who leaving the truth have a massed a body of errors Thirdly For that amongst many Versions Pa. Red. 3 yea and corruptions of Scripture which all do acknowledge and each sect imputeth to its adversaries it seemeth very hard to discern authentick Scripture many of the originals being lost and the extract comming to the hands of very few and few understand the Hebrew and Greek tongues wherein they are written and yet of this first of all we must be understood and assured if we will not waver in matters of fâ—â—th Answer first This is a digression to another Pro. An. 1 question concerning the Version for I would ask if there be any right Version at all this will not be denyed for the old Latine translation is acknowledged by you then it is the rule of faith and no humane testimony What doth this arguing prove against the point there be some corrupted Versions Ergo the Original rightly translated must not determine my faith some men are evil cloathed therefore a man should not be well cloathed against the cold there is no consequence there Further this objection maketh the word of God useles to men Now is it like that all should be commanded to go to the Law and Testimony to search the Scriptures if they could not be had by any Yea this Objection spoileth Providence of its rent of praise which hath appeared so visibly in the preservation of the Scriptures And we bless his Name for it that we have the Originals in Hebrew and Greek and so pure a translaon that if any will compare them they wil find great faithfulnes and skill in the translators But to answer this impertinent Objection An. 2. more fully we say that the Version is a Commentary be way of interpretation and we make neither the translatioÌ„ of the 70. nor of the vulgar Latine authentick but wheÌ„ we find errours in either we go ad judicem incorâ—uptum hoc est primaevam linguam to the uncorrupted Judge that is the first language so much speaketh your Acosta lib. 2. cap. 10. and in this rightly But yee Romanists have preferred the vulgar Latine to the Hebrew and Greek whereas it is a corrupt translation as some of your own testifie and corrupteth the doctrine witness that one text for many Gen. 3. 15. Ipsa conteret caput tuum She shal break thy head which is contrar to the Hebrew hu to the 70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and putteth the Virgin Mary for Christ so overturneth a foundation Pagâ—â—n in his Preface to the Hebrew Grammar saith Optarem ut ostenderent mihi Germanam translationem quae enim pâ—ssim legitur non est Hieronymi incorrupta translatio i. e. I wish they would shew me the Genuin translation for that which is coÌ„monly received is not Hieroms pure translation and Sixtus Senensis Bib. lib. 8. sub finem sayeth Multa ibi sunt parum accommodate versa There are many things in it not fitly rendered so that our Version will be found as good as any And we are not hindered to run to the fountains in case of doubting we make use of these streams as helps and the Version is an humane instrument leading us to the well-head of the Original tongues Dei verbum non est linguased doctrina The word of GOD is not the language but the doctrine saith Rivet in his Isag cap. 1. and we need Grammar more then Tradition for understanding thereof Reason fourth Many cannot read Scripture and more as yet do not understand it the Pa. Rea. 4 Scripture then or written word cannot be the Rule of Faith to these poor ignorants but their Churches or Pastors authority And so it seemeth the Scripture cannot be the rule of faith to all persons or in all points or of any point contained in it self untill I be first assured of some infallible rule that this translation I rely upon is conform to the original in all points and this Bible I am reading is the authentick word of God Answer First This maketh nothing against Pro. An. 1 our assertion wherein it is only said that the Scripture is the rule of faith to a right discerner which is granted by the Arguer in the next reason It is Regula regulativa to all apt and meet to decide all controversies if men have ears to hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches if it be not Regula regulans to some who are ignorant and unstable Vitium ost in Organo the fault is in the Organ It is ill argued to say the Sun shineth not because blind men see it not Secondly They who cannot read the Scriptures An. 2. can hear them read and it is more easie for dark ignorant ones to hear the word read and explained in their own language then to travel from Scotland to Rome to hear the sentence of the Pope for they could not understand the language in which it is delivered they cannot travel through their decretals and acts They know not if it be a lawful Pope who pronounceth the sentence And by their Confessours here they may be and are deceived Thirdly It is the priviledge and promise An. 3. of God to open the heart to enlighten the eyes by the word read and preached but no where hath the word of man this prerogative See Is 32. 3. 4. and Is 35. 5. 6. 7. 8. These are Gospel
Hereticks and Schismaticks have abused it therefore we should not make use of it as the rule of faith and manners This is a Paralogism and confused rapsodic but I pass it for sons of Babel must daub with untempered mortar and be Babel-like in their way Although these 5. Reasons be answered § 1. sufficiently yet for further satisfaction to the Reader these two particulars shal be discussed Question 1. Whose it is to interpret Scripture R. In the first place it belongeth to the Ministerial Church Pastors and Officers called of GOD to that employment are ordinarily better gifted for that work then other men I say ordinarily because in some cases it may be otherwise and the Lord may raise up extraordinary interpreters this appeareth from 1. Cor. 14. 29. And the judgement of a pure Church in dubious cases should weigh much with privat Christians Secondly Privat Christians may read the Scriptures search for their sense improve them privatly for edification and examine what is said by others for they have the promise to attain Jer. 31. 34. a precept to improve 1. Pet. 4. 10. and a priviledge to try Acts 17. 11. 1. Cor. 10. 15. this judgement of discretion no man can take from them Io. 10. 4. Matth. 7. 15. more then the taste from a man Is not that spirit which dyted the scripure the best interprerer of it But privat men may have that 1. Cor. 2. 15. This their judgement is not authoritative nor judicial yet bindeth themselves and he is a better Christian who followeth then he who stiffleth it so speak all Casuists Chrysost hom 13. in act Apost reproveth such as professed they would be Christâ—ans yet doubted to whom they should adhereâ— have ye not judgement sayeth he and have ye not scriptures Aug. Confes lib. 13. sub sinem cap. 22. cap. 23. explaining that place 1. Cor. 2. 15. sayeth Quisque fidelis est spiritualis every beleever is spiritual and hath a judgment of discretion Picus Mirandula Theor. 16. sayeth If the greatest part of a Councill conclude against the word of God Si rusticus if a rurall man have the Gospel for him he is most to be beleeved and adhered to This sheweth that the scripture should be read and searched by such and privat men having this priviledge should make use of it in a Gospel way for edification not for destruction Question second How shall Scripture be interpreted Answer first Not by the Pope §. 2. for people are commanded to search the Scriptures before there was a Pope in the world Iohn 5. 39. therefore that cannot be a necessar mean Secondly Nor can all make use of Generall Councills seeing these are more hard to be understood then the Scripture Thirdly Not by carnall reason For the naturall man perceiveth not the things of God 1. Cor. 2. 14. But first by Prayer and Meditation for the Lord giveth the Spirit to them that ask him Luke 11. 13. and this mean is practised by experienced beleevers Ps 119. 18. Secondly By a docile cleanly frame of heart Ps 25 9. 10. Matth. 5. 8. Thirdly By comparing Scripture with scripture obscure places with these which are clear ex Gr. who can interpret Ps 8. v. 2. so well as the Evangelist Matth. 21. 16. or the 4. and 5. verses so as the Apostle to the Heb. 2. 7. 8. or these words Matth. 26. 28 so as the Evangelist Luke 22. 20. with Mat. 26. 29. where after the consecration of the Cup it is called the fruit of the vine Or that text Matth. 19. 23. A rich man shal hardly enter into the kingdom of Heaven so as the interpretation of the Evangelist Mark cap. 10. 34. How hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God Fourthly By the Commentats of ancient and late writters by the preaching of those who are called of God to that work with this caution that we try the spirits whither they be of God or not 1. Io. 4. 1. Fifthly For the exact interpretation of places which should be propounded to others for edification the knowledge of the Original tongues History Chronology Topography is in measure requisit This is the way by which the ancient Fathers expounded Scripture Chrysost in Gen. hom 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socra Scriptura cum nos tale quid docere vult serpsant exponit auditorem errare non sinit i. e. The holy Scripture when it will have us to teach any such thing it expounds it self and suffereth not the hearer to erre Yea a Jesuit Acosta lib. 3. de Christo revelato ch 25. confesseth so much being overcome with the truth Nihil perinde scripturam mihi aperire videtur atque ipsa scriptura itaque diligens attenta frequensque lectio meditatio oratio collatio scripturarum summa regula ad intelligendam scripturam mihi semper visa est i. e. Nothing seemeth to me more useful for opening up scripture then scripture it self therefore the diligent attentive and frequent reading of the Scriptures meditation prayer and comparing of them together hath ever seemed to me the best rule for understanding scripture Aug. de doct Christi lib. 2. cap. 9. In his enim quae aperte in scriptura proposita sunt inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem spem charitatem moresque vivendi de quibus libro superiore tractavimus tum vero facta quadam familiaritate cum ipsa lingua divinarum scripturarum in ea quae obscura sunt aperienda discutienda pergendum est ut ad obscuriores locutiones illustrandas de manifestioribus suÌ„mantur exempla quaedâ—m certatum sententiarum testimonia dubitationem de incertis auferant Question secoâ—d How can the Scripture be judge seeing it is the rule â—a Qu. â— Answer fiâ—st It is a speaking rule the Spirit of God speaketh there The Acts of Parliament are both the law and judge of a Pro. An. case albeit men pronounce the sense of them So the Church hath the herauldry of this and hence may pronounce the sentence but the determination is from the word alone for humane testimonie can adde no weight to the Divine To this it is returned that the second answer Pa. Rea is no better then the first The Scripture say you is a speaking rule and may be both rule and judge But the Acts of Parliament and civil laws be as well speaking laws in matters of temporal government as the scripture is in spiritual and yet parties should never agree if the Lords of Council and Session did not expound them and pronounce sentence from them not as heraulds but as judges albeit they be tyed to conform their sentence both to Acts of Parliament customs and laws Even so scripture is indeed our law book but the Church is our judge for this our experience may prove that there hath been no agreement amongst them who make any other judge then the Church as all Sectaries commonly do Beside it would
unlearned as well as the unstable wrest the scripture to their own destruction then Scripture can neither be the determiner of faith nor the judge of controversies to them and so they must have another both to instruct the ignorant and settle the unstable as we must all have some infallible judge to know who wrest the Scripture who not otherwise we may well agree in the letter but we will never agree in the sense and meaning thereof But as much say you as containeth the way to salvation is plain so that he may runne who readeth it Sir doth it not belong to salvation that there be three persons in God one in Christ that Baptism is a Sacrament c. Now where find you this in Scripture either running or siting Or if Scripture be so plaine clear as ye make it why be there so many Comments on it among your own men and so different Why is there amongst Protestants 200. expositions upon these four words This is my Body As Cusaâ—us in his holy court observeth Answer first I am glade that the written Pro. An. 1 word of GOD pleaseth you so who have all this time spent words to throw all power out of its hand and hang it at the Popes foot But you say it refuteth what was said formerly This cannot be made good for still I said it was the rule of faith to right discerners and sometime you grant this as in the latter part of your fifth Reason whereby indeed you refute all you have said and yeelds the cause fully Now what contradiction can be here The scripture is the rule to all right discerners and as many as walk according to this rule peace shal be on them but men who wrest the word unlearned unstable soules fall into perdiâ—ion for abuse of the word and destroy themselves hence proceedeth many controversies Is it not a strange consequence to inferre thence that these unlearned unstable soules should have another rule and another judge In the 19. of Luke v. 27. it is said by our Lord that his enemies who would not have him to reign over them should be brought forth and slain before him will it therefore follow that he should not reign over them Or that they Jure should have another King The case is just alike here It is granted that many have their consciences seared 1. Tim. 4. 2. are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Tim. 3. 8. self-condemned Tit. 3. 11. under stronge delusions 2. Thess 2. 11. Is the Scripture to blame for this You have many faults to that which you like not Hear Optatus Milevitanus adversus Paliner Donatistam Vos dicitis licet nos non licet inter licet vestrum non licet nostrum nutant animi populorum If you seek a judge saith he a Pagan cannot do it nor a Jew they are enemies Christians by their discerning faculty cannot they being impeded studio partium Then upon earth there can be no judge shal we go to Heaven for one Quorsum cum hic habemus iâ— Evangelio testamentum i. e. To what purpâ—se seeing we have the Testament here in the Gospel If there be a contention among brethren saith he quaritur Testamentum the Testament is sought So we must decide our controversies by the Old and New Testament etenim praesentia quae modo facitis futura conspexerat Christus i. e. For Christ did foresee these things as future which ye make to be now present and hath he foreseen it and will he not provide a remedie for it Secondly These unlearned unstable ones Pro. An. 2 who are to be destroyed will not hear understand nor obey his word then is it like that they will understand the voluminous decrees of the Pope May they not wrest his sentence and sense more easily then Scripture words Or dare any say that humane ordinanceâ— will sooner compesâ—e command or regulat them then the word of GOD Thirdly We do not deny Mâ—nisterial Pro. An 3 helps for instructing and seâ—ling the ignorant and unstable nor judicial sentences subaltern and subordinat â—o the law But that there is an infallible man 〈◊〉 to whose sentence I must implicitly submiâ—â—â— is â—â—â—culous to averie it and the broaching of that errour hath occasioned more controversies then were formerly in the Church so far is it from composing differences If ye were more in catechising the unlearned and leâ—s in regal commands the law of GOD would be both better understood and obeyed Fourthly Albeit some places be hard to Pro. An. 4 be understood by the unlearned 1. Pet. 3. 16. other places are not so difficult In the scripture an Elephant may swime and a Lamb may wade And the same particulars you again object are clearly holden forth in scripture as is formerly proved in the vindication of my answer to your 1. Qu. in answer to Rea. 2. Yea the way to salvation is fair and patent there and if we perish our destruction is of our selves seeing that book is not sealed to us Commentaries Church-canons Ecclesiastick sentences are helps and means for edification but scripture is the authentick instrument and all the authority is originally from it And different expositions according to the analogy of faith may be and will be so long as there be diversity of gifts But I ask why ye make use of Commentars Seeing ye resolve all into the sentence of the Pope And why do your Commentators differ so amongst themselves If this hinder not your Ecclesiastick supremacie why should it be brought to weaken scripture authority It is hard to find where you are for sometimes ye would have a judge to authorize scripture to you sometimes you would have only one for the sense of scripture then at last you are for one only to the unlearned and unstable such is your instability in this matter that I wish the word of God may determine you aright in the point Question fourth Were it not better to establish Pa. Qu. 4 a man or an assembly of men judge of Controveâ—sies seeing the Church is the pillar of truth 1. Tim 3. 15. aâ—d hath the promise of presence Matth. 28. 20. then th◠〈◊〉 Sect should be laying claim to the Scripture and yet taking sundry wayes Answer The promulgation of the law is Pro. An. not denyed to the pure Gospel Church truth is mantained and preserved there as the law was keeped in the Ark thus it is called the pillar of it But the Church of Rome is not such being a very strumpet and making the Kings of the earth drunk with the cup of her fornications Rev. 17. 2. thaâ— promise of presence is made to the universal Church but no particular Church such as Rome can claim the measure or duration of it who of these can say that they shal last to the end of the world Albeit Sects lay claim to Scripture yet their abuse cannot take away our lawful use of it To this a Papist replyeth That the question Pap. Reply is not
pretended right so in the matter of doctrine an invisible Church and no Church is the same For if I cannot see nor know the Elect as being invisible to the eye of man so I cannot know that the Church composed of them speaketh to me or that this Doctrine I hear of any man is infallible more then that he is one of the Elect. Answer I am weary transseribing a number Protest Duply of wordâ— without weight that is a compleet rapsodie and no return to the former question If such digressions were heard in the School the Writter behoved to be sore censured The question was how the Scripture could be the square Seeing all agree not about the number of the books some cast at the Epistle of James as the Lutherans And the answer I gave was that although some Lutherans differre from us about the authority of that epistle yet we both agree here that uncontroverted scripture is the determiner And for the numerick question it was sufficiently answered in the second answer to the first querie so we needed not this tauâ—oligie to make the Reader nauseat If I had to do with a Lutheran then I could prove the divine authority of that Epistle but you do not deny it therefore to what purpose should I insist on that subject against you Mr. Hooker whom you cite maketh nothing against us as is alledged for that which he sayes is first that the light of reason rightly managed is a requâ—sit mean for the knowledge of scripture books and what sayeth that against us seeing we suppose the Readers of Scripture to be â—ational men that reason in its own line may be helpful to them for understanding scripture Secondly Mr. Hooker directly disclaimeth your traditions page 86. and affirmeth that they who betake themselves to that testimonie as divine have not the truth but are in an errour Thus he condemneth you as erronious so it had been your advantage to have spared this tradition neither was it needful to tell us that the Manichees denyed Moses and the Jews the New Testament We have to do with Papists who hold all the books of the Old and New Testament which we hold for Canonick At lest what some others make disputable as Melchior Canus telleth us you put it out of dispute so you are not in bona fide to reason about their number with us seeing ye question none which we mantaine albeit we justly call in question Apocryphal writtings which ye put into the Canon Is it not safer to regulate our faith by these uncontroverted Scriptures then by the dictats of mutable self-contradicting Popes When Church Rulers have been fully corrupted Believers have continued orthodoxe as in the time of the Arrian persecution The Fathers who lived the first 300. year believed without either Pope or General Council as propounders of their faith For then there was no such pretending to infallible supremacy They had no infallible testimony from the Church they acknowledged not her testimony to be such And for ought I can learn theâ—e be no testimony of your Church nor statute enacting her testimony to be infallible If so it is nor according to you de fide however ye make a great noise amongst people with it And if all the faith you have depend upon the testimony of the present Church which is your doctrine your faith is not one with Abrahams faith for the word of God did beget his faith but it is the testimony statute of the Trent Council that begettâ—th yours and I would gladly hear from you whither there was universal consent there or not Such clashing and pocket orders as the author of that history telleth to the world will not permit you to say without a blush that the Council was unanimous and Gospel-like in their way Therefore unless it be against us all their otheracts are made up of ambiguous stuffe like the Delphian responses this is purposely coÌ„trived to cover debates with general termes And if their testimony make the word of GOD Scripture to me living under Popery what rule had they for their faith who made these conclusions Their own testimony could not be the cause of their own belief if you say that the testimonie of the ancient Church was their rule then ye go contrar to your own Doctors who declare that the present Church of Rome is above all former councils and their authority dependeth on her testimony See Bell. lib. de Eccl. cap. 10. Valentia Tom. 3. disp 1. quest 1. Further that the supream power of judging is not in the Council but in the Pope that he is above a general Council that he cannot be subject to it See Bell. lib. 2. de Concil cap. 17. Valentia tom 3. disp 1. Suarez disp 5. de fide and your own Vives in his comment on Augustins 20. book de civit Dei cap. 26. telleth us how little ye make of Councils or of the ancient Church when they militat against you Illa demum videntur iis Concilia quo in rem suam faeiunt reliqua non pluris estimantur quam commenta mulierum in textrina aut thermis i. e. These appear to be Councils to them which make for them the rest are no more esteemed by them then the sables of old women in the weavers shop or sloves Brisâ—â—erius writting against Collag a Jansenist as he is cited by learned Dalleus †See Dâ—lleus de usu Patrum saith Councils are literae mortuae nisi animentur à praesenti Ecclesia i. e. They are dead letters if they be not animated by the present Church This appeareth to be true from experience for ye agree not with the primitive either in doctrine worship or government The ancients thought that Images should not be in the Church See Epiph. epist ad Iohannem Hierosolymitanum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum vidissem Imaginem penderâ— in Ecclesia contra authoritatem Scripturae i. e. When I saw an Image hang in the Church contrar to the authority of Scripture how grieved was I. But the Council of Trent appointed them to be had in houses and Churches and that debitus honor reverentia Sess 25. eis impertiatur i. e. Due honor and worship be given to them The Fathers thought that the Virgin Marie was conceived in sin so saith Ambrose Augustin Chrysostom as Melchior Canus de loc Theol. lib. 7. telleth The Council of Trent Sess 5. will not conclude heâ— under Original sin The Fathers excluded Tobias Judith Wisdom Ecclesiasticus and both the books of the Maccabees out of the canon of Scripture So did Hierom in his prologue ad libros Solomonis Epiph. lib. de Pond mens cap. 2. pag. 162. Gregorie Nazianzen câ—rm 3. Athanasius epist fest But the Council of Trent anathematizeth them who exclude these books out of the Canon Sess 4 Baptism was delayed till Pasch and Pentecost in the primitive Church it is not so with you The 4. Council of Carthage did forbide women
Of 150. Bishops in the first Council of Constantinople anno 381. Where the Bishop of Constantinople is decreed to be the chief next the Bishop of Rome Thirdly Of 200. Bishops in the first council of Ephesus anno 431. where in the third action it is defined that saint Peter was the head and prince of the Apostles and that the power of binding and loosing is granted to him who in his successours liveth and exerciseth judgement unto this very day Fourthly Of 600. Bishops in the Chalcedon council in the year 451. where in the third action also Pope Leo is called universal Bishop Patriarch of old Rome and sentence is pronounced against Dioscorus in the name of Leo and sunt Peter to acknowledge Leo Peters successour The Fathers in particular I do not cite for their citations in this would make a volumn Only I engage that of a 100. there be 90. clear for this And not one against it Is not Popish faith resolved into a lie say you viz. the infallibility of Pope or Council You should have said Pope and Council putting tâ—em together as the head and chief members which represent the whole body of the Church As the Parliament doth the whole Kingdome and then if you doubt of their infallibility you deny the express words of Scripture which calleth the Church the ground and pillar of truth 1. Tim. 3. and which assureth us that the gates of hell shal not prevail against her Math. 16. 18. Yea you take away all possible means to know infalliblie what is true Scripture what is the true sense thereof which is to make us doubt of all and leave us no sufficient ground to believe undoubtedlie any thing You take away Christs promise to be with the Church to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. Yea you take away an Article out of the Creed I believe in the holy Catholick Church and leaving men either to the dead letter of Scripture which killeth many or the privat spirit which deceiveth more or natural reason which can be a motive of faith to none you cast loose all Religion every one reâ—ecting or receiving Scripture as he pleaseth Expounding Scripture as he pleaseth and following in both no infallible rule or guide but his own opinion fancie imaginatioÌ„ In the fourth part you say that all the positives of the reformed Religion were mantained in the primitive Church the first 300. years But if this were true it would be made good no otherwise but by the Fathers writtings in the first three ages after Christ Now if they had all your positive tenets why do your learnedest writters openly disclaime them as I have shewed formerly Why saith Luther your Apostle lib. deserv arbitrio cap. 2. the authority of the Fathers is not to be reguarded and in his Collâ—q cap. de patribus In the writtings of Hierom there is not aword of true faith of Chrysostom I make no account Basil is of no worth he is wholly a Monk Cyprian is a weak Divine But I must not insist on this because you may in some measure deny the greatest parts of controverted points betwixt you and us to be positive tenets Albeit there be none of them but justly may be called so For you not only deny for example the real presence invocation of Saints use of Images that a man is justified by faith and works c. But ye positively believe that Christs Body and Blood is not reallie present in the Sacrament that to invocat the Saints is to give Gods worship to creatures that to make use of Images is idolatrie that a man is not justified by faith only Therefore I instance only two upon which all your visible reformation is grounded First That the whole visible Church may erre Secondly That we should believe nothing but what is in the written Word Now I have made it appear reflecting on your sixt answer that both these positive tenets are against the express wordes of Scripture and Fathers How then did the Church in the first 300. years hold all the positives and what you affirme As for your negatives and what you deny you grant they cannot be there because the controversies were not then stated But this is a bold and open calumnie for not one point is denyed by you but the Fathers in the first 300. years have clearlâ—e asserted And so the controversie betwixt you and us was sufficientlie stated even then You deny real presence and transubstantiation but in the second age Justin Martyr Apol. 2. ad Antonium saies as Jesus Christ incarnat had flesh and blood for our redemption so are we taught that the Eucharist is the flesh and blood of the same Jesus incarnat And in the third age Cyprian serm de coena Domini saith the bread which the Lord gave to his Disciples being changed not in shape but in nature by the omnipotencie of the Word is made flesh Secondlie Ye deny the sacrifice of the Masse asserted in the first age by St. Andrew in the book of his passion written by his Disciples I daily saith he sacrifice the immaculat Lamb to Almightie GOD who when he is truelie sacrificed and his flesh eaten remaineth intire and alive And in the third age by Origen hom 13. on Exod. Ye think your self guiltie and worthilie if any part of the consecrated Hoste be lost by your negligence Thirdlie Ye deny Purgatory asserted in the second age by Tertullian lib. de anima cap. 58 seeing we understand Matthews prison which the Apostle demonstrats to be places below and the least farthing is every smal fault delayed to be paied till the resurrection none will doubt but the soul will recompence something in places below And in the third Age It is one thing being cast into prison not to go out thence till he pay the uttermost farthing another presently to receive the reward of faith One thing to be affected with long pains for sins to be amended and have all sins purged with suffering sayeth Cyprian ep 52. ad Antonium Fourthly ye deny Prayer for the dead allowed in the first Age by S. Clemens ep 1. de sancto Petro where he saith Peter there taught to give almes and pray for the dead And in the same age by Tertul. lib. de cor militis we make yearly oblations for the dead Fifthly ye deny invocation of Saints and Angells recommended in the secong Age by S. Dennis Eccl. hierarch part 3. cap. 3. saying I constantly affirm with the divine scripture that the prayers of the saints are profitable for us in this life after this manner when a man is inflamed with a desire to invocat the saints and distrusting his own weakness betakes himself to any saint beseeching him to be the helper and petitioner to God for him he shall obtaine by that mean very great assistance And in the third Age Origen on the Lambent sayeth I le begin to fall on my knees and pray to all the saints to succour me
Praxeas the defence oâ— Christians against Idolatry c. The Martyr Cyprian who lived anno 258. writteth some eplstles treatises and sermons about the cases of his time Lactantius and Arnobius flourished in the beginning of the fourth Centurie and did writ against the Gentiles but the Popish trash was unknown to them So it is not strange albeit the Negarives of our Religion were not handled directly by the Fathers seeing then the Popish controversies were not started however the Jesuits do wâ—est some sayings of these Fathers for their own ends yet an attentive Reader will find that they make not for them as Scultetus and Dr. Forbes Dr. Usher and Dr. Morton have sufficiently proved In the following ages they had to do with Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutiches but Popery then was under the hatches and the decrees of the Trent Council wholly unknown Further controversies betwixt us and Papists can hardly be decided by the Fathers for some of them made retractations others held forth the opinion of others frequently then what they propose sometime is esteemed by them probable not certain and all of them Printed since the Trent council have been castrated by the Popish Index expurgatorius Therefore they cannot be thought the sittest Umpyres in our present debates neither are they made judges either by the Popish partie or ours for they appeal to the Pope we to the Scriptures and do make use of them as Commentators and historians only Further the Fathers desire us to look on them only as such I shal ciâ—e three testimonies proving this to the full One is that of Augustin in his opist to Hierom concerning the interpretation of the 2. chap. to the Galatians When he is pressed with the testimonie of old authours Ego didici hunc honoreÌ„ deferre tantuÌ„ Scripturarum libris qui Cano ni ci appellantur ut nullum eorum authorum in scribendo aliquid errasse firmâ—tâ—r credaâ— nec arbitror mi frater te velle tuos libros sic lâ—gi tanquam Prophetarum Apostolorum i. e. I have learned to give that honour onlâ— to the books of Scripture which are canonick thâ—t their authours have not errod And a little thereafter I do not think my brother that you would have your books so read as the books of the Prophets and Apostles The second testimony is in his third Epistle to Fortunatus Nec quorumlibet disputationes tanquam Scripturas Canonicâ—s habere debemus ut non liceat salva honorisicentia quae iis debetur aliquid in eorum scriptis improâ—are si forte aliter senserint quam veritas habet talis ego sum in scriptis aliorum tales volo esse lectores meorum i. e. We ought not to look on the writtings of men as the Scriptures of GOD but may disprove that which is not truth in their books if they have not set down the truth such I am in the writings of others such I desire to be the readers of my own The third testimony is that of Hierom lib. 2. contra Ruffinum where speaking of Origen and other Fathers he saith fierâ— potest ut simpliciter â—rrarint vel alio sensâ— scripsâ—rint vel à librariis imperitis eorum scripta paulatim corrupta sunt vel antequam Arrius natus sit minus caute loquâ—ti sint i. e. It may be they have erred and spoken in another sense or their books have been corrupted or before Arrius they have not spoken so warily on the point If then we hold Fathers in their own room according to their desire no wrong is done to them Fourthly That none think we disside the Fathers or Councils it will be found that pure antiquity savoureth us more then Popery This you deny and cites for you Beza his epist ad Dudithium whereby your studied endeavour to deceive people may appear for Beza there is only answering an objection brought in amongst others by Dudithius for resolution that he might be confirmed in the faith by him Wherein Beza doth judiclously give resolution Will it then follow that Dudithius was of this opinion So deal you with Martyr and Chemnitius who assert no such thing It is known both of them were good Antiquaries and confirm our tenets by several testimonies of Ancients It is like you have taken these citations from your Index and not from the Authours Neither Luther Calvin Whitgift Fulke or any reformed Divine hold from Fathers or Councils their due Yea we reverence them more then ye do You bring the four Councils for the Popes universal supremacie and infallibility If this be not it which you intend to prove your answer meereth noâ— mine This is a negative of our Religion was it heard of the first 300 years You say not so But in the next 300. years was the Popes universal supremacie or infallibility heard of This you alleage and by providence contradict your self it is known that in the Council of Nice no mention is made of an universal far less infallible Pope You cite the 29. Canon of the Nicaen Council whereas there were but 22. of them in whole saith Ruffinus lib. 1. cap. 6. Their sixth Canon is far from that If that had been in their Creed they needed no Council the Pope in Cathedra would have done all And in the council of Constantinople they establish the power of their own Patriarch Why then say you that he was established there universal infallible Monaâ—ch of the whole Church Will ye remember better your connexions Was he Peters successour according to the council of Ephesus Then no universal Monarch He was a Presbyter an Elder not a Lord over GODS heritage see 1. Peter 5. 3. Thirdly Expone this and reconcile it with the Popedom if you can Was he Patriarch of old Rome Then no universal head these two seem to clash and the council wordeth it better But why do you not mention his infallibility in your Reply It is the koy of Popery and let you it thus slip out amongst your hands Not one Father or primitive Council is cited for this The Council of Chalcedon saith expresly that the Pope of Rome hath no priviledge from Christ above others but only because it was the seat of the Roman Empire Act 15. you will not then have the four Councils for you except you coine some new acts as the 29. of Nice By which also it may appear how groundless and vain your boasting is of having 90. Fathers of an 100. for this point The opposition of the Ancients thereto is clearly demonstrated by learned Morton in his Grand Impostor Here that you seem not to be silent you bring forth impertinently these texts of Scripture formerly explained Tell the Church c. To which I referre the Reader for satisfaction there be no more priviledge there concerning the Church of Rome then the Church of SCOTLAND and not so much as it is how constituted and adulterated We do believe an universal Church but it is far from our thoughts that
obstinatly deny what they so clearly testifie but to consider and reflect on the Catholick verities there delivered as that Christ was truely the Son of GOD. Answer If my Answer be weak it is the more easily refuted But how can a Scripture Prote ∣ stants Answer argument be weak except it be misapplyed which you do not alleage here I had almost forgotten the reason which is this that all Scripture is like Aesops fables to you unless it be sensed and animated by your Church Hinc illae lachrymae Then you say I am confused in the met od I beginne with the Scripture then I go to the woâ—ship c. Is there any thing jumbled here I know no rule tendered by Methodists for sorting Scripture citations if they be pertiuently cited And whither you speak truth in â—athering contradictions upon me it will afterward appear when I consider your anâ—weâ—s to these 20. texts of Scripture and compare them with your former Replyes it putteth me in mind of our Sea fouls which can flee only above water and slutter on the land So you mount up with humane traditions but can scarcely slutter when you mention Scripture it is not your Element this appeareth by your first Reply and the rest are no better For once you deny that the people I said you call them Laicks not that we deny a distinction betwixt Pastours and people as you would insinuat But to note your vaine appropriating the name of Clergie or the Lords heritage to your Priests as if the people of GOD were not a part thereof contrary to 1. Pet. 5. 3. and as if you had a coÌ„manding power over them For the arrogancy of your Roman Clergie Jerome called them Senatum Pharisaeâ—um the Senate of the Pharisees I say the people are forbidden to read the Scripture by you And that some in SCOTLAND of your way are licensed to read them if this were true why is it a ground of inquisition abroad to have a Bible by them and made a ground of perâ—ecution here in the time of reformation if there be no countermand why is it held a transgression Secondly The granting of a licence to some implyeth an inhibition and ye are wiâ—ty in licensing some few to read it here and none in Italy or Spain For there be no hazard to the Popedom here which might be there if they were not so muzled Next you say the wâ—rd Iohn 5. 39. is not in the imperative but indicative mood for that you cite Cyril and Beza Gâ—ving noâ— granting that it is so it maketh still against your practise Fot they searched the Scriptures with his approbation and our Lord referreth the people to them as the rule of their direction for knowing him which ye refuse to do for ye must have another infallible judge to bear testimonie of him Thirdly You desire people not to shuffle but search the Scriptures I am glad to hear you speak so you yeeld the cause we seek no more Blessed be the Lord GOD of truth Magna est vis veritatis and blessed is the man who meditate in the Law of GOD day and night For your application of the place it is selfish and the similitude halteth on more leggs then one The second Scripture is that 1. Cor. 14. Protestants 2. Inst § 2. 14. which forbiddeth your Latine service If I pray in an unknown tongue my understanding is unfruitful c. How shal one who occupieth the room of the unlearned say amen verse 16. Reply You reply that the word unknown Papists Reply is not in the Original but taken in by interpreters neither is if great inconvenient albeit men pray publickly in an unknown tongue sithence preaching only is for edification and information of the judgment not prayer Iâ— there any scripture forbidding us to pray except the understanding of the hearers be instructed The high Priest amongst the Jews prayed in the sanctuary and was seperated from the people therefore could not instruct their understanding yet that was their forme of publict worship And the Apostle in the same chapter verse 5. To speak with tongues I forbid not I wish ye did all speak with tongues and he desireth them to pray that they might interpret And the Liturgies of the Church are interpreted to the people This scripture maketh more against your Ministers who with extemporarie prayers speak non-sense which hath made one of your own Poets say fools understand not us nor wise men you Answer You have need to understand the Greek tongue better that there be a difference Prote ∣ stants Answer betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an unknown tongue and when the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it needed no other word for that comprehendeth barbarous language as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth the known tongue Further he desireth them to pray that they might interpret Ergo it was an unknown tongue Varro lib. 6. de lingua latina when he citeth Aristotles book intituled Absolet names calleth them Glossae Aristotelis any may see more of this in that learned Critick Mausacius †Mausacius in Harpoerationem pa. 352. If you will read the 7. verse the equivalent of it is in the original for he mentioneth speaking in a tongue not understood and is not that an unknown tongue Then it is in a tongue to which the unlearned could not say Amen when one blessed oâ— gave thanks Thus verse 16. and it is the purpose of the Holy Ghost to refute that unedifying way at length by sundry arguments Amongst which this is one that the understanding was thereby rendered unfruitful Therefore the Apostle resolveth to pray with the spirit and the understanding also verse 15. You absurdly contradict the Apostle by your practise and adde in termes that it is no great inconvenient albeit the understanding be unfruitful He saith it is one You deny it Whither shal I believe the Apostle Paul or you I am ashamed of your impudencie herein How dare you Palam in â—s contradict the Scripture Your ragged reasons subjoyned Because prayer is not so much for the understanding as Preaching and Catechising Is there any scripture say you not to pray except they instruct the understanding of hearers I answer the scripture is for it verse 15. I will pray with the spirit and the understanding also And if this were not so Parâ—ats might pray but we ought to speak because we believe Your other reason against the Apostle is That the high Priest amongst the Jews praying in the Sanctuary was separated from the people and did not instruct their understanding yet that was the forme of their publict worship Yea in the same chapter verse 5. The Apostle saith and to speak with tongues he prohibiteth not I answer that the high Priest amongst the Jews when he was with the people prayed in an known tongue Num. 6. and when he was alone in the most holy place where he entered but once a
other differences we are not for one GOD one Faith one Baptism it is absurd to speak so Question thirteenth May there not as yet Papists qu. 13 be an accommodation and union betwixt you and us Answer Will ye be like the Church at Rome to which the Apostle Paul did wâ—ite Prote ∣ stants Ans 1 his Epistle we will presently accord with any prosessing that faith and not destroying it by contradicting consequences and practices But ye are no more like that Church of Rome except in name then a strumpet is like to a Virgin The Epistle to the Romans is now against the Romans witness the point of Justification and subjection to the higher powers Secondly Will ye take the Scripture for the only rule of faith worship and manners We differ from none such But ye regard not the Scripture so much as your own traditions For ye fainzie that it is imperfect obscure must have an authoritie from your word otherwise that it is not to be believed Thirdly Those who have intended that work have lost their labour and thanks at all hands as Cassander Antonius de Dominis Barnesius Forbesius What agreemeÌ„t can the Temple of God have with Idols 2. Cor. â— 14. Reply In your 13. Section you answer to a Papists Reply Question which no Catholick would have made if ye understand by an accommodation betwixt you and us such as are in Scottish Trysts We granting something to you and ye something to us For as to gain the whole world a man should not lose his own soul so neither can be quyt one article of his faith without which it is impossible to please God But your way being better asking only two conditions to make this so much desired agreement The first is if ye will be like that Church of Rome to which the Apostle Paul did write his Epistle And the second is that we will take scripture for a rule We most willingly grant you both not taking scripture as every bungler who wresteth it but according to the exposition of the Church and the unanimous consent of the fathers Appoint the meeting where ye please on these terms He challenge no moe calumnies on this Question seeing now we are in terms of agreement having sufficiently confuted them before Duply You say no Catholick would have moved the question Are ye nâ—â— for unitie in the Lord amongst all Christians where is Prote ∣ stants Duply 1 your charitie now I remember you said once nothing here was mentioned by me but what was mentioned by others but now you graunt this hath nor come to your ears formerly this is strange Have you not seen Grotius and de Sancta Clara who move the same wheel At first you seem to be against all accommodation asmuch as against all reformation You cannot quite on article not unum jot a saith Bellarmin otherwise your Church might be declared fallible therefore such as hanker after reconciliation with you unless they mind to come up your length will prove fools in the end and lose all their labour Yet on a sudden you forget your self accepting of these terms offered but in repetition you embezle them unfaithfully For first will ye be like that Church to which the Apostle Paul did writ in point of justification by faith and subjection to the Magistrat These two you leave out being conscious that ye are contrar to divine direction in both these And how cometh it to pass that when the Apostle chap. 16. saluteth so many Saints at Rome he omitteth the Pope If he was then head of the Church and maketh no mention of his supremacie nor of their subjectioÌ„ to him which is summa rei one of your fundamentals seeing chap. 13. he ordained them for conscience sake to be subject to Nero. The world may see that the Apostle Paul hath been no Papist Secondly When you propound the second condition it is propounded lame barely you say that ye hold the Scripture for a ruleâ— but I said for the only rule of faith worship and manners Hold that then ye renounce traditians in matters of faith for the law of the Lord is perfect Ps 19. The Popes infallibility and univeâ—sal supremacie your latine worship communion under one kind prayers to Saints and for the dead Purgatory all which are clearly confuted by Scripture So if ye do not adhere to these conditions the meeting will be to smal purpose where ever it be appointed Justin Martyr Expos recta fidei saith Amongst the children of the Church matters divine must not be ordered and directed according to mens reason and thoughts but our speach and interpretation of them should be sitted to the sense and will of the Spirit of GOD. Basil in Exercit. de Fide It is a manifest defection from the faith and a clear evidence of pride either to reject any of these things which the Scripture contain or to bring in as a point of faith any thing which is not written in the word and he citeth that of our blessed Lord Iohn 10. 5. My sheep hear my voice a stranger they will not hear but flee from him Hilar. lib. 1. de Trinit when we speak of divine matters let us give to GOD the knowledge of himself and let us with all veneration follow his sayings for he is a meâ—t witness to himself who is not known but by himself Aug. lib. 6. Conf. cap. 5. Thou hast perswâ—ded me O GOD that not these men who believe these books which thou in all Ages hast founded upon thy authority are to be blamed but such as believe them not neither are they to be heard If any perchance should say to me whence knowest thou these books to have been ministred to man-kind by the Spirit of the one and most true GOD even that very same thing was mostly to be believed Aug. lib. 2. de Baptismo contra Donatist as Let us not bring false ballanceâ— wherein we may weigh what we will and as we will according to our own arbitriment saying this is heavy that is light but let us bring the divine ballance out of the holy Scriptures as the Lords treasurie and let us weigh in it what is more heavy and weighty Yea let us not weigh only but also acknowledge scriptuval truths to be weighed and determined alreadie by the Lord. Si Scriptura habeat controversiam ex eadem Scriptura adhibitis ejus testibus terminâ—tur Aug. de doctr Chr. lib. 3. cap. 28. Papists Quest. 14 Question fourteenth We are still gaiâ—ing Proselyts from you but few turne off from us and become members of your Church Answere Your pelf and policie is greater Prote ∣ stants Ans 1 then ours hereby simple soules are ensnared Secondly Ye give indulgencies for looseness this catcheth prophaine ones who love to live at random but without some such carnall design or prejudice we hear not that any turn off from us Thirdly Have not sundrie left Rome in the integrity of their heart and closed
and without Christ can do nothing Iohn 15 5. If you say more speak it out for it will be plain Pelagianism Exhorrations and communications are means to make us willing and obedient It is not in our power to think a good thought as of our selves dare you deny this Why then fall you fondly on us speaking with the Scripture Luke 17. 10. By grace we are saved freely through faith and eternal life is the gift of GOD the reward is a free remuneration and may be without our merits we grant free-will in Augustins sense and Jansenius proveth that this is true liberty by arguments which were never yet answered But we do disclaim Jesuitical indifferencie because it taketh away divire providence the power of grace and setteâ—h up anti-providences from the will of man Because we sin willingly who can deny that we are punished justly Neither take we the Scripture Catalogue from the Iewes but make use of reason testimonies from old Writters universal consent to be a porch for eâ—trie to the knowledge of the numerick controversie and how can you say so of our Catalogue seeing we mantain no book to be Scripture but such as ye allow And are ye not helped by the Jewes herein as wel as we Only we lay that the authority of the Scripture dependeth not on humane testimonie as upon its principal foundation nor yet upon unwritten tradition because divine faith must be begotten by a divine testimonie And we believe the Scriptures authority and truth side lâ—â—ina because the Lord hath spoken it In this true faith must be finally resolved else it is not divine It is a calumny to say we patch the Word seeing we make Scripture the only rule of our faith There be none in the Christian Church who adde such patches to the word of GOD as ye Our Reformation had authority both from Heaven and men on earth The Lawes of the Land can restifie this which are yet in vigor for it and against you And there may be new light in time of darkness which was formerly dimmed or put out which light is the good old light proceeding from the Father of lights If ye condemned this the world should have still continued Arrian when it was over-clouded with it and all Reformation even the Scripture one is unlawful see you not your absurdity here Yea it was prophesied Dan. 12. 4. that in the latter times knowledge should encrease and light also be extended but light without verity deserveth not the name Privat men have the liberty of discerning allowed to them Acts 17. 11. 1. Io. 4. 1. Yea such may have publict spirits and be called to publict employments But what you mean by this I conceive not For the Gospel worship which we mantain hath the consent of all the Scriptures Churches and primitive Fathers as is formerly proved to the full We wish the hearts of all our Pastors may be established by grace that they may be subjected to him who hath the government on his shoulder and by their faith working by love glorifie the chief Shepheard of the stock We will not recriminat ralling for railing but it were easie to shew Ye have a Church composed state-wayes Your policie devouâ—eth all pâ—â—ty Your superstitious vowes against marraâ—ge all chastity Your impeaching of the Scriptures all divine verity Your blind allegiance to the Pope all loyalty Your superstitious buskings all puritie Your worship in an unknown tongue all fervencie Your addition to the one Sacrament and mutitation of the other all sincerity Your universal infallible supremacie all primitive antiquity It is not long since this Reply came to my hand at the first view whereof I intended to take in and discuss arguments proposed by Dr. Vane in that Pamphlet entituled The lost sheep found And these contained in another of the same kind called Presbytries tryall And to survey the other two entituled The Touchstone and Fâ—at lux But finding the substance of all these in this reflecter and that he hath little of his own but maketh malt for the most of their barley by answering this all the foure are macerially answered which a discerning Reader will find to be true Now to close I obtest all who read this Vindication of the reformed Religion to consider the cause seriously without partialitie pride passion prejudice Remember that Iames 2. 1. Have not the faith of our Lord Iesus with respect of persons And the spirit of truth lead you into all truth The spirit of errour and lies be rebuked and resisted by the Lord That a pure offering may be offered to Him from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof FINIS A POSTSCRIPT Containing an Advertisement and Advice to the Merchants of DVNDIE who travell abroad that they be not ensnared with the fopperies of Poperie AFter the writting of this VINDICATION I judged it expedient to give this word of Advertisement and Advice to such as be called by their affairs to negotiaâ— in Countreys where the Popish worship is only professed and mantained Because many travellers return home from these places as that French fool came back from Rome who passing through Ravenna least he should return empty to his friends gathered in that Forrest a multitude of bees and flees which being closed into a cloath bagge he poured forth amongst his relatives to their prejudice and offence And all they gained by his voyage was made up of stings and buzings So when travellerâ— return from forrain Nations either Neutral Nullisidians or leavened with Popish saperstition what is their purchase Nothing that can edifie any Will ever practical Atheism Gallioeâ— temper or tampering betwixt truth and errour advantage a man at the long runne Not at all These will sting like a serpent more then themselves a wound and dishonour may they have by it but nothing else The hazard which some Travellers tunne cannot be unknown to you For the man who in this City hath become Popish and stingeth some is thought by all that know him to have received the first dye thereof abroad when he travelled thither And although the flecks of that pestiferous malady broke nor forth immediatly after his return till the Carduns Maledictus of prejudice against some fellow Citizens made them appear yet there probably he was first infected Now if he who was gifted above many Merchants catched so sore a back-ward fall abroad that he hath now turned his back on that Church wherein he was born and iostered Have ye not reason with full purpose of heart to cleave to the truth of GOD which can only set you free It is not for nought that our Saviour said to his Disciples Luke 17. 32. Remember Lots wife It is certain that the Church of SCOTLAND is a great eye-sore to Papists and they craftily lay snareâ— to seduce her members at home and abroad Their hooks are feathered with variety of colours and the Convent at Rome de Propagan fide furnisheth many Emissaries who